Merry Christmas! December 2013 . Vol. 7, Issue 12
Greg and Sarah Schwartz Photo By Kendal Dockery
There’s no need for mistletoe this Christmas...
www.micahsjewelers.com
(903)735-2336
Monday-Saturday 10-6
2812 Richmond Rd. Richmond Park Center Texarkana TX, 75503
Bassett Custom Dining Endless Options... Made just for you in the USA
Locally Owned 34 years in Business Designers on staff Community Driven
Designers on staff to make your house feel like home...
www.fourstatesfurniture.com
2315 Richmond Road Suite 16
Texarkana, TX 75503
903.223.4506
December 2013 /contents
54 k / On The Cover
Bentley Wins First Place! Congratulations to all those featured from our ALT Pet Photo Contest!
D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 3 / Vo l . 7 , I s s u e 1 2
F E AT U R E S
82
H a n d s o n Te x a r k a n a
Masquerade Ball
84
TA M U - T D i s t i n g u i s h e d
14
Ruby- Diabetic Dog
20
Patience & Healing
Alumni/Faculty Event
Dogs & Their Colors
85
BWC Orange Carpet
30 40
My Christmas Letter
54
A LT P e t P h o t o C o n t e s t
78
A LT G i f t I d e a s
EVENTS 74
Event 86
Realtors Halloween
Benefit 87
Silvermoon Children’s
Theatre 89
Randy Sam’s Benefit
90
K i w a n i s C l u b 9 0 t h
Birthday
Gayles Holiday Open
House
91
KLFI Banquet
92
Wadley’s Just Us Girls
93
Firefighters Donate to
Cancer Patients
EVERY MONTH 70
BAAS Highlight
98
Calendar of Events
60
Dear Kendra
66
Financial Focus
62
F i s h Ta l e s
8
Keeping It Real
99
Real Estate
94
Second Chances
76 Uncorked
14
HOMETOWN
Beth Little never thought she would have a diabetic dog...
6
ALT Magazine
December 2013
68
“Hillbilly Bowl-A-Thon”
Financial Night - RRFCU
Publisher / Debbie Brower Editor / Miranda Johnson Associate Editor / Jaclyn Gooding Photography / Image Forward Photography, Debbie Brower, Jaclyn Gooding, Miranda Johnson, Kendal Dockery, Sylvia Jennings, Darla Clement, Karen Lansdell Sales & Marketing Manager / Charlie McMurphy Feature Writers / Jane Bouterse, Anne Fruge Contributing Writers / Lisa Myers, Kendra Raines, Vincent Senatore, Dustin Stringer
Poodle Tamer / Mike Brower If you have an event you would like to include in our Upcoming Events section, please email us at: info@alt-mag.com.
w w w. a l t - m a g . c o m
info@alt-mag.com 200 Heather Dr., Texarkana, TX 75501 (903) 334-9605 ALT Magazine is published the 1st business day of every month. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission of ALT Magazine is strictly prohibited. ALT Magazine is distributed free of charge. Direct mail subscriptions are available for $42.00 per year. Contributions from our readers are welcome. We reserve the right to edit or reject any material.
©2013 ALT Magazine
KEEPING IT REAL... A Letter From The Publisher
Merry Christmas! Peace & Rest... “And when we give each other Christmas gifts in His name, let us remember that He has given us the sun and the moon and the stars, and the earth with its forests and mountains and oceans--and all that lives and move upon them. He has given us all green things and everything that blossoms and bears fruit and all that we quarrel about and all that we have misused--and to save us from our foolishness, from all our sins, He came down to earth and gave us Himself.” ― Sigrid Undset I love this time of year. I love all of the decorations. I love all of the merriment. But I especially love all of the music. As most of you know, I love to sing. Unfortunately, this year, I have been told that I can’t sing in our Christmas musical. Not because I am not wanted. Because I am supposed to be on vocal rest. Yes, that’s what I said, vocal rest. Okay, okay – you can stop laughing now! It hasn’t worked very well so far. I’m hoping that in the next week, since we will be off for a few days, I will actually be able to at least have a few hours each day of rest. I really miss not being able to sing. I love Christmas. I love Christmas music. I love singing Christmas music. I love knowing the Christ came into this world just for me. He has blessed me beyond all of my dreams. I love my family, my life – and my pets.
of that healing soul – you know, the one that will lay with you when you are sad, or play with you when you are bored, or sleep with you when you are tired. From a Chihuahua, to a Sheltie, to a Poodle, there have been a variety of babies to love. My heart swells with love for my babies. They are my family, too. This month’s issue is also full of pictures from our Christmas Pet Contest – with our winner on the cover. Obviously I am not the only one who considers their pet their family! I loved looking at all of the photos and watching the votes come in! I hope you all love looking at them, too. For those of you who don’t have a pet – or maybe want to add another one—check out the ones who needs a new home toward the back of this month’s magazine. What a great Christmas present for these babies to have a new “forever” home! However, make sure you know the commitment you make when you choose to adopt! They want someone to love them forever – not overnight! So choose carefully – and they will love you unconditionally forever!
This issue, we are honoring those who help others with their pets. There are so many service animals in our area that help children and adults deal with their illnesses and injuries. Isn’t is amazing that at a time when miracles happen every year, we are highlighting animals who help make those miracles happen I hope you have a wonderful, blessed Christmas! May God for someone out there? Maybe it’s a child with diabetes who bless you! now understands a little better how to deal with his disease, or maybe it’s a person in a nursing home who is lonely and needs a friendly head to pat for just a little while – whatever the case, dogs can be a healing balm. I have always had a pet and have always known the benefits 8
ALT Magazine
December 2013
Publisher
CHAMPION CHECKING ALSO COMES WITH cell phone, travel, and id theft protection.
Yule. First.
LEARN MORE at WWW.FIRST-BANKING.COM bank like a champ TODAY AT ANY 1st Bank LOCATION IN Texarkana • New Boston • Hope • Blevins • Lewisville
Give the gift of Beauty For the FACE, NECK and BODY • • • • •
Non-Invasive Body Contouring Cellulite Reduction Stretch Mark Reduction Wrinkle Reduction Skin Tightening
The Venus Freeze & the Venus Legacy are the ONLY FDA Approved treatments of their type in the U.S.
Come by our
CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE Friday, Dec 6th from 10am till 7pm Everyone Welcome RSVP to reserve a Demo on the Venus Legacy
before
after
Dr. David Whitten’s
903.831.5659 • 903.908.2885 5303 Cowhorn Creek • Texarkana, TX 75503 www.texasbodysculpting.com
Gift Certificates Available Special Off
er: “Fresh Face” & “Blow Out” upgrade optio ns... With a facia
l, microderm or VF you can have make up put o n to freshen your face and/or a quick style/blo w dry for your hair as y ou go back ou t into the world .
Every story has a beadTM
Winter 2013
www.trollbeads.com
903.832.3557 alexandersjewelers.biz
1-30 & Richmond Road Texarkana, TX
by: Anne Fruge
Beth Little has always loved animals. As soon as she was old enough, she started volunteering at Angel Animal Hospital in Pasadena, Texas. Though she was doing thankless work, she was given valuable time to shadow the veterinarian and hone in on what would become her lifelong passion. “I grew up an only child, and I always had pets,” Beth says. “I have a special place in my heart for them and I love to help them and keep them healthy. I love to see people have a bond with their pets.” Now Beth is an important member of the dedicated doctors and staff at Westridge Animal Hospital. Beth began working with Dr. Murray in 1986 and began working at Westridge when it opened in 1989. Since then, she has worked everything from reception to surgery check-in. Currently, she works with laser therapy that is used for wound healing, post-op surgery and ear problems. Also, she is in charge of customer relations which includes being the voice behind the Westridge Hospital Facebook which currently boasts close to 1400 followers. She posts reminders for animal owners and pictures of the pets that visit the clinic. “The best part of my job is getting to see the people who come into the clinic and taking pictures of their pets,” Beth says. “Our customers can contact us on Facebook, and they really love to see pictures of their ‘kids.’ It’s become a fun way for us to be in contact with our customers.” Of course, the hazard of working around the four-legged species is the constant desire to take them home. Beth and her husband, Robert, a pastor at Lifehouse Church in New Boston, currently own five dogs and a cat, all rescues. “Robert is an animal lover like me,” Beth says. “In fact, the church does a free breakfast on Sunday mornings, and one morning, a little kitten wandered into the the kitchen. He ‘shooed’ her out, but she just came right back, and that’s how we got Hezzie.” Ruby, Beth’s yellow lab, was rescued by a couple who found her on the side of the road. When they brought her in, it was discovered she had parvo and would need medical care. The couple, who had just had a baby, didn’t think they could afford her bills, so Beth spoke up. “There are so many animals who don’t have homes, I prefer to get ones that are really needy,” Beth says. “The shelter is over populated and the rescues are full. I just wish more people would spay or neuter their pets. When I saw Ruby, I said, ‘If I treat her, can I keep her?’ Now she is one of the family.” December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
15
In fact, Ruby is a fixture at Westridge Animal Hospital ever since Beth discovered she had diabetes. She stays with Beth so that Beth can administer her twice daily injections.
“I never thought I would have a diabetic dog,” Beth says. “I’ve helped with treatment for diabetic dogs and cats, but never realized I would have one. It is hard for owners who don’t have someone at home during the day because diabetic animals need shots, and at first, they could have some side effects until you get right dosage.”
Ruby used to stay during the day with Beth’s mom, Charline Grimes, and one day Charline mentioned that Ruby looked like she was losing weight. Beth realized that though she hadn’t reduced Ruby’s food, she was getting skinnier and drinking a lot more water. The realization hit Beth that these were often the first signs of diabetes, so she brought Ruby to the clinic to get tested. Sure enough, Ruby’s glucose levels were extremely high. It took a few months, but eventually, they got Ruby regulated with the help of twice daily injections. However, just a few short months later, Ruby developed cataracts and lost her vision. “Ruby lost her vision really quickly and didn’t have time to adjust,” Beth says. “She had trouble getting around and would just sit in a corner. I couldn’t stand that. It was an expensive surgery, but I wanted to get her lenses replaced completely to remove the cataracts. I started selling things around the house and put together a fundraiser and a garage sale to raise extra money. But, it was all worth it when I came to pick her up and she came around the corner and saw me.” Many owners aren’t aware of the signs of a diabetic animal or that diabetes can affect both cats and dogs. “We are seeing more and more diabetic cases,” Beth says. “It’s honestly the same as it is with people. Except, animals don’t realize how bad things are. People think the worst when they hear bad news. Dogs and cats just need an owner who cares about them. Owners should look for weight loss, excessive thirst and excessive urination as signs of possible diabetes. However, we do a glucose test as part of our annual blood work, so hopefully we can catch it then.”
Yes. We Cater.
One day, one of Beth’s church friends, Janet Hutchison, mentioned that she was helping with a local camp for children with Diabetes called K.I.D.S. Day Camp. Janet is one of the camp nurses. “I said, if you ever need anything, let me know, and she thought it might be a cool idea to introduce the kids to Ruby,” Beth says. “So, we set up a date and time for her to visit with each age group at the camp.” K.I.D.S. Day Camp is a summer camp for children ages 6 to 18 with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes held at Camp Preston Hunt. The camp is offered free of charge through the help of donors in the community and the support of the Kiwanis Club of Texarkana. The
16
ALT Magazine
December 2013
Merry Christmas
Robyn Keahey, NP-C
James J. Boehmke,
Stanley C. Knowles,
John C. Cozart, M.D.
D.O.
M.D. Laura Balmain, M.D.
Choose Less Paperwork. Choose less expense. Choose quality, safety and convenience.
Choose...
Texarkana Gastroenterology Consultants and The Endoscopy center of Texarkana 903.792.8030 903.791.8657
Texarkana Gastroenterology Consultants
The Endoscopy Center of Texarkana
www.Tgastro.com 1920 Moores Lane Texarkana, TX 75503 December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
17
Model: FaEllen Yates
4059 Summerhill Sq. Texarkana, Texas
903.792.0056
camp day lasts from 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and though they do offer diabetes education, campers also have full summer camp activities including hiking, archery, arts and crafts and more. The camp is staffed by parents and medical professions from the area with experience with diabetes. “Our volunteers and medical staff can talk parent to parent about daily care of diabetes because they are living it at home. Our staff, including camp nurses and dietitians, are all parents of diabetic children or have diabetes themselves,” Mary Jackson, Camp Director says. “I hear from campers every year that this is one of the only weeks when they feel ‘normal.’ I mean, they are living with diabetes every moment of every day, and when they are at camp, they aren’t the only ones who have to check their blood sugar or give themselves a shot.”
made Ruby a diabetes alert for her collar. Seeing how the kids reacted to Ruby made Beth willing to consider taking her into schools.
“The kids loved her, but more than that, I think we all shocked each other,” Beth says. “They didn’t realize that there were animals with their condition, and Ruby and I were shocked Since their start in 1993, the camp has expanded from to see kids who had 11 campers their first year to 40-50 in the past few years. The been diagnosed at organization believes that it’s important for children with diabetes to under two years of realize they are not alone. They hope, by meeting and interacting with age. They wanted to other children with diabetes, the campers will learn to work with their know if Ruby could disease and develop a more positive view of their future. live a normal life and if she got injections. By sharing Ruby’s “A lot of parents are really reluctant to send their child off story and listening to to camp alone, especially the younger ones,” Jackson says. “This their stories, I think we is a really great alternative where kids can have the summer camp experience and be close to home. This year when we offered diabetes educated each other.” education classes in the morning, Beth brought Ruby, and the kids really loved meeting her. They realized that it’s not just humans who For more information about Ruby, contact Beth Little through the Westridge Hospital Facebook page. get diabetes, pets can get it too.” By the end of their time together, the kids were taking pictures with Ruby, and she made it to the camp video. The kids also 18
ALT Magazine
December 2013
For more information about K.I.D.S. Day Camp Summer 2014, please email kidsdaycamp@aol.com or call Mary Jackson at 870-772-8700.
The Kitchenette 903.796.7995
Connie’s Pet Grooming (903) 838-9572
Your pets deserve to look their
‘Tis The Season...
best for the holidays, too! Book your baby’s appointment today! Located inside Westridge Animal Hospital 3909 New Boston Rd | Texarkana, TX
Julie’s casseroles available at Price Hardware. December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
19
20
ALT Magazine
December 2013
by: Anne Fruge
Patience
& Healing
When a desperate owner came into PetsMart, she found her puppy trainer, Debra Enoch, and said, “Here take this dog! We just can’t handle him anymore.” Debra, who owned another dog from the same litter, didn’t want the animal to be taken to the shelter or put down, but she kept thinking, “What in the world am I going to do with a deaf dog?” However, though Debra’s adoption of this dog, Moxxie, and a beautiful sheltie, Clancy, who is deaf and half blind, Debra realized the value in what most people see as an unwanted disability. Through her work with them, she also found healing for some scars in her own life. Debra grew up in a military family that traveled every few years, and due to the constant upheavals in her life and a struggle with ADHD, Debra found it easier sometimes to connect with animals than humans. “I feel sorry for my family for having to deal with me growing up,” Debra says with a smile. “I had some problems and it wasn’t always easy handling a kid with ADHD. We just didn’t know that much about it back then. Once we moved to a new place, I almost hesitated to even try to make friends because as soon as I got used to them, I’d probably have to move. However, we always had a family pet, and when we moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, I got a job as a volunteer at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. I just loved working with the animals. Even now, working as a trainer, Debra feels like she can get “on the level” with the dog and figure out what might be causing some of their behavioral problems, but she will admit that it’s “still hard for me to figure people out.” Debra met her husband, David Enoch, in Colorado. They’ve been married for 28 years and he currently works for TXI, a leading supplier of cement, aggragate, and consumer product building materials in Texarkana. While they were still living in Colorado Springs, Debra went through two traumatic incidents that changed her entire life. “One night, I was closing a store that I managed, and I was held at gunpoint. All of a sudden, anytime I went anywhere, I was December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
21
Wardrobes provided by: Flanagan’s Shenanigans
Airbrush Tanning by Randee Hunnicutt 903.748.8697 Bottom Row (L-R)- Stephanie, Jessica, Carol, KarmaLee, Shawnna, Randee, Dayna. Top Row (L-R)- Peggy P., Shirley, Debbie, Lacey, Allison, Kathy, Peggy A.
903.832.6261
M-F: 9am - 6pm; Sat: 9am - 3pm
looking for an ‘out’,” Debra says. “I couldn’t stand to be in confined spaces or crowds. I later realized that I had PTS or Post Traumatic Stress.” Soon after these life-changing events, Debra and David decided to make the move to Texarkana. Debra’s brother had two kids, and it made more sense to be close to family and get a change of scenery. Once they moved, one of Debra’s nephews invited her to go to a local church with him one Sunday. Debra’s rediscovered faith played a great deal into her recovery process. “I’d always been fortunate to go to church,” Debra says, “However, when I started really struggling in my life, I couldn’t get things to come together. My nephew encouraged me to go with him and he introduced me to the women’s ministry there. Since that day, I’ve been extremely involved in the women’s ministry. I felt so stupid that after all these years, I finally realized that God had been opening so many doors for me.” Debra and her mom opened Aromatree in Texarkana, but after several years, they were forced to close, and Debra decided to look for a job with that went back to her original passion of working with animals. Since she had really been training and taking care of dogs her whole life, Debra took a job working as a pet trainer at PetsMart in Texarkana. For the last two years Debra has worked with puppy and adult dog obedience training. She also helps pet owners get therapy or service dog certified. Because Debra is often working with dogs who struggle with obedience, Debra is often the last stop before the animal is removed from the home. A few weeks ago, Debra was bitten and had to have seven stitches in her hand. A co-worker expressed surprise that Debra agreed to continue to work with the animal even after that. 22
ALT Magazine
December 2013
3703 Mall Drive, Texarkana, TX
“The best thing about my job is the ability to make a difference on whether a dog stays in the home,” Debra says. “Most dog owners come to me as a last option. Either their dog won’t follow commands or they pee in the house or they won’t come when they are called. If we can change just one thing, that can mean the difference between this dog getting put down or finding a forever home. I work hard to solve these problems because I can’t stand to see a dog put to sleep.” With her own deaf dog, Moxxie, Debra had to realize two things. First, deaf dog owners need a yard because once the dogs are out, it’s hard to call them back. Debra uses vibrations from stamping her foot, flicking the lights on the porch on and off or using a laser light. She also realized that any deaf or blind dog owner needs a lot of patience. “With patience, these dogs can become one of the best dogs you’ve ever had,” Debra says. “They pay attention with their eyes and the cues you make with your body. They aren’t worried with distractions like a clatter of plates in a restaurant or kids screaming; they are just waiting for the next signal from you.” Then, Debra rescued a super smart Sheltie who was deaf and half blind. When she saw him in the shelter, she thought, “How will this dog even have a chance of being adopted with this much against him?” Debra couldn’t leave him there, so she took him home and named him Mr. Clancy.
December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
23
Janet Green janetdgreen@hotmail.com
Interior Design
Stylish Updates For Every Room!
BEFORE
AFTER
Complete Interior Design Service & Custom Window Treatments Office: 903.831.6617 Cell: 903.826.2540 4205 Richmond Place - Texarkana, TX 75503
“Rescues are great. They are the way to go,” Debra says. “You don’t have to pay $300 for a dog to have a good one. All of mine are rescues.” It took almost three months for Debra to gain Clancy’s trust, but soon, they developed a really strong relationship. “It did take a while to get our signals down and for us to trust each other,” Debra says. “But, once you have a blind or deaf dog, you will always want one. So many people are scared of the challenges of owning a blind or deaf dog, but let me tell you, many of these dogs are scared themselves. They need someone to work with them, someone they can trust. You know, I think, my family gave me a chance, and so I will give them a chance.” The bond between Clancy and Debra helped Debra with her PTS. She noticed that Clancy would pace back and forth in front of her when he sensed a tensing in her emotions, and he would often block people from invading her personal space. Debra started using Clancy as a service and therapy dog. Now Clancy visits the hospital and the nursing home regularly. “He warms people’s hearts,” Debra says. “He gets in bed with them; he’s very emotional. It’s almost as if he can feel someone’s troubles. Many times they will beg me not to leave, or to just stay 5 more minutes. You know I think Clancy is special, but I also believe that his disabilities give others hope.” Debra also has several people contact her or come to the store with questions about deaf and blind dogs. She’s been able to offer advice to several customers on how to transition the dog into the home.
Totals from our 2013 Stateline Stampede are in. We netted over $83,000 our first year!! This money went to The American Cancer Society for local programs and ground breaking cancer research. The American Cancer Society is so appreciative of everyone who contributed or attended. Save the date -- Oct 4 for 2014. Please put us in your budget! This party will only get bigger and better with your help!!
Thank You To Our Underwriters and Sponsors:
Farmers Bank & Trust
Alexander’s Jewelers ALT Magazine Arkansas Nursing & Rehab Center Bank of the Ozarks BWI Cavenders Boot City Christus St. Michael Health System Collom & Carney Clinic Cornerstone Dierksen Memorial Hospice E-Z Mart Headmasters Heritage Home Health & Hospice Electrique Corp. KTAL Channel 6 Longhorn Trailor Sales Mid South Bank Red River Pharmacy Reynolds Realty Rockin WH Ranch Hay Co. Sticks & Stones Texana Bank
& Thanks To Our Great Community For All Your Supprt! See You Next Year! 24
ALT Magazine
December 2013
“Recently, I trained a deaf dog, and then he got a home,” Debra says. “The best part of my job is hearing people with success stories. I love to see their accomplishments with their dog.” Debra has heard stories about how dogs can help dyslexic students feel comfortable reading in front of an audience, and this gives her hope that the world is slowly realizing how beneficial animals can be in our lives, especially in those kids lives who are struggling with illness and handicaps. “I had dyslexia in school, and I think all my teachers just thought, ‘Well, she doesn’t get it,” Debra says, “I spent college with a tutor, but I really hope that future generations of these students will get the help and support they so greatly need. They aren’t dumb; they just need extra help. I think a dog would make a great audience!” Now, Clancy and Debra are often at Petsmart waiting to see how they can help people see the potential and the joy in owning an animal, even if that animal isn’t perfect. Debra helps owners who are considering puppy training, therapy dog training or service dog training, and she hopes to spread awareness that deaf and blind animals make great companions; they just need a loving home. “You know your life can change in 15 minutes,” Debra says. “But, God will get you through anything, and I know now that you go through things for a reason. You may not find that reason till many years later, but He will show you.” “For the first time in my life, I feel like I can help people. Scars are not only visible on the outside. For all the broken places that I have in my life, my dogs were given to put those back together.” “Some people see disabilities; all I see is blessing.”
26
ALT Magazine
December 2013
DINE-IN OR CARRY-OUT Open 7 days a week 11am ‘til Midnight™
Fresh e d a M Wings e ve r N , r e d to Or ked! Pre-Coo
GARLIC PARMESAN LOUISIANA RUB LEMON PEPPER HAWAIIAN HICKORY SMOKED BBQ TERIYAKI MILD ORIGINAL HOT ATOMIC CAJUN MANGO-HABENERO
Bone-In Wings
Boneless Wings
Boneless Strips
Call the Wing Experts! Or Order On-Line at: www.wingstop.com
903.792.WING(9464) On the corner of N.State Line and Texas Blvd
Gliders
903.255.0090
2700 Richmond RoadSuite 14A1
y r r e M stmas hri C From ...
WYNDHAM GARDEN TEXARKANA 5301 N. State Line Ave. Texarkana, TX 75503
Banquet/Meeting Space Available
www.wyndham.com
903.792.3222
Fax: 903.792.0578
WE PROUDLY WELCOME TO OUR BANKING TEAM
DAVID HICKS AS RETAIL MARKET MANAGER
David is a native of Texarkana, Arkansas, and has been in the Banking Industry for 16 years. He has been a huge asset to Texarkana for years as he has been involved in the schools, community, and civic events. David is married to Michelle Hicks, and has two daughters Katelyn and Kelsey.
903.791.0490
5499 Summerhill RD 28
ALT Magazine
myFBTbank.com Texarkana, TX 75503
December 2013
Eastex Dental Academy
“the building blocks needed for a quality dental assisting education”
90-95% Hands-On Training
4220 Texas Blvd. Texarkana, TX
Phone: 903.506.2136
www.eastexdentalacademy.com
December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
29
DOGS AND THEIR COLORS COLORS COLORS
30
ALT Magazine
December 2013
by: Jane Bouterse
“I once heard a woman who had lost her dog say that she felt as though a color were suddenly missing from her world: the dog had introduced to her field of vision some previously unavailable hue and without a dog, that color was gone.” American writer Carolyn Knapp observes, “That seemed to capture the experience of loving a dog with eminent simplicity. I’d amend it only slightly and say that if we are open to what they have to give, dogs can introduce us to several colors with names like wildness, nurturance, trust and joy.” Few understand Knapp’s insight as well as Shea Wilson, the Public Information Officer for the Arkansas Department of Corrections and Renie Rule, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Executive Director of Development. These two have seen dogs showing off their colors and the differences that those doggie colors can make in the lives of Arkansas inmates. Rule is the founding patron and a volunteer with Arkansas’ Paws in Prison program. Thanks to her enthusiasm, leadership and generous donation, the Paws in Prison program was launched on December 8, 2011. This program is a perfect example of entities and individuals within communities and government creating successful partnerships to benefit everyone. Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC) partners with animal shelters and advocate groups around the state for rescue animals. Prison wardens select inmates to train the animals. Volunteers—professional trainers, caseworkers, adopting families—work together to provide adequate training and perfect matches. The idea for the Arkansas Paws in Prison (PIP) program began when Renie Rule met with a group from ADC, after receiving the blessing of Gov. Mike Beebe. Dr. Mary Parker, vice chair of the Board of Corrections, and ADC Director Ray Hobbs, were eager to embrace the program and a mechanism was soon in place for a visit to Missouri and a careful examination of their “Puppies for Parole” program. In August 2011, a four-person team representing ADC traveled to see first-hand how the Missouri program operates and get ideas on how to implement a successful program in Arkansas. The group included Parker, former ADC Assistant Director Dina Tyler, Wilson and Rule. Missouri officials were eager to share their information so that the August 2011 visit enabled the Paws in Prison Arkansas program to be launched in December 2011. Amazing how quickly knowledge and support and funding (Paws in Prison funds are private donations) can produce results. fold:
perish (hundreds of dogs are euthanized in Arkansas every year) by better preparing them to be loving, obedient and adoptable pets. More than 250 dogs have been rescued from euthanasia since the Paws in Prison program began almost two years ago. 2. The program will give inmates the skills necessary to support successful rehabilitation and reentry—and ultimately improve public safety. 3. At the same time, this is an opportunity for the inmates to do something positive for the communities of Arkansas. In states where similar programs operate, they have had a profound impact on inmates and staff, thus improving security and the quality of life inside the institutions.” Everyone’s working together is the only way to keep the Paws in Prison program successful. The essential ingredients are: 1. Dogs 2. Inmates 3. Adopting Families 4. Volunteers The role of each group is crucial to the success of the PIP Program. FIRST: DOGS Dogs are managed solely by the various shelters from which they come. The Arkansas Department of Corrections has nothing to do with selection or adoption of animals. Partnering shelters select, manage and adopt out the dogs used in the program. Every kind of dog admitted to a rescue shelter will be considered. “At one point, we had an entire litter of German Shepherd puppies given to one of the rescue shelters, “ Wilson reports. “We have had two mastiffs, Saint Bernards and bichon frisés, dalmatians and lots of Heinz 57 varieties.” All dogs are selected carefully for their suitability in the program. Major criteria include characteristics like gentle temperaments, quick intelligence and non-aggressive behavior. The assessment process is strict and typically effective; but there are rare cases when dogs are not the right fit for an institutional environment, and those dogs go to foster homes. Without this program, many of the dogs would have been euthanized. SECOND: INMATES Participating inmates are selected by the prison wardens. Each dog is assigned two inmates so that there is no interruption in training if a dog cannot go into an area with his trainer, such as the hospital or kitchen, etc. Dogs do have regular down time, too. Inmate trainers receive weekly instruction from professional dog trainers. The training period for companion pets is eight to 10 weeks. Service dog training lasts about six months. For more information, consult: http://adc.arkansas.gov/PawsInPrison/Pages/AvailableDogs.aspx http://adc.arkansas.gov/PawsInPrison/Pages/Trainers.aspx
According to Wilson, “The benefits of this program are three-
Service or therapy pets may learn to retrieve items, hit a life alert button, open doors or pick up socks, give an assist with 1. The Paws in Prison program will reduce the number of animals who everyday chores and do a good job of nurturing their new friend. December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
31
Happy Holidays
from Farmers Bank and Trust Mortgage
Words? Dogs respond to them, but they speak with their eyes, a wagging tail or even a moist lick or two. A large, red lab and German Shepherd combo dog, briefly a part of my family, would gently encase my arm in his large mouth when he felt he needed more attention and love. His drooping head and sad eyes spoke volumes, and I miss his excited jumps and starts when we set out on our walks. He enjoyed my reading to him and being briskly brushed. He was a special companion who learned quickly. His trust and joy were always evident and precious. Companion pets are important to any partner. Service dogs perform more sophisticated tasks, although the Paws in Prison program does not include the complex training like seeingeye dogs, etc. may require. “It’s incredible what some of these dogs learn to do,” Shea Wilson says. The first item of business for inmates is naming their charges when they arrive. For example, James Dulaney and Sherman Noble, inmates in Tucker’s first class, named their dog “Sky.” Dulaney said, “The sky is a wide range. It represents freedom. The sky’s the limit. 32
ALT Magazine
December 2013
That’s why we named this dog Sky!” Like many inmates, Dulaney, who had been incarcerated 18 years for capital murder when he received Sky, found an opportunity in his Paws in Prison charge. “It was a bad thing [I did] and anything I can do for society I’m willing to do. It won’t bring back life but I’m hoping I can give somebody else a new start.” “Founder and volunteer Renie Rule says this inmate/ rescue dog relationship is so much more than just training dogs good behavior. She says, ‘This is a way for many of these inmates to give back to the community, to make right some things in their own lives that haven’t gone well.’” THIRD: ADOPTING FAMILIES
WAKE VILLAGE HOMES starting in the $150,000s SHILLING IN PLEASANT GROVE HOMES starting in the $220,000s NORTHFORK HOMES starting in the $400,000s
............................ ASK ABOUT OUR “Build On Your Lot” PROGRAM
O: 903.7971.0544 | F: 903.791.0545 2010 Moores Lane Suite 100 | Texarkana, TX 75503 E: janelle@taylordevelopment.net | W: taylordevelopment.net
Instructions for starting the adoption process can be found on the Paws in Prison facebook page: 1. Go to www.adc.arkansas.gov 2. Click on the Paws in Prison icon 3. On the left side of the page, find and click on Available Dogs 4. At the bottom of each dog’s photo is the phrase, Adopt this dog 5. Click on that link and you will be redirected to the appropriate adoption agency. Please note that by clicking on the Adopt this Dog link in no way obligates you to adopt that dog. It only starts the process… Costs for adoptions vary by Shelter/Rescue group. Many people will be placing applications in for a dog. Be aware that most shelters do not operate on a first come, first served basis. They rely on best fit for the dog.
Dermal Fillers Juvaderm® Restylane® Botox® Dysport® Xeomin®
Any questions, call Jim Gumm, Paws in Prison Coordinator, 870-267-6287. If an adoption family has been chosen prior to the dog’s training, the family will be apprised of that dog’s progress and will probably, at some point, be personally introduced. The family may be invited to meet the dog at the prison. If a trip to the prison is not possible, the dog may be taken to meet the family.
BOTOX® & XEOMIN® Now ONLY $9 Per Unit!
HOLIDAY SPECIALS •Personal Beauty Consultation •1CC JUVADERM® •50 Units XEOMIN All For ONLY $750 for a limited time!
FOURTH: VOLUNTEERS Volunteers come from many different areas. They represent shelters and advocate groups from across the state. Volunteers from these agencies visit the prisons weekly to assess the status of the dogs and the inmates. That is no small number, since the Paws in Prison Program now exists in six Arkansas Facilities: • Tucker Unit, a medium security prison in Tucker • Maximum Security Unit, a max unit in Tucker • Hawkins Center for Women, a medium security prison in Wrightsville • Ouachita River Correctional Unit, a medium security prison in Malvern • North Central Unit, a medium security prison in Calico Rock • Randall Williams Correctional Facility, a medium security prison in Pine Bluff.
*Located Inside FCUC!
Gift Certificates For Christmas! Urgent Needs? We’ve Got You Covered! *On-site X-Ray, Labs and EKG
• Coughs • Colds • Flu • UTIs • STD testing • Lacerations • Suturing • Sprains • Strains • Abscess • Uncomplicated Fractures • Splinting • I & D • Weight Loss • Drug testing
3725 Mall Drive Texarkana, TX 75501 *Take Richmond Exit. Located Past Golden Corral before Richmond Road.
Being sick isn’t convenient, but our location and hours are. Open 8:00 to 8:00 Monday through Saturday
Your
First Choice for healthcare.
903.306.0001
Mark McCrary, MD Tonya DuBois, PA-C
34
ALT Magazine
December 2013
To implement and complete a Paws in Prison program successfully takes a lot of work from a number of people. Many of those are employees who have added duties to their job responsibilities to help the program succeed. Caseworkers monitor the progress of inmates, and animals are carefully chosen to match dogs with the perfect adopting families once the dogs have completed their training. One volunteer mom came into the Women’s Unit for Bible Study and learned about the PIP program. She talked to an inmate/ trainer about her son who was confined to a motorized wheelchair. The inmate’s chocolate lab, Latte, was adopted by the young man. Now the two of them volunteer to return to the training program and assist in training the PIP dogs to deal with motorized wheelchairs. “They have been such a blessing to our program,” Wilson reports. Volunteers and dogs help inmates to care for something greater than themselves and are sometimes able to help inmates get established once they are released from prison. For example, one Hawkins inmate adopted her last dog and used that dog to start her own grooming and caretaking business. The stories of success for dogs, inmates and families are many, but they could be so many more, if only funds were available for expansion. The Paws in Prison program is funded totally by money from selling recyclables and donations. Contributions can be donated online or mailed to Paws in Prison, c/o Arkansas Department of Correction, PO Box 8707, Pine Bluff, AR 71611.
903.223.0217
Distinctive Apartment Homes
on o f n i r o f l l Ca s! l a i c e p S n i Move17 2 0 . 3 2 2 . 3 90
5911 Richmond Road
Texarkana, Tx 75503
www.legacy-pleasantgrove.com
PG
Where your family’s healthcare comes first.
Pleasant Grove Family Clinic, LLP
Merry Christmas!
There is NO STATE BUDGET for the Paws in Prison program. Because the records of success are beginning to mount, the Texas Department of Corrections has implemented a Paws in Prison program in the Lockhart Correctional Facility, a women’s prison in Lockhart, Texas. The shelters from which dogs are chosen by this Texas PIP are: Lockhart, Seguin, Gonzales, Goliad, Austin, San Antonio. Dogs included in the program are rescue dogs. However, adopting families can come from anywhere. Information about the Texas program can be obtained at: info@pawsinprison.com or www.adoptapet.com/adoption_rescue/77343.html. RESCUE
3510 Richmond Rd. Suite 100 Texarkana 903.831.3033 Misty L. Taylor, FNP Donald S. Douglas, MD Marla English Pickett, GNP
We accept Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans, All forms of Blue Cross, Tricare & Commercial Ins.
3510 Richmond Rd. Suite 100 Texarkana 903.831.3033 We accept Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans, All forms of Blue Cross, Tricare & Commercial Ins.
Hypertension Preventative Medicine Fibromyalgia Diabetes Neuropathy Irritable Bowel Congestive Heart Failure COPD/Asthma Migraines Women’s Health Same Day Appointments Available & Walk-Ins Welcome! Night Night Clinic Clinic Open Open Until Until 6:00 6:00 PM PM Sunday Sunday Clinic Clinic Open Open 2:00 2:00 -- 5:00 5:00 PM PM
Mike Carter, President
That’s really what Christmas is all about. Why not RESCUE a dog through the Paws in Prison program? RESCUE a person whose life has been given a new meaning through the life of this dog, and your life will be changed as well. This choice is a Christmas gift that keeps on giving in ways you never imagined and colors you’ve never seen before. The experience of loving a dog does, indeed, change the way you view your world! Doggie colors make every day like Christmas.
Merry
Cristmas 903.832.1212
dmcarter@central-air.com TX Lic # TACLA001315C
36
ALT Magazine
AR Lic # HVACR100733
December 2013
450 South Kings Highway
Texarkana, TX 75501
AR Lic # MP5292 TX Lic # M-19804
38
ALT Magazine
December 2013
My Christmas Letter...
It’s that tinsel time of year again. Even though I annually welcome the lights and trees, the proliferation of good will, music and celebration, somehow this year is different. I really want to believe in that sense of renewal and hope personified by the Christmas season. I’ll admit I’m getting older, but age and attitude do not have to wrinkle at the same rate. Maybe I can help myself somehow. Where to start? Making words visible somehow seems to add clarity to my understanding, so maybe…. instead of just reading Christmas letters, this year I will write one of my own, but to whom? The obvious choice is that jolly bearded fellow with the red suit and shaking “little round belly.” He does have a “ginormous” job, however, so perhaps I can find some additional helpers? How about my readers—whoever and wherever they may be? I suppose I need to explain. On November 5, I pulled into my driveway, a lone traveler completing a 2747.9 mile adventure. Thirteen days earlier I had entered US Highway 82 almost outside my Powderly, TX, door and followed those US Highway 82 signs all the way to Alamogordo, New Mexico. Along the way I discovered fields of blooming dwarf sunflowers in West Texas, dipped my hands (and feet) into the briskly flowing, cold artesian springs of Artesia, New Mexico, bathed in the moonlight of New Mexico’s full moon, appreciated the green of the Lincoln National Forest then visited with an RSVP volunteer in Alamogordo’s visitors center. Three of her four children live in Texas. Outside Alamogordo, the White Sands National Monument beckoned, and an empty McDonald’s cup was the perfect vessel for scooping some of the white sand from a highway right of way. My GrandBoys need to see and feel this. On to Las Cruces, truly a town with an international flavor. For example Malooly’s Carpet City, Rendezvous Café, Rodriquez Collision Repair and Pepe’s Restaurant appeared side by side on Quisenberry Street. 40
ALT Magazine
December 2013
Time now for my first interstate travel. It was a forced surrender, but the most direct avenue into Tucson and my special Great Old Broad friend, Saralaine Millet. Predictably, I-10 provided plenty of opportunities to dart in and out of lengthy truck convoys and feel more like a race car driver than a curious traveler. (OOPS! My prejudice is showing.) Just outside Tucson, an Arizona rest stop provided a welcome respite from the race track while offering an inexplicable view. Gigantic boulders piled on top of each other surrounded the rest stop’s perimeter. One reminded me of a whale opening its gigantic jaws for the anticipated rush of water. The randomness in which these boulders were arranged and no obvious signs of a dome or lava flow or even water reminded me of the cataclysmic events speculated in the formation of the Grand Canyon. I lingered too long. I hit the freeways of Tucson at 5 p.m. on a Friday afternoon. What fun it was to juggle reading the directions Saralaine had provided me to her house, the freeway signs to get me there and the brisk-and getting brisker-flow of weekend traffic. To top it off, the very exit I needed was partially blocked by a disabled vehicle. However, I was having an adventure. Fortunately, I managed the correct exit and headed over the little Tucson Mountains toward Saralaine’s desert retreat. After some corrective moves, I reached the “Primitive road. Proceed at your own risk” sign that introduced the passage to her house and pulled into her front yard later than I had intended. I was greeted by a delightful pair whose hospitality, senses of humor and unassuming intelligence made my stay a pleasure that defies description. After passing the inspection of Security Chief Dr. Tom (he suspected all us Texans are always “packin’”), I joined them in a welcome refreshment. We all rose early next morning, and I accompanied Saralaine on her daily walk route. She and Tom are
by: Jane Bouterse
students of this exceptional world they so enjoy– a world filled with brilliant color, deceptive innocence, unusual shapes and prickly spines of various lengths, always waiting to pounce. One cannot help but wonder how Indians—in this place the Tohono O’odham, a tribe whose extensive lands once included the Sonoran desert—ever survived in this harsh, dry, dangerous environment. A visit to the nearby Arizona Desert Museum provided answers as well as questions. Here the terrain, wildlife, flora and fauna of this desert world are documented and demonstrated, as in an amazing show of raptor talents. “Everything from your feet to the top of your head is yours; everything above your head is the world of the raptors,” the trainer emphasized. “These birds make up their own minds about performing.” Sure enough, one hawk chose to go home rather than fly. An art exhibit within the museum’s complex informed me that the beautiful “moon” plant in my Texas yard is actually a plant native to Arizona. Georgia O’Keefe preferred the beauty of this jimson weed as a subject for her painting. Every part of this plant is poisonous, and humans are more often poisoned by it than livestock. The plant creates hallucinations and is commonly used by Native Americans in their sacred ceremonies, thus one of its names is Sacred Datura. Its gorgeous white blooms are alluring and their unfolding blossom is easily visible…and there is so much more to know. For a piney woods person, this environment was a fascinating revelation. The property of my hostess bordered the Saguaro National Monument. Each chilly night of my stay I spent a good part of the evening standing on the porch of the guest house fascinated by the mystical curves and extensions of the cholla’s cylindrical stems and “prickly” leaves and the grandeur and shadows of the elderly, majestic Saguaro cacti. These giants of the desert must
be at least 75 years old before they can sprout their first curved arm, and many are supporting more arms than one. I felt as if I occupied a very small place and moment in their time. The concluding highlight of my visit was an introduction to Saralaine’s talented novelist daughter, Lydia Millet (check out her website). Visiting at her large southwestern style dining table, Lydia was a multi-tasking mom managing her children’s activities, feeding the dog and planning her yard’s landscaping. To an admiring reader, this encounter with the person behind the pen adds another level of appreciation. Nonetheless, the Primitive Road had to be traveled once more as I departed Tucson, headed for Cameron, Arizona, and the Navajo school in which I would spend the next week. My passage to and through Phoenix and on to Flagstaff had to be by Interstate, so I braced myself for the speed and sameness of the route ahead. As a lone traveler, my eyes were fixed on the road and the requisite road signs; however, the fact that Phoenix was spread all over the territory was inescapable, and the stretch of Route 66 I traveled in Flagstaff was like stepping back in time. I would have missed all those drive- inns had I not left the Interstate one exit too soon. Finally, I was on Old US 89 and headed toward Cameron (I hoped). Cameron was never named on any road sign, so I pulled over to check my map (yep, no GPS) several times until I saw the huge, bright yellow and red sign: “CAMERON TRADING POST, Seven miles ahead.” By now the forests around Flagstaff had disappeared, and the land was slightly rolling hills with occasional boulders to obscure the suggested meeting of distant earth, mountains and sky. The red, barren land bordered the asphalt as it snaked its way across this waterless landscape. The entrance to the Wupatki National Monument is visible from a distance, and I have time to check out the December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
41
Men’s Night Dec 19 from 4-7 Come on out, guys...
Find us on Facebook @trysttexarkana and Instagram @shoptryst
Holiday open house and anniversary celebration
December 3rd from 1-7 hor’s douerves and refreshments from 4-7 903-794-7055 - 2840 Richmond Road (Next to Taste & See!) entry: “Experience A Legacy!” Wupatki! Here [700 years ago] in one of the warmest driest places on the Colorado Plateau, with little obvious food or water, people lived and others visited from far and wide. Trade items from the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico have been discovered here.” Once again, I wonder: “How?” Well, “warmest and driest” I already understood. I pull back onto the highway and have just regained my traveling speed when suddenly there it is—CAMERON TRADING POST, Restaurant and Motel, built on the edge of a wide chasm in colorful layers, announced by a long footbridge. I pull into the parking lot, shout a relieving “Wahoo” and emerge— camera in hand. (This is, after all, the Painted Desert.) My unique week has begun! At the reservation desk, I am expected along with the 11 other members of my Road Scholar group. The remainder of the afternoon is spent getting settled. My roommate is Patricia, a retired/substitute teacher from Denver, CO, who had returned from Eastern Europe only the week before. Members of the RS group had come from Connecticut, New York City, Colorado, California, Illinois, Florida and Texas. All but one, a Mechanical Engineer who had specialized in propellers, had been teachers. They were educated, well-traveled, interested, funny, caring folks who had chosen to volunteer. Rosie, our Road Scholar guide, was Navajo and well prepared to provide the group an informative and enjoyable week. There was actually only one problem: there were three time zones at work on our small Cameron space : Pacific, Mountain and 42
ALT Magazine
December 2013
Daylight Savings. As a result, few of us were ever quite sure of the time. We just tried to find a clock wherever we were and guessed. On Monday morning we did arrive on time to begin our school day at Dzil Lebei (Gray Mountain) Elementary School. Ya àt èeh… …Monday morning’s greeting, a Navajo “Hello.” We were met by Principal Marilyn Reed, a Navajo, who provided us essential background information about the school’s population and challenges. Per my request, I was assigned the kindergarten class. Because there were 20 students in that class, Terri, a wonderful 80 something retired RN, was my partner. She and her 84 year old husband had celebrated 61 years of marriage and had volunteered for service projects all over the world. Kindergarten students could not scare her. Our teacher was Ms. Betheny Frechette, an Anglo with 15 years of teaching experience. This was her first year to teach at Dzil Lebei. A few brief statistics about Dzil Lebei (check the Internet for more). The school was built in 1988 as a part of the Tuba City Unified School District and the result of 40 years of dreams for the residents of this area, Moenkopi, AZ, in Coconino County. Previously students had to be transported over long distances or enrolled in boarding schools. The school is modern with spacious, comfortable classrooms, a library, and a large gymnasium/cafeteria built in the shape of a female hogan. Kindergarten through Grade 6 classes are taught in this building. Every classroom is equipped with a computerized Promethean Board
Holiday Magic...
Makes great holiday gifts! Gift certificates available. Services Offered: Botox
Rhinoplasty
TMJ Disorder
Juvederm
Scar Revision
Facial Trauma
CO2 Laser Skin Resurfacing
Wisdom Teeth Removal
Oral and Facial Deformities
Vampire Facelift
Dental Implants
Oral Pathology
Surgical Neck/Face Lift
In-Office Sedation
Corrective Jaw Surgery
Browlift
Tooth Extraction
Free Cosmetic Consultations • No referrals Necessary Emergencies Welcome • In-Office Financing Available Most Insurance Accepted Including Arkansas and Texas Medicaid BOTOX S
PECIAL
9 per unit for the mo n of Decemb th er $
Dr. Brent R. Carmony MS, DDS
*Board Certified Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon.
*19 years of experience treating the facial region.
www.drcarmony.com
903.791.8405
Call For Details About A Free Cosmetic Consultation
| 5305 Cowhorn Creek Rd. | Texarkana, TX 7550343 December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
Linda Bunch, Ashley Alexander, & Ashley Williams
Models: Haley Franks and Joie Franks
BWC HAIR STUDIO
903.792.0088
and combines 21st century technology and Project Based Learning with traditional methods. The school ranks in the lower 15% of Arizona schools. Dzil Lebei is committed to integrating the Common Core curriculum and improving school test scores.
THE
NERIUM EXPERIENCE GET BACK TO THE REAL YOU
Located inside
New Client Discounts & Gift Certificates Available
Open Monday - Saturday
903.831.5659 903.908.2885
5303 Cowhorn Creek 44
ALT Magazine
4012 Summerhill Sq. Texarkana, Texas
December 2013
|
Texarkana, TX 75503
Moenkopi, AZ, occupies 1.5 square miles of Navajo Nation land area and no water area. (Most water is hauled in.) Houses are scattered generally into family/clan communities or public housing. As of 2010, the total population was 964. The median income is well below both the state and national averages, and the best jobs seem to require travel and long absences, thus single parent homes are frequent. The stage is set. The statistics fade when we are in the classroom. The students are filled with energy. Most have shining black hair and large, curious eyes that look us over carefully as we enter the classroom. Girls like pink and painted fingernails; boys, jeans and mini-cars. Discipline is challenging. Many of the students need one on one attention, but these young ones are hesitant about accepting our help. When we sit in the chairs beside them, they are much more receptive, and their little hands just slide over to touch my leg or arm or hand. old?”
One little brown-eyed girl looks me over, then asks, “Are you
“Well, what do you think?” I asked. She had moved on to something else before she replied. Each class was busy, especially the Navajo Language Class. During the week I learned much about the children. There were some who were always leading the charge in the classroom or on the playground and often sat out some of the playtime. Agile girls could swing easily from one gym bar to another then land upright and run. Most of the boys tried hard not to get caught walking up the slide instead of coming down!
The playscape was alive with moving bodies. When they lined up, they almost always appeared to get by the same person as they walked back into the building. There were definitely stronger and weaker personalities. All but two of the students had extra long shoestrings that would not stay tied (Velcro should be required.) Eventually, we realized that some shoestrings were being intentionally untied just to get our attention. I had my introduction to working with an autistic child who was unpredictable every day. Some days he could handle the work and classmates; others, he scribbled and withdrew. Several students were just behind, while others were so bright they needed to move on. They were good to help each other. Like most classrooms, this one, too, contained physical and social problems which affected the students’ learning, but Ms. Frechette was handling them with patience and caring. I felt as though I had finally made it the day one precious, mischief-maker boy noticed my walking into the cafeteria with my lunch tray. He walks up to me, places his hand on my arm and says, “Come join the little people.” I sat down beside him and in the midst of the other students. The children loved hugs—giving and receiving them—and so did I. Before long, we shared easily. By the time our week was done, the Road Scholar participants agreed that our time had been an unforgettable experience of formidable challenges and learning. 46
ALT Magazine
December 2013
www.bluecanyonpools.com Learn More on Facebook!
Serving all of the Ark-La-Tex and surrounding areas, including: Texarkana, Magnolia, Broken Bow, Mt. Pleasant, Longview and Tyler
Now is the perfect time to Remodel or Repair your pool so you can enjoy it by the next season!
Merry Christmas Jason: 903.276.9999 Heath: 903.399.2275
December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
47
Bringing
Holiday Cheer & Unique Gifts to the
Entire Family!
r Ove 40 s th Boo
December 12-15 Central Mall
Let the 2013 Christmas Fair Warm Your Spirits! Find out what’s coming up for the New Year! Info on Texarkana’s First Indoor Shooting Range Available! And More...
Sponsored by:
In his book Diné / A HISTORY OF THE NAVAJOS, Peter Iverson wrote that four central themes provide the history of the Diné (the name the Navajo call themselves): 1. The first is defense and survival. 2. The second is adaptation and incorporation. 3. The third is expansion and prosperity. 4. A fourth is identity and continuation. “To be Navajo meant to respect the old ways and to find the means to continue in a new day.” Did I discover all these themes in a week? I did see evidence of some in the Diné I met, and I was impressed and grateful for their sharing. On our last day, mid-morning had arrived by the time I was ready to leave. I knew I must hurry to reach the Grand Canyon. My stay there was only two half days, but they were filled with the awesome beauty of that unbelievable place. I constantly drank the fresh cold Grand Canyon water and saw two cow elks and their offspring (my mistaken identity of “moose” was corrected). However, just as my hike into the Canyon’s bottom had to be saved for another stay, so must my story be told another day. After a cold night, I awakened early, walked for a couple of hours on the Rim Trail, then headed to Texas, I thought before the snow. Perhaps someday I can tell you about that trip. It was eventful, too. Now for that Christmas letter I need to write: Dear Santa and Readers, All I want for Christmas is—exactly what the Diné seek—harmony among all peoples and harmony with Mother Earth. I hope you can help. Merry Christmas, Jane Bouterse 48
ALT Magazine
December 2013
Thank You and Goodbye
Ruth’s Flowers
Is The Greatest Gif t Of All 903.793.6711
WHERE FAMILIES COME TO PLAY...
ALONG WITH SOME OF THEIR FAVORITE CHARACTERS! “It is with great pleasure that Mike and I recommend Northridge Country Club golf experiences. We have enjoyed playing the scenic course for over 11 years. NCC offers a golf outing for everyone from the WGA group, MGA, Nooners, Dog pack and couples. If you are not sure which group to join, the friendly golf shop staff is always willing to help. We encourage you to come out and join in the fun at NCC.” Bobbie and Mike Guillot “If you are looking for an elegant clubhouse and friendly people, a challenging golf course, fun on the tennis courts, a dip in the pool or just wanting to catch up with friends with a beverage and great food... Northridge is for you!” Trish Reed
“Northridge is a beautiful venue with great food and a friendly staff that is always willing to go the extra mile. It is always an exceptional choice when hosting an event.” Kyle Barrett “Hands down the best pizza anywhere in Texarkana.” Ralph Waits “The convenience of living near Northridge has been a real blessing for my family and me. The food and service are outstanding, and, with today’s hectic schedule chasing two teenagers, there’s no better place in Texarkana to wind down and spend quality time with family and friends than your very own neighborhood bar and grill.” Jamie Rommel
COME SEE WHY WE’RE THE TALK OF THE TOWN! Great food, great service and conveniently located in the fastest growing area of Texarkana!
NORTHRIDGE COUNTRY CLUB GOLF, TENNIS, DINING, WEDDINGS AND SPECIAL EVENTS AT TEXARKANA’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS ADDRESS
For membership or event information, call 903.794.6196 or email Zach Lawrence, General Manager, at GM@NorthridgeCountryClub.net. 120 Bill Rogers Dr. | Texarkana, Texas
www.NorthridgeCountryClub.net
The “Howdy Do” Basket
Impressive Corporate Gifts!
The “Big Tex” Basket
mas t s i r h C y r r Me Candy! Star From Lone
LONE STAR CANDY PO BOX 465 Texarkana, TX 75504 (903) 650-3781
www.lonestarcandy.org lonestarcandycompany@gmail.com
December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
51
Holidays Are Here!
Shop Our
EXPANDED
Grocery Section!
The Oak Creek Furniture Difference We have chosen Amish furniture craftsmen who are recognized leaders in the solid wood furniture industry. Amish furniture is made by hand in small Amish wood shops so every piece of furniture receives the same attention to detail. Six days a week, Oak Creek Furniture craftsmen make some of the most beautiful handmade furniture known to man, and seven days a week, they struggle to refrain from unseemly pride, which isn’t easy when you’re constantly raising the bar! With beautiful works of art painstakingly shaped from select kiln-dried woods, gently finished in a three-step sanding process and carefully sealed with a varnish that’s practically impervious to water, nail polish remover and alcohol. NEVER will you find a piece of particle board or fiber board on any of our fine furniture.
Impressive Variety of Highest Quality Products. Visit Our Showroom Today.
www.oakcreekamishfurniture.com Store Hours: M-F 9:30 - 5:30; Sat 9-4
903.832.0793
8024 W. 7th St., Texarkana, TX (2 Miles West of Kings Hwy. on Corner of Highway 67 and 991)
1st And the Winner is...
Bentley! Thanks to all who participated in our ALT Magazine
Pet Photo Contest! Bentley Waiting for Santa... Parents: James & Tracie Brackeen
2nd Jack! Thirsty Jack... Parents: David & Melanie Melson
3
Chevy rd & TeeCee! Whatcha got, mom?! Parents: Chevy- Dustin & Mollie Harrell TeeCee- Mike & Kay Wilbanks December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
55
58
ALT Magazine
December 2013
Queen City, TX
Locating in QC is Advantageous! Just ask our businesses...
Christmas Break of Day Wine Dinner December 12, 2013
By Reservation Only RSVP
903.831.5659 903.908.2885
Breakfast Shop NOW OPEN! 5AM-2PM Serving Breakfast & Lunch
GROW QC
508 Hwy 59N Queen City, TX 75572
“Come
With Us!”
Food by jeff loving chef on the run
Low Taxes Near Rail/Water/Air Affordable Housing Excellent Schools Central Location Much More...
Queen City Economic Development
PO Box 219 Queen City, TX 75572 888.286.3836 Email:queencityedc@aol.com www.queencitytx.org
Wine Pairings by david whitten
Dinner at
Join the fun for a good cause.
6:30 pm
80% Nutrition 20% Fitness 100% Dedication
At the historic
Live Music Silent Auction Wine Ring Toss A portion of the proceeds will benefit Temple Memorial Rehabilitation Center.
www.texasbodysculpting.com
903.831.5659 903.908.2885
5303 Cowhorn Creek Texarkana, TX 75503
BEFORE
AFTER
Kelley Has Call Valarie 903.293.4162 Mon - Fri: 6:30 am - 4:00 pm Lost 70lbs! 903.832.0437 3316 Richmond Rd. Texarkana, TX December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
59
Dear Kendra Dear Kendra, Just what makes that little old ant think he’ll move that rubber tree plant? Anyone knows an ant, can’t, move a rubber tree plant.
jerk. He has bragged in the past about cheating on his wife and I just can’t help but feel sorry for this poor woman who is now chained to him for life because of this child. I guess I’m writing to ask if there is anything I can do. Should I tell her so she can get out now or just mind my own business?
-Frank
-Bizwax minder
Dear Frank,
Hey Biz,
I feel certain it has a lot to do with that ant’s high hopes! Much love, Kendra
That is a tough call. It’s hard for me to give advice on this without more details. How good of a friend is this guy? How well do you know the wife?
Dear Kendra, I have a friend that just announced that his wife is expecting their first baby. I know I should be happy for them but it’s tough because this guy is a real
www.nateandsassys.com
870.648.9565
gourmet granola
Here’s the thing. It’s VERY possible that she won’t believe you, especially now that she is expecting. Some people would rather live in denial than upset the world they are living in. If she were to believe you and investigate and discover that he has been cheating where does that leave her? Would she have to leave and then be a single mom or would she stay and have to live with the fact that her husband was unfaithful? See, it’s a tough call. That’s probably why you wrote me, huh? ☺ If it were my closest friend in the world or a family member, I might take the chance and butt in. But a casual acquaintance? I don’t think I would get involved. Unless you have a love for drama and want to be right smack in the middle of it, take a pass. Instead of telling the wife, maybe work on your friend. Help him to see how his unfaithfulness is only going to cause pain for those he loves, especially his unborn child. When he shares his cheating stories with you, respond with disapproval. I didn’t say “judgment”, I said disapproval. There is a big difference. My best advice- follow your gut. If your gut tells you to get involved, do it. My instinct has never let me down, not one time ever. Best of luck, Kendra
Dear Kendra is not a licensed therapist. The guidance offered on ‘Dear Kendra’ is intended for informational purposes only. Use of this column to provide guidance is not intended to replace or substitute any professional, financial, medical, legal, or other professional advice. If you have specific concerns or a situation in which you require professional, psychological or medical help, you should consult with an appropriately trained and qualified specialist. Kendra is a happily married wife with three wonderful children, two perfect grandchildren and two spoiled doggies. She bases her guidance on a life packed full of experiences and a passion to help others. Besides being Dear Kendra she is also an entrepreneur and On Air Personality on KKYR 102.5. You can “Like” her on Facebook: www.dearkendra.com If you would like to send me a question for this Dear Kendra column but don’t want to send from your email, send it with complete anonymity to:
Corporate Gifts Baskets! 60
ALT Magazine
December 2013
Dear Kendra 302 N. Elm Gurdon, AR 71743
Sherrie Thompson Pet Sitting Service Going out of town for the holidays? Pet Care at Your Home
903.276.4299
Salon Visage’ Esthetique face & body salon Anti-aging
Facials
Body Wraps
French Wax Hair Removal
Glycolic & Salicylic Acid Exfoliators
Non-Surgical Facelifts
903.794.4007
4506 Summerhill, Texarkana,TX
Owner/Esthetician, Mary Ann Pavey
Pamper Her This Holiday Season...
Gift Certificates Availble... Real Science. Real Results.
Medical Grade Diamond Fusion Microdermabrasion Aruba Air Brushing Tanning
Tuesday-Friday: 10am-6pm December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
61
by Mike Brower
The ‘BIG’ Goose
water so as not to be washed 20 feet up on the bank.
Fishing is not a sport where outcomes are predictable. We think we have everything under control and then everything goes the way of the dodo bird. Last month during the BFL regional at Lake Texoma, fishing was like that. The first two days of practice were what you would call “Fantastic.” I was catching three to four five pound fish each day and could quickly catch a limit out on the main lake on a bait no one would have thought about. Perfect, right? Well, the third day of practice it rained buckets all day and I caught lots of fish doing different things in different areas. Still good, right ? Right. Weeelllll, the next two days were the killer. Thirty mph winds from the North became 8-10 foot waves and the main lake was rough. Needless to say, the fish I found left their homes for deep
The first day of the tournament the weather was good, but I zeroed. Yes, a big fat goose egg. Elvis as well as my fish left the building. I mean they were nowhere to be found. Well, back at the hotel I regrouped and got ready for day two, knowing that it was tough for everyone and if my fish moved back in, day two could be salvaged. I don’t know what I was thinking as my fish were MIA again on day two. I finished with 3 fish and the thought of what could have been. Taking a zero in a tournament is always a bummer, but I guess it is a way to keep us humble and remind us that no matter what, we are no match for the Black Bass when they are mad.
Stay fishing my friends.
Now Taking Orders for Christmas!
Finding Joy in The
Wonder
of The Season...
www.poppopshoppe.com
903.793.0209
1.866.209.4553
Homemade Fudge Gift Boxes & Tins Gourmet Snacks 62
ALT Magazine
December 2013
Seasons Greetings Sending Everyone Holiday Wishes From All Of Us At
1939 Moores Ln. Texarkana, TX 75503 Dual Fellowship Trained Surgeon Specializing in Bariatric and Cosmetic Plastic Surgery
Dr. Clayton A. Frenzel
855.DocAtoZ (855.362.2869)
Call for a One-on-One Consultation!
Board Certified, Diplomate: American Board of Surgery
Katelyn Lost 127 pounds in 1 Year with a Gastric Bypass! BEFORE
AFTER
AFTER
AFTER
I decided to have weight loss surgery after living life each day in chronic pain, physically and emotionally. Not only was my body hurting because of all of the excess weight applying pressure to my joints but I felt like I was dying on the inside because my self-esteem was so low. I had tried every diet out there and felt like a total failure because I was never able to lose more than 35-40 pounds. I truly thought I would be miserable and alone for the rest of my life. From the first phone conversation, I knew Dr. Frenzel’s office would be different than the other weight loss doctors I tried in the past. I went to my appointment where his staff greeted me warmly and shared stories of their own weight loss journeys. Then when I met with Dr. Frenzel, I truly appreciated the amount of time he spent with me and did not make me feel as if he had another patient to see. He truly made me feel as if I was the only person he was scheduled to see that day. I had Gastric Bypass surgery in November of 2012, and to date, I have lost 127 pounds, and my life has completely changed! I was able to run my first 5K, travel comfortably in airplanes and attend events not having to worry about fitting in the seats. The greatest change I’ve had has been in my self-esteem. I am loving myself more and more each day and feel like I deserve the best things life has to offer. While my mind still hasn’t fully caught up to my body, I know I’ve made a lot of positive changes that will be with me forever. I credit Dr. Frenzel and his amazing staff for not only saving my life, but giving me a second chance to live the life I always dreamed about. Since the surgery, I have felt more confident to take risks, go on new adventures, and allow myself to fall in love!
I will never be able to thank Dr. Frenzel and his staff enough for everything they have done in helping me find my true self! Everything I am and everything I will become is due to the hard work on my part but was inspired and initiated by them!! - Katelyn
Lap-Band
Gastric Sleeve
Gastric Bypass
Bariatric Revisional Procedures
Cosmetic Plastic Procedures
Surgeries Are Performed at
www.MyCompleteTransformation.com
December 2013 www.alt-mag.com 63 www.AdvancedCosmeticSurg.com
Phone: 903.490.6161 Fax: 903.792.4301
‘Quality’
Call us today for a free consultation.
Is something you can count on from
John Harris Construction
www.johnharrisconstruction.com Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist
General Interior/Exterior Remodeling
“I got into this business because I love the work, and I have stayed in this business because it is my calling. Your life, your personal situation, and ultimately your property matter to me.” - John Harris, John Harris Construction
What is Aging in Place? (AIP) Simply put, Aging in Place means remaining in your own home safely and independently while maintaining your lifestyle. It means not having to move from one’s present residence in order to secure necessary support services in response to changing needs.
BEFORE
Maintain the pleasure of living in your familiar surroundings with neighbors and friends rather than moving to a health care facility.
AFTER
BEFORE
Aging In Place Services Include:
• Curbless Walk-in Showers • Walk-In Bathtubs • Stairlifts • Barrier Free Kitchens and Bathrooms • Walkways and Ramps • Room Additions
Remodeling Services Include: • Gourmet Kitchens • Luxury Baths • Roofing • Siding, Hardie and Vinyl • Painting • Custom Cabinetry • Custom Homes 64
ALT Magazine
December 2013
BEFORE
BEFORE
BEFORE Professional Associations:
Member BBB Texarkana Home Builders Association National Home Builders Association
AFTER
AFTER
ORR HYUNDAI IS #1
#1 SERVICE SATISFACTION HYUNDAI DEALER IN THE DISTRICT!
www.OrrHyundai.com
903.831.6408 2300 St. Michael Dr. 65 December 2013 www.alt-mag.com Texarkana, TX 75503
Find us on
Submitted by Dustin Stringer Stringer Wealth Management LPL Financial www.stringerwealthmanagement.net
Healthy Personal Finance Resolutions for the New Year The new year is the time when many individuals start making resolutions to live a healthier lifestyle. And while resolving to eat better and exercise more is a good thing, you should be sure to make resolutions that pertain to the overall health of your personal finances as well. Develop a budget and stick with it A good way to start the year on the right track financially is to make sure that you have a budgeting system in place. Start by identifying your income and expenses. Next, add them up and compare the two totals to make sure you are spending less than you earn. If you find that your expenses outweigh your income, you’ll need to make some adjustments to your budget plan (e.g., reduce discretionary spending). Once you have a budget, it’s important to stick with it. And while straying from your budget from time to time is to be expected, there are some ways to help make working within your budget a bit easier:
• Make budgeting a part of your daily routine • Be sure to build occasional rewards into your budget • Evaluate your budget regularly and make changes if necessary • Use budgeting software/smart phone applications
ensure that it is still on target to help you achieve your financial goals for the upcoming year. To determine whether your investments are suitable for reaching your financial goals, you’ll want to ask yourself the following questions:
• Do I still have the same time horizon for investing as I did last year? • Has my tolerance for risk changed? • Do I have an increased need for liquidity? • Does any investment now represent too large (or too small) a part of my portfolio?
Make it a priority to reduce debt Any healthy financial plan is one that makes reducing debt a priority. Whether it is debt from student loans, a mortgage, or credit cards, it is important to have a plan in place to pay down your debt load as quickly as possible. The following are some tips to help you manage your debt:
• Keep track of all of your credit card balances and be aware of interest rates and hidden fees • Develop a plan to manage your payments so that you avoid late fees • Optimize your repayments by paying off high-interest debt first or consider taking advantage of debt consolidation/ refinancing programs • Avoid charging more than you can pay off at the end of each billing cycle
Set financial goals or reprioritize current ones
The new year is also a good time to set new financial goals and reprioritize your current ones. Take a look back at the financial goals you set for yourself last year--both short- and long-term. Perhaps you wanted to increase your cash reserve or save money for a down payment on a home. Maybe you wanted to invest more money towards your retirement. Did you accomplish any of your goals? If so, do you have any new goals that you would now like to achieve?
Finally, have your personal or financial circumstances changed during the past year (e.g., marriage, a child, job promotion)? If so, would any of these changes warrant a reprioritization of some of your goals?
Having good credit is an important part of any sound financial plan, and the new year is as good a time as any to check on your credit history. Your credit report contains information about your past and present credit transactions and is used by potential lenders to evaluate your creditworthiness. A positive credit history is important since it allows you to obtain credit when you need it and at a lower interest rate. Good credit is even sometimes viewed by employers as a prerequisite for employment.
Make sure your investment portfolio is still on target You’ll also want to be sure to review your investment portfolio to 66
ALT Magazine
December 2013
Review/take steps to improve your credit history
Review your credit report and check it for any inaccuracies. You’ll also want to find out whether or not you need to take steps to improve your credit history. To establish a good track record with creditors, make sure that you always make your monthly bill payments on time. In addition, you should try to avoid having too many credit inquiries on your report (these are made every time you apply for a new credit card). You’re entitled to a free copy of your credit report once a year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies. You can go to www. annualcreditreport.com for more information. The start of a new year may also be a good time to meet with a financial professional. A financial professional can help you: • Determine your income, assets, and liabilities • Identify financial goals • Understand specific products/ services • Monitor your overall financial plan • Adjust your plan if needed
Disclaimer: LPL Financial does not provide tax or legal advice. The information contained in this report should be used for informational purposes only. The appropriate professionals should be consulted on all legal and accounting matters prior to or in conjunction with implementation of the plan. Securities offered though LPL Financial. Member FINRA/SIPC.
Catch all the Hoops Action from your favorite High School, College, and Pro Teams right here on Texarkana’s Sports Authority
Jay Mohr
Matt Graves
4 p.m. - 5 p.m. M - F
Leaving The Yard 5-6 p.m. | M - F
December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
67
RRFCU Junior Achievement “Bowl A Thon” Financial Night RRFCU employees: Red beard-Jay Cowan, Becky Melton, Jeremy Boykin, Kevin Stucky (outhouse) Jason Wilburn and Jarrod Rutledge. Red River Federal Credit Union won the award for the best decorated lanes. The theme was “Hillbilly Bowling.” RRFCU is seeking volunteers to teach programs in the local schools. Each class costs roughly $250.00, and fundraisers and donations make it possible for the classes to be taught at no expense to the schools. Classes have been taught at Wake Village Elementary, Morriss Elementary and Pleasant Grove Middle School. More classes will be scheduled throughout the year.
68
ALT Magazine
December 2013
Begin your Better Life in a new home! Purchase a new home or refinance your existing mortgage • • • • •
Competitive low rates 100% Financing Options FHA, VA, USDA, Conventional and Refinance New In-House Underwriter For Even Faster Closing Times! Apply online or in person today!
Apply at www.firstarkansasfinancial.com NMLS # 75271
2838 Richmond Road Suite B, Texarkana Tx 75503
Gifts • Specialty Coffee Christmas Candies • Fudge Truffles • Gelato *Limited Time Holiday Flavors in Everything!
4508 Summerhill Road Texarkana, TX 75503 P 903-794-4556 | F 903-794-4559
Linda Hickerson Taylor NMLS #121543
Andy Braswell NMLS #1097634
• Gift Boxes • Gift Baskets (starting at $35) • Customizable Gifts • Corporate Orders
ur Shop Otuffers g-S Stockin ll Ages! For A
Gourmet GoodyBaskets Fit For Santa, Himself! 903.792.1468
Open: Monday - Saturday 11am - 9pm December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
69
by Lisa Myers This is a continuing series of articles featuring graduates from the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) program at Texas A&M University-Texarkana (A&M-Texarkana). In upcoming months, BAAS students will share the motivations underlying their decision to attend college as a non-traditional student, the fears and challenges along the way, the “oh so worth it” successes, and some practical advice for those considering starting their own journey toward a degree.
Two Paths, Both Taken A Journey through Life Well Lived Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost
70
ALT Magazine
December 2013
Few people, if any, live life without facing the dilemma Frost describes in his famous poem. Two paths lie before the traveler, and each road is equal in appearance except the direction each takes. Because of the physics of nature, however, the speaker cannot travel both ways and must choose between the two. He understands that once he makes his decision and steps onto the chosen path, the other road is destined to become a distant memory, a lost opportunity he doubts will ever come his way again. Francine Francis, Director of Marketing, Communications and Physician Relations at CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System, has been such a traveler, but her story is a bit different than that portrayed in Frost’s poem, mainly because Francine knows that paths, though they diverge on many occasions, can also converge along life’s way, making much more possible than the traveler might think. *** It was May of 1973, and Tony Orlando and Dawn’s “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree” filled the airways as America’s sons and daughters continued to return home from Vietnam. In Washington D.C., the Nixon administration scurried into survival mode as the Senate of the United States conducted televised hearings on the Watergate scandal. In many ways, our nation was at a crossroads, and while Hometown, USA felt the underlying tremors of
instability, it went about its business, carrying on life as it always had. Texarkana was no different. It was May, so area high schools were preparing their latest class of seniors for commencement exercises. Francine Kale was among the graduates from Arkansas High School, and the event prompted her to consider the paths that had led her to this day. Francine grew up in a home where hard work, integrity, and commitment were more than words. Both her father and mother, Francis and Ruth Kale, instilled in her and her sister, Betty, a philosophy that life isn’t about just getting something; it’s about giving your all and appreciating what comes your way as a result of doing your best. When Francine was a student, that philosophy meant she had better give her all in school and cherish the learning that happened in the process. That was just fine with her because she had an insatiable desire to learn and an equal fondness for asking questions, even to the point of wearing out her welcome with those she chose to “interrogate.” One neighbor, after tiring of Francine’s neverending questions, insisted that he heard the child’s father calling for her. Francine’s response was to pause, carefully listen, then report, “No, he’s not,” and with that she proffered the next question for the neighbor’s consideration. Undaunted by much of anything, Francine continued giving her all throughout school, though in a more mature fashion than she demonstrated with her neighbor. She was an excellent student, and by the time she was in high school, she was already exhibiting an author’s knack for penning words into art. Her English teachers took note of her gift and encouraged her to continue her education at college. This, too, was fine with Francine because she had always dreamed of going to college and knew she could be successful. But college wasn’t her only dream; it was only one path before her. There was another dream, one she cherished in her heart even more than going to college – she was in love with Gary Francis and engaged to marry him in the summer following graduation.
The happy couple did marry in the summer of ’73, and Francine remained true to character, giving her all in their relationship and appreciating the blessings that came in return. During their twenty-three years of marriage, they started a business together, brought two amazing boys into the world, raised their sons, Chad and Greg, with love and commitment, watched Francine’s writing grow into a fulltime position at the Texarkana Gazette, celebrated her career move to CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System, and most of all, enjoyed living life together – day by day.
Miranda Johnson mjartsphotography@gmail.com • Families • Children • Seniors
MJ Arts on FB
www.mjartsphotography.com
Francine’s other dream, the road that included college and earning her degree, ran quietly to the side of her chosen path. It was in the shadow of the larger dream but still very present, and sometimes the path would converge with the main road and allow her to pick up a few classes along the way at Texarkana College. Then the paths would diverge again. Francine explains it best with, “Life interrupts. You adjust and go forward.” Even with the difficulty of earning college hours at a very slow pace, Francine does not regret marrying her husband right out of high school or putting her degree on hold for a while. In fact, she is immensely grateful she chose as she did. What she could not have known in 1973 is that the path she shared with Gary would only be twenty-three years long; he would pass away in 1996 due to Diabetes Type I complications. Her time with
December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
71
him and all that she invested in their marriage and family, therefore, is of tremendous worth. After time, Francine was able to think beyond her grief and realized her life paths were no longer clear. What would she do with the family business? How would she raise their sons alone? Would she be able to advance in her career enough to support the boys in the way she and Gary planned? What about college; was that even feasible now? It was at that point that Francine decided to further explore the path she dreamed about at seventeen, the one that beckoned her to go to college and earn her degree – but was it too late? Not according to Dr. Ronald Bright who told Francine about the BAAS program. After talking with him about the program and once again drawing from her parents’ core philosophy – always give your all, no matter what –she took advantage of CHRISTUS St. Michael’s employee tuition reimbursement incentive and began her journey toward completing her degree. The program was perfect for her. Her previous college credits counted on her transcript even though some were over five years old. The knowledge she already possessed from years of work in the communications and marketing field received college credit through the portfolio process. And best of all, the BAAS program helped her realize just how much she had already accomplished in life. Without all the self-reflection, exploration of practice and theory, and projection of goals, Francine probably would have continued feeling like she had a “little chink in [her] armor,” like there was something she needed to do but had not done. In December of 2011, a mere three years after starting the program, Francine completed the path to her degree. She walked across the stage, took her diploma in hand, and in that moment as family and friends cheered her on, she realized an overwhelming sense of accomplishment she finds hard to explain. The best she can do is smile and say, “My daddy had already passed away by the time I walked across the stage, but on that day,” she raises her tiny fist in the air, “I know he was saying, ‘Way to go, Baby! You did it.’ In that moment, all the hard work and time I had invested didn’t really matter. The feeling I experienced was absolutely worth it all.” Today, Francine is busy traveling many paths as they converge and diverge along the way. Whether her endeavors include spending time with Chad and Greg and her grandsons, Dawson and Tyler, working with her marketing team at CHRISTUS St. Michael (a team she describes being more like family than co-workers), or participating in Texarkana’s many community events, Francine strives to be part of the greater good, and part of that greater good is encouraging others to make the most of their lives. For those who are considering attending college as a seasoned adult, she says, “don’t let fears or obstacles fool you into thinking it is too late” to accomplish your dreams, hopes, and goals. Real dreams never die, and “as long as you are living, you’re going to be doing something. Why not do something that’s going to make life better – for you and for others? In the end, that’s all that matters.” Lisa Myers is a clinical faculty member at TAMU-T and is the Coordinator for the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences program. Visit TAMUT.EDU/BAAS for more information. 72
ALT Magazine
December 2013
HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE GAYLE’S
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
74
ALT Magazine
11-12-13
December 2013
1. Lisa Griffith and Leanne Maynard 2. Gayle Bazer, Anne Jacobs and Barbara Anderson 3. Shelby DeMuth and Gayle Hines 4. Leonardo Taylor (Brighton Footwear), Melody Hines and Chris Toothman (Brighton) 5. Mary Ted Mayo and Sylvia Waldrop 6. Gayle Hines and Sherilyn Cotton 7. Sandy Varner and Melinda Vammen 8. Melody Hines, Carol Yazel and Leonardo Taylor (Brighton Footwear) 9. Stephanie Anderson, Melody Hines and Chris Toothman (Brighton)
January 25, 2014
Northridge Country Club
The
11th Annual
HANTOM ALL In 1952, Dr. S. A. Collom and a gathering of Texarkana citizens founded the “Texarkana Crippled Children Society” in response to the polio epidemic which was sweeping across our nation. Since that time, the Temple Center, an Easter Seals affiliate, has evolved and expanded into a premier facility providing physical, occupational and speech therapy for children and adults with disabilities. On Saturday, January 25, 2014, the Temple Center will be celebrating the eleventh annual Phantom Ball at Northridge Country Club. This is an annual gala event benefiting the client services of Temple Memorial Rehabilitation Center. This year’s Phantom Ball will honor two very special people from our community as the “Phantoms”. The criterion for “Phantom” is one who gives generously of their time and financial support to the Temple Center and the community of Texarkana.
Featuring Big Band Music by:
For more information or tickets please call Anita Carver at 903-794-2705. Sponsorship and underwriting opportunities are available. Silent auction item donations are appreciated. Cocktail attire (cocktail dresses and suits), black tie optional (ballgowns and formal attire). Masks and fans are encouraged.
Temple Memorial Rehabilitation Center 903-794-2705 1315 Walnut Street, Texarkana, TX www.east-texas.easterseals.com
Sinatra-Style Jazz Big Band with a Modern Vibe December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
75
by Vincent Senatore
The DecemberSweet Tooth... If there was ever a time when consuming sweets was acceptable, it’s December. In fact, it’s not only acceptable, It’s encouraged. As long as I can remember, Thanksgiving is like the start of the “Indy 500” for eating. Pies, cakes, candy, chocolate sauces, fruit-filled pastries and the sweet drinks are just a few sugar rushes we can expect to guzzle during the month of December. Ok, it’s inevitable that sugar will be consumed in quantity during the holiday season. So, let’s make sweets even better by adding a cordial or a dessert wine to your holiday menu. Amazingly, it’s really easy and relatively inexpensive to end your meal in spectacular fashion. So here’s what we are going to do; I’m going to pick a sweet libation and match it with a list of delicious desserts. If you are dieting, you may want to stop reading, NOW! Amaretto, Frangelico Sambucca, and Tuaca are a few Italian cordials that are very popular during the Holidays. All three are utilized in a number of different ways. For example, all three are wonderful when drunk neat (no ice or mixer) in a wine or brandy snifter. All three cordials make excellent sours, daiquiris or martinis. Finally all three are very compatible in sauces and glazes. Obviously, Amaretto cookies, cheesecake and puddings are mainstays in our holiday baking. However, if one adds a tad of Amaretto to a cream sauce that might make its way onto a baked www.vincentsfinewines.com vincentsfinewine@msn.com chicken breast. The nutty almond flavor enhances INFORMATION DESK FOR WINE PAIRING, PARTY PLANNING, PRODUCT INFORMATION the entire dish. I still enjoy SPECTACULAR PRIVATE RESERVE WINE ROOM CIGAR ROOM my cordials and liqueurs MEZZANINE AREA FOR SEMINARS AND DEMONSTRATIONS the brandy snifter sans 1 0 % O F F W I N E & C I G A R S O N T U E S D AY S ! in the ice.
NCENT’S V Fine Wines & Liquors
Let us help you find the perfect gift for anyone on your list!
Ending a meal with a luscious dessert can be the “Crown Jewel” in the holiday feast. Adding wine or extending the wine with dessert and be as satisfying as the dessert itself. Let’s just say that your meal will end with a pumpkin, apple or pecan pie. Add some vanilla ice cream and a dab of caramel sauce and this dessert becomes outstanding. Add a glass of Asti, Italian Moscato D’Asti or a German Auslese and your dessert will be incredible. Many of us are utilizing the sweeter style Moscato and Rieslings as a cocktail. I would much rather offer a Moscato in lieu of a daiquiri or a sour that would be mixed with a spirit. And, one can jazz-up their holiday party by serving an array of fresh fruit (strawberries, grapes, melon balls and pineapple chunks) with a cream cheese based dip and some specialty cheeses. Sweet or dry wines will be excellent with the aforementioned.
870.774.7217 Next to the new El Chico
Let’s try not to forget that the sweeter wines are a wonderful accompaniment to most fried foods and spicy dishes. For example: Fried chicken or fried fish are perfect with sweeter style Rieslings and Gewürztraminers. The sugar reacts well with the oils and balances the flavors. Likewise, the sweeter style wines are needed for the “hot” and spicy dishes that are flavored with specialty peppers and seasoning. I have been recommending sweeter style wines to match
Santa gets enough milk and cookies...
76
ALT Magazine
December 2013
410 Realtor Rd Texarkana, AR 71854
HEART BALL 2 014 PRESENTED BY:
WADLEY REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
870-703-9502
HOSTED BY:
or visit our website
VAN & LARA ALEXANDER up with jalapeno and Cajun seasoned foods, for years. Folks love to spice-up their Holiday party and the sweeter wines are a really a fun libation. Finally, let me give you a great way to extend your holiday soirée with friends and family. Typically, dinner starts around 7 pm and by 8:30 to 9 all food has been served, dessert and coffee are a memory. Why not extend the dinner by offering a plate of sliced apples and pears along with walnuts, cashews, pecans, and dried fruit. Then add a bottle of Port some rich chocolates and some bleu veined cheese. This is the “cherry on top” of any holiday feast. Your guests will love the extra attention and keeping them entertained will be a delight. I really miss the “Old Days.” I miss the fun of cracking open the nuts with nut crackers and picks. I miss the roasted chestnuts and the fresh fruit. I miss my parents allowing us to have a sip of the Asti Spumante or the Port. Most of all I miss the people. Many of them have passed on and many of us have moved to different areas of the country. While I can’t bring those friends and family together again, I will have those wonderful memories forever, and I can re-create this memory for my family and friends. On behalf of all of the staff of Vincent’s Fine Wine & Liquors, we wish you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a healthy, prosperous New Year.
For more information or to purchase tickets, please call
texarkanaheartball.heart.org
BRAND NEW! - NOW LEASING! Village Square Phase Two 590 North Kings Hwy .88 per sq ft plus finish out allowance
Merry Christmas! Salon Dry Cleaning Legal Veterinary Restaurant Dental Medical Tanning Etc.
903.223.6622
December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
77
NINA NGUYEN Jewelry from Micah’s Jewelers Phantom Ball Tickets Anita Carver - 903.794.2705 Heart Ball Tickets 870.703.9502
NERIUM AD® from Salon Visage
Fashion Gift Card from TRYST
Kitchen Gadgets from the Kitchenette in Price Hardware
Her
BRIGHTON® Jewelry from Gayle’s Boutique Nutrition Plan from Richmond Nutrition TROLLBEADS® from Alexander’s Jewelers a VENUS FREEZE™ from The Beauty & Wellness Center HEARTS ON FIRE® DIAMOND from Crocker’s Jewelers ADVOCARE Products from Express Care BOTOX® gift card from First Choice Urgent Care
Gift Card for WINGS from Wing Stop
Big Green Egg® from Red River Lumber Ammo from Legendary Firearms Man-sized Sandwiches from Jimmy John’s Fight/Game-Night Dinner from Buffalo Wild Wings BBQ Night from Naman’s BBQ
m i H
Cigars & Scotch from Vincent’s Fine Wines
Good Food and Live Music from Hopkins Icehouse
Vehicle Service from Cooper Service Office Makeover from Janet Green Interior Design His Favorite Dessert from Julie’s Deli
Chocolate Covered Gummy Bears from Taste & See Chocolates & Gelato Paintball or Splatmaster Party from Legendary Paintball
Handmade Rocking Horse from Oak Creek Furniture
German Chocolate Granola from Nate & Sassy’s
Ice Cream Creations Gift Card from Coldstone Creamery
Kids
Tickets to “Beauty & the Beast” or “Sleeping Beauty” at the Perot from TRAHC
Gourmet Popcorn from Pop Pop Shoppe
Peanut Patties from Lonestar Candy
s et
P Pet Sitter from Sherrie Thompson - 903.276.4299
Glamorous Groom from Connie at Westridge Animal Clinic
Obedience Training Debra at Petsmart
MASQUERADE BALL BENEFITTING HANDSON TEXARKANA CLARION HOTEL
11-1-13
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
1. Amber Cockreham, Anna Listebarger and Robin Wright 2. Stephenie Rushing, Pam Seifert, Tiffany Mandeville and Kristy Wilkes 3. Kenneth and LaVonda Kemp 4. Cranford and Kathey Graves 5. Kenzie Megginson and Derek Ernest 6. Miguel Rodriquez and Adam Delacruz 7. Roxann and Bill Davis 8. Kristi and Brent Black 9. Heather and Kirk Keller 10. Matt and Lynn Knight, Lori and Jake Hambleton 11. Steve and Karen Nipper 12. Al and Vickie Landreth 13. Tony and Lesa Asbille 14. Dorothy Schelkopf, Cona and Jim Farris 15. Mitchell Thiels and Leah Duncan 16. Davy and Monica Carr 17. Christina George and Rachel Landrum 18. Robin and Paul Elkins 19. Mandy Littlemyer and Elizabeth West 20. Johnny Riley and Barbra Pitts-Riley 21. Jason and Brandi Vickers 22. Max and Tena Elrod 23. Chuck and KennyAnn Lucas 24. Susan and Norah Ruth, Lacey Fawcett, Sheila West 25. Jimmy Sanders and Barbra Benson 26. Will and LIndy Huddleston 27. Felicia Horn, Libby Bloxom, Julie Bloxom and Glenda Conner 28. Sarah & Grant DuBois, & LouAnn Cate
82
ALT Magazine
December 2013
LEGE N D A R Y Give the gift of
The best birthday parties in town!
FUN
this Christmas! Gift certificates available!
Now JT Splaoffering for you tmaster n Groupger kids! availab rates le f ages! or all
S at u rd ay : 1 0 : 0 0 - d a rk - S u n d ay : 1 : 3 0 - d a rk
9 0 3 . 2 7 7. 5 3 2 2
925 Brower Lane, Texarkana, TX 75501 info@legendaryshootingsports.com www.legendarypaintball.com
4 Playing Fields Fully Netted & Insured Gun Speed Tested Experienced Refs Shaded Picnic Area Private Parties Available December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
83
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI & FACULTY CELEBRATION TEXAS A&M-TEXARKANA
11-14-13
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
1. Olyvia Bennett and Sandra Bowden 2. James and Kathy Bramlett, Nicole Raley, Justin White 3. Korey and Kim Keith 4. Mary McKay and Mark McKay 5. Mark and Elizabeth McKay 6. Joe Yates, Becky Rodgers and Mark McKay 7. Peggy Kosoki, Dee Reece and Chris Terry 8. Pete and Janette Asher 9. Wille Ray and Velma Brown 10. Nicole Raley and Family 11. Jena Powell and Mary Jo Essex 12. Lee Stanley and Jason Drake 13. - 15. Awards presented by Justin White and Jennifer Lockman - Alumni Recipients: Mark McKay, Nicole Raley and Lee Stanley 16. Faculty Recipient: retired Forrest E. “Pete” Asher, accepting award: Pete Asher Jr. 17. Spirit Award: Mary Jo Essex 18. Texas A&M-Texarkana Former President Dr. John & Peggy Moss 19. Mary Jo Essex 20. Texas A&M-Texarkana President Dr. Emily and Tom Cutrer, Dee Reece 21. Joel and Jerri Steger, Steven and Linda Smith, Max and Teresa Fruge 22. Lee Stanley and Family
84
ALT Magazine
December 2013
TRICKS AND TREATS ORANGE CARPET OPEN HOUSE BEAUTY AND WELLNESS CENTER
10-22-13
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
LOVE
1. Connie Thomason and Scott Burks 2. Susan and David Whitten 3. Kim Burks, Janet Mosier and Ashley Alexander 4. Tara Sharp, Duncan Robbins and Connie Walker 5. David Whitten and Bailey Hogan 6. Heather, Curtis, Kirk and Kaitlin Keller 7. Pat Ballard 8. Lauren Carmony and Debbie Brower 9. Leslie Williams and Luke Williams 10. Robin Bruce and Duncan Robbins 11. Susan Whitten
joy & peace May God Fill Your Life With
This Holiday Season and Throughout The New Year.
December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
85
REALTORS HALLOWEEN BENEFIT FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS ARKANSAS COLLINS HOME
10-23-13
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
1. Bennie Estelle 2. Tracy Womack 3. Mike and Doris Morriss 4. Darla Douglas 5. Carla Ward, Rachele Edwards, Ronica Hatfield, Stephanie Columbus, and Kathy Perkins 6. David and Keri Price, and Brittany Lacy 7. Hank and Jessie Morriss 8. Treva Chouinard and Eric Thomas 9. Daniel and Kerrie Morriss 10. Lisa Black 11. Sharon Fincher and Susan Reid 12. Beau Redfearn and Steve Ward
86
ALT Magazine
December 2013
SILVERMOON CHILDREN’S THEATRE
215 W BROAD ST, TEXARKANA, TX
11-1-13
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
1. Abby Farren, Gavin Brooks, Stephanie Brooks and Robbie Farren 2. Amy Lovell and Leah Lovell 3. Diana Morriss and Nita Fran Hutcheson 4. Diana Morriss, David Farren and Avery Farren 5. Emery Matthews and Marjorie Matthews 6. Isaac Linnett 7. Josh Morriss Jr, Diana Morriss and Sabrina McCormick 8. Joshua Linnett and Samuel Linnett 9. Katherine Page and Max Page 10. Lily Cantu, Brooklyn Aikin Cantu, Trista Aikin and Gracie Cantu 11. Macy Sloan 12. Marjorie Matthews, Susannah Linnett and Meredith Farren 13. Meredith Farren and Abby Farren 14. Tracey Prather, Jimmy Smitty Smith and Fabienne Thrash 15. Trinity Chapman
13
14
15 Auditions are coming up for Seussical Jr on December 16th.
Shows will happen Feb
27th, March 1 and March 2nd.
Second
show is Once-Upon-a Palooza and gives kids the ability to imagine their own fairy tale.
SCT will be accepting playwrighting
entries until January 10, 2014. The shows will happen August 7-10, 2014. The final show will be Fantastic Mr. Fox and shows will happen November 13-16, 2014. Email silvermoonchildrenstheatre@gmail.com
for
more info or find us on Facebook. December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
87
ooding G Merry Christmas from
decorative concrete
other n a r o f u Thank yo ul year! wonderf
Custom Pergolas Wood and Trex Decking Counter Tops Pet Feeders Custom Furniture Pressure Washing Acid Stains and Scoring Indoor/Outdoor Overlays
903.277.0307 www.goodingdc.com
RANDY SAM’S OUTREACH SHELTER BENEFIT 11-7-13
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
1. James and Penny Morphew 2. Susan and Kat Flanagan, Karen and Andy Albares 3. Cassie Thomas and Kristen Cullipher 4. Alan and Bobbie Trimble 5. AD Dawson and Charles Robinson 6. Wade Fowler and Charles Cook 7. Ginger Cook and Virginia Caller 8. Pam, Mary and Nick Williamson 9. Dr. Bobby and Evelyn Pinkner 10. Annette Kilker and Fred Downs 11. Jimmy and Debbie Jones, Rick and Jennifer Futrell 12. Trey and Jennifer Laurent 13. Scott Robertson and Kriste Young 14. David and Laura Faulkner 15. Molly and Larry Davlin 16. Willie and Cecile Vanzandt 17. Kaysi and Nathan Upton, Kelli and Jeff Phillips 18. Holly and Glen Meganson 19. Mary O’Farrell and Russell Allen 20. Carri Campbell, Ellen Brennan and Cathy Campbell
December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
89
KIWANIS CLUB 90TH BIRTHDAY 10-23-13
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
1. Micki Wrights - Asst. Secretary and Suzanne Phillips - President 2. Lauren Layne and Amy Freedman 3. Mona Martin and Amy Huddleston 4. Steve Wren and Dr. Herbert Wren 5. Amy Glann, Maxie Johnson and Rhonda King 6. Don Morris, Stuart Daniels, Mayor Bob Bruggeman and Rhonda King 7. Jennifer Montoya, Ellen Brennan, Elaine Chriestenson and Mona Martin 8. Brenda Rochelle 9. Keith Burns 10. Mayor Wayne Smith, Suzanne Phillips and Mayor Bob Bruggeman 11. Present and Past Kiwanis Club Presidents
903.838.2653 4228 St. Michael Dr. Texarkana, TX 90
ALT Magazine
December 2013
KLFI BANQUET
Arkansas Convention Center
10-23-13
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1. Mike and Debbie Brower 2. Marc and Nancy Reiter 3. George and Jan Lavender, and David Haak 4. Bill and Margaret Poynter 5. Gary Underwood - First Manager of KLFI TV and Janet Huckabee 6. Craig Jenkins and Mike Huckabee 7. Mike Huckabee, Cindy Hall and Tammy Hickman 8. Frank Poff and Mike Huckabee 9. Brad Castell, Brian Matthews - City Councilmember, Josh Davis - City Councilmember, Debbie Brower, and Mayor Bob Bruggeman
Back by
Popular
Demand
!
Modern Vibe
Sinatra-Style Jazz Big Band with a
The Vintage 15 is a 15-piece swing big band who puts a fresh, new twist on the classic jazz standards of Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé, Ella Fitzgerald, and many more. We can also provide ceremony music, smooth jazz combos for dinner or cocktail hour, DJ services, on-stage lighting, and MC services.
www.vintage15.com thevintage15@gmail.com If you weren’t at the Phantom Ball last year, you missed a great performance!
Don’t Miss The Vintage 15 in Texarkana at the 2014 Phantom Ball! January 25, 2014 - Northridge Country Club December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
91
JUST US GIRLS
WADLEY’S BREAST HEALTH CENTER
10-24-13
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
1. Alison Jones, Sandy James and Judy Etheredge 2. Ann Honeycutt, Debra Honeycutt and Jessica Russell 3. Heather Craigen and Holly Craigen 4. Carson McFerran and Sherry McFerran 5. Chasity Grayson 6. Cheri Stuart and Becky Piller 7. Chrissy McMahan, Jane Haley, Lezleigh Ludwig and Angela Coffee 8. Claudia Bright and Wanda Ingram 9. Cynthia Maxie and Gwen Anderson 10. Dannette Jordan 11. Durrell Samuels and Kerry Bruner 12. Jean Marie Smith 13. Karen Lansdell and Jean Marie Smith 14. Kelly Oneil and Kaitlin Keller 15. Kim Harbin and Delaney Harbin 16. Melba Middleton, Pat Ballard and Linda Thrapp 17. Pam Stotts and Sandra Carmack 18. Pam Stuckey, Patricia Parks and Nyeasha Parks 19. Pat Grogan and Sue Clements 20. Rosielle Stewart 21. Se’Mauhia Owens, Kesslie Atkins and Carlean Kittrell 22. Shelby Brown and Carol Hart 23. Sherry Hensel and Truday Wright 24. Vera Daniels and Angie Powell 25. Bertha Germany 26. Evanna Graves and Kelly Oneil 27. Gwendolyn Childs 28. Michelle Turk 29. Sabrina Tarbutton and Angela Vurt
92
ALT Magazine
December 2013
FIREFIGHTERS NEED HEROES TOO. AFGE LOCAL 1029 PRESENTS DONATION TO AREA CANCER PATIENTS Texarkana, Texas – Members of the AFGE Local 1029 recently presented checks totaling $2,000 to area cancer patients at the CHRISTUS St. Michael W. Temple Webber Cancer Center. Patients Carl Graf, Keisha Turner, Michael Smith and Janie Cromeans each received $500.
medication to the person sitting behind the welcome desk, thank you for all that you do.”
The firefighters held a fundraiser selling t-shirts they had designed in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“We are here to try and find a cure for cancer. While we want to support those organizations that search for a cure, we don’t want to forget about those patients who are fighting cancer on a daily basis,” said Robbie Witterstater, AFGE Local 1029 Union Steward. In addition to the check, each cancer patient received a $50 gift card to a local restaurant. “This means a lot to me and my family,” said Graf. “From the person giving me my
Pictured from left to right: (front row) Tammy McKamie, RN, GCN, OCN, Clinical Oncology Patient Navigator, Carl Graf, Keisha Turner, Michael Smith, Janie Cromeans, and Gary Upp, director of the CHRISTUS St. Michael W. Temple Webber Cancer Center. (back row) Shawn Clay, Clovis Jewell, Sid Jones, Robbie Witterstaetter, Captain Michael Miller, Captain Tommy Parker.
Billiard Maintenance Over a Decade of Experience.
Marshall Gooding - 903.277.0307
.
Leveling Felt Replacement Cushion Replacement Generic Repair Moving
.
December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
93
The Texarkana Humane Society is a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to re-homing orphaned animals, promoting the human-animal bond, preventing animal cruelty, educating children and adults about responsible pet ownership and preventing pet overpopulation. In order to reduce the number of unwanted animals and the euthanization of them at the shelter people need to spay/neuter their pets. The Texarkana Humane Society has a program to help individuals do this and urge everyone to get involved and tell your neighbor, family, and friends to be responsible and do their part in putting a stop to this problem here in our city. Have them contact us regarding our program. Call 903 8386334 and we will be glad to help you.
Texarkana Humane Society
The Texarkana Humane Society is always needing volunteers as well as foster homes. If you would like to get involved and lend a helping hand they would love to talk with you. They are also needing the following items to help with the care of all the babies that come into foster: Puppy and kitten chow, formula for the babies, animal baby bottles, as well as monetary or debit card donations. We have a big need for individuals who have the time to bottle feed some of these babies. It is so sad when we cannot take any in because we are full and would welcome a few more bottle moms. It is a great expereince as well as very rewarding taking care of these little ones. If you can help with donations or feeding call Sherrie at 903 838-6334. Volunteers who agree to provide a foster home for our strays are provided with medical care for the animals. The Humane Society pays for all immunizations and spays or neuters the animal.
Our goal is to place these animals in permanent homes with responsible, loving pet owners. All of our services are provided through private donations from our community. Donations are accepted and needed! Our animal friends appreciate you and your donations are tax deductible! (The Humane Society is all volunteers and all money goes towards the animals.) We’ve got a full house! Please come visit us! You might find the addition your family has been looking for! Do you have an animal that needs a new home? Please don’t neglect it! Call us and let us help you find a foster home. We will list your animal on our Facebook page at no charge. Let us help! For more information, contact Sherrie Thompson, President, at 903.838.6334, or go to www. texarkanahumanesociety.com. We’re also on Facebook!
Come visit us at Petsmart on the fourth Saturday of every month!
1
2
1. ACE is a little 3 yr old Terrier that weighs only 18 pounds. He is neutered, current on shots, heartworm negative and microchipped. We rescued him from our local shelter after being there for a year. This little guy gets along well with other dogs and cats and is doing good on his housetraining. He would be a great addition to any family. A fenced yard is required. For more info call Sherrie at 903-838-6334. 2. LACY is a year old Terrier mix that weighs 19 pounds. She is spayed, current on shots, heartworm negative and microchipped. This sweet little girl gets along with other dogs and cats. She is also doing great on her housetraining. A fenced yard is required. For more info contact Sherrie at 903-838-6334. 3. This little guy is BANDIT. He was born around 8/18
94
ALT Magazine
December 2013
3
4
and was bottle fed by his foster mom. Bandit is now ready to leave his foster and find his furever family. He is current on puppy shots and is doing really good with his paper training. We believe he is a lab mix. A fenced yard is required. For more info call Sherrie at 903-838-6334. 4. SISSY is a pretty little Pom mix that is around a year old. She weighs 14 pounds, spayed, fully vetted, heartworm negative and microchipped. She is housetrained, gets along well with other dogs but is still a little shy. A fenced yard is required. For more info call Sherrie at 903-838-6334. 5. This handsome little guy is BEAR. He was born around 8/18 and was bottle fed by his foster mom. Bear is now ready to find his furever family. He is
5
6
7
current on puppy shots and is doing really good with his paper training. He is a lab mix. A fenced yard is required. For more info call Sherrie at 903-838-6334. 6. LUNA is a blue Chihuaha mix weighing in at 8.3 pounds. This precious little girl is full of love. She is housetrained, current on shots, gets along great with other dogs and would be a great addition to any family. For more info call Christine at 903-278-6575. 7. TRUDY is an 8 month old Shepherd/Terrier mix that weighs less than 27 pounds. She has been fully vetted. She is spayed, microchipped, current on all shots and heartworm negative. This little girl is great with other dogs, is good with children, and learns quickly. She is doing great on her training. A fenced yard is required. For more info call Susan at 903-826-9004.
1
2
3
4
1. BRUCE is a male Terrier mix. He’s shy at first, but once he gets comfortable he loves to play and cuddle. He’s been waiting since March. 2. DONAVIN is a male Chihuahua. He’s pretty laid back, loves to curl up in a lap and is very friendly! He’s been waiting at the shelter since June. 3. FOXY is a female Hound mix. She’d be great for
“This month we’re featuring some very sweet babies that desperately need a good home. They have all been here far too long and are all VERY sweet. Please help!!!” -Miss Bertha Animal Care & Adoption Center WHO ELSE CAN HELP? Artex Animal Welfare, Inc. (mostly horses) 903.824.1990 Little Paws Rescue 903-280-3083 Poodle Patch & Friends poodlepatch@yahoo.com Passion for Pooches (mostly small dogs) 903.832.8632 Texarkana Animal League 877.525.4825 Texarkana Reptile and Amphibian Rescue 903.809.3761
5
6
7
a family and has been waiting since July 2012. 4. GALILEO is a neutered male Pit mix. He loves to explore and would make a great walking companion! 5. LARA is a female Pit mix. She is very laid back and loving. She’s been waiting since August 2012. 6. LUKE is a male Labrador mix. He’s a little
8
9
10
The mission of the Animal Care & Adoption Center of Texarkana, Arkansas is to be a technologically advanced, self sustaining, human and animal friendly facility that specializes in personal customer service from a team of knowledgeable, caring individuals who endeavor to achieve rapid placement of all adoptable animals. We are always in need of caring, capable volunteers to assist in with duties at the center, adoption events, fund-raising activities and more. Your tax-deductible donation will help care for and assist in the adoption of loving animals to good homes! The Animal Care & Adoption Center of Texarkana, Arkansas is located at 203 Harrison, Texarkana, AR, 71854. For more information, call Connie Slater at 870.773.6388, or visit www.animalcareadoptioncenter.org. We’re also on Facebook! We’re open Monday-Saturday from 10:00 - 5:00. Please note, all dogs adopted from this shelter MUST be spayed or neutered. Spays cost $89-$104, neuters are $76-$92 depending on the weight of the dog.
How can you help the THS? The Texarkana Humane Society is always in need of dry food for puppies, dogs, cats and kittens, scoopable cat litter and litter boxes, collars, leashes, toys, beds, heartworm and flea medications, gift cards and monetary donations. These donations are all tax deductible, as the Texarkana Humane Society is a 501c3 organization. If your are interested in donating, helping with events, fostering or working fundraisers call Sherrie at (903) 838-6334.
nervous, but ready for a family to love him. He’s been waiting at the shelter since April. 7. JEFF is a male Wirehaired Terrier. He’s a little skiddish but quick to bond when shown love. He’s been waiting since January.
11
12
13
14
8. MONTE is a male Labrador mix. He’s alert, keen and a natural guard dog. He’s been waiting since April. 9. RED is a male Labrador mix. He has a happy-go-lucky personality and has been waiting since August 2012. 10. RAE is a female. She’s goofy and loves to be loved on! She’s been waiting at the shelter since January. 11. SABRINA is a female Heeler mix. She is very loving and playful. She’s been waiting at the shelter since January. 12. ROSCOE is a male German Shepherd mix. He is well behaved, calm and has been waiting since May. 13. SAREENA is a female Hound. She’s been waiting at the shelter since May. 14. VICIOUS is a male Lab/Pit mix. He’s been waiting at the shelter since May.
Look at Levi with his new dad, Perry Steitler. Not sure which one is happier. As soon as Perry saw Levi, he knew this was the one for him. A big thank you goes out to the Steitler family for giving this wonderful little fella his furever home! Courtesy of the Texarkana Humane Society
Happy Tails! December 2013
www.alt-mag.com
95
Considering adding a fur-baby to your family this Christmas? Rescued is our favorite breed! Adopt! Don’t Shop! If you can’t adopt, foster. If you can’t foster, donate and/or volunteer. If you can’t donate or volunteer, spread the word. You might just save a life!
Boxer Rescue of Texarkana
boxerrescueoftexarkana.com www.facebook.com/BoxerRescueofTexarkana
We are a small boxer rescue group with a mission to rescue boxers in need, get them fully vetted, and find their forever homes. We need foster homes to help us. We rescue boxers from kill shelters, chained in yards, dumped in the country, abused, emaciated and owner surrender boxers. We do not have a facility. All of our boxers are in foster homes living with families until they get adopted. We operate on our money and donations to pay vetting and expenses, so we do charge an adoption fee. You can make a donation to Boxer Rescue of Texarkana by sending a check or money order to our PO Box OR you can contact Westridge Animal Hospital at 903-838-9572 to make a donation to our account.
Jeff Tarpley Rescue
JeffTarpl eyR escue.P etfi nder.com w w w.facebook.com/j efftarpl eyrescu e
Jeff Tarpley Rescue is a full time rescue effort dedicated to helping animals. JTR is an independent rescuer. All animals for adoption are rescued from shelters or owner surrenders. The mission is plan ole common sense, rescue, spay/neuter-gett’em healthy and find a wonderful home. Jeff Tarpley Rescue welcomes all inquires from home owners and condo, apartment dwellers. A completed adoption application and upon approval, adoption contract is required. Residences in the 50 states and Canada with a minimum age of 18 years old are considered for adoption. Adoption fees depend on the expenses of vetting, treating and caring for the animal. PO Box 282 Nash, Texas 75569. (903)-490-2959
Muttley Crew http://MuttleyCrewDogs.petfinder.com - www.facebook.com/MuttleyCrewRescue
2
ALT Magazine
We rescue German Shepherd Dogs from the Arklatex. MCR is a small rescue that usually has 2 to 10 rescued German Shepherd Dogs in the process of getting vetted and trained to become a new member of a loving home. MCR operates on donations and the income of the owner/operator of the rescue. MCR mainly rescues GSDs but often has other breeds available too. Our rescued dogs are given basic obedience training, crate-training and some house training. P.O. Box 520, Fouke, Arkansas 71837
Little Paws mission is to be dedicated to finding forever homes for rescued or displaced dogs and educating people to be responsible pet owners. So often, the animals we rescue have suffered abandonment, neglect and abuse, and it is why we are dedicated to making a positive difference in their lives from the moment they enter our foster program. Our goal is to help them in every way we can ...emotionally, socially, physically... so that the transition into their forever homes will be as smooth as possible. Little Paws Rescue is a small breed rescue, specializing in chihuahuas, poodles, and schnauzers. We accept owner surrenders and abandoned strays, as well as dogs from area animal shelters.
Little Paws Rescue www.facebook.com/LittlePawsRescueTexarkana
Passion for Pooches www.facebook.com/dawn.h.smith
Poodle Patch Rescue
www.poodlepatch.petfinder.com www.facebook.com/ThePoodlePatch Poodle Patch is a five year old, non-profit, 501 c (3), all volunteer, rescue and rehoming organization for homeless, unwanted, neglected, or abused animals. Founded primarily for Standard Poodles but take all others when space permits. We are volunteers who also work full time paying jobs. We prefer email to info@poodlepatchrescue.com. Volunteers are always neeed.
Texarkana Animal League
www.TexarkanaAnimalLeague.org
-
www.facebook.com/TexarkanaAnimalLeague
Texarkana Animal League (TAL) is a volunteer-based organization that is dedicated to improving the welfare of animals in the local shelter & the community. TAL exists to provide protection and care for abandoned, abused, neglected and unwanted animals. We also want to promote animal welfare through programs and services that mutually benefit animals and people. Texarkana Animal League is a 501c3 nonprofit that offers community assistance through three programs: Foster Care, a Low Income Spay/Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP), and a LifeSaver Grant program for local rescues. Along with helping in the community, TAL still works as the support arm for the city-run animal facility by providing the vaccinations for all the animals housed in the shelter. To find out more information about Texarkana Animal League, please visit us on the web at www.TexarkanaAnimalLeague.org or by calling us at 877-525-4825.
www.imageforwardpublications.com
3
December
Calendar of Events
DEC 2 Grand opening of the Salvation Army’s Boys and Girls Club at 3:00pm. For more information, email Sann_Terry@uss.salvationarmy.org
DEC 2 Auditions for the Tony-Award winning Dark Comedy, God of Carnage, at Stilwell Theatre on Texarkana College’s campus at 7:00pm. A playground altercation between eleven-yearold boys brings together two sets of Brooklyn parents for a meeting to resolve the matter. At first, diplomatic niceties are observed, but as the meeting progresses, and the rum flows, tensions emerge and the gloves come off, leaving the couples with more than just their liberal principles in tatters. For more information, 903-276-7206.
DEC 2 29th Annual Main Street Texarkana Christmas Parade at 7:00pm.
DEC 3 Red Lick ISD Second Annual Christmas Tree Lighting & Program: Red Lick, Texas: The Faculty, Staff, and Students of Red Lick ISD invite the entire Texarkana community to come enjoy the start of the Holiday Season. The Second Annual Red Lick ISD Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held at the Middle School on Tuesday, December 3rd at 6:00pm. Students at Red Lick have prepared a special program that will be presented by the Kindergarten and First Grade Students. “This will be our Third community Christmas tree lighting and program. The Kindergarten and First Grade classes have been working hard for the Christmas Program presented at the event. We
hope that the entire Community will come and help celebrate with us on December 3rd” stated Rose Mary Neshyba, Superintendent of Red Lick ISD.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year From the Staff of ALT Magazine!
DEC 5 DEC 7
Deck “The Healing Place” Halls from 4:00pm7:00pm. The Healing Place of Texarkana will host a Christmas celebration in honor of our new community outreach center. Come tour our new facility and find out how we plan on serving our community. We are currently in stage 1 of development and will officially open our doors January 2014. Help us stock our shelves with the following items to help empower our community: We need paper, pens, binders, 2 flat screen t.v’s, 2 dvd players, projector, and more. We will provide free resources to the community. Job training, GED, College Prep, Relationship Building, Clothes closet, Financial Freedom, Health & Fitness and more. For more information, 903-691-0310.
The New Boston United Fund will present “Homes for the Holidays,” a Christmas tour of homes, on Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $5.00. Please call 903-278-3090 for information.
DEC 5-8
DEC 16
CASA’s Operation Playhouse will be at the Texarkana Convention Center for ice skating and family fun. Operation Playhouse is an annual playhouse fundraiser benefiting CASA for Children. For more information, 903-792-1030.
Seussical Jr auditions at Silvermoon on Broad. Email silvermoonchildrenstheatre@gmail.com for more info or find us on Facebook.
DEC 6 Hendrix Trio and FRIENDS present ‘gaither’ format with local and regional artists at Faith Baptist from 7:00pm - 9:00pm. For more information, 903-792-3011.
Pearl Harbor Day DEC 7
DEC 25
Christmas Day!
Holiday Cheer and Warm Wishes... Buying? Selling? We Can Help! Residential . Land . Timber Commercial . Recreational Property
903.223.0710
www.impactrealtyonline.com billsprad@aol.com spradlintd@aol.com 1356 N. Kings Hwy., Nash, TX 75569
Bill Spradlin Realtor 903-748-3186
Tracy Spradlin Broker 903-748-2477
Jan Williams Realtor 903-277-5771
Cody Sandone Realtor 903-276-7565
Karyn Baucum Realtor 903-278-3836
Jessica Snow Realtor 903-293-9183
Stephanie Maddox
Realtor 903-701-1341
Angie Cornett Office Manager
100
ALT Magazine
December 2013
5120 Summerhill Rd Texarkana, TX 75503
Office: 903-794-5250 Toll Free: 866-473-1953
At RE/MAX Preferred, we are involved in the community, with National Sponsorship for The Komen Race for the Cure, our Team Donates for every Home Sold to Childrens Miracle Network, and The
Teresa Liepman Team, additionally
Donates locally on Behalf of each Transaction to Watersprings Ranch, a Christian Based Childrens Home.
Working together in this Community to educate, promote growth, and enhance our clients lives One Home at a Time, We are the Teresa Liepman Team, Residential Specialists, with a total of 12 years of Experience in the Residential Marketplace. Working with Buyers, Sellers, Banks, and Title Companies to insure a Smooth and pleasant experience in the World of Real Estate. We challenge you to Call Us for your Real Estate Needs.
Let us Show you the Difference! www.TeresaSoldIt.com
Angela Allen (not pictured)
Toni Hamilton 903.490.3618
Teresa Liepman 903.276.9464
Heather Thompson 903.826.4357
BOULEVARD
Mortgage Group “Making 1019 North Kings Hwy Nash, TX 75569 903-334-REFI (7334)
BIG Dreams Come True.”
217 W 2nd Street STE 211 Little Rock, AR 72201 501-812-LOAN (5626)
109 Cedar Bend 201 S 20th St Suite 6 Abilene, TX 79602 Rogers, AR 72758 325-754-8227 479-636-4512
4141 Blue Lake Circle 240A Dallas, TX 75244 972-638-REFI
100% Financing Available* FHA, VA, Conventional, & Rural Development Loans Fast Approvals Quick and Easy Refinancing Reverse Mortgages Available Non-Owner Occupied Investment Property * Availability subject to borrower and property eligibility
Ryan Clift
Cody Lorance
Billy Whitt
NMLS #139306
903.334.REFI (7334) www.thebmgllc.com
LEGE N D A R Y F irearms Shooting Sports
Open Monday-Friday, 3:00-6:00, or by appointment.
Ruger 10/22 Mossy Oak - SS $29999
Ruger 22/45 MKIII 22LR - Threaded Barrel $39999
Rock River Arms 5.56/.223 - LAR-15 Mid-Length A4 $114999
Jaclyn Gooding - Owner / Manager Scout - Guard Dog
COMING SOON:
INDOOR SHOOTING RANGE!!!
Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 40 $44999 Now distributing Muck Boots!
P938 - 9mm Duo/Blackwood $68999
FFL TRANSFERS FOR ONLY $25!!!
P238 - 380ACP Black/Rosewood - $59999 2-Tone - $58999
GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE! Follow us on Facebook for updates and specials! www.facebook.com/LegendaryFirearms www.legendaryshootingsports.com
903.277.5322 - 903.336.6139 101 Slaton Dr., Nash, TX In the Nash Business Park off HWY 82.
Find
Comfort and Joy THiS Holiday SeaSon Home is where you’ll find comfort and joy this holiday season, and our rehabilitation programs can help you get there. Personalized care, advanced technologies and experienced teams make all the difference in getting you back home to family and friends for the celebrations ahead.
Happy Holidays from HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Texarkana. A Higher Level of Care®
515 West 12th Street • Texarkana, TX 75501 • 903 735-5000 healthsouthtexarkana.com