Appeal Magazine Feb Mar 2011

VOL. 2

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ISSUE 1

FEB/MAR 2011

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highlight a p p e a l t e x a r k a n a

appealtexarkana@gmail.com

NITA FRAN HUTCHESON

content

Urban Visionary Page 9

photography by timothy paschal.

w w w. t i m o t h y p a s c h a l . c o m

cover-achiever

06.

Special Section: Downtown

22.

Swampoodle UNCOVERED. Texarkana’s Prostitution DistrictCandiss Gandy

26.

Uncommon Sense - Dani Willett

28.

Luckless & Faithless: Jack Heflin’s Local Hope - Ash Bowen

31.

Music Scene - David Jordan

33.

Music Calendar

35.

Artist Gallery

editor dani willett graphic designers marjorie matthews beau shoulders nathan roberts traci pitman fashion coordinator lynn morris photographers angela evans brian jones timothy paschall

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[SPECIAL SECTION]

DOWNTOWN photography by timothy paschal

Over the years, downtown Texarkana has been a lot of things to the people of the twin cities; a booming railroad center, a red light district, a place to shop and eat in your Sunday finest, and most recently – likened to a ghost town.

But downtown isn’t done. With its rich history and

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architecture, businesses are turning to the past to help shape the future and bring interest downtown again.

This section highlights some of the people and businesses that are making a difference downtown.

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Urban Visionary by charles christopher

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“I

see downtown Texarkana as a vital arts and entertainment district. I can see variety - a place where people want to live with things that keep them there. I don’ t just see what it is now, I see what it could be: a booming economic area.”

“It was a good job transition,” she says. “ Main Street Texarkana and TRAHC have so have so many similar goals. My playground may be a little wider now but I still work with TRAHC all the time. I don’ t feel like I left anything or anyone behind.”

Nita Fran Hutcheson

Main Street Texarkana is only the latest destination of a long, storied career - one that always included the arts. “ I’ d always studied theater and piano, and had intended to get a theater degree,” she says. “ I graduated from Centenary College of Louisiana with a major in Liberal Arts/Theatre and a minor in music and business.

sees downtown Texarkana differently than the rest of us. Once the center of Texarkana life, it’ s fallen quiet as business has shifted toward the interstate. Revitalizing it sounds like quite a challenge.

“You have to imagine the end product you’ re working toward, then work backward to your starting point,” she says. “ The downtown area has a history that’ s worth preserving, and so much to work with in terms of potential business use and living spaces.

Texarkana deserves a district like Austin’ s 6th Street or Little Rock’s River Walk. We have endless potential to do it right here.”

That’ s quite a tall order, but Hutcheson makes you believe. It’ s difficult to describe her enthusiasm in print, but it’ s contagious.

That enthusiasm led her to Main Street Texarkana, where she’ s now Executive Director. Main Street Texarkana is dedicated to preserving and revitalizing Texarkana’ s heritage

For many years, Hutcheson saw that potential every day from work. For 13 cumulative years, Hutcheson worked for the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council (TRAHC), most recently as the director of marketing and development.

More than that, Hutcheson was the public face of Texarkana’ s arts community and its flagship, the Perot Theater. pg 9

“I was convinced I wanted to be an actress. I even went to New York and was introduced to a Broadway producer.” Why isn’t she still there now? “I decided I wasn’ t into the ‘starving artist’ approach to life!” She laughs as she says that. What did she do instead?

“I decided to learn a trade.”

That trade turned out to be the news. Hutcheson went to work at KSLA Channel 12 in 1976, where she quickly distinguished herself. “ I was the first female field reporter for KSLA, and only the third ever in the state of Louisiana,” she says proudly. She also became the first TV news anchor in the Ark-La-Tex, and was among the first female inductees of the Society of Professional Journalists once they finally allowed women in (in 1971).

After leaving KSLA in 1976, Hutcheson racked up a truly impressive CV. She was Sales and Marketing Director for the Hilton, and other hotels for a time. In 1985, she took her first job with TRAHC, in public relations, where she stayed for four years. She followed this by a period with the Ark-Tex Council of Governments as Public Information Officer. From there, Hutcheson did two years as Regional Ombudsman for the Area Agency of Aging, while at the same time doing benefits counseling and

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administration law. Next, she segued into working for the Job Training Partnership Act program; she was responsible for their public relations in nine counties in Northeast Texas.

But one of the jobs she says she is most proud of was working at Texas High, with the broadcast journalism program, Tiger Vision. “ I still have students come up and greet me all the time,” she says happily. While there, Hutcheson developed what she describes as an innovative marketing class. “ I combined yearbook, newspaper and Tiger Vision classes. I taught them professional skills, including how to market and sell all three at once.” As if she didn’ t have enough to do, she also wrote grants for T.I.S.D. while there.

By the early 2000s, she was back at TRAHC full time, now as their director of marketing and development. “ Working at TRAHC, and at the Perot, felt like working with family,” said Hutcheson. Perhaps no surprise, considering her family’ s history with the theater. “ One of my greatgreat-uncles helped build the Perot, as a plasterer.” This time, she stayed for 10 years, before taking her current position at Main Street Texarkana.

That’ s quite a career path. What allows her to make that kind of career change so easily? “ Adaptability! To any situation or environment. That’ s been my key skill.”

How has she adapted to her new job? “ Oh, I’ ve barely had to adapt at all,” she says. “ I still work with TRAHC all the time. Main Street also has support from both cities, and the Chamber of Commerce. I’ m rarely in my office because I’ m always working with one of those organizations.”

“We’ re looking forward to our membership drive in January, where we let the citizens of Texarkana know what we’ re up to and how they can participate,” pg 10

said Hutcheson. “ ‘ Uptown for Downtown’ we’ re calling it. We want to get as many people on board as possible to make this happen.”

Ms. Hutcheson keeps a full and hectic schedule around Texarkana. Does she find time for any hobbies? “ No!” she says, laughing. “ Right now I don’ t have time for hobbies. And that’ s all right.”

What would she prefer to be doing if not working? “ Reading! I love to have a book in every room. Reading can be fun and educational; I can always find inspiration there. Inspiration for ideas that work, and that I can adapt into my own work.”

There’ s the word again, “ adapt,” which leads back to her work. “I’ ve been given all of downtown to work with, but it’ s almost like being given it to play with! It’ s not work if I enjoy what I do.”

When asked if she has any unfulfilled ambitions, she already has heranswer. “ This one! Revitalizing downtown is my ambition right now. It’ s not just a job, it’ s a passion!”

According to Hutcheson, that passion comes from having fun and seeing tangible results. “ We’ ve come so far in such a short time. Ten years ago, we couldn’ t have imagined the new restaurants and loft development downtown, or Texas A& M- Texarkana’ s developments,” she said. “ Those results encourage and excite me.” “ I still see too much to do. I’ ve given myself three to five years to make revitalization happen. I don’ t have time to sit around if I’ m going to get it all done.”

She can do it.

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Tri-State Computer Repair pg 11

“D

owntown Texarkana is in the middle of a full-on revival,” says Matt Keathley, owner of TriState Computer Repair. “Everyone knows where it is, we don’t have bad traffic and unlike a lot of other cities’ downtownsparking is free!”

Now located behind Williams & Co., at the corner of Broad and Pine, Keathley’s business grew from a solo act providing on-site computer work to what it is today.

“We like to say we fix anything with a power cord, which can save a customer hundreds of dollars,” Keathley said. “I have a soldering iron and I’m not afraid to use it!”

Game systems, DVD players and even vacuum cleaners have found their way to Tri-State for repair by skilled hands. The business still provides on-site service and also offers everything from training to network planning, design and wiring.

Keathley credits personal relationships with the success of his business thus far, and hopes to continue that tradition as his business grows.

Keathley loves being located in downtown, which has its own growing level of hustle and bustle with lunchtime restaurant traffic and photographers, professional as well as amateur, taking advantage of the downtown architecture as a backdrop for photos.

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“Even the pocket park, with its free wifi, rivals space in a lot of big cities,” adds Keathley. “Downtown is truly where it’s at.”

pg 12

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going downtown pg 13

W

ago.

alk through the doors at 223 E. Broad, at the corner of Broad and Wood, and what you’ll see is a delight for your eyes. Stretching back down both walls of the store are wooden shelves and tiny drawers, reminiscent of a card catalog, leftovers from when this space was a pharmacy years

“This building is 116 years old. Come back here and sit down, I’ll tell you all about it.”

Meet Jackie Hawk Kelly, who wants to put the fun back in “Going Downtown” with her recently opened gift shop bearing the same name.

Open since October of this past year, Jackie’s store is as entertaining and laid-back as she is, featuring whimsical gifts suitable for any and all occasions. “I just wanted to play a part in helping downtown get back to what it was like when I was growing up,” Kelly said.

As a child, Kelly remembers coming downtown with her mother to shop at stores like Belk-Jones and Gus Kennedy Shoes. “We would go to the Wellworth Five and Dime to get patterns for her to make clothes,” recalled Kelly.

With a background in business, Kelly knew that one day she wanted to do something a little lighter that would allow her to express her creativity. When her son went away to college, she knew that the time was right. Through her shop, Kelly’s creative abilities definitely show. Each time you walk into the store you will notice something a little different, whether it’s a new plant or a totally revamped window display, Kelly keeps things fresh with her crafty ideas. Basically everything in the shop is for sale, from bath salts to antiques to wreaths and arrangements made by the owner herself.

Chatting with Kelly is half the fun of visiting this little shop, making the experience equal parts retail therapy and southern hospitality; and that’s what going downtown should be about.

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timothypaschal.com pg 14

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Baby Grannys Baked Goods pg 15

I

f you have ever found yourself on a quest for the perfect cheesecake, then you already have something in common with Cathy Smith - resident sweets wizard at Jackie OH’S restaurant. Smith, who is better known by the equally sweet alias “Baby Granny,” possibly due to the combination of her baby-faced looks and grandmother of three status, bakes an average of four to six cheesecakes per day.

But before she was an expert cheesecake maker, Smith was an expert cheesecake taster. Twenty five years ago, she and friend Jaqueline Larey would regularly set out on a “Quest for Cheesecake,” visiting different restaurants and eateries in an attempt to locate the tastiest ones. It was during these adventures that the idea behind the restaurant was conceived; but like it always does, life stepped in. After a brief stint catering events, the stars aligned this past year and the friends moved into the space they now occupy, at 212 E. Broad.

“What Baby Boomer hasn’t watched the Four States Parade or had a root beer float at Wellworth back in the day?” Smith asked.

“There is definitely a sentimental element to our being downtown.”

Although it has been open not quite a year,

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the restaurant is already a favorite for the downtown lunch crowd and has proven enticing enough to get patrons back downtown for dinner. Larey is the brain behind the savory foods (including a crawfish bisque that this writer loves), while Smith handles the sweet. And the desserts stand alone, literally.

Currently handling pick-up orders for events, parties or even just dessert for the fam, Smith also has dessert orders coming in from all over the country, and hopes to expand the line in the coming year.

It’s not just cheesecake that Smith is known for, she has a few other tricks up her sleeve as well -the most notable being her bread pudding.

“A large party came in early on and called me out of the kitchen to talk, scared me to death,” Smith said. “They said that they had traveled all over the country and all over the world in search of bread pudding, somewhat like our quest for cheesecake, and my bread pudding was the best in 15 states and 4 countries.”

Bread pudding is served piping hot every day while other desserts vary. Visit Baby Granny Baked Goods on Facebook or stop into Jackie OH’s for a taste and to see what’s next for this downtowner.

pg 16

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presents

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by ricky hogan

I

American Tradition

n the era of the Great Depression, people could spend inexpensively by either drinking themselves to death, or getting the holes in their soles sewn up.

It is a strange, recurring theme, that in periods of necessary preservation only two options present themselves: reparation, or the self-destruction which follows swiftly should the former fail. That is why, as Mr. Davis says, during the Depression there were two businesses that thrived: liquor stores and shoe repair shops.

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Richard Davis is the proprietor of American Shoe Shop, located downtown at 204 Texas Blvd. The establishment is rich in history and tradition, having been passed down to Mr. Davis by his father, George, in 1981. George Davis opened the store in 1972, but the history of the establishment spans over a century, back to the days of a newly founded Texarkana.

Nowadays, the essence of the place is lost on a generation consumed with the whirring device fitted so conveniently in its pocket.

Upon entry into the stoic, little shop the nostrils are filled with the smell of leather and polish, a scent coupled excellently with recollections of a father shaving at www.appeal-mag.com

timothypaschal.com

the sink. From nose to lungs, oxygenated nostalgia is then dispersed throughout the being via capillary exchange.

Littered about is Forties memorabilia and forgotten pieces of technology for which there is no longer a name. Deer mountings stare fixedly back, and ostrich belts show that one can indeed make belts out of an ostrich. Ascending in the far corner of the shop is a stairwell that, in the last decade of the 19th century, led up to what most would consider to be a house of ill repute. From across the counter the tools of Mr. Davis’ fine trade can be seen: a sander, trimmer, stitching machine and other baffling contraptions.

These of course, are the basis on which Mr. Davis works his magic and makes his living.

It is a rewarding, but sometimes difficult living. As Davis ra throwaway society.

There’s no appreciation for it anymore.”

However, as history once again repeats itself in a downturned economy, the shoe repair business is coming back full swing.

Shoe repair is generally only half the price of what it would cost for a new pair. When the siren’s call beckons from the store window with the newest fashions and best deals, perhaps it would do well not to heed. Mr. Davis possesses a degree of skill which can breathe life back into even the most worn and ragged of soles.

His work, like his shop, has a distinct, comforting fit; not unlike that favorite pair of dress shoes which are so difficult to part with. pg 19

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the historic

PEROT THEATRE 1924 The Saenger Theatre opens, the opulent showcase of the Saenger Amusement Chain.

1931 The Paramount Publix Corporation purchased the theatre and renamed it the Paramount - which closed its doors in 1977.

1977 The City of Texarkana, TX purchased the theatre and two years later the restoration began with a combo of grants, gifts and a matching fund of $870,000 from Texarkana native Ross Perot and his sister Bette.

1981 pg 20

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timothypaschal.com

After the $2.4 million restoration was complete, the Perot Theatre held its grand opening. 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of the reopening.

Photo by Bryan Phillips, TRAHC

first talking picture

D. W. Griffith’s America

opulent indeed

ghostly tales

$15,000 of 23K gold leaf paint (1981 value) adorns the theatre walls.

Commonly reported ghostly appearances:

perot theatre famous world premier

The Legend of Boggy Creek

219 Main Street Downtown Texarkana 903-792-4992 www.perottheatre.org

check it out Free tours to individuals or groups. Call ahead to make your appointment.

pg 21

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The ghost of a woman in 1920s flapper clothing on the mezzanine.

The sounds of footsteps on the catwalk.

Ghostly faces appearing in the seats when the theatre is empty.

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TEXARKANA’S SWAMPOODLE DISTRICT A LITTLE INSIGHT INTO THE “LADIES OF FRONT STREET” by: candiss gandy

A

s local historian and author Dr. Beverly Rowe once wrote: “It is difficult to determine whether prostitution or the railroads came first to the towns of the late nineteenth-century Texas. Were the “ladies of the evening” standing on the dirt paths of primitive settlements as the first trains pulled in; or were they seated in the passenger cars of the smoke-belching trains as they made their way through the dense, piney-wood forests of Southeast Arkansas and East Texas, looking for a promising place to make a new beginning? If these women had left more physical evidence in the forms of letters, diaries, or journals, this question would have been answered a long time ago. However, the very nature of their occupation precluded the accumulation of reliable or detailed information.”

As early as 1873, the “Swampoodle” district was gaining a reputation as one of the most prominent prostitution districts in the state of Texas. Named for a creek that still runs through the area, Swampoodle is considered today as one of the features that helped put the late nineteenth-century town of Texarkana on the map. Prostitution flourished in fast-growing communities everywhere in Texas between 1870 and 1910. In Texarkana it was triggered by the economic boom that the railroad and lumber industry brought during the 1870s and 1880s. pg 23

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Jurisdiction had become a real problem for law enforcement in the district – so much that prostitutes, gamblers, thieves and other criminal types were drawn to it and to the town of Texarkana itself. The city’s unique location astride the Texas-Arkansas state line meant that Texarkana, Texas officials had jurisdiction for the city west of the state line, while the officials for Texarkana, Arkansas had jurisdiction for that part east of the line.

It’s impossible to determine exact the number of prostitutes in Texarkana between 1873 and 1925, but some information can be found with the help of the Twelfth United States Census, 1900, for Bowie County, Texas. Interestingly, when it came to the census, the madams listed their occupation as “heads” of assignation houses. “Assignation house” was the name given to a house, or room, where men and women met by appointment for the purpose of sexual intercourse. The most prominent madams of the day were Lottie Belmont, who ran a house at 323 West Front Street; Zoe LeRoy, who ran a house at 301 West Front Street; and Kittie Stone, who ran the house at 319 West Front Street. These women left their only trail through city and county records, nothing of a personal nature remains.

“Front Street” was considered a bad word back in those days, but also an intriguing one that all the “nice girls” whispered about. Citizens would drive down West Broad filled with curiosity, but would never dare to turn their heads toward Front Street. Zoey LeRoy was, perhaps, the most colorful of Front Street’s madams. Nicknamed “Gold,” LeRoy was born in Tennessee in 1869 and she had a most unusual feature, she was a one-armed madam. To this day, local residents do not know if she lost the arm as a result of an accident or if she was born that way. A number of interesting stories exist in local folklore about LeRoy. It was said that the entry hall to LeRoy’s two-story brick establishment had silver dollars embedded in the floor, a feature that intrigued local youths. The brick home was also furnished with dark, heavy antique wood furniture and rich fabrics.

Estimates are that LeRoy died in the late 1930s or early 1940s when some citizens remember a local sheriff’s wife acquiring some of the massive furniture from the house on West Front Street. It this information is accurate, LeRoy would have been nearly 70 years old at her time of death, quite an advanced age for a prostitute. pg 24

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Other stories about Swampoodle and its prostitutes are just as fascinating. Each house is said to have had two or three parlors with player pianos where the girls would ask patrons to have a drink with them while they socialized. Guests received “Garland Pride” whiskey while the girls drank tea.

Elaborate furnishings and expensive fabrics provided an elegant atmosphere for local patrons and the ladies, of course, who were dressed in their best evening wear. After conversation and several drinks were shared, a patron would accompany one of the girls upstairs, not to be seen again until later in the night.

Comparing Texarkana’s prostitutes and madams to those of other cities revealed similarities. Few records exist on these women and those that do reveal little about the women themselves and their day-to-day lives. Letters and diaries from prostitutes are very rare. These women were considered social outcasts and had few normal relationships with regular citizens, or even their own families. It’s easily noted that these factors produce a one-sided view of these women. As long as the prostitutes kept their silence, they kept the continued respect from the city leaders. But that silence has deprived us, and future generations, of a complete record of women’s struggles, hopes and contributions in early twentieth-century Texas.

So, to answer that original question posed, Swampoodle’s prostitutes came in on the train and were not local women.

They were drawn to the area by the influx of men, money and the lax political climate that existed in Texarkana for a time. Evidence shows that they probably moved on when social housekeeping began to take effect. They came in on the train and, more than likely, didn’t look back when they boarded to leave.

Special thanks to Dr. Beverly Rowe for her donation of historical information on Texarkana’s Swampoodle District and the photo accompanying this piece.

pg 25

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pg 27

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Luckless & Faithless: Jack Heflin’s Local Hope

by ash bowen

I

n many ways, Local Hope, the latest book by Jack Heflin (UP of Louisiana—Lafayette), is a collection of elegies on the loss of the American dream and religious faith. The poems come from places deeply rooted in the consciousness of an America set adrift and left to fend for itself.

In that spirit, the book gathers around itself the sheet of a dream gone to ruin. God has abandoned us and all that remains is the thin hope we find in some sort of buy-now-pay-later kind of faith. We see this best exemplified in the poem, “The CAT Scan,” one of the strongest poems in the book. In the poem, hope is wagered against the speaker’s ability to run five miles on the day before his son’s CAT scan.

“I slip into the lead jacket, tighten the lead collar, and at last my worry wears its own weight, has become something more than abstraction or superstition as it did yesterday when I went running and told myself if I could

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make five miles the X-ray would find nothing . . .”

The poem ends with the speaker’s hand on his son’s foot, the other hand with fingers crossed.

The crossed fingers, and what they symbolize, are what Heflin struggles constantly to understand: what it means to be “post-Christian,” where God has clocked out and gone home and left us to find whatever faith we can in whatever we can, be it the rubbed heads of children in “Local Hope”; the lifeguard/angel in “Icarus”; or the aforementioned crossed fingers of “The CAT Scan.”

The book is pessimistic, to be sure. Life is nothing more than an collection of daily disasters: professors don’t get tenure, Larry Levis dies, the levees on the Ouachita break; and despite our children dancing to “the beat of Mahler’s Ninth,” they still don’t want to sleep because they know “we’re gonna die.” But cuddled in that pessimism is the faintest ray of optimism: at least we still have art.

Heflin meditates on art quite a

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bit, something one of his speakers learned from the poet Larry Levis to “romantically ennoble”:

From you I learned the happy insecurity of art,the way style dresses the man who’s never coming back (“Tenure, An Elegy”).

Likewise, “Ars Poetica” is a long and dreamy poem on the creative process that moves in and out of conversation with another poet, “Mr. Anonymous.”

Heflin’s speaker has awakened to a dream in which the world has been given over to poets, “But for what?” the speaker asks. “A rinse and detail?” It’s lines likes these peppered throughout the poems that keep the entire book from bogging down in some kind of cynical, unreadable book.

And Heflin’s book is nothing if not incredibly readable and just genial (if such a word can be used to describe a book of poems). It’s Heflin’s charming poems and the voices of his speakers that make the book so damned likeable. In fact, the energetic poems are so well-crafted and carry what can only be described as a “light touch” that we don’t even notice just how pessimistic the book is until we’ve read it a few times.

The book isn’t without its moments of levity—an example of Heflin’s keen awareness for the need for pacing in a collection such as this. The poem, “The

pg 30

Cobbler’s Journal” is witty and light.

“Nothing surprises me. I love your twelve toes.

Such nerve. Such balance.”

Later in the poem, we see more of Heflin’s sense of humor when the cobbler, having written of love in a previous stanza, offers another journal entry of, “I have never put my tongue in anyone’s shoe.”

While there are no romantic love poems in the book (who has time for that when the world’s falling apart?), Heflin does have poems that dip into the realm of parental affection. The poem “Domestic,” offers a glimpse into the familial moments that, if not staving off disaster, offer a momentary reprieve from life’s impending doom.

Not long after you first walked you danced, a crazy kind of penguin hop, feet stuck to the floor, arms at your side, as if holding weightless pails of ice, flightless Antarctic joke, and how we laughed.

Ginger Baker, bluegrass, Sonny Rollins, you even found the beat to Mahler’s Ninth.

We slapped our butts and sang along, capable, however compromised, of joy, as in a Brueghel print, or so we have thought.

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It won’t last long. Everything’s about to change: you’ve started picking up your feet, and just today, you whirled a dizzy windmill.

On your back, you stared for us to life you up and we came stumbling to your need.

Local Hope, it cannot be stated more emphatically, is a wonderful collection of poems. Heflin’s poetry, while appearing in the major literary magazines, hasn’t been collected in book form since his first book, The Map of Leaving, won the Montana First Book Award. And that was a while ago.

Finally, we have a new batch of Heflin poems to enjoy. We can only hope another collection is already in the works.

a little about Ash Bowen

recent photo (+/- 20 years) Ash Bowen teaches composition and American literature at Texarkana College. He is co-managing editor of the poetry journal Linebreak (www.linebreak. org) and co-director of

Linebreak Press which recently published the world’s first e-book-only anthology of American poetry under t h e t i t l e of T w o We e k s : A Digital Anthology of Contemporary Poetry.

by dave jordan

On the way back from the South By Southwest music festival in Austin, the North Carolina five-piece plays Fat Jack’s for the first time in 2011 on Sunday, March 20th. Led by singer and songwriter BJ Barham, AmAq packs a full sound into a full set, with songs that range all over, from driving foot-stompers to throwback tear-in-my-beer heartbreakers about the girl that got away. Even if you hate music, it might be worth coming by just to buy one of their “AA” beer coozies. Show begins around 10:00.

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Featured in our last issue, The Hi-Tones are back with their feverish brand of rock and soul. This time, they’re bringing friends and regular show mates Megafauna, an Austin three-piece that has been praised as “epic, yet fiercely catchy.” Singer and lead guitarist Dani Neff lulls you into a false sense of security with her indie sensibility and delicate vocals, just before sucker-punching you with a burst of guitar. Show is at Fat Jack’s, February 13th, at 10:00.

From North Little Rock, Tragikly White has earned a reputation as one of the best party bands in the south. As regulars at Shooter’s, their set list is extremely diverse. Covering artists from Justin Timberlake to Eminem, Def Leppard to The Red Hot Chili Peppers, their show provides a little something for everyone.

Tragikly White will be back at Shooter’s on February 18th, starting around 8:30.

Rhythmic Circus is a percussive dance group performing at the Perot Theatre on February 26th. Having toured with their current program, entitled “Feet, Don’t Fail Me Now,” since 2008, the core constituents have actually been rehearsing and performing together for over ten years. The time they put in has paid off, and the group has earned praise for their inventive and fiercely energetic shows that often result in patrons dancing in the aisles.

Tickets are available at the Perot Theatre or online at www.trahc.org. pg 32

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Feb 25 - Synergistic – Fat Jack’s

Tommy Roech – Hopkins Icehouse

Pete Jones – Lee’s Catfish

Voodoo Cowboy – Shooters Sports Bar Feb 26 - Jason Helms Band – Fat Jack’s

Kiley Bland – Hopkins Icehouse

Rhythmic Circus – Perot Theatre Mar 3 - Dean Agus – Fat Jack’s Mar 4 - LA Outlaw – Fat Jack’s

Alex Grissom – Hopkins Icehouse

Ben Coatler – Lee’s Catfish

Feb 2 - Greg Klyma – Fat Jack’s Feb 4 - Terry Black – Lee’s Catfish

Mar 10 - Michael D’Armond – Fat Jack’s

Feb 5 - Southern Pride – Fat Jack’s

Richard Stuart – Shooters Sports Bar

Mar 11 - Trey and Dave – Lee’s Catfish

Feb 11 - Dim Lit Daylight – Fat Jack’s

Synergistic unplugged – Hopkins Icehouse

Trey and Dave – Lee’s Catfish

Mar 12 - The Droppers – Fat Jack’s

Jason and Aaron – Hopkins Icehouse Mar 17 - Voodoo Cowboy – Fat Jack’s

Feb 12 - Crash Meadow – Fat Jack’s

Brad Wells – Hopkins Icehouse Feb 13 - The Hi-Tones and Megafauna – Fat Jack’s

Mar 18 - Doctor Doctor – Fat Jack’s

Terry Black – Lee’s Catfish

Feb 17 - Trey and Dave – Fat Jack’s

Mar 20 - American Aquarium – Fat Jack’s

Feb 18 - Crossroads – Fat Jack’s

Tragikly White – Shooters Sports Bar

Jay Kirgis – Lee’s Catfish

Mar 25 - Synergistic – Fat Jack’s

Taylor Parrish – Lee’s Catfish

Feb 19 - Michael D’Armond Band

CD Release party – Fat Jack’s

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Mar 26 - Crooked Halo – Fat Jack’s Mar 31 - Trey and Dave – Fat Jack’s

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piS ce

UP YOUR VALENTINE’S DAY

number one in fantasy and fun!

4501 N. State Line Ave. 903-798-3280 facebook.com/cindiesstores pg 34 www.appeal-mag.com

arts| appeall

gallery

highlight local

When he’s not hitting the books, high school student Gentry Mitchell can be found taking pictures. Photography gives him a way to express his creativity and help others feel good about themselves. Once he graduates, Gentry hopes to study Fashion Merchandising at the Art Institute of Atlanta.

p G E N T R Y

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Gentry can be found online at cocogeezy.tumblr.com. To inquire about pricing or schedule a portrait session email HYPERLINK “mailto:gent.lamar@gmail.com” gent.lamar@gmail.com

Having lived all over the country, from the west coast to the east, the artwork of Kelley Jakelis is as varied as her travels. From mixed media art, greeting cards and faux finishing to floor cloths and photography, her work has been displayed in galleries in Florida, Texas and in numerous private collections. Kelley finds inspiration in her love for family, friends, nature and most of all spirit. She puts a portion of her proceeds back into the community through donations.

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Check Kelley out online at acircleoflove1.com, email her for commissions and information at HYPERLINK “mailto:kelley.jakelis@yahoo.com” kelley.jakelis@yahoo.com or find her on Facebook at A Circle of Love.

An interior design major in college, nowadays artist and mother Amy Rehnae Giles uses materials in a different way through her quirky mixed media art pieces. A combination of bits and pieces old and new, Amy Rehnae’s work incorporates paper, paint, fabric and anything else that catches her eye, resulting in pieces as pleasing as they are inspiring.

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Shop online at etsy.com/shop/AmyRehnae, email for a custom work at amyrehnae@gmail.com , follow Amy Rehnae at amyrehnae.blogspot.com or stop into Shear Country to see some of her pieces in person.

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artists

dining| appeal

jackie oh’s

212 E. Broad St, Texarkana, AR

highlight local

dining picks

870.773.0200 jackieohsdowntown.com

Jackie Oh’s established itself by serving what Appeal readers voted to be the best burger in Texarkana in 2010. But this downtown restaurant has too many special dishes for burgers to be their only charmer.

At lunch the dining room is usually packed by a public desiring a unique and tasty meal - maybe the ribeye soft tacos or one of thier daily special burger creations like the one pictured with fried mussels and crab cake atop a thick beef patty.

An intimate downtown treasure, Jackie Oh’s provides a refreshingly cozy atmosphere when seeking something other than the cookie-cutter franchise restaurant. The portions are large, so be prepared and come hungry.

No matter what is ordered, Jackie Oh’s delivers dishes that impress a distinguished pallette and satisfy the hungriest of diners. pg 36

$ price = moderate alcohol

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website daily specials

fare

highlight

dining| appeal

local

MERFELD’S MERFELD’S BREAD COMPANY

$

price = moderate website

fare

daily specials

422 N State Line Avenue Texarkana, AR

870-774-7777 merfelds.com

Merfelds is a unique bakery and eaterie in downtown Texarkana, modeled after some of the best bakeries in the Big Apple.

Merfeld's has already become a favorite of locals.

Starting well before 7 a.m., their oven begins filling the air with the mouthwatering aroma of freshly baked breads.

Enormous homemade muffins (like the Morning Glory -crammed with fruit and nuts), chewy warm bagels and artisan breads are among the baked delights and breakfast items they sell. Merfeld’s also offers gourmet coffee drinks, sandwiches and soups and even homemade icecream and yogart.

A “hipstoric” atmosphere, Merfeld’s provides downtown employees an escape from the office. The restaurant is a chic establishment nestled in the historic downtown district offering free wi-fi.

Merfeld’s is located across from the post office, open Monday - Friday 7am-5pm.

TLC BURGERS & FRIES

201 E. Broad St Texarkana, AR

870.773.9316

Surely you have experienced this authentic lunch favorite. TLC is a 27- year-old downtown burger joint with unstoppable patronage from all over the Ark-La-Tex area. Their delectable burgers are cut fresh every morning and prepared the same way they were when they opened their doors in 1982.

TLC’s melt-in-your mouth burgers, one-of-a-kind fresh cut fries and family-like environment keeps the community coming back. pg 37

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$

price = moderate

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Manic Panic Graffti Supplies locally

Hand-Blown Glass www.modernprimitives.com body piercing - body jewelry herbal incense - clothing natural suppements - pipes & accessories

Texarkana pg 40

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905 New Boston Rd 792-4653

Longview

319 West Marshall 753-6765

Domino

N o r t h Hwy 59 490-0219