WILD WILLIE • EDOM GALLERY • PULPWOOD QUEENS • HAWK PATROL
M A G A Z I N E
Best of the Upper East Side of Texas
Celebrating 15 Years!
CHANNEL 8 BAND JULS ASIAN FUSION REALISTIC RESOLUTIONS LITTLE HOPE WAS ARSON NORTHEAST TEXAS POETRY LOVE SONGS BY WILL JENNINGS
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CONTENTS
MUSIC
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36 Northeast Texas is Tuning in to Channel 8 37 Catching up with East Texas’ Eisley 37 Ringo Starr to Perform at UT Tyler
FOOD & DRINK 40 Juls Asian Fusion Restaurant, Lounge, & Café By Alia Pappas 41 East Texas Steakhouse Gains National Recognition
EXPLORE THE UPPER EAST SIDE OF TEXAS 42 Hawk Patrol By Heidi K. Bailey 43 Business Brings Whimsical Wear to Ben Wheeler
LIVING ROOM 44 Tyler Resident Gets Keys to Reconstructed Home 44 Tyler Unveils New App for Trash, Recycling
FEEL GOOD
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FEATURES 8 Celebrating 15 Years and Living the Dream
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THE ARTS 25 New Gallery Offers a Place of Creative Collaboration in East Texas By Madison Payne
County Line Magazine cheers an anniversary, the region, and the soul of our society. By P.A.Geddie
28 Rockwall Talent Show Sets Audition Dates
10 The Best of the
FILM
See the winners of this year’s 11th annual contest and a new Hall of Fame inductee.
29 Catching up with Forest Whitaker 31 Remembering Northeast Texas Church Arsons through Film By Madison Payne 31 Classic Movie Takes
Upper East Side of Texas
DEPARTMENTS 5
Editor’s Note. Letters.
THIS TIME OF YEAR 20 Tex Ritter, Dooley Wilson, Wolf Brand Chili, Ellen Degeneres, Sandy Duncan 21 Love Songs by Will Jennings
CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT 22 Azalea Belle Applications Available for 2015 Events 23 The Legend of Wild Willie By P.A.Geddie 24 Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute
46 Resolutions and Realistic Expectations By Madison Payne 46 Canton Skin Studio, L ongview Chamber, Pine Tree ISD Team Up, Charities, CASA of East Texas
By Jules Scroggin & Jess LeBeau
LITERARY 32 Turning a Page with The Pulpwood Queens By Alia Pappas 33 Drive the Pecos, The Family Dumont 34 Northeast Texas Poetry Contest 34 Ever Remember — The Days of 1913-1914 35 The Invisible Thread, Nicholas Sparks 35 Poetry & Prose
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COVER PHOTO: Wooly Mammoth Tooth set in silver by Zeke & Marty of Edom -- one of the BEST places to find hand-crafted gifts in the region.
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MAGAZINE
PUBLISHER & MANAGING EDITOR P.A. Geddie CONTRIBUTORS Madison Payne Jess LeBeau Alia Pappas Jules Scroggin Heidi K. Bailey SALES P.A. Geddie COPY EDITOR Terry Britt GRAPHIC DESIGN & PRINT PRODUCTION Jette Stephens eMAGAZINE PRODUCTION Leah Lynch ADMINISTRATION Natalie Marshall DISTRIBUTION Pam Boyd Bombyk David Michelina
County Line Magazine is published once a month, 12 months a year. It is available free of charge in the Northeast Texas area in select businesses, limited to one copy per reader. Subscription costs: $18 per year in Texas, and $22 per year outside Texas. Bulk rate postage paid at Ben Wheeler, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to County Line Magazine, P.O. Box 608, Ben Wheeler, TX 75754. Contents COPYRIGHT 2014 County Line all rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without written permission. Opinions expressed in articles appearing in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Mailing address: P.O. Box 608, Ben Wheeler, TX 75754 Phone: 903.963.8306. E-mail: info@countylinemagazine.com Website: www.countylinemagazine.com. Free listings are entered on a space available basis. Advertising space may be purchased by calling 903.963.8306.
Serving the Upper East Side of Texas
EDITOR’S NOTE Dear Readers, It’s an exciting time for us here at County Line as we celebrate our birth 15 years ago at the dawn of the new millennium. We took a big leap of faith and landed in open arms to the people living and playing in the Upper East Side of Texas. We look forward to many more years of sharing entertaining and meaningful moments with you and we’ve got a new focus on the soul of our region — our children. We’re partnering with others to help every child get the opportunities they need to see their dreams come true. One of the first things we’re doing is joining a fine group of people for this year’s poetry contest. After eight years of doing one on our own, we know our kids and communities will benefit so much greater with this team. Learn more about the team on page 34 and stay tuned to hear about other projects we hope to do with them in 2015.
This will be the first year we won’t have an adult category in our contest. We encourage our adult poets to continue submitting your work to us to consider for publication throughout the year. There’s so much more to talk about! First, be sure to check out this year’s BEST online and in person over the months to come — so many treasures for our region. Other favorite stories in this issue include The Legend of Wild Willie, a new gallery and cafe in Edom, Little Hope Was Arson, Pulpwood Queens, Juls Asian Fusion, Hawk Patrol, and learning about East Texas musicians Channel 8 and Eisley and finding out Ringo Starr is in Tyler Valentine’s Day, and so much more! EnJOY! P.A. Geddie
Publisher & Managing Editor
LETTERS I just love County Line Magazine. Edom is a wonderful place and Ben Wheeler as well. What an awesome magazine for the Upper East Side of Texas. Lisa Surovik Mesquite I enjoy seeing the updates and coming events in Upper East Texas. Thanks. Jack Wallace Mount Vernon
er, placed a copy of it inside my bag. “Thanks,” is not word enough to what that copy means and how it has opened up the Upper East Side of Texas. Keep up the great work you guys and I am looking forward with great anticipation to my first (subscription) copy. Frank Shelton Point
Let us hear from you. Please feel free to send us your comments.
I still find myself rereading the complimentary copy that was given to me in October 2013 at the Edom Festival of the Arts. I was making a purchase at The Old Firehouse and Jeff, the own-
County Line Magazine P.O. Box 608, Ben Wheeler, TX 75754 email: info@countylinemagazine.com Find us on Facebook and Twitter. Go to LETTERS on www.countylinemagazine.com.
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COUNTY LINE MAGAZINE
Celebrating 15 Years and Living the Dream in the Upper East Side of Texas By P.A. Geddie As we began to make plans for the approaching 15th Anniversary of County Line Magazine, we discovered quite a few other businesses celebrating their 15th as well in the Upper East Side of Texas and wondered if there was something special about that particular year that propelled us to put our dreams into action. Kathy Murphy combined her long-time loves of hair care and reading and opened Beauty & the Book in Jefferson and soon after started The Pulpwood Queens book club; Stephani Chance left her law practice after 16 years and started a home furnishing business in Gladewater called Decorate Ornate and began taking groups on tours of Italy; and Robert Owens opened the innovative, upscale family dining restaurant, Traditions, in Tyler, to name just a few. It didn’t take long for us to recall where we were as we planned our new adventures at the end of 1999. The world was anticipating the impending doom said to come with the arrival of the new millennium January 1, 2000 — the great Y2K scare. People were stockpiling food and water and some bought generators in case electricity failed. The fear was that all the computers depended upon to run businesses would malfunction because they hadn’t been programmed past 1999 — the story was back then they only used the last two digits of the year — if the date rolled over to 00, computers wouldn’t know if it was 2000 or 1900 and major chaos would ensue. The world was in a bit of a panic as daily headlines said our lives were going to change forever. Some of us took the opportunity to make a big leap anyway. Thankfully, entering the zero years rolled in as smooth as a New Year baby’s behind. County Line Magazine was born and quickly embraced by its readers that grew from one county to all of Northeast Texas in just a few short years.
We continue to unearth more treasures in our region with every single issue and love helping residents and visitors alike find fun things to do and discover the towns, organizations, businesses, and people that share their talents — they are the backbone of our region — the ones that preserve our history, actively contribute to our culture today, and help prepare for our future. We feel very much a part of the positive transformation of our region in the last 15 years and are proud to continue to support the efforts that make it a great place in the world that people are drawn to come and live and visit on a regular basis. We currently have more Texas Main Streets than any other area in the state, a program that helps restore historic buildings and increase tourism, and many of them are National Main Street communities as well. The same goes for Texas Certified Retirement Towns — the state of Texas has deemed more towns in Northeast Texas as worthy to spend a person’s golden years than any other region in the state. We continue to attract more artists to live here that add beauty and inspiration to our communities and tons of people have opened award-winning getaway resorts. Many of our parks and downtown plazas are becoming inviting community gathering spaces as well and we see more fun and entertaining events and attractions emerging that give us good choices for fun things to do on a daily basis. Our leap into the new millennium 15 years ago and our accomplishments along with our region’s, are worthy of much celebration. As we contemplated how we might do that, we thought of having parties and buying and passing out lots of cool pens and koozies and spending money on ad campaigns tooting our own horn. That just didn’t feel right to us
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at this time. So, instead, we’ve decided to keep the celebration focus on our region and begin a special effort for its greatest gift — our children. We’re on a mission in 2015 to support and instigate programs that inspire kids to discover and live fully immersed in their passions. It adds a whole big chapter and enormous meaning for our goals to help shape the future of the Upper East Side of Texas. We’ve gotten to know a lot of people over the last 15 years whose fulfilled dreams started right here — actors like Sissy Spacek, Forest Whitaker, Margo Martindale, and Matthew McConaughey; performers like Don Henley, Neal McCoy, Miranda Lambert, and Kacey Musgraves; others that became successful artists, songwriters, athletes, and worldrenowned business men and women; and the teachers, healthcare workers, firefighters, safety officers, chefs, tourism and hospitality staff, construction workers, entrepreneurs, and many others that found their path to success in our communities. Our efforts to help all our region’s children have the opportunities they’ll need to succeed include joining forces with organizations that already share this mission. We’re currently working on projects with Young Audiences of Northeast Texas, The Pulpwood Queens book club, Van ISD Literacy Partners, Texans for the Arts, Inspiritry, Region 7 Education Service Center, and others and will grow our partnerships throughout the year. It’s another big leap for us and we are up for the challenge and look forward to bringing even greater entertaining and meaningful matters to the existing and future readers of County Line Magazine for many years to come.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 9
county line MAGAZINE
Hall of Fame ART & ESPRESSO
WINNSBORO. Best Coffee
BEAUTY AND THE BOOK HAWKINS. Best Book Store
CROSSROADS MUSIC COMPANY WINNSBORO. Best Live Music Venue
DAIRY PALACE CANTON. Best Hamburgers Best Malt/Shake
DOUBLE C STEAKHOUSE WINNSBORO. Best Chicken Fried Steak
FOUR WINDS STEAKHOUSE WILLS POINT. Best Restaurant & Best Steak
LAKE FORK Best Fishing Hole
THE LINKS AT LAND’S END YANTIS. Best Golf Course
MILL CREEK RANCH RV & COTTAGE RESORT CANTON. Best RV Park
MINEOLA NATURE PRESERVE Best Nature Walk and Bird Watching
MOORE’S STORE BEN WHEELER. Best Live Music Venue
QUITMAN COMMUNITY THEATRE Best Small Theatre Company
RC & MOON PIE MURAL BEN WHEELER. Best Sign
THREE HUBBELL HOUSE WINNSBORO. Best Bed & Breakfast
THE SHED CAFE EDOM. Best Pie, Best Wait Staff
TOM PERRYMAN KLUS THE RANCH, TYLER. Best Radio DJ
TYLER STATE PARK Best Camping Spot
WINNSBORO Best Small Town Downtown
New Shop Inducted into Hall of Fame The Upper East Side of Texas is home to many of “the bests” in the state, but when a business or place consistently receives the most nominations in our annual County Line Magazine BEST they are inducted into a category of home to the greats. The criteria are simple: win the same category three times, and make the hall of fame (which also makes room to recognize other places and people for excellence, too, in the annual voting). Enterting the Hall of Fame this year is Beauty and the Book, formerly in Jefferson, now located in Hawkins. It was named best bookstore in 2013, 2011, and 2010. It’s claim to fame is it’s “The Only Hair Salon and Book Store in the World”
and they’ve been featured on the Oprah show, Good Morning America, the Los Angeles Times, Time Magazine, Newsweek, and the Wall Street Journal to name a few. It’s a magnet of sorts for visiting authors – more than 500 authors and other celebrities have visited the store. Book signings with the likes of Kinky Friedman, Rue McClanahan, Pat Conroy, Fannie Flagg, and supermodel Paulina Porizkova have occurred at the shop. Some off shoots of the store include The Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys book clubs, Girlfriend Weekend, the Great Big Ball of Hair Ball, and the Pulpwood Queen Festival. See full article for more on Beauty and the Book in this issue. You can find them at 2501 S. FM 2869 Suite B in Hawkins. 903.601.2725. BeautyandTheBook.com.
Best of the Upper East Side of Texas In its 11th year now, County Line Magazine’s annual survey keeps uncovering more and more local gems in the Upper East Side of Texas. More than 1500 nominations were received this year and 2014 showed that our region continues to grow as a Texas treasure with delicious food, wonderful attractions and beautiful backdrops, one-of-a-kind shops, exciting entertainment, and many talented individuals. This year’s winners represent a great selection of the best of 2014 in the Upper East Side of Texas. If your favorites didn’t make the cut this year, please let us know about them and we’ll spread the word.
Best Barbecue
Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q in Tyler. A previous winner in 2007 and 2013, Stanley’s strikes again as the popular vote for East Texans. Known for their fall-off-thebone baby back ribs, brisket, sausage, and pulled pork, other fan favorites include the “Mother Clucker” sandwich and
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breakfast offerings. The restaurant also serves a side of excellent entertainment to the Upper East Side of Texas, with local and state-wide musicians rocking the Stanley’s stage every Monday-Saturday. 525 South Beckham Ave. 903.593.0311. StanleysFamous.com.
Best Breakfast
Simply Bertie’s in Lindale. This makes the second win for Simply Bertie’s and their breakfast. While offering traditional plates to suit a taste for everything from burgers to Tex-Mex, their breakfast is such a hit that it’s served daily until 1:30 p.m. A favorite among guests are Bertie’s light and fluffy pancakes and breakfast tacos. Bertie’s also serves homemade chorizo, breakfast tacos, huevos rancheros, and other traditional Mexican breakfast items. 16075 FM 849. 903.881.9391.
Best Brew
Cedar Creek Brewery in Seven Points. Established in 2010 and consisting of re-
Best Catfish
AJ’s Fish House in Alba. Located on Lake Fork, AJ’s Fish House is now a two-time winner in the catfish category with a previous win in 2008. The Fish House features an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet as well as a full menu of entrees. Their menu includes savory seafood items such as fried oysters, stuffed crab, chicken fried steak, fried shrimp, and of course catfish - all of which should be topped off with their homemade cobblers. 5375 N. FM 17. 903.473.4198. AJsFishHouse.com.
Best Chicken Fried Steak
Sidekicks Restaurant in Emory. Offering casual classics and home-style cooking, Sidekicks rocks the vote when it comes to their chicken fried steak. The down-home diner also serves burgers, catfish, salads and sandwiches, Tex-Mex dishes, homemade desserts, and all-day breakfast. 609 N. Texas St. 903.473.3325.
Best Coffee
Taste Buds Candy and Coffee Cafe in Mineola. Located inside the Historic Beckham Hotel, Taste Buds brews a fan favorite for the Upper East Side of Texas. The café offers more than 25 different types of coffee made to satisfy any coffee connoisseur with even the most unique taste. Their coffee collection consists of Columbian Dark and Decaf, Espresso, Caramel Mudslide, and Snickerdoodle, just to name a few. The café also offers breakfast and lunch to compliment the coffee. 113 E. Commerce St. 903.569.2888. TasteBudsCCC.com.
Best Dog-Friendly Cafe
Liefie Li Vine in Winnsboro. Liefie Li Vine is a love for locals when it comes to
delicious South African dishes and wine, but it’s the back patio where you’ll find a pooch’s paradis. While guests grub outdoors, pups enjoy smoked chicken bits and water to wash it all down. So for East Texans looking to wine and dine with their dog, Liefie Li Vine is definitely the place to party with pups. Open Wednesday through Saturday, the restaurant serves lunch and dinner. 302 N. Main St. 903.347.1111. Liefi.us.
Best Hamburger
East Texas Burger Company in Mineola. A previous winner in 2012 this popular downtown restaurant has won the hearts (and bellies) of East Texans with their home-style burgers. Burgers come in quarter pound and half–pound sizes and fresh fries are cut one potato at time. If they have any room left in them, guests can indulge in the restaurant’s homemade baked and fried pies. 126 E. Broad St. 903.569.3140. EastTexasBurger.com.
Best Malt/Shake
Andy’s Frozen Custard in Tyler. Accessible by drive-through and walk-up service windows, customers are seen gathered in the parking lot and lining down Broadway awaiting their frozen treats, especially on a hot summer’s day. A big hit: Andy’s malts consist of vanilla frozen custard, which is made fresh every hour, blended with toppings and malt powder of choice. Frozen custard lovers also take part in popular treats like their “Cookie Casano-
va,” “James Brown Funky Jackhammer,” and “Ozark turtle.” 6106 S. Broadway Ave. 903.509.2639. EatAndys.com.
Best Pie
Ganny’s Pie Shop in Winnsboro. Now a three-time winner, Ganny’s offers pies as a whole and by the slice with usually a choice of 12 different flavors daily. Many customers say that Ganny’s isn’t about anything fancy, it’s all about the pie and it’s just plain good – which fits perfectly with the pie shop’s slogan “It’s all about pie!” While the chocolate meringue pie is a local pleasure, the shop is capable of 65 flavors of pie and they welcome whole pie orders to meet their customers’ cravings. 108 W. Elm. 903.243.0992.
Best Pizza
Monk’s Oven in Winnsboro. A new addition to town and located in the cultural arts district, Monk’s Oven has already won the hearts of locals. Monk’s is the people’s pick when it comes to pizza, offering pies by the slice to as big as a whole 20-inch. Pizza toppings range from BBQ chicken to supreme and all the in-betweens. Other offerings on tap include soup, salad, dessert, beer and wine. 204 Market St. 903.347.1282.
Best Produce
Beth’s Little Farm Market in Lindale. Although they grow and prepare produce with sustainable and regenerative techniques, Beth’s Little Farm Market definiteContinued Page 12
Taste buds Candy & Cafe. Mineola. Photo by James Pogue.
purposed dairy equipment, Cedar Creek Brewery has made quite the name for themselves in Northeast Texas for their award winning brew. In 2013, the brewery brought home the gold at The Great American Beer Festival in Denver for their Belgian Style Dubbel in the Belgian-Style Abbey Ale category. Cedar Creek’s brew is available at select distributors state-wide and their tap room is open to the public on weekends. 244 E. Cedar Creek Parkway. 214.502.9795. CedarCreekBrewery. com.
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BEST OF continued from Page 11
ly does not have to grow on East Texans. Beth’s offers a plentiful range of produce and products including okra and tomatoes, pickles and peppers, eggplants and green beans, melons and more. Sadly, the market is only open during complimentary seasons and closed during the winter. 104 N. Main St. BethsLittleFarmMarket. com.
Best Restaurant
Lou Viney’s Restaurant & Pub in Sulphur Springs. With great food complimented by great service, customers rave about the restaurant. Whether guests are in the mood for savory seafood like blackened mahi mahi or wanting to grub on some Greek style gyros, Lou Viney’s serves satisfaction. Homemade bread pudding drizzled in white chocolate sauce is a must for guests. Also on tap, live music and cocktails. 206 Main St. 903.438.8320. LouVineys.com.
Best Queso
Customers can top off their Potpourri House experience by browsing through the in-house boutique and gift shop. 3320 Troup Hwy. Suite 300. 903.592.4171. PotpourriHouse.com.
Best Salsa and Chips
Best Sandwich
Tele’s Mexican Restaurant in Longview. There are many greats in East Texas when it comes to chips and salsa so many may wonder what the deciding factor is when it comes to selecting the best. Apparently, it’s all in the cilantro. Many customers say that Tele’s uses more cilantro than other restaurants and it’s the perfect complement to the “just right” spice of the salsa. Add some warm fresh chips to the mix and we have our winner. 3919 Gilmer Rd. 903.291.1600.
Best Salad
Potpourri House in Tyler. Established in 1982, the Potpourri House boasts that from “Steak to seafood, sandwiches to salads, soups to desserts – you’ll find something for everyone.” Our region definitely found that “something” lies in their delectable salads. The House offers a large salad bar with huge selections ranging from citrus pepper grilled salmon salad and southwest chicken salad to “heavenly” chicken salad that rests atop a flaky-crust croissant.
Cedar Creek Brewery. Photo by Linda Burgess-Budzinski
Cinco de Mayo in Lindale. When it comes to really just a great bowl of queso, this restaurant and taqueria has won over guests with their creamy white queso accompanied by crispy fresh chips. Aside from serving high-quality queso, Cinco de Mayo is a
favorite for locals when it comes to weekly deals on food and drinks like free margaritas on Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. and bargain breakfast items. 2610 S. Main St. 903.881.8600.
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Buttermilk’s Café in Canton. Those who say a sandwich is just a sandwich hasn’t been to Buttermilk’s. Down-home cookin’ with a side of southern hospitality is what’s on the menu at this Canton café, even their classic sandwiches have a little extra somethin’ added to the mix. The BLT rests between two slices of buttered Texas toast and topped off with creamy chipotle ranch sauce. The turkey melt is served on jalapeno cornbread toast and topped with blackened mayo. Buttermilk’s even makes bologna better, with their southern fried bologna sandwich. Close your Buttlermilk’s Café experience with one of their signature desserts like the pecan cobbler or buttermilk chess pie. 100 W. Dallas St. 903.567.3287. ButtermilksCanton.com.
Best Seafood
Johnny Cace’s Seafood and Steak House in Longview. With previous wins in 2011 and 2010, it’s plain to see that when it comes to seafood the people choose Johnny Cace’s. Serving the region for more than 65 years, Johnny Cace’s is a seafood staple of the Upper East Side of Texas. The restaurant offers an extensive menu styled to New Orleans Cajun with items ranging from hand-battered shrimp and crawfish to marinated crab claws. The restaurant’s relish tray, consisting of cheese, okra, bread, and butter pickles, is highly recommended. For those with a sweet tooth, the New Orleans style bread pudding, which is topped with rum custard sauce, takes the cake. 1501 E. Marshall Ave. 903.753.7691. JohnnyCaces.net.
Best Steak
Five D Cattle Company Steakhouse in Avinger. Although customers have to wait until dinner to dine at Five D Cattle Company, indulging in their savory steaks is well worth the wait. The selections of high-quality seasoned steaks range from a flat iron to rib eye and T-bone. After your steak, save room for their apple, peach, or blackberry cobbler. The perfect combina-
Best Tex-Mex
Zapata Mexican Grill and Cantina in Texarkana. Named after General Emiliano Zapata, who led the Liberation Army of the South during the Mexican Revolution, Zapata Grill offers an excellent dining experience since 2002. The restaurant is known for its mesquite grilled meats with the perfect paring of fresh produce. You can’t go wrong with their beef, chicken, or shrimp fajitas and the mesquite grilled pechuga ranks high on their menu as well. The restaurant serves favorite Mexican desserts including flan and perfectly sugared sopaipillas. 217 Walnut St. 870.774.0272. ZapataGrill.com.
Best Vegetarian
Central Perks Café in Marshall. Drawing a lunchtime line for the healthy items on their menu, Central Perks takes the hassle out of ordering plant-based food. Featuring a complete vegan menu option, the café offers an array of meal options including black bean and veggie burgers, “untuna” salad, tofurky sandwiches, and incredible hummus. Central Perks wins not only for their delicious alternatives, but also by providing customers with the confidence of knowing that they are at a restaurant that caters to their dietary needs. 211 N. Washington St. 903.934.9902. CentralPerks.us.
Best Winery
Enoch’s Stomp in Harleton. With a previous County Line Magazine win in 2012 and over 100 awards from various international wine competitions, it is clear to see that Enoch’s has wined and dined the hearts of East Texans. Founded by Altus Koegelenberg (a fifth-generation grape grower from South Africa) and Jon Kral in 2004, the vineyard sits upon 90 acres and grows 12 acres of grape vines including Black Spanish (a.k.a. Lenoir), Blanc DuBois, Norton (a.k.a. Cynthiana), Villard Blanc, Champanel, and Chambourcin. The property also features a restaurant that
is open for dinner on the weekends. 871 Ferguson Rd. (FM 4312). 903.240.1587. EnochsStomp.com.
Best Afternoon Stroll
East Texas Arboretum and Botanical Society in Athens. Featuring 100 acres of wooded beauty, luscious trees, flowers, and East Texas wildlife, it’s no wonder why the East Texas Arboretum is a favorite place to take an afternoon stroll. Visitors explore the forest as they trek along two miles of trails and make their way along spring-fed streams connected by a 115foot suspension bridge. Top the retreat by experiencing the historic Wofford House Museum located at the Arboretum. The home built in 1850 holds period furnishings and memorabilia of the early pioneer days. 1601 Patterson Rd. 903.675.5630. EastTexasArboretum.org.
Best Annual Event
Piney Woods Wine Festival in Mt. Vernon. Comprised of 17 wineries and held on the downtown plaza of the Wine Tasting Capital of East Texas on the third weekend of May, the festival offers something for everybody. Featuring favorites ranging from Enoch’s Stomp and Bella Stella Winery to Miranda Lambert’s Red 55, wine is available by the tasting, glass, and bottle. T he festival also hosts vendors for arts, crafts, food, and live entertainment. 113 Main St. 903.537.4070. MtVernonWine.com.
Best Antique Store
The City of Gladewater. Known as the Antique Capital of East Texas, Gladewater in its entirety was chosen for best antiques. Downtown is home to more than 200 independent antique dealers in 16 malls. Most of the shops are located on N. Main St., E. Commerce Ave., and W. Pacific Ave. The Screen Door Antique Mall, Gone Vintage, St. Clair Antique Emporium, and Yesterday’s Treasures are just a few of the shopping must-stops. Other specialty shops are also sprinkled downtown for Gladewater guests and residents. Dining options like The Fork and B & W’s Hawaiian Grill are within walking distance for visitors to refuel before shopping the streets once again. GladewaterMainStreet.com.
Best Art Gallery
Gallery 211 in Athens. The creation of a group of local artists and located in historic downtown, Gallery 211 was founded on the vision to increase education of the arts through workshops, community outreach, and local artist exhibits. The gallery provides a venue for emerging East Texas artists to display their works and create exposure for themselves throughout the community. Gallery 211 also offers economically-priced studio spaces for local artists to have room to create. 211 N. Palestine St. 903.292.1746. ArtGallery211.net. Continued Page 14
Five D Cattle Company. Avinger. Photo by Patti Light
tion of friendly staff and mouth-watering steaks is what makes this steakhouse stand out in Northeast Texas. IT’s BYOB if you need a good red wine to go with your steak. #8 Main St. 903.562.1291. FiveDCattle.com.
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Best Attraction
Texas State Railroad in Palestine. Established in 1881 and deemed a “Texas treasure,” the historic railroad offers excursions through 25 miles of beautiful piney woods and annual events that attract many to East Texas. The Polar Express train ride, Fall Foliage Brunch Train, and Dogwood Special Brunch Train, are just a few of the special events that contribute to the unique and fun offers of the Upper East Side of Texas. The depot also features a campground for those wishing to stay and play, offering a half-mile nature trail, playground, pond, and park. 789 Park Rd. 70. 877.726.7245. TexasStateRR.com.
Best Bed and Breakfast
Best Camping Spot
Cooper Lake in Sulphur Springs. With camping grounds offering outlets for activities including fishing, water skiing, picnicking, boating, swimming, hiking, tours, canoeing rentals, and more, it’s clear to see why Cooper Lake is a fan favorite. As if their array of outdoor activities wasn’t enough, the South Sulphur Unit offers horse owners equestrian camping and horseback riding trails that cover nearly 600 acres and over 10 miles. Nature programs are also available to visitors, including birding and orienteering workshops. 1690 FM 3505. 903.945.5256. TPWD.State. TX.Us/State-Parks/Cooper-Lake.
Best County Courthouse
Franklin County Courthouse in Mt. Vernon. Designed in 1912, the beautiful and newly restored Franklin County Classic Revival-style courthouse is ruled as this year’s best in the Upper East Side of Texas. In 2006, the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Renovations of the courthouse were made possible through a Texas Historical Commission grant. The 1960’s dressings of the courthouse were stripped and historic beauty accentuated. The courthouse’s clock on the dome of the tower remains with 1875 etched into the window, the year of county organization.
Turkey Melt. Buttermilks. Courtesy photo
Lavender Mermaid in Pittsburg. Magical and meticulously detailed with a caring touch, this bed and breakfast is the chosen retreat of East Texans looking to get away from everyday hustle and bustle. The property contains four separate cottages in order for guests to get away with necessary privacy, encompassed by lavender when in season. The cottages have fine Turkish linens and cozy beds. Guests appreciate the Mermaid’s eye for detail. Each bathroom offers organic lavender-infused bath products and lavender truffles rest next to bedsides. Guests rave about the breakfast, delivered in a metal picnic basket and consisting of local eggs, scones, fruit salad in
lavender syrup, and more. 975 CR 1332. 903.855.1923. LavenderMermaid.com.
14 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
Best Dog Walk
Mineola Nature Preserve. No stranger to our Best of the Upper East Side of Texas list for categories for walking their nature trails, but our canine companions add a win for the preserve in a new category. Dog’s on a leash have the opportunity to explore East Texas’ beautiful woods and wildlife. The preserve encompasses 2,911 acres and contains trails for walking, hiking, biking, birding, wildlife viewing. Fishing ponds and camping areas are available to guests and their fur babies as well. 1860 CR 2724. 903.569.6983. MineolaNaturePreserve.com.
Best Fishing Hole
Lake Jacksonville. Pristine waters and wooded vistas of Lake Jacksonville are much sought after by those throughout the state, the country, and County Line Magazine readers. The lake is a vacation destination for those looking for outstanding fishing and boating opportunities. The clear water lake is known to produce heavy largemouth bass and spotted bass. Fishers get the most fishing success by looking along the face of the dam and around native vegetation. Drop-offs by the island across from the marina are also beneficial when it comes to catching bass. LakeJacksonville.org.
Best Getaway
Caddo Lake State Park in Karnack. A previous winner for our best camping category, this year Caddo Lake takes the cake as the best overall getaway as it offers much more than camping grounds. Visitors enjoy hiking, paddling trails, picnicking, nature studies, fishing, boating, canoeing, and educational nature programs. In addition to camp sites there are quaint cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The beautiful area holds excellent fishing and is surrounded by thick bald cypress and aquatic plants. Fishing for largemouth bass, crappie, catfish and sunfish is said to be highly productive. 245 Park Rd 2. 903.679.3351. www.tpwd.state. tx.u/state-parks/caddo-lake.
Best Gift Shop
Edom Crafts Community. Edom is home to an eclectic array of local shops that offer everything from precious pottery to quirky
birdhouses, making the city as a whole the winner for the best gift shop category. For artistic handcrafted items, shopping must-stops in Edom include Zeke & Marty for jewelry and “cool guys stuff,” Potters Brown where guests can purchase pottery and experience the creating process, visual arts at Old Edom Firehouse, and Arbor Castle’s beautiful wooden birdhouses. The Shed Café gift shop also offers a variety of unique gift items. Get more information for a visit at VisitEdom.com but there’s nothing like seeing it in person.
Best Golf Course
Pine Dunes Resort and Golf Club in Frankston. Consistently winning national and statewide recognition on best golf courses lists, Pine Dunes is a treasure for the Upper East Side of Texas. The 18-hole golf course is encompassed by wooded beauty and rolling mounds. Many pro golfers have deemed the green as a “worldclass course.” Guests looking for a golf getaway have the opportunity to stay and play by reserving one of the condos alongside the 18th green. The condos sleep up to four and include two baths, a kitchen, fireplace, and satellite TV. 159 Private Rd 7019. 903.876.4336. PineDunes.com.
in Texarkana exemplifies class, high-quality customer service, and top-notch accommodations. The hotel features an on-site restaurant and lounge with cooked-toorder breakfast. Amenities include microwaves, refrigerators, and work desks in all rooms, a 24-hour business center, complimentary Wi-Fi, and an outdoor pool and fitness center. Location also plays a factor when it comes to being the best, the Garden Inn is conveniently located just off I-30. 2910 S. Cowhorn Creek Loop. 903.792.1065. HiltonGardenInn3.Hilton. com.
Best Improved Small Town
Rockwall. After years of thoughtful planning and focused energy, new life has taken hold of Rockwall. The Rockwall Main Street Program works to create a historic downtown district that serves as a center
for recreational and cultural activity in Northeast Texas. The city has a concentration of revitalizing Rockwall, with a focus on improving and supporting local business. This type passion is seen through events such as the downtown Night Owls – Late ‘Till 8 shopping every 2nd Thursday of the month. 972.771.7700. Rockwall. com/MainStreet.
Best Lakeside Town
Rockwall. Lake Ray Hubbard provides a serene and beautiful backdrop for Rockwall guests. The lake is an excellent spot for boating and fishing. Access Rockwall’s beautiful harbor from the lake and enter the city’s destination district for music, entertainment, shopping, and more. There are several annual events that are hosted Continued Page 16
Clara Ida Francis in Winnsboro. A recent winner of the 2014 Texas Presidents Awards for best restoration in a population under 50,000, this shop takes a win again as area’s best historic building. The 113-year-old once-neglected building is brought to life by Janice Schma with her country boutique and gift shop Clara Ida Frances, which is named after her mother. The original tin ceiling, marble tiled entry, and prismatic transom windows remain in the building. The building’s pier and beam foundation is replaced with concrete ad stained with an amber finish. The gorgeous brick façade, which was discovered under previous layers of siding, is complimented by beautiful new windows and exterior cornice. 219 N. Main St. 903.342.6137. ClaraIdaFrances.com.
Best Hotel/Motel
Hilton Garden Inn in Texarkana. When choosing a Hilton, guests know they can hardly ever go wrong and the Garden Inn
Zapata Grill. Texarkana. Photo by P.A. Geddie
Best Historic Building
Continued Page 16 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 15
BEST OF continued from Page 15
at The Harbor including the Concert by the Lake series that begins in May, Halloween Extravaganza and Rockin’ the Docks in October, and the Art League Walk in September. The Harbor also makes a great place for a date; the amphitheater is the perfect place to picnic with a glass of wine. 972.771.7700. Rockwall.com.
Best live Music Venue
Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in Carthage. The Upper East Side of Texas is celebrating this museum for their initiative to highlight the contributions of Texans in the country music profession. The 13,000 square foot museum recognizes musicians, living or deceased, recognized nationally as outstanding in their field. The notable musicians highlighted in the museum include Mickey Gilley, George Jones, Al Dexter, Ray Price, Linda Davis, and others plus a special section on Carthage native Tex Ritter. The facility is also open to hosts events with a groups of more than 200 with catered dinners. 310 W. Panola. 903.694.9561. CarthageTexas.us.
Best Nature Walk
Trail de Paris. A previous winner in this category in 2013, the trail is a gently curved route from 12th SE St., winding east under a canopy of trees over Loop 286 to the Paris city limits. The trail is optimal for walking, running, cycling, and is handicapped accessible. The trail goes through
Kasey Lansdale. Nacogdoches. Courtesy photo
Leon’s Steakhouse Saloon in Longview. Established in 1980, Leon’s Steakhouse Saloon is the people’s pick as a place for food and tunes in the Upper East Side of Texas. The steakhouse provides a venue for local and touring musicians from the likes of Tommy Joe Wilson, Anchor Down, The Haggertys, Last Call Outlaws, and more. Aside from hosting one-night acts, every Wednesday night brings a full-blown blues jam session with Johnny Simmons & the Nightcrawlers. Musicians are encouraged to bring instruments and rock out with other performers. 2112 S. Eastman Rd. 903.753.9415. LeonsSteakHouse.com.
Best Museum
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a 90-acre heavily wooded area and beyond with sites of unique bridges, creeks, rippling water, huge sugarberry trees, crape myrtles, more trees and more trees, honeysuckle, fireflies, under bridge art, wildflowers, pastoral scenes, and much more, some labeled for educational enjoyment. 903.784.2501. TraildeParis.org.
Best Park
Lear Park in Longview. This park is a suitable for an all-day getaway, featuring a nature trail, baseball and softball fields, children’s playground, and a splash pad. Many East Texans recommend the park as a must-visit for guests of the city, citing its one of a kind uniqueness and beauty. The playground is especially appealing, featuring BBQ pits, picnic areas, and a play area that looks like a fortress of wonders even to adults. The park area also wins for its lighted grounds for safety. 100 H.G. Mosley Pkwy. 903.237.1270. Parks.LongviewTexas.gov/LearParkAthleticComplex.
Best RV Park
Shallow Creek RV Park in Gladewater. Known for their clean, spacious, and convenient grounds, Shallow Creek is the place to be when it comes to exploring the outdoors. The park consists of 100-percent concrete roads and sites, a 5,000 square foot clubhouse, clean showers, a full kitchen, hot tub, swimming pool, and a water park and stock pond. Their rates are affordable and guests are greeted by hospital staff. With the combination of southern hospitality and beautiful space, it’s clear to see why this RV park is ranked as one of the best of Northeast Texas and throughout the state. 5261 Hwy 135 N. 888.984.4513. ShallowCreek.com.
Best Scenic Drive
Scenic Fall Foliage Trail in Athens. The self-guided driving trail allows visitors to view the picturesque foliage of the season and witness one of the natural features that makes East Texas so beautiful. The 55mile trail begins and ends at the Athens Partnership Center. The drive showcases multiple points of interest in the area – all while being surrounded by vibrant deciduous trees including oaks, maples, sweet gums, and sumacs. 201. W. Corsicana St. 888.294.2847. AthensTX.org.
BEST THE UPPER EAST SIDE
2008
OF TEXAS
crab, chicken fried steak, chicken strips, boiled or fried shrimp, salad bar and cobblers. Take-out includes special family packs of fried catfish. Thursday-Saturday 4-9 p.m., Sunday 11a.m.-2 p.m. 903.473.4198. 5375 FM 17, 903.473.4198, www.ets-systems.com/ajsfishhouse. Runners-up: Red Barn Café in Wills Point and McCurdy’s in Mount Vernon. Best Chicken-Fried Steak Double C Steakhouse, Winnsboro The entrees include a chicken-fried steak that fills a plate. The cook won’t give up the recipe, relying on “secret ingredients” to satisfy customers’ cravings. MondayWednesday 4:30-8 p.m., Thursday-Friday 4:30-10 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. 206 Market, 903.342.3111, www.doublecsteakhouse.com. Runners-up: Four Winds in Wills Point and Ole West Steakhouse in Athens. Best Coffee Canton Square Bakery Full espresso bar featuring popular Community Coffees to go with breakfast, burgers, sandwiches, salads, side dishes, and baked goods. Monday-Saturday 7 a.m.-3 p.m. and Sundays during First Monday. 105 S. Buffalo, 903.567.4630. Runners-up: Caffe Tazza in Tyler and Holly Perk Coffee Co. in Mineola.
Paul Michael Company in Canton. Filled with antiques, furniture, and hand-made recycled home décor, Paul Michael Company offers that little “something” extra to its guests in the form of friendly faces and a willingness to help. Many customers rave about the staff’s extraordinary professionalism and high-level hospitality. The store also recently expanded their facilities to meet the region’s demand for décor, opening the doors to a two-story, 60,000 square foot building next door to their existing store to welcome their neighbors of the Upper East Side of Texas with even wider arms. 2100 N. Trade Days Blvd. 903.567.0363. PaulMichaelCompany.com.
Best Sign
Peace through Discovery Mural in Tyler. A product of the Annual Art of Peace Festival, the 12-by-18-foot mural designed by artist Kerian Massey rests alongside the Discovery Science Place building and highlights elements of knowledge, growth, and discovery. The focus of the mural is a snapshot of the world, surrounded by binoculars, a magnifying glass, and space – invoking thoughts of culture, ecology, and history. The overall message of the painting is that with knowledge of the world around you comes a sense of peace. 308 N. Broadway Ave.
Best Slogan
“Just Play, Have Fun, Celebrate.” This slogan is the tagline to accompany the “Celebration City” that is Sulphur Springs. Centered on downtown’s Celebration Plaza, more than 300 fun events and public activities are hosted each year. The playfulness of the city can also be seen, or not seen, through their famous see-through public restrooms. With a downtown square that features a splash pad, game tables, bistro areas, and more, it is clear to see that the city has a reason to celebrate. SulphurSpringsTX.org.
Best Small Town
Ben Wheeler. Before his death this past year, entrepreneur and founder of the Ben Wheeler Arts & Historical District, Brooks Gremmels, was able to see his vision of a thriving community come to fruition. Unwilling to let his accomplishments
subside, the artists, restaurant owners, shopkeepers, and other local businesses and organizations maintain a fierce determination to keep their town alive with energy that makes it a proud treasure in the Upper East Side of Texas. The small town is a treat for many, oftentimes with live music filling the air of the streets and art all around. Ben Wheeler is home to the now famous Fall Feral Hog Festival, complete with food, live music, and a parade and hog queen. If guests and residents are in the mood for brew and musical beats, Moore’s Store and The Forge make for an excellent evening in this small town. BenWheelerTX.com.
served with fresh vegetables. 21191 FM 47. 903.873.2225. FourWindsSteakhouse. com.
Some of the people and places voted the best in the region include from top left clockwise: Best B&B, Thee Hubbell House, Winnsboro (photo by P.A. Geddie); Best Seafood, Four Winds Steakhouse and Best Chef, Frank Rumore (photo by Tom Geddie); Best Nature Walk and Best Birdwatching, Mineola Nature Preserve (photo by Gary Edwards); and Best Play and Best Small Theatre Company, Quitman Community Theatre. “Smoke on the Mountain” cast photo: Front row (l-r): Blake Durham, Keith Haisten (Best Theatre Actor), Donna Henderson, Bob Hibbard; second row: Jeff Norris, Shelby Salley, Ashlee Salley, Tara Moore, Michael Phifer, Ulna McWhorter; third row: Ann Norris, Cora Beaty (director),Gordon Schulz, Ann Rutherford; back row: Betty Stribley, Ted Beaty, Kelly McDowell, Becky Hibbard (producer), Randy Parrish, Ron Sheppard, Charlotte Hollis. (courtesy photo).
“Best” is almost always subjective, often depending as much on personal preference as on any objective criteria. That said, here are the readers choices for the “Best of the Upper East Side of Texas” for 2008. Take this list as an opportunity to congratulate familiar winners and to explore new and interesting places in the region, especially in these days of thrifty “staycations” instead of long-mileage vacations. For the many excellent places that didn’t make this year’s finalists, there’s plenty of opportunity to become better known during 2009.
Best Barbecue Bodacious Barbecue, Winnsboro Hickory-and- oak-smoked barbecued beef, pork ribs, ham, turkey, and sausage meals with choice of two vegetables (baked beans, potato salad, or coleslaw), and a drink runs about $7. Dine in, take out, or order a shipment right to the doorstep via FedEx. Fourteen locations in Texas;
Best Artist
winning Winnsboro location: 328 E. Coke, 903.342.1210. Runners-up: Cripple Creek BBQ in Athens, Mack’s Split Rail in Mineola.
Maureen Killaby. A Lindale resident and art teacher at Tyler Junior College School of Continuing Studies, Killaby is a master artist of the Upper East Side of Texas. Killaby specializes in mediums including oil paints and drawing with graphite and colored pencils. True works of beautiful art, Killaby captures human essence and emotion with every sketch and stroke of her trusted tools. Striving to spread education of the arts throughout the community, she hosts drawing and painting adult workshops and Saturday workshops for children at her art studio in Lindale. MaureenKillaby.SquareSpace.com.
Best Breakfast Winnsboro Bakery & Café All egg dishes (sausage, bacon, country ham, pork chops, Benedict) prepared with two eggs and served with choice of toast (sourdough, wheat, rye) or biscuit plus choice of hash browns, grits, or home fries. Also pancakes, French toast, breakfast sandwiches, and variety of omelets. Served Monday-Saturday 7 a.m.-10 a.m. 210 N Main, 903.342.6119, www.winnsborobakery.com. Runners-up: Granny’s Kitchen in Quitman, Edom Bakery & Grill.
Best Malt/Shake Dairy Palace, Canton Blue Bell ice cream, real milk, and 36 flavors including moo-lennium crunch, chocolate chip cookie dough, caramel pecan fudge, pecan pralines and cream, cotton candy, and banana pudding along with basic vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry at this consistently popular site with a wide-ranging breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu available 24 hours a day. 2203 N. Trade Days (Hwy 19), 903.567.6551, www.dairypalace.com. Runners-up: Braums in Athens and Kitchen’s in Mineola.
Best Catfish AJ’s Lake Fork Fish House, Alba Southern-fried catfish tops the seafood buffet that also includes fried shrimp, boiled shrimp, corn nuggets,
Best Pie Edom Bakery & Grill All pastries and baked goods made fresh daily: pies, cakes, cookies, muffins, breads, and more to complement
8 • COUNTY LINE MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2009
Best Chef
Best Hamburger East Texas Burger Company, Mineola Customers Dan Rather and Sissy Spacek praise this place; so would Bonnie & Clyde if they were still alive. Big selection of quarter- and half-pound burgers along with fries and onion rings, grilled chicken sandwiches, chicken-fried steaks, catfish, and peanut butter, coconut, chocolate cream, and fried apricot pies until they run out. Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Hwys 80 and 69, 903.569.3140, www.easttexasburger. com. Runners-up: Dairy Palace in Canton and Lake Athens Marina.
Four Winds’ Frank Rumore in Wills Point. A three-time and well-deserved winner, it’s clear to see that Frank Rumore is a favorite throughout the state of Texas and beyond. Chef Rumore spent 25 years with Del Frisco, 15 of those as executive chef at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House in Dallas before moving to the former ranch house of Dallas Cowboy’s legend Lee Roy Jordan, now the rustic chic Four Winds Steakhouse located amongst 1100 acres of old oaks and a small pond. Four Winds recently made the list of top OpenTable’s 100 Steakhouses throughout the nation. Rumore’s specialties range from 26-ounce rib eyes with a brandy peppercorn sauce, pecan-breaded catfish, fried shrimp, and marinated grilled chicken breast
Best Local Band
JB and the Moonshine Band of Tyler. The four-piece band is a fan favorite when it comes to Texas country music. Producing “drinking tunes” with East Texas roots, two acclaimed albums, and a couple of tunes on the Billboard Texas music charts, JB Patterson, Hayden McMullen, Gabriel Guevara, and Chris Flores have a long road of success ahead of them. The band tours across the country, but have said that there is nothing quite like their fan base back at home. JBandTheMoonshineBand. com. Continued Page 19
Piney Woods Wine Festival. Mount Vernon. Photo by P.A. Geddie
Best Shopping Experience
Best Place for Gas, Grub & Groceries Brookshire’s, Various locations With sales totaling $2 billion a year, Brookshire’s is easily the leading grocer in the Upper East Side of Texas. While this category was originally intended for the small mom-and-pop kinda gas stations that also provide some groceries and sit-down meals of various sorts, readers see Brookshire’s locations that also have gas stations as a logical choice; most of the stores serve grub, too. Runnersup: The Outpost in Winnsboro and Kidd Jones in Chandler.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 17
Enjoy Shopping, Dining & Entertainment in Historic Mineola, Texas in 2015!
BAKED POTATO FUNDRAISER FRIDAY, JANUARY 30 Benefits Mineola Historical Museum MINEOLA AMTRAK WINE FEST, March 28-29 HIGHWAY 80 PROGRESSIVE CAR CRUISE, March MAIN STREET FARMERS MARKET, Saturdays May - July MINEOLA MAY DAYS National Train Day, May July 4th Celebration 51st Annual Volunteer Fireman Rodeo, July 10 & 11 BENEFIT CONCERT SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 Exciting Line-Up & Events Mineola Nature Preserve NATURE FEST
MINEOLA NATURE PRESERVE 7a.m. until sunset MINEOLA HISTORICAL MUSEUM 114 Pacific St (Hwy. 69). Free. Open Thur, Fri, Sat 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
AMTRAK TEXAS EAGLE
Iron Horse Festival MAGICALLY MINEOLA CHRISTMAS, December
Designated Daily Stop 1-800-669-8509 FOLLOW US!
1.800.MINEOLA • www.mineola.com
THE PEGASUS PROJECT we give horses wings
Dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and placement of neglected, abandoned or abused horses in East Texas. Please visit our website for more information or to make a donation.
www.PegasusRescue.org • 903-469-3578 18 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
BEST OF continued from Page 17
Best Local Singer/ Songwriter Kasey Lansdale of Nacogdoches. With a full-length album and musical contributions to a highly-rated movie under her belt, this country blues musician is one of Texas’ rising stars. “Cold in July,” starring Michael C. Hall, features Lansdale’s track “Back of My Smile” which has received rave reviews for her vocals. Lansdale is backed by Grammy award-winning producer John Carter Cash, who has produced legends such as Loretta Lynn and Willie Nelson. KaseyLansdale.com
Best Play “Lord of the Flies.” A production of Tyler Civic Theatre, “Lord of the Flies” received rave reviews from East Texas theatre buffs. An adaptation of William Golding’s classic, the provocative play captivated audiences and pushed them to the edges of their seats as they witnessed human nature at its worst. Director Justin Purser made a point not to tone down the grimness, shock, and violence, in order to remain true to the text – something their audience seemed to truly appreciate. TylerCivicTheatre.com.
Best Facebook
Nacogdoches’ The Liberty Bell. Already a favorite for a good brew and awesome tunes, The Liberty Bell brings out the best of themselves with their social media presence. Administrators of the page often interact with customers and welcome public feedback and reviews. Offering social media giveaways to their Facebook fan base, informing customers about specials and upcoming events, this social media page gets the region’s praise as the best. Facebook.com/LibertyBellBar.
Best Instagram
Tyler’s Cork Food & Drink. Most of the time you can’t judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to Cork Food and Drink’s Instagram you certainly can. Regularly posting photos of beautiful dishes that taste as good as they look, makes for a win for this local hot spot. The restaurant also posts awesome videos of their in-house performers and quirky quotes to cure a case of the Monday blues. Promoting their love for local businesses, not only does Cork utilize local offering but they also promote the small business to their large audience as well. Instagram.com/ CorkscrewTyler.
Best Pinterest
Nacogdoches’ Brick Street Antiques. Pictures make a Pinterest, and boy Brick Street has ‘em! Not only do they showcase their in-store offerings, they also pin topics of interest that their audience might appreciate. Pinning is consistent, allowing their followers to be able to rely on their board for fresh and exciting content. Their Pinterest is aesthetically pleasing and interesting, so much so that the viewer could get lost exploring for hours. Pinterest.com/TaniaWatson/BrickStreetAntiques.
Best Twitter
City of Greenville. Not only should a city’s public social media page be engaging, but it should also recognizing their responsibility to the public. @GreenvilleTX, the official account for the City of Greenville does just that. Their Twitter account tweets regularly and consistently, providing information on upcoming events as well as city news such as street repairs and water distribution news. The account also interacts with their followers, often addressing any comments as well as retweeting interesting location events. Twitter.com/GreenvilleTX.
Best Small Theatre Co.
Palestine Community Theatre. Located in the Historic Texas Theatre, this theatre company performs top-notch theatrical performances and family-friendly entertainment. The Theatre’s goal is to unite the community, support the arts, increase tourism – all while preserving the history at the Texas Theatre. Locals love to attend the shows for the wonderful experience of a great production in a historical and beautiful setting. 213 W. Crawford St. 903.723.9595.
Best Actor/Actress Michael Phifer. The Upper East Side of Texas gave a huge round of applause to Michael Phifer for his performance as Memphis Aaron in “Ghosts: The Musical.” The production took place at the Lake Country Playhouse in Mineola, brought to audiences by the Quitman Community Theatre. Theatre-goers reviewed his performance as “loving every minute of it” and “hilarious and just a delight to watch.” Phifer is no stranger to the stage, performing with the theatre for several years now.
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THIS TIME OF YEAR JANUARY 12, 1905 Tex Ritter was born January 12, 1905, in Panola County. He was a beloved Country music singer and a major movie star in the 1930s and 40s and father to the late actor John Ritter. He passsed away January 2, 1974. His legacy lives on in his grandchildren, actors Jason and Tyler and granddaughter Carly who shares his gift for singing and songwriting.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Learn more about Tex Ritter at the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in Carthage. Visit www.carthagetexas.com/ halloffame/museum. JANUARY 23, 1943 Said by some to be the most romantic of all movies, Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, released in the United States January 23, 1943. Tickling the ivories and crooning this most famous love song was Dooley Wilson, as Sam, playing As Time Goes By. Wilson was born in Tyler in 1886 and went on to star in many movies, plays and a TV sitcom called Beulah. He died May 30, 1953.
Ellen Degeneres 01.16.1958
Atlanta High School’s most famous graduate is still hosting one of the most popular TV shows today. She recently announced she’ll be the lead voice in the upcoming Disney movie Finding Dory which follows Dory on a quest to remember her past and find her parents. It’s scheduled to open in the summer of 2016, about the time of her 40th high school reunion.
Recently the piano he so famously played in Casablanca sold in a New York auction for $3.4 million. It’s pictured here at left with Wilson and Bogart. 1885
Sandy Duncan 02.20.1946
It was 130 years ago when rancher Lyman Davis founded Wolf Brand Chili near Corsicana in 1885. In the 1880s, in partnership with an experienced range cook, he began producing heavily-spiced chili, which he sold by the pot to local cafés. In 1921, Davis began canning his product in the back of his meat market and named it for his pet wolf, “Kaiser Bill.” Chili was named the official “state dish” of Texas in 1977. 20 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
The Henderson-born, Tyler-raised, Jefferson-educated (Lon Morris) actress continues to perform in plays and make appearances and recently was spotted on the Today Show giving advice to Allison Williams who played Peter Pan opposite Christopher Walken’s Captain Hook on NBC’s Peter Pan Live. Duncan first played the Pan role on Broadway in 1979.
FEBRUARY 14 • HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY
Thanks for the Love Songs Will Jennings
PAPER
Indulge YOU DESERVE IT
Did you know that many of the most popular love songs written to date were penned by an East Texan? Will Jennings was born in Kilgore, went to Tyler’s Chapel Hill High School, and earned his B.A. from Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches before venturing off to other parts of the country and becomming one of the most sought after songwriters in the world. Jennings says his East Texas roots contribute to his success as a songwriter as it is there he learned about freedom. “We lived mainly in the country, near town, and spent a lot of time fishing and hunting,” he said. “You don’t say it was real beauty when you look back on it, but there was a certain freedom in everything that was going on with that. I appreciate almost everything that goes around, and has some beauty to it. “The first house we lived in, between Tyler and Kilgore, was next to a cotton gin and it was almost like living in the wild,” he said. “There’s some kind of feeling that goes into you. I suppose that’s because you are not dominated by machines, but by what kind of day it’s going to be. Is it going to be hot or cold? Are we going to get some birds or not?” Here are just a few love songs he’s written so far: My Heart Will Go On “Titanic” Music by James Horner Recorded by Celine Dion
Love Lift Us Up Where We Belong “An Officer and a Gentleman” Co-writers: Jack Nitzxche, Buffy Sainte-Marie Recorded by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes
SUBSCRIBE!
Back in the High Life Again Co-writer/Recorded by Steve Winwood
In celebration of our
Didn’t We Almost Have it All Co-writer: Michael Masser Recorded by Whitney Houston Higher Love Co-writer/Recorded by Steve Winwood I’ll Never Love This Way Again Co-writer Richard Kerr Recorded by Dionne Warwick Somewhere in the Night Co-writer Richard Kerr Recorded by Barry Manilow Looks Like We Made It Co-writer Richard Kerr Recorded by Barry Manilow What Kind Of Love Co-writers: Rodney Crowell/ Roy Orbison Recorded by Rodney Crowell Love Came for Me “Splash” Co-writer: Lee Holdridge Recorded by Rita Coolidge Read more about Jennings and his formative years in East Texas on County Line eMagazine: www.countylinemagazine.com/ February-2013/East-Texas-Freedom-HelpedSongwriter-Will-Jennings/
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 21
CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT
Check out the eMAGAZINE www.countylinemagazine.com for extended event listings.
Through January 5
Ice Skating. Mount Vernon. Little Creek Park, Bus. Hwy 37. 903.537.2252. visitmtvernontx. com.
January 3
All About Events Expo. Tyler. Noon. $5-$10. Harvey Convention Center, 2000 W Front St. 352.610.1306. AllAboutEventsExpo.com.
January 17
8th Annual Snowflakes & Diamonds Gala. Paris. Dinner, live entertainment by Blackland band, live and silent auction. Benefits the Red River Valley Down Syndrome Society. $50. Love Civic Center, 2025 S. Collegiate Dr. 903.783.1922.
February 14
Annual Sweetheart Soiree. Paris. Dinner, complimentary beverages, live and silent auctions and entertainment by Mars Hill. Benefits The Children’s Advocacy Center of Paris. 7 p.m. Love Civic Center. 903.784.5787, cacparis.org.
March 3
Taste of the Arts. Marshall. Gathering of the culinary arts and performing arts come together for an evening featuring area restaurants and loves of Southern gospel music. 5:30 p.m. Food Fest $10. Gospel Fest $10. Marshall Convention Center, 2501 E. End Blvd S (Hwy 59). 903.935.4484. marshallartscouncil.org.
VALENTINE’S MOONLIGHT SPECIAL. February 14. Enjoy the unique combination of a full moon on Valentine’s Day and a romantic train ride through the piney woods near Palestine. A reception at Palestine Depot features a lovely array of hors d’oeuvres and non-alcoholic sparkling wine. Passengers on this romancethemed dinner train enjoy a peaceful ride through the East Texas Forest Country to Maydelle and back, beneath the glow of a full moon. Contemporary Catering of Palestine prepares and serves a scrumptious meal. Guests are welcome to BYOB. 6 p.m. $75. Texas State Railroad Palestine Depot, 789 Park Rd. 70. 877.726.7245. texasstaterr.com
March 21
Shelby County Grill Fest 2015. Center. Sanctioned by the Lone Star Barbecue Society. Teams are invited to compete to see who’s the best with brisket, chicken or pork spare
Azalea Belle Applications Available for 2015 Events
ribs. Games, contests, live bands and fun for all. John D. Windham Civic Center, 146 Express Blvd. 936.598.3682. shelbycountychamber. com.
continued page 25
Applications are available Azalea Belles for the 56th annual Azalea and Spring Flower Trail events in Tyler, taking place in the Downtown Azalea district March 20-April 5. Azalea Belles wear antebellum dresses throughout the threeweekend event and promote Tyler, greet tourists and pose for photographs. The opportunity is open to freshman and sophomore high school girls residing in Smith Country who are available for the event times and enjoy working with people. The girls must be academically eligible and are required to attend certain events and trainings. The Tyler Convention and Visitors Bureau provides the dresses. A typical schedule involves working three and a half hours on Saturday mornings or afternoons, as well as Sunday afternoons, and there will be at least two Belles at each location. Applications and more details are available online at www.visittyler.com/azaleatrail or at each high school counselor’s office in Smith County. Applications are due back to the Tyler Chamber of Commerce no later than January 12, 2015. For more information, contact Susan Travis at stravis@tylertexas.com or call 903.592.6978.
22 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
(l-r) Dwight “Wild Willie” Martinek speaks with vendors about plans for his mountain town. Susan “Calamity Jane” Matassa was one of the first shopkeepers. Teton Ken and his mule were a big part of the ambience in the early years of The Mountain. Courtesy photos.
The Legend of Wild Willie By P.A. Geddie It was 20 years ago this month when a tall, pony-tailed, white-bearded man and his band of dreamers began inviting the public to come experience the East Texas hillside they turned in to a mountain town. Just a few months earlier, the bearded one, Dwight “Wild Willie” Martinek, and his son Dustin were driving in from Wimberley, Texas, to sell their welded artwork every month at First Monday Trade Days in Canton. One day he spotted the brush and treecovered elevated property next to Old Mill Marketplace on Highway 64. Where others saw a nightmare of tangled briars, Martinek saw a town — an 1800s pioneer and western-themed mountain town. He leased the property from Old Mill and began to build and recruit shopkeepers and entertainers. It wasn’t long before others joined in his enthusiasm and began fulfilling their own dreams and soon Wild Willie’s Mountain popped up on the edge of the “world’s largest flea market.” Vendors brought unique products from as far away as Louisiana and Arkansas and others started planning entertainment and many found their place in the “land rush” of Willie’s mountain. A man called Teton Ken became the resident “mountain man” with his friendly mule and mule-riding dog, Tuffy. He built a replication of an underground mine to take visitors through and pan for gold.
Susan Matassa opened a merchandise store, Buffalo Girls Pony Express, and dressed up and acted the part of Calamity Jane.
We thank you for all your hard work and efforts to making the mountain a success. It’s working. Happy trails till next time, WW.”
Others opened an ice cream parlor, antique shops, and there were demonstrating artists with stone carvings, handdipped candles, and more. There was a sheriff’s posse patrolling on horseback, chuck wagon cook-offs, and eventually concerts with the likes of Jerry Jeff Walker and Charlie Daniels. It wasn’t long before people needed a place to stay over night and bed and breakfasts opened up on Wild Willie’s Mountain as well.
Wild Willie and the mountain people offered visitors a great shopping and entertainment experience and many came month after month to enjoy the festive atmosphere.
The mountain town included places like Blacksmith Junction, an Indian camp, Dodge City, the Old Grist Mill, and Chicken Bob’s to name a few. They named the streets things like Lazy Daze Lane, Ridge Road, and Yukon Valley Trail and at various times of the day gunfighters and Western re-enactors would put on a show in the streets. At the end of one successful weekend Willie spoke to his mountain people in a newsletter note: “Where else in Canton could you see a ‘hanging,’ knife and hatchet throwing, chain-saw sculpting, singing, painting, building, and fellowship like we had? Nowhere except The Mountain.” Always the promoter, he took every opportunity to encourage the flock: “Keep the hammers and saws chiming through the mountain. It looks better and better every day and the folks visiting are totally impressed and enthused.
By early 1997 there were hundreds of vendors on the mountain and thousands coming to visit every month. “Calamity Jane” Matassa remembers the early days well and said they were a community of people having a lot of fun. Along the way there were a few problems here and there but everyone worked hard to keep their dreams afloat, she said. Then an “avalanche” of events almost took down Wild Willie’s Mountain. “The port-a-potties went down the hill,” Matassa said. As Martinek recruited vendors, he promised to keep things running smoothly and be their primary marketing guy in exchange for their rent money. “He was a great promoter,” Matassa said. “He brought in tour buses and went to resort shows. He was a wheeler dealer and crossed some people but he always did me right.” As Martinek raked in the money he got from vendors and others, he began to live beyond his means. Continued Page 24
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continued from Page 23
“He bought cadillacs, went to the boats, he thought it would never end. He overextended business to the max,” Matassa said. During this time the vendors grew increasingly angry over problems with bad roads and at one point they had no water. After a while of complaining to no avail, they placed their rent checks in escrow until improvements on the mountain were done. That occurred about the same time Martinek had just put down a wad of cash towards the purchase of adjacent land to continue his vision of adding more phases to the theme park.
“He told his wife, ‘I’m going to go get a pack of cigarettes and he just killed himself,” she said. One of the vendors, Indian Ken, found him in the barn. It took a long while after Martinek’s death for the vendors to get their foothold, but they regrouped and continued the dream, renaming it The Mountain. In 1998 Matassa added bathrooms and turned her place into the Buffalo Girls Hotel that’s still going strong today. “Every First Monday I still dress up,” Matassa said. “I still act like I did when Willie was here. We’ve gone on and made the best of it.”
Financial struggles and regrets that he’d let so many people down, ultimately led Martinek to take is own life at the end of 1997 in ultimate Old West fashion — he hung himself.
The vendors of The Mountain hit another big snag November 9, 2013, when a good portion of the shops burned up in a devastating fire.
Matassa still remembers the incident well.
Their true-grit determination keeps them rebuilding, reinventing, and having fun.
“We’re still cleaning it up,” Matassa said.
I HAVE A DREAM. Two events in Texarkana pay tribute to Dr. Marin Luther King, Jr, in and around his birthday January 15 and the day set aside to honor him for his efforts for peace and freedom January 19. On January 9 the Regional Arts Center holds the 14th Annual African-American Voice: An Evening of Performance with Special Moments for Dr. Martin Luther 24 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
Her 16th Annual CASI-sanctioned Chili Cook-Off takes place April 4 this year, benefiting local pet rescuers and drawing thousands. There are still gunfights and the David Cline stage provides country music every Friday and Saturday (of First Monday weekend). Retailers have products like designer hand bags, bling, home furnishings, western quilts, and The Mountain continues to be a favorite place for many. “I still love it,” Matassa said. “It’s beats a real job. I’ll stay as long as they’ll have me.” As for Martinek, she remains grateful for what he started. “I commend Willie for coming to Canton. I wish he would have done it right. Too much, too soon, too fast. I still believe in The Mountain.” For more information visit buffalogirlshotel. com and cantonmountain.com.
King, Jr. The show features song, dance, poetry, instrumental music and spoken word by African American artists beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Great Cabe Hall. On February 10, see I Have a Dream: The Life and Times of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Perot Theatre. Call 903.792.8681 and visit trahc.org for more information. Art courtesy of Forty3Zero/Shutterstock.com.
New Gallery Offers a Place for THE ARTS
EVENTS continued from page 22 ARTS
Creative Collaboration in East Texas
By Madison Payne A new East Texas business opens its doors to regional and international artistic expression while adding to the already bustling quaint arts community of Edom. Located in the former Edom Bakery building, the versatile Edom Gallery & Cafe consists of an art gallery, studio, market, and a café and coffee shop. Owners Lynn and Sheri Augustson opened the venue with a vision to promote the arts, contribute to the excitement of Edom, and promote community closeness. “Our primary goal is to support the arts and get Edom and Ben Wheeler to hold hands and promote our area as the place to be in East Texas,” Sheri said. “This really is an eclectic gathering place and there is something for everyone. We’re open and we’re ready to meet you.” Promoting the arts and local artists, the gallery has artist spaces available for rent and a featured artist reception each month. Edom Gallery & Cafe brings exciting events to Edom, like their monthly Paint-A-Canvas Party consisting of creating and mingling with like-minded artistically-driven folks. Guests of the party are allowed to bring their own creative juices in the form of beer and wine.
The gallery also has plans to host live acoustic music performances to set the stage for Saturday evenings. Bluegrass group Lykins Family of Jacksonville is scheduled to perform from 6 to 9 p.m. January 10.
Through January 15
Mid-Southern Watercolorists. Texarkana. The mission of the Mid-Southern Watercolorists is to elevate the stature of watercolor and educate the public to the significance of watercolor as an important, creative, permanent painting medium. This traveling exhibition includes selections from the 44th annual exhibition at the Historical Arkansas Museum in Little Rock. Texarkana Regional Arts Center, 321 W. 4th St. 903.792.8681. trahc. org.
January 15
Sheri adds that the closing hours of events are tentative, because “when the party gets going, it gets going.” Literary events are on the horizon for the gallery as well, as they strive to promote all creative facets of the arts. As for the café creations and offerings, the guests experience a taste of familiarity. Popup appearances and contributions from local favorite Chef Jackson York, former executive chef of Edom Bakery, are frequent.
Ballroom with a Twist. Tyler. A frenzy of sizzling dance moves by professional international dancers spanning the hot moves of Samba, Waltz, Foxtrot, Quickstep, and Jive. 7:30 p.m. $22 and up. UT Tyler Cowan Center, 3900 University Blvd, FAC. 903-566-7424. cowancenter.org.
January 17
The café offers organic and non-GMO baked goods including cookies, brownies, walnut clusters, biscotti, breads, calzones, salads, and more. Coffee creations consist of iced coffee, cappuccino, lattes, and gourmet coffee. For those looking to snack and relax, free Wi-Fi is available to the gallery’s guests. Located at 8334 FM 279, Edom Gallery & Cafe is open Fridays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, visit EdomGallery.com or call 903.852.5552.
Longview. This stage version of the popular MGM movie is set in Oregon in 1850. It tells
continued page 26
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 25
THE ARTS
visual. performing. film. literary. EVENTS continued from page 25 the story of Millie, a young bride living in wilderness plans to civilize and marry off her six rowdy brothers-in-law. Her plans backfire when the enthusiastic brothers kidnap six women from a neighboring town. S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center, 2100 S. Mobberly Avenue. 903.233.3080. belchercenter.com.
January 20-March 21
Philana Oliphant Pace
Through February 1 Flow into the Mystic: Marriage and the Contemporary Artist. Tyler. When two artists marry, the art they produce either together or individually can be amusing or spiritual, vibrant or serene, but always connected in some way This exhibit features the work of six married couples — 12 artists who open their lives for us to share. The artists spotlighted are Jack and Vera Barnett, Gary and Daphne Hatcher, Sedrick and Letitia Huckaby, Benito Huerta and Janet Chaffee, Dewane and Alexis Serio Hughes, and James R. and Philana Oliphant Pace. Tyler Museum of Art,1300 S. Mahon Ave. 903.595.1001, tylermuseum.org.
Stuart Riordan Exhibition. Nacogdoches. Florida artist Stuart Riordan’s work explores an ongoing dialogue with human identities, in particular, that of women. Her work can be understood in terms of commentary — mysterious, enlightening, horrifying, and even comical — the journey taken from misread instructions. Using multiple approaches in mixed media, her work evokes theatrical, dazzling and dreamlike states of being. Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House, 329 East Main Street. 936.468.2801. finearts. sfasu.edu.
January 22-March 28
Beyond the Academy: Contemporary Outsider & Expressionist Art. Nacogdoches. Cole Art Center, Ledbetter Gallery, 329 East Main Street. 936.468.2801. finearts.sfasu.edu.
SHOP. DINE. STAY. f www.VisitEdom.com
DRAGONHEAD RETREAT B&B on 25 Wooded Acres at 675' Outside Living Area • WiFi • Kid Friendly 903-520-2069 • www.Vrbo.com/559168 www.dragonheadretreat.com
WOOD HAVEN CABINS Relax & Unwind 903.279.2308 www.woodhavencabins.com
EDOM GALLERY & CAFE Art. Food. Music. 903.852.5552 EdomGallery.com
THE FARM HOUSE RETREAT A Unique East Texas Experience Lodging, Weddings, Retreats 903.749.1682 www.facebook.com/thefarmhouse retreatweddings POTTERS BROWN STUDIO & GALLERY
MARIPOSA CABIN Quiet Relaxation in the East Woods Hand-crafted, lofted 1 bedroom cottage 903-571-2423 • www.Vrbo.com/354940
BLUE MOON GARDENS Perennials. Herbs. Garden Art. Gift Shop Open Daily 9-5 • 903.852.3897 www.bluemoongardens.com
26 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
ZEKE & MARTY Jewelry Studio, Custom Orders Welcome 903.852.3311 www.zekeandmarty.com
l &
Original Handmade Stoneware 903.852.6473 www.pottersbrown.com
VISIT
Gun Barrel City ...a straight shot to Cedar Creek Lake
Come Stay & Play. We Aim to Please!
January 23
The Inspiration of Broadway. Mount Pleasant. Features Ernie Haase and Signature Sound with J. Mark McVey. 7:30 p.m. $10-$30. Whatley Center for Performing Arts, Northeast Texas Community College. 903.434.8181. ntcc.edu/whatley.
January 25
In the Mood. Longview. A retro 1940s musical revue featuring singers and dancers with String of Pearls Big Band Orchestra. S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center, 2100 S. Mobberly Avenue. 903.233.3080. belchercenter.com.
vie for the hearts and souls of these young star-crossed lovers. Rockwall Community Playhouse, 609 E. Rusk. 972.722.3399. rockwallcommunityplayhouse.org.
903.887.1087 www.gunbarrelcity.net www.gunbarrelcityfestivals.net
February 7
Perspectives
January 26
Photography Exhibit
JAN.10 FEB.21
Mamma Mia! Tyler. A mother. A daughter. Three possible dads. And an unforgettable trip down the aisle. 7:30 p.m. UT Tyler Cowan Center, 3900 University Blvd, FAC. 903-5667424. cowancenter.org.
Feb. 6-8, 13-15, 20-22
Romeo & Juliet. Rockwall. Experience the beauty, poetry and passion of Shakespeare’s greatest romance, where love and violence
Boyhood. Independent Film Showing. Edom. Filmed over 12 years with the same cast, Richard Linklater’s BOYHOOD is a groundbreaking story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child named Mason (a breakthrough performance by Ellar Coltrane), who literally grows up on screen before our eyes. Starring Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as Mason’s parents and newcomer Lorelei Linklater as his sister Samantha, BOYHOOD charts the rocky terrain of childhood like no other film has before. Snapshots of adolescence from road trips and family dinners to birthdays and graduations and all the moments in between become transcendent, set to a soundtrack spanning the years from Coldplay’s Yellow to Arcade Fire’s Deep Blue. BOYHOOD is both a nostalgic time capsule of the recent past and an ode to growing up and parenting. It’s impossible to watch Mason and his fam-
Longview Museum of Fine Arts 215 E. Tyler St. • Longview, Texas
The best photographs submitted to LMFA, judged by O. Rufus Lovett, will be on display. Lovett taught some of the participating photographers, others are from surrounding areas or members of the Texas Photographic Society.
Co m e s ee th ei r ve s” o n th e w o rl d!
“Persp ec ti
903.753.8103 • www.LMFA.org
continued page 28 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 27
THE ARTS
Check out www.countylinemagazine.com for extended STAGE news and event listings.
Rockwall Talent Show Sets Schedule on a tract of land they purchased for a new theater complex
Rockwall’s Got Talent’s 2012 winner, Amber Carrington, said the competition gave her the confidence to pursue singing as a profession and she went on to become a semi-finalist on NBC’s The Voice, sang at the Grand Ole Opry, and now lives in Nashville. This year’s first-round auditions for the competition are on February 14. Courtesy photo.
The sixth annual Rockwall’s Got Talent, a local talent show and fundraiser, returns under the guidance of the Rockwall Community Playhouse’s Board of Directors. Auditions are held by appointment at Rockwall High School Theater (901 Yellow Jacket in Rockwall) on February 14. Registration is $20 per act and the registration deadline is January 31. The competition semifinals take place on February 27 at 7 p.m. and the finals follow on March 6 at 7 p.m. Rules and audition applications can be found on-line at www.rockwallcommunityplayhouse.org. Tickets are $10 and go on sale February 1. Rockwall Community Playhouse (RCP), which was founded in 1995, is located in a small building on East Rusk Street, which was formerly used as a church. The theater has an entertaining season of musicals, dramas, comedies, and children and teen shows each year. Since the auditorium seats just 84 people, the experience is intimate, and after each performance, everyone is invited to the stage to visit with the actors. For the past 20 years, the plays were chosen to suit the small venue. In 2006, RCP launched a capital campaign, and with the help of the community, recently paid off the note
EVENTS continued from page 27 ily without thinking about our own journey. 7 p.m. $8. The Old Firehouse, 8241 FM 279. 903.852.2781, theoldfirehouse.net.
Plans are under way to develop a roomier building on Airport Road. The future structure seats 300 people and includes rooms for props, sets and costumes. The new facility features an expanded parking area and allows more flexibility in the type of production.
February 7
One way the board envisioned to raise money for the project is to showcase the best of the town’s performers in a competition with cash prizes donated by local businesses: $1000 (Northstar Bank Rockwall), $500 (Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Rockwall), and $250 (Westchester Homes). The goal is not only to raise money but to shine a light on the gifted population of Rockwall and the surrounding area, as well.
February 9-March 6
Rockwall’s Got Talent’s 2012 winner, Amber Carrington, had a great time during the process. “It was very cool to meet everyone in the competition,” she recalled. “I was honored to win, because I’ve lived in Rockwall since I was in fourth grade and loved representing my city with what I love to do.” Carrington said that the best thing about participating in the talent show was that it gave her the confidence to pursue singing as a profession. After Rockwall’s Got Talent, Amber competed in NBC’s The Voice Season Four on Adam Levine’s team and was a semi-finalist. She has since moved to Nashville and sang at the Grand Ole Opry. Rockwall Community Playhouse board member Darlene Singleton was instrumental in getting the local competition started. She said, “While watching one of our auditions for a major musical, I casually mentioned to Gary (Freeman) that Rockwall really did have some great talent. That was about seven years ago and here we are now hosting our sixth Rockwall’s Got Talent. Every event has been unique and fun.” Like the television show “Dancing with the Stars,” at Rockwall’s Got Talent, each audience member votes for his or her favorite act. Then audience votes are combined and considered as one judge vote and added to the other judges’ scores.
28 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
Elvis Lives. Longview. Multi-media musical journey across Elvis’ life, featuring finalists from Elvis Presley Enterprises’ worldwide ultimate Elvis tribute artist contest. S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center, 2100 S. Mobberly Avenue. 903.233.3080. belchercenter.com. Pottery Exhibit. Mount Pleasant. Whatley Center for Performing Arts, Northeast Texas Community College. 903-434-8181. ntcc.edu/whatley.
February 28
In the Heat of the Night. Lufkin. Take a trip back in time as L.A. Theatre Works delights its audience with a unique “live-in-performance” radio drama. The show features a first-rate cast of TV and film actors, complete with live sound effects, and a connection to the audience rarely felt in a traditional dramatic play. While John Ball’s 1965 novel, “In the Heat of the Night” takes place in Alabama, much of the country grappled with integration and an evolving acceptance of the Civil Rights Movement. In 1967, Sidney Poitier played Virgil Tibbs in the film, which won five Academy Awards and spawned a popular television series. 7:30 p.m. Tickets $25-$40. Angelina College, Temple Theater, 3500 South First Street. 936.633.5454. angelinaarts.org.
March 13
Live from Nashville. Marshall. Song and dance spectacular with breathtaking scenery, multimedia and costumes celebrating the songs that gave Music City its name - from rural roots to sold-out stadiums. 7:30 p.m. $25-$30. Marshall Convention Center, 2501 E. End Blvd S (Hwy 59). 903.935.4484. marshallartscouncil.org.
March 14
Live From Nashville. Tyler. Nashville-based Matt Davenport Productions celebrates the songs that gave Music City its name from rural roots to sold-out stadiums. Stel-
lar stagecraft, country singers and dancers, backed by a bonafide band of Nashville sidemen. Caldwell Auditorium, 301 South College. 903.262.2300.tcca.biz.
March 19
The Capitol Steps. Tyler. Put political differences aside and enjoy the musings of the only group in America that attempts to be funnier than Congress. 7:30 p.m. UT Tyler Cowan Center, 3900 University Blvd, FAC. 903-566-7424. cowancenter.org.
February 17
Kodo One Earth Tour: Mystery.
Tyler. Kodo, the taiko drumming pioneers from Japan, takes the audience on a voyage to the extraordinary. 7:30 p.m. UT Tyler Cowan Center, 3900 University Blvd, FAC. 903.566.7424. cowancenter.org.
March 20-21
The 34th Annual Tyler Quilt Show: Color Your World with Quilts. Tyler. Features over 250 quilts on display plus over 25 vendors, numerous demonstrations, an oldfashioned bed-turning, door prizes, scissor sharpening, silent auction and a raffle quilt (proceeds benefit local charities that serve women and children). 10 a.m. $6-7. Harvey Convention Center, 2000 W Front St (Hwy 31 W). 903.581.0175. qgetx.org/Quilt_Show.html.
Catching up with Forest Whitaker
gie Grace, and Whitaker, is set to release January 9. The film revolves around Bryan Mills (Neeson), an ex-government operative accused of a murder he didn’t commit, and his journey to find the true killer and clear his name. Whitaker takes on the role of Franck Dotzler, the police inspector leading the hunt for Mills. It looks like 2015 is going to be a big year for Longview native and awardwinner actor Forest Whitaker. The 53-year-old plays a role in three new anticipated films of the year as well as adding to his directorial repertoire. “Taken 3,” starring Liam Neeson, Mag-
With an exact release date to be determined, “Southpaw” features Jake Gyllenhall, Rachel McAdams, Naomie Harris, and Whitaker. The film is a story about a boxer (Gyllenhall) fighting his way to the top – all the while his life is falling apart around him. Whitaker’s character Titus “Tick” Willis offers guidance to the boxer as an amateur trainer.
Whitaker will exercise his directorial skills and star in Lionsgate’s adaptation of the best-selling novel “The Shack.” “The Shack” is about a man whose daughter is abducted and assumed murdered. Years later, the man receives a note from God asking him to meet at the shack where evidence of his daughter’s murder was found. Production for the film is projected to start in the spring, it is not yet known which character Whitaker will take on. For news on the actor’s upcoming films and projects, Whitaker is regularly active on Twitter @ForestWhitaker and consistently keeps his fan base up-to-date.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 29
THE ARTS FILM Remembering Northeast Texas Church Arsons through Film
looking for. “Little Hope was Arson” was etched into a bathroom stall door. At tip to investigators ended up securing the arrests of 19-year-old Bourque and 21-year-old McAllister. Both men are now serving multiple life sentences. With communities banding together and rebuilding their places of worship, leaving many congregations stronger than ever before, the world can now see through “Little Hope Was Arson” the pain and forgiveness it took to get here. As for the film’s director, he got to witness first-hand what the East Texas community is all about. “After several trips to Texas and gallons of sweet tea were shared, we started to bond with the investigators, church members, and even the arsonists’ families,” Love said. “When the time came to turn on the cameras and hear their stories, I was so inspired by their courageous honesty and vulnerability.”
Jason Bourque (left) and Daniel McAllister (right) pled guilty to serial arson and enter their sentencing hearing in “Little Hope Was Arson.”
By Madison Payne While the New Year invokes thoughts of new beginnings for most of the world, Northeast Texans can’t help but remember when many of their places of worship went down in flames and now that reflection is captured on film. The documentary “Little Hope Was Arson” takes the audience back to 2010 with a look at the largest East Texas criminal investigation in history. The film serves as a story of heartache, resilience, and forgiveness. January 1, 2010, Little Hope Baptist Church in Canton was the first to fall victim of arson by the hands of Jason Bourque of Lindale and Daniel McAllister of Ben Wheeler. Little did East Texans know that Little Hope would be the first in a string of 10 church burnings. Faith Church in Athens burned that same New Year’s Day when tragedy struck Ben Wheeler. A week later, two more Athens churches suffered the same fate. Just getting started, Borque and McAl-
lister took to two Tyler churches in the middle of the month.
No matter the viewer’s religious background, the film is sure to captivate the audience’s attention with the clear integrity, creativity, and excellent filmmaking that it offers.
After weeks of loss, communities rallied together and all eyes were on Texas – including “Little Hope Was Arson” Hollywood director Theo Love.
“We tried to keep the story moving in a way that feels like a crime thriller while peppering in questions about the nature of church,” Love said.
Explaining his reasoning behind the film, Love states “When we heard about the devastating string of church arsons, we knew that the people of East Texas needed a chance to tell their story first-hand.”
“Little Hope Was Arson” has already received praise in the form of awards and from critics.
Bourque and McAllister went on to burn Fellowship of Prairie Creek in Lindale, Russell Memorial United Methodist Church of Wills Point, Dover Baptist just outside of Lindale and Clear Spring Missionary Baptist Church near the SmithVan Zandt county line. The case drew nearer to a close when local law enforcement, the ATF and FBI turned their eyes back to the Canton fire, which had not yet been ruled as arson. It was when a surveillance video at a local store caught a young man walking into the restroom that drew investigators to the piece to the puzzle they were
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“After touring around the country at film festivals for over a year, we have seen this film connect with both secular and Christian audiences,” Love said. “Pastors have begged to show it in their churches and even the harshest critics have been incredibly gracious in their praise.” For East Texans looking to view the documentary, The Old Firehouse in Edom is hosting a showing at 7 p.m. January 10 at 7 p.m. and the $8 tickets can be purchased at the door. The film is also available on iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, and On Demand. For more information on “Little Hope Was Arson” visit LittleHopeWasArson. com.
Awards. Particularly memorable is the score by Maurice Jarre, “Lara’s Theme” or “Somewhere My Love,” which spent 42 weeks on the UK singles chart. Directed by David Lean, he was also noted for films such as The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) and Lawrence of Arabia (1962). Dr. Zhivago is a classic, epic love story that never gets old.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Classic Movie Takes By Jules Scroggin and Jess LeBeau Our Winter themed movies have cold, snowy landscapes. The first is a dark, forbidding Russian during the first World War and the second has a family snowed in during the winter.
Dr. Zhivago The cinematography of Dr. Zhivago’s snowy setting is breathtaking, yet most of the film’s scenes were shot in Spain, not Russia, where the story takes place. The film is really a love story between Doctor Yuri Andreyevich Zhivago (Omar Sharif) and Larissa (“Lara”) Antipova (Julie Christie). But the love between Dr. Zhivago and his wife, Tonya Gromeko (Geraldine Chaplin) is also undeniable. It prompted one moviegoer (my cousin, Robin) to comment that it wasn’t until she saw this movie that she understood how a man could love two women at the same time. The backdrop to the intense love story is the action of the Russian Revolution and World War I. We learn of the story of Andre and Lara from a 1940s era General Yevgraf Andreyevich Zhivago (Alec Guinness) who is searching for the daughter of his half brother, (Dr. Zhivago). He believes a young woman named Tonya Komarova (Rita Tushingham) may be his niece. He tells her the story of her father’s life; that Yuri was orphaned and was taken in by Alexan-
der “Pasha” (Ralph Richardson) and Anna (Siobhan McKenna) Gromeko and grows up with Tonya (their daughter). Later, Zhivago marries Tonya and writes poems that are considered revolutionary. He becomes smitten with Lara who is having an affair with Ipolitovish Komarovsky (Rod Steiger) an older man who she shoots after he rapes her. But she is also involved with Pavel Pavlovich (Tom Courtenay), a revolutionary who she later marries. During World War I, Zhivago is drafted and as a doctor, tends to the wounded on the battlefield where he sees Lara who has also enlisted as a nurse so that she can look for her husband, Pasha. Yuri and Lara fall in love but after the war, Yuri goes back to his wife, Tonya. Years later, he meets Lara again and they give in to their feelings for one another. Eventually, Lara gives birth to Yuri’s daughter but loses her during a political struggle between Russia and Mongolia. It is Zhivago’s brother, Yevgraf that finds the daughter and becomes convinced that she is his niece. There are many messages in this film: love, denial, commitment, betrayal, resilience, and they show the complicated facets of human emotions that still resound in the lives of people today. Written by Boris Pasternak, the 1965 film won five Academy
This film made in 1954, is a musical set in the mountains of Oregon in 1850. It is the story of a family of seven “mountain men” headed by Howard Keel as Adam. The brothers are Jeff Richards as Benjamin, Matt Mattox as Caleb, Marc Platt as Daniel, Jacques d’Amboise as Ephraim, Tommy Rall as Frank and Russ Tamblyn as Gideon. They are in dire need of wives before winter sets in and take off to find them in town using the story of the Sabine Women from Plutarch as a rationale to kidnap them. The mountain men cause an avalanche to ward off the townsfolk, including the women’s suitors from town, pursuing them as they head for their ranch with the women. The women must wait until spring until the snow thaws out in the mountain pass that separates the town and the ranch the men live on. The seven young women are; Julie Newmar as Dorcas, Ruta Kilmonis as Ruth, Norma Doggett as Martha, Virginia Gibson as Liza, Betty Carr as Sarah and Nancy Kilgas is Alice. Jane Powell is Milly, a strong-willed young woman who becomes the matriarchal figure, protector and leader of the young women. She also teaches the young men how to dance and to act toward the women. In this time period the men are given a chance to woo the young women or lose them. They cannot marry the women yet because they forgot to kidnap a preacher. There are many splendid dance and song sequences. The film was directed by Stanley Donen, with music by Saul Chaplin and Gene de Paul and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, and choreography by Michael Kidd. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers won the Academy Award for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture and was nominated for four additional awards, including Best Picture of the Year.
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THE ARTS LITERARY
Turning a Page with The Pulpwood Queens
can Magazine. Media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, the Oprah Winfrey show and Time magazine are just a few means through which Beauty and the Book became renowned and began to have celebrity clients such as Kinky Friedman and the late Joan Rivers grace its doors. Shortly after Beauty and the Book opened, Murphy founded the equally-famous Pulpwood Queens Book Club. Beauty and the Book and Pulpwood Queens founder Kathy Murphy often has her eyes on the latest books.
By Alia Pappas Tiaras and bedazzled hot pink t-shirts sparkle while scissors, blow dryers and hairspray bottles flit about in the hands of Beauty and the Book’s stylists as they perfect the looks of their clients. While waiting under the dryers for their dye jobs to reach the glossiest hue, customers flip through the Pulpwood Queens’ Book Club selection novels, their noses almost touching the pages as they read intently. They anxiously await the climax of the story, as well as the upcoming Girlfriend Weekend celebration that allows them to embrace their inner beauty queen and bookworm. During the weekend of January 15-18, the Pulpwood Queens — the world’s largest “meeting and discussing” book club — hosts its annual Girlfriend Weekend celebration in Nacogdoches and celebrates the 15th anniversary of Beauty and the Book and the formation of the book club. The success of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club began with the opening of
Beauty and the Book — “the world’s only hair salon and bookstore” — on January 18, 2000. After being fired from her job as a book publisher’s representative, Pulpwood Queens founder Kathy Murphy struggled to find a career that combined her talent for hairstyling and her love of books until she was given an idea that would lead to the opening of Beauty and the Book in Jefferson, which recently moved to Hawkins. “Opening Beauty and the Book came about as my sister suggested I go back to doing hair, since I had done so well doing that putting myself through college,” Murphy said. “I told my sister I thought I would be bored without a book connection. She told me, ‘Then do the book store thing, too.’ Bells and whistles went off in my head and I opened, exactly at the same time, a combined hair salon/book store called Beauty and the Book.” Business media coverage of Beauty and the Book skyrocketed after its grand opening was covered by Oxford Ameri-
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“I started the Pulpwood Queens Book Club truly because the local book club had invited me to join them when I opened my shop, so I did,” Murphy said. “But what I found out at the end of the meeting was they only invited me as a guest. The hostess told me by taking me aside that only eight could be in the book club, as that was all that could fit around their tables. As I drove home, I thought to myself if there was ever going to be a book club that I would want to be in, one that was inclusive, not exclusive, I would have to start that book club.” Murphy started the Pulpwood Queens Book Club with, “six complete strangers.” The meetings were originally held at Beauty and the Book, where readers donned tiaras and wore hot pink, official Pulpwood Queens t-shirts while discussing books. Eventually, the meetings moved outside the salon because the number of Pulpwood Queens members kept rising and the club now has more than 550 chapters located in the United States and abroad. “I never in the world dreamed that I would run the largest ‘meeting and dis-
cussing’ book club in the world,” Murphy said. “How did this happen? Well, we make reading big time fun. Our motto is, ‘where tiaras are mandatory and reading is the rule.’ As far as our books, we do take them very seriously. They must be well-written, tell a story we have not heard before, and be discussible. We love to help first time, first book authors or those whose body of work has not been discovered in a big way. Our sole mission is to promote our authors, their books, literacy and reading, and for each chapter to take on a literacy mission.”
Weekend’s final touches, she is also building Beauty and the Book clientele, working on the second edition of her book, The Pulpwood Queens’ Tiara Wearing, Book Sharing Guide to Life, writing a novel, and building more Pulpwood Queens chapters. “I feel pure, unadulterated joy and happiness that our mission and purpose is gaining a wider audience and people are having so much fun reading,” Murphy said. “Whatever we do in the future, you can bet it will be big-time promoting literacy.”
The Pulpwood Queens’ literacy mission is manifesting in several states across the country. The two chapters Murphy runs started a Dolly Parton imagination library pre-school literacy initiative in Marion and Wood County. The Southwest Louisiana chapter of the Pulpwood Queens has sponsored a school in Nicaragua, providing it with books for students to read. The international span of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club is what inspired the theme for this year’s Girlfriend Weekend “Around the World with Books” celebration. “Since we started, our book club has expanded in the United States, coast to coast, from Alaska to Florida, New York to California and now to 15 foreign countries,” Murphy said. “We may have started out reading southern/regional books, but we now read books from around the world, so ‘Around the World with Books’ is the perfect theme to celebrate. Our 15th Anniversary Girlfriend Weekend is the most spectacular of all our events.” Events taking place during Girlfriend Weekend include a screening of the Warner Brothers film, Blended, and a following question-and-answer session with the screenwriter, Clare Sera, as well as an author dinner, during which some of the more than 50 authors partaking in Girlfriend Weekend wait the tables of guests. “I have invited in the best authors, the best vendors and the best musical artists; the best of the best,” Murphy said. “Some big surprises will be revealed, too, so nobody will want to miss the biggest, book-loving party that I have ever done.” While Murphy is working out Girlfriend
appears that things have settled down when the L Bar families, along with Elmer and Flora, start on a trip to Fort Worth. However, a ruthless banker and some other criminals kidnap Elmer, the women and children, thinking they have put the other three men out of commission. Not so, as Earl, Jimbo and Pablo carry out a rescue and haul the surviving outlaws off to a Fort Worth jail. The e-book is available at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.
Dallas Author’s Latest Novel Set in East Texas
New Book Released by Ben Wheeler Author
“Drive the Pecos,” the latest book from Ben Wheeler author Dr. Herb Marlow, is now available in e-book form. This is the second book in the threebook River Series that started with “Trouble on the Bosque;” and end with the not-yet-released “Red River Rising.” In “Drive the Pecos,” to sell cattle and make more money to take care of the L Bar family and all of its people, Earl decides to add two hundred head of cattle to Charles Goodnight’s first drive to the Pecos River. It is June 1866, and Texas is struggling to recover from the effects of the War Between the States. Cattle are not worth much in Texas, but other places are clamoring for beef, and the Goodnight-Loving trail is opened that summer to sell cattle to the U.S. government to feed reservation Indians. Meanwhile, trouble is brewing in Texas, and Bosque County will not be left out. The L Bar family must fight rustlers, bushwhackers and carpetbaggers to hold onto and maintain the ranch. It
Following the international and domestic success of “The Family DuMont” action/adventure series with writing partner Austin Wright, Irving-based author Adam Knox announces the release of his first solo novel, “Dyed in the Wool.” It is a story of two killers, a man and a woman, terrorizing East Texas and each other in the mid-1970s. “I created the main character, Randal, when I was in college but it took me ten years before I could give the story the attention it deserved,” Knox said. “I wanted to realistically reflect the mindset and abilities of believable killers, and tell a story that would stay with people for a long time because of how real the characters seemed.” “Dyed in the Wool” was originally written as a feature film script to be directed by Knox before making its way into novel form. “My family has been in the Longview area for decades. I spent a great deal of time there when I was growing up and I wanted to tell a story that would highlight East Texas similar to the way “No Country for Old Men” highlighted West Texas,” he said.
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“We made some progress producing it and were planning on shooting most of it in Kilgore but in the end we couldn’t get the project off the ground. I think it is better as a book, but I would still love to see it on the big screen someday,” Knox stated. Even though it is a very dark novel, it did come with a happy twist in the end for Knox and his girlfriend, Sarah, who designed the book’s cover. “I asked her to marry me the day it came out. Using the book’s release as a diversion seemed like a good way to hide any anxiety I was sure to be showing on that day. Luckily she said yes, so even if the book doesn’t sell a single copy it was still be one of the best days of my life,” Knox explained.
late founder — for the 12th grade first place poet. For more information and entry forms go to www.yanetexas.org or call 903.561.2787.
Emprimo Releases Third Book in Newtonberg Series
County Line Magazine coordinated an annual poetry contest for Northeast Texas the past eight years to help give poets young and old a place to voice their thoughts and feelings during the month of April, National Poetry Month. For about 40 years, the Rusk County Poetry Society held a contest for Rusk and surrounding counties as well reaching hundreds of children each year. County Line and Rusk County Poetry Society have now joined forces with Inspiritry entrepreneur Anne McCrady and Region 7 Education Service Center under the direction of Young Audiences of Northeast Texas to bring an even bigger and better contest to the region. The 2015 Northeast Texas Poetry in Schools contest program is open to all children from 1st to 12th grade in the Northeast Texas area. Poems must be submitted through teachers, have parental approval and be original, unpublished poems. The deadline for entries is March 1. All entries this year are received online by Young Audiences. First, second and third place awards are given for each grade at an awards ceremony in April. Winning poems are published in the May/June County Line Magazine and in the 2015 Winners Anthology. The Rusk County Poetry Society will award a $500 Mary Craig Memorial College Scholarship — named for their
In “Back to Newtonberg,” a mysterious stranger arrives in Newtonberg, seeking information about that same individual from “All That Remains.” Mike and his best friend Janet Carmichael attempt to help her, and in so doing delve deeper into the history of Newtonberg – and into Mike’s own hidden past. As for what is next for Emprimo, he said, “I’m not sure. Maybe something different. This is certainly not the last time I’ll visit Newtonberg, but it’s the end of this particular story. It’s taken me over 20 years to tell it, and I think I finally did it justice with this book.”
“Dyed in the Wool” is available for digital download on Amazon.com.
Northeast Texas Groups Join Forces for Contest
the ending. Continuing the storyline in the new book was just as much a surprise to me as it was to everyone else.”
Jacksonville-based author David Emprimo has released the third book in his “Newtonberg Stories” series. The newest book, “Back to Newtonberg,” is available in print and e-book editions. “Home is where the heart is” isn’t just a proverbial saying. Like his fictional creation Mike Baldridge, Jacksonville librarian David Emprimo has come to believe it. “Your hometown isn’t necessarily where you were born,” he says. “That’s true for some people, and that’s great, but home to me is where you feel part of the community. For Mike, that’s Newtonberg.” In “All That Remains,” the second book in Emprimo’s “Newtonberg Stories” series, Mike was presented with a manuscript that told the story of family, friendship and first love in post-WWII Newtonberg. At the end of the book, readers were left wondering what happened to one former resident, a story that is told in “Back to Newtonberg.” “I received – well, not complaints, exactly, but some comments that the last book didn’t have closure,” says Emprimo. “It’s been over 20 years since I wrote the original story that became “All That Remains,” and it ended on a similar note. So I didn’t intend to follow up on that storyline when I wrote
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All titles in the “Newtonberg Stories” series are available as e-books through SmashWords, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online retailers. Print versions are available from CreateSpace and Amazon, Barnes & Noble and for special order through most booksellers. For more information about the series and Emprimo, visit the official “Welcome to Newtonberg” blog at Newtonberg.wordpress.com.
East Texas Native Releases Book Set in Sulphur Springs
Author and Texas history enthusiast John Pearce of Sugar Land releases his new book “Ever Remember – The Days of 1913-1914.” The book chronicles the life of teenager Alma Caldwell in Sulphur Springs, Pearce’s birthplace, as she returns to high school for her junior year. The book showcases Alma’s dairy and tells a story about love, disappointment, and secrets – all taking place in a period of silent movies, Model T Fords, and frequent passenger train rides. The book is available on Amazon.com, in-store and online at Barnes and Noble, and other online book retailers. A retired football coach, Pearce was a Texas high school coach of 19 years, head coach for seven years at Stephen F. Austin State University, and an assistant coach at Texas A&M University, University of California in Los Angeles, and Rice University.
POETRY & PROSE Love by Lightn’n Bug
Lightn’n Bugs And lit cigarette’s Love’s psychedelic drug Sweet vignette Eternal spark plug Excreting warm sweat Mason jars, bear hugs, And Lightn’n bug silhouette’s Cjo Burleson Sulphur Springs
Hunting Hydrangeas Standing alone in a dark room, I see brown eyes staring back from the mirror. It’s time they say, but I know it’s too soon. Forever keeping a close watch on me, I secretly creep down the steep stairs. Wondering if I’ll ever again feel free.
Invisible Thread Author Comes to Mount Pleasant
She was a successful ad sales rep in Manhattan. He was a homeless, elevenyear-old panhandler on the street. He asked for spare change; she kept walking. But then something stopped her in her tracks, and she went back. And she continued to go back, again and again. They met up nearly every week for years and built an unexpected, life-changing friendship that has today spanned almost three decades. “Whatever made me notice him on that street corner so many years ago is clearly something that cannot be extinguished, no matter how relentless the forces aligned against it,” Laura Schroff says about the encounter. “Some may call it spirit. Some may call it heart. It drew me to him, as if we were bound by some invisible, unbreakable thread. And whatever it is, it binds us still.” Schroff speaks at 7 p.m. February 5 at Whatley Center for Performing Arts at Northeast Texas Community College in Mount Pleasant. Call 903.434.8181 and visit ntcc.edu/whatley for more information.
Nicholas Sparks Speaks at Cowan Center in February
With almost 80 million copies of his books in print, he’s the author of 17 New York Times #1 bestselling books and a cultural phenomenon in his own right. See him at 7:30 p.m. February 5 at UT Tyler Cowan Center, 3900 University Blvd, FAC. Call 903.566.7424 and visit cowancenter.org for more information.
Always there reminding me day after day. I scream, I weep, and I fall to my knees. I beg, I plead, I bargain and I even pray. Even as I look the mirror and stare, Those brown eyes are winking and twitching. Daring me move and telling me to beware. To remember, to dream, and even to pretend, I wander thru life hunting hydrangeas. For time is neither my enemy nor my friend. Kathy Dodd Brownsboro
Wolf
Oh so graceful wolf brave, strong, and so courageous Oh so graceful wolf Zachary Fisher, 10 Fruitvale
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THE ARTS MUSIC
Northeast Texas is Tuning in to Channel 8 By Madison Payne When Tyler garage rock duo Channel 8 grabs a hold of listeners’ ear drums, nostalgia tends to overcome and invoke flashbacks of the version of yourself that has a desire to break away from routine. Doing just that, Channel 8 bandmates Patrick Saikin (guitar and vocals) and Casey Coomer (drums and vocals) bring a new flavor to the music scene of East Texas. Offering a musical gusto of grunge and gritty lyrics, the duo’s music might be something new and fresh to most but for Coomer and Saikin they are simply carrying out a passion that was ignited long ago. “I was given a guitar of my own at the ripe age of six — I suppose I haven’t looked back since,” 26-year-old Coomer said as he recalls his musical point of no return. Coomer picked up the drums at age 11 and played throughout his time at Winona High School and he isn’t setting down the sticks anytime soon. “Only death will stop me,” Coomer added. For 24-year-old Saikin, music has played an important role in his life as well,
playing the guitar for more than six years now. The duo’s album “Space Animals,” released last year, features some riveting lyrics like “You look and find the crystal ball, the witch’s eye should have it all. Is it fake, is it real, is it somethin’ I can feel?” Some of the songs cut deep while others just set the stage for pure fun. When it comes to inspiration for the music they create, there really isn’t a clear-cut answer. “We are just two goofy dudes that like to make jokes and have fun,” Coomer said. “I’m inspired by anyone with the guts to play their heart out.” “I garner inspiration from an entire world outside of music itself,” Saikin said. “Anything and everything has the potential to inspire me at any moment.” While Channel 8 brings something new to the table of tunes coming out of the Upper East Side, new isn’t always easy when it comes to honing in on the genre’s receptive audience. “You know that one scene in the original ‘Total Recall’ when Arnold Schwar-
zenegger’s eyes pop out of his head while he’s struggling to breathe? I feel like that most of the time,” Saikin said. “Sometimes you have to hit the ground harder that it hits you. We’ve spent a lot of time fighting back,” Coomer said. With the help from hosting venues such as What about Kabob, Lago del Pino, Clicks, Double Dave’s Pizza, Cork Food and Drink, The D.I.Y Spot, and more, the duo is being heard and after three years they have found a grand audience that likes what they hear. “We’ve been able to spread the word better and get this town movin’ and groovin’,” Coomer said. “The creative buzz in this area is really starting to take hold, not only in music but in all things.” According to Saikin, the music scene in East Texas will continue to evolve so long as there is support for all things local. “It will keep growing as long as people continue to go to local shows, no matter where they are held,” Saikin said. Channel 8 is excited about the year ahead. Their acoustic EP “The Tape” is releases January 1 for cassette or download and the band’s next full album is projected to release in spring. When asked what the two would like to see come out of Channel 8 in the future, it is clear the duo will continue to progress in achieving their dream – all the while keeping the humor that locals have come to love. “I’d like to start touring to be honest. We both work full time so it would be killer to be out and about,” Coomer said. “Hit Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and start working our way out and up.” “Married. Three kids - two girls, one boy,” Saikin said.
Garage rock band Channel 8 taking the stage at one of their local shows in Tyler. The band’s new album is set to release in spring. Photo by David Allen. 36 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
Channel 8’s music is available for preview and purchase at Channel8.BandCamp.com. Stay up-to-date with local shows and events by following the band’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
Catching up with East Texas’ Eisley song-crafting and performing. Eisley’s fifth album is currently in the works and if it offers as much mood and groove as their past projects then it is sure to be a hit with fans. The members’ song-crafting is also spread through some pretty awesome side projects as well.
While Tyler’s native band Eisley has a new album in the works, fans can get their fix with Sherri and Stacy’s side projects Perma and Sucre.
By Madison Payne East Texas’ sweethearts since 1998, indie rock band Eisley continues to captivate fans worldwide and mesmerize with their melodious vocals. Continuing on their road of success, the group and its members are growing in more ways than one. Eisley’s members include Tyler’s DuPree siblings Sherri (vocals/guitar), Stacy (vocals/keys), Chauntell (vocals/ guitar), Weston (drums), and their cousin Garron (bass). Four studio albums are under the band’s belt; their latest album “Currents” released in 2013 and garnered excellent reviews. After more than 15 U.S. tours and a few overseas, the band persists in beautiful
Perma, comprised of soon-to-be parents of two Sherri and her husband Max Bemis (Say Anything), features the dreamy sound of Eisley with a dash of Say Anything – coming together to tell the tale of a quirky love story. The youngest DuPree leads the alternative pop musical act Sucre, produced by Jeremy Larson and her husband Darren King (MuteMath). With already a full album release and a wrap on Stacy’s first solo tour, more groovy tunes are expected in the near future. While Eisley is busy creating another magical mix of melodies, fans can discover the works of Perma and Sucre. Perma’s first full-length album “Two of a Crime” is available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and Perma.MerchNow.com. Sucre’s album “A Minor Bird” is available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and SucreOfficial.com. Stay up-to-date with Eisley news, events, and future tour dates at Eisley.com.
Ringo Starr to Perform at UT Tyler
Ringo Starr, former drummer for legendary group the Beatles, comes to the University of Texas at Tyler R. Don Cowan Fine and Performing Arts Center on February 14. Sponsored by the Owen family, Richey family and Anderson Vukelja family, the musical icon takes the stage at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets start at $55 and can be purchased at the UT Tyler Cowan Center box office by calling 903.566.7424 or online at CowanCenter.org. Box office hours are 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday through Friday. “Hosting the first-ever appearance of a Beatle in Tyler, Texas, is an honor we share with all of East Texas. Our generous sponsors have enabled us to reach out beyond our wildest dreams and bring Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band. We hope everyone will join us for a ‘Peace and Love’ welcome to Ringo and the band,” Cowan Center Executive Director Susan Thomae-Morphew said. “Having it on a Saturday and on Valentine’s Day is a bonus to reach across the region and remember all we need is love,” she added. “We’ll be giving out peace and love window decals and hope everyone joins the campaign to welcome the ‘British Invasion’ 50 years later.” “The huge talent in his All Starr Band brings more memories to life from the many bands represented on stage in this rock concert,” she added. All Starr Band members and the bands/ artists with which they’re associated include Steve Lukather, ToTo; Richard Page, Mr. Mister; Gregg Rolie, Journey and Santana, Todd Rundgren, Meat Loaf, Warren Ham, Cher and Kansas; Gregg Bissonette, David Lee Roth Band and James Taylor. Born Richard Starkey on July 7, 1940, in Liverpool, England, Ringo Starr, known for his easy-going personality, rose to fame in the early 1960s as a member of the legendary rock group the Beatles. Known for his role as drummer, Starr also sang and wrote songs for the group, singing “With a Little Help from My Friends” and writing “Octopus’s Garden.”
Ringo Starr set to perform at the UT Tyler Cowan Center February 14. For ticket and event information visit CowanCenter.org. Courtesy photo. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 37
Moot Davis. Nacogdoches. The Liberty Bell, 422 E. Main St. 936.622.6425. libertybellbar.com.
January 17
Dueling Fiddles. Tyler. East Texas Symphony Orchestra presents show with Celtic superstar Natalie MacMaster and ETSO concertmaster Mark Miller. 7:30 p.m. UT Tyler Cowan Center, 3900 University Blvd, FAC. 903-566-7424. cowancenter. org.
January 23 Rob Verdi
Music
Every Monday-Saturday
Live Music. Tyler. Stanley’s Famous Pit BarB-Q, 525 S. Beckham Ave. 903.593.0311, stanleysfamous.com.
Every Wednesday
Boogie Woogie Wednesday. Marshall. Downtown square.
Thursday-Saturday
Live Music. Ben Wheeler. The Forge Bar & Grill, 1610 FM 279. 903.833.5970. theforgebenwheeler.com.
Friday and Saturday
Live Music. Longview. Blues, country, and more. Leon’s Steakhouse & Saloon, 2112 S. Eastman Road. 903.753.9415. leonssteakhouse.com
Every Saturday
Gladewater Opry. Gladewater. Country music show. 8 p.m. 108 E. Commerce. 903.845.3600. thegladewaterorpy.com. Live Music. Ben Wheeler. Moore’s Store. 903.833.5100. mooresstore.com.
tion Center, 2501 East End Blvd. South. 903.935.4484. marshallartscouncil.org.
January 10
The Lykins Family. Edom. Enjoy an evening of excellent entertainment and laughter with Jacksonville’s Lykins Family aka Crabgrass & The Dandelions. Bluegrass, Gospel, Historical & Hysterical. 6 p.m. Tip jar. Edom Gallery, 8334 FM 279, 903.852.5552. edomgallery.com.
January 13
Rob Verdi’s Saxsational. Tyler. Rob Verdi’s show features the most unusual saxophones ever manufactured while exploring over a half century of jazz, classics and classic melodies that popularized this versatile musical instrument. Rob is a veteran of the Side-Street Strutters and the house jazz band at Disneyland Resorts. 7:30 p.m. Caldwell Auditorium, 301 South College. 903.262.2300. tcca.biz.
January 16
Statesboro Revue. Tyler. Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q, 525 S. Beckham Ave. 903.593.0311. stanleysfamous.com.
Rockwall Acoustic Group. Rockwall. This free monthly jam session is open to the public. Musicians of any skill level and musical taste (bluegrass, country, rock or pop) are invited to come sing and jam. 1 p.m. The Music Shop at Rockwall, 457 E. Hwy 30. 972.771.6002. rockwallarts.org.
January 9
SAXsational. Marshall. Rob Verdi shares the stage with the Marshall High School Jazz Band. Verdi shares his rare collection along with decades of songs and artists that have shaped the saxophone. 7:30 p.m. $10-$15. Marshall Conven-
Statesboro Review
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John Berry. Longview. S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center, 2100 S. Mobberly Avenue. 903.233.3080. belchercenter.com. Sideshow Tragedy. Tyler. Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q, 525 S. Beckham Ave. 903.593.0311. stanleysfamous.com. MilkDrive. Nacogdoches. The Liberty Bell, 422 E. Main St. 936.622.6425. libertybellbar.com.
January 24
Michael O’Connor and Jeff Plankenhorn. Nacogdoches. The Liberty Bell, 422 E. Main St. 936.622.6425. libertybellbar. com. Chris Rosser. Edom. This Asheville, North Carolina-based musician is an accomplished producer and instrumentalist, a graceful writer and a proficient singer. 7:30 p.m. $12-$15. The Old Firehouse, 8241 FM 279. 903.852.2781. theoldfirehouse.net.
January 29
Turtle Island Quartet with Nellie McKay. Nacogdoches. Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Nellie McKay joins forces with the two-time Grammywinning Turtle Island Quartet to pres-
pianist Tony DeSare. 7:30 p.m. Perot Theatre. 870.773.3401. trahc.org.
February 13
Luke Wade. Tyler. Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q, 525 S. Beckham Ave. 903.593.0311. stanleysfamous.com. Nicholas David. Longview. Alternative Soul music by singer/songwriter/ pianist recently on NBC’s The Voice. S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center, 2100 S. Mobberly Avenue. 903.233.3080. belchercenter.com. Natalie McMaster
ent a delightfully bold performance of chamber music. McKay”s talents on piano, mallets and ukulele, and Turtle Island’s innovative rhythmic techniques, equally grounded in jazz improvisation and classical technique, are guaranteed to captivate audiences of all ages. SFA W.M. Turner Auditorium, 329 East Main Street. 936.468.6407. finearts.sfasu.edu.
January 30
The Nightowls. Tyler. Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q, 525 S. Beckham Ave. 903.593.0311. stanleysfamous.com. Pat Reedy & the Longtime Goners. Nacogdoches. The Liberty Bell, 422 E. Main St. 936.622.6425. libertybellbar.com.
January 31
Dance Fund-raiser. Marshall. Dress up and dance the night away to the sounds of Bobby Waldron & the Texas Country Hotshops performing for country and ballroom dancing. Concessions by Cajun Tex. BYOB. 7 p.m. $25. Marshall Convention Center, 2501 East End Blvd. South. 903.935.4484. marshallartscouncil. org.
903.593.0311. stanleysfamous.com.
March 3
February 14
Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band. Tyler. Beatles classics and the best of Ringo’s solo material. 8 p.m. $57 and up. UT Tyler Cowan Center, 3900 University Blvd, FAC. 903-566-7424. cowancenter.org.
The Vienna Boys Choir. Mount Pleasant. 7:30 p.m. $10-$30. Whatley Center for Performing Arts, Northeast Texas Community College. 903.434.8181.ntcc.edu/whatley.
February 20
Big Nac. Nacogdoches. Downtown. bignac.com.
Shinyribs. Tyler. Stanley’s Famous Pit BarB-Q, 525 S. Beckham Ave. 903.593.0311. stanleysfamous.com. Casting Crowns. Longview. S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center, 2100 S. Mobberly Avenue. 903.233.3080. belchercenter.com.
February 21
Jefferson Ross. Edom. Unique acoustic guitar style and southern soulful voice spins some of the finest story songs to come out of Deep Dixie. His song craft is compared to Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Rodney Crowell and Jesse Winchester. 7:30 p.m. $12$15. The Old Firehouse, 8241 FM 279. 903.852.2781. theoldfirehouse.net.
February 27
Uncle Lucius. Tyler. Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q, 525 S. Beckham Ave.
February 6
Under the Influence of Great American Music. Tyler. Good Company performs fresh, original material -- a kaleidoscope of R&B, Rock, Gospel, and Bluegrass. Caldwell Auditorium, 301 South College. 903.262.2300. tcca.biz. A Live One. Tyler. Stanley’s Famous Pit BarB-Q, 525 S. Beckham Ave. 903.593.0311. stanleysfamous.com.
March 5-8
March 6
Marty Stuart. Longview. S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center, 2100 S. Mobberly Avenue. 903.233.3080. belchercenter.com.
March 7
Toby Mac with Mandisa and Capital Kings. Tyler. 7 p.m. $20-$75. Oil Palace, 10408 State Hwy 64 East. 903-566-2122. oilpalace.com.
March 14
Robby Hecht. Edom. Across his three indie releases, internationally touring Nashville-based singer-songwriter Robby Hecht has distinguished himself as the second coming of James Taylor, or a gentler Damien Jurado. But, whatever the comparison, it’s hard to miss that his songwriting is distinct and individual. He doesn’t shy from the obvious rhyme, but manages it with a delicate audacity, placing it only where it best serves the story or the mood. Hecht has won many prestigious performing songwriter awards including Kerrville New Folk, Telluride Troubadour and the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriting Competition. 7:30 p.m. $12-$15. The Old Firehouse, 8241 FM 279. 903.852.2781. theoldfirehouse.net.
March 17
February 7
Texarkana Symphony Orchestra Pops III-From the Heart. Texarkana. Great romantic standards featuring singer/
Shinyribs Kevin Russell
Robby Hecht
Texarkana Symphony Orchestra Masterworks II - Mozart in March. Texarkana. Featuring Kara KirkendollWelch, flute; Jaymee Haefner, harp. Perot Theatre, 903.792.8681. trahc.org. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 39
FOOD & DRINK
Juls Asian Fusion Restaurant, Lounge, & Café 903-581-5857 7212 Old Jacksonville Highway, Tyler, TX 75703 www.juls903.com/
Reviewed by Alia Pappas Juls Asian Fusion Restaurant, Lounge, and Café —which celebrated its oneyear anniversary in December, is located near the FRESH by Brookshire’s
They informed me of the many events that Juls hosts year-round, happily answered any questions I had regarding the menu and readily offered up recommendations.
grocery store on Old Jacksonville Highway in Tyler. Surrounded by a patio that opens onto a stunning water feature, this modern, eclectic eatery envelops one in an atmosphere that is reminiscent of Austin and offers food, drinks and events that uphold its cosmopolitan image. Friendly, knowledgeable servers and hostesses are an important factor that made my experience at Juls enjoyable.
After much debate, I decided to begin my meal with an appetizer of steamed edamame. Juls offers classic edamame seasoned with sea salt or, for those who prefer a bold twist on an old favorite, sweet and spicy edamame. I chose the sweet and spicy edamame and was not disappointed with the sweet heat, although eating it did prove to be messy and required a few napkins to wipe the sauce from my fingers. I chose two entrees for lunch, one American and one Asian. My American choice was the Dragon Burger. The burger was topped with chipotle mayo, roasted jalapenos, and pepper jack cheese, and used cilantro in place of lettuce. All of these ingredients together made for a juicy burger packed with sizzling flavor combinations that were delicious but that possibly should be avoid-
Discover the East Texas Oil Fields of the 1930s
BETWEEN THE STATES Photographs of the American Civil War from the George Eastman House Collection
r
The American Civil War’s Impact on Tyler December 19 – February 15, 2015 Tyler Museum of Art
1300 South Mahon Avenue • Tyler, Texas 75701 903-595-1001 • www.tylermuseum.org
Image: Barnard & Gibson (American). View of Gloucester & Yorktown, from Fairhold’s House, with Battery, No. 1, in Foreground, ca. 1862. George Eastman House. Purchased from Philip Jay Medicus.
40 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
The East Texas Oil Museum is located on the campus of Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas. This fascinating museum houses the authentic re-creation of oil discovery and production in the early 1930s from the largest oil field inside U.S. boundaries.
MUSEUM HOURS Tues-Sat 9am - 4pm April-Sept 9am - 5pm Sun 2-5p.m. Hwy. 259 at Ross St, Kilgore, Texas On the Kilgore College Campus, 903.983.8295
www.EastTexasOilMuseum.com
Best Steakhouse
County Line Magazine Hall of Fame
ed by those who prefer milder foods. The hand-cut fries served alongside this burger were thin, seasoned with sea salt and cracked pepper and were the ideal balance of soft and crispy. For an Asian flair, I sampled Juls’ Chicken Teriyaki stir-fry. This dish had a savory taste as opposed to the sweet taste it has when prepared at most other Asian restaurants, which I found to be refreshing. Paired with fresh, crisp vegetables and served over a fragrant bed of jasmine rice, Juls’ teriyaki chicken was a flavorful take on an Asian staple. As a bonus for those who cannot or prefer to not eat gluten, it is important to note that this stir fry and many other Juls menu items can be made glutenfree. Along with the above dishes, I also recommend trying Juls’ sushi bar, specialty cocktails, and Café. Juls is a restaurant that is well-suited for spending an evening listening to live music, celebrating a special occasion, or eating brunch with friends.
East Texas Steakhouse Gains National Recognition
Wills Point’s Four Winds Steakhouse, a reoccurring winner of County Line Magazine’s Best of the Upper East Side of Texas awards, is named as one of the top steakhouses in OpenTable Diners’
Choice list of Top 100 Steakhouses in America. OpenTable, an online restaurant reservation service, determined the notable 100 after analyzing more than five million reviews of more than 20,000 restaurants in the country. According to OpenTable, the awards highlight steakhouses that deliver highend dining experiences that are “singular and soothing all at once.” Located in a modern ranch house, formerly owned by Dallas Cowboy Lee Roy Jordan, Four Winds Steakhouse is located at 21191 FM 47. Explore the offerings of the restaurant at fourwindssteakhouse.com or give them a call at 903.873.2225.
Open 24/7 Full Menu Breakfast Anytime! Hwy 19 near I-20
903-567-6551
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Tuesday & Wednesday
DINNER SPECIAL Mixed Green Salad Choice of Fresh Fish of the Day, Ribeye Steak, or Filet Mignon Served with Whipped Potatoes and Green Beans $26.00
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 41
EXPLORE THE UPPER EAST SIDE OF TEXAS
Northeast Texans Enjoy Hawk Patrol
For “nature nerds” and others, playing a game of “count the hawks” is a fun pastime on scenic drives and winter is a great time since there is an abundance of them here during this time and they’re easy to see with the leaves off the trees.
see. They have broad wings and short tails that allow them to soar on thermals as they scan for their (typically) mammal prey. The most common and readily identifiable hawk in northeast Texas is a buteo called the red-tailed hawk. These large hawks will eat nearly anything they can get their claws on, including road kill, although rodents make up the largest part of their diet.
Northeast Texas is home to a multitude of hawk species. Some are year-round residents, and others live here only seasonally. Still others yet are migrants, just passing through on the long trip north or south.
These equal-opportunity hunters dive on prey from a perch or a hover, as well as from the circling soaring pattern for which they are known. Spotting a rat or a rabbit from 500-plus feet away is no problem for a red-tail on the hunt.
Hawks all fall into the “raptor” category, which simply means “bird of prey” — no vegetarian birds here. Eagles, owls, falcons, ospreys, kites, and others also fall into this category. A raptor is easily identified by its strong, sharp talons and sharp, hooked bill. Those traits, in addition to their incredibly keen eyesight and exceptional hearing, make them the ultimate hunting machines.
Red-shouldered hawks are probably the second most common northeast Texas buteo, and as the name says, they can be readily identified by the rustyred coloration on their shoulders. Unlike their red-tailed (and other buteo) cousins, red-shouldered hawks are equally happy hunting in open country or the woodlands. Not only do they perch and pounce like many of the hawk species, they also “course” in a low search pattern in open areas, looking for telltale prey movement.
By Heidi K. Bailey, Texas Parks & Wildlife Biologist
The hawk family is further broken down into buteos and accipiters. Buteos are typically hawks of the open country and the ones folks are most likely to
Accipiters are woodland hawks, characterized by slim bodies, short round-
42 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
ed wings, and long tails that enable them to quickly maneuver through trees while they are in hot pursuit of their songbird prey. A hawk picking a bird off of a feeder, is most likely an accipiter. Two accipiters common to northeast Texas, especially in the winter, are the cooper’s hawk and the sharp-shinned hawk. Although they are somewhat difficult to tell from each other, one way to help tell them from the soaring buteos is that accipiters commonly use a “flap and glide” flight pattern. These birds are masters of the sneak attack where they sit on a hidden perch and then quickly dart out, dodging and weaving through trees to chase down a passing bird or mammal. There are other raptors that are allowable for points in a friendly game of “hawk patrol” although they are not actually hawks. The tiny bug-eating kestrel falcon is always a plentiful points-earner in the wintertime. Likewise, the cool hair-do crested caracara, sometimes known locally as a “Mexican eagle,” is a favorite, although it’s a closer relative of a vulture or falcon than an eagle. When crossing over lakes be on the lookout for fish-hunting bald eagles and ospreys as well. With more than 30 species of hawks and their close relatives recorded in Texas, there’s plenty of windshield birding to amuse for many miles on down the road.
Business Brings Whimsical Wear to Ben Wheeler
Frilly Pepper, located across from Moore’s Store, is the newest business to join downtown Ben Wheeler. Owner Kelli Cayenne Holmes is a professional artist relocated from Fort Worth. According to Holmes, 95 percent of the store’s merchandise is hand-made, upcycled, renewed “and is all unique with a few cool finds thrown in.” “Anything I don’t make, another small Texas artisan or small business does. Ben Wheeler has been trying to get us here for about three years,” she said. Holmes describes Frilly Pepper as “a fusion of Stevie Nicks, Janis Joplin and Tinker Bell: The soul of a gypsy, the heart of a hippie and the spirit of a fairy.” “There are items for guys, gals and kiddos,” she added. “It’s fun, funky and whimsical.” The store has a Facebook page and more information can be found at its website, FrillyPepper.com.
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12,000 square feet
Home Decor & Furniture
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903.571.3620 • www.pawpashouse.com
Vintage Vinyl Records, Art Pottery, Art Glass, Silver, China, Candles, Fine American and European Furniture, Texas Primitives, Western Collectibles, Rugs, Gifts, Chandeliers, and so much more! Open 7 Days, Mon-Sat 10-6, Sun 1-5
903-469-4321 7150 SH 31E • Murchison www.wagonwheelantiquemall.com
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 43
LIVING ROOM
is to provide essential home modifications that increase accessibility, safety and security as needed to maintain independence.
Tyler Resident Gets Keys to Reconstructed Home
To find out more about Tyler’s Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation program, contact the Neighborhood Services Department’s Office of Community Development at 903.531.1303, or visit the Neighborhood Services website at CityofTyler.org and click on the City Department tab and access the Neighborhood Services Department.
Lorine Johnson received the keys to her new home at 304 Boon Avenue in Tyler in November, thanks to the city’s Owner-Occupied Reconstruction Program. “I am so happy; I can just pinch myself to make sure this is really happening,” Johnson said. “It’s all so surreal to be able to move into a new home that I previously had only dreamt about.” Due to the poor structural condition and the extensive repair needs, the Johnson home was determined by staff of the city’s Neighborhood Services Department as unfeasible for rehabilitation, but was instead eligible for replacement. The old existing house was demolished and then reconstructed under Tyler’s Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Assistance Program with federal funds provided through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). “We are very proud and excited to hand Lorine the keys to her new home,” Tyler City Councilman Darryl Bowdre said. “This program enables eligible homeowners to enjoy a house that was built to meet their housing needs.” Johnson’s home is one of many that the City has constructed since the beginning of the program in 2006. “The Reconstruction Program is an essential part of the City’s overall approach to revitalizing neighborhoods,” Brenda Johnson, director of the Neighborhood Services Department, stated. “It not only directly helps the family that owns the new home, but improves the surrounding neighborhood by removing a substandard structure and replacing it. We expect that the city’s efforts to improve these neighborhoods will result in new and additional private investments in these areas.”
Tyler Unveils New App for Trash, Recycling Rehabilitation or reconstruction assistance is available for low-income homeowners who have annual incomes that meet certain income limits set by HUD. To be eligible, a citizen must also own or be purchasing their home, live in a “target area” that is designated annually by the city council, be current on their property taxes and have homeowner’s insurance. The funds provide assistance to bring existing substandard residential properties into compliance with current local housing and building codes. If the house is determined to be beyond repair, then the existing home is demolished and replaced with a newly constructed home that provides safety, comfort and security, while being modest and attractive in appearance. Minor repair assistance is another program provided to homeowners residing in structures judged by city staff to be detrimental to the health and safety of the homeowner/occupant and sometimes requiring immediate attention. The sole intent of the funds is to eliminate hazardous situations and code violations. Minor repair assistance is available citywide to eligible low-income homeowners. Funds can also be used to conduct improvements designed to remove architectural barriers that restrict the mobility and accessibility of elderly or disabled persons in owner-occupied dwellings. The intent of these funds
44 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
A new resource is available to Tyler Solid Waste customers to help keep up with their recycling and trash pick-up schedule. Tyler Talks Trash is available on the website TylerSolidWaste.com or as a mobile app, on both Android and Apple phones. The service allows customers to see their collection day calendar by simply typing in their address. The calendar shows both recycling and trash collection dates, as well as any changes to the schedule including holiday or bad weather delays. “After last year’s ice storm, we knew we needed a better way to alert our customers about any route changes in a fast and reliable manner,” Tyler Solid Waste Director Russ Jackson said. “Now it will be easy for citizens to check either their phone or computer to get up-to-date information. Most of us take our trash pick-up for granted until something disrupts the service, and then everybody wants answers quickly.”
A printable map is available and customers may also sign up for reminders via email, a phone call, Twitter or calendar request on iCal, Outlook or Google Calendar. Currently, recycling is being picked up once a week, either on the first and third or second and fourth Wednesday of each month. However, this causes confusion when there is a fifth Wednesday in a month or anytime there is a holiday schedule change. To alleviate this confusion, recycling
is now picked up every other week regardless of how many weeks are in a month. Also, routes changed from a Wednesday only schedule, to include pick-ups on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays. Also, when a pick-up day is a city holiday, the recycling pick-up takes place on the following day. If Monday is the normal day and it is a holiday, then the pick-up day is Tuesday. If Friday, then the pick-up is Saturday. This change allows the city to have one
driver and one truck picking up recycling, and only delivering the load to the Rivers Recycling Center in Kilgore when it’s full. City officials estimate a savings of $85,000 per year. “We see this as a much more fiscally responsible route, as well as being easier to remember for the Tyler residents,” Jackson said. “This is a wonderful idea that came directly from my Solid Waste employees. I’m pleased at how the department is constantly seeking to improve.”
READING MAKES LIFE BETTER
Celebrating Our 15th Anniversaries in 2015 Pulpwood Queens & County Line Magazine Best Readers in the Upper East Side of Texas JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 45
FEEL GOOD
Resolutions and Realistic Expectations
isn’t for everyone and no we aren’t talking about your delicious holiday leftovers. CrossFit and nutrition coach Sarah Nichols of Tyler has the longer answer. “I’m the type of person that’s either 150-percent in or absolutely not at all, so I can’t totally knock the ‘cold turkey’ approach. There’s a great advantage to going all in - you get all the suffering done in one fell swoop instead of dragging it out for months,” Nichols said. “However, I would never advise someone to make a life-changing resolution and go all in without doing their research. Knowledge is power.” Nichols emphasizes that research and planning are the most necessary steps in changing your lifestyle, stating that once a person fully understands what they are committing to then they will be primed for making a successful change. “The most unrealistic expectation that people have is the amount of time it takes to hit their goal,” Nichols said. “Typically it’s too short of a time frame that they’re shooting for, which causes an ungodly amount of stress, pressure and eventual failure.”
Crossfit and Nutrition Coach Sarah Nichols, pictured with her husband Zach, says the key to a healthy lifestyle starts with education.
By Madison Payne The New Year brings resolutions made by many - as most of us strive to be better, healthier, cleaner, and more organized. It sounds simple, right? Then why do our resolutions end up being so hard to follow-through, especially when it comes to health? The short answer: cold turkey
When it comes to creating a healthier lifestyle, Nichols has some words of advice on how to see success on the horizon. “You have to eat, sleep and move on a daily basis, period. Adequate nutrition, exercise and recovery are necessary for good health,” Nichols said. “Once you accept that, you will free yourself from unrealistic time expectations and take unnecessary pressure off of yourself.”
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Nichols is also a representative of Fit City Foods in Tyler, a prepared health foods home delivery or to-go option for those looking to indulge in healthy and nutritional meals. It’s little outlets like Fit City Foods and farmers markets that help the community indulge in the delicious without taking away from personal progress. “Look at the ingredient panel. Not the nutrition panel — I mean the actual ingredients on the back. If you can’t pronounce the majority of the ingredients, it’s not real food,” Nichols said. “Choose a slice of that incredible cinnamon walnut banana bread you discovered at the farmers market over the box of Little Debbie snacks.” Whether it’s working out or dieting, Nichols adds that consistency is key for your efforts to physically show, so make a realistic plan and stick to it. At the end of the day, it all boils down to research and knowledge. Learning what your body needs is vital to making your efforts truly count. A really great site online for those that are looking to learn more about the foods they consume, is NutritionData.self.com. It is a user-friendly site that allows you to search any food product and view its nutritional facts and ingredients. For more information on Nichols or Fit City Foods, visit CrossFitTyler.com/SarahNichols and FitCityFoods.com.
New Skin Studio Opens in Canton
Aesthetic Glow Skin Studio recently opened in Canton and offers specialty facials, chemical peels, eyebrow waxing and tinting, eyelash tinting and gift certificates. Michelle Lintner, a master aesthetician with more than 13 years of treatment room experience in Dallas, Plano, Colleyville and Salt Lake City, Utah, founded the studio. She is licensed in Texas and Utah, where she received her master certification in the aesthetic field. Lintner has also represented Rhonda Allison Clinical Skin Care as an educator, traveling across the United States supporting and educating other aestheticians. Lintner said not only is she thrilled to re-
turn to East Texas, where she was raised, she is also thrilled to return to the treatment room where her passion for changing skin began. Lintner exclusively works with Rhonda Allison Cosmoceuticals. Rhonda Allison is a chirally correct cosmoceutical skin care line that uses no parabens, mineral oil, lanolin, petroleum derivatives, artificial dyes or artificial fragrances-essential oils, and the scents of the plant extracts are the aroma of the product. All preservatives are essential oils, plantderived or safe FDA approved ingredients. Aesthetic Glow Skin Studio is located within Yama Yoga Wellness Spa and Boutique at 1023 South Trade Days Boulevard, Suite 110, in Canton. For more information, email glowskinstudios@gmail.com, call 214.862.5664, or visit the website at www.glowskinstudios. com. The studio also has a Facebook page at Facebook.com/pages/AestheticGlow-Skin-Studio/.
Longview Chamber, Pine Tree ISD Team Up
The Longview Chamber of Commerce and Pine Tree ISD have joined forces to bring the Young Entrepreneur Academy (YEA!) into the classroom of high school students. With the collaboration of the two entities, 21 students have the opportunity to participate in the YEA! program. As students in the academy, each has an opportunity to fine tune business ideas, hear from successful local entrepreneurs, visit local businesses on exciting fieldtrips, develop a business plan and pitch to a panel of “investors” for real funding. At the Investor Panel Event in March, a panel of judges selects the business with the most potential to compete at the seventh annual Saunders Scholars SemiFinals Competition in May. This makes for an exciting year for each student as they graduate the class as business owners. YEA! provides the students with an increased awareness of their skills, their abilities, their potential and with an entrepreneurial mindset. Joyce Steel Erection, Inc., is the presenting sponsor of the Chamber’s Young Entrepreneur Academy program. More information about the YEA! can be found at LongviewChamber.com/YEA.
Charities Receive Checks From Fisheries Center
Checks for $1,000 each were recently presented by the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens to charity representatives including (l-r) Donna Johnson, director of outreach for the East Texas Crisis Center; Julie Funkhauser, office administrator for the Rainbow Room of Henderson County; and Ellen Barton, treasurer of the Henderson County Humane Society. Photo by Larry D. Hodge, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
CASA of East Texas Receives Generous Grant
Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Kids of East Texas recently received a $20,000 grant from the Texas Bar Foundation to implement volunteer recruitment. “These funds will be used to increase our volunteer recruitment,” Patty Garner, CASA for Kids of East Texas executive director, said. “As of today, we need 32 more volunteers in Smith County, 15 more in Wood County and at least 20 more in Van Zandt County. The number of cases increases every day.” Satellite offices were recently opened in Wood and Van Zandt counties. The Wood County CASA Office is located at First United Methodist Church, Ministry Center, 612 N. Newsom St. in Mineola and accepts volunteer applications on Mondays and Tuesdays. The Van Zandt County CASA Office is located at First United Methodist Church, 600 South Buffalo Street in Canton, accepting volunteer applications on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
dren. There are currently 70 volunteers in Smith County who are working with 246 children. “A very serious concern for all citizens and community partners should be why child abuse continues to escalate and what can be done to slow down this lifethreatening trend,” Garner said. “CASA for Kids of East Texas, as endorsed by the 321st District Court, is an important component in the proactive solution of breaking the cycle of child abuse.” The CASA office phone number is 903.597.7725 and more information is available at CasaForKidsofEastTexas.org.
for
WH ITENI NG
beautiful lasting change
I M PL ANT S
C OSM ETI C D ENTI ST RY
J. Brandon Allen, D.D.S Randy Bell, D.D.S. 903.675.3811 208 Crestway Street, Athens crestwayparkdental.com
Last year, 14 CASA for Kids of East Texas volunteer advocates spoke for 60 abused and neglected children in Wood County. In Van Zandt County last year, 13 CASA for Kids of East Texas volunteer advocates spoke for 83 abused and neglected chil-
Yama Yoga Wellness Spa & Boutique
Where Your Journey Begins
Full Service Salon • Natural Hormone and Thyroid Therapy • Massage Infrared Dry Sauna • Reflexology • Ionic Foot Bath • Facials • Reiki Yoga Daily Classes • Stretch • Beginner • Flow • Vinyasa & 200 HR Teacher Training 1023 S. Trades Day Blvd. (Hwy 19), Canton, TX 75103
WWW.YAMAYOGA.INFO 903.567.0077 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 47
“Find your Texas hideaway and just kick back.” - Amy Novacek
Amy Novacek knows a thing or two about country living, including how to enjoy it. That’s the reason she and husband Jay leave the financing to Heritage Land Bank. When you’ve found your ideal Texas hideaway, turn the financing over to Heritage and all that’s left for you to do is kick back and enjoy it.
Amy Novacek lives on a working ranch in Johnson County with husband, former Dallas Cowboys tight end, Jay Novacek.
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