01-02.14.County Line Magazine by County Line Magazine

county line four winds steakhouse, art & espresso, moon pie mural, thee hubbell house, mooreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s store

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

MA GA Z I N E

Best of the Upper East Side of Texas

Complimentary Copy

to subscribe see page 39

countylinemagazine.com

sally wade Rolando diaz billy hassell Kacey Musgraves danna dickinson Pulpwood queens Beyond the pale lago del pino yama yoga bee healthy

MATTHEW

McCONAUGHEY a long way from dazed and confused

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Apparel, Gifts, Home Decor, Quilting, Jewelry, Candles, and More Dining, Coffee House, Tea Room, Winery, Mediterranean, Mexican, Chinese, American

2 • CountyLineMagazine.com • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

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PARTIES. golf outings. fishing expeditions. family reunions.

the year of the piano continues

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ron clinton Sunday, January 19, 3 p.m. 903.563.3780 www.mountvernonmusic.org

Performing works by Chopin, Beethoven, Brahms, Rachmaninoff and Debussy in a special tribute to the great Van Cliburn.

JOEL SCHOENHALS

Sunday, February 2, 3 p.m. Performing keyboard masterpieces by Brahms and Martinu with the Orchard Ensemble.

903.885.5614 • 888.300.6623 tourism@SulphurSpringsTX.org

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 3

CONTENTS FEATURES

8 Matthew McConaughey: A Long Way from Dazed and Confused Longview High School’s “Most Handsome” senior of 1988 talks about the bigger awards he’s getting these days and how his East Texas roots contributed. By Elizabeth Branca

10 Five New Popular Places Inducted Into Hall of Fame

Art & Espresso, Four Winds Steakhouse (again), Moore’s Store, RC Mural and Thee Hubbell House join the list of excellent treasures in the region.

11 The Best of the Upper East Side of Texas 2013

Great food, places, and people to check out this year all over Northeast Texas.

DEPARTMENTS 5

Editor’s Note. Letters.

6 ACROSS THE COUNTY LINE East Texas Council, Love Under the Stars, Longview World of Wonders.

CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

18 News. Events. Mardi Gras Upriver, Eagle Fest, Quilt Show, Pulpwood Queen Girlfriend Weekend, Outdoor Expo, Azalea Trail, Mrs. Lee’s Daffodil Garden.

The Arts

20 Bird Sculpture Workshop, Rolando Diaz, Ron Bigony, TMA High School Art Exhibit. 22 Prolific Texas Artist Billy Hassell

On Stage

24 News. Events. Lake Country Playhouse, Tyler Civic Theatre, Brian Regan, Dance Theatre of Harlem, The Miracle Worker, Godspell, Moscow Festival Ballet, Beauty and the Beast.

film

LITERARY SCENE

28 Review by Jeremy Light: Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink 28 News. Events. 29 Poetry & Prose. Poetry Contest.

Food & drink

25 News. Events. Calling Home the Dead, Amexicano.

30 Review: Lago del Pino

Music

31 In the Kitchen with Artist Sally Wade

26 News. Events. Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, Chris Tomlin, Ellis Paul, Bellamy Brothers, Travis Tritt, The Five Browns, Blues Brothers Reunion, Tom Prasada-Rao, Beyond the Pale.

By Jeremy Light

SHOP

32 Jewelry Sales Help Build Memories

26 East Texas Talents Release CDs By Tom Geddie

SEE WEBSITE EXTRAS! www.CountyLineMagazine.com 4 • CountyLineMagazine.com • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

22 LIVING ROOM Home. Garden. Real Estate

34 News. Events. Master Gardener Training, Wilhite Photo Winner, Home Product Shows

FEEL GOOD

36 Yama Yoga Wellness Spa’s New Era By Terry Britt 37 Bee Healthy By Elizabeth Branca 38 Geriatric Jeopardy By Edward H. Garcia 38 Creating a Path for Those in Need By Patti Light Cover photo by Mark Liddell

fl&

county line Since 2000

M AGAZINE

Publisher & managing Editor P.A. Geddie

administration Lori Easley Online Production Leah Lynch

Contributors Patti Light Jeremy Light Tom Geddie Edward H. Garcia Elizabeth Branca

sales P.A. Geddie 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.

Let us hear from you. Please feel free to send us your comments.

County Line Magazine P.O. Box 608, Ben Wheeler, TX 75754 email: info@countylinemagazine.com Find us on Facebook or Twitter. Go to LETTERS on www.countylinemagazine.com.

EDITOR’S NOTE Dear Readers, Welcome to 2014 in the Upper East Side of Texas. As we’ve done every January for the past 10 years we’re showing you some of the BEST people, places, and food in the region and hope you will get to know each and every one of them. One of our “best” is actor Matthew McConaughey who grew up in Longview. He graciously took a little time from his busy schedule to talk to us about his roots and his recent movie, Dallas Buyers Club. His performance in this movie is outstanding and we continue to cheer him on in this award season.

Find so many other superstars in the pages of this issue from all the BEST winners to songwriters Heather Little, Jaden Farnsworth and Rafael Espinoza with new CDs, and to Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, and Chris Tomlin whom we’ll be rooting for at the Grammy’s this month. There are many other “superstars” in our region that make our lives so much more beautiful every day — our chefs, artists, event coordinators, entertainers, writers, preservationists, shopkeepers, gardeners, hospitality workers and so many more. Thank you for all you do that makes the Upper East Side of Texas the best place ever to live and play. P.A. Geddie Publisher & Managing Editor

LETTERS Dear Editor, Top Honors: I love County Line Magazine! John Galiano Carthage

for County Line Magazine about my work and my passion for my art. You were extremely true to what we discussed and I just love the tone you have when you write.

I would like to thank you (Tom Geddie) for the wonderful article you wrote

Daniela Rangel Matchael Athens

Reaching the market that counts for the Upper East Side of Texas

Mike just brought home two magazines

200,000 readers every issue in print and online. Special offers for print, eMagazine, weekly eNewsletters, social networking, video, article placement, and more.

Call today

for the most cost-effective, 38 results-oriented advertising. 903.963.8306 sales@countylinemagazine.com

Serving the Upper East Side of Texas JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 5

ACROSS THE COUNTY LINE Economic Summit Deemed A Great Success

The East Texas Council of Governments, Workforce Solutions East Texas andthe East Texas Economic Development District recently joined in hosting their first Workforce and Economic Development Summit at Pinecrest Country Club. Approximately 100 attendees were given the opportunity to pose questions and discuss relevant issues for the East Texas region with area legislators, economic developers and educators during three panel sessions, with local leaders from each group. Emcee of the event and chairman of the Workforce Solutions East Texas Board,Pete Lamothe, said, “The Workforce and Economic Development Summit was an event that was long overdue for our region but well worth the wait. All of the comments and feedback I have received has been very positive. “The attendees were very appreciative of the candid information provided by the panel members during their presentations and when they answered questions from the audience,” Lamothe continued. “From my perspective, it was good to hear how our elected legislators have collaborated with educators and economic developers to set policies in Austin that will lead us to a better future in East Texas.”

available in English, English with subtitles or Spanish with subtitles, and are currently being distributed among cities and counties to share on their websites. The EasTexConnects Committee includes elected officials or their appointees, citizens, and representatives of social service agencies, local transportation providers and businesses. The committee’s purpose is to improve the quality of life in East Texas through transportation choices. The mission is to create and connect a comprehensive, flexible and sustainable public transportation system throughout and beyond the 14 counties of State Planning Region 6.

‘Love Under the Stars’ Event Set For Valentine’s Day

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, the Center for Earth & Space Science Education in Tyler announces the return of “Love Under the Stars.” On February 14, visitors may bring a significant other (both must be 21) to enjoy the evening at the center. Couples get hors d’oeuvres, access to the dinosaur exhibit and a delightful show under the dome. Couples also receive a gift basket of goodies to share on the way home.

In other news for ETCOG they announced the release of educational videos highlighting transportation options in the region.

Also in February, the center is hosting a Kid’s Day event after tremendous public response to the last one. The next Kid’s Day program is February 22, with free admission to children with a paid adult admission.

The organization sought direction from EasTexConnects, a committee it administers working to improve the quality of life in East Texas through transportation choices, on how to utilize a $45,000 Alliance for Regional Mobility (ARM) Grant.

The center’s state-of-the-art domed theater seats up to 85. More information on purchasing tickets and pricing is available by calling 903.510.2312. The Center for Earth & Space Science Education is located at 1411 East Lake St.

Among the items the grant could be used for, marketing and outreach was chosen by EasTexConnects to show transportation options available to the region through educational videos.

Designs For Discovery Center In Longview Are Completed

Dallas HD Films created the videos to showcase the specific public transportation options available in each of the 14 counties of the ETCOG region. There are 24 videos in all and they are

Longview World of Wonders (LongviewWOW) announces the completion of preliminary conceptual designs for a handson discovery center planned for downtown Longview. After nine months of collaborative work with Exhibit Concepts, an Ohio-based design firm with more than 30 years’ experience, the professional renderings are posted on the recently updated

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LongviewWOW website, www.longviewwow.org. “The professionally developed designs detail hands-on exhibits that are unique from anything else in this area,” said Michelle Norris, chairwoman of facilities for LongviewWOW. “The exhibits and activities planned for the center have been created for with children of all ages.” One of the featured design elements is to ensure that the exhibits tie directly to the history and culture of Longview and surrounding East Texas. In addition to the permanently installed exhibits, the center can host traveling exhibits and special events, and has a planned curriculum to keep things fresh and appealing. “It is important that our visitors get a ‘feel’ for our city and its impact on the world,” Norris added. “For example, the wind exhibit will feature floating hot air balloons, while explaining the creation of a vertical axis wind turbine by LeTourneau University, which is currently in use in Israel.” LongviewWOW anticipates opening the museum in phases beginning in late 2014. Additional exhibits will be installed as funding becomes available. An ongoing capital campaign is under way to complete renovations to the building at 112 E. Tyler St., complete the design, fabrication and installation of all exhibits, and provide funding for ongoing operations and maintenance. Highlights of the exhibit designs include: Little Build It — Toddlers and pre-schoolers can play and imagine with DUPLO® blocks in an enclosed area that is visible through glass walls. Parents can join their children or sit immediately outside the enclosure in the atrium. Build It — The visual image for this activity area is LEGO® bricks everywhere. Architectural elements in this open play area will be based on the LEGO structure, and children can build with LEGO bricks on just about every surface. Children also can design and race LEGO cars on a track that is elevated at one end. Windows between two sections designed for different ages in the Build It area will allow younger children the opportunity to watch and learn from older children at play.

Invention Garage — Readily available materials are stocked in this largely open area for children to engage in project-based explorations and experiments. This exhibit lends itself to the dynamic creativity of the children who visit the garage. LongviewWOW’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) is helping develop projects and related instructions for this area, in which visitors build and test projects that illustrate various scientific principles, or design and create unique inventions. Energy City — This area provides handson, fun exploration of various aspects of the energy industry, from a power plant, to solar power, wind power, a coal mine and oil and gas exploration and use. The approximate 1,000 square foot Aqua Ring features a two-story industrial structure that takes the typical water-table to a new level. Hands-On Sensory House — Children can play house to their heart’s content in this ultra-sleek house, where they can mimic all aspects of running a home. They will even incorporate the nearby garden and farmer’s market into their play, as well as other aspects of Energy City. In addition, this exhibit module encompasses a senso-

ry experience for our special needs community members.

where children will experiment with all sorts of objects and elements.

Garden and Farmers Market — Children can try their hand at farming vegetables or picking peaches. Then, they can sell their wares at the farmers market, or shop for fresh produce and other goods. In addition, the Five and Dime Store allows them to stock up on all their needs.

“The Factory” will provide a place for birthday parties, teacher workshops and more.

The Park — The Park area features various types of dramatic play, from dress-up to puppets, with backdrops available for children to produce their own creations. The Park also provides a space for traveling exhibits, cart exhibits and special events. An elevated model train will run through sections of the discovery center, paying homage to both Longview’s history and donors who will be featured on train cars. A Rube Goldberg contraption will run throughout the museum and be incorporated into the various exhibit areas. Rube Goldberg was a cartoonist and inventor known for creating incredibly complicated machines to accomplish simple tasks. Plans for a science lab are in development,

Spectacular championship course in the middle of one of the finest fishing spots in the world.

County Line Magazine

HALL OF FAME MEMBER

Best Golf Course in the Upper East Side of Texas

golf club membership starting around

285 Private Road 5980 • Yantis, TX 75497 903.383.3290 • www.GolfLakeFork.com

The Atrium de Soleil will feature adjustable tables and chairs to accommodate children of various ages and adults. It will provide a place for programming and a place for parents to sit and watch children at play in Little Build It and Build It areas. To donate to the capital campaign, contact Rhonda Bullard atrcb0613@yahoo. com or 903.261.6126. Longview World of Wonders, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is a group of parents, grandparents, educators and civic leaders, whose mission is to inspire a lifelong love of learning by giving children the opportunity to imagine, create and explore in a hands-on educational environment. Operating the Museum Without Walls initiative to build awareness in the area and to bring educational opportunities to the community’s youth since 2009, LongviewWOW secured a permanent location at 112 E Tyler. For more information, please emailinfo@longviewwow.org.

Gun Barrel City Visit

...a straight shot to Cedar Creek Lake

Come Stay & Play. We Aim to Please!

$100 per month.

903.887.1087 www.gunbarrelcity.net www.gunbarrelcityfestivals.net

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 7

Matthew McConaughey

A Long Way from Dazed and Confused In this exclusive interview with County Line Magazine, the A-list actor and proud Texas native talks about his recent film and how his East Texas roots prepared him for success in Hollywood. By Elizabeth Branca Longview High School’s “Most Handsome” senior of 1988 is probably not the first accolade that comes to Matthew McConaughey’s mind when he reflects on his accomplishments over the past 25 years or so — a list that includes a long line of hit movies and acting awards, and yes, even the world recognized his good looks as People Magazine named him “Most Sexiest Man Alive” in 2005 — but he doesn’t forget where he came from. “I haven’t checked in with my people back in East Texas in a while,” McConaughey said,” but who I am today has a lot to do with who I was and growing up there.” Never a yen for silver-screen stardom or the dubious crown of sex symbol, McConaughey’s boyhood fantasies sprung from a love of football and fast food. “East Texas will love this,” he said, with his longhorn-sized lilt kicking into overdrive. “I thought I’d be a Washington Redskins running back. At four years old my favorite food was hamburgers and the Redskins had a linebacker, named Chris Hanburger. That made me fall in love with the team.”

Photo by Mark Liddell

He also fondly recalled sneaking out of church to listen to National Football League announcer Pat Sommerall excitedly report game plays and that his parents would only allow him to stay up past his bedtime for the Redskins versus Cowboys rivalry on Monday Night Football. Although McConaughey remains a

big football fan, his chosen career path — after originally studying law — switched gears to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Radio-TelevisionFilm at the University of Texas in Austin in 1993. He began acting while there and hasn’t looked back. Two decades after his big-screen debut in the coming-of-age cult classic “Dazed and Confused,” McConaughey is now getting serious attention from critics for his recent performances, and none more than the Dallas Buyers Club for which he has already won Best Actor awards from the Gotham Independent Film Awards, Rome Film Festival, Hollywood Film Awards, and is being honored at the 25th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival January 4. He’s also nominated for Best Male Lead for the Independent Spirit Awards. He is nominated for Best Actor, Drama, for a Golden Globe, with awards announced January 12, and is an odds-on favorite for an Oscar nomination. The 86th Annual Academy Awards show is March 2. Win or lose at these award ceremonies, his portrayal of hard-living cowboy Ron Woodroof — whose HIV diagnosis and subsequent struggles are depicted in the film — has garnered strong critical praise as the best performance of his career to date. Shedding 47 pounds for his lead role in Dallas Buyers Club, he morphed his optimally sinewy physique into a fleshtaught carcass. The actor’s jarring physical transformation packs a powerful visceral punch and brings home the true frailty of Woodroof’s health. However, its the fierceness of Woodroof’s mental acuity and tenacious will that provides the most compelling contrast against his failing form. “I’m a pretty athletic guy and I lost a lot of that,” McConaughey said about

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his dramatic weight loss, “but when I lost the power from the neck-down, it transferred to the neck-up. My mind was so acute and sharp. It was a really wonderful realization.” The film picks up Woodroof’s story in 1985 when the electrician and parttime rodeo rider is initially diagnosed with AIDS and subsequently given a 30day death notice. For the womanizing, bed-hopping homophobe, an AIDS diagnosis seemed unimaginable, as the disease was thought to be exclusive to homosexuals, which was the common misconception of the time. Sadly for Woodroof, a past drunken dalliance proved deadly in the early age of the 1980s AIDS health crisis. Anything but submissive, Woodroof rails against his diagnosis and instead of quiet acceptance his mind and spirit are infused with the bravado of a street brawler, not willing to submit to the disease. The transference of power between the physical and the cerebral is powerfully illustrated as the HIV virus ravages Woodroof’s body, his will to live is galvanized. Working tirelessly to learn more about the disease and the availability of medicines to enable him to live longer, Woodroof begins his quest, becoming an unlikely AIDS advocate, prolonging his life for another seven years and the lives of others. “In a way what was sad, true and beautiful, is that he really found purpose, a direction in his life, after contracting HIV. He found something to fight for,” McConaughey noted. “He had a lot of opposition. The disease tried to take his life, the FDA shut him down, and he had to peddle these drugs.” Beyond its condemnation of pharmaceutical-company greed and FDA buffoonery, Dallas Buyers Club is a story of redemption, made even more profound by the transformation of its booze-fueled anti hero. McConaughey revealed that he hadn’t heard of Ron Woodroof or the buyers’ clubs, but knew it was an extraordinary story upon reading the script. In preparation for the role’s intensive 30-day shoot, the actor reached out to fellow-Texans, Woodroof’s family, who graciously opened their home to the actor, sharing hours of recorded interviews, scrapbooks and even his diary.

“This guy never quit or let go,” McConaughey said. “His sense of movement and adaptability lent itself to the idea of never giving up. There’s that Texas side that says ‘I’m not listening to anyone’ and if you want something done well, then you gotta do it yourself — which is what Ron did.” McConaughey said he did more research into Woodroof’s character than he’d ever done before, but that’s because there was more available. Texas is movement, he surmised to director Jean-Marc Vallee, and attributed Woodroof’s joie de vive to geography. “Texans understand movement on a very literal sense because of the weather,” he said, “It changes from sunny and warm to cold quickly and they know how to adapt. I’m a lot about movement — even when I’m sitting still.” His philosophy on vital motion stretches back to his youthful days in the East Texas countryside. If the sun’s out, you gotta be outside, he said, and if the TV was on, Mom came in and turned it off. He remembers her advice, “Don’t watch somebody do it — do it yourself,” and admits that her “can do” spirit helps him with his job as an actor. A world traveler since a study abroad stint after high school, he feels comfortable in the big city, but explained it’s his childhood memories of playing outdoors that motivated him to move his family from Malibu back to Texas. “I’m very comfortable, perhaps the most comfortable in nature and being outdoors in the elements and a lot of that comes from how I grew up,” said the married father of three children. He married Brazilian model Camila Alves, the mother of his children, in 2012. “I wanted them to have some of those Texas values and the common sense that is more inherent in rural areas. That common sense comes from how we deal with nature.” After his initial success as a leading man in A Time to Kill, many of McConaughey’s films have broken the $100 million box-office mark, however since making his way into the indie film rabbit hole in the last three-years, McConaughey’s parted ways with blockbusters. With performances in Bernie, Killer Joe and Mud he’s earned heaps of

critical kudos, but the films have not translated into box-office revenue. His current trend in film choices reflects a fertile new era creatively, and perhaps, an ever deeper reverence for his craft. Not unlike most Texans, it’s about good work, not big bank. “The anti-hero or the bad-guy is so much fun to play because they make their own rules,” the actor commented on his recent penchant for grittier, sometimes grotesque characters. “I don’t always personally agree with the politics of the characters I play, but I don’t have to. I have my own morality and it’s not up to me to moralize my characters, so if I can play a part when it interests me — if it turns me on, if I can bring humanity to that character and therefore serve the story — then that’s what I’m going for.” He views acting akin to storytelling and weaving a good tale is an innate gift for Texans. He noted that when the shooting finished for Dallas Buyers Club he felt a bit lost after being in character for a month. McConaughey recalled a sense of seeing Woodroof from the inside out and feeling as if he had a clear ownership of his portrayal. “I was pretty secure that I was hittin’ it on the screws, to use baseball or golf terms,” he said. “Sometimes with parts, you think, ‘I hope they didn’t catch me acting.’ With this film, after I watched the first scene, all I saw was Ron Woodroof and that felt really good.” Never one to forgo his roots, whether hometown or cinematic, McConaughey is quick to share his affection for his Dazed and Confused character David Wooderson, and fans who still remember his famous lines. “My favorite fans and the funniest also, are the Dazed and Confused fans,” he said, “They don’t want an autograph or to get on the phone and call their cousin. What they’ll do is when I’m walking down the street somewhere they’ll approach and say ‘that’s what I love about those high school girls’ and keep walking. “To which, I follow up with ‘I get older, but they stay the same.’ I look back over my shoulder and they look over theirs and give me a wink or a wave.” CLM

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 9

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 m a g a z i n e Perk Coffee Co. in Mineola.

Hall of Fame county

line

Art & Espresso

Five New Popular Places Inducted Into Hall of Fame

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.

Hamburger Winnsboro. Best CoffeeBest 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.

“The best” is often debatable, but excellence speaks for itself. County Winnsboro. Best Live Music Venue Line Magazine established a hall of lmost always subjective, often depending as winning Winnsboro location: 328 E. Coke, 903.342.1210. fame for the places and people in Cripple Creek BBQPalace in Athens, Mack’s Split Rail in ersonal preference as on any objective criteria. Runners-up: Dairy here are the readers choices for the “Best of the Mineola. the Upper East Side of Texas that Best Malt/Shake Side of Texas” for 2008. Canton . Best Hamburgers Dairy Palace, Canton Best Breakfast Blue Bell ice cream, real milk, and 36consistently flavors including st as an opportunity to congratulate familiar Winnsboro Bakery & Café win in the annual (sausage, bacon, country ham, pork chops, moo-lennium crunch, chocolate chip cookie dough, d to explore new and interesting places in the All egg dishes Best Malt/Shake cream, cotton pecially in these days of thrifty “staycations” Benedict) prepared with two eggs and served with choice caramel pecan fudge, pecan pralines and “best-of” balloting. ong-mileage vacations. For the many excellent of toast (sourdough, wheat, rye) or biscuit plus choice of candy, and banana pudding along with basic vanilla,

eople and places voted the best in the region include from top left clockwise: Best B&B, Thee Hubbell House, Winnsboro (photo by Best Seafood, Four Winds Steakhouse and Best Chef, Frank Rumore (photo by Tom Geddie); Best Nature Walk and Best BirdwatchNature Preserve (photo by Gary Edwards); and Best Play and Best Small Theatre Company, Quitman Community Theatre. “Smoke ain” cast photo: Front row (l-r): Blake Durham, Keith Haisten (Best Theatre Actor), Donna Henderson, Bob Hibbard; second s, Shelby Salley, Ashlee Salley, Tara Moore, Michael Phifer, Ulna McWhorter; third row: Ann Norris, Cora Beaty (director),Gordon Rutherford; back row: Betty Stribley, Ted Beaty, Kelly McDowell, Becky Hibbard (producer), Randy Parrish, Ron Sheppard, Charlotte sy photo).

Crossroads Music Company

didn’t make this year’s finalists, there’s plenty nity to become better known during 2009.

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.

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.

Double C Steakhouse

The criteria are simple: win the same category three times, and Pie Best Catfish Best Chicken Fried Steak Best Edom Bakery & Grill AJ’s Lake Fork Fish House, Alba make the hall of fame the next Southern-fried catfish tops the seafood buffet that also All pastries and baked goods made fresh daily: pies, to complement includes fried shrimp, boiled shrimp, corn nuggets, cakes, cookies, muffins, breads, and more year. Four Winds Steakhouse

cue Barbecue, Winnsboro d- oak-smoked barbecued beef, pork ribs, ham, sausage meals with choice of two vegetables ns, potato salad, or coleslaw), and a drink runs Dine in, take out, or order a shipment right rstep via FedEx. Fourteen locations in Texas;

TY LINE MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2009

Winnsboro

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 Birdwatching

Moore’s Store

ben wheeler. Best Live Music Venue

Quitman Community Theatre Best Small Theatre Company

RC & Moon Pie Mural ben wheeler. Best Sign

Thee Hubbell House

winnsboro. Best Bed & Breakfast

The Shed Cafe

Edom. Best Pie, Best Waitstaff

Tom Perryman

KKUS The Ranch, Tyler.

Best Radio DJ

Tyler State Park Best Camping Spot

Winnsboro

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The five 2013 additions are Art & Espresso, Four Winds Steakhouse (for a second category), Moore’s Store, RC & Moon Pie Mural, and Thee Hubbell House B&B. Art & Espresso in Winnsboro won best coffee in 2012, 2010, and 2009. They moved to a historic corner building across from the art center this past year and continue to display artwork and create an environment with great vibes. They serve the best espresso with steamed milk or hot chocolate, cappuccinos, lattes, iced coffees, and more. Plus freshly brewed loose-leaf teas, light lunches, and desserts including Blue Bell ice cream and homemade pastries. 111 E. Broadway (Hwy 11), 903.342.3343. www.artandespresso.com. Four Winds Steakhouse in Wills Point made it into the Hall of Fame two years ago for winning the best restaurent in the Upper East Side of Texas for several years and this year they are being ushered in for their winning steaks which won best in 2012, 2010, 2009, and 2006. Steak entrees include ribeye with brandy peppercorn sauce, filet mignon, and New York strip. 21191 FM 47. 903.873.2225. www.fourwindssteakhouse.com. Moore’s Store in Ben Wheeler won

best live music venue in 2012, 2010, and 2009. They still feature live music Friday and Saturday nights ranging from country dance to bluesrock. The big stage is backed by a mural depicting an earlier era of Ben Wheeler’s history. Small dance floor. 1551 FM 279. 903.833.5100. wwwbenwheelertx.com. RC/Moon Pie mural in Ben Wheeler was voted favorite sign in the region in 2012, 2011, and 2010. Painted by Brent Hale in red, yellow, and other colors on the side of a restored 1940s grocery store turned ice cream shop and motorcycle museum in the heart of downtown, a smiling, freckle-faced country boy with his Moon Pie and big ol’ RC conjure seemingly simpler times of yesteryear. 903.833.1070. www.benwheelertx.com. Thee Hubbell House Bed and Breakfast Resort in Winnsboro won best B&B in 2012, 2008, and 2007. The Southern plantation estate near the heart of Winnsboro is nestled among 400-year-old oak trees and landscaped gardens. Period antiques furnish the rooms and common areas. Each room in the Mansion and the Carriage House is en-suite and has its own sense of inviting warmth (plus high speed wireless Internet). Get a full country breakfast – bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, pancakes, coffee, and orange juice – between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. or make arrangements for a more convenient time. 307 W. Elm. 800.227.0639. www.theehubbellhouse.com. These five join the growing list of excellent inductees that show off some of the best of the Upper East Side of Texas.

Best of the Upper East Side of Texas In its tenth year now, County Line Magazine’s annual survey to uncover the best in the Upper East Side of Texas just keeps discovering more and more treasures – a sign of the positive growth in the area and the many talented people that produce and prepare delicious food, open and maintain fun and interesting places in which to live and play, and entertain and inspire those lucky enough to witness the beauty of the region. This year’s winners represent a great selection of the best of 2013 in the Upper East Side of Texas. If your favorites didn’t make the cut this year, please do drop us line to let us know about them and we’ll spread the word.

Best Catfish

Best Bakery/Sweets

Villa Montez in Tyler. This Latin kitchen is located in the beautiful former Mansion on the Hill with multi-tiered landscaping and rhythmic architecture. Their fresh salsa is made with their own home-grown fresh herbs and tomatoes and is a crowd pleaser along with fresh tortilla chips. Raves on the rest of the menu are outstanding as well. 33424 Old Henderson Highway. 903.592.9696. www.villamontez.com. Runner up: Don Juan’s in Jefferson

Best Barbecue

Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q in Tyler. A previous winner in 2007, Stanley’s continues to take the popular vote regionally and state wide for their meaty, baby back ribs and other meat choices including brisket, sausage, pulled pork, hot link, and turkey. They have other choices for kids and also serve breakfast. This past year they added a full bar and bring in some of the best entertainment in the Upper East Side of Texas. 525 South Beckham Ave. 903.593.0311. www.stanleysfamous.com. Runner up: Bodacious BBQ in Tyler

Best Breakfast

The Shed Café in Edom. Known for decades as a great little out-of-the-way café, locals and visitors traveling from miles away enjoy the down-home country-fresh breakfasts that have choices including eggs, omelet, biscuits and gravy, bacon, sausage, chicken-fried steak and gravy, fresh cut rib eye, build-yourown burritos, hotcakes and more. 8337 FM 279. 903.852.7791. www.theshedcafe.com. Runner up: Caffe Tazza in Tyler

Best Salsa and Tortilla Chips

Best Chicken-Fried Steak

Cotton Patch Café in Longview. Their big chicken-fried “nation” steak (also available in a smaller portion for a lower price) is a fresh cut of choice beef, breaded by hand, deep-fried, and topped with cream gravy. Side choices include garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, fries, sautéed mushrooms, steamed veggies, fried okra, mac and

Best Coffee

Brady’s Coffee Shop in Tyler. Long a favorite hang out in Tyler, besides great art on the walls, this classic coffee shop offers the warm beverage made from fresh whole 100 percent high grown Arabica coffee beans and also sells them by the bag. Other items such as chocolate-covered espresso beans, teas, and goodies like dark chocolate orange brownies, pineapple muffins, and warm sticky cinnamon rolls are also available for purchase. 309 W. Rusk St. 903.596.0508. www.bradyscoffee.com. Runner up: Jacksonville Joe’s.

Best Hamburger

Hamburger Bar in Palestine. This one-of-akind café with a long bar complete with bar stools where diners can talk with the cook and wait staff, takes visitors back to a 1940s atmosphere (not because they were going for that, they just chose not to update). Staff is friendly and reviews boast about good burgers that bring diners back again and again. 502 N Tennessee Ave. 903.729.5353. Runner up: East Texas Burger Company in Mineola

Best Malt/Shake

Sunday Best Sandwich Shoppe in Atlanta. This little shop along a time-worn sidewalk continued Page 12

Holly Lake Ranch, Courtesy Photo

The Luscious Crumb in Mineola. Winning for the second year in a row, this specialty bakery strives for originality in its creations filled with real butter, real cream, farm fresh eggs, and other ingredients, offering cookies, cakes, brownies, brownie cakes, and more. The past year’s been busy for them as they were featured and won a grand prize in the televised Food Network’s Cupcake Wars and opened a new location at The Market at the Crossing on Old Jacksonville Highway near Fresh by Brookshire’s in Tyler. 903.881. CAKE (2253). www.thelusciouscrumb.com. Runner up: Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Lindale, and Greenville

Lake Athens Marina in Athens. Located on 28 acres of beautiful Athens Texas lake-view property, the restaurant at Lake Athens Marina sports a view with a getaway appeal and some mighty good hand-battered catfish with all the delicious trimmings. They have Homemade desserts such as coconut, chocolate, apple and cherry pies and wonderful Italian cream cake available by the slice or can be ordered whole to go. 5401 Marina Drive. 903.675.8686. www.lakeathensmarina. com. Runner up: Vaughns in Cypress Springs

cheese, black-eyed peas, broccoli, baked squash (in season) and broccoli-rice casserole. 1228 McCann. 903.236.4009. Runner up: The Shed Café in Edom

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BEST OF continued from Page 11 in Atlanta’s original downtown region, has a full-length old-fashioned soda fountain that takes visitors down memory lane as they sip on signature milkshakes. 122 East Hiram. 903.796.7955. www Runner up: Charley’s in Wills Point

Best Pie

Sadler’s in Jacksonville. Known for their homemade chocolate and coconut cream and delicious strawberry pies, this familyowned restaurant promises pie to satisfy everyone’s tastes. They sell by the slice and by the pie. They also have Italian cream cake, pumpkin cheesecake, and more. 101 South Bonner St. 903.589.0866. www.sadlersrestaurant.com. Runner up: Kitt’s Kornbread Sandwich & Pie Bar.

Best Pizza

Val’s Italian Restaurant & Pizza Place in Canton. Homemade deliciousness in every bite, they offer a variety of styles including New York, deep-dish Sicilian, cheese, supreme, a white pizza with ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, veggie pizza, meat, and calzones. All the regular toppings are available and then some. Great salads are also available here and guests are welcome to BYOB. 116 S. Capitol St. 903.567.3388. Runner up: The Forge in Ben Wheeler.

Best Produce

Athens Farmers’ Market. Setting up in downtown Athens every Saturday from 8 a.m. to Noon are some of the best farmers in the region with locally-grown foods

and farm products as well as locally handmade items. Visitors will find chemical-free peaches, gourmet heirloom vegetables and melons, squash, onions, watermelons, cantaloupe, tomatoes, potatoes, fresh breads, sauces, cheeses, desserts, and more. They’re open May-October and off season in conjunction with Canton’s First Monday Trade Days. Corner of Larking and N. Hwy 19, 212 N. Palestine. athenstxfm@gmail.com. Runner up: Sulphur Springs Farmers Market

Best Restaurant

Liefie Li Vine in Winnsboro. Great ambience indoors and outside on a cozy, covered patio, this location fuses the familiar friendly atmosphere of small-town Texas with the taste of South African culture and cuisine. The menu includes exotic salads and tapas, panini and ciabatta sandwiches, a South African beef sausage sandwich, and homemade soups. Entrees include prime rib, smoked chicken in white wine sauce in home baked bread, beef curry, and Alaskan salmon. Delicious desserts and an excellent wine selection complete a one-of-a-kind dining experience. 302 N. Main. 903.347.1111. www.liefie.us. Runner up: Villa Montez in Tyler.

Best Salad

Zanata in Rockwall. In the heart of historic downtown Rockwall, Zanata offers a spacious dining area around a central open kitchen with two wood-burning ovens and a full bar. Their bruschetta salad with avocado, cherry tomato, mozzarella, bacon, and toasted ciabatta is a favorite. Others to choose from include spinach and gorgonzola, Caesar, steak salad, crab salad and ca-

Shrimp Pasta, Johnny Cace’s, Longview.

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prese salad with fresh mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, basil pesto, and aged balsamic. 202 E. Rusk St. 972.722.2822. www.zanatas. com. Runner up: Pete’s in Mount Pleasant

Best Sandwich

Kitt’s Kornbread Sandwich & Pie Bar in Jefferson. These amazingly delightful sandwiches are made with cornbread instead of all those other breads most other sandwich shops use. Fillers include ham, turkey, cheese, corned beef, Texas chili, fried bologna, vegetarian, pastrami, and bacon and trimmings including lettuce, tomato, mayo, red onion, and more. Kitt’s also specializes in great homemade pies. 125 N. Polk St. 903.665.0505. www.kittskornbread.com. Runner up: Railway Café in Athens.

Best Seafood

Johnny Cace’s Seafood & Steakhouse in Longview. A previous winner in 2011, this remains one of the all-time favorite places in the region to consistently get great seafood in a friendly environment. Serving New Orleans-style Creole cuisine at lunch and dinner for more than 60 years, they feature family recipes in the wide-ranging menu that included crawfish-shrimp etouffee and shrimp Newburg, catfish topped with crawfish etouffee, crawfish tails and petite shrimp, shrimp pasta, and sea scallops plus appetizers and oysters. 1501 E. Marshall Ave. 903.753.7691. www.johnnycaces.com. Runner up: Wade’s Place in Chandler

Best Steak

Five D Cattle Company Steak House and Meat Market in Avinger: A dinner-only place, the menu features top quality aged beef carefully selected, trimmed, cut, and prepared for the customer. Menu items – served with fresh baked bread and choice of two sides or a garden salad and one side – include various sizes of rib-eye, T-bone, porterhouse, filet mignon, and flat iron steaks plus barbecue, grilled fresh salmon, pork chops, chicken, and of course chicken-fried steak. They now sell and serve beer and wine and have a full bar. No. 8 Main. 903.562.1291, www.fivedcattle.com. Runner up: Kiepersol Estates Restaurant in Tyler/Bullard.

Best Tex-Mex

Carlito’s Mexican Restaurant of Longview. Menu includes chili relleno, flautas, tostados de Leon, chimichangas, fajitas, chili verde con carne, enchiladas (Texas, green, spinach, sour cream, tricolor, shrimp and crawfish), burritos, quesadillas, and more. A full membership bar is available. 903.236.6855. www.carlitosoflongview.com. Runner up: Ochoa’s in Canton

Kiepersol Estates Cellars. Keipersol makes their wines in vineyards south of Tyler. They have three off-site locations where they offer wines and entertainment. KE Cellars in Tyler is located in the French Quarter in Tyler and is a European-style boutique winery housing a tasting room, nightly music, gift shop, and a wine processing area. In downtown Rockwall, KE Cellars partners with restaurants Zanata and El Cayote Rojo to enjoy at the winery with the delicious KE wines. The Lindale location on Highway 69 at Interstate 20 is in the historic MilburnGary House near Cracker Barrel restaurant. The wines include moscato, white zinfandel, pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, viognier, mengsel, syrah, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, and port. 903.894.8995. www.kiepersol.com. Runner up: Tara Winery in Athens

Best Afternoon Stroll

Ben Wheeler. A previous winner for this category, the little town that could hosts a variety of food, drinks, shopping, and entertainment within a tiny block of Farm to Market road 279 in southeast Van Zandt County. Two restaurants – Moore’s Store and The Forge –feature quality, selective sandwiches, pizza, salads and specials menus, full bars, and live music. Retail shops carry handcrafted art, embroidered linens, American-made novelty items, and more. 903.833.1070. www. benwheelertx.com. Runner up: Downtown Jefferson

Best Annual Event

Blueberry Hill Farms’ Pick’n Edom. Pick your own blueberries and enjoy the country store with blueberry lemonade, fresh peaches, jams, salsas, a bakery and more. The event lasts from around June 1 through the end of July bringing in more than 5,000 visitors each season from around Texas and nearby states to enjoy this truly unique experience on the farm and in nearby Edom. It’s been featured on Texas Country Reporter and in numerous other TV programs and magazines. 10268 FM 314. 903.852.6175. www. blueberryhillfarms.com. Runner up: Dairy Air Festival in Sulphur Springs

Best Antique Store

Wagon Wheel Antique Mall in Murchison. This 12,000 square foot facility features one of the largest assortments of antique furniture and collectibles in the Upper East Side of Texas. A variety of items are continuously collected by antique dealers including vintage and retro collectibles, distinctive decorative items, and original art of all genres to name a few. The treasure-filled facility is

open year round, seven days a week. 7150 Texas 31. 903.469.4321. www.wagonwheelantiquemall.com. Runner up: Beauweevil’s in Winnsboro

Best Art Gallery

Regional Arts Center in Texarkana. The Texarkana Regional Arts & Humanities Council manages the fabulous 1909 old courthouse building that houses visual art exhibits year round. Amazing talent of local, regional, and national artists are beautifully displayed in multi-level galleries. They host an annual regional juried student show and an adult exhibition as well. The arts center sits among Texarkana’s Arts District where visitors find murals of famous jazz musician Scott Joplin and numerous others on walls and utility closets throughout the neighborhood. 321 W. 4th St. Corner of W. 4th and Texas Blvd. 903.792.8681. www.trahc.org. Runner up: Longview Museum of Fine Arts

Best Attraction

structure must be more lit than the inside. This bathroom has no lights on the inside and in order to see at night, LED lights were placed on the outside of the structure, for the illusion to remain. 903.885.5614. www. visitsulphurspingstx.org. Runner up: Texas State Railroad

Best Bed & Breakfast

Horseshoe Inn B&B in Jacksonville. Nestled in a quiet cove on beautiful Lake Jacksonville, this little piece of heaven offers a laidback atmosphere for a great getaway. Relax and do nothing or enjoy walking, boating, swimming, fishing, and stargazing. Two guest rooms are available both opening onto a deck overlooking a serene inlet of the lake and feature private bathrooms, mini kitchens, and daily breakfast. 2760 Horseshoe Circle. 903.51.2127. www.horseshoeinnbedandbreakfast.com. Runner up: Holly Hill Homestead near Jefferson

Best Birdwatching

Sulphur Springs’ Glass Restroom. Gaining much national attention this past year, Sulphur Springs has one of the only seethrough public restrooms in the world — built with one-way mirrors so people inside can see out, but those outside cannot see in. This functional art was partly inspired by an Italian art piece, Monica Bonivicini’s ‘Don’t Miss A Sec’ from 2004, which was on display outside an art museum in Switzerland. The structure was initially part of the overall exhibit, but when construction workers began using the glass bathroom, the idea of “functional art” evolved. In order for the illusion to work properly, the outside of the

Cedar Creek Lake. The lake boasts three islands managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as wildlife management areas for aquatic birds. The sites are open for day use. From the intersection of CR 2104 and SR 334 in Seven Points, go east on SR 334 for approximately 2.3 miles to Bird Island (south side of bridge), which is located between Seven Points and Gun Barrel City on Cedar Creek Lake. Visitors may view birds from a boat (rentals available nearby), but beaching on the islands is prohibited because of conservation efforts to minimize disturbance to breeding water birds. Huncontinued Page 14

Liefie Li Vine, Winnsboro. Photo by Patti Light

Best Winery

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BEST OF continued from Page 13 dreds to thousands of cattle egrets, snowy egrets, black-crowned night-herons, great egrets, tricolored herons, and cormorants congregate and nest here. The birds use every available space in the trees to nest. Using binoculars, visitors can observe the wonder of hundreds of nesting water birds. Other species to look for include great blue heron, mallard and turkey vulture, and a variety of ducks during winter months. 903.389.7080. www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wildlife/ wildlife-trails/pineywoods/east. Runner up Greenwood near Clarksville

Best Bookstore

Beauty and the Book in Jefferson. 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. Some off shoots of the store include The Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys book clubs; book signings with the likes of Kinky Friedman, Rue McClanahan, Pat Conroy, Fannie Flagg, and supermodel Paulina Porizkova; Girlfriend Weekend; the Great Big Ball of Hair Ball and the Pulpwood Queen Film Festival. 608 North Polk. 903.665.7520. www.beautyandthebook.com. Runner up: Winnsboro Emporium

Best Camping Spot

Caddo Lake State Park in Karnack. Features thick bald cypress trees and a tangle of aquatic plants amidst other lush vegetation. The lake

is a maze ofsloughs, bayous and ponds. The park affords excellent access to diverse fishing on the lake. In addition to camp sites there are quaint cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Activities include camping, hiking, paddling trails, picnicking, nature study, fishing, and boating. 245 Park Road 2. 903.679.3351. www.tpwd.state.tx.u/ state-parks/caddo-lake. Runner up: Lake Bob Sandlin State Park near Pittsburg

Best County Courthouse

Hopkins County Courthouse in Sulphur Springs. Not surprisingly this is the third time this outstanding structure won this category. Built in 1895 and restored, the Romanesque Revival, pink granite and red sandstone structure is a Texas and national historic landmark occupying the northeast corner of the spacious town square. Massive Roman arches at the entrances are topped by second-story porticos which are crowned by third-story open porches. The courthouse, designed by J. Riley Gordon, received the East Texas Historical Association 2005 Lucille Terry Historical Preservation Award. Downtown. 903.438.4006, www.hopkinscountytx.org. Runner up: Cherokee County in Rusk

Best Décor

Two 0 Five in Kilgore. Fine home furnishings are beautifully displayed including furniture, lighting, and art in contemporary, transitional, and traditional styles. A true treasure in the Upper East Side of Texas. 205 North Kilgore St. 903.984.4710. www.shop205.com. Runner up: Paul Michael in Canton

Best Fishing Guide

BigCrappie.com. A full-time fishing guide and instruction service on Cedar Creek Lake specializing in crappie, white bass and hybridstriper. They provide fishing equipment and top of the line electronics operating in multiple guide boats and run hundreds of trips a year. 903.288.5798. www.bigcrappie.com. Runner up: Lake Fork Fishing Adventures

Best Fishing Hole

Monticello Cove on Lake Bob Sandlin near Pittsburg. Said to be like its own little lake and one of the better spawning coves protected from the wind, the lake is known for its bass fishing and features Lake Bob Sandlin State Park, a 639.8-acre park located on the heavily-wooded shoreline. 903.572.5531. www. tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/lake-bob-sandlin. Runner up: Lake Tawakoni

Best Getaway Retreat

The Inn at Tara Winery in Athens. Offering a unique vineyard and winery resort-style experience, the turn-of-the-century minimansion was once owned by Clint Murchison, the founder of the Dallas Cowboys. The majestic house has the original wood moldings, floors and grand wood interior doors, and very high ceilings. The grand staircase in front of the structure is made from the original brick from the fireplaces. The Inn is located on the first hilltop of the Tara estate and set high among the sprawling Blanc Du Bois grapevines, a view from every spacious balcony and window. It has four lovely private rooms and two bathrooms have jacuzzi tubs. There are no phones. There is one TV and one pool table. Guests enjoy a complimentary winery tour and tasting and pampering by the Tara team. Enjoy fine dining experience at the Cellar Door. The Cellar Door is just a short stroll through the vineyard and is located at the winery. 8603 County Road 3914. 903 675-7023. www. tarawinery.com

Best Gift Shop Hilton Rockwall. Photo by P.A. Geddie

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Pink Pistol Texas Wine Bar & Gift Shop in Lindale. Opened by country singer Miranda Lambert just a few months ago “for the wild at heart,” the shop offers Lambert’s wines and her signature Pink Pistol gear along with other hand-selected gift items including fairy dust, t-shirts, pink cowboy boots and more. 100 E. Hubbard. 903.882.9305. Runner up: Sweethearts in Wills Point

Best Golf Course

Twin Lakes in Canton. One of the top golf facilities in Texas this challenging layout is surrounded by a thousand-acre tree farm and

Best Historic Building

Mineola Depot and Railroad Museum. Through a remodel in 1951 and restoration in 2006, Mineola’s historic train station today captures the look of the original 1906 building. The restored brick depot is painted beige and is trimmed in green. Large metal brackets support an overhanging roof. Other improvements to the site include new signage, parking, fencing, landscaping, and bicycle racks. The depot now features a Museum of Railroad Memorabilia as well as a restored caboose on the grounds. The building is part of the Mineola Transportation Plaza. It won the “Best Building Restoration” award from the Texas Downtown Association in 2006. It is a designated daily stop for the passenger Amtrak Texas Eagle train. 115 East Front Street. 800.669.8509. www.mineola.com. Runner up: Gregg County Historical Museum in Longview

Best Hotel

Hilton Inn in Rockwall. The Hilton hotel overlooks beautiful Lake Ray Hubbard and The Harbors shopping and dining complex and offers fine dining along with exquisite rooms, conference centers, and a userfriendly lobby area and store. 2055 Summer Lee Drive. 214.771.3700. www.hilton.com. Runner up: Hotel Fredonia in Nacogdoches.

Most Improved Small Town

Mineola. This last year Mineola added Big Foot to their annual Nature Fest and big improvements to other festivals and all over town. Their farmers’ market is growing and they began holding music on the streets every Saturday, rain or shine, and the Mineola Nature Center continues to grow and inspire locals and visitors alike. Beer and wine is now available at select events, restaurants and local stores. The biggest news perhaps is that that the Mineola Downtown Historic District is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places, which fits well with their heritage tourism efforts. Mineola is preserving and creating new history in the Upper East Side of Texas every day. Visit the Mineola Historical Museum at 114 Pacific/Hwy. 69 to learn more. 800.MINEOLA. www.mineola.com. Runner up: Linden

Best Lakeside Living

The Peninsulas on Lake Bob Sandlin. This private waterfront community wrapped up in

the beauty of the Upper East Side of Texas offers expansive, tree-lined home sites with convenient lake access. Boathouses and private docks are welcome for storing boats in all seasons. Residents have access to an assortment of luxurious waterfront amenities including the private lake, beautiful pavilions, beach club, and pool. 877.9.LAKESIDE. www.thepeninsulas.com. Runner up: Long Cove on Cedar Creek Lake

Best Nature Walk

Music City Texas Theatre in Linden. The converted 1950s-era American Legion Hall now hosts great live music performances in the tiny town of Linden, a town that’s given birth or helped to raise such music legends as Scott Joplin, T-Bone Walker, Richard Bowden, and Don Henley. Some of their past performers include Jackson Browne, Bugs Henderson, T. Graham Brown, Hickory Hill, Tommy Alverson, John Anderson, Charlie Robison, Billy Joe Shaver, J.D. Souther, Jo-El Sonnier, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and many more. 108 Legion Street. 903.756.9934. www.musiccitytexas.org. Runner up: Southern Junction in Rockwall

Trail de Paris. In the heart of Paris, serenity is found on the Trail de Paris, a gently curved route from 12th SE Street, winding east under a beautiful living canopy of trees over Loop 286 to the Paris city limits. The trail promotes recreational, educational, and civic opportunities providing a safe place to walk, run, or ride bicycles, and is handicapped accessible. Established near the center of the corridor is the butterfly/ hummingbird garden that thrills patrons with its floral display in blooming seasons. A nursery of Monarch chrysalises has adorned the monuments located there in the past. This is one of many places on the trail offering photographic scenery. The trail goes through 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. www.paristexas.com. Runner up: East Texas Arboretum in Athens

Best Museum

Best Park

Best Live Music Venue

East Texas Oil Museum in Kilgore. A tribute to the independent oil producers and wildcatters, the East Texas Oil Museum is a fabulous display and authentic re-creation of oil discovery and production in the early 1930s from the largest oil field inside U.S. boundaries. Relive the East Texas oil boom days in the life-size Boom Town USA exhibit. Hwy. 259 at Ross St. 903.983.8295. www.easttexasoilmuseum.com. Runner up: Longview Museum of Art

Governor Jim Hogg City Park in Quitman. Encompassing 26.7 acres, the park honors Texas’ first native-born governor and has three museums. There’s the Stinson House build in 1869 that belonged to Governor Jim’s wife Sallie’s parents which is now also part of the Quitman Arboretum & Botanical Gardens with walking trails, rose and flower gardens, a gazebo, and continued Page 16

The Peninsulas. Courtesy Photo

picturesque scenery with two lakes, a friendly staff, well-equipped pro shop, practice facilities and a great bar and grill. 300 VZ County Road 4205. 903.567.1112. www.twinlakesgolfcourse. com. Runner up: Sulphur Springs Country Club

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BEST OF continued from Page 15 a turn-of-the century bridge. The Honeymoon Cottage is the early home of the couple and features original furnishings, while the Ima Hogg (that is correct) Museum, named for the Hoggs’ only daughter, houses Northeast Texas and family memorabilia. Facilities include picnic sites, pavilions, restrooms, and playground. The park has RV sites with water, electricity, and sewer, and cable TV. 518 S. Main. 903.763.4411. www.quitmantx.org/park.htm. Runner up: Bergfeld Park in Tyler

Best Performing Arts Center

Perot Theatre in Texarkana. The stunning Perot Theatre in downtown Texarkana is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Much of the restoration costs were contributed by native son H. Ross Perot in memory of his parents, Lula May and Gabriel Ross Perot. The theatre annually hosts the Perot Theatre Series as well as numerous performances through the year managed by the Texarkana Regional Arts & Humanities Council. Upcoming performances include the Broadway musical Beauty and the Beast, Moscow Festival Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty, and performances of The Miracle Worker and The Addams Family. Past shows include Don Williams, Sinbad, The Midtown Men, B.B. King, Clint Black, and many more. 3rd & Main. 903.792.4992. www. trahc.org. Runner up: Cowan Center in Tyler

Best Retirement Community

Winnsboro. This community offers small-town appeal and plenty to do downtown and in the beautiful surrounding area that includes seven lakes in the forests of Northeast Texas.

Winnsboro is a thriving Main Street community with shopping and dining, festivals and other annual events and frequent live music, an arts center, day spa, and active community organizations. 903.342.3666. www.winnsboro. com. Runner up: Paris

Best RV Park

Barefoot Bay Marina & RV Park on Lake Bob Sandlin near Pittsburg. A family-friendly waterfront resort, the marina has a full service convenience store and sports bar, 40 covered wet slips, 80 RV spaces with men’s and women’s restrooms, 6 cabins and a boat ramp. They have RV supplies and offer free air and water. They have a beach and swimming area, fishing areas and pier, sand volleyball and horseshoe pits. The store has hot food, beer, wine, ice, drive up and dock side gas and all major convenience items as well as fishing tackle. 5244 FM 1520. 903.238.6194. www.barefootbaymarina. Runner up: Fernbrook RV Park in Longview

Best Scenic Drive

Davey Dogwood Park and surrounding area in Palestine. Enjoy the delicate beauty of the dogwood trees in Davey Dogwood Park and the surrounding area during season and 700 acres of pine and hardwood trees offering scenic drives leading to lakes with fishing, boating, and picnicking. Sumac, yaupon, and sweet gum trees add accents of brilliant color during autumn. 903.723.3014. www.visitpalestine.com. Runner up: Caddo Lake State Park

Best Sign

Music City Texas Fiddle Mural in Linden. Painted by Brad Attaway in downtown Linden,

Mineola Train Depot. Courtesy Photo

16 • CountyLineMagazine.com • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

the mural depicts a 90-foot violin adorned with a yellow rose and “Welcome, Music City Texas.” Runner up: The Peninsulas at Lake Bob Sandlin.

Best Slogan

A Straight Shot to Cedar Creek Lake for Gun Barrel City. A clever take off from the town’s name and its logo with two Texas and star-stamped pistols, Gun Barrel City got its name during the 1920s and 30s when outlaws frequented the area. It was considered a safe backwoods place during Prohibition when the likes of Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker hung out in the area. Gun Barrel City today is a thriving community where many retirees from the Dallas region choose to take advantage of their access to Cedar Creek Lake. It is a Texas Certified Retirement Community and has received the Governor’s Community Achievement Awards. 903.887.1087. www.gunbarrelcity.net. Runners up: Edom – What a Trip and Mineola — Get Sidetracked Here.

Best Small Downtown

Sulphur Springs. Sulphur Springs is a thriving community in Northeast Texas where residents and visitors alike gather on the downtown square for special events or simply to stroll around the plaza or play a giant chess or checkers game. In season there’s a thriving farmers’ market on Saturday nights. A lighted, interactive fountain in the shape of the Texas star, illuminated with ultra violet light is a favorite with kids. The plaza includes the award-winning Hopkins County vintage courthouse and a stunning veterans memorial with granite walls, waterfalls, statue, benches, and even a kiosk where visitors can learn more about the veterans. Sulphur Springs also has an attraction that’s both whimsical and practical: one of the only see-through public restrooms in the world – built with one-way mirrors so people inside can see out, but those outside cannot see in. Several restaurants and shopping opportunities make this a great day trip or overnight getaway and a great place to live. There are nine hotels nearby, major lakes and recreational attractions, 3,000 acres of parks, museums, and an award-winning airport. Festivals, concerts, and other events are held regularly on the downtown square and at the Hopkins County Civic Center. 903.885.5614. www.visitsulphurspringstx. org. Runner up: Rockwall

Best Vacation Resort

Holly Lake Ranch in Hawkins. A recreational resort community on 3,500 acres set against a lush backdrop of pines, the resort hosts more than 20,000 vacationing guests each year. Ame-

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.

nities include an activity center, arcade, picnic areas, movie theater, playground, snack bar, canoeing, fishing, golf, hiking, mini golf, pedal boats, badminton, basketball, horseshoes, shuffleboard, tennis, volleyball, a hot tub and outdoor pool. 210 Golf Drive. 903.769.2138. www.silverleafresorts.com/resorts/holly-lakeranch. Runner up: The Villages on Lake Palestine

Winnsboro. Among his influences are Angus Young, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Rick Derringer, Hendrix and John Mayer. Joining forces with drummer Mark LeBlanc and bass player Mike Provencher the band plays all over Texas and beyond. 936.465.4460. www.tylerleniusband. com. Runner up: Diddley Squat

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.

8 • COUNTY LINE MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2009

Best Chef

Frank Rumore at Four Winds Steakhouse in Wills Point. A second and well-deserved win in this region for Chef Rumore, he 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. His specialties range from 26-ounce rib eyes with a brandy peppercorn sauce, pecan-breaded catfish, fried shrimp, and marinated grilled chicken breast served with fresh vegetables. There’s also the tomato mozzarella salad and New York-style cheesecake (with sour cream topping). 21191 FM 47. 903.873.2225. www.fourwindssteakhosue. com. Runner-up: Chef Phillip Strydom at Liefie li Vine in Winnsboro.

Best Local Band

Tyler Lenius Band. ETX Music Awards named him 2013’s Entertainer of the Year and Best Live Act and 2012’s Male Vocalist of the Year and he placed in 2013 Dallas International Guitar Festival’s under 20 category. Tyler, now 18, began playing guitar and writing songs at the age of 11 and is an accomplished singer/ songwriter/guitarist whose hometown is

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

Best Local Singer/Songwriter

Rafael Espinoza. This recent Berklee College of music graduate is an award-winning singer/songwriter/guitarist from Golden who performs with his band around the regiona and beyond to the delight of audiences everywhere. He performs original music deeply rooted in Blues and making a name for himself with his own sound. He recently won The Heart of Texas Blues Challenge at Antone’s in Austin competing against the state’s top Blues bands. He has a new album “Brighter Day,” his second, but first official full lenth LP with high energy, positive original music. www.rafaelespinozamusic.com. Runners up: Lauren Alexander

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;

Potters Brown in Edom. This year’s Best Artist is actually a team of artists that make up Potters Brown in Edom. In 1971, Doug Brown found three old buildings and two acres of land which thus began the Edom Craft Community. Soon, pots were made and fired. Doug’s wife Beth came to the Edom Art Fair in 1992 to sell the handbags and women’s accessories she designed and made. After falling in love with Edom and Doug, she moved there in 1993 and decided it was more fun to make pots and learn from a master potter. Downey Stephens is also found in the studio, working for Doug since 1982. All the pottery is handmade by this team. Doug’s years of experience, trial, error, sweat and tears created the jewel tones that are the trademark of the studio. Their pottery is made for people to use daily, to grace their table, homes and lives. 8287 FM 279. www.pottersbrown. com. Runner up: Cindy Fuqua.

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 Play

Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming by Quitman Community Theatre. This theatre group consistently wins favor from fans all over the region, Dallas and Fort Worth and beyond which got them entered into the County Line Magazine Hall of Fame. This play is the third in a musical comedy trilogy about the gospel-singing Sanders Family. Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in 1945, the production was chock-full of toetapping, uplifting traditional hymns and

Best Small Theater Group

Edom Civic Theatre. Organized in 1996, this is an enthusiastic group that’s produced many entertaining plays over the years and created the Edey Award to recognize acting skills in various categories as well as directing, newcomers, and special awards. They also award scholarships to local graduating seniors. Producing three plays each year and hosting other performances, recent plays include Christmas Belles, Southern Hospitality, and Welcome to Mitford. Located in the artists’ village of Edom, there are numerous shopping, dining, and lodging opportunities to round out an entertaining weekend in the country. Runner up: Jefferson Opera House Theatre Players

Best Theater Actor/Actress

Vicki Shaw. An accomplished singer, Shaw appeared in Quitman Community Theatre’s Sentimental Journey, Back To Broadway, and Return to Rock ‘N Roll. In addition to the lead role of Vera Sanders in Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming, she also performed as Lydia in Out of Sight...Out of Murder, and Princess in the County Line Magazine Best Play for 2012, Hats the Musical. Vicki has also written, directed, and performed in a Veteran’s Day USO Show, which she produces every year. Runner up: Keith Halsten for Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming with Quitman Community Theatre. CLM

Perot Theatre, Texarkana. Courtesy Photo

Best Artist

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.

winning Winnsboro location: 328 E. Coke, 903.342.1210. Runners-up: Cripple Creek BBQ in Athens, Mack’s Split Rail in Mineola.

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.

original songs and featured a cast of 20 performers, area actors, singers, and musicians. 903.967.2164. www.qctheatre.org. Runner up: Christmas Belles by Edom Civic Theatre

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 17



culture & entertainment

Check out the eMAGAZINE www.countylinemagazine.com for extended event listings.

Annual Eagle Fest Set For January 18

Rains High School in Emory hosts the 19th annual Eagle Fest, featuring educational displays, exhibitions and lectures about the American Bald Eagle. The event is set for January 18, with an alternate date of January 25 in case of bad weather. Admission is $2 per person and children age 6 and under are admitted free. The event offers guided bus tours and barge tours to Lake Fork. Barge tours are $25 per person and restricted to those 6 years of age and older. Barge tours are scheduled for 7 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and noon, and last approximately 90 minutes. Bus tours are $5 per person and depart from Rains High School at 9:30 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Tickets for the bus and barge tours are available online at the Rains County Chamber of Commerce website, www. rainscountychamberofcommerce. com/BARGE-AND-BUS-TOURS.html.

Downtown Jefferson Hosts Mardi Gras Upriver

Parades, live entertainment and more headline the 25th Mardi Gras Upriver in Jefferson, Texas, scheduled for February 28 and March 1-2. In advance of the parade weekend is the Queen Mab Ball on February 8 from 8 p.m.-midnight, with live entertainment by Side FX. Ball tickets are $40 per person and $325 for a table for eight people. The Mardi Gras Upriver weekend starts with the Doo Dah Parade, in which everyone is invited to dress in the craziest Mardi Gras costume and join in the parade. Revelers begin at Lion’s Park and weave their way throughout downtown, and arrive at the main stage for the Alley Dance. The Doo Dah Parade theme is “Light Up the Night.” The second day features live music all day by Michael Hix from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.,Ray Wylie Hubbard from 3-6 p.m. and Me & My Monkey, a Beatles tribute band, from 7-10 p.m.

The 25th Mardi Gras Upriver takes place in downtown Jefferson February 28 through March 2 kicking off with the Doo Dah Parade. Photo Courtesy of White Oak Manor B&B.

The motorcycle parade that afternoon begins at 1:45 p.m., followed by the grand parade at 2 p.m.

handcrafted wooden toys, fused glass jewelry, handmade soaps, cakes, jellies, and candles.

The final day includes live music from noon-4 p.m., a children’s parade at 2 p.m. and children’s activities throughout the afternoon.

There’s also a variety of fair food, live music, a pet-parade, a live auction benefiting the Edom Volunteer Fire Department, and a children’s activity area with pony and train rides, bouncy houses, karaoke, rock climbing, dance performances, and more.

A children’s carnival, arts and crafts vendors and food vendors are part of the fun all weekend. Mardi Gras Upriver is presented each year by the Krewe of Hebe, based in Jefferson. Vendor forms, brochure and website sponsorship forms and Mardi Gras sponsorship forms are available online at www.mardigrasupriver.com.

April in Edom Festival Scheduled April 12-13 The old-fashioned April in Edom street fair is planned again this year in – no surprise – April. Saturday and Sunday, April 12-13, to be exact, in downtown Edom. The street fair offers, from vendors all over Texas, a variety of handmade items including one-of-a-kind carved and painted gourds, hand-dyed yarns, stained glass,

18 • CountyLineMagazine.com • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

Saturday night also includes a classic car show along with a street dance featuring 1950s’ music. It happens 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with later hours on Saturday night. For more information, go to www.AprilinEdom.net.

Deadline Near For Annual Jefferson Quilt Show The 11th annual Jefferson Quilt Show takes place January 24-26 at the Cypress Valley Education Center at 120 East Austin St. in Jefferson. This year’s event is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on January 24 and 25, and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on January 26. Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for children ages 6-12. A three-day event pass is available for $9.

Quilt entries are accepted through January 3, and entry forms with complete rules are available online at www. jeffersonquiltshow.com. The white copy of the completed entry form should be mailed to Jefferson Regional Quilt Alliance, P.O. Box 316, Jefferson, TX 75657. Quilts should be delivered or shipped to the Cypress Valley Education Center in a sturdy box with one copy of the entry form attached to each item with safety pins. The shipping address is 120 East Austin St., Jefferson, TX 75657. In-person deliveries of quilts will be accepted from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on January 17 only. For more information on quilt entry, call Vicky Lovett at 903.755.2095 or emailvickylov49@yahoo.com. Vendor information is available by calling Edris McCraryat 903.926.6695 or email equilts@cobridge.tv.

Mid February - March

Mrs. Lee’s Daffodil Garden. Gladewater. 903.845.5780. www.daffodilgarden.com.

February 8

Bird and Nature Walk. Athens. Monthly Second Saturday bird watching and exploring the TFFC interpretive wetland trail and other areas of the hatchery. 9-11 a.m. TFFC Admission: $5.50 adults, $4.50 seniors, $3.50 children ages 4 through 12. Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, 5550 FM 2495, 903-676-2277. athenstx.org/things-to-do/bird-and-nature-walkfebruary-2013. Mardi Gras Upriver Queen Mab Ball. Jefferson. $40 single; $300 for a table that seats 8. Jefferson Transportation and Visitor’s Center, 305 E. Austin, 903-665-2672. www.mardigrasupriver.com.

February 28-March 2

Mardi Gras Upriver. Jefferson. Celebrate Mardi Gras at this festival that recalls the days when steamboats came up the river to Port Jefferson from New Orleans. Includes parades and live entertainment. Downtown. 903.665.2672. www.mardigrasuprivver.com

March 1-30

EVENT PICKS County Line makes every effort to ensure accurate information. However, information could change. Please call ahead before making plans. For more listings or organizations and activities and for a list of annual events in and around East Texas, visit countylinemagazine.com.

January 16-19

Pulpwood Queen Girlfriend Weekend 2013. Jefferson. Theme: Viva Las Vegas. Author panels, bookstore, silent auction, theatre, Great Big Ball of Hair Ball, film, festival, Silent Movie Night, and more. Members $250. Non-Members $350 for package. Prices for individual activities are available. Jefferson Visitor’s and Tourism Convention Center, 305 West Austin, 903.665.7520. 903-601-2725. www.pulpwoodqueen.com.

January 18 (Rain Date Jan. 25)

Rains County Eagle Fest. Emory. 903.473.3913. www.rainscountychamberofcommerce.com

January 24-26

32nd Annual East Texas Outdoor Expo. Longview. Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Complex, 100 Grand Blvd. 903.237.1230.

January 24-26

Annual East Texas Gem & Mineral Show. Tyler. Minerals, fossils, and jewelry. Azalea Room, Tyler Municipal Rose Garden. 420 Rose Park Dr., 903.520.4085. www.tylerrosemuseum. com

Azalia Trail. Nacogdoches. Flower festival includes 25 miles of self-guided driving routes, floral-design exhibit, little princess garden party, azalea symposium and other special events. Visitor Center, 200 E. Main, and various locations. 888.653.3788, 936.564.7351. www. nacogdochesazaleas.com.

March 5-6

East Texas Oilfield Expo. Longview. Wednesday 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Complex, 100 Grand Blvd. 866.918.5550. www.easttexasoilfieldexpo.com.

March 7-9

The 1836 Chuckwagon Race. Neches. Three days of wagon races, pasture team rope, mounted cowboy shooting. Vendors with western tack, chaps, saddles, western art, custom-made hats. Food vendors. Horses, mules and wagons welcome. Daily trail rides and other activities. Concerts on Friday and Saturday night. a.m - 11 p.m. $20 per day. Diamond B Ranch, 11589 FM 321, 2 miles from Neches Post Office. 903-721-9111. www.1836chuckwagonrace.com.

March 15-16

Mineola Amtrak Wine Fest. Registration begins January 7. 800.MINEOLA. www.mineolamainstreet.com.

March 21-April 6

Azalea & Spring Flower Trail. Tyler. 903.592.1661. www.tylertexas.com/cvb/visitors. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 19

the arts

Check out COUNTY LINE ONLINE for our extended coverage of art news and events. www.countylinemagazine.com

Bird Sculpture Workshop Scheduled In Athens

Gallery 211 hosts a four-day Bird Sculpture Workshop during two weekends, January 25-26 and February 1-2. Sessions take place from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. each day and the tuition for this workshop is $250. John Guest teaches the basic foundation of armature building and working with oil base clays. Bird anatomy, aerodynamics and achieving the illusion of birds in flight are among the discussion topics. The workshop includes instruction and discussion about creating surface textures, feather shapes and types, as well composition of a sculpture. Students learn how to construct a strong armature that will support a bird’s extended wing. Each student blocks up an Eagle in flight, and students work from photos, drawings and taxidermy mounts. All materials and tools required to complete one bird sculpture are supplied for this workshop. The students need only to show up with a desire to play with clay. After four days of intense work each student gets to take his or her sculpture, additional clay required to complete the work and the tools used during the class. Sculpture stands are provided for the class and may be purchased for $75 each. The class is limited to 10 students. A deposit of $50 is required to hold a place in the class. Make checks payable to Art Matters and mail to 211 N. Palestine, Athens, TX, 75751. For additional information, call John Guest at 214.616.6680.

Diaz Part Of ‘Night At The Museum’

The Longview Museum of Fine Arts hosts “Night at the Museum” on February 22. The event features live painting by world-renowned artist Rolando Diaz,

“Durango” is a watercolor painting by Ron Bigony. A Native Texan, he graduated from Texas A&M Commerce with a major in Business and minor in Art. His major art influences arethe watercolors of Andrew Wyeth, Joseph Zbukvic, and John Yardley. He is represented by Frame Up Gallery in Mount Vernon. See more at www.fineartstudioonline.com/RonBigony.

accompanied by pianist Seth Simmons, from 7-8 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and dinner is served at 6 p.m. Diaz, a native Cuban-American artist, travels internationally with his art to Africa, Brazil, France, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria, Italy, Honduras, Guatemala, England and Canada, according to the biography on his website, www. rodiaz.com. A documentary about the artist, “Recapturing Cuba,” won two Sundance Film Festival awards. A silent auction and poker tables are part of the evening’s activities, and dancing and music by GOGA round out the event.

ARTS EVENTS Every Tuesday Red River Photo Club. Bonham. Photographers of all skills and experience meet to improve skills and share photographs and experiences. 6:30 p.m. Annual membership $24; $36 family; guests welcome. Creative Arts Center, 200 W. 5th,. 903.640.2196. www.creativeartscenter.us.

Every Thursday Art Talk. Marshall. Informal gathering of artists and art lovers to share, critique (if desired), and even work on art. 4 - 6 p.m. Free admission. Marshall Visual Art Center, 208 E. Burleson,. 903.938.9860. www.marshalltexas. net/Departments/Visual_Arts.

Tickets are $85 through December 31 and $100 after that date. Reserved seated tables for 10 are available for $1,200 through December 31 and $1,500 after that date. Tickets are available online at www.LMFA.org.

Art & Wine. Tyler. Showcase for a local artist every Thursday, Wine &amp; cheese &amp; fruit platter specials, full menu. 5 9 p.m. Free. Caffe Tazza. 4815 Old Bullard. 903.581.6601. www.caffetazza.net.

The museum is located at 215 E. Tyler St. in Longview. For more information, call 903.753.8103.

10th Annual High School Art Exhibition. Tyler. Tyler Museum of Art., 1300 S. Mahon., 903595-1001. www.tylermuseum.org.

20 • CountyLineMagazine.com • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

February 8 - March 9

www.VisitEdom.com

EDOM TEXAS

What a trip! Arts. Eats. Retreats

fl&

DRAGONHEAD RETREAT

B&B on 25 Wooded Acres at 675'

The FARM HOUSE retreat A Unique East Texas Experience Lodging, Weddings, Retreats 903.749.1682 www.farmhouseretreat.com

The Lodge (sleeps 9+) Cedar Cabin (sleeps 4+) Outside Living Area WiFi • Kid Friendly

TRINITY PINES RETREAT & WEDDING VENUE Weddings, Reunions, Retreats Vacation House Rental 214.478.8999 www.trinitypinesedom.com

903-520-2069 www.dragonheadretreat.com

ZEKE & MARTY

Potters Brown Studio & Gallery

Jewelry Studio Custom Orders Welcome 903.852.3311 www.zekeandmarty.com

Original Handmade Stoneware

The shed cafe

Voted #1 Cafe’ in East Texas 903.852.7791 www.theshedcafe.com

903.852.6473 www.pottersbrown.com

PINKS ANTIQUES & uniques

WOOD HAVEN CABINS Relax & Unwind

903.279.2308 www.woodhavencabins.com

Antiques Plants Yard Art Much More Little Pink Shop next to The Shed Cafe

903.852.7820

Blue Moon Gardens Perennials. Herbs. Garden Art. Gift Shop Open Daily 9-5

903.852.3897 www.bluemoongardens.com

SHOP. DINE. STAY. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 21

Photo by: Thomas Mosley

Prolific Texas Artist Billy Hassell is Featured in TMA Exhibition

ndo Rola diaz

You ’ r e I n v Ited to

at NIGHT

tHE

MuseuM S At u r dAY

February 22 5:30 Pm • dooRS oPen 6:00 Pm • dinneR SeRVed

215 e. tyler st. • lonGVieW, teXAs

Live

Pa i n ti n g by World renoWned Artist

Rolando diaz AccompAnied by piAnist

Seth SimmonS 7:00 to 8:00

dAncinG & music by gOga Silent aUCtion • PoKeR taBleS

Buy YourTickets now! $85 until december 31 • $100 After

ReseRved seATed TAbLe FoR 10 $1200 before december 31• $1500 After Tickets can be bought online at www.LMFA.org. For more information please call 903.753.8103.

New works by a Texas artist and environmentalist widely known for capturing the natural beauty of his native state on a grand scale are the focus of the Tyler Museum of Art’s next major exhibition Illuminating Nature: Recent Paintings and Works on Paper by Billy Hassell, openined in December and runs through March 23. The exhibition is in the TMA’s Bell Gallery. General admission is $5 for adults, and $3 for seniors and students, with group discounts available. TMA Members, children 12 and under, and Tyler Junior College students receive free admission. Organized by the TMA, Illuminating Nature features close to 30 recent paintings, lithographs and mixed-media creations by Hassell, an artist noted for his large canvases and vivid color palette – including several freshly completed pieces never before seen by the public. Many of the notable works in the exhibition highlight the Dallas native’s best-known subject of birds, such as Road Runner South of Marfa, a painting the TMA added to its Permanent Collection in 2011; and a woodland scene capturing the distinct character of the Tyler area, 2012’s Spring in East Texas. Hassell selected the exhibition’s title to illustrate the complexity of his creative vision, which throughout his more than three-decade career has blurred the lines between the literal and conceptual repre-

22 • CountyLineMagazine.com • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

sentation of the flora and fauna of Texas. “The title of my show, Illuminating Nature, is based on two meanings of the word, illuminate, the first being to cast light upon or clarify and the other to embellish – as when referring to the embellishment of a Medieval manuscript,” Hassell said in his artist’s statement. “In my work I do both – clarify nature as I see it – and embellish it by emphasizing colors and patterns that occur in nature.” Hassell has been the focus of more than 40 solo gallery and museum exhibitions since the early 1980s (including the Longview Museum of Art), and he has received numerous public commissions to create artwork for clients including Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, the University of Texas at Austin, and the Audubon Society of Texas. In addition to the TMA, his work is included in the permanent collections of the Dallas Museum of Art, Fort Worth Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston – and in the private collection of former President George W. and First Lady Laura Bush. The TMA is located at 1300 S. Mahon Ave. on the Tyler Junior College main campus off East Fifth Street. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call (903) 595-1001 or visit www.tylermuseum.org.

Enjoy Shopping, Dining & Entertainment in Historic Mineola, Texas in 2014!

Acoustic Music on the Streets EVERY SATURDAY!, Johnson St. Gazebo 11 a.m. BAKED POTATO FUNDRAISER FRIDAY, JANUARY 24 Benefits Mineola Historical Museum

Mineola Amtrak Wine Fest, March 15-16 HIGHWAY 80 PROGRESSIVE CAR CRUISE, March Main Street Farmers Market, Saturdays May - July Mineola May Days National Train Day, May July 4th Celebration NATURE FEST, October Iron Horse Festival, November

Mineola Nature Preserve 7a.m. until sunset

MAGICALLY MINEOLA CHRISTMAS, December

Mineola Historical Museum 114 Pacific St (Hwy. 69). Free. Open Thur, Fri, Sat 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

A m t r ak T e x a s Eag l e

Designated Daily Stop 1-800-669-8509 follow us!

1.800.MINEOLA • www.mineola.com

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 23



on stage

Check out www.countylinemagazine.com for our extended STAGE news and event listings.

Lake Country Playhouse, Tickets Go On Sale

University Blvd. 903.566.7424. www.cowancenter.org

Season tickets for 2014 are on sale for Lake Country Playhouse and the Lake Country Symphonic Band. Lake Country Playhouse season tickets sell for $40, while Lake Country Symphonic Band season tickets sell for $15

February 1 The Ten Tenors on Broadway. Longview. 7:30 p.m. 2100 S. Mobberly Ave. 903.233.3080. www.belchercenter.com.

February 7 Tiki Tiki Tembo. Longview. The popular Chinese folk tale of a young boy with a very long name comes to life on stage. $6. 313 West Tyler. 903-236-7535. www.artsviewchildrenstheatre.com

Call the box office at 903.569.2300 for additional information or to purchase tickets. Also, the DVD of the documentary about the Select Theater is available for $15 at the concession stand.

February 8

Lake Country Playhouse and the historic Select Theater accept Visa, MasterCard and Discover at the box office. Cash only is accepted for concessions. Lake Country Playhouse and the historic Select Theater are located at 114 North Johnson Street in Mineola. The website is www.lakecountryplayhouse. com.

One-Act Troupe Auditions Scheduled

Tyler Civic Theatre Center is bringing back the Acting Performance Troupe. Starting in January, students embark on a 19-week project preparing a oneact production to be a part of the nonprofit theatre’s 19th annual Youth Theatre Conference in Boerne, Texas, June 11-15. During the conference, students perform their one-act play in front of their peers, with the plays judged and critiqued by a professional, and watch 14 other student shows from across Texas. Students also have the opportunity to take part in several theatre-oriented workshops, and network with other young actors and performers in various special social events.

Ashley Murphy and Taurean Green perform with Dance Theatre of Harlem at the Cowan Center in Tyler January 23. Courtesy Photo

one-act troupe auditions January 14 and 16 from 4-6 p.m. Work begins January 23 from 4:15-6:30 p.m., adding Fridays from 4:15-6:30 p.m. by March, and Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. by May. The troupe participates in several fundraising opportunities to cover travel expenses, and a $150 non-refundable payment is required (if cast) to cover student entrance fees. The troupe also has an opportunity to perform the one-act play for a special three-day public run June 6-8 at TCTC to help raise additional money. For more information and to get a copy of audition sides of the show, please visit the TCTC website (www.tylercivictheatre.com) or call the box office at 903.592.0561.

STAGE event PICKS

Completing the conference is an awards ceremony recognizing all performing companies, including the selection of an all-star cast.

January 18

Justin Purser leads the troupe and is looking for eight to 10 talented young actors to participate in the inaugural

January 23

Brian Regan Live. Longview. 8 p.m. 2100 S. Mobberly Ave. 903.233.3080.www.belchercenter. com. Dance Theatre of Harlem — Believe Again. Tyler. 7:30 p.m. UT Tyler Cowan Center. 3900

24 • CountyLineMagazine.com • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

Super Saturday Workshop: FUN with Improv. Longview. Improv is a fundamental skill for actors. It encourages creativity, thinking on the spot, social skills, confidence, and fun. Ages 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent/adult who is encouraged to participate. Free. 313 West Tyler. 903-2367535. www.artsviewchildrenstheatre.com

February 13 Beauty and the Beast. Texarkana. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $66, $56, $46 with special $25 student tickets in the balcony. 903.792.4992. www.trahc.org. Million Dollar Quartet. Tyler. 7:30 p.m. UT Tyler Cowan Center. 3900 University Blvd. 903.566.7424. www.cowancenter.org

February 18 Moscow Festival Ballet in Sleeping Beauty. Texarkana. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $45, $37, $29 with half-priced student tickets in balcony. 903.792.4992. www.trahc.org.

February 20 The Official Blues Brothers Revue. Tyler. 7:30 p.m. UT Tyler Cowan Center. 3900 University Blvd. 903.566.7424. www.cowancenter.org Moscow Festival Ballet - Don Quixote. Longview. 7 p.m. 2100 S. Mobberly Ave. 903.233.3080.www.belchercenter.com. The Miracle Worker. Texarkana. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $40, $34, $26 with half-priced student tickets in balcony. 903.792.4992. www. trahc.org.

March 3 The Miracle Worker. Longview. 7 p.m. 2100 S. Mobberly Ave. 903.233.3080.www.belchercenter.com. Godspell. Tyler. 7:30 p.m. UT Tyler Cowan Center. 3900 University Blvd. 903.566.7424. www.cowancenter.org

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film

“Changing lives through education, outreach, & the performing arts!”

EVENT picks January 3

Calling Home the Dead. Nacogdoches. Presented by the Stephen F. Austin School of Art and Friends of the Visual Arts. This film, directed and edited by Jim Hill, tells the story of the villagers of Lake Pátzcuaro, Mexico, who lovingly clean and decorate the graves of loved ones with handmade gifts as they prepare for Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. A documentary by art student Kat Garcia featuring interviews with artists who created Day of the Dead altars for the exhibition is shown. 7 p.m. Cole Art Center, 329 E. Main St. 936.468.1131.

Productions • Camps • Classes • show choirs

ArtsView Children’s Theatre is indeed the home of “wide-eyed wonder.” We have created a place where the stars will shine for a whole new generation of children.

January 11

Independent Film: “Amexicano.” Edom. A man with little positive to say about illegal immigrants finds himself working with one in this comedy drama from director Matthew Bonifacio. Bruno (Carmine Famiglietti) is an Italian-American guy who lives in Queens, NY, and has lost his job. While Bruno has been looking for work, a steady job has been hard to find, and with his unemployment running out, he needs to start making some money. Someone arranges for Bruno to do some temporary work in landscaping and household construction, and he finds himself working alongside some of the Hispanic day laborers who wait every morning on Northern Boulevard looking for work. The film explores the relationship

between a blue-collar Italian-American man and an illegal Mexican immigrant as they both try to make a living. Winner of the 2007 Jury Award for Narrative Film at the Sonoma Valley Film Festival. Carmine Famiglietti, writer and actor, will be available (via Skype) for a Q&A Session at the conclusion of this screening. Rated PG For Language and Some Violence. $8. The Old Firehouse, 8241 FM 279. 903.852.2781. www.theoldfirehouse.net.

www.ArtsViewChildrensTheatre.com 313 West Tyler ~ Longview 903-236-7535

“...Where Acting Up is Always FUN!”

Live Music, Theater, Comedy and Movies! Downtown Tyler • 103 E. Erwin • Tyler, Texas 75702 a department oF the City oF tyler

January 25th at 8 p.m.

Card 53 & Fourth Wall

February 14th at 8 p.m.

 Casablanca

February 15th at 8 p.m.

Marcia Ball

February 22nd at 3 p.m.

Mary Poppins

February 28th at 7 p.m.

 I am Jack Children’s Theater

Million Dollar Quartet, 2010 Tony® award-winning Broadway musical, was inspired by the electrifying true story of the famed recording session that brought together rock ‘n’ roll icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins for the first and only time. It shows February 13 at the Cowan Center in Tyler.

For ticket information go to LibertyTyler.com

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 25



music notes Musgraves Receives Four Nominations for Grammys

Check out www.countylinemagazine.com for extended MUSIC news and event listings.

East Texas Talents Release CDs By Tom Geddie A veteran songwriter, a young newcomer, and a recent graduate from a prestigious Northeastern university are among Upper East Side of Texas musicians with new albums. The lines, as they often do, blur; the vet is releasing her first album, the young newcomer has been singing since she was a single digit, and the Berklee School of Music grad is an East Texas “boy” through and through. The vet is Heather Little, who lives in Lindale and has more than 200 songs to her credit including co-writes on two of Miranda Lambert’s hit songs: “Me and Charlie Talking” and “Gunpowder and Lead.”

Golden girl Kacey Musgraves received four nominations for Grammys, the award given by The Recording Academy to honor achievements in the recording arts and music community. Musgraves is nominated for Best New Artist of the Year; Best Country Album of the Year for “Same Trailer Different Park;” Best Country Song for “Merry Go ‘Round” which she cowrote with Shane McAnally, and Josh Osborne; and another nomination for Best Country Song for “Mama’s Broken Heart” performed by Miranda Lamabert and cowritten with Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally. Lindale’s Lambert is also nominated for Best Country Solo Performance for “Mama’s Broken Heart.” Chris Tomlin of Grand Saline is nominated for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album, “Burning Lights.” The Grammys are televised from the Staples Center in Los Angeles January 26.

Ellis Paul Concert Set for Henderson

The Lake Cherokee Concerts Series in Henderson presents singer-songwriterEllis Paul in Concert on January 12, 2014. Tickets are $20 each. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the concert begins at 7 p.m.

Little’s new – first – album is the quietly excellent Wings Like These. She shares mature songs in an appealing, often yearning voice, saying a lot in a few words. Her country songs are consistently exquisite and intelligent. It’s hard to pick a favorite among the eight songs that deal with bands of gold, wanderlust, and the lures of freedom and fear. Lest we think all of the songs ache, there’s also “The Rent,” a funny bit about a guy who wants a woman to live with him so she can share the rent and pay half the bills. And there’s the upbeat-sounding “Rope,” about a wandering man: “give him enough, he’ll be swinging from a tree, no more playing with the birds and the bees…if he wants some more, serve it up with a smile… gravity will do the rest.”

Little – her character in “My Whole Heart” – claims her younger days are gone: “what time didn’t steal, I just gave away.” Which brings us to the youngsters here: Jaden Farnsworth and Rafael Espinoza? Farnsworth, an 18-year-old from Canton who’s been singing she was three or so, has eight songs – all her own originals – on her brand new debut album, Heart Sing, dealing with love and love lost and yearning. Taylor Swift is an obvious influence, along with Colbie Caillat. She’s also influenced by Norah Jones, Grace Potter, John Mayer, Amy Winehouse, and old-timers including Frank Sinatra and Etta James, and others. Espinoza’s Brighter Day is a mix of traditional gospel (the slow-paced medley “Lord I’m Coming Home/Suppertime” with country, rock, old-style R&B, blues, and an extended bit of Dixieland. His passion for music at Alba-Golden High School led to Tyler Junior College and on to Berklee, where he was named one of the top jazz and blues guitarists in the school before his recent graduation. Over time, Little has carved her own country-folk style (with bits of soulful jazz and even rock). It will be interesting to see how Farnsworth and Espinoza carve their own styles, something that will set them apart from the hundred thousand or more other people in Texas making their livings – or wanting to make their livings – with music.

Paul is one of the leading voices in American songwriting and one of the top songwriters to emerge out of the fertile Boston folk scene. He helped create a movement that revitalized the national acoustic circuit with an urban, literate, folk rock style that helped renew interest in the genre in the 1990s.

folk. Though he remains among the most pop-friendly of today’s singer-songwriters - his songs regularly appear in hit movie and TV soundtracks - he has bridged the gulf between the modern folk sound and the populist traditions of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger more successfully than perhaps any of his songwriting peers.

His charismatic, personally authentic performance style has influenced a generation of artists away from the artifice of pop, and closer towards the realness of

The concert site is the fellowship hall at The Church at Lake Cherokee. 11968 FM 2011 East, just west of the intersection of FM 2011 and FM 1716, south of Lake Cherokee and about one mile east of the

26 • CountyLineMagazine.com • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

Silvey Bridge crossing. For ticket information, call Niki at 903736-9531 or email jollygreenpirate@aol. com. Checks and cash are accepted at the door, and attendees may bring their own beverage to the concert.

Tickets On Sale For January Bellamy Brothers, Tritt Shows

The Music City Texas Theater in Linden presents The Bellamy Brothers on January 18, 2014, and Travis Tritt on January 25, 2014. Reserved seating for The Bellamy Brothers concert is $35. Reserved seating for Travis Tritt is $65-$125. Howard and David Bellamy are best known for their 1976 No. 1 pop chart hit, “Let Your Love Flow” and their No. 1 country chart hit a few years later, “If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body (Would You Hold It Against Me).” They went on to record a string of 14 No. 1 singles in the United States alone. Their latest effort has been with guest artists from all genres of music recording vocals on over 20 of the Bellamy’s greatest hits. The release of “Angels & Outlaws Volume One” features such artists as Alan Jackson, Montgomery Gentry, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, George Jones, Tanya Tucker and many more, and proves these hits from the past still resonate today. Travis Tritt’s 1990 debut album “Country Club” and its succession of hits put him in the forefront of country music’s early ’90s boom. At the same time, his conspicuous lack of a cowboy hat and musical aggressiveness set him apart. The next eight albums and scores of hit singles led to more than 25 million in career album sales, two Grammys, three Country Music Association (CMA) Awards and a devoted fan base that filled venues coast-to-coast. In the meantime, following three years of well-received acoustic shows, his performance slate is full as he rolls out his new album “The Calm After.” In a press release, Tritt stated, “The odd thing is, and I can’t explain this, but I think I’m singing better than I did in my 20s and 30s. I know it’s not supposed to be that way, but there’s just a control that comes with maturity. Since we started doing the acoustic shows, people come up to me commenting on my singing or, more often, my guitar playing.”

For both shows, the doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the shows begin at 8 p.m. Music City Texas Theater is located at 108 Legion St. in Linden. A seating chart is available at the theater’s website at www. musiccitytexas.org. For more information, call 903.756.9934 between 10 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays.

The Five Browns In Concert At UT-Tyler’s Cowan Center

East Texas Symphony Orchestra presents The Five Browns in a performance on January 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the University of Texas at Tyler’s Cowan Center. Richard Lee and the East Texas Symphony Orchestra join the group and five grand pianos in a show featuring the music of Mozart, John Williams andGeorge Gershwin. According to the group’s official website (www.the5browns.com), “The Five Browns are delivering on their dream to wake up classical music by introducing it to the widest, largest and most excited audience they can find. Whether performing individually or together in various combinations from duo to complex fivepiano arrangements, The Five Browns reveal a deep connection to the intent of their material while bringing a fresh energy and dynamic character to the color and tonal spectrum of their sound.” Their website biography page also notes, The Five Browns – Ryan, Melody, Gregory, Deondra and Desirae – all attended New York’s Juilliard School and became the first family of five siblings ever accepted simultaneously. The group has released three CDs that each went to No. 1 on Billboard Magazine’s Classical Album Chart. Tickets range from $10-$55 and can be purchased online at www.ETSO.org or by calling 903.566.7424.

Blues Brothers Revue Set For Cowan Center

“The Official Blues Brothers Revue” live concert show comes to the Cowan Center on the campus of the University of Texas at Tyler on February 20 at 7:30 p.m. According to the show’s official website (www.bluesbrothersofficialsite.com), the show “combines the comedy and hit songs from the original 1980 hit film as

well as the five iconic albums released by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. “Featuring Wayne Catania as Jake and Kieron Lafferty as Elwood, The Official Blues Brothers Revue and their eightpiece intercontinental rhythm-and-blues revue band – including erstwhile background vocals from Precious and Ebonie Taylor, the niece and grand-niece, respectively, of the legendary Koko Taylor – pay homage to the humor, music and mayhem of the Blues Brothers and to Chicago’s rich musical history of blues, gospel and soul music. The show features all the Blues Brothers classics including “Soul Man,” “Rubber Biscuit,” “Sweet Home Chicago,” “Rawhide” and “Gimme Some Lovin’” among many others,” the press release adds. For more information on ticket prices and to purchase tickets, call the Cowan Center box office at 903.566.7424.

Great Music Scheduled at Old Firehouse in Edom

Tom Prasada-Rao performs at The Old Firehouse January 18. He is a performing songwriter of breathtaking vision. His rich, effortless voice belies his fine musicianship and extraordinary songs. Prasada-Rao’s music is melodic, ambitious, reverent, soulful and multi-instrumental. A well-regarded record producer, he is also a teacher of music, a creator of songwriting curriculum, and recently, a featured artist on the nationally syndicated television show, Troubadour TX. He will be accompanied by piano virtuoso Julie Bonk (teacher to Norah Jones,) and returning cellist Dirje Smith Childs. Returning to The Old Firehouse on February 8 Beyond the Pale lives up to its name, delivering a wild musical ride outside the boundaries of convention. Delighting audiences for more than 15 years, the band is grounded in the traditional roots music of Americana, Ireland and Northern Europe with imaginative ventures across musical borders. Expect the unexpected as fiddle, flute, hammered dulcimer, accordion, guitar, saxophone whistles concertina, mandolin and percussion conspire to hold listeners spellbound. Tickets for both shows are $12 advance and $15 at the door. The Old Firehosue is located at 8241 FM 279 in Edom. Reach them at 903.852.2781 and www.theoldfirehouse.net.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 27

bookmarks Fink wisely chooses not to pass judgment on either those involved, or those who could have done more to help. She instead tells a dispassionate yet riveting account with six years of hard reporting in the making. This is a book worthy of a place on anyone’s book shelves. Once you start reading, it is, and I hate saying this trite phrase, but here it is apt: unputdownable.

Just 2 miles south of downtown. Free wifi, fitness center, HBO TV, indoor pool, refrigerator/microwave in every room Sulpher Springs www.lq.com 1344 Eaton Dr. 903.885.8181

Fink’s work has us take a hard look, not only at the medical system, but our country’s response to disaster. Five Days at Memorial is not only an engrossing narrative, but should be required reading for those interested in becoming medical practitioners.

A relaxing, cozy setting with a variety of local Texas wines. Sit and enjoy the ambiance or amble through the shop area of unique items of clothing, jewelry, and home decor.

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Five Days at Memorial By Sheri Fink

Reviewed by Jeremy Light Although probably destined to be a Hollywood film, Five Days at Memorial is an excellent look not only at a harrowing, sometimes horrifying tale of American history, but also at the current health care system, political stasis, and medical ethics. Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her reporting of the events after Hurricane Katrina, Sheri Fink has woven together a narrative of astounding proportions. The book details the events of five days inside Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans. Much has been made of the federal government’s slow reaction to the disaster, but now there exists a story with a profoundly human face. And a disturbing look into the national psyche.

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Once the infrastructure had failed, and basic services and amenities quickly became scarce, health care professionals scrambled to provide quality assistance to patients. Also at stake were the fates of patients whose delicate conditions were determined by an exhausted and abandoned medical staff. Triage at the facility indicated that many patients were assisted in suicide, a practice which led to prosecutions in the ensuing months.

28 • CountyLineMagazine.com • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

LITERARY NEWS Franklin County Library Adds E-Books To Circulation The Franklin County Library has ebooks available to its patrons. The service began December 1 and was announced in the Mount Vernon Main Street Alliance newsletter. Patrons can check out books from Franklin County Library on an e-reader or other mobile device. The library has access to thousands of books to choose from. Those wishing to borrow e-books should go by the library, where the staff will set up an individual account with the library’s e-book provider. Those who have an Android or Apple device can download an app for use with e-books. Those using a computer or traditional e-reader must download software in order to use the service. Library staff will be able to assist with setting up a device. The Franklin County Library is located at 100 Main Street East in Mount Vernon. For more information and library hours, call 903.537.4916 or email library@mt-vernon.com. The library website is www.franklincolibrary.com.

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 poetry & prose Friend

Each morning with the rising sun, And at the close of day, Our friendship is there to cheer me, And help me on my way. It matters not to me, my friend, Which way the four winds blow, Nor will it change our friendship, Which way the rivers flow. Some friendships can be likened to The lovely Morning Star. They are always there to guide you And help you cross the bar. When your life down here is over, You start around the bend, Look back, you’ll see me coming. Please wait for me, my friend! Shirley Lollar Linden

My Nez She’s rain, she’s sun, She’s fire and ice Combined in one, Brown-eyed device Can turn a room, With her twisted smile Second glances, In denial

Pawpa’s House in the country

Heaven’s kiss, With devil’s wit Tear stained cheeks, I’ll never quit Leaves you breathless, Wanting more Wondering what, I love her for She’s my Nez... Chad Miller Greenville

county line M AGAZINE

Near Canton, Ben Wheeler, Lindale, Tyler, Mineola. One hour to Dallas.

Satellite • Wireless Internet • Washer and Dryer 1 queen bed • 1 full bed • Linens provided Inflatable mattress to sleep 2 additional people Jacuzzi tub • Hot tub • Fully equipped kitchen Handicap accessible • Beautiful star-filled sky Best East Texas sunsets • Wrap around porch with swing

1601 VZ County Road 1512 Van Texas 903.571.3620 • www.pawpashouse.com

c a l l

f o r

e n t r i e s

UPPER EAST SIDE OF Texas Poetry Contest

Winning entries are published in the March/April issue of the County Line in conjunction with National Poetry Month and winners receive certificates. CATEGORIES: Adult (18 & older), Grades 9-12, Grades 6-8, Grades 1-5 RULES: Contestants must live in Northeast Texas. One poem per entry submitted on one 8.5x11 sheet of paper, accompanied by the entry form to include name, mailing address, and parental permission for anyone under the age of 18. Students list age, grade, teacher, and school; use corresponding grade “age” for home schools. Poem must be original verse, any style,

40 lines maximum. Poems will not be returned so authors are encouraged to keep a copy. Entry form is available on line or by emailing info@countylinemagazine.com. All Entries Must Be Postmarked By Wednesday, January 29. EMAIL: info@countylinemagazine.com SNAIL MAIL: P.O. Box 608, Ben Wheeler, TX 75754 WEBSITE: www.countylinemagazine.com PHONE: 903.963.8306

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 29

FOOD & DRINK Lago del Pino

14706 County Road 1134. TYLER 903.561.5246 www.lagodelpino.com

Review by Jeremy Light Just on the outskirts of Tyler, on a quiet east Texas road, sits Lago del Pino, an “oasis in the countryside,” as the website puts it. The description fits aptly, as the restaurant serves as a warm beacon comfortably away from the bright lights of Tyler, nestled majestically adjacent to a 40 acre lake. And even though it looks like a place only the very wealthy can afford, rest assured, you can enjoy a great meal for a very reasonable price. It will be very tempting to simply enjoy the appetizers, which, actually is not a bad idea. But as there is so much to enjoy, pace yourself so you can make it all the way to the dessert. Depending on whether you are dining for lunch or dinner, you will enjoy different and delec-

table appetizers. The prime rib stuffed jalapenos are mildly spicy, crispy treats that would be perfect hors d’oeuvres at a Super Bowl party. Further, the bacon and bleu, though a starter you can get at most bar and grill establishments, rises above the fray of the average ba-

Best of the Upper East Side of Texas

con and blue cheese topped fries with a sweet balsamic reduction and parmesan cheese. You might be in the mood for something lighter, so you might try the poblano wedge salad or the exceptionally tasty winter pear and rosemary salad. That is a perfect accompaniment to the pretzel chicken sandwich. That might make a perfect meal itself. As far as entrees, take your pick. To be fair, I have not tried everything on the menu, but enough to see the wonderful variety. The atun, for all you seafood lovers out there, is a 6 ounce paprikaseared ahi tuna filet atop a perfectly cooked porcini mushroom risotto. Also, the pork chop and apple sauce is an excellent choice, both spicy and sweet. Fish tacos, prime rib enchiladas and the “brooks” cut ribeye are also perfect meals. Make it your goal to try everything at least once. It is worth it.

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

Located in a beautiful lakeside lodge at 21191 FM 47 in Wills Point, one block north of Interstate 20, Exit 516 Open Tuesday - Saturday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Available for Special Events

Reservations Recommended 903.873.2225 www.fourwindssteakhouse.com 30 • CountyLineMagazine.com • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

Dessert, I must be honest, was good, but not the best I have ever tasted. To be fair I only have tried the crème brulee, which was tasty, but the sugar on top was a little dark for my taste. A minor glitch on a perfect meal, though. Please make a special effort to visit Lago del Pino. Enjoy live music and a pleasant outside view of a serene lake. It is appropriate for the restaurant’s name to mean “lake of the pine” because both features factor in perfectly to Tyler’s ambience.

In the Kitchen with Artist Sally Wade from “Good Grub by Great Artists” by Zeke & Marty

Gnocchetti in Cuppio Open 24/7 Full Menu Breakfast Anytime! Hwy 19 near I-20

903-567-6551

www.dairypalace.com

Ragu-make ahead: 2 onions 1 green pepper 1 zucchini 2 large cans tomato sauce 2 carrots 2 large cans crushed tomatoes 2 celery stalks Olive oil to taste 3 cloves garlic oregano, basil leaves--ground 1 can black olives salt & pepper to taste

make a dough. Keep on adding flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Pinch off handfuls and roll dough into snakes as thick as a finger width. Cut snakes into ¾” lengths. Flour a fork, place a cut portion of pasta on the throat of the tines so that the gnocchetti is ribbed on one side and cupped on the inside.

Chop all vegetables to size you desire and sauté them in vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add spices while sautéing. Add all the canned tomatoes and tomato sauce. Simmer for an hour the cover and remove from heat.

Boil a plate full of the gnocchetti at a time in a large pan of boiling water. When they float to the top, remove with a slotted spoon, and add to the heated ragu. Repeat until all the pieces you have rolled are boiled and added to the ragu.

Gnocchetti: (start an hour before dinner) Chop 5-6 potatoes-boil them until soft, drain and mash. Add one well beaten egg to the mashed potatoes. Then add enough flour to

Pour mixture into a large platter, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and drizzle rich olive oil over the finished dish of Gnocchetti in Ragu and enjoy.

“Consideration of art history and philosophy has been a live long craving and enjoyment for me. Ancient Etruscan metal work, Viking shields, Chinese pottery, jewelry found in the ashes of Pompeii and myriad of other historical pieces are food for my art spirit.” Sally Wade

Good Grub by Great Artists is a cookbook by Zeke and Marty who visited 60 artists’ studios and kitchens shooting thousands of images and traveling nearly 15,000 miles to compile. The cookbooks are available for $24.95 plus $2.05 sales tax each from the couple at their eponymous Edom gallery, 8271 FM 279 or on their website www.zekeandmarty.com.

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Shop Jewelry Sales Help Build Memories By Tamara Stokes Danna Dickinson has sold fine sterling silver jewelry and bronze statuary in Texas and Oklahoma for more than 22 years. Her loyal customers know her from her home base in Arbor I during First Monday Canton Trade Days, and from the other major shows like An Affair of the Heart in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Customers who become friends of this petite, kind and soft spoken woman, find her warmth, genuine caring and personal service the reasons they seek her out among others that may sell similar wares. Her knowledge of stones, jewelry techniques and her eye for distinctive designs, are an assurance to her discerning customers that they are getting the real deal — from Dickinson as well as from the precious items they purchase for personal or home adornment. “Purchasing jewelry is such a personal and intimate process,” Dickinson says. “I want my customers to feel confident in the items they select. I enjoy providing beautiful things that people can enjoy, not only in their lifetime, but also as heirlooms that can be passed onto their children.” Dickinson says that early in her career, she was “an original picker,” driving throughout New England and Kansas shopping for the unique antiquities she sought for her first shop she opened in downtown Plano during the 1970s. She says that her focusing on the needs and tastes of her customers is the cornerstone of her success. It was also during this time that she moved to care for her aging parents, who had retired in Canton. “The jewelry business ended up being very rewarding — it was a wonderful addition to my life to share beautiful

Danna Dickinson enjoys helping her customers find just the right piece among her sterling silver jewelry offerings. Her shop is located in Arbor I during First Monday Trade Days in Canton. Photo by Tamara Stokes

things that also touched the lives of others and being at First Monday allowed me to have a base to stay and care for my parents.” Although there are pieces for every budget, Danna is known for her extensive collections by authentic Native American artisans and also a local Tyler artist, Lena, and her museum-quality, life-like statuary. She was the first long-term Canton vendor to offer the silver jewelry at discounted retail prices, which made it affordable for a broad customer base. Just as she is passionate about the jewelry business, Dickinson became passionate about carrying fine bronze statuary — focusing on children. She gets great satisfaction in hand picking the often whimsical pieces for sale in her booth. She shops the East Coast and New York foundries for the right pieces to display. They are great conversation pieces that draw both adults and children into her booth like magnets. “These statues are so lifelike and endearing they bring joy to the customers

32 • CountyLineMagazine.com • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

that are looking for something meaningful to put on display in their beautiful homes and gardens,” she said. Dickinson is an enthusiastic cheerleader for small town living. “I love living in Van Zandt County, and particularly, Canton. Where else can you have the benefit of the outsiders and the availability of just about anything imaginable once a month,” she asks. Although there are no signs of her slowing down, taking just two weekends a month off from her business, Danna plans to one day retire and stay in Canton. Dickinson sells not only to repeat customers but to their friends and families. It’s not unusual to see several generations of women from the same family come into her booth to shop. It’s become a family tradition, a place to share treasures in East Texas. Find Danna Dickinson in Arbor I-A, 91/92 during First Monday Trade Days or reach her at 903.520.2578.

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Living Room

: Home. Garden. real estate.

Master Gardener Training Set For Cherokee County

Those interested in learning how to keep yard and garden in top-notch condition, and how to best select plants, will learn these things and much more during Master Gardener training. Classes include Native Plant Identification with Greg Grant, as well as Annuals and Perennials with Dawn Stover and Permaculture with Dave Whitinger, just to name a few. The 2014 Master Gardener training for Cherokee County runs Tuesdays and Thursdays from January through April. The classes are held at the Courthouse Annex building in Rusk from 9 a.m.noon, with some exceptions for training courses in nearby locations for hands-on experience. The class fee is $95 and includes the MG Handbook and other class essentials. For more details, or to have the registration packet emailed, please call the Extension Office at 903.683.5416 or email Kim Benton atkim.benton@ag.tamu.edu.

Wilhite Landscape Reports Photo Contest Winners

Wilhite Landscape of Tyler recently held a photo contest asking for snapshots of favorite garden scenes. People voted for favorites among the photos uploaded to the Wilhite Landscape Facebook page. Barbara Jones of Longview won first place – a weekend stay at Mariposa Cabinin Edom – with her photo “Sadie in the Pink Daisy Patch.”

“Sadie in the Pink Daisy Patch” by Barbara Jones of Longview won first place in the recent Wilhite Landscape Photo Contest.

The second place winner, receiving a $50 gift certificate for Blue Moon Gardensin Edom, is Mary Dalrymple of Ben Wheeler, whose photo shows her yard with Bradford pear trees in autumn colors.

Founded in 1983, the company assembled the best landscape and horticultural team to serve East Texas customers to ensure total satisfaction. Their office is located at 13186 Highway 64 West in Tyler.

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For more information call 903.593.5975 and visit www.wilhitelandscape.com.

Wilhite Landscape offers a complete line of outdoor services for residential and commercial clients, including landscaping, lawn care, water features, patios, drainage systems, retaining walls, walkways, garden and holiday lighting.

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34 • CountyLineMagazine.com • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

HOME & GARDEN EVENTS February-March Mrs. Lee’s Daffodil Garden. Gladewater. Millions of golden daffodils scattered over approximately 28 acres. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Hwy 271 N. just south of Gladewater. 903.845.5780. www.daffodilgarden.com.

February 7-9 Home Product Show. Longview. East Texas Builders Association presents the annual Home Product Show featuring products for remodeling or for building new homes. Maude Cobb Convention & Activity Complex, 100 Grand Blvd. 903.758.6416. www.easttexasbuilders.org.

February 21-23 Home Product Show. Tyler. Presented by Tyler Area Builders Association. Harvey Convention Center. 903.561.3964. www.tylerareabuilders.com.

February 21-23 Harvey Convention Center Tyler, Texas

An unhealthy diet full of fried foods and high-fat content raises your risk for many chronic diseases. Increasing the number of fruits and vegetables in your diet can help add more years to your life and make those years better.

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Hwy 64 West, Tyler (903) 593-5975 www.wilhitelandscape.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 35

FEEL GOOD

Yama Yoga Wellness Spa Begins New Era By Terry Britt For yoga instructor Summer Smith and her Yama Yoga Wellness Spa in Canton, 2013 raced to an exciting and expansive close. Smith opened Yama Yoga in 2006 and saw steady participation growth in her classes since that time. But a desire to incorporate more health-and-wellness services – and encouragement to do so from many of her yoga students – led to the move to a larger and more visible property in Canton in mid-October. “Health and wellness have always been part of my life,” Smith said, “and the longer I lived here, the more I realized there was this community within Canton that is very open to holistic healing, including yoga…and the more the studio grew.” Great response to a new clinical hypnotherapy program which Smith began at the studio helped set the stage for housing a whole range of holistic wellness services and programs. The business name was changed to Yama Yoga Wellness Spa to reflect that expansion. “It is more of a wellness spa, not just a typical day spa, but a place with a wide range of programs and services with a holistic and organic background,” Smith explained. After two years at the corner of Farm-toMarket Road 17 and FM 1256, the yoga studio and all of the new services banded together at its new home at 1023 S. Trades Day Blvd., near CVS Pharmacy. A grand

opening celebration took place in November The new location includes a full-service hair salon offering cuts, color, conditioning and waxing. There are different tenants offering pedicures, makeup applications and eyelash extensions, organic teeth whitening and infrared sauna therapy. “Infrared sauna is a new therapy that has been fabulous for healing, pain relief, and wound and skin care,” Smith said. Yama Yoga Wellness Spa also offers massage, reflexology, nutritional counseling, life coaching and reiki. In addition, the spa houses an “eco-boutique” called A Little Green Heart, offering cosmetics and skin care products made from 100 percent pure, natural substances. Although some might not consider Canton the first home for a yoga studio and holistic healing services, Smith said, “It never occurred to me not to open a studio here.” The secret to her success thus far, she said, has been in her sincerity about her work. “No matter what you do, if you love it and are passionate about it, people see that. But you have to walk the walk, you have to commit at some level and take health and wellness into your own hands,” she said. “I think there were so many people here who just hadn’t been exposed to these options for health and wellness, and didn’t

Yama Yoga Wellness Spa & Boutique

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www.yamayoga.info 903.316.9471 36 • CountyLineMagazine.com • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

know all that was available,” Smith added. She said yoga and other holistic health programs strike a chord with people looking to take better care of themselves. “I’ve found that people really are not willing to give up their independence, and we are at a time where we have to take more control individually of our health, doing more things in a preventative way instead of doing it on the backside,” Smith said. Although she said she already had a good following for yoga classes at the previous location, the better visibility of the new location, and the additional services like the salon, is starting to generate even more interest in yoga. “If someone has never seen a yoga class, they are asking questions, and that gives me a chance to address some of the misconceptions, like you have to be 100 pounds and really fit to do yoga,” Smith said. “Most of my clients are between the ages of 45-65, and it is simply not true that you have to be able to do everything before you begin.” Smith’s yoga school is the only one in East Texas offering yoga teacher training for the 200-hour basic certification program. Yoga classes and other programs can be purchased on a drop-in basis or a monthly unlimited plan. Schedules and pricing for various programs and services are available on the website at www. yamayogawellnessspa.com or by calling 903.567.0077.

Facials, massages, body treatments, manicures, pedicures, hair, make-up. www.belleamiedayspa.com 111 Gilmer St. 903.438.1772 Sulphur Springs

Bee Healthy By Elizabeth Branca The Texas climate can be rough and varied as the landscape. In the winter months, temperate sun-soaked mornings can swiftly turn inclement, leaving many folks with a bad case of the sniffles. To help fend off your well-being woes, beekeeper Don Johnson, AKA The Honey Guy, recommends adding a teaspoon a day of honey to your health routine. “There’s a lot of things in honey to boost your immunity,” said Johnson, a thirdgeneration beekeeper, who keeps 50 to 100 hives in East Texa. “It has natural antihistamines, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidants and enzymes that are hard to come by.” The healing powers of nature’s sweet and tawny-hued humectant harkens back to ancient Egypt. It was administered for a variety of health ailments, skin conditions, not to mention a mainstay in the Queen of the Niles’ beauty regiment. “I place my bees in areas where they don’t have access to large crops,” said the Winona resident, “so they have to work the wildflowers. When they work the wildflowers you get a lot more pollen in your honey and that’s where your body gets its immunities.” Johnson added that his honey is particularly useful for Texans with allergies; however its benefits are not limited to

allergy relief. Different from the goldentinctured store brands, Johnson’s honey is a locally-produced wildflower honey, which due to the bounty and variety of area wildflowers produces a darker, richer more intense-flavored honey. “Every flower produces its own type of honey and every flower creates a different flavor,” Johnson said. “My honey is a mixture of flavors from the East Texas area. When you buy store bought honey it’s been pasteurized, filtered and cut with other things like corn syrup. It’s nothing like its original form, unlike mine.” To treat allergies, the pollens found in a teaspoon of honey help your body build its immunity, but not enough to cause a reaction. A favorite fixture at Canton First Mondays Trade Days, The Honey Guy vending booth is visited by holistic practitioners, Ayurvedic followers, as well as the health conscious honey enthusiast. Like the Dr Oz of honey health, Johnson is a veritable virtuoso of all things honey. “The products from the hive are varied and you can make lots of products,” said the longtime member of the Texas Beekeepers Association. “Beeswax itself is almost as healthy as the honey.” In addition to honey, Johnson offers a selection of creams and balms. Ancient cultures have produced some form of beeswax skin cream for thousands of years, understanding its humec-

tant healing power. Beeswax holds in moisture to promote skin softness and elasticity, as well as heals wounds with its antibiotic properties. Johnson recommends the beeswax cream to be used for everything from beauty treatments, wound care to soothing severe eczema. “I also make a waterproof citronella bug repellent that’s natural and safer for kids,” he added, “instead of using chemicals, I use citronella. It will stay on if you’re swimming and lastseight hours.” The beekeeper’s bounty is certainly one of Texas’ other natural resources and although it may not yield the profit of the Lone Star state’s black gold, it can be a lucrative hobby. “We need small beekeepers in Texas,” Johnson commented on the dwindling bee population, noting the serious decline in wild and domestic bees nationwid. “With two hives you can make over 100 pounds of honey each year. It’s one hobby you can make money. Its real easy.” However, if you’re looking to go into the honey business for profit, you should consult the Texas Department of Health Services for food handling laws and guidelines. The Honey Guy products can be purchased via www.thehoneyguy.com or visit Johnson’s honey emporium at Canton’s First Monday Trade Days. As with any health issue, consult your doctor before using any new treatment.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 37

FEEL GOOD

Creating a Path for Those in Need By Patti Light Twenty-eight years ago in the neighborhoods of Tyler, one woman’s vision came together to create one of the strongest non-profit assistance charities in East Texas. People Attempting To Help (PATH) was founded by Gertrude Windsor, whose charitable heart marked everything she did in the Tyler community. PATH’s mission is to serve the disadvantaged of East Texas and those that find themselves in emergency crisis, such as in times of a house fire or job loss. PATH reports that with an army of over 400 volunteers, they serve the community. The Front Street office in Tyler is staffed with Executive Director Gregg Grubb and his small staff. It houses the client services offices, educational center, and food bank. Clients can apply for assistance with temporary housing , dental and vaccination assistance, educational opportunity, food bank privileges and advocacy to other organizations. These include helping people to complete their GED and computer literacy classes. PATH has hundreds of volunteers that work to help people better their lives. East Texans can help PATH brighten the future of hundreds of their neighbors by being involved with PATH’s monthly drives. Each month they sponsors a themed volunteer drive. These themes enable stocking of the food bank with much needed items. For instance, in the fall months they ask for canned meats, rice, and pasta. In the summer, they ask for ready to eat items such as canned goods, which do not require kitchen appliances to prepare. There are peanut butter drives, baby food/formula drives, but the drives are not limited to just food. Many Tylerites are familiar with the TP drive (toilet paper), where annual decorated outhouses appear around Tyler as drop off locations for toilet paper.

Geriatric Jeapardy By Edward H. Garcia We hear a lot of talk about the aging of the American population and how it will bankrupt the Social Security System and Medicare, but not enough is said about the opportunities an aging population offers. One untapped gold mine for the mature entrepreneur is television game shows. In recent years I’ve been aware of the difficulties older contestants and older audience members like me have in traditional Jeopardy. It’s just harder on us to come up with answers -- questions, actually -- as quickly as we used to. So I am proposing a new game show which will appeal to Generation Old -- Geriatric Jeopardy. GJ is just like the present show but with a few accommodations for the older audience. First, all contestants will have to be 70 years or older. Contestants will also have twice as long to buzz in to supply their questions/answers than they do now. That will mean the program will have to be an hour long instead of the present half hour. Of course, that will mean twice as many targeted advertisements for products like Medicare supplements, Ensure, Cialis and those medicines with horrifying possible side-effects. Next, certain categories will be avoided — rap music, vampire movies targeted at teenage girls, and video games, for example. Otherwise, the categories will be just as challenging as they are now. August and September mark the beginning of school for east Texas children and PATH plays an integral role in preparing each student. With the help of civic organizations and other philanthropic groups, donors are known to fill a school bus with markers, notebooks, pens, and all the essentials for schools’ yearly supply lists PATH coordinates the East Texas Coats for Kids and blanket drives, which provide new and gently used coats for needy east Texas children to protect them from the harsh Texas cold.

38 • CountyLineMagazine.com • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

A major innovation will be the introduction of a new category of response. In addition to the present “right” and “wrong,” there will be “close enough.” I’m think of an older woman (younger than I am now) who I heard about whose son worked at the Republic National Bank and who referred to it as the “Republican Natural Bank.” I can just hear Alex Trebek say, “Close enough!” In the “close enough” category would also be answers which show that the person knows the answer but can’t quite come up with the right word — usually, the right name. For example, if the correct question/answer was “Who is Diane Lane?” it would be close enough to say “Who is the recent ex-wife of Barbra Streisand’s stepson?” On the other hand, “Who is the recent ex-wife of the stepson of the one who played Fanny Brice in Funny Girl?” would not be close enough. There have to be standards. If GJ takes off, I intend to work on other game and reality shows to adapt for the new demographics, like Are You Smarter Than a First Grader? Who Wants to Marry My Granddad? The Newlywidowed Game, So You Think You Can Maneuver Your Wheel Chair? and What’s My Diagnosis? to name a few. One of the good things about starting with GJ is that we wouldn’t need to find a new emcee. Seventy-three year old Alex Trebek will do just fine. Essential actions like these assist the needy during all times of year, and PATH’s work enables the uplifting of those who might not have the opportunity otherwise. In any case, PATH is source for all the love East Texas can manage. That is saying quite a lot. To assist PATH is simple and not time consuming for anyone wanting to continue Windsor’s legacy. To become one of the great People Attempting To Help contact the PATH office at 903.597.784 or contact the Front Street office at info@pathhelps.org.

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