county line UPPER EAST SIDE OF TEXASTM
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september 2012
M A G A Z I N E
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PA R I S, T EX A S ’
Michael O'Neal
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oak
and pine Brave bessie PEACE festival Edom FILM community theatre plaza art cOMIC COn GO bus kilgore rangerettes ART • MUSIC • PLAY • POETRY • FILM • BOOKs • home • wellness • FOOD
2012 September 15-23 • Music • Film • Art • • Children’s Activities • • Poetry • Storytelling • • Refreshments •
creativity. compassion. community. www.tylerpeace.com
Thursday-Sunday before the first Monday of every month!
Aug. 30-Sept. 2 Sept. 27 - 30 Nov. 1-4
2 • CountyLineMagazine.com • SEPTEMBER 2012
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MAGAZINE
Publisher & managing Editor P.A. Geddie administration Lori Easley emarketing Leah Lynch
Contributors Patti Light Jeremy Light Tom Geddie Edward H. Garcia Alia Pappas
ILLUSTRATION Vern Dailey sales P.A. Geddie Pam Boyd Bombyk
DISTRIBUTION Chris Beverage David Michelina Beckey Flippin Billie Ruth Stanbridge Pam Boyd Bombyk website: Geddie Connections 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 2012 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: 903.833.2084 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 903.833.2084.
EDITOR’S NOTE Dear Readers, Here we are at September 2012 already! This begins our favorite season in the Upper East Side of Texas with autumn just on the horizon and the promise of all the beautiful colors the trees showcase each year. Before we get there, let’s take a look at the end-of-summer version of our mighty oaks and prickly pines that dominate the landscape in this region. Each of these fine trees has it’s charm and usefulness and more than anything for me I just like looking at them. Driving out of Dallas at any given time when I start to see the first grove of trees followed by more and then more, it warms my heart and welcomes me home. Alia Pappas did a great job on this article and all the stories and ideas she’s contributed to the County Line this summer. She’s headed back to school so we’ll miss her regular contributions but she promises to send us one now and then and I have no doubt we’ll be hearing from this remarkable East Texas gem again somewhere soon as she continues her education towards a career in journalism.
Printed on recycled newsprint with soy-based ink.
Featured on the cover this month is Michael O’Neal from Paris, Texas, who recently won the Academy Award of Distinction for his song, “Learning as I Go” at this year’s Texas Music Awards. In between being with his family and working full time, Michael likes to perform in Paris and elsewhere and write more songs. Many other treasures are found in this issue including one discovered in 1929 that may be proof of some form of civilization here 30,000 to 50,000 years ago! Keep exploring and let us know what you find. P.A. Geddie Publisher & Managing Editor
LETTERS I really like the new format. Allen Weatherford, Pittsburg
I just ordered the magazine ! Love it and can’t wait to start getting it!
I want to thank you for the article you did on AICS (American Indian Cultural Support). It meant so much to us. We had many comments about it. Helping to continue remembering the past is our goal and you have helped that goal so very much. Thank you ever so much.
Paddy Barrett Whitehouse
Sondra McAdams Eustace
Serving the Upper East Side of Texas
Another treasure Alia brought to our pages this month is the story of Bessie Coleman, the first licensed AfricanAmerican pilot in the world! She was born in Atlanta, Texas, and was determined that poverty, race, or gender would not hold her back from her dreams. Now gone in to the eternal wild blue yonder, she continues to inspire us all to reach for the skies.
Thank you so much for the great coverage this month of Emory/Rains County!!! We really appreciate it! Have a wonderful day! Keeley Roan Emory
I like the new print format! Amanda Main Tyler
Let us hear from you!
Please feel free to send us your comments any time to County Line Magazine, P.O. Box 608, Ben Wheeler, TX 75754, or email info@countylinemagazine.com, or send us a message on Facebook or Twitter or go to LETTERS on www.countylinemagazine.com. SEPTEMBER 2012 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 3
CONTENTS
FEATURES DEPARTMENTS
5 ACROSS THE COUNTY LINE Art of Peace Festival, Success Conference, The Go Bus. Tyler Budget, Van Zandt Genealogy, Franklin County Award, Zebra Mussels, Balloons for Veterans, Animal Rescue. CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT 16 Calendar of Events The Arts 17 Art News. Events. Workshops. On Stage 20 Community Theatre is Fun for All By Tom Geddie 22 Stage News. Events. Grits & Gourmet 24 Reviews: Mooyah in Tyler and Tele’s Mexican Restaurant in Longview By Patti Light, Jeremy Light 27 Food News. Events.
8 The Mighty Oak and the Prickly Pine Taking a look at the two most prominent trees in the Post Oak Savannah and the Piney Woods that make up the Upper East Side of Texas. By Alia Pappas
FILM 28 Independent Film Series Premiers in Edom By Edward H. Garcia 28 News. Events. LITERARY SCENE 30 Reviews 31 Poetry & Prose 31 News. Events.
10 O’Neal Chronicles Slice of Texas Life
33 Comic Con Fans Unite at Convention By Jeremy Light
Singer-songwriter Michael O’Neal finds time to write songs and perform occasional in his hometown of Paris, Texas. By Tom Geddie
12 Atlanta Native’s Aviation Dreams Live On Bessie Coleman was born in Atlanta, Texas, to a poor sharecropper family and rose to become the first licensed AfricanAmerican pilot in the world. By Alia Pappas
Music 36 Music Listings 39 Music Notes Adler & Hearne, Kiepersol Battle of the Bands, East Texas Symphony Orchestra, Ruby Allmond Songwriting Contest, Gospel Cruise, Hank Williams Tribute. LIVING ROOM 34 Hire a Pro for Remodeling Projects
SEE WEBSITE EXTRAS! www.CountyLineMagazine.com 4 • CountyLineMagazine.com • SEPTEMBER 2012
PLAY 42 Malakoff Man’s Presence Still Intrigues By Tom Geddie SHOP 42 Shopping News. Events. FEEL GOOD 46 Group Brings Community Together COVER: Singer-songwriter Michael O’Neal
ACROSS THE COUNTY LINE Art of Peace Festival Features Many Activities
The Art of Peace Festival in Tyler is a local effort to commemorate the United Nations International Day of Peace, held on September 21 each year. This year’s local program has been expanded to a week – September 15-23 – of various activities centered on the theme of “Creativity. Compassion. Community.”
The festival is organized by a small group of Tyler artists, writers, music lovers, and spiritual leaders, all of whom support global and local efforts to build community. Here’s the schedule: Tuesday, September 5: poetry contest deadline with two categories: 1) global peace issues and 2) peace at a local level. One poem for each category. 28 lines or less. Winning poems will be posted on the Art of Peace web site and FaceBook page and shared with audiences during the festival. Send submissions to Anne McCrady at anniemc5@aol.com. Saturday, September 15: 10 a.m. at Bergfeld Park: Boys & Girls Club/ KETK Day for Kids; Art of Peace booth with peace art activities, stickers, necklaces, and washable tattoos co-sponsored by InSpiritry. Sunday, September 16: peace prayers at local worship centers: area churches, mosques, temples, and other faith communities will be provided with suggested peace prayers to use for worship services and faith gatherings. Sunday, September 16: 2 p.m. at Tyler Public Library, “World Peace and Other 4th Grade Achievements,” acclaimed documentary about awardwinning educator John Hunter and his World Peace Game. Monday, September 17: 6 p.m. at Veranda Restaurant, an open-table, multicultural community gathering for a peace meal; after the meal, local news anchor Anissa Centers will share her
To promote its Interconnectivity Day in May, the East Texas Council of Governments provided free transportation to people using more than one mode. A group of about 20 military veterans made a “multimodal trip” to the Dallas Veterans Administration Hospital from Tyler, using GoBus, Amtrak, and DART. Courtesy photo.
perspective on tolerance and equality in East Texas. Buffet meal is $10 plus tip. Tuesday, September 18: 7 p.m. at Fresh patio, local storytellers and young actors present folktales, personal stories, and contemporary tales of compassion and community. Audience members are invited to share their own stories of peace as a personal endeavor. Thursday, September 20: noon at Tyler downtown square. A public, interfaith expression of prayers for global and local peace, along with inspirational music, refreshments and peace gifts. Thursday, September 20: 7 p.m. at Temple Beth-el, uplifting songs of peace presented by the Tyler Civic Chorale, followed by an acoustic performance by singer-songwriter Tom Prasada-Rao. Admission price is one children’s book to benefit the Literacy Council of Tyler Bill’s Bookshelf program. Saturday, September 22: 4 p.m. at Gallery Main Street, peace art activities using recycled materials. Sunday, September 23: peace-themed worship at local churches, mosques,
and temples, including Rabbi Neal Katz speaking at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Tyler. Tyler Unity Center also hosts a peace service. For more information, go to www.tylerpeace.com or www.facebook.com/ pages/art-of-peace-tyler-tx.
Bright Ideas Conference Aims to Help Nonprofits
The Bright Ideas for Success Conference will be held November 9 at the Green Acres Lighthouse Center in Tyler. Hosted by the Nonprofit Development Center of United Way of Smith County, organizers bill this as the first conference for nonprofit professionals in East Texas. The program includes sessions on fundraising, leadership and governance, public relations, social media, volunteer management, organizational effectiveness, and more through a series of breakout sessions plus luncheon speaker Paul Vitale. “Some nonprofits can’t afford to send their staff and volunteers to confercontinued page 6 SEPTEMBER 2012 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 5
ACROSS THE COUNTY LINE continued from page 5
ences in Dallas or Austin,” said Nan Moore, president of United Way of Smith County. “We want to give nonprofit professionals an opportunity for continuing education in the convenience of their own backyard.” “We think it’s important for nonprofit leaders, board members, staff and volunteers to continue to learn and improve their skills to help them better manage their nonprofit,” said Jo McMahan, director at the Nonprofit Development Center. “We firmly believe that nonprofit leaders with updated skills are better prepared to manage their organizations, meet their mission and serve their clients.” Nonprofit professionals, businesses and public attendees are asked to register at www.brightideasforsuccess. com. Early-registration is $99 and opens September 1. For information on sponsorships or exhibitor space, call 903.581.6376 x201.
GoBus Provides Rides For Those Without Cars
Need transportation? The GoBus system with its 40 or so purple and green buses makes more than 800 trips a day Monday through Friday in 14 Northeast Texas counties, helping people without cars, people whose cars are in the shop, and other people with a need for mobility.
ing day (Monday through Friday) before the requested service, and can be made as many as two weeks in advance.
Planning, Called to SERVE Internal Communications, City University and our incredibly successful Lean Sigma Program.”
The GoBus mission is to operate a safe, dependable, and effective transportation network that provides mobility, improves the quality of life, and stimulates economic development through the provision of rural public transportation services.
The city’s Lean Sigma program was launched in 2009 and has saved the city more than $2.4 million. To date, 45 Lean Sigma projects have been completed by city employees trained in the methodology.
To schedule a trip, call 800.590.3371; for more information, go to www. etcog.org/234/transportation.htm.
Proposed Tyler Budget Straddles Fiscal Line
As part of the proposed 2012-13 budget presented by City Manager Mark McDaniel to the City Council, Tyler is planning to decrease its property tax rate by $.0012, to 20.77 cents per $100 valuation, while continuing to set the standard for performance excellence in local government. “Tyler has a long history of performance excellence that was built upon the foundation of the Blueprint launched in 1996,” said McDaniel. “Since then, we have carried that legacy forward and the outcomes speak for themselves.”
GoBus provided 159,000 trips for fiscal 2011, mostly for trips to the grocery stores, doctors’ visits, shopping, and even jobs in the wheelchair liftequipped buses and vans.
Tyler is one of the few cities in the country with a AAA bond rating; paying cash for most capital improvement projects, with a property tax rate that is the lowest in Texas among cities with greater than 16,000 citizens. Tyler also has fewer employees than in the mid 1980s, despite a 30 percent growth in population.
Fees generally are $2 per trip – each direction – within a county and $5 across county lines. Counties served in the East Texas Council of Governments-sponsored service are Anderson, Camp, Cherokee, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Marion, Panola, Rains, Rusk, Smith, Upshur, Wood, and Van Zandt. Reservations must be made no later than 2 p.m. the work-
“In the mid 80’s the City had 12 employees for every 1,000 citizens and a tax rate of 58 cents,” added McDaniel. “Today that ratio is 8 employees to 1,000 citizens with a tax rate of 20.77 cents, all without decreasing service levels. We have been able to enhance our productivity through programs that engage our employees to do more with less, including Business
6 • CountyLineMagazine.com • SEPTEMBER 2012
“Lean Sigma helps identify the waste and variation that occurs in everyday processes,” said Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass. “The program provides a structured approach for improving efficiency – which saves both time and money.” With the new budget, employees may also see up to a $123 per month increase in health insurance premiums in January for the “buy-up” option and an $18 increase for dental coverage. Additionally, the city is proposing to cap its contribution for over-65 Medicare-eligible retirees who elect to retain supplemental health and drug card benefits. For more information, go to www.cityoftyler.org.
Genealogical Society Sets Day-Long Seminar
The Van Zandt County Genealogical Society will hold its annual allday seminar on Saturday, September 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at St. Therese Catholic Church in Canton. The seminar features Billie Stone Fogarty of Oklahoma, a well known professional genealogist, teacher, and national speaker. Topics will be “Land Runs, Lotteries, and Homesteading in Oklahoma,” “War of 1812,” “Proving Indian Ancestry,” and “Sharing Your Research Without Putting Your Relatives to Sleep.” The $35 fee includes a continental breakfast and a catered luncheon. Billie has been president of the Gene-
Zebra mussels originated in the Black and Caspian seas, and have become an invasive species in North America and Europe. They damage harbors and waterways, ships and boats, water treatment and power plants, and infest other animals such as crawfish. They were first found in this country in the Great Lakes near Detroit, inadvertently introduced into the lakes in the ballast water of ocean-going ships traversing the St. Lawrence Seaway. The free information is available from TPWD’s Carly Montez, marketing specialist at 512.389.4794 or by writing to 4200 Smith School Rd., Austin, TX 78744. Van Zandt County Genealogical Society board members are preparing for the upcoming annual seminar scheduled for September 22. Shown are Scott Fitzgerald, program chairman, and Shirley Fuller, both seated; and (standing, left to right) Laurie McDonald, society president, Sherrie Archer, and Kitty Wheeler. Courtesy photo.
alogical Speakers Guild, served on the boards of the Oklahoma Genealogical Society and Oklahoma Historical Society, and is a member of Association of Professional Genealogists. Her genealogical pursuits have taken her to county court houses, local libraries and state archives in dozens of states and to most of the major genealogical repositories and archives across America.
lead to a greater understanding of state and local history.” These efforts also promote stewardship of cultural and historic resources, encourage economic development within urban and rural areas of the state, and generate interest in the history and character of Texas.
Registrations may be made by sending a check or money order for $35 to the Van Zandt County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 1388, Canton, TX 75103. For more information, call 903.567.5012.
“[County Historical Commissions] have a passion for telling the real stories of Texas and we are honored to provide services that support their hard work and invest in our communities,” said THC Executive Director Mark Wolfe. “The Franklin County Historical Commission is our valued partner and we hope you will join us in honoring them for receiving this Distinguished Service Award.”
Franklin County Awarded for Distinquished Service
TPWD Shares “PPRR” To Fight Zebra Mussels
The church fellowship hall is at 14786 FM 859S.
The Texas Historical Commission (THC) recently recognized Franklin County with the 2011 Distinguished Service Award. The honor was presented recently during a meeting of the Commissioner’s Court. The award recognized the Franklin County Historical Association that works toward “substantial preservation efforts that
Northeast Texas residents are urged to help rid area lakes and municipal water treatment systems of invasive zebra mussels by learning how to fight them through information provided by Texas Parks and Wildlife. Prevention is the first step in a sound preparedness model: “Prevent, Prepare, Respond, Recover.”
Annual Balloon Release Raises Money for Vets
The Van Zandt County Veterans Memorial fifth annual Labor Day balloon release begins at 10 a.m. on Monday, September 3. It’s at the memorial plaza at the intersection of Hwys. 19 and 243 in Canton. The schedule includes various speakers plus hamburgers and hot dogs. The gift shop will also be open. Balloons to honor veterans are $3 each, and this year’s goal is to release 1,000 balloons with cards attached that remind the people who find them out veterans’ issues. For more information, call 903.567.0657.
Animal Rescue Centers Plan Open House, Tours
Black Beauty Ranch and the Doris Day Horse Rescue and Adoption Center will host open house tours on October 13 and 20. The 10 a.m.-4 p.m. tours include free bus rides and free walking tours, $5 hayrides, and the visitor center and gift shop where healthy snacks and drinks will be available for purchase. Gifts for the animals, for the ranch and the horse rescue center can be brought as in-kind donations. For more information, call 903.469.3811 or go to www.blackbeautyranch.org. SEPTEMBER 2012 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 7
The Mighty Oak and the Prickly Pine
By Alia Pappas They dance in the warm summer breezes. They tap at our windows on a stormy night. They provide a soothing canopy of shade for reading a book, or dart by outside our windows as we cruise along the highway. Trees are a big part of the Upper East Side of Texas’ heritage. Northeast Texas is divided into two main regions with the Post Oak Savannah on the west side and the Piney Woods to the east. In these regions, two main trees reign over all others, spreading their branches in parks and sprawling backyards — the oak and the pine. To natives, these trees are commonplace; easily named and easily taken for granted. But what are some uses for these trees other than lumber or shade? Is an oak tree sturdier than a pine tree? Are pine needles better fire-starters than oak leaves? The standoff between these prominent stands of Texas trees begins now. 8 • CountyLineMagazine.com • SEPTEMBER 2012
The Mighty Oak
The sheen of sunlight reflects off the surface of an oak’s dark green leaves as they dance over the blonde head of a little girl. She swings back and forth on a tire swing intertwined about a sturdy branch that resembles a bodybuilder flexing a bark-encrusted bicep. This mighty oak is a constant in her life, ever-present and trustworthy. Oak trees are a prominent species of tree in the Post Oak Belt of Northeast Texas, evoking a feeling of power in those who recline beneath their sprawling branches. The dense, hardy wood is ideal firewood, although sometimes difficult to split. In colonial times, when ships were still constructed from wood, oak was often the designated material used to construct the hull, a portion of the ship often bombarded by cannon fire. The mighty oak may have been the tree Tanya Tucker sang about in Strong Enough to Bend.
Photos by Alia Pappas
“There’s a tree out in the backyard that has never been split by the wind, and the reason it’s still standing; it was strong enough to bend.” With sturdy branches to withstand gale winds but flexible enough to bend under stress, all supported by a thick trunk, oaks are made for survival in harsh weather conditions. If necessary, oaks can survive on little or no water, their shallow roots expertly scavenging for water during Texas’ common drought conditions. Oaks are not only durable, but are also useful in a variety of ways. All trees absorb carbon dioxide in the air, in turn producing the oxygen we breathe. According to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department biologist Heidi Kryger, the amount of oxygen produced by trees depends on several factors, such as the amount of green leaves on a tree. Heidi states that because oak trees live longer and have more leaf mass, they produce large amounts of oxygen.
In the past, oak acorns were a staple in Native American’s diets. Once the tannins were removed by flushing with water, the acorn meat could be pounded into a flour rich in protein and potassium. Today, oak wood is used to create beautiful furniture that lasts a lifetime, or as lumber used in construction. Oaks are also useful in maintaining the balance of the Upper East Side’s ecosystem. They are a vital source of food and shelter for Texan animals. Squirrels and birds find the branches of oaks ideal for nesting, while turkeys, deer, and raccoons eat the acorns that fall from the oak’s canopy. “A benefit oak trees provide is food for wildlife (and sometimes people),” Heidi said. “This is in the form of mast (fruits, berries, or nuts), nectar from flowers, browse (woody twigs), sap, insects for birds, etc. Many animals use the shelter provided by a tree. Of course, birds will nest in the branches or roost in the trees, but also birds, squirrels, flying squirrels and other animals will nest or take cover in hollow cavities in a tree. Bats will roost in hollow trees or even under loose bark.” Oak trees have been growing in the hearts of those who call the Upper East Side home for centuries. These resilient trees have provided shade, warmth, memories, even afternoon pastimes for Texans. The Mighty Oak is not only mighty because of its immense strength, but because it is a tree strong enough to handle the spasmodic Texas weather, enduring trying conditions to spend another day providing families with shade, firewood, and oxygen. The oak is Northeast Texas’ loyal companion.
The Prickly Pine
The crisp, refreshing scent of rich, deep green pine needles fills the air on a relaxing weekend hike. The branches rustle against each other, creating a rhythmic melody in the treetops as footfalls on crunchy pine straw thumps along in harmony. The reassuring, characteristic trees of the Upper East Side of Texas are ideal for winding down after a trying week. The pine tree grows two feet per year, a rapid growth rate that makes it per-
fect for the timber industry. Pines are an economic staple in Northeast Texas. The wood of this tree is used for making paper, as pulp wood, for making plywood or as lumber. Three species of pines grow in the Pineywoods region of Northeast Texas; loblolly, shortleaf, and longleaf. With so many of these trees around, other uses had to be found for every part of the tree, not just the wood. Those pesky pine needles make great fertilizer for any garden. The needles reduce weed growth, water loss, and soil compaction while replenishing the soil’s nutrients. Pine trees are also planted on old mine or clear-cut forest sites to add nutrients back to the soil. Pines are a remarkably adaptable tree, able to grow in dry, sandy soil in direct sunlight and intense drought conditions. Pine trees are also useful in suburban areas, and can be planted for noise reduction or soil conservation. “Pine trees provide erosion control by slowing down driving rain and tree roots anchoring soil,” Heidi said. “Trees convert carbon dioxide to oxygen. Shade from trees lowers soil temperature. Nutrients from decaying leaves and needles increase soil fertility. Pine trees also serve as windbreaks.” Pines tend to thrive in higher carbon dioxide levels, making them very versatile and able to grow in many locations. These trees are an essential part of the Texas ecosystem. The national bird, the bald eagle, builds nests in taller pines, while animals such as rabbits and whitetailed deer make their homes below.
Pines look after the Upper East Side’s best interest by protecting local wildlife, providing building materials for homes and paper for schools, and ensuring a comfortable income. The pine is able to adapt to whatever daunting environmental situation in which it might be placed, a powerful, watchful guardian of Texas forests. Oaks are able to withstand storms more easily than pines, but loblolly pine trees are more adaptable to harsh climates. Oak wood can be used to construct battleship hulls while pine wood can create a stately canoe. Pines provide a spiny financial backbone by producing large amounts of lumber while oaks provide a leafy companion. Ultimately, it is far too difficult to choose a favorite between the familiar dancing oak and the resilient pine. Together, they are like parents to our region, knowledgeable forefathers that have wisdom to offer from extensive life experience. Without either tree, the beautiful countryside of Northeast Texas would be without desperately needed cooling shade, and far less intriguing and glorious. “Trees provide aesthetic beauty for people — a walk through the woods can soothe the soul,” Heidi said. “Many medicines are made from tree products. Trees provide recreation for everyone — from tree-climbing kids to hikers going for a walk in the woods. Who doesn’t like a tree?” Sources: Heidi K. Bailey, Texas Parks and Wildlife; www.naturehills.com; www.sptreefarm.com; www.gardenguides.com.
Harrison & Son k n i f e s m i t h
World renowned knifesmith Dan Harrison presents a large selection of handcrafted hunting, collector, and custom knives for connoisseurs and enthusiasts alike.
FM 279
Downtown Ben Wheeler, Texas Open Tuesday thru Saturday
903.714.5911
KNIFEMAKING CLASSES Learn to make custom, handmade knives from a master knifesmith. Gift Certificates Available!
www . harrisonknives . com SEPTEMBER 2012 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 9
O’Neal Chronicles Slice of Texas Life By Tom Geddie For somebody who came fairly late to music, Michael O’Neal has an uncanny ability for sharing stories that resonate with listeners. While not everybody will relate personally to the stories – whether he or someone else wrote them – the emotions ring true as a single slice of the larger Northeast Texas – and human – experience. The lead song on his first album, 2004’s Dark Side of a Small Town, is “52 Les Paul,” which shares the experience of a down-on-his-luck young man’s attempt to pawn his deceased grandfather’s guitar. It’s loosely based on a story a friend told him, although the emotion of this song comes from a time when he was missing his own father, who was out of state. “I walked into the pawn shop had the guitar by my side walked up to the counter left my pride sittin’ just outside” “Bury Me with Soldiers” on his second album, 2006’s Soul Shine, shares a man’s regrets for his own life, and the desire to, although he may not feel like he deserves it, end that life well when the time comes. It’s also a tribute to bravery and heroic acts. “but bury me with men like these; they faced the guns and died.” Michael wrote the first one; he put music to the second one, a poem by Ron Leonard that Ron shared with him at his first paying gig, “A man approached me between sets and said he liked my style,” Michael said. “Later on, we got to talking again. Ron is a Vietnam vet and a poet. We became friends and started hanging out, and I still carry that poem in my guitar case today.” Those two songs – about, to oversimplify, poverty and pride – and most of the rest of his work, including the 10 • CountyLineMagazine.com • SEPTEMBER 2012
ones on his third CD, Learning as I Go, released last October, are sparsely but well produced country with rock influences. It’s also serious, not fluffy, music that often deals with the seamier side of life rather than fantasy; it’s music that deserves a bigger audience. Michael didn’t begin playing until 2001, and, with his and his wife Stephanie having two children, Abel, 7, and Mackee, 3, he doesn’t play out as much as he used to. Born and raised in Paris, he’s worked at Turner Pipe for 13 years now and tends to limit his gigs to a couple or so a month in the Paris area. (He and Stephanie will travel to Austin for their 10th anniversary, to see Neil Young on October 5.) One of his September shows is on the first at Buffalo Joe’s and the other is on the 29th opening for Susan Gibson at the LMAO comedy club, both in Paris. Michael, with 40 or so songs to his credit, counts Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, and Steve Earle among his influences. He is not a prolific writer. “It takes me a while to write a song,” he said. “It has to mean something to me. It can relate with people. Mainly I write songs, I guess, to help me cope with something. “I hear of some writers who can spit out a couple of tunes a week, or those who can just pick a subject and sit down and craft a tune on that subject, and it makes me feel like all the songs I have written so far were pure luck, like I’m washed up. Sometimes it’s like I’ve already written about everything I know, and that this song I’m writing now sounds just like another one of my tunes, or worse yet it sounds like somebody else’s tune. It could be four months and I think I will never create another song again, and I’m getting hard to live with, hard to talk to, hard to look at, hard to understand,” he said. “Then I write two
Singer-songwriter Michael O’Neal enjoys writing stories and rhymes and entertains regularly in his hometown of Paris, Texas. Photo by Tom Geddie
songs in one day. I have tried to be the writer who can pick a subject and go with it, but it’s still difficult for me. I have found most of my songs have to come me. I wish they would come more often, and with clearer meanings.” Michael used to sit around and listen to his friends make music until he finally got a guitar; then he just wanted to sit around and play with his friends. “It turns out I had a knack of making up stories and making up rhymes,” he said. “The more I did it, the more I liked it. I’d rather write a song than get out on the road and play. But you gotta play to be a songwriter.” Michael may not be on a par with Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, and Steve Earle – very few are – but he’s not some teen or American idol, either; his is music of substance that needs to be heard more often. n
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September 29
Highway 80 car cruise 10:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m. Mineola Civic Center Shake, Rattle and Roll 11:30 a.m. Piney Woods BBQ Cook Off sanctioned by Lone Star BBQ 5 p.m. Friday - 3 p.m. Saturday
September 15, Every 3rd Saturday 11 a.m. 903.569.9845
ACOUSTIC MUSIC ON THE STREETS October 5-6
Gypsy Market “Battle of the Bands” Friday night Karaoke 7-11 p.m. Saturday begins 10 a.m. with bands competting through the day for a $2,000 grand prize. Vendors, ice cold beverage garden, food, games and fun for the whole family. www.mineolagypsymarket.com 903.569.9209
Mineola Historical Museum 114 Pacific St (Hwy. 69) Thu–Sat 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Free. Mineola Nature Preserve 7a.m. until sunset Amtrak Texas Eagle Designated Daily Stop. Tickets: 1-800-669-8509
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www.EastTexasOilMuseum.com 14 • CountyLineMagazine.com • SEPTEMBER 2012
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Atlanta Native’s Aviation Dreams Live On By Alia Pappas The year is 1925. Imagine the wind is at an easy three knots. Above the dusty runway, there is little cloud cover. Visibility is high. Conditions for achieving uncommon dreams are optimal. The yoke of the familiar Jenny airplane is comfortably well-worn beneath the palms of one driven, determined woman from little Atlanta, Texas, who became the first licensed African-American pilot in the world. Bessie Coleman was born in 1892 to low income sharecropper parents in Atlanta where profits were made by lumber, oil, or railroad workers, not by those who grew cotton. Bessie was quoted saying she wanted to “amount to something,” a feat difficult to accomplish when facing segregation. Hoping for better prospects elsewhere, Bessie’s father soon uprooted his family, moving to Waxahachie. According to the Atlanta Historical Museum, Bessie began her education at an African American elementary school, making the four-mile trek to the schoolhouse every day. When she was not at school, Bessie was tending her mother’s garden, performing mandatory chores around the household, or watching her sisters. Exasperated by the racial discrimination prevalent in the South Bessie’s father left his family in 1901. Bessie’s brothers also left, leaving the Colemans without a man of the house and an irreparably broken home. Their absence left Bessie with several responsibilities, including working during the cotton harvest. Bessie completed all eight grades of schooling offered in Waxahachie. She used her savings to attend the Colored Agricultural and Normal University in Langston, Oklahoma, but returned home when her money fell short of tuition requirements. She worked as a laundress until she joined her brother, Walter, in Chicago. The remainder of Bessie’s family followed subsequently. While in Chicago, Bessie worked as a
manicurist, and briefly ran a chili parlor. Bessie was skillful in many fields, but was determined to continue to strive for goals bigger than her, even if she had not yet realized the extent of those wishes. Bessie’s dreams of flying derived from her brother John’s teasing. He heard of French ladies becoming professional, self-sufficient airplane pilots. While her brother found this hilarious, Bessie found these women inspirational, deciding aviation was her career destination. Bessie was unable to locate an American flying instructor, so she departed for France in November 1920. She began her flying education at Caudron Brothers’ School of Aviation in Le Crotoy. Bessie completed the 10-month course in seven, performing banking, tailspins, and loop-de-loops. She was the only student out of 62 women to receive an FAI pilot’s license. Bessie returned to the United States as the first licensed African American pilot. She performed in air shows, earning the nickname “Brave Bessie” because of her fondness for daredevil stunts. At her first air show in 1922, she performed as the “World’s Greatest Woman Flyer,” and encouraged other women and African Americans to fight for their dreams despite social hindrances. Bessie refused to perform unless all members of the audience entered through the same gates. Bessie also gave lectures and flight lessons during her travels, and wished to open an aviation school. Bessie’s efforts were halted when she died due to a plane malfunction on April 30, 1926. During a new plane’s test flight, her mechanic lost control of
the aircraft. Bessie fell from the cockpit to her death. Bessie’s legacy of striving for excellence in the face of adversity lives on. Her historical significance was highlighted in 1995 when the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp in her honor. Many aviatrixes are under Bessie’s influence. The Bessie Coleman Aero Club, headquartered in Los Angeles, was created shortly after Besssie’s death by William J. Powell. Bessie is commemorated by the Bessie Coleman Aerospace Legacy, a nonprofit foundation located in Washington D.C. These organizations continue to inspire pilots to reach for the skies as Bessie did in her life. The Atlanta Historical Museum is located at 101 North East Street in Atlanta, Texas. They are open from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 903.796.1892 for more information. n SEPTEMBER 2012 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 15
calendar of events County Line makes every effort to ensure accurate information. However, pricing, dates, and/or hours 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.
Every Thursday
Brown Bag Lunch. Longview. Free live entertainment at Heritage Plaza; bring lunch or pick up $6 brown bag lunch provided by Texas Best Smokehouse. Noon-1 p.m. Heritage Plaza, Methvin at Green. 903.237.4040.
Saturdays, September 1 - 29
Jarvis Evening Steam Excursion. Rusk. Round trip steam excursions depart from the Rusk depot at 4 p.m. and return at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy The Lone Ranger as he rescues passengers from outlaw cowboys. Ticket includes a box supper created by Bon App Cafe. Beer, wine, beverages and snacks are available for purchase in the concession car. Rusk Train Depot, Parks Road 76, 888987-2461. www.texasstaterr.com.
September 7 – 15
63rd Annual Longview Jaycees Gregg County Fair & Expo. Free nightly entertainment and some of the most popular carnival rides, and a variety of carnival games. 6 pm. $5; children 6 and younger free. Maude Cobb Convention & Activity Complex, 100 Grand Blvd., Longview. 6: 903.753.4478..
September 8
Mayor’s Walk. Canton. Everyone and their dog are invited to promote Canton as the Walking Capital of Texas. Free. 8:30 a.m. Cherry Creek Park, 800 Cherry Creek. 903.567.2991. 4th Annual Fire Brigade Classic Car Show. Classic Car Show. 10 a.m. Jefferson Transportation and Visitor Center, 305 E Austin, Jefferson.. 903-665-3733. visitjeffersontexas.com Petpalooza. Tyler. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free to the public, this family-friendly event is a great way for responsible, pet-seeking people to meet with local animal rescues to find loving foster dogs forever homes. There is also face painting and interactive games for kids, agility and obedience demonstrations, area veterinarians, low-cost spaying and neutering information, pet photography and doggie accessories. If you’re serious about adoption, be sure to bring (or buy) a leash or kennel. Bergfeld Park. (903) 952-7075. 16 • CountyLineMagazine.com • SEPTEMBER 2012
Check out the NEW eMAGAZINE www.countylinemagazine.com for our extended event listings.
September 9
The Pride of America Pageant. Longview. 3 p.m. A natural pageant helping others gain self-confidence and showing their spirit while helping their communities and military overseas. Admission fee for the audience is 5 canned food items or $5 per person. Maude Cobb Convention & Activity Complex, 100 Grand Blvd . 817.773.0435. www.prideofamerica.org
September 13 - 15
Chickfest. Pittsburg. Vendor shopping, live entertainment, mule-driven wagon rides, carnival rides, bounce houses, kids activities, food court, cooking contests, quilt display, arts and crafts and tours of the Farmstead and Depot museums. Courthouse lawn and downtown. (903) 856-3442. Hopkins County Fall Festival. Sulphur Springs. Parade, golf tournament, arts & crafts show, carnival, food, shopping, gospel songfest, praise fest, Hopkins County Idol Singing Competitions (Adult and Youth), Kidz Zone, mutton bustin, hay bucking, antique tractor pull; local authors book fair, hot dog eating contest, great American duck race, cover girl competition, mad heifer contest, and World Senior Professional Bull Riding. Hopkins County Regional Civic Center, 1200 Houston Street. 903.335.9066. hopkinscountyfallfestival.com.
September 14
Rally Round Greenville Kick-Off Concert. Greenville. 6 p.m. Free. Kick-Off Concert and Street Dance featuring Emerald City Band. Hunt County courthouse square, Greenville. 903-455-1510, www.greenvillechamber. com Second Annual Golf Tournament Benefiting the East Texas Crisis Center. Canton. All Proceeds Benefit Victims of Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault. Twin Lakes Golf Course. 903-368-1923.
September 15
Boys & Girls Club/KETK Day for Kids. Tyler. 10:00 a.m. Art of Peace booth with peace art activities, stickers, necklaces & washable tattoos. Co-sponsored by InSpiritry. Bergfeld Park. http://www.tylerpeace.com
September 15 - 16
Rally Round Greenville Festival. Greenville. 9 a.m. to midnight. Most events are Free. General street festival sponsored by L-3 Communications with two music stages, Kids Alley, BBQ & Chili Cookoff, Art Show, Cotton Patch Challenge Bicycle
Race, Arts & Craft Vendors, foods of all types, wine tasting & more. Historic Downtown Greenville, Lee Street. 903-455-1510. www.greenvillechamber.com
September 15-23
Art of Peace Festival. Tyler. Weeklong event with various activities center on the theme of creativity, compassion, and community. Includes music, film, art, children’s activities, poetry, and more. www. tylerpeace.com.
September 19
Senior Expo. Longview. 9 a.m. A Senior Citizens event with over 60 booth vendors providing information on Senior related services and products. Maude Cobb Convention & Activity Complex, 100 Grand Blvd. 903.237.7776.
September 20
Ladies Night Out at Hotel Fredonia. Nacogdoches. 5 p.m. www.nacogdoches.org Prayer on the Square. Tyler. Noon. A public, interfaith expression of prayers for global and local peace, along with inspirational music, refreshments and peace gifts. Co-sponsored by Keep Tyler Beautiful. Tyler Downtown Square. tylerpeace.com
September 21 - 30
East Texas State Fair. Tyler. The 97th East Texas State Fair opens the gates on Thursday, September 21st with 9 days of food, fun, friends and family-friendly activities. Full schedule of attractions and entertainment...exotic animals, racing pigs, delicious food, exciting concerts and much, much more. East Texas State Fairgrounds, West Houston Street and Fair Park Drive, Tyler. (903) 597-2501.
September 21 - 22
Kilgore Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau Annual Golf Tournament. Kilgore. A fun-fund raiser for all golfers. $100 per player. Meadowbrook Country Club, 1306 Houston Street. 903-984-5022. www.kilgorechamber.com Thunder in the Pines Motorcycle Rally. Jacksonville. Proceeds to benefit Anderson/Cherokee County Crisis Center. Cherokee County Exposition Center, 611 SE Loop 456, 903-625-8453. jacksonvillerally.com
September 21 - 23
Bois d’Arc Bash. Commerce. No gate charge. No pets allowed. Downtown on the square. 903.886.3950,commerce-chamber.com
September 22
AMBUCS Mud Volleyball Tournament. Longview. Registration applications can be picked up at any of Carmela Davis CPA offices. 8 a.m. Maude Cobb Convention & Activity Complex, 100 Grand Blvd., Longview. 903.753.3329. Autumn in Bonham Bike Rally. Bonham. 8 a.m. $25 per person. Ride through delightful country scenery with light motor traffic and no freeway service roads; The 28, 44, and 54 mile routes start with several moderately rolling hills. The 54 mile ride includes the famous Leonard Hills. For biking enthusiasts the 64 and 100 mile routes are a good challenge. The Family Ride is an easier 14 mile ride. Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult. Rest stops are located at every 10 or so miles with snacks available. Fannin County Multi-purpose Center, 700 FM 87, Bonham. 903.583.4811. http://bonhamchamber.com CLAW Adoption Clinic. Rockwall. Animal Adoption Clinic. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Petco, 2689 Market Center Drive, 903-880-8036. Out of This World - A Children’s Science Expo. Longview. 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. $5. Activities include 12 large-scale, fullyfunctional simulators; a presentation by SpaceX/NASA intern, Rebekah Sosland; a concert by children’s musician, Andrew Best, who will debut a special event song; silent auction and more than 10 additional hands-on activities. Longview Exhibit Building, 1123 Jaycee Drive. (903) 931-1539. www.longviewwow.com Van Zandt County Geological Society. Canton. 8:30 a.m to 3:45 p.m. $35, includes a continental breakfast and luncheon. The seminar features Billie Stone Fogarty of Oklahoma, a well-known professional genealogist, teacher and national speaker. St. Therese Catholic Church Fellowship Hall, 903-567-5012.
September 25 - 29
Red River Valley Fair. Paris. The Red River Valley Fair includes a carnival, livestock show, live entertainment, a chili cookoff, children’s barnyard, community contests such as antique tractor exhibit, food, clowns, and family entertainment. A different group performs each evening on the outdoor stage, which includes Gene Watson and The Plain Label Band. There is also a showcase of agriculture, a home & garden showcase, commercial exhibits, and community exhibits. Aq-Venture, PreSchool Day, and Senior Citizens Day. Paris and Lamar County Fairgrounds, Sixth Street and Center Street. (903) 785-7971.
September 26 - 29
Titus County Fair. Mount Pleasant. Features academic, agricultural, and sports events for all ages. The Chicken Stew Challenge and creative arts contest attract adult participants. Various horsemanship events are scheduled nightly along with the traditional junior livestock shows. Nightly entertainment features country, gospel and Hispanic music. Past performers include Chisholm Canyon, Popular Demand, The Blandells, Robin Lee, Lariat, Brian Black, Charly McClain, and The Calhoun Family. Headliners include Zona Jones and Charla Corn. Titus County Civic Center and Fairgrounds, Highway 271 Business, (903) 577-8117.
September 28 – October 21
State Fair of Texas. Dallas. The State Fair of Texas is a 24-day entertainment showcase presented each fall in historic Fair Park in Dallas. Millions of visitors enjoy free concerts featuring top country and pop artists, a Broadway musical production, performances by the US Marine Drum and Bugle Corps and daily shows on outdoor stages throughout the park. Other attractions include parades, light show, crafts, exhibits, midway rides, livestock, college football, and a gigantic new car show. Fair Park, Cullum Blvd. at Parry Ave. (214) 421-8743.
September 28 - 29
Roxton Saturday Night. Roxton. A funfilled day for the entire community when Roxton re-creates the town as it was in the past. All day free entertainment, cash drawings, displays, children’s activities & food. Evening entertainment begins at 7 p.m. All activities are free. Downtown Roxton. 903-346-2939.
September 29
Bluegill Fishing Tournament. Athens. 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. $15 per family team, entry includes family admission to the TFFC. Join the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center for a fun-filled day of trying to catch the biggest Bluegill at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center and on Lake Athens. The tournament awards prizes for the heaviest stringers of sunfish, but the event is really about adults and children having fun fishing together. Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, 5550 FM 2495.
October 6
BARCfest 2012. Palestine. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. $2. Dogs welcome, must be social and on a leash. Anderson County Livestock Arena, 750 N US Hwy 287,. 903-729-8074.
Events continued in ARTS, FILM, LITERARY SCENE, STAGE, and MUSIC.
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the arts
Check out COUNTY LINE ONLINE for our extended coverage of art news and events. www.countylinemagazine.com
Students Become Stars In Disney Arts Program
Anderson Photographs Selected for Paris Show
Students from Keri’s Dance Factory in Lindale and from Van High School’s Mighty Vandals marching band recently became stars of their own Disney show as part of the Disney Performing Arts Program. Dance groups, choirs, ensembles, and marching bands from around the world apply to perform each year as part of Disney Performing Arts at both the Disneyland and the Walt Disney World Resorts. Those selected are given the opportunity to perform at the resort for an international audience of theme park guests. For more information, go to www. DisneyPerformingArts.com or call 800.603.0552.
Edom Festival of Arts Restocks Featured Folks
Edom Festival of the Arts is scheduled October 20-21. The free, family-friendly event brings together artists and performers of the highest quality in a juried show. New artists this year include Lyn Foley, who makes her own glass beads then puts them together with handmade findings to make colorful, sculptural jewelry. Ina Crowe from Fort Worth makes paper, then turns the paper into lightweight, unusual jewelry. Stephanie H. Ford produces western-themed art using the old form of scratchboard. A potter from Dallas, Angela Gallia, makes stoneware using slab construction which gives her pieces amazing detail and design. Several new artists design and create artistic clothing. Valery Guignon makes functional garments beautiful enough to hang on the wall; Laura Maclay designs fun and funky handbags; Leslie Kregel makes hats from recycled wool sweaters. A block of wood becomes a Native American elder or laconic cowboy un18 • CountyLineMagazine.com • SEPTEMBER 2012
Katy Anderson, who was featured in the March issue of County Line Magazine for her and Patrick Medrano’s efforts to restore the old, abandoned Fodice School near Lovelady, has had five photographs selected for an American Center of the Arts exhibition at Dorothy’s Gallery in Paris, France. The objective of the contemporary art show and cultural program is to highlight major issues involved in the U.S. election, to highlight America’s der the knife of wood sculptor Kevin Malone, while Deborah Wood’s photographs depict the natural world with a modern twist. Popular favorites return including jewelers, wood workers, painters, glass artists, sculptors, potters, photographers, weavers, and fiber artists. The festival grounds are downtown near the intersection of FM 279 and FM 314. For more information, go to www.edomfestivalofthearts.com.
cultural diversity, and to encourage all Americans abroad to vote. The show is scheduled September 7 through November 10. For more information, email dorothysgallery@ gmail.com. Two other U.S. artists, Ealy Mays and the team of Dana and Jerome Tiger, are included in the show. The other artists are Debra Kellner from Canada, Emmanuelle Fevre from France, and Maurizio Galimberti from Italy.
Plaza Art Gallery Show Features Tyler Paintings
Cathie Tyler, former art instructor and division chair of fine arts at Paris Junior College, will exhibit her latest work at the Plaza Art Gallery, 8 West Plaza, in downtown Paris during September, with a reception from 5-8 p.m. September 6 at the gallery. “The natural environment has been a second background for my life and work,” said the third-generation artist. “The mountains and plains of Colo-
rado, the desert and mountains of El Paso, the prairie around Denton and the rolling hills, fields and hard wood forests of the Paris area have served as inspiration for my drawings, paintings and ceramics. My current series, Water’s Edge, includes drawings and paintings based on close-cropped, intimate images of plants against a continually changing sky and the lush vegetation that were cast as reflections upon the surface of a large pond which was located behind my Paris home of 20 years.”
ARTS EVENTS Every Second Tuesday
Red River Photo Club. Bonham. Photographers of all skills and experience meet to improve skills and share photographs and experiences. Annual membership $24; $36 family; guests welcome. 6:30 p.m. Creative Arts Center, 200 W. 5th. 903.640.2196, creativeartscenter.us.
Every Thursday
Art & Wine. Tyler. Showcase for a local artist every Thursday, Wine & cheese & fruit platter specials, full menu. Free admission. 5-9 p.m. Caffe Tazza, 4815 Old Bullard. 903.581.6601, www.caffetazza.net.
For more information, go to www.cathietyler.net.
Every Friday
Portals, Passageways Shows Off Two Marys
The “Portals and Passageways Art Exhibition” features paintings and sculpture by Mary Norvell and Mary Ruff at the Marshall Visual Art Center from September 21 through November 2. The opening reception, 6-8 p.m. September 21, features music by members of the Goodtime Rounders. “Our work embodies an intuitive, archetypal continuing thread that can connect art, artist, viewer, and the life each of us lives. Life as art, art as life. All is braided together, straight from the heart,” Ruff said. The museum is at 208 E Burleson. For more information, call 903.938.9860.
New Photography Club Sets Meetings in Mineola
Photographers and fans of photography have a new outlet for their passion. The Mineola League of the Arts has created a new group that will meet at 7 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays every month. The first meeting in August included a hands-on “learn how to use your camera” session” and the second meeting included a program about lighting techniques. Membership fee is $25 for individuals and $35 for families, and includes membership for all MLOTA activities. The meetings will be held at the MLOTA building, 200 W. Blair. For more information, call 903.569.8877.
East Texas stone sculptor Stacy Deslatte’s handcarved alabaster “Ancient Youth” has been accepted into the National Sculpture Society’s 79th Annual Awards Exhibition that runs through October 28 at Brookgreen Gardens in Pawleys Island, South Carolina.
Michelson Museum Exhibits Flow
FLOW takes as its theme an element at once commonplace yet crucial to human existence — water. Like its physical character, water as subject has assumed a variety of roles and meanings, from being a source of life to an instrument of destruction and death. It holds fascination for us as a natural wonder, recreational resource, and ecological concern. As symbol, it is associated with sustenance, tranquility, purity, power, movement and continuity. This exhibition explores the many meanings associated with water through a selection of thirty works drawn from the collection at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. It’s at the Michelson in Marshall from September 6 through October 20. The opening reception is Thursday, September 6. The Michelson Museum of Art is Wheelchair Accessible and there is no entry fee. They are open Tuesday - Friday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday 1 -4 p.m. The museum is located at 216 North Bolivar. For more information call 903 -935-9480 and visit www. michelsonmuseum.org.
Art Talk. Marshall. Informal gathering of artists and art lovers to share, critique (if desired), and even work on art. Free admission. 4-6 p.m. Marshall Visual Art Center, 208 E. Burleson. 903.938.9860, www.marshalltexas.net/Departments/Visual_Arts.
Through October 2
Dreams of Yesterday Exhibit. Longview. Tuesday-Friday 10am-4pm, Saturday 12pm- 4pm, Closed on Holidays, Gregg County Historical Museum, (903) 753-5840. www.gregghistorical.org/home
September 5 – 7
Decorative Gourds. Mineola. Pat Mapes will be demonstrating how to clean a gourd, design it, paint and finish it. Fees are $40 members, $45 non members and fee includes all the supplies you need. 10:00 am. Mineola League of the Arts, 200 W Blair,. 903-569-8877. www.mlota.org
September 6
Art Walk - Longview Art Museum. Longview. 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm Longview Museum of Fine Arts, 215 E. Tyler St., Longview.. 903-753-8103. www.lmfa.org Attic Windows Quilt Class. Mineola. 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Quilter, Nancy Gibson will be demonstrating how to make a attic window square; Pre-cut kit is included at no charge. Mineola League of the Arts, 200 W Blair.. 903-569-8877. www.mlota.org
September 7 - 28
Off the Wall - A Pottery & Sculpture Exhibit. Bonham. Creative Arts Center, 200 W. 5th Street. 903-640-2196. www.creativeartscenter.us
September 8 – October 27
H.J. Bolt & Carol Gebhardt, Sculptors. Longivew. 10:00 am. $5 for non members. Longview Museum of Fine Arts, 215 E. Tyler St. 903-753-8103. www.lmfa.org SEPTEMBER 2012 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 19
Community Theatre is Fun for All By Tom Geddie One of the more quietly dramatic presentations by a community theatre group in Northeast Texas this year took place only partially on stage. It worked as both a public relations victory and as a compassionate act. For a production of “Wizard of Oz,” Henderson County Performing Arts Center in Athens developed its own talent and then found a home for it. The “talent” in this case, was Toto, a small, black terrier mix. “We needed a dog for Toto,” said Paige Austin. “We got one from the local shelter, had it trained at Circle Star Pet Resort in Murchison, and put it up for adoption during the show.” That’s the kind of ingenuity local troupes depend on almost every day to create successes. “We’ve had people travel all the way from Oklahoma just to see this dog on stage,” Paige said, pointing out that it was then adopted by a local family. Community theatre is all over the Upper East Side of Texas, depending on a mix of paid admissions and community support to provide familiar and sometimes challenging productions for local residents and personal fulfillment and more for casts and crews. Often, the plays are comedies. Sometimes musicals and mysteries — almost always familiar and written by well-known playwrights, but sometimes created by local writers, and sometimes new and serious material. “The main purpose of this theatre is to entertain, educate, and change lives. We do all of that,” Paige said. “We do this to educate the community about the arts, and for the children,” Paige said, pointing out HCPAS’ Yes program – for Youth Excellence on Stage. “It’s the longest running program of its kind in Texas, basically to educate kids, give them an outlet and a chance for scholarships in theatre programs.” 20 • CountyLineMagazine.com • SEPTEMBER 2012
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Danny Servetnick, Sara Joblin, and David Young performed in “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” for the Henderson County Performing Arts Center.
HCPAC also did a video for local schools and held a summer theater camp, both dealing with the issue of bullying. At Quitman Community Theatre, cofounder Bob Hibbard said theatre “helps expand the cultural horizons of folks who wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to live theatre. “If they ever saw a play, it was when they were in high school. That’s not bad, because some of those are very good,” Bob said. “A lot of people like to go to movies and don’t really realize that live theatre is better in many ways because they can see that emotion being created,” he said. “Stage is an actors’ medium; movie is a director’s medium. In movies the director can do a hundred takes and make the actor look brilliant. In live theater, you do it one time. That’s why back in the old days stage actors called it legitimate theatre. Nowadays, (some) actors kinda cross back and forth.” Bob also likes discovering new talent and seeing people thrive on stage. “One of the questions I am asked a lot is, ‘How do you get that talent to come out and perform?’ The answer is that talent is everywhere; they just choose to do something else in life, some other occupation. The trick is getting them interested enough
to come do it,” he said. “The cultural heartbeat of America is in community theatre, as far as expression goes. Not everybody can get a gymnast or figure skater or hot shot high school football player who can’t make it in the pros. But everybody can be in a play. Theatre allows artistic expression to anybody.” Bob admits that there are “some home runs and some foul balls,” but “we have a certain level of excellence below which we will not fall. There’s no such thing as perfect performance even among the pros, but we want to give 95-98 percent.” He is also convinced that musicals and comedies draw the biggest audiences. “If we tried to do a serious drama, people would stay away in droves. A serious, heavy drama is fun to act in and some people really appreciate it, but as a rule folks don’t attend it nearly as well. We’ve all got our own problems, and want to forget about those problems.” Jon Paul Kelley, president of the board of Cherokee Civic Theatre in Rusk, likes to see the plays more than once during their typical five- or six-performance runs, so he can see how the actors adapt. “A lot of the time if I’m not involved in a show, I’ll go watch just to see the evolution
of the show: how the cast gels together over the run of the show, how the characters develop, different nuances at different times,” Jon said. “I enjoy that part of it a lot. And I enjoy the unexpected, like how somebody recovers when they drop a line.” Jon said the theater experience also is “a chance to expose a group of folks to the arts that they wouldn’t normally get to see.”
LEFT: Dorothy (Hanna Young) and Toto from the Henderson County Performing Arts Center’s production of “Wizard of Oz.” Toto – a black terrier mix that was plucked from a shelter, trained, and performed – was adopted by a local family. Courtesy photograph. ABOVE: Dancing “zombies” do their signature zombie dance during the Kidz Krew’s production of “To Be Frank(enstein) at the Creative Arts Center in Bonham. Photo by Renee Campbell.
“It’s also a great place to unwind. I have a full-time job, and going to the theater allows me to escape from that sometimes.” At Palestine Community Theatre, Roy Dantin, president of the board, said his whole family — including his wife, Chaundra; daughter, Gabby; and son, Brandon — is involved “as a way of giving back to the community.” Roy runs the sound and lighting while the others go onstage. Getting involved is satisfying, he said. “It’s personal achievement, doing something different,” Roy said. “It’s self-gratification.” Carl Campbell at Talent Box Theatre in Wills Point enjoys the “release from reality.” “I enjoy it. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t do it,” Carl said. “Everybody that enjoys theatre or wants to express themselves should do it, especially when we retire or have some time to do something. It’s a good thing to be involved, and theatres definitely need more support from volunteers. We are all volunteers.”
lends itself to the idea of Neverland with its fountain and plants. The setting is a challenge, though, turning the audience-in-the-round equation in a new direction with the audience in the middle and the play on the perimeter. “The wonderful thing about producing a play, for the people in it, is that a lot of folks don’t realize how this works,” she said. “Everybody involved in it is a team, just the same as a sports team or any other kind of team. When everyone in a project is working towards a successful outcome where the audience has fun, and the story
is told well with humor, if there’s a message it comes across. Everyone has to help each other to achieve that successful outcome. “Kids involved in theater have just as much team experience as kids who play football or basketball or anything. Somebody may have more lines, but there’s no one star. The whole team is responsible for the outcome.” While that is undoubtedly true in most circumstances, it was Toto, it seems, who stole the show in Henderson County Performing Arts Center’s production of “Wizard of Oz.” n
Lisa Avila with the Kidz Krew Performing Arts Program at the Creative Arts Center in Bonham strives to combine material — much of it her own adaptations of “Alice in Wonderland,” a Sherlock Holmes mystery, and more until this month’s production of “Peter Pan” — that both kids and adults can enjoy. “We try to include some older jokes and silly things that relate to both,” she said. “A lot of kids’ plays can be kinda, if you are not a parent, boring. That’s just the way it works sometimes. To overcome that, we have to entertain and have a great time, for the kids to learn, and also to draw in more audiences that aren’t necessarily relatives.” The Kidz Krew is doing “Peter Pan” in the garden at the arts center, which Lisa said
Caleb Summers (as Mike Connors), Jessica Breen-Ford (as Tracy Lord), Jon Paul Kelley (as C.K. Dexter Haven), and Corey Folmnsbee (as George Kittredge) starred in Cherokee Community Theatre’s production of the “The Philadelphia Story” in Rusk. Photo by Sheilah O’Heaney. SEPTEMBER 2012 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 21
on stage
Check out www.countylinemagazine.com for our extended STAGE news and event listings.
Crockett Arts Group Announces Season
drill team. The new Rangerettes join 35 sophomores to make a line of 71.
Piney Woods Fine Arts Association season memberships are now on sale. This season’s events in Crockett include The Piney Woods Polka Fest with Brave Combo on October 6; the Kremlin Chamber Orchestra on October 18; Travis Tritt on January 26; Cornell Gunter’s Coasters, Bobby Hendricks’ Drifters, and The Platters on February 16; Fiddler on the Roof on March 6; and humorist Jeanne Robertson on March 23.
The Rangerettes were the first of their kind when they began in 1940 as a vision of the late Gussie Nell Davis. The organization created a unique combination of dance moves and precision drills that quickly earned them the reputation not only as the originators of dance/drill teams, but as the best in the world. Known for their high kicks and the jump splits, the organization has traveled around the world and entertained millions.
For this 22nd season, options include buying six Signature Series performances and two special events.
The new freshman members of the 2012-13 Rangerettes, listed by hometown: Allen (Breanna Burns), Austin (Ashlee Cloud, Julie Byron, Lauren Gier, Kelsey Johnson), Bellville (Abigail Jamar), College Station (Jenna Helduser), Hallsville (Heather Prince), Huntington (Dezirae Burnett), Flower Mound (Robin Richardson), Fort Worth (Whitney Costello), Friendswood (Leisha Kastner), Garland (Madison Hancock), Highland Village (Lauren Gula), Kilgore (K.J. Greene, Tori Boaze, Ally Honeycutt, Jennifer Jones), Lewisville (Emily Mansfield), Magnolia (Kaitlin Hanus), Manvel (Kacie Stanfield), Marshall (Kelsey West), Montgomery (McKinley Lindwall, Christine Kleinecke), Pharr (Lauren Cabrera), Plano (Julia Goebel), Port Neches (Marli Kimball), Richardson (Taylor Mackintosh, Sarah Doman), Round Rock (Heather Manskey, Stacy Sauceda), San Antonio (Carrie Matus), Tyler (Katylynn Stalcup, Angie Gonzalez, Thalia Molina), and Waxahachie (Elizabeth Power).
Tickets for the six performances in the “Signature Series” are $165, $140, and $115. Student tickets for ages 18 and younger are half price for selected performances. The special events are Clint Black (tickets start at $40) on September 15 and the Shoji Tabuchi Christmas Show (tickets start at $30) on December 14. For more information, call 936.544.4276 or go to www.pwfaa.org.
Rangerettes Add 36 To Dance, Drill Team
Thirty-six young women are the newest members of the world-famous Kilgore College Rangerettes dance and
ON STAGE EVENTS THEE HUBBELL HOUSE BED & BREAKFAST Southern hospitality just two blocks from Downtown Winnsboro www.theehubbellhouse.com 800.227.0639
Thee Hubbell House
22 • CountyLineMagazine.com • SEPTEMBER 2012
September 4
ArtsView PATHS Fall Classes. Longview. Fall theatre classes for children ages 4-18. Costs and times vary. See our website. Registration begins Tuesday, September 4th. ArtsView Children’s Theatre, 313 West Tyler St., 903-236-7535. www.artsviewchildrenstheatre.com
September 7-16
Hallelujah Girls. Tyler. Hilarity abounds when the feisty females of Eden Falls, Georgia, decide to shake up their lives. The action in this rollicking Southern comedy takes place in SPA-DEE-DAH!, the abandoned church-turned-day-spa where this group of friends gathers every Friday afternoon. After numerous hillarious situations, as the women rally together to overcome obstacles and launch their new, improved lives, you’ve got a side-splitting, joyful comedy that will make you laugh out loud and shout “Hallelujah!” Tyler Civic Theatre. 400 Rose Park Drive, 903.5920561. www.tylercivictheatre.com.
September 8
How to Audition Workshop. Longview. Come spend a Saturday morning getting the inside scoop auditioning at ArtsView just in time for the upcoming auditions for ANNIE! 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., $30, ArtsView Children’s Theatre, 313 West Tyler St. 903236-7535. www.artsviewchildrenstheatre.com
September 14
Auditions for ArtsView’s fall Main Stage production of ANNIE. Longview. For ages 10 to adult. ArtsView Children’s Theatre, 313 West Tyler St., Longview. 903-2367535. www.artsviewchildrenstheatre.com
September 15
Olivia Arrington. Paris. 9 p.m. $20. Stand up comedy live from BET and Showtime. LMAO Comedy Club, 12 First St NE , 903785-LAFF. www.lmaotexas.com. Bravo Players @ Farmer’s Market. Longview. 9 a.m. Longview Farmers Market, Cotton & High Street, 903-236-7535.
September 21 - 30
Kidz Krew Performing Arts presents PETER PAN. Bonham. $10 Adults; $8 Students. Creative Arts Center Kidz Krew Performing Arts presents PETER PAN in the Garden. Call for ticket prices and times. Creative Arts Center, 200 W. 5th St.,. 903.640.2196. www.creativeartscenter.us
October 4
TRAHC Presents Sinbad Live at the Perot Theatre. Texarkana. 7:30 pm. Tickets are $46, $40 and $33* with half-price Student Discounts for Balcony Seat. The Perot Theater, 219-221 Main Street, 903-792-4992. http://TRAHC.org
Food Music Fun Art Saturday, October 20
Sunday, October 21
10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
www.EdomFestivaloftheArts.com
Experience Edom Where Art Comes to Life
www.VisitEdom.com Potters Brown
Studio & Gallery
Blue Moon Gardens
Perennials. Herbs. Garden Art. Gift Shop Open 9-5 Thurs-Sun 903.852.3897 www.bluemoongardens.com
Original Handmade Stoneware 903.852.6473 www.pottersbrown.com
Arbor Castle Birdhouses
DRAGONHEAD RETREAT
Birdbaths
The Lodge Outside Living Room Cedar Cabin Camping Areas
Garden Sculptures 903.852.7893 www.arborcastlebirdhouses.com
801 VZCR 4929 903-520-2069 www.dragonheadretreat.com SEPTEMBER 2012 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 23
GRITS & GOURMET
Check out www.countylinemagazine.com for our extended FOOD & DRINK news, events, and articles.
Mooyah
ferent flavors of shakes to choose from including the standard chocolate and vanilla, but also Oreo, Butterfinger, and mint chocolate chip. The shakes alone are worth a visit.
Review by Jeremy Light
There are a variety of burgers to choose from as well including the Mooyah, turkey, or veggie, and buns come in white or whole wheat. They also have ice burgers, that is, a burger wrapped in lettuce. For the more health conscious of us, this is a welcome feature. A variety of toppings and sauces are available as well as French fries or sweet potato fries, the latter being quite tasty.
4903 S. Broadway TYLER 903.617.6116 www.mooyah.com
One thing I thought Tyler had plenty of was burger joints. With so many offerings available, how does one more stand out? Mooyah has done just that. Given its proximity to Jason’s deli, my preferred place to grab a quick bite, I hesitated trying Mooyah. But I was intrigued based on word of mouth. Once inside, I was greeted with words that immediately make me suspicious of any eating establishment when a server said, “Have you ever been here before?” Normally, such words mean that the establishment has some nonstandard procedure of service. Any place that requires me to learn a new
method of ordering I generally believe to be gimmicky to disguise the lack of good food. It is nice to be surprised. In this case I was handed a menu card to fill out and hand back to the server who then placed my order. I am not sure if this step is necessary or maybe it is just a part of the restaurant’s verve. This is a minor point. There are 14 dif-
Best of the Upper East Side of Texas 2010, 2011 Best Steaks and Best Restaurant
And that about does it for the menu. It is very simple and gives lots of choices. It might be nice if some more detail were added to the menu so as to explain what might be done with combinations. Again, this is a minor point. The main question is whether such a basic menu is worth your time. It is. I chose the Mooyah burger with blue cheese and sweet potato fries. The blue cheese is melted and blends perfectly with the well-seasoned and very juicy burger. The fries are crisp and sweet with the perfect amount of salt for contrast. Also, the service is quick and courteous and I did not spend half an hour waiting for someone to see if I needed anything in addition to my order. And given how aware we are of our pocketbooks and getting the most for our money, Mooyah offers very reasonable prices. Shakes are $3.75 for adults and $2.75 for kids. The burgers are $4.95 with cheese and toppings ranging from .75 to .95 a piece.
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 $24.95
Located in a beautiful lakeside lodge at 21191 FM 47 in Wills Point, one block north of Interstate 20, Exit 516 Open Tuesday - Saturday 5pm. to 10pm. Available for Special Events
Reservations Recommended
903.873.2225
www.fourwindssteakhouse.com
24 • CountyLineMagazine.com • SEPTEMBER 2012
The atmosphere at Mooyah is inviting and convivial. It even has a tall board with chalk available for the kids to draw on, or the adults too I imagine. Mooyah makes a perfect destination for lunch and something different than your standard burger joint. Given its proximity to the Tyler mall, Mooyah looks to be a hit and is a welcome, tasty, and affordable addition to the Tyler dining scene.
Tele’s Mexican Restaurant 1700 Judson Road LONGVIEW 903.553.9833 www.telesrestaurant.com
Review by Patti Light I judge a Mexican food establishment by not only food selections, but by the chips and salsa. I would pay for just the set-up at Tele’s anywhere in East Texas. The chips and salsa and the friendly smiles at the Longview location is the combination worthy of any menu. Tele’s has been in East Texas for many years and is a reader favorite. I have always loved stopping in when I am venturing through Gilmer or Gladewater, but for this journey I found myself seated in a quiet booth in Longview. The noise level, or lack thereof is a plus for these eateries. You feel rested and full when you leave, not frazzled from action. Specialties at Tele’s include a variety of seafood based Mexican dishes, like Acapulco Snapper and blackened catfish and hearty portions of carne Asada in the combo. The Carne Tampiquena is a great exit from the ordinary with strips of marinated sirloin cooked in a
music • food • fun Menu features award-winning burgers with house-fried potato chips, daily plate lunches (Tuesday-Friday), veggie wraps, salads and crispy, hand-made “fried” pies. Beer and wine available. Open Sun., Tues., Wed., 10:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m., Thur. 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri..-Sat. 10:30 a.m.- 11 p.m. Kitchen closes 10 p.m. 13 & up welcome with an adult after 8 p.m. Fridays 6-7 p.m., burger-and-a-beer $7. 903.833.5100.
Delicious sandwiches, handmade pizzass, soups, salads, and more. To go orders welcome. Full bar. Open Wed.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday Noon - 4 p.m. For info, call 903.833.5970.
Live Music 8-11 p.m. * Live Acoustic Music, 7 p.m. No Cover Geezer (Classic Rock) $7 9/1 Mike Acoustic 9/20 Withrow-Cooley Ben Lowery & Texas Express 9/6 Patrick James 9/21 Tiffany Shea & (Country Dance) $5 Freden Anne E. Dechant Backseat Molly (Texas Country) $8 9/22 Heather Little 9/7 Eric Moseley blacktopGYPSY (Country/Americana) $7 & Matt Bradshaw 9/8 Matt Bradshaw Brad Ward & 69 South (Country/Rock) $7 & Heather Little 9/27 Travis Bolt Ben Lowery & Texas Express (Country Dance) $5 9/13 Wesley Pruitt 9/28 Jimmy Bailey Stratoblasters (Blues/Rock) $7 9/29 Kirby Kelley 9/14 Tyler Joiner Kimberly Dunn Band (Country) $5 & Katie Brooks Every Saturday East Texas Jazz Orchestra (Big Band/Jazz) 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. 9/15 Ann Armstrong *7p.m. to 10 p.m. • $15 Bluesman & Steve Hughes Karaoke Thursdays 6 p.m.INTERNATIONAL MODEL A FORD Craig AY DWallace BEN WHEELER, TEXAS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2012 10AM10AM-3PM
9/1 9/7 9/8 9/14 9/15 9/21 9/22 9/28 9/29
DATE: 00/00/00
SAVE THE DATES! Driving Tours Burgers Raffles Driving Games F
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The largest gathering of 1928-1931 Model A Fords in East Texas will be showcased on the R M R O Ben A D Wheeler Festival Grounds and throughout downtown. Clubs from all over our area, Dallas and Fort Worth are planning to participate. ◆ ◆ Come enjoy this historical event!
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International ModelHistorical A FordFun Day
Driving Tours, Raffles, Driving Games, Burgers, Prizes, Historical Fun
EDOM TO BEN whEElER, TEXAS
edom to ben WHeeler, teXas
September 8
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EDOM TO BEn whEELER, TEXAS
October 26-27
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CALL 903.833.1070 Fall Feral Hog Festival FOR COMPLETE DETAILS EDOM TO BEN whEElER, TEXAS
featuring Fall Feral Follies, Wild Hog Cook-Off, WWW.BENWHEELERTX.COM Parade, Carnival, Live Music, and Lots More!
BEN WHEELER ARTS & HISTORIC HISTORIC DISTRICT FOUNDATION
Ben Wheeler Arts & Historic District Foundation SEPTEMBER 2012 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 25 www.benwheelertx.com • 903.833.1070
TELE’S continued from page 25 spicy sauce and served with rice, beans, pico and guacamole. The portions are healthy for hungry diners or those who may choose a to-go box. The selection of quesadillas is amazing with spinach being my favorite. It makes a great lighter lunch choice. A fan favorite and a favorite of many of my friends is the spicy guacamole — it cranks up the pepper, but is creamy too. This, combined with the mild salsa and crisp chips may make you full before the entrée arrives. Beware of your heat tolerance because, depending on who made it, this dip can be hotter than expected. I am addicted to the enchiladas at Tele’s. They are hand stuffed and without a bunch of filler. The beef is seasoned to perfection and simmered before being wrapped in thick tortillas and smothered in a spicy chili sauce. Instead of making the beef hot they leave that to the sauce. Beef is good but it is the chicken sour cream enchiladas that make my mouth water. Packed with marinated white chicken meat snuggled in a fluffy flour tortillas, they become the canvas for the sauce. This is not a watery sour cream sauce, it is layers of cream, pepper, garlic and spice begging to be licked from your fork. To experience them both order the Guerrero plate for under $10. Price is the other friendly thing about Tele’s. They are very consumer friendly with nothing in the dinner plates section over $10. I also love that they color code the selections, mild, warm and spicy. It makes ordering for those with different tolerance levels much easier. The lunch menu is served Monday through Friday 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and is a quick bit of good food, but if you want a lot of fajitas order the regular menu item. The three chalupa plate is yummy, but ask for more guacamole if you want a big portion. The queso chalupa is a great kids meal for a picky eater. Tele’s is a family-friendly , home-grown place to get great Mexican food for a great price. Those and the chips and salsa are reason enough to stop in and sit a spell. 26 • CountyLineMagazine.com • SEPTEMBER 2012
FOOD EVENTS Every Tuesday and Saturday
Navarro County Farmers Market. Corsicana. Locally grown produce. 7 a.m.-sell out. South I-45B at Hwy 31. 903.229.7333.
Every Wednesday and Saturday
Farmer’s Market. Nacogdoches. More than 25 vendors, plus music. 8 a.m.-noon. 107 Pearl. 936.559.2573, http://farmermktnac.blogspot.com.
Every Friday
Brick Street Farmers Market. Corsicana. Local producers’ market with naturally grown fruits, vegetables, beef, poultry, dairy products; handmade breads, canned goods, and plants plus entertainment and cooking demonstrations. 3-7 p.m. Brick Street downtown. 903.229.7505.
Every Saturday
Farmers’ Market. Winnsboro. Voted best produce in County Line Magazine’s 2011 Best of Produce Category. Open every Saturday from 8 a.m.-noon through October, rain or shine, at Winnsboro City Park under the Jack Cross Pavilion, 900 Wheeler north of FM 515. Shop for the freshest local produce, browse the selection of crafts, or taste and buy Texas wines. Demonstrations and entertainment are often on the schedule, and often there are special events. 903.629.3332. www.WinnsboroFarmersMarket.com. Farmers Market. Longview. Certified GoTexas market with fresh, locally grown products, goat cheese, free range beef and chicken, fresh flowers; herbs, soaps, candles, and more. Free admission. 8 a.m.-noon. High and Cotton streets.
www.HistoricLongviewFarmersMarket.com, 903.746.2708. Main Street Farmers Market. Mineola. Buy locally grown produce. Free admission. Opens 7:30 a.m. 115 E. Front at the pavilion. www.mineola.com. Farmers Market. Athens. Free to shoppers; peddlers $5. 8 a.m.-noon. Parking lot, Hwy. 19N at E. Larkin. 903.675.5181, www. athenscc.org. Farmers Market. Kilgore. Local produce plus arts & crafts vendors. 8 a.m.-noon. Downtown. 903.988.4117, www.downtownkilgore.com.
September 1
Palestine Farmers Market Super Saturday Sale. Palestine. 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. The Palestine Farmers Market will host its monthly Super Saturday Sale. Featuring cage-free/ range-free eggs, watermelons, squash, peas, beans, tomatoes, onions, peaches and so much more! 825 West Spring St. 903.723.3014. www.visitpalestine. com
September 17
Peace Meal. Tyler. 6 p.m. An open-table, multi-cultural community gathering. After the meal, local news anchor Anissa Centers will share her perspective on tolerance and equality in East Texas. Buffet meal is $10 + tip. Veranda Restaurant. www. tylerpeace.com
September 22
Woodlawn Community “Annual Fish Fry” Fund Raiser. 4-7 p.m. Five miles North of Marshall on US 59 (turn west on 3001); Center on left. 903.935.4199. Open 24/7 • Full Menu Breakfast anytime
ADVERTISE IN THE COUNTY LINE IT WORKS! Call 903.833.2084
info@countylinemagazine.com
Hwy. 19 near I-20 in Canton
“World Famous Hamburgers”
903-567-6551 www.dairypalace.com facebook.com/dairypalace
ROBERTSON’S HAMS 120 @ FM 47, Exit 516 Wills Point
903-873-8645
robertsonsham-willspoint.com
Mon-Wed 9 a.m. -7 p.m. Voted Best Catfish in Northeast Texas 2010
Cured & Smoked Ham, Turkey, Sausage “Real” Beef Jerky ALSO Burgers, Barbecue, Shakes, and Bluebell Cones!
Thurs- Sat 9 a.m.- 9 p.m.
THE RED BARN
Catfish and Shrimp Buffet, Homemade Desserts Thurs- Sat 5 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. SEPTEMBER 2012 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 27
FILM Independent Film Series Premieres in Edom By Edward H. Garcia The birth of the Old Firehouse Independent Film Series had a lot in common with the old Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland movie where Mickey says, “Hey, let’s put together a show of our own.” Judy adds, “We can use my dad’s barn.” In this case, Mickey and Judy were played by a group of friends who gather for breakfast on Friday mornings, and the “barn” is the Old Firehouse in Edom. The Men of a Certain Age were discussing the lack of interesting, independent films in East Texas, and it was Jeff Gottesman who suggested that the lack might be remedied by a film series in the concert room of his Old Firehouse Gallery. The Men are not much for follow through on random complaints, but Jeff persisted, and through his efforts, the Old Firehouse Independent Film Series was born. Jeff arranged with Magnolia Pictures for the rental of independent films they distribute and went about converting the folk music venue in his gallery into a movie theater which has more in common with an art theater than with the blockbuster-showing multiplexes which all seem to offer the same movies. In May Jeff organized a shake-down cruise for the series with the showing of “The Hunter,” an eco-thriller starring Willem Dafoe. With volunteers selling drinks, popcorn, and candy, the theater offered the traditional movie experience — a group of people in the dark eating popcorn and Milk Duds, enjoying together a thoughtful, intelligent, entertaining film. The response to that first showing encouraged Jeff to schedule a monthly series of nine films for the coming year, starting September 22 with 360, a romantic thriller made up of a series of interlocking stories set in cities all over 28 • CountyLineMagazine.com • SEPTEMBER 2012
the world which are eventually woven together in a single narrative. It is directed by Fernando Meirelles who also directed City of God and The Constant Gardener. The cast includes Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law, Rachel Weisz and Ben Foster. The other films scheduled for the fall are I Wish on October 13, The Magic of Belle Isle on November 10, and 2 Days in New York on December 1. I Wish is a Japanese film about two brothers separated by divorce. Roger Ebert gave it three and a half stars and praised highly the performances by the two young actors. The Magic of Belle Isle stars Morgan Freeman and Virginia Madsen. 2 Days in New York is a comedy of manners directed by and starring Julie Delphy and comedian Chris Rock. Delphy is best known for Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. All the films in the series will come from the list of first-run films released by Magnolia. The cost of admission for the films is $8 initially. Jeff is also looking for sponsors for the films and sells on-screen advertising to help defray costs. Like his folk concert series, the film series is a labor of love. Each film showing is followed by a discussion for anyone who cares to stay. This film series isn’t Jeff’s first venture into movie house entrepreneurship. When he was seven-years-old, living in an apartment in New York City, he set up a theater in the foyer of his family’s apartment, with a slide projector and reel-to-reel tape player to show educational slide shows, and he put up handmade signs advertising it all over the building. He expects the new Firehouse Cinema to be even more successful. The technology and the signs are more professional this time, but Jeff’s impulse is the same — to bring people together and entertain them. n
FILM EVENTS September 1
Classic Movies in the Park. Palestine. 5:30 pm. THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER 1942. Starring Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan, and Monty Woolley--When acerbic critic Sheridan Whiteside slips on the front steps of a provincial Ohio businessman’s home and breaks his hip, he and his entourage take over the house indefinitely. Reagan Park, 400 Micheaux Ave. http://www. visitpalestine.com World Peace Day. Tyler. 2- 4:30 p.m. Free. The film weaves the story of teacher John Hunter with his students participation in the World Peace Game. The game triggers an eight-week transformation of the children from students of a neighborhood school to citizens of the world. A discussion time will follow the film. Taylor Auditorium, Tyler Public Library, 201 S College Avenue. 903-593-7323. www.tylerlibrary.com
September 22
The Old Firehouse Cinema Presents: “360.” Edom. 7:00 pm. $8. Starring Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, Anthony Hopkins & Ben Foster Edom’s New Home for Monthly First Run & Independent Films The Old Firehouse, 8241 FM 279,.. 903-852ART1 (2781). www.theoldfirehouse.net.
NEWS
Expedition Texas TV Features Lost History
A new television show, “Expedition Texas,” on Legacy TV will explore historic Texas locations including stories behind abandoned buildings, bridges, monuments, and other historical artifacts scattered across Texas. The show, produced by East Texas-based 31 West Productions, is scheduled to air at 7:30 p.m. beginning September 6. “It really started with a fascination I had with old buildings and other structures left to ruin,” said Bob Mauldin, who created and produces the show. “We put the word out we were producing a TV show about lost history and every time I talked to someone about it I heard of another location we needed to research.” For more information, go to www.expeditiontexas.tv.
Visit
...a straight shot to Cedar Creek Lake
open to the public! Live Local Music 6-9 p.m. HAPPY HOUR 5-6:30 p.m.
Every Friday Night
MILL CREEK RANCH RESORT 2102 N. Trade Days, Canton Texas
• Dining • Shopping • Lodging
• Boating • Fishing • Skiing
• More...
Pool-view with light bar foods, cocktails, beer and wine September 7 David Bradshaw & Joel Marsh September 14 Josh Hamman of American Jenny September 21 Matt Bradshaw September 28 Ben Lowery & Wes Hendrix Check our website and facebook for more information
Live Music
We AIM
to please!
903.887.1087
903-567-6020 millcreekranchresort.com
www.gunbarrelcity.net www.gunbarrelcityfestivals.net
✽ Mineola Historical Museum presents
Black & White Bash Saturday, October 13 Doors Open 5:30 p.m. Dinner served 6 p.m. Mineola Civic Center, 1150 N. Newsom Street
Live Music by Bongo and the Point Dancing • Auction Keynote Speaker J.B. Smith byob (wine only) Limited Seating Available
RSVP by October 3
903.569.0341 or 903.569.6983 email: sharonchamblee@hotmail.com
Proceeds Benefit
Mineola’s Historical Museum “History educates our children” and
Northeast Texas Child Advocacy Center “Angel Tree” Program SEPTEMBER 2012 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 29
bookmarks On the Island By Tracy Garvis Graves Published by Plume Books ISBN:978-1-101-60909-5 Reviewed by Patti Light The setting of a warm topical island with love in the air, sounds like paradise. That is what drew my husband to download the free electronic sample of Tracy Garvis Graves’ On the Island for me, but also because it was all with a complexity that would keep me turning pages. Turn pages, is exactly what I did for hours lounging by a pool in the oppressive heat of Palm Springs, California in July. The story of T.J. and Anna at first when you read the jacket cover may seem too risqué, but this author knows her art and her audience. A seaplane crashing into the crisp blue waters of the Indian Ocean with a tutor and her 16-year-old student is how this story begins. There is romance in the story for our characters, but it is years later and treated very tamely. As I commented to my book club, it’s about love and not relations. At the core of this story is about how we are prepared or not prepared to survive if needs be. Anna and T.J. are stranded on an island with no food, no fresh water and no supplies. Supplies do begin to arrive as things wash up from wreckage. I was always rooting for them as I remembered how a character in a movie made fire or figured out where crabs were in ordered to eat better.
Anna is a great modern female character that really has the voice of many women in their 30’s today struggling with career and personal issues. Her emotions and fears as she wonders if she and T.J. will live are tissue worthy on this story. Yes, Graves lets her cry, but she also has her shark fishing and climbing coconut tress. She is the narrator and her voice is a great transition from challenge to challenge and very resolved when life begins again after their rescue. T.J. is our right of passage as readers. He begins as a cancer survivor and brooding teenage boy about to be a man and ends up a true romantic hero. He is inventive. He use an earring and becomes a world-class fisherman. He is also the leader in the romance and the first to tell the world nothing wrong has happened. Where Anna doubts, he moves them forward. I love the intimacy that the author creates, without graphic love scenes. The characters fall in love over a pet chicken, while she shaves his beard because they have no mirror, and as they build a home from jungle rubble. It is also a real relationship, where public opinion clouds judgment and jealousy raises its ugly head. On the Island introduced me to a great new author and wasted away hours while I listened to the wind roll through the desert. If you like Lisa Wingate or Patti Callahan Henry, you will love Tracy Garvis Graves. You may also learn how to pack a useful carry-on on your next flight.
Local Authors Book Fair Hopkins County Fall Festival September 14-15 hopkinscountyfallfestival.com
30 • CountyLineMagazine.com • SEPTEMBER 2012
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A Discovery of Witches By Deborah Harkness Viking ISBN#: 9780670022410 Reviewed by Jeremy Light Loathe as I am to acknowledge anything redeeming in the publishing world’s recent flood of supernatural offerings, Deborah Harkness’ All Souls Trilogy, beginning with A Discovery of Witches, reveals a bright new facet to the oft-visited realm of the otherworldly. What makes this first entry into the trilogy worth reading is the same thing that made me like Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian: literary ambition. Whereas a majority of supernatural-themed writing is quite facile, that is, focusing on dark humor, sexual intrigue, and physically invincible heroines, Discovery deals with the same things, but also old manuscripts and unique historical information. This is all the difference in the world. The story examines the discovery of an ancient manuscript by Dr. Diana Bishop. The text purportedly reveals the secret of immortality, a secret that brings out all manner of supernatural beings and consequences. Incidentally, Dr. Bishop is also a descendant of the first woman executed in the Salem witch trials. This adds an interesting dimension to her character, a detail sadly overlooked by many writers. Readers of this type of fiction will certainly recall the greatest hits of Anne Rice. And although Harkness does not quite have the panache of Rice, she does have a flair for description and the beats of a finely tuned narrative. Further complicating the story is vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont. His relationship with Diana starts out cautious, but gradually evolves into a relationship that is not exactly allowed in the world created by Harkness. Even in the supernatural world, there are certain rules and breaking them has a horrible stigma associated with it. You’ll have to read it to find out exactly what, but that is what makes reading this so enjoyable and believable. The latter
quality is sadly lacking in most fiction of this type. Perhaps it is the fact that Harkness is a professor of history and takes the time to develop the story in a realistic fashion without resorting to overworked action scenes. You might find yourself reading more than you really intend once you pick this up. I must admit that the first 50 pages were hardly impressive. When a book fails to grip me quickly, I rarely continue. However, Harkness’ inclusion of historical details kept me interested long enough to get to the good stuff. Just like Stephanie Meyers’ The Host, Discovery is deliberate without being boring and it rewards you for having patience. The second part of the trilogy, Shadow of Night, has already been released, and I eagerly anticipate the follow up. The subjects of witches and vampires has been overworked in recent years. Hopefully, the All Souls Trilogy will not fall into the same trap as recent offerings of the same vein, pun absolutely intended. It would be easy to dismiss this work as just another supernatural romance/thriller. To do so would be to ignore a fine voice in modern fiction and a tremendous new offering for a genre crumbling under the weight of clichés.
LITERARY NEWS
East Texas Book Fest Hosts 50-plus Authors
More than 50 Texas authors, including 12 award-winning authors who will headline as featured speakers, will be in Tyler for the fourth annual East Texas Book Fest on Saturday, September 8. Featured speakers will lead workshops or discussions about their work and the art and craft of creating and publishing books. Among this group are best-selling fiction writers Taylor Stevens and Reavis Wortham, political scientist Cal Jillson, historian Derek Catsam, folklorist Jerry Lincecum, and Carmen Tafolla, Keith Graves, Alan Stacy, Joy Preble, Varian Johnson, Marianne Dyson, and Laura Edge. Presentations will include subject of interest to all ages of readers. continued page 32
poetry & prose grandmothers lullaby and will I sing again a lullaby? as the seasons have turned and this is the time I sang before, when I was young and told stories in the night and looked into little bright eyes and ahead of me was most of my life ...and the seasons turned
Loss It begins with a terrifying fall from all you have known, a push from the biplane of where your life was going… before you heard the news. Without a word of warning, a heavy door slid open and life shoved you out
and my hair turned gray and long were many of my appointed days as my children grew up and moved away.......
into a free fall from safety,
but my heart swells with hope and love and delight and waits for a baby’s sweet cry and I will sing again a lullaby
of what this will mean.
a whirling fight to right yourself, as you struggle to figure out which way is up or down, your ears full of the rush and roar
Jill Cummings Tyler
For hours then days, the future is a blur as Time rushes past you at the speed of loss, and you realize how fast things can go terribly wrong.
How the World Will End The world may end in fire. The world may end in ice. But no matter what happens, It won’t be very nice. Ice will be cold. Ice will hold The earth in place, Stuck in a frozen gaze. Fire will burn. Fire will turn Earth into ash With everlasting past. Alas the world will end in time, And thus I write my last rhyme. I have run out of time. Lexus Teague written in fifth grade Fruitvale Hallie Randall Elementary
As the noise of knowing drowns out your calls for help and you lose sight of anything vaguely normal, reality— the knowledge that you have to live— jerks you taut under its open chute. Drifting earthward, you swing and sway, safe, held aloft by the thin air of why, how, why, how… As you try to untangle the lines of your wind-sheared thoughts. slowly, the faces of people you left on the ground rise up to greet you, the circle of their love, your landing zone, their upturned smiles, solid proof, that they believe you will walk away from even this, unscathed. Anne McCrady Henderson SEPTEMBER 2012 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 31
bookmarks BOOK FEST continued from page 31
More than 40 more authors will display and sell their books and chat with attendees throughout the day. It’s free, and it’s at the UT Tyler Ornelas Activity Center, 3402 Old Omen, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, go to www.etxbookfest.org.
Garcia’s First Book Available on IPad App
Edward H. Garcia’s first book, “Poems of Love and Loss,” is now available as an e-book through iPad’s IBooks Author function from Apple. The book features 17 poems with the text supplemented by recordings of Ed reading the poems. Ed is a frequent contributor to County Line Magazine. He is retired from teaching English and writing for the Dallas County Community College District. His work has been published in Texas in Poetry 2, Texas Short Stories 2, and Literary Dallas. Publisher is Bill Faulkner’s Sweetgum Press, which he set up to publish an occasional free book in Apple’s new e-book format which allows inclusion of multimedia content which he said cannot be included in other e-book formats. To access the book, use the iPad iTunes account, go to the iPad app store app, search and download the IBooks app, then search for Garcia and “Poems of Love and Loss” for the free download.
Henderson County History Featured in New Book
A new book, The Story of Henderson County from 1929 to 2012, contains lists and pictures of Henderson County officers through the years, articles written by those officers about their duties and experiences, snippets from newspapers through the years, and more. Included is the booklet telling the history of the telephone in Henderson 32 • CountyLineMagazine.com • SEPTEMBER 2012
Check out www.countylinemagazine.com for our extended ARTS: LITERARY news and event listings.
County written by Lola Richard, a career employee of Gulf States Telephone Company. It also contains a history of agriculture in the area by Rick Hirsch and a report on the nativity scene crisis last Christmas written by Jeff Riggs.
Every Third Friday
The compilers, Edith Rounsavall and Betty Hollowell, want to help the Henderson County Historical Society’s museum through the sale of the book. Since the museum relies on membership fees and donations to stay open, the income – after printing costs are met – will be most welcome.
Read Aloud Crowd. Tyler. 10:30-11:30 am. Free! Storytime for families followed by a short film or a simple craft. Directed toward children ages 3 through 6 years of age. Story Room, Tyler Public Library, 201 S College Avenue. 903-593-7323. http://www. tylerlibrary.com
All donations will be for the Henderson County Historical Society, the organization that manages the museum. All gifts will be welcome, and names of those donors of $100 and over will be included in the book, if desired. Send donations to: Henderson County Historical Society, P.O. Box 943, Athens, TX 75751.
Book Club Meeting Set in Mount Vernon
Coe & Co in Mount Vernon is hosting their next book club meeting September 4 at 6:30 p.m. The selection this month is Year of Wonders. Bring a dish to share and get ready for some stimulating conversation in beautiful surroundings. Inspired by the true story of Eyam, a village in the rugged hill country of England, Year of Wonders is a richly detailed evocation of a singular moment in history. Written with stunning emotional intelligence and introducing “an inspiring heroine,” says The Wall Street Journal, Brooks blends love and learning, loss and renewal into a spellbinding and unforgettable read.
Poetry Reading. Winnsboro. Local poets. Free admission. 6 p.m. Winnsboro Emporium, 316 N. Main. 903.342.6140, www. winnsboroemporium.com.
Through November 22
September 5
Art of Peace Poetry Contest Deadline. Tyler. Two-categories: 1) global peace issues and 2) peace at a local level. One poem for each category. 28 lines or less. Winning poems posted on the Art of Peace web site and FaceBook page and shared with audiences during the festival. Send submissions to Anne McCrady at anniemc5@ aol.com. www.tylerpeace.com
September 8
Book Fest 2012. Tyler. 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Free. Come meet popular Texas Authors at the East Texas Book Fest 2012. Ornelas Activity Center, 3402 Old Omen Road. www.etxbookfest.org. Palestine Public Library Book Sale. Palestine. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All proceeds benefit Palestine Public Library. Palestine Public Library, 2000 S. Loop 256. 903-729-4121. www.visitpalestine.com
September 10
Child Care Story Share. Tyler. 10:30-11:15 a.m. Free. Planned for the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month at 10:30 a.m. Enjoy this storytime for school groups followed by a short film. Directed toward children ages 3 through 6 years of age. Registration required. Taylor Auditorium, Tyler Public Library, 201 S College Avenue. 903-593-7323. www.tylerlibrary.com
September 11
LITERARY EVENTS Every Thursday
Story Time for Preschoolers. Van. Preschool children, parents, and caregivers get together for stories, crafts, songs, and refreshments. Free. 10-11 a.m. Van Community Library, 310 Chestnut. 903.963.7942, vancommunitylibrary@texascellnet.com.
Literary Club of Cedar Creek Lake. Seven Points. 9:30 am. Free. Program by Nella Phillips, known as Miss Vicki while teaching 4 and 5 year old children on Romper Room in the Dallas- Ft. Worth market. She will review the book Let’s Roll by Lisa Beamer. Library at Cedar Creek Lake, Hwy 34, Seven Points. 903.432.2399.
Comic Con Fans Unite at Convention by Jeremy Light
Rodney Atkins said it best with the title of his song “These are My People.” That refrain played through my head constantly while attending Comic Con 2012 in San Diego. Who are my people exactly? Those who wear shirts with Browncoat stenciled on the front. Those who can tell you the crate number for the Ark of the Covenant at the end of Raiders. Whedonistas. Trekkers. You might know us as geeks — and where that word once carried with it the stigma of pocket protectors, glasses, and hard days in grade school, it now means die hard fans of all things (pretty much) pop culture. About 130,000 of us descended like a biblical plague upon the San Diego Convention Center. Comic Con is the annual get together for comic book artists, TV show producers, movie directors, writers, and their respective fans. It is not all comic books so the name is bit of a misnomer. Anything expected to splash onto the public persona with the fury of Michael Phelps will be there. It’s as close to behind the scenes as you can get without exactly being behind the scenes. So what’s the appeal? If you have to ask the question, it is hard to explain the answer. My faithfully geeky wife and were there, arrived on Wednesday evening, aka Preview Night. We talked with fans from four countries and a nice couple from Dallas. Comic Con attendees have the privilege of seeing pilot episodes for TV series scheduled for later in the year. As I had never been to Comic Con before, I saw none of the previews the first night. Getting your bearings is Survival 101. Many fans had already camped at the convention center for three days before opening, forming a veritable refugee camp replete with sleeping bags, sundry articles of clothing, and a graveyard of desultory fast food containers. The next two days were as close to a marathon and endurance contest as any I have ever experienced. The world famous Ballroom 20 and Hall H, the convention center’s two largest rooms (reserved for panels and discussions deemed most significant) require attendees to be there at
least three hours early to get a seat. I was there four hours early and I was the four thousandth fan in line. Imagine a line two miles long (or longer on Saturday) and you will have a rough idea of what I’m talking about. So where does everyone else go? There are a myriad of smaller ballrooms and panels to choose from. You must prioritize. See the panel for True Blood or a seminar on the history of the Batmobile? Decisions, decisions.
beginning and ending. Comic Con is neither. It is the watermark for our culture. Attendees and devotees unable to make this trip are the modern diaspora. We receive gifts and the gospel of pop culture and carry the glad tidings to the rest of the world. We are legion. And we are still flying. n
I posed for photographs with the trolls from this year’s The Hobbit. I saw Nathan Fillion and Joss Whedon (now you know where Whedonistas comes from) talk about the 10 year anniversary of cult favorite Firefly. I saw Robert Downey Jr. discuss Iron Man 3. I saw Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul talk about their sta-making roles on AMC’s Breaking Bad. I saw too much to discuss in this short space. In short, I saw up close and personal those things that make pop culture worth loving. While that may not sound like your particular flavor of coffee, it’s tailor made for me. While waiting to see and hear the stars, writers, and directors of some of my favorite TV shows and movies, I got to talk with my people. It’s wonderful to begin a line of dialogue from an obscure television show from a decade ago only to have a complete stranger finish it. I quoted a line from Wonderfalls (a cancelled TV show from Firefly co-writer Tim Minear) and a hulking man from Tallahassee finished it for me. Meeting others like oneself fills you with a sense of belonging and community. Normally I am the weird guy in the room. Now I am normal. Because I found 130,000 mirror images. Good times. And then back to reality. Seriously. My wife bought me a Cthulhu figurine for my birthday. H.P. Lovecraft’s sinister Elder God (the being destined to bring about the end of mankind? Never mind.) Airport security got nervous. They were perplexed. Yes the purveyor of apocalypse made it though LAX security. Next, the entire world. I have heard it said that Comic Con is the mecca for film and comic book geeks the world over. A word like that suggests both
Top to Bottom: Castle star Nathan Fillion takes a video of the 5,000 plus that waited inline since 4 a.m. for the Firefly 10 year reunion. Breaking Bad stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul arrive ready for Season 5 as Ballroom 20 erupts into cheers from fans. Trolls featured in the booth for The Hobbit due in theaters in December.. Photos by Jeremy Light SEPTEMBER 2012 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 33
LIVING room
Hire a Pro for Remodeling Projects For homeowners who have watched and waited, collected photos of dream spaces and wished about making changes, now may be the right time. But how do they hire a professional remodeler to get the job done right. The Tyler Area Builders Association has some helpful tips to guide homeowners to finding the best remodeler for their dream project. “Do your homework when hiring a professional remodeler,” recommends Tyler Area Builders Association Executive Vice President Libby Simmons. “A professional has training, experience, and references from satisfied clients to demonstrate their remodeling expertise.” Check out these steps for hiring a professional remodeler: 1.Collect names of remodeling companies. Start by searching the National Association of Home Builders’ Directory of Professional Remodelers at www.nahb.org/remodel. You’ll get a list of nearby remodelers to contact. Asking friends and neighbors for names of qualified remodelers will also help you find a match for your project.
2. Discuss your project with a couple of remodelers. Call a few remodelers from your list to discuss your project. Describe what you envision for the home remodel, styles you like, your estimated budget, and other ideas for the remodeling work. Ask the remodeler if they can provide background information on their expertise. They may have a website or brochure they can share that describes their experience and accomplishments. 3. Ask if the remodeler has general liability insurance. Be sure to ask some important questions about the remodeler’s business that will help ensure you hire the best professional. Do they have general liability insurance in case of an accident on the job? Do they guarantee their work? How do they handle any problems that may arise on the project? Having these answers in advance will prevent future problems and nail down the best professional remodeler for the job. 4. Check the references and background of the remodeler. After you start speaking with remodelers and find one or two who match your project’s needs, be sure to conduct some background research by checking with the Better Business Bureau, talking to their references, and asking if they are a trade association member (such as NAHB Remodelers). Remodelers with these qualities tend to be more reliable, better educated, and more likely to stay on top of construction and design trends.
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Make the smartest investment by hiring a professional remodeler. They’ll help stay on budget, solve remodeling challenges, and provide a higherquality service. For more tips on planning a home remodel or hiring a professional remodeler, visit www.nahb.org/remodel or contact the TABA office at 903-561-3964 or log on to www.tylerareabuilders.com. The Tyler Area Builders Association (TABA) serves an area that covers Anderson, Cherokee, Freestone, Henderson, Navarro, Smith, Wood and Van Zandt counties. The mission of the TABA is “Building Better Builders” by promoting quality, accountability and professionalism in the home building industry. n
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5. Don’t fall for the lowest bidder. Many people may be lured by the lowest price to their remodeling project, thinking that they have found a great deal. But beware of these alluring low prices. These bids may be more costly in the end if the contractor is cutting corners, not taking into account certain costs, or is inexperienced. Professional remodelers have stories about coming into homes to fix remodels from unscrupulous contractors who did shoddy work or failed to complete the job. Often times, the lowest price may not ultimately provide the best value for your home remodel.
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music listings
Check out www.countylinemagazine.com for our extended MUSIC news and event listings.
County Line makes every effort to ensure accurate information. However, pricing, dates, and/ or hours could change. Please call before making plans. The events calendar lists general-interest festivals that often include music. For a list of annual events in and around East Texas, visit www.countylinemagazine.com.
Every Wed., Fri., Sat..
Live Music. Kilgore. 8 p.m. The Back Porch, 904 Broadway. 903.984.8141, http://thebackporchkilgore.com, claytons@cablelynx.com.
Every Thursday-Saturday
Live music. Tyler. $5 Friday and Saturday. Thursday 8 p.m., Friday 8:30, Saturday 9 p.m. Rick’s on the Square, 104 W. Erwin. 903.531.2415, www.rix.com. Live music. Tyler. Wasubi’s Sushi Bar and Asian Bistro, 5617 Donnybrook, 903.939.0211, www.wasabityler.com.
Every Friday
Bishop’s Brisket House. Palestine. 5:30 p.m. No admission. Bishop’s Brisket House in the Palestine Mall, 2000 S. Loop 256. 903.729.7227. www.visitpalestine.com.
September 1
Hank Williams Remembered. Jefferson. 7 p.m. Jake Penrod as Hank Williams Sr. Jefferson Transportation & Visitor Center, 305 E Austin. 903-665-3733. visitjeffersontexas.com. Geezer. Ben Wheeler. 8 p.m. $7. Acoustic. Classic Rock. Moore’s Store, 1551 FM 279. www.benwheelertx.com.
Pistol Annies with Miranda Lambert, Angaleena Presley, and Ashley Monroe are scheduled to perform at Billy Bobs Texas in Fort Worth September 29. Photo by Randee St. Nicholas.
Mike Acoustic. Ben Wheeler. 7 p.m. Free. Acoustic. The Forge, 1610 FM 279, 903-8335970. www.benwheelertx.com.
September 5
Andrew Plan. Longview. 7 p.m. Free. Vines & Friends Wine Bar, 1014 W. Loop 281,. 903295-1195.
60 miles east of Dallas, 30 miles west of Tyler, 2 miles North of I-20 near Canton, Texas. Country living, peaceful aviation-oriented community. Lots available for custom and hangar homes.
September 6
Lisa Pevey. Longview. 7 p.m. Free. Vines & Friends Wine Bar, 1014 W. Loop 281. 903295-1195. Patrick James Freden. Ben Wheeler. 7 p.m. Free. Acoustic. The Forge, 1610 FM 279, 903-833-5970. www.benwheelertx.com. Rapture Ruckus Glow In The Dark Tour. Canton. 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. $10 in advance, $15 at door, $8 for students w/The Blue Room Student Card. The Blue Room, 28706 State Hwy 64, 903.567.1906. www. theblueroom.co.
September 7
Randall Powell. Longview. 7 p.m. Free. Vines & Friends Wine Bar, 1014 W. Loop 281. 903-295-1195. Ben Lowery & Texas Express. Ben Wheeler. 8:00 pm. $5. Country Dance. Moore’s Store, 1551 FM 279. www.benwheelertx.com. Eric Moseley. Ben Wheeler. 7:00 pm. Free. Acoustic. The Forge, 1610 FM 279, 903-8335970. www.benwheelertx.com. Tracy Lawrence. Terrell. 7:30 pm. Silver Saloon, 1708 State Hwy 34, 972.524.7111. www.silversaloonterrell.co
September 8
Backseat Molly. Ben Wheeler. 8:p.m. $8. 36 • CountyLineMagazine.com • SEPTEMBER 2012
Texas Country. Moore’s Store, 1551 FM 279, www.benwheelertx.com. Matt Bradshaw & Heather Little. 7 p.m. Free. Acoustic. The Forge, 1610 FM 279, 903-833-5970. www.benwheelertx.com. ThunderSoul Orchestra. Longview. 7:30 p.m. Belcher Center, 2100 S. Mobberly Ave, 903-233-3080.
September 9
Heavenly String Sounds. Mount Vernon. 3 p.m. $15, $10 for MVM members, students free, $5 for college students with valid ID. Savor this jewel of a sextet by Mozart, transcribed by an anonymous Italian master, and the great C-major quintet by Franz Schubert. Mount Vernon Music Hall, 402 Leftwich St. at Yates St., Mt. Vernon. 903-5633780. www.mountvernonmusic.org
September 10
Heavenly String Sounds. Commerce. 4 p.m. Free. Savor this jewel of a sextet by Mozart, transcribed by an anonymous Italian master, and the great C-major quintet by Franz Schubert. Finney Concert Hall, Music Building, Texas A & M University Commerce, Corner of University Drive and Hwy 50. 903-886-5304. http://web.tamu-commerce.edu/
September 12th through 15th Music • Entertainment • Food • Art Antique Tractor Pull Quilt Show, Parade Golf Tournament Arts & Craft Show Carnival, Cover Girl Praise Fest, Freddie Prez 5K Run & Kids Fun Run Gospel Songfest Hopkins County Idol Local Authors Book Fair Petting Zoo, Mutton Bustin World Senior Professional Bull Riding and Hay Bucking Competition All American Duck Race Big Country & Gospel Family Show Hopkins County Civic Center, 1200 Houston St., Sulphur Springs
www.hopkinscountyfallfestival.com
September 12 - 15
Hopkins County Gospel Songfest. Sulphur Springs. The event is open to anyone ( singer or musician) who performs Christian country, Gospel or Southern Gospel music. Hopkins County Regional Civic Center, 1200 Houston Street, 903-885-4262.
September 13
Amy Pruitt. Longview. 7 p.m. Free. Vines & Friends Wine Bar, 1014 W. Loop 281, 903295-1195 Wesley Pruitt. Ben Wheeler. 7 p.m. Free. Acoustic. The Forge, 1610 FM 279, 903-8335970. www.benwheelertx.com
September 13 - 15
Pickin in the Pines. Mineola. Featuring Hot Rize, Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers, Blue Highway, The SteelDrivers, Lauri Lewis and the Right Hands, The Foghorn Stringband, and more. Campsites available. Pine Mills, Intersection of FM 49 and 312. 903.857-2253. www.pickininthepines. org.
September 14 - 15
Hopkins County Idol. Sulphur Springs. 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. $5. 903.348.3135. Singing Competition in Two Divisions - Cash Prizes Awarded. Hopkins County Civic Center, 1200 Houston. www.hopkinscountyfallfestival.com. continued on Page 38 SEPTEMBER 2012 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 37
MUSIC continued from page 36 September 14
Asleep at the Wheel & Mandy Barnett: Bob Wills Meets Patsy Cline. Dallas. 6:30 p.m. $30 to $45. Shows at 6:30 and 9 p.m. The Kessler, 1230 West Davis Street. www.prekindle.com/kessler/. blacktopGYPSY. Ben Wheeler. 8 p.m. $7. Country/Americana. Moore’s Store, 1551 FM 279. www.benwheelertx.com.
The Tejas Brothers Jonathan Jeter & the Revelators The Blandells • Bad Moon Rising Shake, Rattle and Roll Elvis Tribute Artist Josh Davis Many more!
Josh Hamman of American Jenny. , Canton. 5-9 p.m. Free. The Creek at Mill Creek Ranch Resort, 2102 N. Trade Days. 903.567.6020. www.millcreekranchresort.com. The Fowlers. Longview. 7 p.m. Free. Vines & Friends Wine Bar, 1014 W. Loop 281. 903295-1195 Tyler Joiner & Katie Brooks. Ben Wheeler. 7 p.m. Free. Acoustic. The Forge, 1610 FM 279. 903-833-5970. www.benwheelertx.com
September 15
BBQ & Chili Cook-Off • Arts & Crafts Kids Alley • Sidewalk Sales Bounce Houses & Kids Train Rides Two Downtown Wineries • Art Show Food • Fun • Cotton Patch Challenge Bicycle Race & Tour • Beer Garden Visit Historic Downtown Greenville
Ann Armstrong & Katie Brooks. Ben Wheeler. Acoustic. 7 p.m. Free. The Forge, 1610 FM 279, 903-833-5970. benwheelertx.com
September 17
TRAHC Presents The Midtown Men Live at the Perot Theatre. Texarkana. 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $50, $46 and $35 with halfprice Student Discounts for Balcony Seat. The Perot Theater, 219-221 Main Street, 903792-4992. http://TRAHC.org.
September 20
Peace Concert. Tyler. 7 p.m. Songs of peace by the Tyler Civic Chorale. Acoustic performance by singer-songwriter Tom Prasada-Rao. Admission: one children’s book to benefit the Literacy Council of Tyler Bill’s Bookshelf program. Temple Bethel. tylerpeace.com. Withrow – Cooley. Ben Wheeler. 7 p.m. Free. Acoustic. The Forge, 1610 FM 279,. 903-833-5970. www.benwheelertx.com.
September 21
Andrew Plan. Longview. 7 p.m. Free. Vines & Friends Wine Bar, 1014 W. Loop 281. 903295-1195. Ben Lowery & Texas Express. , Ben Wheeler. 8 p.m. $5. Country Dance. Moore’s Store, 1551 FM 279. www.benwheelertx.com. Johnny Cooper. Terrell. 7:30 p.m. Silver Saloon, 1708 State Hwy 34,. 972.524.7111. www.silversaloonterrell.com Tiffany Shea & Anne E. Dechant. 7 p.m. Free. Acoustic. The Forge, 1610 FM 279. 903-833-5970. www.benwheelertx.com continued page 40 38 • CountyLineMagazine.com • SEPTEMBER 2012
music NOTES Winnsboro Art Center To Honor Adler, Hearne
ETSO, New Conductor Kick-off with Beethoven
The East Texas Symphony Orchestra’s 2012-2013 season kicks off on September 22 with new music director and conductor, Richard Lee. It’s an all-Beethoven program that includes the “Eroica” symphony and “Piano Concerto No. 4” with soloist Winston Choi. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. at UT Tyler Cowan Center.
Winnsboro’s best known singer-songwriter duo, Lynn Adler and Lindy Hearne, will be presented the Trails Country Treasure Award on September 23 at Winnsboro Center for the Arts. The reception is at 2 p.m. Lynn and Lindy founded Crossroads Coffeehouse and Music Company in Winnsboro, turning it into a one of the best acoustic venues in the Upper East Side of Texas before passing it along to other folks because they wanted to spend more time traveling around the country singing their own songs and a few covers for more people. They call their music a spirited blend of organic folk-jazz blues-grass. “We write in a variety of styles and genres, and are comfortable as performers in crisscrossing back and forth across those lines,” Lynn said. Both have been influenced by their time in Winnsboro, and by their parents. For Lindy, it was primarily his father “because of his musical ability, his kindness, his accepting ways, and just how he encouraged me musically my entire life. He was always fine with whatever I chose to do musically. He knew that music was first with me, and he was en-
couraging and accepting of that always. He wasn’t so verbal about it, but I always felt he approved of what I was doing.” For Lynn, it was both of her parents “because of their musical ability, too. But also there are the effects of their diverse personality and character traits that are like threads I see running through my own ways of doing things. My dad has and continues to be a huge influence – muse even – to my music making. And my mom influences my life in the day-to-day moments, in ways big and small.” Crossroads, the venue that Lynn and Lindy founded, will host Rhett Butler in an encore performance at 7:30 p.m. on September 8 at the art center, which also hosts an exhibit and sale by the In Focus Photography Club. On October 30, the center will present its own production of “The War of the Worlds” radio broadcast originally aired on radio in 1938 as a dramatization of the H.G. Wells novel of the same name, unintentionally sparking panic and hysteria across America. Winnsboro Center for the Arts is at 200 Market and Hwy 11. For more information, call 903.342.0686 or go to www. winnsborocenterforthearts.com.
Tickets start at $10 and may be purchased at the Cowan Center Box Office. Call 903.566.7424, or go to www.etso.org. Season tickets are also still available with prices starting at $36 for all five subscription concerts or select three concerts with prices starting at $27.
Kiepersol: Three Dates For Battle of the Bands Kiepersol Enterprises is producing a Battle of the Bands Texas contest on September 8 (rock), 15 (country/folk), and 22 (pop/R&B), with gospel/Christian groups invited to participate on the date that best fits their style. Each artist should perform two original songs. Industry judges will score on performance, audience participation, and appearance/stage presence. Terry Miller with Good Morning With Terry Miller 99.3 will emcee, and prizes include gift certificates from Mundt Music, a recording package that includes a 12-hour day at Studio 333, and more. Bushman’s Event Center is at 1565 FM 2493E in Bullard. Interested bands and solo performers should send information to amy@ kiepersol.com, including all contact information, which night(s) to percontinued page 41 SEPTEMBER 2012 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 39
MUSIC continued from page 38 Matt Bradshaw. Canton. 5-9 p.m. Free. The Creek at Mill Creek Ranch Resort, 2102 N. Trade Days,. 903.567.6020. www.millcreekranchresort.com.
September 22
East Texas Symphony Orchestra Opening Night: Beethoven Spectacular. Tyler. 7:30 pm. New Music Director Richard Lee conducts an sll-Beethoven program that includes Symphony and the Piano Concerto No. 4, with soloist Winston Choi. UT Tyler Cowan Center, Tyler. www.etso.org. Stratoblasters. Ben Wheeler. 8 p.m. $7. Blues/Rock. Moore’s Store, 1551 FM 279. www.benwheelertx.com. Heather Little & Matt Bradshaw. Ben Wheeler. 7 p.m. Free. Acoustic. The Forge, 1610 FM 279,. 903-833-5970. www.benwheelertx.com. Korby Lenker with Allie Farris. Longview.
F R O M N A S HV I LL E
Tiffany Shea
Anne E. Dechant September 21
7:00 pm. $20. Bella Mia, 812 Methvin St. 903-736-9531. www.LMFAconcerts.com.
September 27
Disney’s Imagination Movers. Longview. 5 p.m. Belcher Center, 2100 S. Mobberly Ave,. 903-233-3080. Travis Bolt. Ben Wheeler. 7 p.m. Free. Acoustic. The Forge, 1610 FM 279, 903-8335970. www.benwheelertx.com.
September 28 - 29
East Texas Angel Network Benefit Weekend. Longview. Featuring Neal McCoy. 615-777-6995.
September 28
Ben Lowery & Wes Hendrix. Canton. 5 -9 p.m. Free. The Creek at Mill Creek Ranch Resort, 2102 N. Trade Days,. 903.567.6020. www.millcreekranchresort.com. Jimmy Bailey. Ben Wheeler. 7 p.m. Free. Acoustic. The Forge, 1610 FM 279,. 903-8335970. www.benwheelertx.com. Kimberly Dunn Band. Ben Wheeler. 8 p.m. $5. Country. Moore’s Store, 1551 FM 279. www.benwheelertx.com
September 29
Kirby Kelley. Ben Wheeler. 7 p.m. Free. Acoustic. The Forge, 1610 FM 279. 903-8335970. www.benwheelertx.com. East Texas Jazz Orchestra. Ben Wheeler. 7 p.m. $15. Big Band/Jazz. Moore’s Store, 1551 FM 279. www.benwheelertx.com. Randy Brown. Edom. 7:30 p.m. $12 in advance; $15 at the door. Mills Bryant opens. Doors open at 7 p.m.The Old Firehouse, 8241 FM 279,. 903-852-ART1 (2781). www. theoldfirehouse.net.
October 1
Phil Keaggy. Longview. 5 p.m. Belcher Center, 2100 S. Mobberly Ave. 903-233-3080.
October 5
The Forge
7:00 pm. Free.
Ben Wheeler 903-833-5970
www.benwheelertx.com
40 • CountyLineMagazine.com • SEPTEMBER 2012
Easton Corbin. Terrell. 7:30 pm. Silver Saloon, 1708 State Hwy 34. 972.524.7111. www.silversaloonterrell.com. Tejas Brothers in Concert. Rusk. 6-10:30 p.m. $15 per person up to the age of 5yrs. Rusk KOA Kampground, 745 FM 343. 1-800933-2381. www.RuskChamber.com.
music NOTES BANDS continued from page 39
ET Jazz Orchestra Set to Perform in Ben Wheeler
form, any pictures, videos, links, etc. Entry fee is $75 for bands and $50 for individual artists, with checks payable to Bushman’s at Kiepersol Enterprises, 3933 FM 344E, Tyler, TX 75703. For more information, go to www. kiepersol.com/bushmans/studio. shtml.
Hamilton Wins Award In Allmond Competition Gary Hamilton won first place in the third annual Ruby Allmond Songwriting Contest in Bonham. For his winning song, “Where It’s Raining,” he carried home $300 in cash and the opportunity to record his song in a professional studio. Second place and $200 in cash were carried home by Micaela Howeth for her song “Texas Kerosene,” with third place and $100 to Mark Stempler for his swing song “Texas Women.”
Gospel Cruise Fest Includes 25 Bands Register now for Gospel Cruise Fest with 25 Southern gospel groups hosted by New Grace Trio. The tour goes through the Bahamas and Half Moon Cay Islands on November 5-10. For prices and more information, call 903/477.8084 or go to www.newgracetrio.com.
Hank Williams Tribute Headlines Jake Penrod
Jake Penrod is doing a Hank Williams tribute show at 7 p.m. on September 1 at Jefferson’s Visitor-Transportation Center. “Hank Williams Remembered” grew from Penrod seeing, at age 8, a TV commercial for a Hank Williams record.
The East Texas Jazz Orchestra will perform at Moore’s Store in Ben Wheeler on September 29. The performance is three hours and begins at 7 p.m. The East Texas Jazz Orchestra is an 18-piece big band with a large number of songs. They have both a female and male vocalist. The song list includes regular big band era favorites like In The Mood, Chattanooga Choo-Choo, and dozens more. The band is also up to date with rhythm and blues things like Further on Up the Road,
“It was just something different and it got my attention so I started listening to that,” Penrod said. “Of course, my parents thought I was weird. And this was around 1992, 1993, so George Strait and Garth Brooks were huge, and I’m listening to Hank Williams.” It’s not simply Williams’ physical and vocal mannerisms that Penrod attempts to emulate on stage, but precisely that emotion and humanity he described. “The man was singing about
Stormy Monday, and many others. Moore’s Store Restaurant appears to be an old rustic building, but is, in fact, a modern state of the art eatery with a great sound stage. The food is served deli style from a modern kitchen. For more information on the East Texas Jazz Orchestra visit www.bandusa.com/ETJO. Contact Moore’s Store in Ben Wheeler at 903.833.5100 and visit www.benwheelertx.com.
things he felt very seriously about, so I perform his stuff much like I would my own,” he said. Penrod’s resume includes a stint performing as Hank Williams in the off-Broadway play “Lost Highway” as well as appearances on RFD-TV’s Tru-Country and other television programs. Tickets are $35. For more information, call 903.665.2310. SEPTEMBER 2012 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 41
PLAY
Check out www.countylinemagazine.com for our extended PLAY news and event listings.
Malakoff Man’s Presence Still Intrigues By Tom Geddie Only a few experiences, it seems, are capable of taking people out of the moment to think about the vastness of life. One of those experiences is the discovery of the Malakoff Man, which dates human existence and at least some form of civilization in what is now Northeast Texas back to sometime around 30,000 to 50,000 years ago, give or take a few. Quarry workers digging for gravel to use in the construction of a private residence found the first of three carved sandstone heads in 1929. The discoveries are still little known, it seems, outside the scientific community and “people in the know” in Malakoff. The Texas State Historical Association said geologist Elias H. Sellards declared the sculpture to be authentic. Diggers found a second head in 1935, and formal excavation uncovered the third in 1939. There is some skepticism about the heads authenticity but most experts support that authenticity. Skepticism arose when Sellards argued that the first head came from an Eocene geological formation dating back 50,000 to 100,000 years ago, predating the first-known occupation of the continent. More recent geological work in the area, according to Thomas H. Guderjan, writing for the TSHA, “indicates that the deposit is Late Pleistocene in nature, an adjustment that placed the heads in the same general period as the Paleo-Indians.” Others date them as 3,000 to 4,000 years old because they look vaguely similar to the better known “Colossal Heads” from the Veracruz area. A few believe that at least one of the heads — the third discovered — may be a “geological peculiarity,” carved by erosion or other natural forces, but 42 • CountyLineMagazine.com • SEPTEMBER 2012
Replicas of the Malakoff Man heads are displayed in the Malakoff Historical Museum which shares space with the Malakoff Chamber of Commerce at 207 E. Main Street. Courtesy photo
the first two heads have not faced serious challenge. Pat Isaacson, director of the Malakoff Chamber of Commerce, whose office has reproductions of all three sculptures, is convinced the discoveries are authentic. “Archeologists came so close to proving it 100 percent,” she said. “They did carbon dating and everything else they knew how to do,” Pat said. “The shame of it was that the powers that be at the museum decided 10 years was enough time to work on it, and they pulled the archeologists off. They came so close to proving it, and once you see the heads, you kinda have to think they are. I feel like at least 98 percent believe; it’s just 2 percent that don’t believe.” The first discovery was on November 2, 1929, when workers from Thomas Bartlett’s Malakoff Pressed Brick Company were digging gravel about five miles west of Malakoff and three miles from Trinidad for Bartlett’s
white brick home, which today is owned by and is being restored by the Greater Malakoff Area Garden Club. The workers, architect/builders Indelicio and Teo Morgado, recognized that what they found— a 98-pound, 16-inch-long sculpture of a head in a cache of small stones — was special. Bartlett displayed the head in his store, and mining engineer V.C. Doctorman contacted the Texas Memorial Museum at the University of Texas. Archeological digs eventually found the second and then the third heads, along with fossils of mammoths, mastodons, extinct horse types, camels, and ground sloths. “It is the oldest evidence of man in this part of the world,” said UT archeologist Glen Evans at the time. “It’s entirely possible that the people who carved them were not as widely distributed in population as man was 11,000 years ago, but man existed in other areas on the earth long before the time of Malakoff Man. It’s reasonable to believe they may have been there as much as 30,000 years ago.”
“Two of the heads are still in storage and they will never see the light of day again. We would very much like to have them back just because they’re not being seen,” Pat said. “What it does to you once you hear all of the story and everything else, it gets you to wondering what else is out there that we haven’t found yet. There’s bound to be more, but with the way the river has changed we may never find anything else in our lifetimes because no one’s really looking at this point.” “Back in the day,” Evans, known as “the compleat naturalist,” examined the first two heads and discovered the third one. Evans said the sculptures are, indeed, the work of early native residents.
A Texas State Historical Marker shows the area where the Malakoff Man heads were discovered in 1929. Taking Highway 31 west out of Malakoff towards Trinidad, look for the marker near FM 274 .
“The significance of the discovery generated a prevailing mood of excitement throughout this area,” said Cleora Flemming, who reported the history during the state historic marker dedication in 1970, according to a chapter, “In the Very Beginning: The Malakoff Man,” written by Lyn Dunsavage Young for the book Malakoff, Texas. Pat said she is thrilled to have this sort of history so close. “Like anything else, part of the population knows and the other part doesn’t have any ideal. We’re trying to educate people as to the story,” she said. Three castings from the original heads are in the Malakoff Historical Society and Museum, 207 E. Main, which shares space with the chamber office. Two of the heads are at the University of Texas Archeological Research Laboratory and the other is at the Navarro College Library in Corsicana.
Another scientist, Curtis Tunnell, wrote more recently: “Malakoff heads were never proven a fake, but they remain an enigma. Some good scientists like Glen Evans are convinced that they are real and very ancient.” Scientists have found plenty of evidence of late Pleistocene mammals in that general area along the Trinity River, but as of yet have discovered no other human artifacts. The Pleistocene period is a large one, at least by modern standards, spanning from about 2,588,000 to 11,700 years ago; during that time, glaciers advanced and retreated across much of Earth. When Malakoff Man was discovered, most other ancient American civilizations were dated from about 3,500 B.C. to 500 years ago. The site was basically abandoned during World War II, and is now under Cedar Creek Lake, which was created as a reservoir for Fort Worth and is a major recreational site today. Implications of the Malakoff Man findings remain interesting if for no other reason than contemplation. Although their source is still mysterious, it’s interesting to think about earlier people living their lives on this same land and, through art, contemplating their own past, presence, and future as long as 30,000 to 50,000 years ago. n
LONGVIEW MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
SEPTEMBER 2012 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 43
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New to You just opened in downtown Canton as an upscale resale shop offering furniture, décor, electronics, select clothing, office equipment, and more. Owners Mike and Felecia Williams remodeled the building at 205 W. Tyler. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and on First Monday Sunday. For more information, call 903.368.0169 or go to www.facebook. com New To You Resale.
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Trade Days. Longview. Buy, sell, and swap sponsored by Longview Jaycees. Free admission. All day. Maude Cobb Activity Complex, 100 Grand. 903.753.4478. Millard’s Flea Market. Nacogdoches. Free admission. Dawn to dusk. 6020 N. Street. 936.564.4490.
Pavilion Sale. Mount Sylvan. Local artists and vendors outside under Mount Sylvan Coffee House’s pavilion. Free admission. 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. 18788 FM 1804. 903.881.9444, mt.sylvancoffee@sbcglobal.net.
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September 27 - 30
First Monday Trade Days. Canton. The oldest and largest flea market in the world. The ultimate shopping experience. Wander 300 acres of antiques, arts and crafts, and handmade articles. Entertainment throughout the days and nights includes music, demonstrating artists, and western gunfights. Includes the Original grounds, Dixie House section, East Gate Marketplace, The Arbors, Old Mill Marketplace, The Mountain, The Villages, Dog Alley, and more than 6,000 vendors. Free admission. Open sun up to sundown plus late-night shopping on The Mountain with live entertainment, restaurants, and overnight lodging. 877.462.7467. http://www.visitcantontx.com
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Group Brings Community Together By Tom Geddie
“Lots of families are really suffering the way the economy is,” she said. “I wanted to use my business to give back to my community. That’s how the Back to School Bash was born.”
The Back to School Bash in Emory in August was more than just a mix of sports, music, and other entertainment that collected backpacks and school supplies for needy children in Rains County. It was also one of the ways people come together for the common good, and a model for other communities. Activities at Rains Heritage Park included four-on-four touch football, softball, three-on-three basketball, four-on-four grass volleyball, BMX/ mountain bike races, local musicians, and a broadcast by KKVI 89.9 FM. While admission was free to watch, the activities required a small paid registration fee plus a backpack of donated school supplies to contribute. Growing up, event organizer Jeannie Taylor had a clear example for community service in her mother. “My love for community service was developed by my mother. Mom had a catering service and would use her catering as a catalyst for stepping in and assuming the responsibility of planning events for people,” she said. “Lucky for me, I was at her mercy as she began to show me at a very young age the art of servicing the community and proper etiquette. From this moment on, I became very detailed oriented and developed a heart for helping others.” Jeannie became a teacher – this year, the Texas A&M-Commerce graduate will add science to the reading and social studies classes she teaches fourth graders – and raised three daughters, coaching their softball teams, which led to the founding of Birdwell Sports Association, which uses sports to bring communities together. “Being a teacher has taught me the value of multiple intelligences that children and adults possess as it relates to learning and enjoying life to the fullest,” she said. “When I took this knowledge and combined it 46 • CountyLineMagazine.com • SEPTEMBER 2012
Out of school fur the summer, Jeannie did a lot of legwork enlisting other businesses and organizations in the Bash. She learned, if she didn’t know it already, that the second step – after the idea is born – is to have a clear message and ask other people to get involved. Katelyn Sullivan was one of the many children that enjoyed a community event recently that helped raise funds for school supplies. Cour-
tesy photo.
with what I was seeing on the sports fields and courts of my children and students, I began to recognize that I could develop a business that combined all my talents and strengths into one big melting pot and service multiple ages of individuals while meeting their interests and needs in the sports industry and community events.” The Back to School Bash grew out of her presentation to the Rains County Chamber of Commerce. A couple of months ago, she spoke at the Chamber of Commerce about Birdwell Sports’ mission, and afterward talked with Keeley Roan with the Economic Development Corporation and a couple of Chamber board members and County Judge Wayne Wolfe. “This is where I was born and raised, and I’ve seen Emory go through a lot of changes. It’s a great place to raise a family,” she said. “We have great things to offer, yet as we are evolving and more people are coming in, moving away, and coming back, there were some gaps in the community. We thought it would be great if we could have more events, and the more events we could have the more the community would come together.” Jeannie took the next step in a school district with more than 1,600 students.
“I was in my car, driving, on the phone, and every business I’ve gone to, every family I’ve talked to – the more I’ve explained the mission of school supplies for children, people kinda oohed and ahhed over it, and so many have donated.” She collected backpacks, school supplies, and cash donations. “Our community has an enormous sense of compassion. I wanted to be a sort of catalyst in igniting that,” she said. “It’s hard on families, and it breaks my heart as a teacher the more a child embraces that hardship. Too many children in the classroom don’t have the luxury of having those backpacks and supplies, and try to camouflage themselves so other kids don’t see what they don’t have, and will use every excuse in the world. I wanted to change that, be the ambassador and step forward. I wanted the community to take pride in helping to solve this problem. “No matter if it’s donated school supplies or bringing awareness to hardships some students face every day, I want to shake the community a little bit, and get them more involved –from selfishness to selflessness. I love Keeley Roan. She is creative and very supportive of what we do, and has really worked with me and the Chamber in getting things going forward.” For more information, call 903.441.5658 or go to www.birdwellsports.com. n
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