county line ARTISTS pat rawlings, BETH BROWN, TY GUILLORY, DANIELA MATCHAEL
UPPER EAST SIDE OF TEXAS
M A G A Z I N E
TM
STAR GAZING EXPLORE THE EAST TEXAS SKIES
BEYOND GLORY
STEPHEN LANG’S SOLDIER TRIBUTE
MAJESTIC FURNITURE CHURCH AND COURTHOUSE BOUND
RICHARD BOWDEN FAMOUS UNKNOWN ENTERTAINER
lynn groom, the bigsbys, T.J. broscoff lacie carpenter, matthew mcconaughey Forest whitaker, texarkana uSA, poetry & prose cork food & drink, haute goat creamery NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 countylinemagazine.com Complimentary Copy
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 3
CONTENTS FEATURES
8 Winter Star Gazing in the Upper East Side of Texas Star gazing in the regions wide open spaces in the winter is the best time of the year. By Elizabeth Branca
9 Space Artist’s Work Comes to Tyler Nationally-acclaimed, and from Greenville, the art of Pat Rawlings, among others, is shown in a Space Art exhibit at the Center for Earth & Space Science Education in Tyler. By P.A. Geddie
10 Richard Bowden is “America’s Most Famous Unknown Entertainer” Bowden’s reputation as a guitar player with the likes of Linda Ronstadt and Don Henley and his funny songwriting made him lots of influential friends that he now enjoys bringing to his hometown of Linden.
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By Tom Geddie
18
12 Church and State Agree on Majestic Furniture
23
A Henderson company builds furniture for churches and courthouses. By Patti Light
DEPARTMENTS 5
Editor’s Note. Letters.
6 ACROSS THE COUNTY LINE UT Pharmacy College, Texas A&M AgriLife, Longview Workforce Summit, Spring Hill Renewal, Wood County Marketing, Tyler Crosswalk.
Music
28 Music Notes. T.J. Broscoff.
23
CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT
14 News. Events. Edgewood Heritage Festival, The Legends of Crossroads, The Polar Express, Cutting Horse Enthusiast Austria Arnold.
The Arts
18 Artist Daniela Matchael Returns to Her First Love By Tom Geddie
20 News. Events. 21 Camera Craftsman Captures History By Elizabeth Branca
On Stage
23 Beyond Glory is Lang’s Labor of Love By Elizabeth Branca 24 News. Events.
film
26 Longview-Born Forest Whitaker Stars in Lee Daniels The Butler By Jeremy Light
28 Stay Tuned for More Greatness from East Texas’ Lacie Carpenter By Joseph Drew 29 Tickling Ivories with East Texas’ Pride and Groom By John Wilson 30 Word is Out About the Bigsbys By Joseph Drew
31 Music Listings
LITERARY SCENE
32 Review by Jeremy Light: Bleeding Edge by Thomas Pynchon
26 News. Events.
32 News. Events. Releases.
27 McConaughey Stars in Two New Movies this Fall
33 Poetry & Prose
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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 John Wilson
EDITOR’S NOTE Dear Readers, Lots of holiday cheer abounds all over the Upper East Side of Texas this time of year so I hope you will peruse the pages of this issue, choose a few fun things to do and go out to spend time with your Earth neighbors. Another idea to plan on as winter nears is star gazing. Winter it seems is the best time for that since the weather is calmer making the stars look brighter. And with our wide open country skies, there are limitless opportunities to make discoveries. The Astronomical Society of East
Texas and Center for Earth and Space Science Education hold star gazing parties and are happy to help us all explore the friendly skies. Also in this issue meet the incomparable performer Richard Bowden, space artist Pat Rawlings, piano man Lynn Groom, artist Daniela Matchael, and catch up with a couple of our famous East Texans, Forest Whitaker and Matthew McConaughey. So much to learn, enjoy, explore. May your holiday joy be out of this world. P.A. Geddie Publisher & Managing Editor
Gina Simmons Joseph Drew Elizabeth Branca sales P.A. Geddie DISTRIBUTION Pam Boyd Bombyk David Michelina
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County Line Magazine P.O. Box 608, Ben Wheeler, TX 75754 email: info@countylinemagazine.com Find us on Facebook or Twitter. Go to LETTERS on www.countylinemagazine.com.
Sharon Cromer Linden
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DEPARTMENTS CONTINUED 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: 903.963.8306. E-mail: info@countylinemagazine.com Website: www.countylinemagazine.com. Free listings are entered on a space available basis. Advertising space may be purchased by calling 903.963.8306.
This is the greatest treasure of a magazine EVER!
SHOP
40 News. Events.
PLAY & STAY
LIVING ROOM Home. Garden. Real Estate
34 Visit Texarkana for Art, History, and More By P.A. Geddie
42 Wilhite Lights Up the East Texas Landscape
Food & drink
By P.A. Geddie
36 Review: Cork Food & Drink
FEEL GOOD
By Jeremy Light
36 News. Events.
44 Tis the Season ... To Combat Stress By Gina Simmons
37 Couple Brings a Little Class to Goat Creamery By Jeremy Light
45 “This is a 71 Year Old Male” By Edward H. Garcia
38 In the Kitchen with Artist Beth Brown
46 Knowing What to Do When a Friend is Suicidal
39 Things Artisanal By Edward H. Garcia
47 City Folks Just Don’t Get It By John Wilson
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Serving the Upper East Side of Texas NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 5
ACROSS THE COUNTY LINE UT Tyler Pharmacy College, Building Acquire Names
The University of Texas at Tyler has completed the final step to establish a much-anticipated college of pharmacy in East Texas. At its Aug. 22 meeting, the UT Board of Regents officially created the college, which is to be named the Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy in acknowledgement of a generous contribution from the Ben and Maytee Fisch Family Foundation “This is truly an historic occasion, and a great addition for UT Tyler and the entire East Texas community,” UT Tyler Provost Alisa White said. “In addition to fulfilling a workforce need, the Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy will grant East Texas students access to this field of study, whereas before they did not have any local or regional options and were forced to go out of state.” A diverse group of regional hospitals, businesses and institutions of higher education supported the establishment of the college, as did Texas legislators and Texas Governor Rick Perry, who passed and signed Senate Bill 566, authorizing the board of regents to create the program. UT Tyler President Rodney H. Mabry first conceived of the idea for a pharmacy school in 2003. After almost a decade of consideration and groundwork, Mabry read a news story about an innovative, self-sustaining pharmacy school at East Tennessee State University and partnered with other area leaders to establish a similar model at UT Tyler. “UT Tyler’s College of Pharmacy will directly address the state’s need for more pharmacists. We will be able to train more pharmacists in their home state, who will in turn stay in Texas to work,” said Regent Steven Hicks, chairman of the Academic Affairs Committee, following the Regents’ vote of approval. Brookshire Grocery Company has made a donation to UT Tyler to name the W.T. Brookshire Pharmacy Building. The announcement was made jointly by Mabry and BGC President and CEO Rick Rayford. Design on the building will begin immediately, with construction scheduled to start no later than March 2014.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service won first place on the national level under Family Health & Wellness for the development of the StepUp & ScaleDown campaign. A team of seven agents developed the program which included a healthy weight management curriculum series implemented in 18 counties in 2012 in response to a growing obesity epidemic in the state. Attending a national conference to share the campaign in Pittsburgh are (l-r) extension agents Patrice Dunagin with Smith County and Wendi Green with Cherokee County. Courtesy Photo
Brookshire’s board of directors approved the gift to be used toward the construction of the new facility on the UT Tyler campus. “We are very happy to have this generous gift to help build the home of our new pharmacy program. This gift will allow us to construct the full-scale facility that we have envisioned, and we are extremely grateful to the board of directors and the Brookshire family for helping to make this a reality,” Mabry said. Rayford and Brookshire Grocery Company have been strong local supporters of the initiative to add the college, which will fulfill a workforce need and provide East Texas students access to a course of study that is not available locally or regionally. “Brookshire Grocery Company made this investment in the pharmacy school at UT Tyler to honor our company’s founder, enhance the educational opportunities in Tyler, and to have a positive impact on the Tyler economy and community,” said Rayford. “Members of BGC’s Board of Directors are pleased to make this donation, which will undoubtedly have a positive impact for years to come.” The trustees of the Fisch Foundation, made up primarily of the children and
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grandchildren of Ben and Maytee Fisch, decided to break with tradition and name the new college because they wanted to honor their parents and grandparents. The fact that Ben and Maytee first met when they were both pharmacy students together, even though Ben later went on to be a physician, made the trustees feel connected in a special way to this new pharmacy college being developed in Ben and Maytee’s own back yard. “We are so pleased to have this gift, which will not only significantly contribute to the creation of this fine program, but also honor two of the most kind, loving and selfless people I’ve known,” said Mabry. The funds will serve, in part, as a pool to cover startup costs early on - to be replenished by year five - and then the full amount will serve as a permanent endowment to provide student scholarships in perpetuity as well as a faculty endowed chair and at least two endowed professorships to attract nationally-known faculty. “What a miracle it is to have these funds to put the new Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy on such a high footing. It is very rare to be able to give a college a venerable family name at
its inception, and this naming will help catapult the Fisch College into the national limelight very early on. We are truly grateful,” Mabry said.
For more information, call Kitty Vickers with East Texas Council of Governments at 903-984-8641.
Dr. Ben R. Fisch was a well-respected physician who practiced in Tyler for almost 30 years. He and his wife, Maytee, were recognized as UT Tyler Patriots of the Year in 2001 for their support of the university.
Spring Hill Area Renewal Project Is Completed
The Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy will be an innovative, selfsustaining program in which UT Tyler will partner with UT Health Northeast on the research to be conducted at the pharmacy school. UT Tyler founding dean Dr. Lane Brunner is leading the accreditation process with the goal of accepting the first class of students in fall 2015. He comes to UT Tyler from California, but began his career as a young professor of pharmacy at UT Austin. Business, healthcare and education leaders throughout the East Texas region support the program and the benefits it will bring. The Texas Workforce Commission predicts Texas will have 1,005 annual openings for pharmacist positions through 2020.
Workforce And Economic Summit Set For Nov. 6
Pinecrest Country Club in Longview will be the site of a Workforce and Economic Summit event. The Nov. 6 program will include area legislators, state and local officials, workforce and economic developers, education and business professionals to discuss relevant issues and priorities for the East Texas region, as well as receive a legislative update. This summit will include a legislators’ panel discussion, education panel discussion, economic developers panel discussion and keynote speaker Brian K. Aspell, vice president of Champion Cooler - Texas Workforce Commission’s 2012 Employer of the Year. The event fee is $30 and includes lunch if pre-registered and paid by Oct. 30. The fee increases to $35 for registrants after Oct. 30 or at the door.
Improvements have come to Longview neighborhoods in the Spring Hill area as part of the RENEW! (Resources Enriching Neighborhoods through Empowerment Works) Longview initiative. Throughout October, the city of Longview partnered with Spring Hill ISD, as well as other organizations and community volunteers to help make a difference in the area. The ultimate goal of RENEW! Longview is to improve the quality of life in neighborhoods by utilizing a variety of crime prevention, social and environmental methods that includes support from several city departments, nonprofit organizations, volunteers and neighborhood residents. According to Longview Police Area Representative Officer Chris Clayton, “The focus this year is a pretty large neighborhood in the Spring Hill area of Longview with over 800 different residential properties. We look forward to working together with the neighbors and volunteers from throughout Longview.” City crews have cleaned streets and drainage ways. Sanitation crews picked up heavy limbs and bulky trash. Environmental Health worked with residents to address junk vehicles, stray animals or other concerns. Low-cost rabies vaccinations were offered on the final weekend of October. The police department brought in officers on foot and bicycle patrol. The fire department offered home safety inspections to help identify dangers and prevent damage. Volunteer cleanup days took place on each Saturday during October. Dumpsters were placed in the vicinity and residents were allowed to place bulky items at the curb for pickup. A neighborhood block party was held Oct. 26 on Clyde Street to celebrate the accomplishments achieved during the RENEW! Longview project. For more information about the RENEW! Longview project, please visit
LongviewPolice.com or LongviewTexas.gov.
Tyler Activates New Crosswalk System The city of Tyler has activated the first Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon controlled crosswalk in East Texas to enhance the safety of pedestrians crossing at Old Omen Road to the University of Texas at Tyler. A Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon controlled crosswalk, also known as a High-intensity Activated Crosswalk or “HAWK,” is a special type of hybrid beacon used to assist pedestrians in crossing a street or highway at a marked crosswalk. It was authorized by the current edition of the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Compliance will be enforced by law enforcement officers. Pedestrian hybrid beacon indications are dark (not illuminated) when not in use. When activated, it follows a cycle of flashing yellow, steady yellow, steady red and flashing red before returning to dark. Drivers are encouraged to use caution as they approach this new traffic control device. Be prepared to slow down and stop when the beacons are activated.
Marketing, Hotel Law Seminar Offered The Wood County Industrial Commission is hosting a seminar on Nov. 4 of interest to owners of hotel and lodging businesses. The free, two-hour Wood County Lodging Marketing Seminar will be at Oak Ridge, with Dutch-treat arrangements for lunch. It requires an RSVP for space limitations and materials planning. The program will include information on the benefits of membership in the Texas Hotel & Lodging Association (THLA), and how Wood County is spending the Hotel/Lodging Occupancy Tax dollars for tourism programs at work for “heads in beds” in Wood County. The seminar also includes tools to help with marketing efforts. The guest speaker will be Robin Clinker, director of marketing and an 18-year veteran with the Texas Hotel & Lodging Association.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 7
The Upper East Side of Texas Has the Best Seats on the Planet for Winter Star Gazing By Elizabeth Branca During the clear, crisp nights of winter, there is no better time to bundle up and head outdoors to take in the spectacular star-dotted skies of the Upper East Side of Texas. Because the atmosphere during colder weather is usually calm, the stars at night appear even brighter than normally seen during the more turbulent summer. One group of devoted star gazers is the Astronomical Society of East Texas (ASET). They regularly hold free activities including family-friendly star gazing parties around the region and at the Center for Earth and Space Science Education (CESSE) at Tyler Junior College. CESSE is a first-of-its-kind facility in East Texas. With a 40-foot Spitz nanoseam domed theatre, the planetarium features an immersive, full-dome video experience as well as a state-of-the-art exhibit hall. ASET star parties encourage astronomers and beginning star gazers to come explore the love and wonder of the limitless sky. Staff and volunteers share their knowledge and passion for astronomy. For many, it is a life-long interest passed on to them at a young age and the star gazing parties offer the opportunity to instill that infatuation in others. At a recent star party more than a hundred amateur astronomers and families attended. The curious crowd mingled in the parking area outside the center observing the staggering views of the moon’s surface through a handful of powerful telescopes. “This is one of the biggest events they’ve had on campus so far,” said Cory McCoy,
a journalist for the college newspaper, “There’s a big turnout. There are some really nice telescopes here tonight.” Many took time to enjoy the planetariums free space and star viewing film inside the theater, in addition to the real-time show outside. Not just for science geeks, the star party’s relaxed atmosphere offers a fun and interesting night out for all, with the opportunity to learn about constellations, astrophotography and even the how-tos of building your own telescope. “I came out tonight to show off my stuff I guess,” said Don Kilfoyle, a Longview resident and ASET member since 1990s, who builds many of his telescopes. “When I was a little boy I saw a telescope I wanted in a shop and I had to have it,” he said. “My mom bought it for me and I had a carpenter make wooden legs for it. That’s how it started.” Due to light pollution on this night, viewing was limited, but that did not seem to hinder the festive mood. “Tonight there isn’t a lot to see, but the moon,” said Paul Shaw, another ASET member for more than 10 years, “but later in the fall there will be some good constellations to see, like Orion, and a meteor shower.” According to Shaw, in late November or early December a special bright comet crosses the East Texas sky. A lecture about this event, Comet Ison, takes place November 2 at CESSE.
the back of Boy’s Life Magazine when I was about 12.” With more than 60 members, the ASET group continues to grow and welcomes new members interested in learning more. Besides CESSE the group holds star viewing outings in a variety of locations with the Mineola Nature Preserve being a perennial favorite. Star gazing in just about any East Texas backyard is also one of the best seats on the planet. To learn more about the Astronomical Society of Texas visit www.asetexas.com.
Center for Earth & Space Science Education Tyler Junior College 1411 E. Lake St. Tyler, TX 75701 903.510.2312 www.tjc.edu/cesse UPCOMING ACTIVITIES November Space Park 360. Documentary. Fun depiction of roller coasters on different planets. Mystery of the Christmas Star. Documentary. What the star in the bible might have been. November 1-January 31 Astro Art Exhibit. Various space art including that of NASA artist Pat Rawlings November 2. Lecture by Professor Douglas Parsons, “Comet Ison” November 9. 5-9 p.m. ASET Star Party November 23. Lecture by Dr.Karl Giberson, “America’s Creation-Evolution Controversy”
With a keen interest in astronomy since childhood, Shaw later earned a degree in it and today enjoys spending his time instill that appreciation in others.
November 24. Science & Faith Panel Discussion
“When I was 10-years-old my mom and dad called me out to see a comet cross the sky,” he remembers, “and I was hooked. I got my first telescope out of
OPEN: Wed, Thurs 1:30 - 5 p.m. Fri 1:30 - 6 p.m. Sat. 10:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
8 • CountyLineMagazine.com • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
December 7. 7-8 p.m. ASET Meeting CESSE Classroom
Space Artist’s Work is Displayed in Tyler By P.A. Geddie Born and raised under the wide open skies of Greenville, Texas, Pat Rawlings gained an appreciation of art and science at an early age. “I actually used to get into trouble in the first grade for drawing when I should have been listening,” Rawlings recalls. “In junior high we had an assignment to do a drawing of our favorite mythological character. I had 15 kids pay me a dollar each to do theirs as well. I never expected the teacher to put them all up around the room and note their “stylistic similarity.” His mother, Jean Rawlings, like her mother, he said, could draw really well. “I think that is where I genetically got some of my ability,” he said. “I also devoured anything that I could get my hands on about how Norman Rockwell worked.” At Greenville High School his work on theatre sets began to solidify his desire to make art a part of his life.
“I never thought I would get paid to produce ‘science fiction’ art for my whole life,” he says. Rawlings creates images based on scientific and technical themes that appeal to both rocket scientists and regular folk. His extraterrestrial “snapshots” of future events give viewers a sense of “being there” as explorers hop from one world to the next using the best technology of the 21st century. His desire to travel in space and time motivate him to make scenes as accurate as possible. After consulting with numerous space experts around the country, he uses hand-built and computer models, topographical maps, and space and family vacation photos to mentally create his worlds. “Space art,” Rawlings said, “provides me with an excuse to talk to some of the most interesting people in the country, build miniature models of space ships, and then sit in my studio painting or working on the computer for hours while listening to movie soundtracks
and classical music.” Rawlings was formerly the exhibits designer at Johnson Space Center in Houston. He has done NASA art for 17 years, and his works are often seen in a huge number of publications, but are most often only credited “courtesy NASA.” He eventually moved to a company formed by retired Apollo engineers and started doing artwork for outside clients there through the company, and has done the same for two more companies since then. He is currently the art director at Eagle Applied Science, LLC of San Antonio where he telecommutes from a home office west of Austin. Some of his art is scheduled to display at the Center for Earth & Space Science Education in Tyler from November 1 through the end of January along with other space artists. Learn more about him and see his art at www.patrawlings. com.
“I was in choir as a high school student and Charles Sivley, GHS’s legendary choir director, allowed me to design and paint all the sets for several of the high school musicals. It was really wonderful to paint backdrops that were 60feet wide by 20-feet tall for use in ‘The Sound of Music’ and ‘Fiddler on the Roof.’ The feedback from the musicals was a tremendous boost to my confidence and allowed me to contemplate a life as an artist.” Along with art, his interest in science began early, he said. He read all of the Tom Swift books (emphasizing science, invention and technology), and every book by science-fiction writer Robert Heinlein in the school library and devoured science fiction movies. Fast forward a few years and Pat Rawlings is a highly acclaimed artist for NASA as well as a number of national magazines producing covers for Aviation Week and Space Technology and art for other publications, companies, and films including Disney, Smithsonian, IMAX Space Films, Pale Blue Dot by Carl Sagan, and Time-Life Books.
“When I Was a Kid” by Pat Rawlings. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 9
Richard Bowden is “America’s Most Famous Unknown Entertainer” By Tom Geddie Richard Bowden admits to, once upon a time, in the wee hours of the morning, walking into the lobby of a Washington hotel nude except for the shaving cream on his face. and asking anybody who would listen, “Do y’all know where a man can get a razor blade this time of night?” That was back in the mid 1970s, when he was lead guitarist for Linda Ronstadt. It wasn’t the first time he was nude, he claims. “My mother once said, in response to some of my reported behavior, ‘The first time I ever saw him, he was naked and hungry.’ I guess I didn’t change much during those years.” Bowden, who bills himself as “America’s most famous unknown entertainer,” made a lot of music before his years with Ronstadt and a lot of music in later years. He also served on the city council in Linden, Texas, where he was born, and is one of the founding instigators of Music City Texas Theater — all just part of a long and continuing resume. He’s still most known— outside Linden, and maybe within — as half of the successful musical comedy team Pinkard and Bowden. Bowden’s career began in high school when he joined his dad’s country music jams at home. Soon, he and some friends began picking up some instrumental gigs playing with the Ventures, Herb Alpert, and similar groups until, when the Beatles came along, they decided to add vocals. “Nobody wanted to step up and sing,” Bowden remembers. “We were rehearsing at my parents’ house one night, and my dad suggested we write down the titles of four songs we’d like to do, and then everybody would draw a song and sing it whether we want to or not. We did it.” So the primary singing job fell to young drummer Don Henley; yes, that
Don Henley, eventually of the Eagles. Bowden sang some Johnny Rivers and Sam the Sham songs.
the whole week and get up every morning on the radio shows, and began packing the comedy clubs.
The guys’ band, after a chance meeting with Kenny Rogers in Dallas, eventually moved to Los Angeles and became Shiloh. That eventually led to a four-year gig with Ronstadt, which Bowden said was “great training. I was singing background with her. Her phrasing was impeccable, and some of that rubbed off on me. I was blessed to be with somebody that good.”
Other popular parodies included “Help Me Make It Through the Yard,” “I Lobster But I Never Flounder,” “Blue Hair Driving in My Lane,” “What’s That Thing (on Aaron Neville’s Head?), “Please Come to New Boston,” and more.
Henley and Glenn Frey also became part of Ronstadt’s band before forming the Eagles. Bowden later played with, among others, Roger McGuinn and Dan Fogelberg before moving to Nashville and meeting another songwriter, Sandy Pinkard, a partnership that lasted 16 years and through four Warner Brothers albums – Writers In Disguise, PG-13, Live In Front Of a Bunch Of D-dkh—ds, and Cousins, Cattle and Other Love Stories – sealing Bowden’s reputation as a comic. “I’ve been known for being funny for years, more known for being funny than as a guitar player,” he said. The duo’s first big song parody hit was “Mama, He’s Lazy,” a takeoff on The Judds’ popular “Mama He’s Crazy.” “Just as theirs was coming down off the charts, ours came out,” Bowden said. “It went way up on the charts, and Warner Brothers said ours sold more singles than the average #1. We were off and running. They put us out opening for everybody you could think of including Eddy Rabbit and Chrystal Gale.” Pinkard and Bowden began playing comedy clubs next, rolling into town and doing the morning shows at classic rock radio stations. “That’s where we found our audience, by getting up at 4:30 in the morning and then going into comedy clubs that night,” Bowden said. “We’d be there
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Over the years, the group did one serious piece: “Christmas Evergreen,” a recitation of a poem that Bowden wrote with a quiet guitar solo version of “Silent Night” behind the recitation. In 1998, Bowden returned to Linden to help take care of his aging mother. “My mother had been widowed for several years and her health had started to go down,” he said. Music City Texas had already been formed, but didn’t have a venue. Bowden helped raise $25,000 from the Lions Club and the Linden Economic Development Corporation, and the group leased the virtually abandoned American Legion hall. Henley came home for a show, and Bowden called on old friends Rogers, Jackson Browne, Michael Martin Murphey, John Anderson, T. Graham Brown, Robert Earl Keen, and others to perform. “I made a lot of friends, so I started calling people and started bringing in these national acts to Linden,” he said. “Michael Granbury wrote an article on the theater in The Dallas Morning News and we began drawing people from Dallas, Houston, Austin, and everywhere in between. That was a good thing because it boosts the local economy. People leave a lot of money at the theater, local restaurants, and motels here and in Jefferson.” Bowden ended up as a four-term city council member in Linden, and last year filled out someone else’s two-year term. He’s also helped with the annual Wildflower Trails of Texas Festival, the es-
tablishment of the annual “T-Bone” Walker Blues Fest, and remains a morethan-popular emcee for local events. In 2010, Bowden had double bypass surgery and later fell in the rain and shattered a knee that took extensive repair with pins and metal plates. He also remarried in 2012, to Holly Joy Bowden, inheriting six-year-old and month-old granddaughters. “I’m fine, so far,” he said. “Holly makes me eat all the right stuff.” He doesn’t have to spend much time anymore with people confusing him and same-named fiddler Richard Bowden, who used to get Linden’s Richard Bowden’s royalty checks; that Bowden saved the checks because they weren’t his, and finally got them to Linden. Rather than slowing down, though, he’s got responsibilities with Music City Texas Theater, with the blues festival, with the Pinkard and Bowden website, and with his band Moon & the Starz. He has a role as “the kindly faced Dr. Earl” in a movie, “Open Gate,” that’s available on Netflix. He also played guitar on three songs on Henley’s soon-to-be-released new album, Cass County, because Henley “wanted some of these B-Bender licks on his guitar,” Bowden said. The B-Bender is a device, somewhat like a capo, that Bowden patented years ago to raise the pitch on a single string, creating a steel guitar effect. The company that manufactured the B-Bender began, he said, skimping on the quality of the parts, which affected durability, so when the contract ran out Bowden took control again. He opened his own shop where he’s in charge of quality control, created his own internet business, and sells the devices in, so far, the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
Richard Bowden performs today with his band Moon & the Starz. For 16 years he and Sandy Pinkard were a musical comedy duo called Pinkard & Bowden. They produced four Warner Brothers albums and such parody hits as “Mama, He’s Lazy,” a takeoff on The Judd’s popular “Mama He’s Crazy.” At left is his invention — the B-Bender that raises the pitch on a single string creating a steel guitar effect. At bottom is the band Shiloh with l-r Don Henley, Richard Bowden, Mike Bowden and back row Al Perkins, and Jim Ed Norman.
Today, the man who calls himself “America’s most famous unknown entertainer” is far from his days — but not too far — from the lobby of that Washington hotel lobby where he showed up wearing nothing but the shaving cream on his face. For more information visit www.bowdenbbenders.com, www.pinkardandbowden. com, and www.richardbowden.com. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 11
Church and State Agree On Majestic Furniture Henderson Company Builds Furniture Shipped All Over the Country By Patti Light Smooth, hand-sanded, Appalachian hardwood pew ends stacked high waiting for custom bench seats welcome visitors to Hall Furniture‘s work shop in Henderson, Texas. The company has produced custom church and courthouse pieces since 1939. “Each order is customized for the church or community ordering it,” says Steve Strain, the owner of this hidden gem of artistry in the Piney Woods. The Hall family ran the company until 2003 when retirement led Strain to this new avenue in his life. He is a life-long carpenter and church business person. “Buying this company seems like the way I was being led.” His woodworking eye keeps the company producing one-of-a-kind chancel furniture that is shipped all over the country. “We build a lot for local churches, but also for Oregon, New York, and Florida,” Strain explains. Local for this worker means Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and New Mexico. The company of 17 members consists of carpenters, upholsters, painters and artists. Some workers have been at Hall for more than 20 years and their hands have touched hundreds of church families in the United States. The company even has pieces in churches only miles from the Canadian border in North Dakota. Starting with inspiration for Mission Builders, a group of men that work to build new churches in America, Strain was inspired by the beauty of the products he saw coming from Hall Manufacturing in Henderson as he began to know them as a customer. Now, as the vendor, he sees many changes in what the communities need. “The small country churches are struggling as larger churches have more money for family programs,” Strain explains. There is a card index of every church
the company has built for and repeat business keeps coming. Churches, like to keep the look and feel of their home church, he said.
tion teams make plans. “We are blessed to stay a while in the building of their church or community,” Strain said.
The workmanship of the pieces they order are watched by each member of the Hall team as they are worked towards completion. Local churches like Calvary Baptist Church in Henderson have installed pews and offering tables, but they are not the only new business looking for a product of majestic beauty. Courthouses, especially those that are in historic renovation, are calling Strain and his woodsmen to create a quality piece of furniture to reflect the authority and solemn nature of their business. Hall Furniture has created courtrooms for Anderson and Smith County and is bidding on counties all over Texas. “I think customers are surprised at the quality and time put into each piece,” Strain said. “Especially since most just look at a selection on the Internet before they order.” Church and state meet in the majesty of this beautiful furniture that is handcrafted to meet each chapel or courtroom’s needs. Strain said he’s becoming more educated in the devotion and character of almost every denomination and religion his company has touched. His work evolves based on the needs of their chapel or church in regards to the look, feel, and presence of its pews, communion racks, offering tables and chancel needs. “One church will want cushioned pews and one will not. Some churches need the cup holders, pencil holes, and book racks in the pews. Others remove all that,” Strain explains as he walks through workbenches and pieces of an eight-foot pulpit being built to replicate one they built for the famous pastor, T.D. Jakes. Pew cushions are attached by hand and colors chosen by church families, each detail designed for the need of the people. Late fall and Easter are the busy times, but orders come in all year as churches build and historic preserva-
12 • CountyLineMagazine.com • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
Sturdy pews and regal pulpits are some of the products made at Hall Furniture in Henderson for churches and courthouses all over the country. Photos by Patti Light
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
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903.714.5911
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KNIFEMAKING CLASSES Learn to make custom, handmade knives from a master knifesmith. Gift Certificates Available!
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culture & entertainment
Check out the eMAGAZINE www.countylinemagazine.com for extended event listings.
Edgewood Heritage Festival Offers Day Of Shows, History The Edgewood Heritage Festival is marking its 37th year as one of the premier annual festivals in Northeast Texas. The 2013 festival is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. November 9 at the Heritage Park Museum of East Texas and downtown Edgewood, which is located on US Highway 80, 50 miles east of Dallas and 50 miles west of Tyler. Admission to the festival is free. Special demonstrations are always a big part of the heritage festival. The East Texas Blacksmith Association operates the old blacksmith shop in the village and members of the association bring their vintage anvils to show off their skills. Antique printing presses will run in the restored print shop and the making of lye soap at the log smoke house is demonstrated. The restored train depot is the destination of model train enthusiasts, as an extensive exhibit of trains operate in the freight room. A knife and tomahawk throwers group makes their debut in the festival this year and demonstrates their skills. Acoustic live music is offered throughout the day from the main stage and the bandstand in the Log Village. A talent show on the main stage offers a variety of entertainment, while a dog show takes place around the gazebo in the Log Village and, for the first time this year, a dog parade is highlights for canine lovers. The 20th annual Pinto Bean Cook-off is on tap and competent bean cooks utilize their talents in preparing this treat. In addition to the popular Classic Car Show on the streets of downtown Edgewood, the third annual Antique Tractor Show attracts collectors from a wide area. The Heritage Quilt Show takes place in the Edgewood Civic Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Santa Claus makes his first appearance in East Texas at the festival. Children can have their pictures taken with Santa at the Spradlin Log Cabin.
“Big Foot” is already checking out the town as Mineola Nature Center prepares to welcome him to Big Foot Meets Naturfest October 11-12. Photo by Johnny Taylor.
Joining the Edgewood Heritage Festival for the first time this year are the Knife and Tomahawk Throwers from Hawkins. One of the group’s primary activities is teaching and practicing the skill of accurately throwing a Bowie knife and an Indian tomahawk, as once practiced by the “Mountain Men” of the early 1800’s. These skilled athletes dress in authentic period clothing and even bring their teepee and pioneer paraphernalia. The group tries to emulate the lifestyle of the trappers, guides, and explorers that were key to the taming of the American West. Courtesy photo
All restored buildings in Heritage Park are open for visitors to tour. Vendors Alley offers a shopping spree to remember. There is a children’s playground area with rides and games, a food court featuring a variety of culinary treats, and the Heritage Bake Sale, which is held in the restored Gilliam Gas Station. The proceeds from the festival go to the future development and maintenance of Heritage Park Museum of East Texas. The Heritage Park Museum of East Texas was founded in 1976 as a bicen-
14 • CountyLineMagazine.com • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
tennial ongoing project. The museum encompasses 21 restored and furnished structures representing rural life around late 1800s to early 1900s Van Zandt County. The outdoor museum preserves the rural culture and architectural heritage for present and future generations. The Heritage Park is the focal point of Edgewood and is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (closed for lunch) Thursday through Saturday. For more information, visit www.edgewoodheritagefestival.com or call 903896-1940.
Along with dramatic and comedic reenactments, The Legends of Crossroads is dedicated to teaching gun safety to children and giving back to the community through various activities such as visiting nursing homes and “jail and bails” that benefit the local food bank and library. The Legends of Crossroads work to create a positive learning experience about the “Old West” during the 1865 to 1900 time period. They believe this time period forged values and attitudes that still influence life today. The group perform at Winnsboro’s Wild West Days November 15-17 in Winnsboro City Park.
Youth cutting horse enthusiast Austria Arnold of Terrell was recently named the 2013 Outstanding Area Director for the second year with the National Youth Cutting Horse Association (NYCHA). Arnold currently serves as an Area 24 Director, which includes youth members residing in Dallas and East Texas, for the Fort Worth-based NYCHA as well as first vice president of the equestrian youth organization. Courtesy photo
The Legends of Crossroads Show Wild West History A real love for the “Old West” and keeping that spirit alive are qualities shared by a group of men and women from Winnsboro who delight in re-enacting living history for all to enjoy. The Legends of Crossroads represent the two crossing roads where the town of Winnsboro began in the early 1850’s. This non-profit group is made up of players who are all members of the Reenactment Guild of America. Pete Hitzemann as Big John, Zane Hartman (Reno), Christine Hartman (Bubbling Brook), Billy Jones (Big Jake), David Simpson (Cullen Montgomery), Mary Karen Simpson (Mary Karen the Heart Stealer), Pam Dumse (Pepper Tejas), Randy Dumse (Beano), Stan Johnson (Trinity), John Alexander (Judge Roy Spleen), Karen Campbell (Krafty Karen), and Carolyn Jones are all dedicated to educating their audiences on the history of the Old West, including historical events from the Winnsboro area such as the infamous Fowlers and Pine Brothers’ shootouts.
To learn more about this entertaining group contact manager Sue Hitzemann at 903-342-1300 or legendsofcrossroads@yahoo.com.
H O L I DAY T E A R O O M & MARKET
Tuesday –Friday
Dec. 10th –13th For more information, or to purchase your tickets please call (903) 753-8103.
“The Polar Express” Train Excursion Starts Nov. 15
The Texas State Railroad is inviting people to wear their pajamas and jump on board for a magical trip to the North Pole. The organization’s holiday train excursion is themed after author Chris Van Allsburg’s award-winning story “The Polar Express.” Trains will depart from the Palestine Depot starting Nov. 15 and continuing through Dec. 30. On board, passengers will listen to actor Liam Neeson reading the classic story over the public address system while hot chocolate and cookies are served. Upon arrival at the North Pole, Santa Claus and his dancing elves will board the train and give each child a special gift as the train makes its way back to the Palestine Depot to the sound of Christmas carols being sung by young and old. A dome car will be part of Polar Express again this year. These double-decker passenger rail cars offer an intimate experience on the lower level. Special winter wonderland-themed decorations and larger windows are the highlights of the upper seating area, 16 feet above the rails. Christmas decorations will also adorn the Palestine Depot and, in the portico, continued page 16
215 E. Tyler St. • Longview, Texas
Gun Barrel City Visit
...a straight shot to Cedar Creek Lake
Come Stay & Play. We Aim to Please!
903.887.1087 www.gunbarrelcity.net www.gunbarrelcityfestivals.net
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 15
CULTURE continued from page 15
ride for families to enjoy together.”
Lee Loveless Photography will be offering commemorative photos. Mementos can be purchased in the gift shop. Food vendors will be on hand as well.
For more information go to the website at www.texasstaterr.com/polar-express.
EVENTS
Special school runs are scheduled for Dec. 4, 5, 11 and 12 at 10 a.m. and noon.
County Line makes every effort to ensure accurate information. However, information could change. Please call ahead before making plans. For more listings or organizations and activities and for a list of annual events in and around East Texas, visit countylinemagazine.com.
“Last year we sold nearly 44,000 tickets during the six weeks of Polar Express, and had visitors from 35 states and three countries,” said Janet Gregg, marketing manager for the Texas State Railroad. “It is a very special, memorable train
Every Thursday
Cruise Night. Athens. Classic cars,street
2-3 NOV O
WINNSBOR TEXAS
rods, rat rods, project cars and trucks,new cars, motorcycles and more. Free. Downtown Athens, 219 S. Palestine Street. (903)-675-8616.
Every Friday & Saturday
Greenville Ghost Walk. Greenville. Weekend Ghost Walks highlighting the city’s history and architecture. Some say historical figures from the past 160 years still frequent their old haunts. Steven Reese conducts the tours by lamp light in Victorian costume, beginning at the Heritage Garden near the Farmer’s Market two blocks east of the Hunt County Courthouse on Washington Street. The location of the old gallows, a haunted winery and a 1920s Egyptian Revival former mortuary building are among the stops. Many landmark buildings are also included on the tour. Greenville joins Jefferson, McKinney and several other area towns in offering the popular Ghost Walks to visitors. 6:30 p.m. $12. Hunt County Heritage Garden, 2300 Washington Street, Historic Downtown Greenville. 903 455-1510. www.greenvillechamber. com.
November 4
Men’s Night Out @ Sabor a Pasion. Palestine. Men’s night with steak and cigars. Sabor a Paison. 110 ACR 406. (903)729-9500. saborapaison.com.
November 9
JOIN THE TOUR
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888-559-4333 www.winnsboroonlineguide.com 16 • CountyLineMagazine.com • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
37th Edgewood Heritage Festival. Edgewood. The Edgewood Heritage Festival is marking its 37th year as one of the premier annual festivals in Van Zandt County. All the 21 restored buildings in the Heritage Park will be open for tours. Knife and Tomahawk Throwers and Dog Parade are among some of the new features this year. The festival will feature arts and crafts, demonstrations, entertainment, vendors galore, pinto bean cookoff, and delicious food. Classic Car Show and Antique Tractor shows are a bonus. The Edgewood Historical Society is also inviting sponsors and still accepting vendors to support and participate in this year’s festival. All the proceeds go to the future development and maintenance of the heritage park. 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Free admission. Heritage Park Museum of East Texas. FM859 North, off US 80, 103 Elm Street. 903.896.1940. www.edgewoodheritagefestival.com.
November 10 – January 2
Christmas Park Land of Lights. Athens. A drive through Christmas Park with over four million lights, 2,000 wood cut outs, over 60 scenes over one mile long! There are 50 motion controlled lighted scenes, six tunnels, eight arches and a concession stand. Santa Claus, starting Thanksgiving night. 6 - 10:30 p.m. $20 family vehicle, $40 commercial van/pick up back end loaded. Christmas Park Land of Lights, 1500 N.W. Loop 7. 903675-7469. athenstx.org/things-to-do/christmaspark-land-of-lights-2013.
November 15 – 17
Winnsboro Wild West Days. Winnsboro. Dust off that cowboy hat and boots and come to an RGA Sanctioned Old West Reenactment Competition along with historical reenactments/shootouts, music on Saturday night with Tammy Carlisle and Jimmy Harris, vendors, food, things for the kids, Chevy Silverado tour and much more. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Free to the public. Jack Cross Pavilion. 900 Wheeler Drive. 903-342-1300. www.thelegendsofcrossroads.com.
November 15 – December 29
Polar Express. Palestine. Read along with the story as the train makes it’s magical round-trip journey to the North Pole. Meet Santa and enjoy caroling, hot cocoa, a treat and a special gift for each child. Kids are encouraged to wear their pajamas. $20 - $40. Texas State Railroad. 877-726-7245. www.texasstaterr.com.
nual Christmas Parade, Christmas Around the Square, is sponsored by the City of Athens. Parade entries include local businesses, church groups, civic/non profit groups, school groups, single/individual entries, and marching bands. The parade will depart the TVCC parking lot onto W. Ben Belt Dr., turn north on S. Palestine Street toward the downtown square, turn west onto W. Tyler Street and south onto S. Prairieville Street, and will end at the TVCC parking lot. 6:30 - 10:30 p.m. Free. Downtown Athens, 100 W. Tyler St. 903-677-0775. athenstx.org/things-todo/annual-christmas-parade3.
November 30
Heritage Park Christmas in the Park. Sulphur Springs. Each year Heritage Park is open to visitors for Christmas in the Park. The event begins at sunset and lasts for three hours. While in the park, visitors can enjoy a spectacle of lights, strolling carolers, musicians, a live nativity scene and Santa Claus. Free hot cocoa, coffee, punch, cookies and other goodies are served in various buildings on the grounds. Most of the historic buildings are open, with volunteers dressed in period costumes to help give the feeling of stepping into the past. Come and step back in time to enjoy the start of the Christmas season. 5:30 - 8:00 p.m. $3. Heritage Park, 416 Jackson St. N 903-885-2387. www.hopkinscountymuseum.org.
Wild West Days November 15th, 16th & 17th, 2013
@
Jack Cross Pavilion
Winnsboro City Park
December 6 – 8
Frost Fest. Palestine. A Victorian-themed festival featuring old fashioned peddlers and street performers in the historic Palestine main street district hosted by the Palestine Chamber of Commerce. This outdoor activity taps into the magic of the holiday season. Downtown Palestine. 903-729-6066. palestinefrostfest.com.
December 7
in RGA Sanctioned
Old West Reenacting Competition (must be RGA to compete)
Prize Money for 1st, 2nd & 3rd Places Music on Friday and Saturday Nights
Reenactments DURING Winnsboro WILD WEST DAYS
“Chevy Silverado Tour”
December 6 & 7
Christmas on the Square. Sulphur Springs. 5 – 10 p.m. Downtown on the Square 903-8856514. www.visitsulphurspringstx.org.
10th Annual Butch Adkinson Memorial Toy Run for Van Zandt County. Wills Point. A 40 mile ride ending at the food court at Old Mill Marketplace in Canton. Look for donation boxes at local grocery stores, businesses and restaurants throughout the county. Proceeds benefit charitable children’s organizations and military families in Van Zandt County. 10:30 a.m. $10 or a new or unwrapped toy. Charlie’s Place, 335 Wingo Way, 903.829.2147.
Winnsboro
November 22
Women Who Wine. Palestine. A Varied selection of the wine of the month is provided as well as Chef Christian’s exceptional hot and cold hors d’oeuvres paired to complement the wine. Tasting notes and a brief overview are provided. Reservations are required. 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Red Fire Grille, 400 N. Queen Street. (903)723-2404. redfiregrille.com.
December 14
Come out to see the All New 2014 Chevy Silverado. Check out the new MyLink Infotainment Center, take the Truck Bed Challenge, test your strength at the Box Frame Kiosk, and take home cool Chevy branded giveaways.
✯Food ✯Music ✯Vendors Old W Texas Ra est Traveling ngers Display
my
Tam
Shootouts Hosted by The Legends of Crossroads For more info call 903-342-1300 email: legendsofcrossroads@yahoo.com www.thelegendsofcrossroads.com
Athens Christmas Parade. Athens. The anNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 17
Artist Daniela Matchael Returns to Her First Love
By Tom Geddie The theme of returning to first loves is a common one. For some time after Daniela Matchael got away from that, she tried one thing after another. Everything she tried was sometimes rewarding and sometimes fun, but it wasn’t until she returned to art about five years ago that she felt fulfilled professionally – catching a rocket, it seems, to success. Matchael received her early formal fine arts training at the Panamerican School of Arts in Sao Paulo, Brazil, then worked as an apprentice to accomplished Brazilian artists, taught art at private schools, and showed her work in galleries in the large cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Then life happened, and the painting stopped for seven years. “I just couldn’t paint,” she said. So she did consulting, sales, training, and “everything else,” she said. For a while, she did photography. She and a partner began the first women-owned tour operation in Cuba. She went back to school, got married, had kids, and finally got back to painting when her first son was eight months old. One day while flying from her home in Florida to Colorado, Matchael looked out the plane’s window and found her 18 • CountyLineMagazine.com • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
inspiration. She photographed the circles in the fields she saw below, and turned them into a series of paintings. “I saw the circles, the water pivots — the irrigation pivot arms that go in a circle around the ground — where so much grain is grown,” she said. It was the first time I ever flew over a place that had a snowstorm, and the first time I saw what looked like quilts of circles, squares, and rectangles. Those really inspired me. When I got home, I began painting the circles and colors.” It’s been a rollercoaster ever since, she said, mostly shooting upward toward the stars. Since 2012, she’s done shows in Dallas, New York City, Florida, New Jersey, Paris, Milan, the Spoleto Art Festival in Italy, and in her adopted hometown of Athens, Texas. Next year, she’ll be in a show at the World Cup soccer festivities in her native Brazil and in at least two museum projects in France. She just recently won first prize for best collection at the show Seven Artists Seven Countries at the Museum of the Americas in Doral Florida representing Brazil. “I’ve been so busy trying to keep up with all the shows, that was taking a lot of time away from painting,” she said. So busy that she hired an agent, Jennifer Neill, who lives in Athens, too. “Now
I have someone representing my work. That’s awesome. She helps with the business side, negotiating, arranging shows, taking paintings to the galleries. That gives me more time to focus on the art, and also helps create new opportunities.” Her work, like much good art, is a bit hard to fit into a single style, fitting somewhere between expressionism and abstract expressionism. “I think it’s a mix,” she said. “Expressionism is the closest to it. That just means a lot of movement and it’s about expression and how it develops as it grows. The paintings are not planned. I just plan the basic composition, but I don’t plan the final painting.” She often works on three canvases at a time — 30x40 inches or 40x40, and sometimes 40x60, most often in oils and sometimes in acrylic — and finishes one, sometimes two, a week. “Usually it just flows,” she said. “I think I’m a pressure painter. If I have a commission or there’s a show I’m working on, I produce much faster than if I’m on my own. I try to connect with the higher
source, I’m the instrument. What comes out of my hands is just a guided process. Sometimes it’s stronger than me. The canvas goes through stages and I can see it evolving almost like I’m a spectator. That’s the feeling I have.” The larger canvases give her more room to express. “The colors are so bold in my work that if you make it tiny you can’t put all the expression in to it. The composition doesn’t flow the way I want it to,” she said. “For 10 years, I painted murals in homes and businesses, so I’m just used to the big canvases.” From the series of fields that brought her back to painting, Matchael recently shifted to koi — the colorful fish. “When I started painting them, I thought they were totally different from the circles,” she said, “then I started paying attention to them and the colors and movement and the feel are very similar. It’s evolved into that. That’ a fun process and it inspires me.” Matchael moved to Athens from Littleton, Colorado, with her new husband,
Mike Matchael, and her two children a week after the wedding when he got a job as band director at Trinity Valley Community College and is worship leader at First Baptist Church. “I love Athens. I love the people, how welcoming they are. I love the country, the rolling hills, the trees, the nature, too.” Going back to her first love seems natural now. “It’s stronger than me. I tried to be everything else, but I can’t help myself,” she said. “Art is just who I am. I can’t do anything else. Maybe I’m not patient enough for something else. I love the smell and texture of the paint, and the brushes. I have hundreds of paint brushes. I love the materials. I love everything about painting. I just want to share the love that I have for what I do. I say God puts all these opportunities in front of me and I’m just trying to keep up with him.” A statement from her web site, www.danielamatchael.com, sums up her love: “I am the creative being that inhabits the earth. Art is my soul. Love is my motto. Passion is my name.”
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the arts
Check out COUNTY LINE ONLINE for our extended coverage of art news and events. www.countylinemagazine.com
Gallery, Marketing Projects Capture State Awards
Gallery Main Street’s 6x6@110 project was named a finalist in the Best Promotional Event category of the 2013 Texas Downtown Association (TDA) President’s Awards Program. Since 1998, the Awards Program has recognized more than 150 projects, events and people that make a difference in Texas downtowns. The Best Promotional Event award recognizes excellence in creation and execution of downtown or commercial district promotional events, including festivals. Types of events may include retail promotions, festivals and/or events that celebrate and promote civic pride, community history and culture, and holiday activities. The other finalists in this category are Dogtoberfest of Beaumont and Lit on Main of Grand Prairie. The 6x6@110 project involved the creation of more than 1,000 works of art by artists and the public. Those pieces then went on sale for $20, with all proceeds going to downtown revitalization. Over the years, Tyler has won 15 revitalization awards and nine of those have come since 2007. Meanwhile, Create History Here, a marketing and branding program completed in-house by Corsicana Main Street, has been named a finalist in the Best Marketing Program category. The Best Marketing Program award recognizes excellence in marketing of downtown or commercial districts. The other finalists in this category are Operation Increase Occupancy, a program of Denison, and the DowntownElPaso.com website. Winners are announced Nov. 7 at the President’s Awards Gala held in conjunction with the 2013 Texas Downtown Development and Revitalization Conference in Bastrop. Judging for the awards took place Sept. 13 in Austin. The distinguished jury panel included the following representatives: Michael Holleran, University of Texas-Austin School of Architecture; Jean Mollard, The Redlands Historic Inn, Palestine; Amy Swank, Texas Economic Development Council; and Kar-
Fruits of Fall by Ine Burke is a collage of native fruits and nuts on her property in Edgewood. They are pokeberry, American Beauty berry, wild persimmon fruit, sweet gum foliage, gum balls, acorns, grass, and red berries. See more of Ine Burke’s work at www.inegaleri.com.
la Vining, Texas Municipal League. The Texas Downtown Association, established in 1985, is an independent, statewide nonprofit organization comprised of almost 400 members involved in downtown revitalization projects. TDA provides resources to members through networking opportunities, marketing, education and advocacy to achieve community goals. To learn more, visit www.texasdowntown.org.
ARTS EVENTS Every Tuesday
Red River Photo Club. Bonham. Photographers of all skills and experience meet to improve skills and share photographs and experiences. 6:30 p.m. Annual membership $24; $36 family; guests welcome. Creative Arts Center, 200 W. 5th,. 903.640.2196. www.creativeartscenter.us.
Every Thursday
Art Talk. Marshall. Informal gathering of artists and art lovers to share, critique (if desired), and even work on art. 4 - 6 p.m. Free admission. Marshall Visual Art Center, 208 E. Burleson,. 903.938.9860. www.marshalltexas. net/Departments/Visual_Arts.
20 • CountyLineMagazine.com • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
Art & Wine. Tyler. Showcase for a local artist every Thursday, Wine & cheese & fruit platter specials, full menu. 5 9 p.m. Free. Caffe Tazza. 4815 Old Bullard. 903.581.6601. www.caffetazza.net.
Through November 2
“Small Town Texas” - The Photography of Lauren & Preston Spindle. Texarkana. The Spindles are a Temple, Texas, based photography couple. The Spindles believe the gift of a photograph is unique because it allows them to step outside of time and relive a detailed moment long after it has passed. They know that the images they create matter today and to the generations ahead of them. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Regional Arts Center, 321 W. 4th Street. (903) 792-8681. www.trahc.org.
Through December 14
Bending the Rules. Texarkana. The art of George Tobolowsky. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Texarkana Regional Arts Center. 321 W. 4th Street. 903.792.8681. www.trahc.org.
November 15
Chasing the Magic Light. Sulphur Springs. This Art and Wine Night features artist Terry McCullough. 6 - 8:30 p.m. Free. Connally Street Gallery. 220 Connally . 903 885-1080. www.connallystreetgallery.com.
Craftsman Captures History
UPCOMING EVENTS
By Elilzabeth Branca A photograph captures a memory, preserving a perfect place in time. Akin to bottling the sound of laughter, it holds fast a burst of beauty that has inevitably faded into the ether. Throughout its evolution the medium has bore witness to America’s finest and darkest hours, beginning with Mathew Brady’s battlefields of Antietam and continues today with a select group of professional photographers and stalwart shutterbugs. Louisiana native Ty Guillory has turned his love of photography into a successful camera-making business after moving to Hainesville, Texas, several years ago with his wife and two children. “I started off with tintype and making my camera and lenses because I couldn’t afford one,” explained Guillory, who’s historically-inspired dark boxes range in size up to 20x24. “I travelled around for years photographing Civil War reenactments with my homemade cameras then when we were expecting our first child I decided to start making cameras for sale to the public.”
The strikingly detailed images captured by the colloidal box cameras have made it a favorite of photo enthusiasts through the ages. From early Ansel Adams landscapes to today’s pages of National Geographic, the wet plate camera is far from a forgotten art form. By today’s digital camera standards, it can be seen as a laborious process, as the large wood equipment hinders mobility, as well as the wet-coated metal or glass requires both precise chemistry and timing in order to successfully lift an image. “When I started making these wet-plate box cameras there was only one other camera maker in the U.S.,” recalled
The Comedy of Sinbad Jan. 24 • 7:30 p.m.
The Broadway Tenors Nov. 9 • 7:30 p.m.
Learn more about Guillory’s camera making by scanning this video link and visit his site at www. guillorycameras.com
The Boston Brass Dec. 12 • 7:30 p.m. on the campus of
Northeast Texas Community College
Guillory, who ships cameras to clients across the globe. “Today I know of three other camera makers in the U.S. It’s a small niche.” Guillory doesn’t supply the lenses and explains that most camera clients prefer to build the camera to spec from a particular lens, adding that traditionalist opt for antique brass lenses, but modern lenses like Nikkors can be used. “Some photographers want to honor the historical aspect,” Guillory explained, “but most just want to create a great negative and make nice print.” He added that it’s not an easy process, but as a wet plate pro he produces about five images an hour. Due to the health hazards of the chemicals used in the development process, Guillory has since sold off his cameras and darkroom equipment, now focused solely on the craftsmanship of camera making. “Every image you see of the Civil War and every image of Abe Lincoln was shot with one of these cameras,” Guillory explained exhibiting a true depth of knowledge for Civil War and Lincolnera history. “All my cameras are made out of cherry-wood that’s shipped in from New York. Its traditional joinery with dovetails — no dowels or screws. The woodwork is done the same as it was over a hundred years ago.”
www.ntcc.edu/whatley
CALL 903-434-8181 FOR TICKETS!
Live Music, Theater, Comedy and Movies! Downtown Tyler • 103 E. Erwin • Tyler, Texas 75702 a departmeNt Of the city Of tyler
Calendar of Events NOvember 1-2 & 9
“A Southern Exposure” NOvember 7 at 7 p.m.
The Sound of Music NOvember 8 at 8 p.m.
Asleep at the Wheel NOvember 14 at 7 p.m.
Grease
NOvember 16 at 8 p.m.
Comedy - “Henry Cho” NOvember 21 at 7 p.m.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s december 5 at 7 p.m.
Elf
december 6-7
APEX Theater presents “Rent” december 12 at 7 p.m.
White Christmas
For ticket information go to LibertyTyler.com
The wet-plate or colloidal cameras Guillory designs date back to the origins of American photography in 1851, when the Dageurreotype was commonly used, but only produced a one-of-a-kind negative which could not be reproduced. The invention of the wet-plate camera allowed photographers to make an unlimited amount of negatives.
The Whatley Center for the Performing Arts
december 14 at 8 p.m.
Bruce and Kelly Christmas Show december 19 at 7 p.m.
It’s A Wonderful Life
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 21
EDOM What a trip!
ARTS • EATS • ETC Shop, Dine, Stay in Edom for the Holidays! www.VisitEdom.com
Blue Moon Gardens The shed cafe
Voted #1 Cafe’ in East Texas 903.852.7791 www.theshedcafe.com
WOOD HAVEN CABINS Relax & Unwind
903.279.2308 www.woodhavencabins.com
A Unique East Texas Experience Lodging, Weddings, Retreats 903.749.1682 www.farmhouseretreat.com
Weddings, Reunions, Retreats Vacation House Rental 214.478.8999 www.trinitypinesedom.com
NOV 30 • 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Jewelry Studio
Guest artists, Demos, Music, Open studios, Refreshments Come kick off the holidays on the Artisans Trail in Edom
Custom Orders Welcome
www.visitedom.com 903.852.6473
903.852.3311 www.zekeandmarty.com
PINKS ANTIQUES & uniques Antiques Plants Yard Art Much More Little Pink Shop next to The Shed Cafe
903.852.3897 www.bluemoongardens.com
TRINITY PINES RETREAT & WEDDING VENUE
The FARM HOUSE retreat
ZEKE & MARTY
Perennials. Herbs. Garden Art. Gift Shop Open Daily 9-5
Potters Brown Studio & Gallery
Original Handmade Stoneware 903.852.6473 www.pottersbrown.com
DRAGONHEAD RETREAT
B&B on 25 Wooded Acres at 675' The Lodge (sleeps 9+) Cedar Cabin (sleeps 4+) Outside Living Area WiFi • Kid Friendly 903-520-2069
www.dragonheadretreat.com 903.852.7820 22 • CountyLineMagazine.com • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
MARIPOSA CABIN
Quiet Relaxation in the East Texas Woods Hand-crafted, lofted 1 bedroom cottage 903.571.2423 www.vrbo.com/354940
Beyond Glory is Lang’s Labor of Love By Elizabeth Branca An intense mix of cerebral cool and redblooded bravado, Stephen Lang’s physique and chiseled jaw have parlayed him into one of Hollywood’s most memorable character actors. Before his role as intergalactic menace, Colonel Quaritch, in the 2009 blockbuster film Avatar, Lang commanded the Broadway stage, earning a Tony nomination and assemblage of theater accolades. Returning once again to the stage, Lang brings his one-man show “Beyond Glory” to Tyler’s Cowen Center on November 4 and to the Perot Theatre in Texarkana November 9. The play, adapted from a series of interviews published by Larry Smith, is written by Lang and tells the epic story of eight Medal of Honor recipients. From World War II to Vietnam, Lang transforms into each character, using the powerful narrative to capture each gripping first-hand account of bravery. “I last performed this show in 2007,” the playwright said in a County Line Magazine interview, “but started work on the play in 2003. I’ve performed the show about 400 times in Chicago, New York and internationally for the Department of Defense and the National Endowment for the Arts.” Having performed for active military, as well as a special birthday performance for
Senator Daniel Inouye, one of the heroes he portrays in “Beyond Glory,” Lang understands the deeper meaning the play has for veterans and military families, but believes the show is important for all audiences. Valor and love of country is both a timeless and timely story, he said. “Whether you’re a sophisticated theater goer in New York or serving on a carrier in the Persian Gulf and don’t see a lot of theater-it still strikes a chord,” noted the former Artistic Director at New York’s Actor’s Studio and Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow. “It doesn’t matter if you’re from Texas or Rhode Island — it’s for all of us. It speaks to the nation. But I do think that veterans have a special appreciation because they have a first-hand connection that others do not.”
Compressing each veteran’s extraordinary personal triumph into one vignette is no small feat, but through years of developing the each story, Lang fortified the narratives by making a personal connection with each man. Sadly, today “Beyond Glory” reads more like a theatrical memorial than a living tribute, as all but two of the men have passed away since the plays debut a decade ago. “I have a very personal connection to all of the men, but it’s not through meeting them,” explained Lang, a New York native and married father of four. “I had jitters about portraying these men, in particular, Vernon Baker.” One of “Beyond Glory’s” eight stories belongs to Army First Lieutenant Vernon Baker, the first living African American WWII veteran to receive the nation’s highest military honor. “I imagined introducing myself to Baker,” Lang recalled with a chuckle, “and saying ‘I’ll be portraying you on stage’ and he’d reply, ‘I was kinda hoping it would be Morgan or Denzel, but you would be my third choice.’” After a five-year stage reprieve, Lang hopes he still has the stamina required to pull off his one-man tour de force during its latest five-week tour. “It’s a real workout and I want to see if I still have the chops to do it,” he said. With his new film — the horror flick Monkey Paw — hitting movie theaters in October, Lang seems tireless, vacillating between big screen roles as grizzled tough guys, military archetypes and lawman and the stage. Although he admits for all of his years on Broadway and theatrical kudos, fans mostly recognize him as “that guy” identifying him from films like Avatar, Public Enemy and Tombstone, but with an occasional Gods and Generals fan. “I like to surprise people by the characters I play,” Lang admitted, “but if I’m thought of as a lean, grizzled guy, then that’s fine by me. I concentrated on movies and TV for a while, but I’ve never really left this show behind.” For ticket information for Beyond Glory at the Cowen Center visit www.cowencenter.org and at the Perot www.trahc.org.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 23
on stage Single Tickets On Sale For Piney Woods Events
Single tickets to all remaining Piney Woods Fine Arts Association events are now on sale. PWFAA is presenting a jam-packed, star-studded 23rd season with a variety of exciting shows, including Tony-award winning Broadway musicals, Hollywood comedians, country music legends and more. The remaining schedule for this year’s events includes: “Godspell,” November 29; Neal McCoy Christmas, December 14; Sinbad, January 25; Saint Petersburg Quartet, February 14; Ballroom with a Twist, February 21; Grits & Glamour with Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan, March 22; Tickets start at $22 and are available at the Piney Woods Fine Arts office at 603 E. Goliad in Crockett, Monday- Friday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. or by visiting the website at www.pwfaa.org.
Check out www.countylinemagazine.com for our extended STAGE news and event listings.
Local actors in the production are Fran Hurley, Myra Frye, Shea Vogel, Holly McCoy, and Jerry Griffin. Tickets for the production are on sale at Blessings Gift Shop or by going to the theatre groups website www.JeffersonOperaHouseTheatrePlayers.com. Tickets are $12 per person and seating is limited. For more information call 903-665-2310.
Children’s Theatre Contest Entry Deadline Approaches
The deadline for the ArtsView Children’s Theatre PATHS (Performing Arts Theatre School) 2013-2014 Playwright Contest is coming up on Nov. 15. Each year, the organization seeks original works from entrants from kindergarten-aged to adult. This year’s theme, “Heroes Assemble,” is all about superheroes.
Jefferson Theatre Presents The Cemetery Club
Jefferson’s Opera House Theatre Players are in rehearsal for the next production of their 25th season, “The Cemetery Club.” The play is performed at the Jefferson Playouse November 7, 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m. each evening. The play is a comedy about three women who meet once a month for tea before going to visit their husband’s graves and, according to director Marcia Thomas, it is defnitely a comedy with a capital “C” but also with moments of poingnancy. There is Ida who is sweet tempered and ready to begin a new life; Lucille who is a feisty embodiment of the girl who just wants to have fun; and Doris who is pragmatic and judgmental particularly when a man-friend, Sam, comes on the scene. He meets the widows while visiting his wife’grave and the story goes on from there with funny dialogue between the women, a slightly drunken scene when they act as bridesmaids at another widow-friend’s fourth wedding, and a fight when they all get mad at each other about Sam’s new love interest, Mildred. 24 • CountyLineMagazine.com • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
The winning plays are brought to life by participants in the Original Works camp, receiving either fully-staged productions or staged readings, and will premiere to the public during the summer of 2014. Area authors, schools, teachers, and homeschool communities are encouraged to participate. Sandi Taylor, one of the founders of ArtsView, said, “This is the best thing we do every year.” This year’s contest is sponsored by ERA Climate Technologies. All submitted plays should include super story lines and original superheroes. Plays may have a maximum of six characters, including narrators. At least one winning play will be awarded in each of five different age categories, kindergarten through adult, if all criteria are met.
“Heroes Assemble” will be performed during the summer of 2014 and will feature a cast of youths ages 10-18. It is an opportunity to see original works written especially for children come to life through theatre. To download a Playwright Contest Packet, for contest details, or information about ArtsView’s PATHS (Performing Arts THeatre School), please visit www. artsviewchildrenstheatre.com.
events November 4
Beyond Glory. Tyler. Tony Award nominee and stage and screen star Stephen Lang, most recently seen as Col. Quaritch in James Cameron’s Avatar, masterfully brings the stories of eight American veterans to life in this one-man tour de force that will reach into your very soul and keep you thoroughly spellbound. BEYOND GLORY, adapted from Larry Smith’s stirring book, presents the stories of eight veterans from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, rendering firsthand accounts of valor, which resulted in the nation’s highest military award, the Medal of Honor. Adult Content and Language. 7:30 p.m. Call for ticket prices. UT Tyler - Cowan Center, 3900 University Blvd. www.cowancenter.org.
November 9
Stephen Lang in Beyond Glory. Texarkana. 7:30 pm. $35 - $50. Perot Theatre, 321 W. 4th Street. www.trahc.org.
November 14
Temptation of the Muses. Tyler. An innovative collaboration between the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company with the music of the Ahn Trio in a dynamic live performance. The Ahn Trio, three Juilliard-educated sisters with a distinguished reputation and unique style, are hailed as exacting and exciting musicians by the Los Angeles Times. The Ahn Trio plays live on stage as dancers slide through the piano, mimic the cellist’s movements and play a kind of hand ballet with sparkling water. Drawing on elements from the flowing lines of Chinese calligraphy to the thundering motion of the martial arts, NaiNi Chen is one of the very few established Asian-American choreographers who melds the dynamic freedom of American modern dance with the stoic discipline of the Chinese classical arts. The entire evening meshes dance and music, each enhancing the other. The result is sheer beauty. 7:30 p.m. Call for ticket prices. UT Tyler - Cowan Center, 3900 University Blvd. www.cowancenter.org.
November 16
Henry Cho. Tyler. Henry’s TV and film credits include appearances on NBC’s The Tonight Show, CBS’s The Late, Late, Show, and NBC’s Young Comedians Special. He served two years as host of NBC’s Friday Night Videos and had many guest roles on various network sitcoms. Henry’s one-hour Comedy Central Special, “What’s That Clickin Noise?” is currently running and he is also heard on Sirus, XM and Blue Collar Radio. Some of Henry’s film credits include Universal’s McHale’s Navy with Tom Arnold and David Allen Greer; Say It Isn’t So with Heather Graham and Sally Field; and Material Girls with Hilary Duff and Angelica Houston produced by Madonna. 7 p.m. $17. Liberty Hall, 103 E Erwin. 903.595.7274. libertytyler.com.
November 21 - 24
The Sound of Music. Longview. 7 p.m. and 2 p.m. $15 Online. Longview Community Center, 500 East Whaley. 903-236-7535. www.artsviewchildrenstheatre.com.
November 21
Memphis. Tyler. From the underground dance clubs of 1950s Memphis, comes a hot new Broadway musical that bursts off the stage with explosive dancing, irresistible songs and a thrilling tale of fame and forbidden love. Inspired by actual events, Memphis tells the story of a radio DJ who wants to change the world, and a club singer who is ready for her big break. Come along on their incredible journey to the ends of the airwaves filled with laughter, soaring emotion and roof-raising rock & roll. Winner of four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Neal McCoy performs in Crockett at the Piney Woods Fine Arts Theatre December 14 and at the Belcher Center in Longview December 19. Courtesy photo
The comedian Sinbad performs at The Whatley Center for the Performing Arts at Northeast Texas Community College in Mount Pleasant January 24 and at the Piney Woods Fine Arts Association in Crockett January 25. Courtesy photo
Musical, Memphis is what AP calls. “The very essence of what a Broadway musical should be.” Mature Subject Matter. 7:30 p.m. Call for ticket prices. UT Tyler - Cowan Center, 3900 University Blvd. www.cowancenter.org.
December 6 – 14
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Athens. Presented by the YES! Company (Youth Excellence on Stage), this final production of the 2013 season brings students between the ages of 5 and the eighth grade together in this beautifully written story of relationships and getting along. Dates and performance times: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6, 7, 13, 14; 2 p.m. Dec. 8. Adults $17, Student/Child $12. Henderson County Performing Arts Center, 400 Gibson Rd. 903-675-3908. athenstx.org/things-to-do/thebest-christmas-pageant-ever.
December 13 – 14
A Dickens of a Christmas. Longview. Directed by Alisha Kimbley. Tickets on sale December 9. Celebrate the Christmas season with this musical version of Dickens’ classic tale. 7 p.m. $6 online. ArtsView Childrens’ Theatre, 313 West Tyler. 903-236-7535. www.artsviewchildrenstheatre.com.
December 21
A Christmas Carol. Texarkana. A powerful story of redemption, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, has enchanted audiences the world over with its simple message of selfless giving. Ebenezer Scrooge, a most unrepentant, miserly fellow, is made to see the light as he survives a merciless battery of revelations by the ghosts of his own Christmases: Past, Present, and Future. 7:30 p.m. $32 - $48. Perot Theatre, 321 W. 4th Street. www.trahc.org.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 25
film
Longview-Born Forest Whitaker Is Getting Oscar Buzz for Lee Daniels The Butler
on a regular basis until the project is finished. The two-and-a-half-hour film is being shot entirely in high definition.
FILM EVENTS November 2
Classic Movies in the Park. Bullets or Ballots. Palestine. Undercover cop, Edward G. Robinson infiltrates the Mob to break up their racketeering and numbers running crime spree. Free. Dusk. Reagan Park. Free. www.visitpalestine.com.
November 7
The Sound of Music. Tyler. A woman leaves an Austrian convent to become a governess to the children of a Naval officer widower. 7 - 9 p.m. $5. Liberty Hall, 103 E Erwin. 903.595.7274. www.libertytyler.com.
November 9 By Jeremy Light Lee Daniels’ The Butler, though its structure suggests more of a who’s who of American presidents, explores early civil rights actions, and catapults Longview, Texas native Forest Whitaker to the forefront of worthy Academy Award Best Actor winners. The film follows the life of Cecil Gaines, and begins with an arresting incident that forever altered Gaines’ viewpoint on life in America for an exceptionally talented African-American. Gaines, portrayed with powerful reserve by Whitaker, works his way from servant to the butler for eight presidents. And while Gaines deals with overt racism in his own life, he must also reconcile his professional responsibilities with his familial obligations. Gaines’ wife, played with a nuanced reserve by Oprah Winfrey, struggles to relate with a husband who remains distant from her, as per his quiet fortitude. The film also serves as a vehicle for numerous presidential interactions and key historical benchmarks, such as LBJ’s civil rights initiatives. The presidents are portrayed by unlikely actors: John Cusack gives a misplaced voice to Richard Nixon, Robin Williams offers a strange yet compelling caricature of Dwight Eisenhower, and James Marsden falters with John F. Kennedy.
The project has the feel of a labor of love, and it is this passion which makes the film come alive and smooth over the rough edges. It may not quite qualify as Best Picture, but Lee Daniels ’ the Butler is certainly a work that deserves a wider audience, given its narrative of steadfastness and perseverance in the midst of personal and political upheavals. It is truly an important work, and brings life to a wonderful man who, up until; this picture, remained a footnote of American history. Perhaps now this film will give rise to other stories of relevance and revelation.
FILM NEWS Film About Camp Fannin Now In Production Stage
AF Productions has begun work on a documentary film about Camp Fannin, a military camp established in Tyler from 1943 to 1946. Executive Producer and owner of AF Productions Ron Tyler is asking for assistance from the public on finding people, memorabilia and pictures associated with Camp Fannin. Anyone with this type of information should call Tyler at 903-597-4289. The movie’s webpage at www.afp-hd. com will have more updated trailers on Camp Fannin as they become available
26 • CountyLineMagazine.com • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
Independent Film Showing: Europa Report. Edom. A unique documentary-style science fiction thriller, Europa Report follows a contemporary mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa to investigate the possible existence of alien life within our solar system. 7 p.m. $8. The Old Firehouse in Edom, 8241 FM 279. 903-852-2781. www.theoldfirehouse.net.
November 14
Grease. Tyler. 7 p.m. $5. Liberty Hall, 103 E Erwin. 903.595.7274. www.libertytyler.com.
November 21
Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Tyler. A young New York socialite becomes interested in a young man who has moved into her apartment building. 7 p.m. $5. Liberty Hall, 103 E Erwin. 903.595.7274. www.libertytyler.com.
December 5
Elf. Tyler. After inadvertently wreaking havoc on the elf community due to his ungainly size, a man raised as an elf at the North Pole is sent to the U.S. in search of his true identity. 7 p.m. $5. Liberty Hall, 103 E Erwin. 903.595.7274. www.libertytyler.com
December 12
White Christmas. Tyler. A successful song-anddance team become romantically involved with a sister act and team up to save a failing Vermont inn. 7 p.m. $5. Liberty Hall, 103 E Erwin. 903.595.7274. libertytyler.com.
December 14
Independent Film Showing. Drinking Buddies. Edom. Kate (Olivia Wilde) and Luke (Jake Johnson) work together at a craft brewery. 7 p.m. $8. The Old Firehouse in Edom, 8241 FM 279, Downtown. 903-852-278. www.theoldfirehouse.net.
McConaughey Stars in Two New Movies This Fall McConaughey improvised a scene at the end of this trailer for The Wolf of Wall Street when his character hums while beating his chest.
she said McConaughey was the right person to play her brother, stating “they have the same aura.” Dallas Buyers Club is directed by JeanMarc Vallee and stars McConaughey along with Jared Leto, who plays a transgender named Rayon, and Jennifer Garner as Dr. Eve Saks. Learn more about the movie at www. dallasbuyersclub.com.
Upper East Side of Texas native Matthew McConaughey has two Oscar-buzz roles in inspired-by-true-stories films this fall. Set to release November 1 is Dallas Buyers Club, the story of Texas electrician Ron Woodroof and his battle with the medical establishment and pharmaceutical companies after being diagnosed with AIDS in 1986, and his search for alternative treatments that helped establish a way in which fellow HIV-positive people could gain access to his supplies out of his apartment in Dallas’ Oak Lawn community. His club resulted in a huge network of buyers and sellers, all of whom attempted to fly under the FDA radar. The group imported AIDS treatments from other countries or smuggled in experimental American drugs that had been shipped to other countries but were not approved in the United States.
as party boy summons up great determination and tenacity that enabled him to live for six more years – during which time he pushed legislation through the courts, promoted awareness of the disease and helped countless other AIDS patients in the process. Woodroof’s sister, who lives in Como, is reported to have met with the film’s director a few years ago and after consideration of several others to play him including Brad Pitt and Ryan Gosling,
Officially slated to release November 15, The Wolf of Wall Street may not make it to theaters until December 25 as filmmakers go about cutting it down from a lengthy three hours. McConaughey stars with Leonardo DiCaprio in this Martin Scorsese film based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stockbroker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government. McConaughey plays Mark Hanna, a former mentor to Belfort. Learn more at www.thewolfofwallstreet. com. McConaughey lost more than 40 pounds to play an AIDS patient in Dallas Buyers Club which had him thin as well while shooting The Wolf of Wall Street where he played Jordan Belfort’s former boss and mentor Mark Hanna. Both performances have people talking about Oscar nominations. Courtesy photos.
Given just about a month to live by his doctor at the discovery of this disease, the straight, rodeo rider, good-ole TexScan to see trailer for Dallas Buyers Club.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 27
music notes Broscoff Takes “The Break” With Release of Third Album
The tremendous buzz surrounding Broscoff has consistently mounted since he rose up from the self-created ruin that was his life six years ago. A drug and alcohol addiction left him ostracized from the functioning world and barely alive living under a bush in the Arizona desert. His miraculous victory over the addictions that nearly killed him and the epic return to his music which led that battle has pricked the ears of the music industry, including Troubadour Texas, a national television project that showcased his story and music last year on the CW Network. Now six years sober with only an addiction to his music, tattoos and Dr. Pepper, the young artist is being hailed as a musical prodigy whose ability to excel on the radio, on television and especially on stage has made him a triple threat in a sea of competitors. “The Break” was recorded and produced in the same San Antonio studio that brought forth TJ’s previous project “Ready To Fly,” a powerhouse release that claimed five Top 30 singles on the Texas Music Chart. With an encore performance by producer Bill Green, “The Break” marks passage into full maturity with broader instrumentation and bravely crafted stories laid out to full exposure. On stage is where TJ’s music shines most brilliantly. A top-notch player and a singer with a very distinct voice, his live show flexes muscle with a determination and conviction that many national acts would kill to possess. “The Break” can be purchased on Broscoff’s website (www.tjbroscoff.com), on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby and, of course, at live shows. However, only at live shows can fans get their hands on limited special edition vinyl copies. To purchase advance copies and check tour dates, visit www.tjbroscoff.com.
Stay Tuned for More Greatness From East Texas’ Lacie Carpenter By Joseph Drew In a fast-food, convenient-store world of artificial sweeteners, and lip syncing where genetically modified foods, and scantily clad pop stars gyrating in vulgar displays of gluteus exhibition have become the norm, a conversation with Lacie Carpenter provides an encouraging promise that the ill-fated, younger America is not completely doomed. Her personal sincerity, verifiable credentials, and authentic musical gift totally eclipse every preconceived expectation. Only 26-years-old, Carpenter is already turning heads and creating considerable chatter among music fans, critics, local press, and music industry personnel. In 2012 she won both Fiddler of the Year, and Bluegrass Act of the Year at the East Texas Music Awards. This year she acquired a three-piece band to back her. After only 10 months together they performed at the same award ceremony and celebrated a clean sweep, winning four awards for: Fiddler of the Year (second consecutive year), Bluegrass Band of the Year, Americana Folk Act of the Year, and Vocal Group of the year. Carpenter’s primary instrument is fiddle. She plays an electric five string violin “Viper” crafted in a flying-V shape resembling the Gibson Flying-V guitar made famous by Jimi Hendrix. She started on piano at age three, gave her first musical performance at age four, and began classical violin lessons at age 10. After years of private instruction from Dr. Jane Saber and Dr. Isidor Saslaz, her mom suggested a fiddle class. “I thought fiddle was a sin…in orchestras you have to sit still,” admitted Carpenter. After the first day of fiddle, her path was forever changed. “In there, (fiddle class) I could tap my feet, move around and interact with how I felt the music. I got to play double stops and there was no chair,” she said gratefully.
28 • CountyLineMagazine.com • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
Star Cravin Photos
Cedar Creek Lake native TJ Broscoff’s new album, “The Break,” is newly released and includes a Texas Music Chart Top 30 single, “This Is The Moment.”
Check out www.countylinemagazine.com for extended MUSIC news and event listings.
Moving around is exactly what happens at her concerts. Expect the musical chops of a classically trained virtuoso with fiddle licks that would make Charlie Daniels do a double take, flying at your ears as your brain can’t explain how she wrestled out such emotion filled phrases in the middle of a five-foot high vertical jump, that evolved into a knee slide across the stage that would’ve made even Chuck Berry’s jaw drop. “I like to do solo performance for nursing homes, churches, schools, small groups — its more personal,” Carpenter said. “With a bigger audience, a full band really helps the energy though. Chemistry is most important in a band, and the audience has to interact, or its not going to happen. Of course taking Americana, folk, and bluegrass to Madison Square Garden, selling out, and staying on tour would be amazing. But the goal is to heal people through music, to make them feel something.” Her musical endeavor is also a career goal and life ambition. She graduated from Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches in 2009 and is now working on her masters degree to become a music therapist. Born in Dallas and raised in Tyler, Carpenter has performed in dozens of different states across the U.S., been commissioned by the Prime Minister of Austria to be part of Mozart Fest, played Germany, England, and delivered Handel’s Messiah to Dublin Ireland with Project String Power in 2012. She has a nine-song album (eight original compositions) set to finish in February 2014 and shows no signs of slowing. She’s an East Texas treasure to definitely keep an eye on.
Photo by Russell M. Webb
Tickling Ivories With East Texas’ Pride and Groom A melody, mind you, so beautiful that I became lost in the music, forgetting my disappointment at not having other musicians to watch and hear. No missed notes. No restarts. Different sounds just filled the studio.” After years on the road that wound through Hollywood, Tahoe and, of course, every corner of his home state, Lynn made the reconnection to his East Texas roots and was overwhelmingly welcomed by the home audience.
By John Wilson Tyler native and keyboard wizard Lynn Groom is a respected fixture of the Texas and national music scene for more than 40 years now. He’s showcased his unique style of “Cat House Ivories” (also the name of one of his CDs) to a virtual “who’s who” of music and entertainment legends. Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant, Andy Warhol, Dudley Moore, and even Walter Cronkite are just a few who’ve been entertained by him. Music giants Jerry Lee Lewis, Larry Gatlin, The Righteous Brothers, Van Halen, Billy Preston, Leon Russell and Tanya Tucker are among the many who’ve called him friend. From the honkytonks of Texas, to major showrooms spanning both coasts, the veteran performer with his flamboyant, gospelrock piano style and powerhouse voice has thrilled music lovers and amassed thousands of cross-cultured fans. And, at age 61, he shows no signs of slowing down. Robin Hood Brians, whose legendary Robin Hood recording studio in Tyler churned out hits for the likes of ZZ Top, The Five Americans, David Houston, The Uniques and John Fred and the Playboys, remembers, “Lynn Groom came in and began to play the piano.
“In 1995, I opened my own club in Cedar Creek called Copy Cats,” Groom explains. “It was a combination of sing-a-long and dance music. In 2000, I was offered the house band gig at the Holiday Select Hotel and
Convention Center in Tyler. We moved back there and I was able to enroll my son in the same schools I attended. I took a two-and-a-half year break to start another Tyler club, The Old Grande Bar & Grill. In 2009, I returned to the hotel and have held court there ever since.” Today, with his state-of-the-art equipment, Groom moves masterfully as a one-man artist with a musical show that presents the feel of a symphony orchestra, stitching sounds into a colorful tapestry with the quality of a digital recording studio. His peers agree that he “pulls” each note from the keyboard. Add in his earthy, accurate voice as another mesmerizing instrument and fans experience a trip down a musical pathway of personal enrichment, a glorification of the arts, and all with his undeniable East Texas heart and soul. Groom’s CDs, Cactus Flower, Twin Pianos, Cathouse Ivories and Country Sides, as well as specific performance dates, are available at www.lynngroom.com and on Facebook.
Taming the Purple Zebra
CONCERT THE FORGE • BEN WHEELER
November 9 • 5-9 p.m. Multi-music genre event on two stages featuring
Americana, blues, rock, country Bar & Grill Stage
The Forge Annex Stage
5-6 P.M.
5-6 P.M. Nationally-acclaimed singer-songwriter
Bluesman Craig Wallace 7-9 P.M. Texas Best Guitarists
Heather Little 6-7 P.M. 2013 East Texas Music Awards Nominee for “Best Rock Band”
Jimmy Wallace & Jerry Branch
DAZED
Donations requested in Bar & Grill. $15 cover for backyard concert. Tickets available at the door. For more information call 972.974.5069.
7:30-9 P.M. Award-Winning Country Band
blacktopGYPSY Food & Drink Specials. Helicopter Rides, Games, and more.
A good time. A good cause. All proceeds benefit the Kenneth Allen Cancer Fund. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 29
Nathan Hall Photography
The Word is Out About The Bigsbys By Joseph Drew In 2010, Alex Smith, at 29, surveyed the Texas music scene, saw a void, mapped out an album, three men joined him, and the Bigsbys began. At first, “Alex Smith and the Two Car Garage” was the idea. A warm reception from local music fans, and working musicians followed giving him momentum. After teaching his brother in law, Russell McClendon, 34, a few licks on bass and acquiring Brad Hobson, 24, on lead guitar a new direction began to take shape. A year later, Nick Odom, 21, left a band called Grimey Dime and The Filthy Nickels to join the Bigsbys team and they began work on material for their first album, “True Story.”
Their debut album created quite a buzz. The 10-song album received four nominations from the Texas Music Awards for: Album of the Year, Producer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year (Smith), and Musician of the Year (Hobson). “True Story” is currently available on iTunes, Amazon.com, and Lonestar Music. All 10 songs were written by the band and when asked about songwriting Smith says, “The best songs come from people and stories you know best, from the things you’ve experienced.” And experience is the reason they’re in it. “Our goal? Our mission? To spread the
Bigsbys idea, play shows, travel, do it, get the word out,” Smith said, as he recounted numerous venues they’ve already played, not just across Texas, but across the nation extending as far as North Carolina, up the East Coast, and states in between. The Bigsbys have no shortage of original material in their live sets, which are seamlessly woven together with creative improvisational segues to songs covering a wide variety of their influences ranging from Jerry Jeff Walker to Pink Floyd. On paper a Bigsbys setlist may baffle the beholder, but the continuity and fluid-like transitions of their live performance keep heads bobbing and feet dancing from the first down beat through the third encore. Throughout 2013 they have been busy recording their next album “Good Will Suitcase” which comes out late this fall. Sessions were completed at The Echo Lab in Denton and produced by Matt Pence. There are 11 new tunes on the album. With such success from the first album, and rapid growth of their fan base, anticipation is building for the inevitable blast off for the Bigsbys in 2014.
learn the facts about distracted driving. Texting takes a driver’s eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent – at 55 mph – of driving the length of an entire football field, blind. (NHTSA and VTTI)
In 2012, the total number of traffic crashes on Texas roads was 415,252 to date. 22% were due to distracted driving (driver distraction, inattention or cell-phone use).
(Texas Department of Transportation, 2012)
From 2011 to 2012, there was a 9% increase of traffic fatalities in Texas that involved distracted driving. (Texas Department of Transportation, 2012)
Of the 2012 traffic crashes in Texas that involved distracted driving, 28,443 were by drivers ages 16-24.
(Texas Department of Transportation, 2012)
Of the 2012 traffic crashes in Texas that involved distracted driving, 23,784 were by drivers over the age of 45. (Texas Department of Transportation, 2012)
30 • CountyLineMagazine.com • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
December 7
music listings Every Tuesday
Pickin’ and Grinnin’. Edom. 6 - 8 p.m. Free. The Shed Cafe, 8337 FM 279. 903-852-7791. www.theshedcafe.com.
Max Stalling. Ben Wheeler. 9 p.m. $10 advance outhousetickets.com or $15 door. Moore’s Store, 1551 FM 279, 903.833.5100. benwheelertx.com.
Every Saturday
November 13
Acoustic Music on the Streets. Mineola. Pickers and audience welcome. Bring instruments and chairs. Indoors in bad weather. 11 a.m. Free. Johnson St. Gazebo. 1.800.MINEOL. www.mineola.com.
Josh Groban. Dallas. 7:30 p.m. $46 - $96. American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Ave. www.americanairlinescenter.com.
November 15
Bluesman Craig Wallace. Ben Wheeler. 3 - 6 p.m. Free. The Forge, FM 279. 903-833-5970. www.benwheelertx.com.
The Dirty River Boys. Tyler. Stanley’s, 525 S. Beckham Ave. 903.593.0311, www.stanleysfamous.com.
November 1
November 16
BABE with Lucas For Sheriff. Tyler. Stanley’s, 525 S. Beckham Ave. 903.593.0311, www. stanleysfamous.com.
November 2
Barefoot Hippies. Ben Wheeler. 7 p. m. Free. The Forge, FM 279. www.benwheelertx. com. Wade Bowen. Nacogdoches. 7 p.m. $12, 21 and up. $17 under 21.Banita Creek Hall, 401 W. Main. (936) 462-8000. www.banitacreekhall.com. ETSO Concert: Classics in Film. Tyler. 7:30 p.m. $10 to $55. UT Tyler Cowan Center, 3900 University Blvd. 903-566-7424. www.ETSO.org.
November 3
Don Williams. Tyler. 7:30 p.m. $38.75 and up. Caldwell Auditorium , 300 S. College www. outhousetickets.com.
November 8
Chris Watson Band. Tyler. Stanley’s, 525 S. Beckham Ave. 903.593.0311, www.stanleysfamous.com. Asleep at the Wheel. Tyler. 8 p.m. $30 floor, $25 balcony. $200 box seats for 4. Liberty Hall, 103 E Erwin. 903.595.7274. www.libertytyler.com.
November 9
Mulit-Music Genre Concert with blacktopGYPSY, DAZED, Jimmy Wallace & Jerry Don Branch, Craig Wallace and Heather Little. Ben Wheeler. Family friendly. Food and drink specials. Games. 5-9 p.m. $15. Proceeds benefit the Kenneth Allen Cancer Fund. The Forge, FM 279, www.benwheelertx. com. Heather McCready, with Milo Deering & Brian Magnus. Winnsboro. 7:30 p.m. $15 advanced general admission/$18 at the door. Crossroads Music Company & Listening Room, 200 Market Street. 903.342.1854. www.crossroadsmusiccompany.com.
Steve Wariner. Nacogdoches. 7 p.m. $20, 21 and up. $25 under 21. Banita Creek Hall, 401 W. Main. (936) 462-8000. www.banitacreekhall.com.
November 22
Luke Wade and No Civilians with Lauren Alexander. Tyler. Stanley’s, 525 S. Beckham Ave. 903.593.0311, www.stanleysfamous.com.
November 23
Kyle Gaston/Breaking Southwest. Ben Wheeler. 9 p.m. $10 Door. Moore’s Store, 1551 FM 279. 903.833.5100. benwheelertx.com. Casey Donahew Band. Nacogdoches. 7 p. m. $15, 21 and up. $20 under 21. Banita Creek Hall. 401 W. Main. (936) 462-8000. www. banitacreekhall.com. Edie Carey. Edom. 7:30 p.m. $12 advance / $15 door. The Old Firehouse in Edom, 8241 FM 279. 903-852-2781. www.theoldfirehouse.net. Buddy Flett and David Egan. Winnsboro. A night of blues featuring two of the masters. 7 - 10:30 p.m. $15 Advanced General, $18 at the door, $20 Reserved. Crossroads Music Company & Listening Room. 200 Market Street, (across from the depot). 903-342-1854. www. crossroadsmusiccompany.com.
November 29
The Effinays. Tyler. Stanley’s, 525 S. Beckham Ave. 903.593.0311, www.stanleysfamous.com. Mouse and The Traps. Ben Wheeler. 8 p.m. $8 advance at outhousetickets.com or $12 door. Moore’s Store, 1551 FM 279. 903.833.5100. benwheelertx.com. Lacie Carpenter & Southern String Line. Ben Wheeler. 7 p.m. Free. The Forge, FM 279. www.benwheelertx.com.
November 30
Wesley Pruitt Band. Ben Wheeler. 8 p.m. $10 Door. Moore’s Store, 1551 FM 279. 903.833.5100. benwheelertx.com.
Brandon Ryder. Ben Wheeler. 9 p.m. $15 advance tickets @ Outhousetickets.com, $20 at the door. Moore’s Store, 1551 FM 279. 903.833.5100. benwheelertx.com. Pat Green. Nacogdoches. 7 p.m. $15, 21 and up. $20 under 21. Banita Creek Hall, 401 W. Main, (936) 462-8000. www.banitacreekhall. com.
December 7 -8 NE Texas Choral Society Christmas Program. Sulphur Springs. Saturday performance begins at 7 p.m. Sunday performance begins at 2 p.m. Civic Center, 1200 Houston St. 903-885-6944. www.netchoral.org.
December 13 Lacie Carpenter and Jeremy Powers. Ben Wheeler. 8 p.m. $5. 903.833.5100. Moore’s Store, 1551 FM 279. benwheelertx.com.
December 14 Ann Armstrong & Steve Hughes. Ben Wheeler. 7 p.m. Free. The Forge, FM 279. www.benwheelertx.com. Blue Edmonson. Ben Wheeler. 9 p.m. $10 advance tickets @ Outhousetickets.com, $15 at the door. Moore’s Store, 1551 FM 279. 903.833.5100. benwheelertx.com. Bruce Robinson & Kelly Willis. Tyler. 8 p.m. $20 floor; $15 balcony. Liberty Hall, 103 E Erwin. 9035957274. www.libertytyler.com.
December 19 Electric Lady Band. Ben Wheeler. 7 p.m. Free The Forge, FM 279. www.benwheelertx.com
December 21 Jason Eady. Ben Wheeler. 9 p.m. $10 advance tickets @ Outhousetickets.com, $15 at the door. Moore’s Store, 1551 FM 279. 903.833.5100. benwheelertx.com.
December 28 Emily Elbert Edom. 7:30 p.m. $12 advance / $15 door. The Old Firehouse in Edom, 8241 FM 279. 903-852-2781. www.theoldfirehouse.net. Matt Bradshaw & Co. Ben Wheeler. 7 p.m. Free. The Forge, FM 279. www.benwheelertx. com. Cody Jinks. Ben Wheeler. 8 p.m. $5. Moore’s Store, 1551 FM 279. 903.833.5100. benwheelertx.com.
December 31 blacktopGYPSY and Wesley Pruitt. Ben Wheeler. 8 p.m. $20 at the door. Moore’s Store, 1551 FM 279. 903.833.5100. benwheelertx.com.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 31
bookmarks but when 9-11 occurs mid-book, almost as an anticlimactic afterthought, I have to wonder. Like most of his novels, Pynchon does not stick to one genre, or even one style of prose. On the surface, Bleeding Edge is a detective story. Beneath I hear the whisper of Tom Wolf, Claud Cockburn, and Seinfeld. Pynchon has an incredible knack for the pop culture allusion. And it is funny. On occasion. Seeing Pynchon poke fun at Friends or reference an opera is always entertaining. But Pynchon is sometimes so obviously self-aware it looks less and less like cleverness and more and more like smugness.
Bleeding Edge By Thomas Pynchon
Reviewed by Jeremy Light Few novelists have the paradoxical ability to make readers feel smart and stupid at the same time. Thomas Pynchon has been pulling off this virtuoso feat for several decades, especially since the publication of Gravity’s Rainbow, his watershed masterpiece, which, quite honestly, he never topped. His most recent work, Bleeding Edge, examines the early 21st century, from the burst of the dot com bubble to the horrifying events of September 11. I have not, even to this day, ever read an uninteresting Pynchon novel. Not to sound evasive, but Pynchon’s novels tend to defy synopsis. This conundrum exists primarily because he writes about not only a significant era in our history, but how that era fits into American identity. Briefly, it is a pseudo-noir concerning a private detective, Maxine Tarnow, and her quest to do something. Essentially she is trying to investigate the bookkeeping of a shadowy software company. As with most Pynchon books, it starts out as one thing and ends up something completely different. Whether genius or short-sighted I am not sure,
I have always respected Thomas Pynchon, read anything and everything he ever published, and have never regretted any of his books. Even this one. Sometimes Pynchon is too intelligent for his own good, but if that is the greatest sin an author commits, I am more than happy to absolve him. Verdict: on the charge of incandescent brilliance, smugness, and entertainment: guilty as charged. Sentenced to a wonderful time read.
LITERARY NEWS Marlow Releases New Book In “Minister Wanted” Series
Author Herb Marlow has just released the third installment of his “Minister Wanted” novel series with the newest book entitled, “Minister Wanted: Wichita Falls.” The series follows the adventures of Dr. Charles Miller, a pastor whose adventures begin with his decision to place an online ad for interim work in “MinisterWanted.com,” the first book in the series. Marlow followed up with a second novel, “Minister Wanted: Santa Fe.” The newest novel following Dr. Miller’s adventures is available at his website, herbmarlowbooks.com, as are the first two books. The book is in both print and e-book formats are also available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. A fourth book in the series is in the
32 • CountyLineMagazine.com • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
works. The author invites reader feedback on his novels at hcmarlow@yahoo. com.
Geddie’s Book Recounts Battle Against Depression East Texas-based writer Tom Geddie looks at his personal duel with depression – and how he’s come out on top – in his newest book, the memoir “Reasons of My Own: Life after a Death Wish.” The highly personal book recollects in a mostly positive way how Geddie dealt with and has come to terms with serious depression to build a much healthier legacy for himself and go on to influence some other people to explore their own creativity. Serious depression affects about 25 million Americans – five to eight percent of the population – every year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Many causes of depression exist; for Geddie, it seemed simple at first. “It’s easy to lose touch with what’s important, or to feel lost,” Geddie said. “Perhaps that’s different for each one of us, but for me it eventually came down to a basic question: Is this all there is? I forgot that making a living – which is certainly important – isn’t any more important than actually living: having a life, doing what matters instead of just what makes money, neglecting what satisfies the soul – whatever the soul is. Eventually, I quit working and I told myself that I’d quit caring.” A quote from one who have read chapters of “Reasons of My Own” is below. “His account of finding growth in pain, richness in simplicity, beauty in the mundane, the joy of sharing sorrows as well as triumphs as long as they bring us closer and encourage our capacity for compassion and courage is the history we all share in some way,” said Elizabeth Burnam from Minnesota. For more information, go to Geddie’s Facebook page, which is under his own name, or email geddiependrift@aol. com.
poetry & prose
Worth Checking Out
The Greatest Gift
To play with heart is the goal Excellence, you’ll come to know With Heart and Voice and Wild Nights These pieces you’ll play, let your fears take flight. With great air and great speed let your fingers fall Knowing all the while that you’re playing music, the greatest gift of all. Matt Green Canton
R.I.P. Grandpa Dear Joe you showed me so much love And I hope you still stay watching from up above The ways we pushed and shoved They ways we fight and fuss I tried to get over the pain, tried to get out the rain Waiting to get out of the storm but the sun still hasn’t come So I turn to drugs and gangs; life is burning in flames Tried to get out of the streets but leaving is too much a strain. So I pray that I keep breathing Giving but not receiving The flames that I keep feeding Are inside like internal bleeding People die for no reason My mind is so conceded With rhymes I’m not defeated.
Ben Wheeler Book Fair
Reginald Green Greenville
Bully Belittling, backbiting, busybody, Unhappy, miserable you. Lording over others with your lies, Luring and using them for your gain, You strive to debase others, to exalt YOU. Bully! Jane Gilmer Grand Saline NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 33
play & STAY
Visit Texarkana for Art, History, and More Words & Images by P.A. Geddie A recent visit to Texarkana made me wonder why I hadn’t made this staycation trip before and it certainly sealed the deal for a return trip soon. It was also the perfect mid-way spot to meet friends from Little Rock. Arriving in town, a little car trouble found me in the capable and friendly hands of the folks at Almost Everything in a beautiful old historic building. Soon I was on my way to check in to the Hilton Garden Inn where we received equally hospitable service that continued throughout the weekend — they even let us use the pool and hot tub after their official hours of operation for which we were most grateful. One evening we attended a performance at the incredibly stunning Perot Theatre arranged by the very active Texarkana Regional Arts & Humanities Council. Besides bringing great shows to town the group also manages the Regional Arts Center which is filled with outstanding original artwork by local and guest artists. For additional information visit www. texarkana.org. PHOTOS: Clockwise l-r from top left: The House of Cards; The Clark family from Marshall, Arkansas straddling the state line on which the post office sits in both states as well; a favorite find, the Zapata Grill; the Regional Arts Center and grounds -- even the utility storage units get a splash of art; and the Scott Joplin wall in the arts district.
OF BEST THE UPPER EAST SI
2008
OF T
The Only Lodging in Historic Downtown Ben Wheeler, Texas,
— a small town with good food, great entertainment, and shopping.
Dora’s Place Just 12 minutes from First Monday Canton. It’s an old home place, newly remodeled just for you. Hosts up to six folks.
5501 FM 858, Ben Wheeler, Texas 75754, (903) 567-2784, LJCTDUNN@ETcable.net
Thee Hubbell House Southern hospitality just two blocks from Downtown Winnsboro www.theehubbellhouse.com 800.227.0639
34 • CountyLineMagazine.com • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
Some of the people and places voted the best in the region include from top left clockwise: Best B&B, Thee Hubbell House, W P.A. Geddie); Best Seafood, Four Winds Steakhouse and Best Chef, Frank Rumore (photo by Tom Geddie); Best Nature Walk an ing, Mineola Nature Preserve (photo by Gary Edwards); and Best Play and Best Small Theatre Company, Quitman Communi
Pawpa’s House in the country
Just 2 miles south of downtown. Free wifi, fitness center, HBO TV, indoor pool, refrigerator/microwave in every room Sulpher Springs www.lq.com 1344 Eaton Dr. 903.885.8181
Near Canton, Ben Wheeler, Lindale, Tyler, Mineola. One hour to Dallas.
Satellite • Wireless Internet • Washer and Dryer 1 queen bed • 1 full bed • Linens provided Inflatable mattress to sleep 2 additional people Jacuzzi tub • Hot tub • Fully equipped kitchen Handicap accessible • Beautiful star-filled sky Best East Texas sunsets • Wrap around porch with swing
1601 VZ County Road 1512 Van Texas 903.571.3620 • www.pawpashouse.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 35
grits & gourmet: FOOD & DRINK Cork Food & Drink 5201 S. Broadway Ave. TYLER 903.363.9197 www.corktyler.com
HOURS: Dinner Tuesday - Saturday 4:27 p.m. 10:37 p.m.; Brunch Saturday 10 a.m. - 2:37 p.m. & Sunday 10 a.m. - 4:21 p.m.
Review by Jeremy Light Some restaurants belie their surroundings, and Cork, in the heart of Tyler, is no exception. Located in the same vicinity as Times Square Cinema and Double Dave’s Pizza, Cork offers exceptional appetizers, entrees — both for dinner and brunch — and drinks not commonly found at other establishments. The restaurant is simultaneously elegantly simple and socially complex. The décor is modern without being pretentious and homey without being passé. Sunday morning brunch is a real treat, and something I would suggest everyone try at least once. The service is prompt and accurate. The wait for your meal may take a little longer than other restaurants because the food is made fresh, but it is certainly
Cork’s Land, Sea, Air Plate with lime mescal shrimp, roasted quail and grilled lamb chop. worth the quality. The Egg Boudreaux is a dish of particularly good quality. It contains two perfectly poached eggs, something which is very rare to come by at most establishments, on crunchy toast, topped with a perfectly seasoned hollandaise sauce and finished with spicy crawfish tails and grilled asparagus spears. The perfect accompanying soup is the miso, which is a very reasonable $3. Cork also offers a variety of interesting mixed drinks and wine varietals, which makes it a cut above many sitdown restaurants. Unfortunately, I saw no evidence of any Texas-made wines, but hopefully that may change in the future. In any case, there is sure to be something for every palate. Cork has a private room adjacent to the bar, which is perfect for formal gatherings or family outings. The atmosphere in the restaurant proper is laid back and casual and — at least on Sunday morning — quiet. The only minor issue I have is with the strange hours, noted above. You might write them down in case you happen to want a repeat visit. Most likely you will.
Cork serves unusual beverages like this grapefruit and fennel martini and a mango gimlet in the background.
Cork offers a different taste than many restaurants in Tyler and has a strategic location. The location has been the site
36 • CountyLineMagazine.com • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
of restaurants before, none of which seem to last for very long. Hopefully that will not be the case with Cork. It is a welcome addition to the city, a taste of luxury in a fun setting.
events Every Saturday Through Nov. 2
Winnsboro Farmer’s Market. Winnsboro. Winnsboro Farmers Market features Traveling Chef Debbie Fleming, Best Chef in County Line Magazine’s 2012 Best Of edition. Open every Saturday from 8 am-Noon rain or shine (April 6 - Nov. 2) at the Jack Cross Pavilion in City Park on Wheeler Drive. Shop for the freshest local fruits and vegetables in addition to pork, poultry, eggs, breads, honey, and dairy products; browse the selection of crafts, and taste the culinary delights created on site. Come see why this market was chosen for Best Produce in 2011. Check the website for events including homemade ice cream contest; salsa and tomato tasting; Iron Chef competition; farm tours; film festival; and gourmet farm dinner. Find the weekly products list at www. winnsborofarmersmarket.com. 8 a.m. Noon. Free. Jack Cross Pavilion, City Park. www.winnsborofarmersmarket.com.
November 24
Last Sunday Brunch. Palestine. Three courses. Reservations and proper dress required. 11:30 a.m - 1:30 p.m. $48. Red Fire Grille, 400 N. Queen Street. (903)723-2404. redfiregrille. com.
Couple Brings a Little Class to Goat Creamery By Jeremy Light The beautiful city of Longview is known for many things. Aside from being a major hub of East Texas, it is the go-to destination for hundreds and thousands of tourists. And now there is even one more reason: freshly-made cheese from Haute Goat Creamery. Available at Fresh in Tyler and even at Cuban Liquor and Gourmet in Shreveport, Haute Goat brings something that’s becoming a growing trend in the region: local cheese from local ingredients prepared by local people. Offering a variety of spreadable and hard cheeses, Haute Goat provides a delicious quality.
is little advertisement, and much of its sales come from word of mouth, inshop tastings, and local businesses that realize the value of the offerings.
have the bacon and maple flavor, a perfect spread for just about any potato. Have a taste for spice? Try the chimichurri or Thai pepper.
From the sweet and savory smoothness of the fig and black pepper, to the creamy tang of the feta, each cheese is unique and quite different from standard restaurant or deli fare. There are flavors for those more inclined for breakfast and brunch tastes, such as the sweetly delectable cranberry orange zest and breakfast berry. Even tailgaters
Haute Goat even offers handmade yogurt and allergy-friendly dishes for those with demanding food requirements. Many East Texans visit the creamery specifically for this reason. Haute Goat may be easy to miss for firsttime visitors, but only the first time. Chances are a first visit won’t be the last.
Best of the Upper East Side of Texas Best Steaks and Best Restaurant
Owned and operated by Jeff and Laura Vanderbilt, Haute Goat began its journey in Lubbock where Laura Vanderbilt first got the idea to acquire the company and begin making cheese. Why cheese? “I’ve always loved food. I needed an outlet to cook for people,” says Laura, the “artistic” side to the enterprise.
year after year
In her third year as a cheese maker, Vanderbilt has help from her chemist husband Jeff. “Making cheese is 50 percent art and 50 percent science,” he says. Obviously, Jeff is the science side of the business. Haute Goat certainly employs both methodologies extensively. From the milk-gathering process, which is supplied locally from Yantis, to the aging process, Haute Goat’s cheeses have the distinction of being not only pure Texas, but pure East Texas. And why Longview? “Because we’re here,” says Laura, but not coyly. Trying to grow the business slowly, it’s little wonder that many East Texas residents have yet to hear of Haute Goat. There
Book your holiday reservations early! Gift Certificates Available
Located in a beautiful lakeside lodge at 21191 FM 47 in Wills Point, one block north of Interstate 20, Exit 516 Open Tuesday - Saturday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Available for Special Events
Reservations Recommended 903.873.2225 www.fourwindssteakhouse.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 37
In the Kitchen with Artist Beth Brown as featured in “Good Grub by Great Artists” by Zeke & Marty
Feisty Fiesta Corn Casserole Open 24/7 Full Menu Breakfast Anytime! Hwy 19 near I-20
903-567-6551
www.dairypalace.com
Our readers want to get to know you!
Call today to see how we can help you meet your needs for the most costeffective, results-oriented advertising.
903.963.8306 www.countylinemagazine.com
1 can 15oz whole corn-undrained 1 can 15oz cream corn 1 cup sour cream 1 stick butter—melted 2 tsp sugar or agave syrup 2 eggs beaten 1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix 3-4 chopped jalapenos, jarred ½ cup chopped roasted red peppers, jarred From the Authors: “Beth is a painter at heart. She brings her glazes to a fabulous flow of colors. She lives her life like she makes her pots, with fun and lots of creativity.”
A relaxing, cozy setting with a variety of local Texas wines. Sit and enjoy the ambiance or amble through the shop area of unique items of clothing, jewelry, and home decor.
www.pocketshoppes.com
WiFi Available
38 • CountyLineMagazine.com • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
Grease a 2 qt baking dish. Mix all ingredients together and bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 min. Check to see if browned and not jiggly. If you want to make it richer, add grated cheese to top 15 min. before it is done. If you want to change this up for Thanksgiving, try omitting the peppers and add a nice mix of fresh herbs.
Words of Wisom By Beth Brown: Love, Cook, Eat, Drink, Play, Make Pots. Order changes depending on the day and the hour. Good Grub by Great Artists is a cookbook by Zeke and Marty who visited 60 artists’ studios and kitchens shooting thousands of images and traveling nearly 15,000 miles to compile. The cookbooks are available for $24.95 plus $2.05 sales tax each from the couple at their eponymous Edom gallery, 8271 FM 279 or on their website www.zekeandmarty.com.
Things Artisanal By Edward H. Garcia The other day I picked up some “artisanal” lettuce at WalMart. It was a little assortment of different kinds of lettuce packed tightly in a clear plastic cube. Naturally, it cost a little more than plain, non-artisanal lettuce. The lettuce tasted pretty much like lettuce, and I got to thinking about what “artisanal” might mean, especially when it comes to lettuce. (I also got to thinking about how to pronounce “artisanal.” There are a number of candidates, but I the one I vote for is ar-TIS-sanal.) The definitions you’ll find in dictionaries and the Internet focus on the artisanal object’s being handmade using traditional methods. So artisanal bread would be bread that was baked by hand by someone with skill and no modern machines. (I recently saw “handmade quiche” on a restaurant menu. I suppose they were indicating they hadn’t picked it up at the local supermarket.) But how does that translate to lettuce? Maybe the artisan was the guy who
made the plastic cube the lettuce came in, but that doesn’t seem likely since it’s hard to think of old world, traditional methods of making plastic cubes. So artisanal must mean something else. Check the Internet and you’ll find artisanal theology and artisanal cocktails. The theology usage seems to have to do with a belief system that encourages paying attention to the environment. Artisanal cocktails are big on “farm to glass” recipes. A product like Dunkin’ Donuts’ artisan bagels surely can’t have much to do with small-scale baking in wood-burning stoves. It seems clear that artisanal has little to do with how things are made and more to do with how they are marketed. Calling something artisanal is a license to charge more on the dubious supposition that it is of higher quality. There is a certain amount of talk these days about phasing out the term “arti-
sanal” now that it is becoming increasingly clear how meaningless it is, but I think we should go in the opposite direction, extending it to new heights (or depths). What about artisanal real estate? I have a lot I could sell you-it stays a little damp year around, but the swamp is artisanal. And you could have an artisanal junk yard where you can buy parts that have been hand-removed from old wrecks by traditional methods--screwdrivers, wrenches and saws alls. Best of all, I have acres of locally-sourced, artisanal pine straw, and you get to harvest it the old fashioned way--bending over and stuffing it in an artisanal black plastic bag. Bring the whole family for (what else?) a culturally-enriching, ecofriendly artisanal experience. One last note: in my American Heritage Dictionary, “artisanal” is on the same page as “artsy-fartsy.” Just saying.
Discover the East Texas Oil Fields of the 1930s
Wilhite
Landscape & Lawn Care, ltd.
Your Source for Holiday Lighting!
The East Texas Oil Museum is located on the campus of Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas. This fascinating museum houses the authentic re-creation of oil discovery and production in the early 1930s from the largest oil field inside U.S. boundaries.
Museum Hours Tues-Sat 9am - 4pm April-Sept 9am - 5pm Sun 2-5p.m. Hwy. 259 at Ross St, Kilgore, Texas On the Kilgore College Campus, 903.983.8295
Landscape & Garden Works for Tyler
www.EastTexasOilMuseum.com
Hwy 64 West, Tyler (903) 593-5975 www.wilhitelandscape.com
and Surrounding Areas Since 1983
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 39
Shop Paul Michael Company Launches Online Store
and online store. After years of planning and preparation, the Paul Michael Company is excited to finally offer its products online and to invite customers to a virtual shopping experience it can call its own.
The Paul Michael Company has gone worldwide — to the World Wide Web, that is. The Lake Village, Arkansas, company, with retail stores also in Canton and Monre and Lafayette, Louisiana, recently launched its brand new website
“Getting the online store up and running has definitely been a labor of love. Many people worked long hours together to create this beautiful new website
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and online shopping experience. We can’t wait to share it with our customers,” manager Elizabeth Michael said. Recently, the company moved its administrative offices to the Mansour’s Building on Main Street in historic downtown Lake Village. The new office also serves as the hub of operations for the online store. The building itself is an important part of Paul Michael’s family history — it’s where his immigrant grandfather once operated his textile business, and it was then home to Mansour’s Department Store, a former Lake Village landmark operated by Paul’s aunts and mother for decades. After Mansour’s closed its doors, the building housed Sun River Silver, a jewelry company run by Paul’s cousin Saleem Black, who is now the Paul Michael Company’s CFO. The majority of the products sold instore will also be available online at www.PaulMichaelCompany.com.
New Tyler Shopping Village Set To Open Next Year
The Village at Cumberland Park held a groundbreaking ceremony recently. More than 700,000 square feet of new retail and entertainment space is coming into Tyler at the northeast corner of South Broadway Avenue and Loop 49. New stores to Tyler like World Market and Studio Movie Grill are among those having already committed to spaces in the new retail development. The first phase is expected to be completed in summer or fall of next year. There is a website for the new development at thevillageatcumberlandpark.com.
Winnsboro Emporium Moves To New Downtown Location
The Winnsboro Emporium, the only full-time fine art gallery and custom frame shop in Winnsboro, has moved to 212 Market Street in the city’s downtown district. The Emporium is also a used book store and sells unique hand-crafted gifts from around the world. The move
was expected to be completed in midOctober.
Shop in Edom for Holiday Gifts That Are Meaningful
As an artists community for more than 40 years, Edom is a great place to spend a few shopping hours to find handcrafted functional art as well as antiques, clothing, and other gift items. Many of the downtown shops are open seven days a week. A five-mile country ride out of town to Blue Moon Gardens is a must to complete the Edom shopping experience. Shoppers can fill their hunger needs at the famous Shed Cafe and their are five lodgings in the area to choose from for overnight getaways. Learn more at www.visitedom.com.
SHOPPING EVENTS October 31 – November 3 and November 28 - December 1
First Monday Trades Days. Canton. The oldest and largest flea market in the world. The ultimate shopping experience. Wander 300 acres of antiques, arets and crafts, and handmade articles. Free. First Monday Trades Days Grounds. 877-462-7467. visitcantontx.com.
Try a new spin on the traditional Christmas look by adding Southern-inspired pieces to your holiday decor. Natural-looking stems, burlap, cotton and pine cones with glitter and paint to add Christmas sparkle are added to vintage and reclaimed wood pieces to create a cohesive rustic chic Christmas look. Idea submitted by Paul Michael Company. www.paulmichaelhome.com.
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EZ to Organize!
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 41
Living Room
: Home. Garden. real estate.
Wilhite Lights Up the East Texas Landscape By P.A. Geddie Wilhite Landscape, in business since 1983, not only designs professional landscapes, but they also have a Christmas Décor franchise providing holiday decorating and design services for East Texas homes and businesses each year. “People enjoy spreading holiday cheer,” owner James Wilhite said, “and sparkling winter wonderlands bring joy to thousands of passersby each year.” They specialize in outside home and tree lighting and take the burden off owners as their expert team knows just how to measure and plan for the right amount of string and the appropriate bulbs and how to get power to the lights. All designs are custom fitted for a clean professional look.
design, maintain them as needed through the season, and come back to take them down.”
Should a bulb burn out or other problems arise, the Wilhite team returns to do repairs at no extra charge as part of their service package. In fact, they do routine maintenance runs to their customers to check for themselves to be sure the display continues to dazzle.
The team is also proficient at reaching those hard-to-get-to areas such as roofs and know how to work around and with existing décor. They add geometric strength to decorative lighting by illuminating roof lines and windows.
“There’s no need to do all the extra holiday season work when it comes to outdoor décor,” Wilhite said. “Our light installation team will come and install your lights in an attractive
“Roof light provides a great foundation to the decorating theme,” Wilhite says. “Windows are lit with symmetrical perfection providing a touch of
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42 • CountyLineMagazine.com • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
elegance, which can be enjoyed from inside as well as the outside.” They use garlands, wreaths and bows around doorways, columns and arches for a festive daytime look. Installations begin November 1 and are removed by January 15. They are almost always done without nails or staples. Wilhite provides all the lights, decorations, and other necessities and keeps them stored once removed for future use. It is best to reserve holiday lighting services early because they book up by mid-November. Wilhite Landscape offers a complete line of outdoor services for residential and commercial clients including landscaping, lawn care, water features, patios, drainage systems, retaining walls, walkways, garden and holiday lighting. The company focuses on providing the best landscape and horticultural team to serve East Texas customers to ensure total satisfaction. Their office is located at 13186 Highway 64 West in Tyler. For more information call 903.593.5975 and visit www.wilhitelandscape.com.
Home Organization is Important in Creating a Better Functioning/Stress-Free Environment
Before & After This vanity was sitting in a high traffic area in the kitchen. It was used as a catch-all and because it was so deep, it interfered with traffic flow when walking between it and the room divider. It was replaced with a sofa table that was sitting in the homeowner’s nar-
row entry way. Now when they come in the front door, the hallway is clear and open, and the sofa table serves as a nice display piece in the kitchen, not a catch-all. The vanity was moved to a bedroom where it belongs. — Paula Marshall, EZ to Organize.
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 43
FEEL GOOD
Tis the Season... To Combat Stress By Gina Simmons
The holidays are rapidly approaching, it is time to take a big, deep breath and come up with a game plan to help bring true peace and joy to the remainder of your year. I would like to say that I have a magical cure for eliminating the stress that comes along with such a busy season, but the best I can do is share some reflective observations that I have made over the years. 1. Do not lose sight of what the “season” is truly about. The holiday season is meant to be a time to slow down and reflect on your year and give thanks for the important things in life, like family, friends, good health, and peace of mind. If you feel you are lacking in these areas, spend some time thinking about what you can do to increase and improve them in your daily life. 2. Do not get overwhelmed about the gift-giving part of the holidays. Spending too much time in malls, fighting crowds, and panicking about the money that is flying out of your wallet is enough to make anyone’s life a bit too overwhelming. These days, people are very efficient in meeting their material needs, so think about replacing a “material gift” with a gift of “doing.” Take your friend to lunch, take your mom to get a pedicure, take your dad to hit a bucket of golf balls. Think of something that will help you connect on a non-material level with your friends and family, it brings much more joy than yet another sweater.
3. If you have kids in the house, think about using your “holiday money” to take a small trip that creates lifelong memories and share one gift each with one another instead of a room full of boxes and wrapping paper that quickly loses meaning. When I listen to my children’s holiday memories, they remember the family, friends, and experiences and rarely mention what they actually received for Christmas. Objects will get tossed, but memories will last forever. Just some thoughts to keep in mind as
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“This is a 71 Year Old Male” By Edward H. Garcia
n Dirty Laundry?
A young couple moves in to a new neighborhood. The next morning while eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside. “That laundry is not very clean. She doesn’t know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.” Her husband looks on, remaining silent. Every time her neighbor hangs her wash to dry, the young woman makes the same comments. A month later, the woman is surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and says to her husband, “Look, she’s finally learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this.” The husband replies, “I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.” And so it is with life — what we see when watching others depends on the clarity of the window through which we look.
n Parenting Advice
Check out www.familynetworkofeasttexas.com for connections to free parenting resources for educators, parents, caregivers and teachers. Topics include literacy, how television viewing affects children, tackling the bullying issue, health and safety and much more.
n Foster Care and Adoption
Buckner of Longview provides families with training and resources needed to become a family to a child living in the state’s custody or to a child available for adoption in the United States or internationally. For more information on ways to help, call 903.757.9383. Learn more at www.beafamily.org.
ent in my mind but might not exist anymore. The building that housed my high school was still there the last time I looked, but it’s been a junior high and more recently a school administration office building. And the kid who jumped out of a second story classroom window and let himself down to the ground with a rope is older than I am and may be a phantom himself.
I have before me the report describing an upper GI endoscopy I recently underwent. It’s quite informative and even entertaining. It is narrated in surprisingly human terms. It turns out I was coughing throughout the procedure which made it “more difficult,” the doctor reported. In the little drama I was unconscious for, the first “bipolar” didn’t function, but a second one sucSome of the phantom manifestations cessfully cauterized the bleeding ulcer of my amputated youth I would just as which had started all the trouble. The well be rid of. I can still feel the anguish report has a nice schematic of the upof moments I can’t bring myself to tell per GI tract with color coded notes tied about as if they had just happened. I to the photographs on the next page of wouldn’t regret leaving those memories the inside of my esophagus. That’s the behind, but they still itch or burn. entertaining part. The report tells the It’s not fair, of course. story — in vivid color — If I can’t still enjoy of a successful medical the energy and the reMaybe that’s the task procedure, but for me siliency of youth, why the most startling part of old age — can’t I forget what W.B. of it was not the photoYeats called, “The ignographs of the inside of to find a way miny of boyhood; the my body, but the “Patient distress/Of boyhood Profile” that read “This to come to peace changing into man;/ is a 71 year old male.” about those memories The unfinished man My first impulse was to and his pain/Brought say, “No, you have me that make us squirm. face to face with his mixed up with some old own clumsiness.” guy. This can’t be my reMaybe that’s the task of old age — to port.” Of course I knew that at my last find a way to come to peace about those birthday I did indeed turn 71. But turnmemories that make us squirm. I reing 71 and feeling 71 are two different member the plain girl I sat next to on a things, even flat on your back in the band bus, hoping and hinting for a kiss hospital. from her — those were innocent days I think I found my identification in the — knowing all the while I would never Patient Profile so hard to assimilate bewant to acknowledge her as a girlfriend cause so much of my youth is still alive after the bus ride was over. It’s one of for me in memory. Youth must be like those what-a-jerk-I-was moments I wish those phantom limbs that amputees reI could apologize for, but I’m not sure port. The leg is no longer there, but it apologizing would do it. I just thought hurts or itches anyway. It’s as if the mind of another one of those moments, and can’t get used to the new reality of life I’m cringing again. with a missing leg or arm. Well, my mind has trouble with the new reality of my So what can we do to come to some missing youth. In spite of the evidence peace about the past? I don’t want to the mirror presents, I can’t really be that forget any of it, but I’d like to forgive old. Wasn’t it just a few years ago that I myself for those painful moments. It was lining up and registering at Gregory can’t be easy (for me at least) or I would Gym for classes at UT? Fifty-three years, have already done it. But maybe it’s as actually. I’m pretty sure nobody lines up simple and as complicated as Yeats’ own and registers at Gregory Gym anymore. advice to “cast out remorse.” In fact, I’m not absolutely certain that I’ll let that be my new Patient Profile: Gregory Gym is still there. This is a 71 year old male who has cast Life is full of places which are so presout remorse. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 45
FEEL GOOD Knowing What To Do When A Friend is Suicidal The University of Texas at Austin Counseling and Mental Health Center recently completed a very successful Suicide Prevention Week campaign. The project included a week full of special discussions and events designed to promote mental health among college students and reduce the stigma often associated with suicide and mental health issues. One of the student volunteers for the program was former Van Zandt County journalist Terry Britt, who is now a graduate student in UT Austin’s Media Research and Theory program. Britt, who was featured in the September/October edition of County Line Magazine, grew up with suicidal parents and battled depression himself for many years. “It was a great week of presentations and discussions, and each event drew good attendance,” Britt said. “Many students stopped by our information table the week before the program to learn more about suicide prevention and mental health issues in general.” The center’s “Be That One” program encourages students, faculty, and others to become proactive in preventing a friend or loved one from attempting suicide. The program encourages direct, open conversation with someone who may be considering suicide. “You will not increase your friend’s risk of suicide by asking them directly about it,” the center’s “Be That One” website states. “On the contrary, if your friend is feeling suicidal, being direct will help them recognize that there are people who care.” The center notes the warning signs of someone who may be considering suicide include the following: • Feelings or statements of hopelessness • Rage, anger, seeking revenge • Feeling trapped • Increased alcohol or other drug use • Withdrawal from others
• Anxiety, agitation, or sleep problems • Dramatic mood changes • Feelings or statements that reflect not having a reason to live or a sense of purpose • Threatening to hurt or kill themselves • Looking for ways to kill themselves; seeking access to pills, weapons or other means • Talking or writing about death, dying or suicide (If it is out of the ordinary) Someone may exhibit one of these warning signs through social media like Facebook or Twitter. For people who see any of these warning signs, the center suggests they ask that person directly if he or she is considering suicide. They should be patient and supportive in talking to the person, and avoid language that suggests they are judging the person for considering suicide. The center also suggests minimizing distractions as much as possible, ask openended questions to allow the person to express their feelings as completely as
46 • CountyLineMagazine.com • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
possible, and let that person know they are concerned because they care. Connecting a person who may be considering suicide to mental health resources that are available is another positive step to take as a concerned friend. “There is still so much social stigma attached to mental health issues and suicide,” Britt said. “People are often afraid of talking about suicidal feelings or thoughts because they fear being judged or condemned for it, or that they will somehow be scorned by others if they seek professional help. Trying to raise public awareness of the issue and eliminate some of that stigma was another purpose of the Suicide Prevention Week effort.” For more information on the UT Austin programs, visit the UT Austin Counseling and Mental Health Center’s website at www.cmhc.utexas.edu. To find services in your area go to http://www. dshs.state.tx.us/mhsa-mh-help/. Those contemplating suicide may also contact 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or TTY 1-800799-4TTY (4889).
City Folks Just Don’t Get It
have more than 200,000 members. Besides, a city boy can spot and swiftly deal with a scam. Not long before I moved to the country, there was a carpet-cleaning company who offered a discount if you called and sang their jingle. When they arrived, I confessed it wasn’t really me singing and was sorry for the inconvenience. Nope, this “rope ‘em, corral ‘em” club appears to be a genuine cornfield of dreams for lone strangers. For me, on the other hand, dangerous research lies ahead — I owe it to my old friends in the city.
As I refuse to pay membership fees while under deep cover, I intend to bypass the website, put on my John Deere cap and sunglasses and head straight to Tractor Supply. Feed isle. When a likely prospect wanders by, I’ll toss out, “Excuse me, where do they have mule food? You look like someone who may know a thing or two about mules.” With a smile and a wink. It should work if the website’s premise is legitimate. Stay tuned. Scan to see FarmersOnly.com.
By John Wilson You may have seen or heard of the on-line dating service named FarmersOnly.com. They have TV commercials. Lots on RFDTV. You know, with Ma and Pa holding the pitchfork? Of course, I was taken aback at once — just as I was when I saw the first sign that said “Visit Cowboy Churches.” Hopelessly city-fied, I thought that was a billboard for the fried-chicken chain with some serious typos. But why does this curious, new, clicking-for-love venue have to advertise with the tag line, “City Folks Just Don’t Get It?”
Change your Choices. Change your Life.
We’re aware! It really gets my goat. And, come to think of it, just what are they insinuating we’re not getting? Even city folk have trouble with double entendres. The site states, “You don’t have to be a farmer, you could work in a feed store … we’re looking for someone who has those values.” Whew! It’s a relief to know they’re not brooming their members toward doctors and lawyers. That’s so “not farming.” A spokesperson goes on to say, “Instead of asking what your astrological sign is, we ask if you raise or breed alpacas, cattle, horses, chickens, sheep or rabbits.” We city folk? Probably more interested in those who raise and breed … people. So I am trying to digest this. Out here, could “Corn and Taters” be a more effective fire starter than “Hello, I’m a successful city planner?” Are you less likely to get a warm Budweiser in the face? At least it’s refreshing to know that cologne choice wouldn’t be as time consuming. By no means do I think this is a scam. They
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Smith County: 903.535.0020 Van Zandt County: 903.567.2673 Wood County: 903.763.4141 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 • CountyLineMagazine.com • 47
Enjoy Shopping, Dining & Entertainment in Historic Mineola, Texas! OPENS NOVEMBER 30
Museum Outdoor Christmas Exhibit THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5
Christmas Gala
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree Mineola Civic Center
6 - 10 p.m. $15/each. Table specials. Hors d’oevres. Dinner. Dancing. Entertainment by Shake Rattle & Roll Reservations: 903.569.6115
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7
Historic Celebration Day
10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Great Shopping All Day Mineola League of the Arts Christmas Bazaar @ Arts Building, 200 W. Blair All lDay Pearl Harbor Day - Veterans Memorial 12:30 p.m. Landmark Tour of Homes 1-4 p.m. FREE Carriage Rides @ Gazebo 3-5 p.m. Christmas Music with Rafael Espinoza @ Gazebo 3-5 p.m. Downtown Merchants Open House 4-5:30 p.m. Historic Parade 5:30 p.m.
followed by National Register Program, Tree Lighting Ceremony, and visits with Santa at the Gazebo
Mineola Nature Preserve 7a.m. until sunset Mineola Historical Museum 114 Pacific St (Hwy. 69). Free. Open Thur, Fri, Sat 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
A m t r a k T e x a s Ea g l e
Designated Daily Stop 1-800-669-8509
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14
10 a.m. - 3 p.m. 903.569.6983 Santa House @ Mineola Historical Museum
Acoustic Music on the Streets
11 a.m. EVERY SATURDAY! Johnson St. Gazebo follow us!
1.800.MINEOLA • www.mineola.com SAVE THE DATE! March 15-16, 2014 Mineola Amtrak Wine Fest Registration begins 01.07.13 at www.mineolamainstreet.com