March/April 2022 County Line Magazine

county line Upper East Side of Texas

RANDOLPH

MARTIN Moving Metal Art

Flower Trails Spring in Bloom

Culinary Kids Fun in the Kitchen

Thrill of the Hunt Vendor Mall Treasures

Break the Bias Festivals & Fairs Art & Nature Books, Music Beyond the Vote www.CountyLineMagazine.com

MARCH/APRIL 2022

2 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

county line

MAGAZINE

Reach Those Living & Playing in the Upper East Side of Texas

DOWNTOWN /DOWNTOWNROCKWALL

/DOWNTOWNROCKWALLTEXAS

ROCKWALL, TX

DINE

CHEF DRIVEN RESTAURANTS

SHOP

THE BEST TRENDS AT 20+ RETAILERS SPECIALTY GOODS AND BOUTIQUES SPRING FLING MARCH 24 FARMERS MARKET MAY-SEPT

CELEBRATE

SAN JACINTO MUSIC SERIES MAY-OCT

ADVERTISE. IT WORKS! CountyLineMagazine.com

(903) 312-9556 MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 3

CONTENTS

DEPARTMENTS 5

Editor’s Note

THIS TIME OF YEAR

20 Ben King Green, Break the Bias, Julius Lorenzo Cobb Bledsoe, Lefty Frizzell

LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT 22 Sherman Celtic Festival, Kevin Costner, Motorized Bar Stool Races, Scarborough Faire, Cedar Creek Lake Festival, Paris Texas Wine Fest, Derrick Days, Marshall’s Second Saturdays 24 Celebrate Spring Along Flower Trails 26 Dogwood Trails Celebration 28 Beyond the Vote

14

34

26

ARTS & CULTURE

40

32 33 34 35

211 Gallery’s “The Great Outdoors’ Mosaic Tractor, Mural Art On Stage at the GMA Texas Landscape Art Quilts

LITERARY 33 The Four Winds, Creatrix Rising, Living Room Chair, Mysterious Stream

MUSIC 38 38 39 39 40 41

Two Performances in Marshall Sofia Talvik Returns to Winnsboro Longview Symphony Orchestra Oceanography in Ben Wheeler William Clark Green Tribute to Townes Van Zandt, Stanley’s Spring Stage, Texan Greenville Shows

FOOD & DRINK 44 Carrot Cake Cupcakes

24 FEATURES

8 Moving Figures

Martin Creates Captivating Metal and Kinetic Art

By Lisa Tang

14 Culinary Kids

Going for the Golden Frying Pan

By Rachel Gross Cook Up Fun With Kids in the Kitchen

By Lauren Wacaser

18 The Thrill of the Hunt

Explore Highway 80’s Unique Shopping Experiences

By Judy Peacock

SEE WEBSITE EXTRAS! www.CountyLineMagazine.com 4 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

COVER: Metal art by Randolph Martin.

Photo by Craig D. Blackmon FAIA

EQDA

county line Since 2000

MAGAZINE

Serving those living & playing in the Upper East Side of Texas

PUBLISHER & MANAGING EDITOR P.A. Geddie

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lisa Tang CONTRIBUTORS Lauren Wacaser Judy Peacock Tracy Torma Katie-Rose Watson Craig D. Blackmon, FAIA Rachel Gross A.J. Chilson KaLynn Johnson ADVERTISING

EDITOR’S NOTES Dear Readers, From wildflowers to fine art, this issue of County Line Magazine encourages everyone to explore and experience a sense of place. An art quilt exhibit by the same name at the Longview Museum of Fine Arts depicts stunning Texas scenery.

Place is important to artist Randolph Martin, whose experiences in the mystical lands and seas of his travels seem to provide a creative spark for the imaginary copper fish and shamans he brings to life by allowing them to twist and turn in the wind.

This issue’s lifestyle articles convey the significance of location. “Beyond the Vote” describes women’s struggle for equality in Texas while International Women’s Day encourages people to break the bias worldwide.

Kids also find a new place for discovery — in the kitchen, that is. Longview World of Wonders brings back the Fresh

Chef competition for kids and Lauren Wacaser offers ideas for teaching children to cook.

The music of singer-songwriters William Clark Green and Sofia Talvik both celebrate familiar locales. Talvik sings of the shores of California, the snowcovered mountains of Sweden, and the flowering trees of Winnsboro. Green names his seminal new album Baker Hotel after the landmark in Mineral Wells, Texas.

Tracy Torma touts two artists from Palestine honored at this year’s Dogwood Arts Festival while Judy Peacock shares the treasures of shopping for antiques in towns along Highway 80.

From festivals happening in almost every corner of the region to flower trails leading in between, the Upper East Side of Texas offers a happy place for everyone as we awaken to the magic and beauty of spring.

Lisa Tang

pa.geddie@countylinemagazine.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS www.countylinemagazine.com/subscribe

County Line Magazine eEdition is published every other month, 6 times a year in digital format. Material may not be reproduced without written permission. Opinions expressed in articles or advertising 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) 312-9556. 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) 312-9556. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement we deem incompatible with our mission.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE • Get notified via email each time a new issue is released (6 times per year).

• Allows for flipping the pages • PDF downloads available for entire issue or individual articles.

• Share the entire issue or individual articles on social media or via email.

• Includes live links to explore more on topics of interest.

• Watch video right on the pages.

• Read from desktop, tablet, or mobile phone.

• Unlimited access to issue archives.

• Some audio articles available.

For over 20 years,

For over 20 years,

county line

Texans for the Texans for the Arts

Arts

has consistently has consistently worked to: worked to:

Protect Occupancy (HOT) arts funding Hotel Protect HotelTax Occupancy Tax (HOT) arts funding Increase funding for the Texas Commission on the Arts

Increase funding for the Texas Commission on the Arts

The Official Arts Advocacy The Official Artsfor Advocacy Organization Texas

CHECK OUT Organization COUNTYforLINE Texas DIGITAL PUBLICATIONS Texans for the Arts is at the forefront of empowering artists, arts leaders, committed supporters, and citizen activists like Texans foryou! theTogether Arts isweatcan theamplify forefront of empowering artists, our powerful voices to increase both committed public and private resourcesand to build strong, dynamic, arts leaders, supporters, citizen activists like and creative communities all across Texas. you! Together we can amplify our powerful voices to increase

www.CountyLineMagazine.com

both public and private resources to build strong, dynamic, and creative communities all across Texas.

MAGAZINE

E-EDITION

Expand the conversation about the vital role the arts play in ourExpand schools the and conversation communities about the vital role the arts

play in our and communities Support tax policies andschools other measures that help artists arts organizations andSupport tax policies and other measures that help

Advocate artists for increased funding for the National and arts organizations Endowment for the Arts and for federal policies that artists Advocate fororganizations. increased funding for the National support and arts

www.countylinemagazine.com

Endowment for the Arts and for federal policies that support artists and arts organizations.

MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 5

Art Shows Classes Performances Jam Sessions Car Shows

Spring Street Festival July 4th Celebration Edom Art Festival Holiday Shopping Stroll

f

& Spring Events Hunt County Fair April 22 – May 1

Hunt County Festival of the Arts May 6 – 7

6 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

LIVE. DREAM. EXPLORE.

Upper East Side of Texas

n w o t l l a m S #palesgtoinrgeetxo.u. s.

es, Stately homnd local cuisine s, a scenic driveod trucks to fine - from fo Palestine, Texas china. Visit welcome and a for a warmern experience. true South

county line MAGAZINE

www.countylinemagazine.com

(903) 312-9556

visitpalestine.com 800-659-3484

MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 7

MOVING FIGURES

Martin Creates Captivating Metal and Kinetic Art “The reason I like to [sculpt] fish is because no matter how it ends up looking it looks similar to something that really does exist deep down in the ocean,” Martin says. “Fish can be really weird and odd.”

Martin works almost exclusively with copper because of its aesthetic qualities and malleability.

“Copper is a wonderful material. I can torch-cut it on the edge that makes it look rough and bubbly that gives it a handmade look.”

The copper sculptures turn black during welding so Martin cleans them with a wire brush then runs a flame over them to add a stunning rainbow effect.

“The copper does so much more work than just being a material. It’s fantastic,” Martin says. “When I want it to be green I acid wash it to force it to do the rusting so you get all the funky green crusty effects.”

By Lisa Tang Graceful objets de art by Randolph Martin spin gracefully in the wind and create the illusion of flying in the air or floating on the sea. He attaches metal bats, dragons, mermaids, ravens, sailboats, and dragonflies to a steel bearing that allows the kinetic sculptures to turn gently in the breeze.

wind,” Martin says. “I build [the sculptures] to suit me and it just so happens I’ve built a good sized clientele that enjoy them too.”

The mystic spinning figures add a relaxing ambiance to outdoor settings and are popular among Martin’s many clients.

Martin’s works have been displayed in museums and galleries, including the Longview Museum of Fine Arts, the Main Street Gallery in Tyler, and the Edom Art Emporium. When possible, he prefers selling them at art shows like the Edom Art Festival in October, the Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie in April, and the Rockport Art Fest in July.

In spring and summer people snap up Martin’s creations at art shows and online almost faster than he can produce them. Welding and fashioning the sculptures is hard work that he enjoys.

“They love my copper because salt water and copper turns a beautiful green and lasts for many, many years,” he says of clients at the art sale in Rockport on the Gulf Coast.

“I like the odd and the unusual. People see them and it makes them smile and they like to see them moving in the

Some of his favorite projects are large fish sculptures of three to five feet that drift elegantly in the air.

8 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

Rising prices and limited supply are two factors that currently affect his production. The price of copper rose recently and drove up the price of Martin’s smaller sculptures from $40 to $60. A copper supplier warned it would be months before another shipment arrived so Martin borrowed money from friends to buy enough copper to use through July.

Though many of his sculptures are fish, Martin does not fish as a hobby and says it’s too slow for his liking but he does enjoy eating a fish sandwich now and then.

The ocean is never far from his spirit.

Martin remembers working on the open sea while serving in the Coast Guard in Alaska’s Aleutian islands during the Vietnam era. He recalls Alaska’s beauty fondly. continued page 11

(above) Artist Randolph Martin poses with one of his metal fish sculptures. Courtesy photo. (opposite page) A metal statue balances a moving set of circles from a tiny point, a signature operation of Martin’s work. Photo by Craig D. Blackmon, FAIA

MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 9

Photo by Craig D. Blackmon, FAIA 10 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

MARTIN ART continued from page 8 “We did oceanographics and chased Russian ships,” Martin says. “Alaska — that was an amazing place.”

Martin followed other callings before finding his niche as a sculptor of fish and mystic creatures.

He worked in food distribution for almost 20 years but after Southland Corporation sold its grocery distribution to McClain’s more than 30 years ago, Martin found himself unemployed.

Upon his wife Sherri’s request he began building birdhouses and was soon selling them at First Monday Trade Days in Canton. The birdhouses sold so well that he eventually employed seven people and his designs appeared in Southern Living Magazine and he was featured on Texas Country Reporter.

The success didn’t last though. Martin started developing sinus headaches from working with cedar wood used in the birdhouses. A bout with colon can-

cer finally led him to give up the business.

What seemed like an unfortunate pause led to new artistic discoveries. Martin experimented with different materials and created objects that pleased him.

He fashioned shamans of copper holding long fishing poles or spears and mystic creatures of various found objects such as leather, steel gears and springs, and bones. He became an artist.

“It seems to me the whole journey of my life — which a lot of it was struggling to find my place — was a hard journey until I turned 43,” Martin says. “Then that’s when I started doing what I’m doing now, and now I feel like a complete person. I’ve never been happier.”

Martin also enjoys educating the general public about his art. He offers classes at the Edom Art Emporium where he patiently teaches clients how to sculpt copper bats or lilies. Classes are held on Sunday afternoons but can be arranged at other times.

He teaches his skills to generate greater appreciation for his creations.

VIDEO



“[Art is] not just simply a quick little thing that you do and sit back and collect money,” Martin says. “It is hard work, lots and lots of practice, classes that you take from other people. You study and practice. I think it’s important for people to understand that the hard work that artists do needs to be appreciated.”

Now that Martin is doing what he really enjoys he has no plans to retire.

“I will do this until I can’t anymore,” Martin says. “I’m 69 and I would not be happy if I stopped doing this. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself so I’ll do it until I’m not physically able anymore.”

Watch video to see this handcrafted copper kinetic dragon move with the wind. Photo by Craig D. Blackmon, FAIA

To see Martin’s art in person visit Blue Moon Gardens in Edom, and buy online on www.artbyrandolphwmartin. com.

Photo by Craig D. Blackmon, FAIA

Martin gives Sherri credit for his success. An artist in her own right, she retired several years ago and now helps support his growing demand.

MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 11

www.VisitLongviewTexas.com/211/ArtsLongview

Addressing the Moment: The Artist’s Voice MURALS & PHOTOGRAPHY | JAN. 15 - MAR 5

A Sense of Place

TEXAS LANDSCAPE ART QUILTS | JAN 22 - MAY 21

903.753.8103

LMFA.org

Admission is Free for Members, $5 for Guests.

Visit the website for exhibit details.

12 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

county line

MAGAZINE

ADVERTISE WITH US. IT WORKS!

We at Winnsboro Center for the Arts in Winnsboro established a relationship with P.A. Geddie and County Line Magazine over five years ago. They worked with us then in developing an advertising plan and continue to work with us now on ad content and direction.

CLM has always been responsive with the changes and edits that are a part of the changing needs of advertising and promotion. The staff at CLM has a passion for promoting the Upper East Side of Texas and all of the many events, concerts and activities in it. They have created a truly excellent magazine and it's not unusual for folks to tell us that they saw us in County Line Magazine.

Jim Willis Director of The Bowery Stage Winnsboro Center for the Arts County Line Magazine is our “go to” publication for marketing Mineola, Texas, to our target audience in the North by Northeast Texas area. We know that County Line Magazine will present our entertainment and leisure information in the best light possible with attractive ads and interesting articles that its readers will notice and enjoy. Visitors to our city often comment that they saw our information in the County Line Magazine. Fast response on ad proofs and changes make working with staff a pleasure. We love County Line Magazine.

Lynn Kitchens Director of Marketing Asst. Director Economic Development City of Mineola

Reach those Living & Playing in the Upper East Side of Texas

County Line has always been and continues to be a significant partner to our community. The magazine is beautifully laid out, filled with relevant information, and reaches our most important target market — the Northeast Texas drive market. The County Line Team is always very professional and the magazine is a great asset to the entire area.

Kevin Banks Manager, Greenville CVB P.A. Geddie and the County Line are a tremendous asset for us at Four Winds Steakhouse. We have worked together for about 14 years. Through the years I have seen the publication grow and consistently get better. It has been a great local tool for our business and its reach continues to grow. They do a great job putting our ads together and I enjoy working with P.A. Frank Rumore Four Winds Steakhouse

www.CountyLineMagazine.com • (903) 312-9556 MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 13

Culinary Kids

Fresh Chef: Going For the Golden Frying Pan

By Rachel Gross The Longview World of Wonders (WOW) is rounding up young aspiring culinary artists and lovers of food and a good time as they present the Fresh Chef Competition April 2. It’s open to those already passionate about cooking and amateurs who’ve never attempted to make toast and all levels in between.

After a year off, the stakes are high to find the next winner of the legendary, prestigious, and extra-shiny award called the Golden Frying Pan. Chef Chelsea Cace of Cace Kitchen and three other chefs are returning to lead their groups in vying for prizes.

Four teams compete in the morning and another four in the afternoon. Each team of eight children led by a local chef don hats and aprons as they work together to create their masterpieces.

Each year a specific challenge guides the competition. In the last Fresh Chef contest the challenge was to create a packable lunch and movie snacks.

Cace’s team won with sandwich kabobs made of tomatoes, turkey, and tasty bites of grilled cheeses.

Teams have two hours to prepare their dishes from scratch with only a toaster oven, toaster, griddle, and a blender.

Kids then plate the food and present it to judges. Three local community members serve as judges and provide commentary as the teams work and cook.

Teams vie for the gold, silver, bronze, and the “You’re a Good Egg” trophies and, win or lose, fun is sure to be had by all. This event is a great opportunity to inspire the next generation with the love of cooking and camaraderie. Chil-

14 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

dren as young as five are welcome to join.

There is a small fee to participate but scholarships are available. Applications are accepted on a first-come, firstserved basis. For registration and more information visit www.longviewwow.org or call (903)212-4969.

Cathy and Chelsea Cace — co-owners of The Cace Kitchen — pose proudly with their winning team of the Golden Frying Pan. (below left) Jamie Hudman, Culinary Arts Instructor at Pine Tree High School, discusses the game plan with her team before they get started. (below right). Cathy Cace works with her team of Fresh Chefs as they plate their creations of grilled cheese sandwich kabobs in the 2019 competition (opposite page). Courtesy photos

MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 15

Cook Up Fun With Kids in the Kitchen

By Lauren Wacaser The kitchen is perhaps the most visited area in a home. From the start of the day with fresh-brewed coffee to the evening wind down with family, the kitchen rarely rests. Holiday recipes are lovingly made around the island and countertops while good conversations echo over the dining bar. Cooking brings a family together and creates wonderful memories with children.

For some, allowing children in the kitchen may seem like an invitation to disaster. The actual task of cooking is sometimes overwhelming for one person, let alone adding little hands and clumsy grips to the mix. If everyday cooking is a challenge then by all means reserve that time to focus on preparing a meal without the added stress. However, when possible, try to carve out time to teach little ones proper kitchen skills such as basic safety, food preparation, and planning meals. One day they will be all grown up and thankful for the skills they learned.

The simplest way to get children involved without added chaos is to set aside age-appropriate activities for them. Don’t stress about teaching a four-year-old about signature meatballs and three-hour marinara sauce. Keep it simple and ask them to butter the bread or stir the sauce. Over time, they can add skills to their repertoire as they become more confident in the kitchen environment.

A great way to kick off family fun in the kitchen is to prepare food that doesn’t require constant monitoring. If kids make a mess, remember it’s all part of the experience. Teach them to clean as they go and messes get smaller over time.

The Breakfast Banana Split and Chocolate Discs are fun dishes that make great beginner pursuits.

The Breakfast Banana Split is similar to a traditional banana split but yogurt is used as a replacement for ice cream. The combination of flavors and toppings allows kids to express their creativity and can even entice the pickiest of eaters to try something new. Suggested toppings

include bananas, sliced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, granola, pecan halves, and sesame seeds.

Chocolate Discs are just as simple and customizable. Spoon melted chocolate onto wax paper and “decorate” with colorful dried fruits, seeds, and nuts.

Allow them to harden completely and store in an air-tight container. They make a delicious snack that everyone in the family can enjoy.

16 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

Confidence in the kitchen is a valuable trait to nurture in children. Creating those teachable moments and allowing them to get their hands into the mix builds self-assurance. By keeping tasks simple and age appropriate, inviting children into the art of cooking is a great learning experience that doesn’t add more stress. The more often children or grandchildren participate, the easier and more enjoyable those precious memories become.

Many pioneers from the Upper East Side of Texas campaigned for women’s rights.

Who were they and what are their stories?

Read them in

County Line eMagazine.

Red Barn Treasures Vendor Mall with Gifts, Handcrafted Items, Vintage Treasures & More

Also shop online auctions Northeast Texas Antiques & Auctions

827 S. Main Street, Winnsboro (903) 975-1209

www.netxauctions.com

MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 17

The Thrill of the Hunt

Explore Highway 80’s Unique Shopping Experiences

By Judy Peacock Antique and vendor malls in the Upper East Side of Texas are a favorite destination for many shoppers. People enjoy vendor mall experiences for a variety of reasons. Each store offers its own vibe but the one constant is the thrill of the hunt.

Historic Highway 80 Gears Up for Annual Spring Sale

Walking into a vendor mall feels a little like stepping back in time. Many are in historic buildings. Booths are divided with lace-covered screens, vintage doors hinged together, or dark fabrics hanging from the ceiling on metal bed frames.

Each booth offers its own distinct look through the vendor’s selection and curation of items. Many offer handcrafted artwork or new items like candles, soaps, and lotions.

Shoppers find toys from their youth, old Pyrex dishes, the china pattern their grandmothers used, stoneware or pottery crocks or vases, or antique furniture. Some venues in newer buildings are lighter and brighter with cleaner division of spaces and carry antiques or newer items.

These venues offer several advantages.

They help the environment by reselling or repurposing items rather than being thrown away.

Local residents and out of towners seek out vendor malls and look through each space. Groups of friends often get together and go on shopping trips, enjoying both shops with new items and malls with vintage or used items.

Some are looking for antiques or certain furniture items like a drop-leaf table or chest of drawers. Others might be searching for a certain vintage piece, like an old flour sifter or a specific style of lamp. Others are looking to see what new trinkets or treasures are available each time they visit.

Starting at Wills Point on Highway 80 and traveling east to Gladewater, there are several vendor malls in small towns along the way.

Twice per year, an event called The Highway 80 Sale takes place along Highway 80 from Dallas to the Texas/Louisiana border. It is where locals and people from all over the state set up spaces and sell out of the backs of pick-ups or vans, under tents, or plots of land.

Many people who own land along Highway 80 rent spaces for these two weekends to people who want

Wills Point has a population of 3,711 and is a quaint old town with brick streets downtown. Mineola, with a population of 4,814, has a lot of shops and vendor malls for shoppers to enjoy.

Gladewater, with a population of 6,134, was named the Antique Capital of East Texas in 2010. The malls in Gladewater are two and three blocks south of Highway 80 in the downtown area.

A couple of places to check out in Wills Point include Nook & Cranny and Ju-

18 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

to set up and sell. One can find just about anything along this route – garage sale items, handcrafted furniture, vintage dishes, glassware, utensils, antique furniture, artwork, purses, jewelry, and more.

This spring, the sale runs Friday to Sunday, April 15 to 17. Up to date information is available on an active Facebook page for Hwy 80 Sale.

lie’s Junque. In Mineola visit LW Antique Store, Karen’s Korner, Between Friends, and Vintage Charm. In Gladewater go to Gladewater Antique Mall, Round-Up Antique Mall, Antiques II, and St. Clair Antique Emporium. Call before visiting them to verify open hours of operation.

One of the vendor’s displays at St. Clair Antique Emporium in Gladewater. Courtesy photo

MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 19

THIS TIME OF YEAR MARCH 8, 2022

MARCH 5, 1912

The Tall Tales of Cowboy Author Ben King Green M. Green, born in 1836 at Daingerfield in Morris County, was a member of the Texas Rangers for two years. Miller helped survey the town of Greenville and served as deputy sheriff when the county seat of Hopkins County was moved from Old Tarrant to Sulphur Springs.

Green eventually became a practicing horse “doctor” along the Pecos and Rio Grande rivers across West Texas and along the Mexico border. He was well respected and his corral-side manner and natural wit earned him the nickname “Doc,” as his extensive experience proved as helpful as formal schooling.

By P.A. Geddie Ben King Green of Cumby, Texas, had a sly cowboy sense of humor and with a golden gift of gab told tales of his days with horses and cattle. Despite his need for an audience from time to time, the call for wide open spaces during his earthly trek ran deep, even into his grave.

In his will, the author and horse doctor donated land to the Cumby Cemetery with the stipulation that he have 100 square feet for himself. He is quoted as saying, “I never let myself be crowded in life, and by God, ain’t nobody gonna close in on me when I’m dead.”

His wishes were honored and his grave stands alone on a grassy knoll with his brand — a G and spurs — engraved in the granite stones standing guard at each corner.

He was born March 5, 1912, to David Hugh and Bird King Green in Cumby, a town his grandfather David W. Cole helped found. He was a firmly rooted Texan with his great-grandparents, B.F. and Lucy Green, becoming citizens of the Republic of Texas upon their arrival from South Carolina. Ben’s grandfather, Miller

He was in his 50s when he started writing books, a perfect way to tell his tales and stay away from “being crowded” at the same time.

From his book The Village Horse Doctor, West of the Pecos, Green tells tales of his struggles with mean stockmen, yellow weed fever, banditos, poison hay, and “drouth” and covers similar themes in his other books in between horse tales.

Those include Horse Tradin’ followed by Some More Horse Tradin’, and Wild Cow Tales, Horse Tales, The Last Trail Drive, A Thousand Miles of Mustangin’, The Color of Horses, and Horse Conformation.

In 1973 Green received the Writer’s Award for contributions to Western Literature from the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. He also received a career award from the Texas Institute of Letters for his unique contribution to Texas literature.

Almost 50 years after his death, the Cumby Cemetery Association continues to ensure no one “closes in on” Ben King Green. His mother and his father, and countless other friends and relatives, are also buried in Cumby Cemetery — just not too close.

Read an extended article in County Line Magazine online.

20 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

VIDEO



Imagine a GenderEqual World and Break the Bias International Women’s Day is an important date on March 8 recognizing the economic, political, and cultural achievements of women. Women’s Day celebrations first occurred in the early 1900s in some European countries and in the United States. After the United Nations declared its celebration in 1975, more countries followed.

During the centenary celebration in 2011 President Barack Obama urged Americans to reflect on the “extraordinary” accomplishments of women in shaping U.S. history and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched “100 Women Initiative: Empowering Women and Girls through International Exchanges.”

This year’s campaign theme for the International Women’s Day organization is “Break the Bias” and is shown by holding one’s arms in front of the chest in an X position. The theme encourages everyone to “imagine a gender equal world.”

Men, women, and children can participate in the campaign by posting pictures of themselves making this gesture and tagging them #BreakTheBias. Visit www.internationalwomensday.com for more information.

APRIL 24, 1924

MARCH 31, 1928

Lefty Frizzell is Celebrated in Corsicana VIDEO



VIDEO

 Bledsoe Singing Career Debuted in New York City Julius Lorenzo Cobb Bledsoe made his professional singing debut in New York City on April 24, 1924. The baritone singer, songwriter, and actor of African descent was born in Waco in 1897 and later attended Bishop College in Marshall.

Bledsoe took voice lessons while attending medical school at Columbia University and debuted at Aeolian Hall in New York City. He was most famous for performing as Joe and singing “Ol’ Man River” in the original Broadway production of Show Boat three years later.

William Orville “Lefty” Frizzell added both bling and style to the country western music scene with famous songs like “If You’ve Got the Money I’ve Got the Time” (1950); “She’s Gone, Gone, Gone” (1965); “Mom and Dad’s Waltz” (1950), “Always Late With Your Kisses” (1951); and “I Love You a Thousand Ways.”

Though Frizzell’s family moved to El Dorado City, Arkansas, soon after his birth, the city of Corsicana hosts visitors at its Pioneer Village and Lefty Frizzell Museum at 912 West Park Avenue. The museum displays artifacts from his career and honors him with a bronze statue and a small colorful mural.

Frizzell’s characteristic twang made a lasting impact on the music of George Jones, Merle Haggard, and Willie Nelson. He is noted for smoothing out syllables in his honky-tonk tunes. His vocal technique made the tunes more mainstream and had a lasting influence on

country western music. Frizzell dressed like other country western singers of his era and was known for wearing flashy outfits studded with rhinestones and fringe.

Haggard commented on Frizzell’s vocal technique in the foreword for a biography titled I Love You a Thousand Ways: The Lefty Frizzell Story by son David Frizzell in 2011.

“No one could handle a song like Lefty.

He would hold on to each word until he finally decided to drop it and pick up the next one,” Haggard says. “Most of us learned to sing listening to him.

There’s a little bit of Lefty left in a lot of the country singers out there, all the way from me to Tim McGraw.”

Frizzell died of a massive stroke at age 47 on July 19, 1975. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame posthumously in 1982 and is interred near Nashville, Tennessee.

The famed singer also composed songs that include one titled African Suite that debuted in Amsterdam in 1936 and an opera based on the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Bledsoe’s acting career in the 1940s included minor roles in the Western Films Santa Fe Trail and Western Union.

He died in 1943 and is buried in Waco.

MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 21

LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT

Check the County Line eMagazine for extensive list of events and things to do.

www.countylinemagazine.com

The Pipes Are Calling at Sherman Celtic Festival

Costner Headlines Cowan Center’s 25th Anniversary Gala

Men in kilts playing bagpipes are gearing up for the 5th Annual Sherman Celtic Festival and Highland Games March 19 - 20 at Pecan Grove West Park. The event features music by regional Celtic bands on two stages including traditional, pipe, and drum bands, pub songs, and bagpipe rock. Other shows and activities include Scottish dancers, athletic performances, shortbread contest, whiskey tastings, sheep dog herding, viking demonstrations, and plenty of things to do for the kids. There’s a $5 entry fee for ages 12 and over.

Get all the details at www.shermancelticfest.com.

Photo by Poor Farm Photography

Hollywood icon Kevin Costner headlines the Cowan Center’s 25th anniversary gala at University of Texas at Tyler at 8:30 p.m., Saturday, April 2. “An Evening with Kevin Costner” features a moderated talk with the award-winning actor, director, and musician sharing stories from his popular films.

of Dreams, Dances With Wolves, JFK, Tin Cup, Bull Durham, Open Range, and The Bodyguard.

The Costner talk is part of a black-tie gala benefiting the Cowan Center Performance Excellence Endowment. Other events of the evening include a dinner and an auction of Cowan Center memorabilia.

“This is a rare opportunity to see one of the most well-known A-list celebrities of our time. We invite you to come, walk the red carpet and share this extraordinary evening with us,” says Susan Thomae-Morphew, Cowan Center executive director.

Costner currently stars in the popular Western series Yellowstone on the Paramount Network and stars in dozens of films including The Untouchables, Field

He is the recipient of two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, an Emmy Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

For information and tickets visit the R. Don Cowan Fine and Performing Arts Center at www.cowancenter.org or call (903) 566-7424.

Journey Beyond at the Earth and Space Science Center Tyler Junior College’s Hudnall Planetarium offers low-cost and family friendly shows at the top of each hour Tuesday through Saturday March 1-11.

Star Party Saturdays feature free talks about the planetarium sky at 8 p.m., 8:30 p.m., and 9 p.m. on March 5 and April 2.

A musical program titled Rock the Dome occurs at 8 p.m. Saturday March 19 and May 21. Viewers watch their favorite rock songs come to life in a visually orchestrated laser show. Tickets are $5 per person.

The planetarium requires advance online reservation. Visit www.sciencecenter.tjc.edu.

22 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

Motorized Bar Stool Races Return to Ben Wheeler

Paris Texas Serves Up Local Wines

The Annual Bar Stool Races take place March 19 in downtown Ben Wheeler. Participants race their motorized bar stools down a small strip of Highway 279. While the bar stool races are the main attraction, the rest of day is filled with festivities for the whole family all within the downtown area. Three stages present live music all day. For more information go to www.theforgebenwheeler.com.

Step Back in Time at Waxahachie’s Scarborough Faire

Historic downtown Paris, Texas, offers a ticketed wine fest 6 to 9 p.m. April 9 at the Paris Texas Wine Fest. Texas wines, champagne, and a variety of foods from local restaurants are served at downtown shops and businesses. Click HERE to visit the official webpage.

Derrick Days Celebrate Corsicana’s Oil Boom Glory

Derrick Days are held April 27 to 30 to commemorate Corsicana’s oil production that started in 1894. Visitors can experience live music, an antique car show, chili cook-off, a marketplace, and food vendors. Visit www.derrickdays. com for information.

Travel back in time at Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie on weekends beginning April 9 through May 31 and kids get in free the first weekend. The faire offers shows, artisan demonstrations, foods, and drinks popular during the Renaissance from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays, and on Monday May 30 for the Memorial Day holiday. Visit www.srfestival.com for tickets and information.

Cedar Creek Lake Brewery Holds Day of Fun

Shop Marshall’s Second Saturdays

Cedar Creek Brewery hosts the annual Cedar Creek Lake Festival from noon to 6 p.m. April 23. The free event offers local music, art, family friendly fun, and food and drink from Cedar Creek Brewery. Visit the event’s Facebook page for information.

Marshall Main Street kicks off Second Saturdays in Marshall on March 12 and April 9. Experience shopping, food vendors, local restaurants, and a classic car show along North Washington Street.

The event also features live music in Telegraph Park at 7 p.m. Visit www.visitmarshall.com for information.

MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 23

24 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

Celebrate Spring Along Flower Trails The first day of spring arrives Sunday, March 20, just in time to welcome visitors to see nature’s most vibrant blooms across the Upper East Side of Texas. Parks and trails offer stunning views of perennial flowering shrubs and trees while wildflowers pop up along highways and byways.

Cass County’s towns of Linden, Avinger, and Hughes Springs celebrate wildflower blooms annually in a festival known as the Wildflower Trails of Texas.

This year’s celebration occurs April 22-24 and features a Wildflower 5K, a parade, live music, a car show, quilt show, artists, vendors, and more. For information visit the festival’s website at www.wildflowertrailsoftexas.org or on Facebook.

Mineola Nature Preserve on the Sabine River offers stunning views of wildflowers and miles of trails for hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, and paddling. The park includes an amphitheater and pavilions by reservation. The preserve is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to sunset.

Visit www.mineolanaturepreserve.com for information.

and Kilgore. Driving Trail No. 2 directs travelers through Tatum and the Martin Creek Lake State Park before returning to Henderson. The third trail provides views of the southeast part of Rusk County and travels through Mt. Enterprise and near the historic Mount Verdi Plantation. For information visit www.visithenderson.com.

Nacogdoches is known as the Garden Capital of Texas and spring is the ideal time to visit. The Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden located on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University is the largest azalea garden in Texas. The garden features a one-mile walking trail with thousands of colorful azaleas and hundreds of camellias and Japanese maples.

Tyler’s Azalea National Historic District is home to the city’s popular Azalea Trails. See stunning displays of color in front of Tyler’s stately historic homes of the brick streets district. Featured blooms also include tulips, wisteria, and dogwoods. Visit www.visittyler.com for information.

East Texas Arboretum in Athens features 100 acres with a two-mile trail surrounded by blooms of hundreds of plant species. The arboretum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For information visit www.easttexasarboretum.org.

Other flower trails that wind through historic Nacogdoches include the Southern Indica Trail, the Evergreen Azalea Trail, and the Fashion Azalea Trail. Visit www.visitnac.org for information.

Longview Arboretum & Nature Center highlights the beauty of its natural setting with walking trails that meander along gently sloping hillsides, ponds, flowing waterways, bridges, and gazebos.

Palestine’s Dogwood Arts & Music Festival celebrates the blooms in the city’s Davey Dogwood Park in late March and early April. Visitors can drive through the park’s trails, which offer miles of stunning views of dogwood trees. For more information visit www.visitpalestine.com.

The 26-acre park lies in the heart of Longview and is still under development but offers a vibrant space to enjoy nature. The arboretum is open Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. Visit www.longviewarboretum.org for information.

Three Rusk County Wildflower Trails start in Henderson and wind outward along county roads. Trail No. 1 is the East Texas Oilfield History Tour that travels through New London, Overton,

The Tyler Municipal Rose Garden at 420 Rose Park Drive features 14 acres of 500 varieties of roses and is a must see for visitors to the Rose Capital. Admission is free and the park is open from dawn until dark.

Just about anywhere one wanders in the region this time of year guarantees spectacular views. To find more ideas for spring flower sightings, check the County Line archives.

Wildflower Trails of Texas boasts the best blooms of the region with a festival that spans three towns in Cass County – Avinger, Linden, and Hughes Springs (opposite page). BELOW: Blooms abound around the Upper East Side of Texas including beautiful views at Tyler Rose Municipal Garden (left), Hughes Springs (center), and Longview Arboretum and Nature Center (right).

Courtesy photos

MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 25

Palestine Parties as the Dogwoods Bloom Texas Dogwood Trails Celebration Promises Art, Music Experience

By Tracy Torma Now in it’s 84th year, the Texas Dogwood Trails Celebration — held the last two weekends in March and the first weekend in April in Palestine — features art, music, history, and even fairy gardens tucked among the dogwood trees.

The celebration’s kickoff on Saturday, March 19 is the Dogwood Arts & Music Festival, a day-long event showcasing Texas artists and musicians. It happens 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the city’s historic Main Street District and includes arts and crafts vendors, food, live street performances, and activities for children.

The $1 admission fee for people older than 12 goes to support local nonprofits.

The long-running festival, hosted by the Palestine Area Chamber of Commerce (PACC), changed its focus three years ago from a traditional street fair with funnel cakes and vendor booths to an event that highlights the impact art and music have on the community.

The Art Palestine claims renowned artist Ancel Nunn as part of its legacy. Nunn moved to the town in 1979, where he painted his famous “Bright and Early Coffee” image on his studio wall before it became a popular-selling print titled “Good Morning America.”

So it’s fitting that Nunn’s son — Palestine resident and artist William Young — is one of two artists featured during this year’s festival. Young’s fourth in a series of five posters created specially for the festival are unveiled at an event March 10, and all four signed and numbered posters are on sale at PACC, 401 West Main Street. Young’s images in his paintings and drawings are influenced by the artwork of the European surrealists Max Ernst and Salvador Dali. Past Dogwood Festival posters feature whimsical music scenes amid buildings in historic downtown Palestine.

work celebrating 10 years of Palestine’s Art Tracks Sculpture Program. The annual juried exhibit features outdoor sculptures at prominent Main Street locations. Brewer grew up in Palestine and is leading narrated trolley tours of various sculptures in the city during the festival that Saturday. Tickets are limited and cost $100 each.

Another internationally acclaimed artist with local ties to the community, — sculptor Jeffie Brewer — is appearing for the installation of a new public

The Dogwood Arts Council, a new nonprofit now overseeing the Art Tracks program, is hosting a special VIP event from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 18,

26 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

where visitors can visit with Young and Brewer, as well as 20 other artists displaying and selling their creations during the festival. The event features food, beverages, and live music, as well as a raffle and silent auction. Tickets cost $20 and are available at www.DogwoodArtsCouncil.com.

An Artist Tent is open to the public for free during the festival Saturday, opening at 10 a.m. following a 9 a.m. parade featuring the theme, “Flowers of the World.”

The Music Musical performances are featured throughout the day and include: • Junior Gordon, a country western artist from Alvin, Texas, whose band performs all types of music, including swing, waltz, Texas Country and Top 40 Nashville Country.

• The Darrin Morris Band — led by native East Texan Darrin Morris — whose song “Dancing in the Rain,” was its first Top 10 song on Texas country radio.

• Kate Watson, an American Idol contestant in 2019, a rising star on the country music scene.

Other Activities In addition to an array of food and arts and crafts vendors, the day includes performances of local dancers, tumblers and cheerleaders, and features a fashion show by the winners of the Lit-

tle Miss Dogwood and Miss Dogwood Pageant and their courts.

Another main attraction for visitors to the area is what actually started the whole celebration 84 years ago — the dogwood trails in Davey Dogwood Park. The idea for the trails came up in 1938 after two local businessmen, Charles Wooldridge, the power company manager, and Eugene Fish, a bank president, met for coffee to discuss the unusual and unique beauty of the dogwood trees in the area. They agreed that Palestine needed a dogwood trail for visitors to enjoy. Today, Davey Dogwood Park features 254 acres of natural beauty, including a forest dotted with ample dogwood trees.

The park has five miles of hard surface roads and eight miles of unincorporated hiking and biking trails and scenic views, as well as two picnic areas.

Three years ago, Palestine Tourism Manager Mary Raum introduced the Fairy Garden Trails at the park to great success. Visitors discover as many as 40 fairy gardens in the woods designed by local residents and organizations.

Many other activities are planned over the three weeks of the Texas Dogwood Trails Celebration, from tours of historic buildings to special music programs to a musical at the historic Texas Theatre in downtown Palestine. Access the Visit Palestine website at www.visitpalestine.com for more information on dates and times of these activities or call (800) 659-3484.

Artist William Young designs fun artwork for official posters of the Texas Dogwood Trails Celebration each year. (opposite page). Jeffie Brewer (in his studio, below left), is featured during this year’s festival. Beautiful dogwood blooms throughout the community are the star of the three-week event (bottom right). Courtesy photos

MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 27

BEYOND THE VOTE Women’s Progress in 21st Century Texas

By Lisa Tang More than 100 years have passed since American women gained the right to vote with the 19th Amendment in 1920.

In 2022 we have achieved progress in economic, social, medical, and political realms but this is far from the whole picture.

Women are now 10 percent of all millionaires and have gained more national political representation than ever before yet inequality endures. Many women are still challenged by unequal incomes, poverty, domestic violence, sexual harassment, and abuse.

Women’s numerous advances are worth celebrating but how can they overcome the ongoing problems?

County Line Magazine interviewed Assistant Professor of History Mylynka Kilgore Cardona from Texas A&M University in Commerce. As a historian she offers a long-term view of social, economic, and political gains and setbacks affecting women since the 19th century. She also describes how women are faring today and what factors can lead towards equality.

“Millenial women [and] Gen Z women are way more involved in advocating for things for themselves. They’re building on things that women in the 20th century were fighting for,” Cardona says.

“Since 1848 women have been rallying for their causes.”

The women’s movement grew from activism that began in the early 1800s when upper class women got involved in religious, temperance, and reform movements. Their expanded roles led them to seek changes in the jail system, education, and health care.

Involvement in the Temperance Movement of the 1820s and 1830s by women in the Northeast gradually led to campaigns for the abolition of slavery and women’s suffrage in other parts of the country.

The Seneca Falls Convention in New York in July of 1848 was the first major

Mylynka Kilgore Cardona, PhD, embraces a beautiful summer day at Texas A&M University in Commerce in a dress that shows her love of cartography and history and a gesture that expresses her welcoming personalilty to her students, colleagues, and the world at large. Photo by Brittany Gryder, Texas A&M University Commerce

milestone that started the women’s suffrage movement and was attended by 300 people.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott led the convention which resulted in a joint statement known as the Declaration of Sentiments signed by 68 women and 32 men. This marked the beginning of decades of activism in the US that eventually led to the 19th Amendment.

Texas women began to rally for suffrage in earnest after the Civil War. As early as 1868 Titus H. Mundine proposed that all people gain the right to vote at the Texas State Constitutional Convention.

In 1869 Martha Goodwin Tunstall spoke in Austin to supporters of women’s suffrage as a representative of the National Woman Suffrage Association.

Over the next few decades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries Texas women spoke for suffrage at public

28 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

events, organized state conventions, and petitioned the state legislature.

Women finally gained the right to vote in the state’s primary elections on June 26, 1918. With just 17 days left before the first primary election, roughly 400,000 women registered.

After nationwide suffrage passed in 1920, national and world events delayed the equal rights movement another 50 years, although women and minorities made more progress in economic and social rights during World War II and the Civil Rights Movement.

The equal rights movement began when the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was first proposed to Congress in 1923 but another 50 years passed before Congress approved the amendment in 1972 and the process of state ratification started.

Though ERA failed to gain timely ratification from the states, Cardona says the

feminist movement of the 1970s “thrust things forward” as women gained access to birth control and more economic opportunities. More women began working and helping to support their families.

“That wave of feminism really opened all the doors for women in the subsequent generations,” Cordona says. “We had a little bit of a backlash in the 80s and early 90s but we’re seeing with this generation now that [they] are really becoming more engaged and are really fighting for what we’ve been fighting for a long time.”

Century 21

Changes since the 20th century have significantly broadened opportunities.

Women also have more male allies today who believe their rights are important.

Connectivity has helped women’s economic and political progress over the last 20 to 30 years the most. Just like most other social groups in the 21st century, women can connect and mobilize with each other through telecommunications, the internet, and social media. Cardona sees her students as more politically and socially active than her own generation due to connectivity.

“They can connect with each other in so many ways and can share information,” she says. “They have so much greater access to good information and support than I think most of us in the 20th century didn’t have.”

Despite greater connectivity for many, lack of accessibility still hinders many women of color. Rural and economically depressed areas that have less connectivity and transportation also have less access to education, voting, or even basic utilities. Asking for help is often through social media so women who don’t have access to the internet find it difficult to get help.

This is especially true regarding voting rights.

“People of color are marginalized and women of color are the most marginalized,” Cardona says. “Any time voting is restricted, it’s people on the margins that are hurt the most.”

You and Me Too

The Me Too Movement was an impor-

tant moment in women’s rights. Men in powerful positions learned they couldn’t quell the avalanche of voices who spoke out against acts of sexual harassment and violence. The movement encouraged men and women to condemn transgressors who used their economic and physical power to take advantage of them.

They saw many well-connected women calling out dominant men like Harvey Weinstein and Jeffrey Epstein. The movement was empowering because it gave women more confidence they would be believed if they came forward with accusations of sexual harassment.

People started believing that men in positions of power were using it to exploit women.

As women gained more confidence to come forward with their accusations, more men became enlightened about the extent of sexual assault.

“A lot of men don’t realize that almost every single woman they know has been sexually harassed or they’ve been touched, assaulted, or raped,” she says.

“I think [the Me Too Movement has] been eye-opening for a lot of men because not all men are assailants, not all men are abusive.”

One encouraging aspect of the movement was gaining more men as allies including many who did not realize the extent that sexual abuse takes place.

Unfortunately the pandemic followed not long after with new challenges for women.

While the pandemic is allowing many workers more flexibility in their schedules to cope with personal and family illnesses, at the same time millions of mothers are shouldering more responsibilities in the home. In addition to cooking, cleaning, and helping with homework, women are surrogate teachers to their kids when they can’t attend school and bear the emotional labor of caring for their children and spouse.

Cardona says these responsibilities often become a “second shift” women perform at home with no breaks in addition to their full-time jobs. The result is that many women feel overworked and stressed out.

“Women are taking the brunt of a lot of the unseen labor,” she says. “It has been harder for them to juggle all of these things continuously, even if there is another partner in the home.”

Involvement & Advocacy

Yet there is hope. Involvement in government and community programs is key to creating long-term change.

“What women can do is to get involved and stay involved,” Cardona says, by voting, running for office, or volunteering at local organizations. “For the first time in a long time our national government is reflecting what our nation looks like, and that can very much work for the benefit of everyone.”

While the U.S. Congress is becoming more diverse, representation in the state government does not reflect that diversity and is still dominated by Caucasian males.

Political organizations such as the League of Women Voters (LWV) or the National Organization for Women (NOW) exist to help women gain equality and equal pay and grow their representation.

LWV has more than 20 chapters across the state, including those in Smith, Harrison, Collin, and Dallas counties.

NOW is a nationwide organization that advocates for key issues affecting women and also encourages involvement on the local level.

Cardona says it’s important for women born into privilege “to stay engaged, stay active, and to do what we can to help uplift other women [and] advocate for those people who are losing their rights at every turn,” she says. “It’s about knowing what your privileges are and using them to your best advantage.”

Volunteering at the local level helps create opportunities for other women and can offer insight for change. Organizations such as Girls, Inc. and Girl Scouts support young women’s interests while local food banks and shelters for battered women help women and families in need.

“Organizations that support other women are a great place to start,” Cardona says. “Getting involved in the community will make you more aware of what’s going on.”

MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 29

VISIT

Gun Barrel City

SUBSCRIBE TO THE FREE E-EDITION

...Shootin' Straight for 50 Years

Come Stay & Play.

We Aim to Please!

• Get notified via email each time a new issue is released (6 times per year).

• Allows for flipping the pages.

• PDF downloads available for entire issue or individual articles.

• Share the entire issue or individual articles on social media or via email.

• Includes live links to explore more on topics of interest.

• Watch video right on the pages.

• Read from desktop, tablet, or mobile phone.

• Unlimited access to issue archives.

• Some audio articles available.

903.887.1087 • www.gunbarrelcity.net

Discover the Treasures of 211 Gallery display gallery. exhibits. classes. art shows.

211 North Palestine Street, Athens, TX ArtGallery211.net • ( 903) 292-1746

30 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

county line

MAGAZINE

E-EDITION www.countylinemagazine.com

READ OUT LOUD TO YOUR KIDS presents

In Mount Vernon on their 2022 U.S. tour

THE AMERICAN HORN QUARTET Sunday, March 6, 2:30 p.m.

“People would stand in line for days and pay hundreds of dollars if there were a pill that could do everything for a child that reading aloud does. It expands their interest in books, vocabulary, comprehension, grammar, and attention span. Simply put, it’s a free ‘oral vaccine’ for literacy.”

Jim Trelease, The Read-Aloud Handbook

CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES Sunday, April 3, 2:30 p.m.

Music by Jennifer Higdon, Manuel Ponce, Valerie Coleman, Fanny Mendelssohn, Dora Pejacevic with piano, strings, and Julee Kim Walker, flute; Mary Druhan, clarinet

FAITH Saturday, April 23, 7:30 p.m.

Music of the Divine

for voice, piano and strings James Rodriguez, baritone

903.563.3780 WWW.MOUNTVERNONMUSIC.ORG

C. MILLER DRILLING Building A Legacy III Selections from the Permanent Collection February 13 - May 1

Tyler Museum of Art 1300 South Mahon Avenue • Tyler, TX www.tylermuseum.org

Water Wells Done Right Deep Well Drilling & Service

Residential •Agricultural • Commercial • Pump Service, Pulling & Sales Ask About Our Sand-Free Water Guarantee Every Deep Well Pressure Cemented

www.cmillerdrilling.com

Serving North East Texas Since 1983 Master Texas License 2464

let us install your well right

• 7355 East Hwy 154 • Winnsboro

800-594-2187 • 903-725-6524

north east texas area

• wood county

MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 31

ARTS + CULTURE 211 Gallery Opens ‘The Great Outdoors’ 211 Gallery in Athens welcomes spring with its premiere of “The Great Outdoors.” An all-day reception takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 2 and an opportunity to meet the artist from 5 to 7 p.m.

The broadly-themed exhibit runs through June 10 and features juried works by many artists who capture or create interpretations of the natural world.

The exhibit features many types of art in a variety of media — from oils, watercolors, and pastels to sculpture, stained glass, wood working, photography, and digital art. The works are both representative and abstract.

For more information visit 211 Gallery’s website at www.artgallery211.net or call (903) 292-1746.

Dawn’s Early Rise” 15 x 30 inches in acrylic on canvas by Katie Bunn (right). Bridge to the Past” 21 x 25 inches in oil on canvas by Charlie Bullock (below top). “Red Forest” 22 x 26 inches encaustic wax and oil on canvas by Christi Barrett (bottom).

32 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

Mosaic Tractor Greets Visitors to Winnsboro Market

A new attraction greets visitors to the Winnsboro Farmers' Market on the corner of Highway 37 and Carnegie Street in Winnsboro. Commissioned by local citizen Brenda Buck, artist Barbara Dybala of Hidden Mosaic Studio

in Rockwall turned this 1948 Farmall C tractor into a stunning work of mosaic art. The piece beautifully blends the towns farming heritage with it’s active arts community today. Photo by Jim Willis

Community Murals Add A Splash of Color More murals are popping up and adding color in towns across the region as communities and Main Street programs invest in beautification. In some towns the projects are collaborative. Artists provide the stunning large-scale designs and work beside community members who take up their own brushes to paint.

Volunteers painted a “Celebrate the Arts” mural designed by artist David Freeman as part of the 40th Annual Sherman Arts Festival in 2021 next to the city’s town hall. Freeman has previously led community mural projects in his hometown of Mount Pleasant and helped restore the Dr. Pepper mural on the side of Jo’s Downtown that is thought to be the largest Dr. Pepper advertisement in the state. He also recently painted a mural in downtown Honey Grove that features the town’s history and its motto — “The Sweetest Town in Texas.”

MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 33

On Stage at The GMA The Greenville Municipal Auditorium (GMA) presents a variety of entertainment this spring for all types of audiences.

The Sweet Delilah Swim Club

First on March 11 and 12 are three performances of the comedy The Sweet Delilah Swim Club. Five Southern women, whose friendships began many years ago on their college swim team, set aside a long weekend every August to recharge those relationships. Free from husbands, kids, and jobs, they meet at the same beach cottage, the “Sweet Delilah” on North Carolina’s Outer Banks to catch up, laugh, and meddle in each other’s lives. The Sweet Delilah Swim Club is the story of these unforgettable women — a hilarious and touching comedy about friendships that last forever.

Russian Ballet Theatre Presents Swan Lake

Russian Ballet Theatre’s new production of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s timeless classic, Swan Lake, is choreographed

by Nadezhda Kalinina (Mariinsky Theatre, Teatro Lirico, Omsk State Music Theatre) who lovingly retouches the oldest St. Petersburg version of the ballet and adds her vision and something more, that leaves audiences flushed with emotion.

The dancers bring her choreography to life along with the new exquisite hand-painted sets and 150 new hand-sewn costumes.

Designed by the young, accomplished Sergei Novikov (Mariinsky Theatre, Omsk State Music Theatre, St. Petersburg State Music Hall), these are in the century-old tradition of the great theatrical masters. Special effects makeup by award-winning Irina Strukova (Crazy Rich Asians, Netflix, HBO) completes the already perfect glittering fantasy that is Swan Lake.

Elvis Tribute Times Two

The King returns to the GMA in two big shows with two Elvis tribute artists. Cody Ray Slaughter performs at 6 p.m. March 26.

He’s appeared on MTV’s “My Super Sweet 16” and “Late Night with David Letterman” as well as in venues around the world.

His interpretation of Elvis songs from the 1950s through ‘70s are a hit with die-hard Elvis fans. Joining Slaughter on stage is George Dickerson who also tours with country legend Ronnie McDowell.

Then on April 16 Gordon Hendricks brings to the stage “Songs of The King and More.” He shot to fame in the UK by winning the 2005 Grand Finale of ITV's “Stars In Their Eyes” by a record number of votes and a viewing audience of more than 12 million. He’ll combine Elvis's biggest hits and some of his own music.

Shades of Bublé

Celebrating the continuing career of multiple Grammy Awardwinning artist Michael Bublé, the three-man tribute group Shades of Bublé performs his incredible catalog with threepart harmony at 7:30 p.m. April 7. This world-class act honors – but doesn’t imitate – the sophistication and retro style of Bublé with new vocals, musicality, choreography, and amazing arrangements.

For these and other shows at the GMA, get tickets and more information on www.showtimeatthegma.com or call (903) 4573126.

34 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

Texas Landscape Art Quilts Unroll ‘A Sense of Place’

Longview Museum of Fine Arts (LMFA) is showing a collection of art quilts by members of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) through May 21.

A variety of regions provide inspiration for the exhibit titled A Sense of Place: Texas Landscape Art Quilts — from western desert habitats to the majestic caprocks to broad rolling plains and wide seascapes. Featured styles range from representational to abstract.

The exhibit is also featured in a book

by the same title published by SAQA to commemorate the juried competition that led to its creation. The exhibit is touring Texas for two years to promote art quilts as fine art. The exhibit features a small portion of work by the international organization’s 4,000-plus members whose mission is to create respect for the art quilt as a fine art medium through exhibitions, classes, and member support.

The LMFA exhibit provides an opportunity to develop a better understand-

ing of the art quilt form’s expressions and processes. It is made possible by the city of Longview and the Cultural Activities Advisory Commission and the museum’s members and sponsors.

For more information visit www.lmfa. org or call (903) 753-8103.

“Palo Duro Canyon: Fortress Cliff” quilt by Sue Benner (above). “Moonrise Over A West Texas Canyon” by Ellie Kreneck (below left).

“Agave, Big Bend” by Susie Monday (below right).

MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 35

LITERARY Hearing the horrible conditions Elsa Wolcott-Martinelli endured during excruciating challenges in this book makes the hardships of the COVID pandemic these last couple of years feel like a walk in the park. From a family that didn’t value her, to a grueling time on a dying farm in the Panhandle of Texas caught square in the middle of the “Dust Bowl,” to the hope of a better life in California only to be met with anything but open arms, she persists.

The Four Winds

By Kristin Hannah St. Martin’s Press

Reviewed by P.A. Geddie The Four Winds is not a story I’m likely to forget any time soon. There were times I was ready to fast forward and skip a few chapters ahead. It’s filled with really uncomfortable moments, sometimes that never seem to end. But I hung in and am glad I did.

Set in the hard realities that divided a nation during the Great Depression of the 1930s and the enduring battle between the haves and the have nots, the story’s heroine is a testament to hope, resilience, and the strength of the human spirit to survive adversity.

Throughout the book, readers champion Elsa — often frustratingly so — to find her own voice and live in her own power. Before long, we find that each brave step she takes is her power, a faint light that refuses to dim and grows stronger throughout her story.

Other constant themes are the lessons of hardship, times of great loss, not taking anything for granted, kindness, and standing up for the little guy.

Written by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Just Help teaches children the importance of helping others.

In a letter to readers, Sotomayor says she learned about helping others from her mother, who was a nurse. Knowing she didn’t want to join the medical field she thought about finding a different way to serve neighbors and country.

“I found my way through the law. Laws are the rules we all agree to live by to have a just society where we can be free and safe. Laws can be used to help and protect people.”

Just Help: How to Build a Better World

By Sonia Sotomayor Illustrated by Angela Dominguez Philomel Books

Sotomayor found her place and became the first Hispanic and one of only three women so far appointed to the United States Supreme Court.

She encourages children to find their own way of serving.

36 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

The unveiling of evil-powered men keeping poor people poor so they can use them to their advantage is a breaking point and what follows is both heartbreaking and hopeful.

Although Hannah began writing The Four Winds a few years ago, she had the opportunity to write a note before completing the book just months after the pandemic began. In May 2020 she writes about her personal loss and compares the Great Depression to today and how it would become “so relevant in our modern lives” and that “I would see so many people out of work, in need, frightened for the future.

“There are lessons to be learned from history. Hope to be derived from hardships faced by others.

“We’ve gone through bad times before and survived, even thrived. History has shown us the strength and durability of the human spirit. In the end, it is our idealism and our courage and our commitment to one another — what we have in common — that will save us. Now, in these dark days, we can look to history, to the legacy of the Greatest Generation and the story of our own past, and take strength from it.”

“You can be a farmer who grows the food we all need to eat, a hotel housekeeper who helps visitors enjoy their travels, a banker who lends money to neighborhood businesses, a librarian who shares books, a firefighter who saves lives.

“You can run errands for people who cannot get out, volunteer at a food pantry, mentor a younger child who needs extra help, or register people to vote.

Our communities need all of us to do our part, each of us like strings of yarn in a blanket, knitted tightly together by what we do.”

The book shows simple things even very young children can do to start building a better world through acts of service and answering the question every day, “How will you help today?”



Times best selling author Marci Shimoff.

I wasn’t sure exactly what “midlife” is these days but came to understand it’s a broad range between the ages of 40 to 65 and then some.

Raffelock, an Austin, Texas, transplant takes on the traditional assignments of the three stages of a woman’s life cycle of maiden, mother, and crone. Crone, she says, in particular really “rankles,” as the word conjures a wizened hag, useless for the most part, marginalized by appearance and ability. It means “disagreeable old woman” in some dictionaries.

Creatrix Rising: Unlocking the Power of Midlife Women

By Stephanie Raffelock She Writes Press

Reviewed by P.A. Geddie This book is a “must read for any woman who wants to embrace the strength and creativity of midlife,” so says New York

Raffelock proposes a new archetype, the Creatrix. It’s emerging with all the qualities that support the reinvention, reimagination, and reawakening of strong, powerful women everywhere, she says. Creatrix is a distinctly feminine word that simply means a woman who makes things.

“Women are making a new world with their power,” Raffelock says. “It’s not a power of conquering or the hierarchy of lauding over someone. Rather, it’s the power of embracing a new identity starting at midlife by embodying the great creative surge that is a force for innovation and good in the world.”

Raffelock lays out through personal stories and essays, the highlights of the past 50 years as women have gone from a quiet strength to a resounding voice.

“If what the Dalai Lama has predicted — that women will save the world — proves true, then the Creatrix will for certain be out front, leading the pack.

“We can never go back to qualities of coyness, submission, or silence as once assigned to us by the patriarchy. In fact, I think we are seeing a leveling of the playing field when it comes to the importance and impact of the matriarch and patriarchy, a kind of peaceful fairness that is settling over our culture in profound ways.”

She espouses that the evolution of strong women means the archetypes must evolve too. She sees flourishing, brave women in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s are climbing mountains, making art, teaching, writing, and living fullyengaged lives. She says there’s a theme for all these women: “They give themselves to rich endeavors.”

She asks the question and has sound advice for “how can we have a world that works for everyone?”

POETRY

Living Room Chair

Mysterious Stream

I have my first cup of coffee in my living room chair By the east facing window, near the front porch stair

Stream

Watch the sun rise through old wavy glass Crystallized prisms of frost on the grass Reflections on wood floors, patinaed with age Remind that today is a gift, to write a new page

Of mysterious Creatures and wonders Stream of peaceful thoughts holding The most mysterious harp

There’s an old church steeple just down the hill It’s beautifully framed by the jams and the sill

Across the

Not a prettier picture, you could buy in a store The kind of view that makes the soul soar

Trent Sifuentes Rockwall Celia Hays Elementary, written in 5th grade, 2012

Call it contemplation, meditation or prayer Whatever you name it, I don’t really care Not the future, the past but just right there I start my day in that living room chair Jeff Campbell Jefferson

Stream.

SUBMIT YOUR POEM Poem submissions welcome. Submit your poem for possible inclusion

in a future County Line Magazine to editor @countylinemagazine.com.

MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 37

MUSIC

Always call ahead before taking off across the County Line!

Make sure noted events are happening as scheduled.

See Two Great Shows in Marshall The state-of-the-art Memorial City Hall Performance Center in Marshall features two big shows this spring.

The classy, high-energy eight-piece band Memphis Soul performs at 7:30 p.m. March 5. The group’s distinctive sound and style is inspired by such artists as Earth, Wind, and Fire; Otis Redding; Al Green; Sam Cook; and Aretha Franklin.

Based out of the Dallas area, Memphis Soul features a solid rhythm section, fiery horns, and dynamic male and female vocalists. Their style displays the rich musical legacy of the ‘50’s, ‘60’s, and ‘70’s, mixed with current popular classic soul and R&B. Lead singer Rick James has performed for presidents Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter, and George W. Bush and with artists Patti Labelle and Marvin Winans to name a few.

VIDEO



Celebrating their cherished heritage through Irish dance, music, and song, Celtic Angels Ireland performs at 7:30 p.m. April 2. Also part of the show are the Celtic Knight Dancers and The Trinity Band Ensemble of Dublin.

VIDEO

Get tickets and more information on www.memorialcityhall.com or call (903) 934-7992.



Sofia Talvik Returns to Winnsboro International folk singer and songstress Sofia Talvik is noted for her impeccable live performances and captivating stage presence. Her return to Winnsboro’s Bowery Stage at 7:30 p.m. March 16 marks a full two years since her last performance and symbolizes the pandemic’s full circle.

VIDEO



est album is titled Paws of a Bear (2019) and features the singles “Pharaohs and Friends,” “Take Me Home,” and “Siren Song.”

Talvik grew up in Sweden and her Scandinavian heritage influences her music.

Her travels around the U.S. over the past two decades lend a distinctly Americana sound to her music and its universal appeal.

Talvik’s songs tell personal stories about her observations and feelings that sometimes contrast with nature or current events. The song “Meanwhile in Winnsboro” was written as the chaos of the early pandemic resulted in cancellation of her tour though an ironically peaceful spring was blossoming in the small town that hosted her last show of 2020.

The singer’s repertoire now includes several albums and EPs. Her most recent single is a Christmas tune titled “A Memory of Snow” released in November. Her lat-

Find more information and purchase tickets under Bowery Stage on www. winnsborocenterforthearts.com or call (903) 342-0686.

38 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

Longview Symphony Orchestra Celebrates Black History and Music of Saint-Saëns

VIDEO



By KaLynn Johnson The Longview Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is offering a free outdoor Black History concert at the Longview Arboretum on Sunday, March 27. The celebration was previously scheduled for February 26 at the Belcher Center but has been rescheduled as an outdoor event. The performance features local talent, live dancers, the Wiley College Choir, and music by Black composers.

LSO is closing their 53rd season with a centenary celebration of the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns on April

30, 2022, at LeTourneau University’s Belcher Center.

The symphony started as a small group of amatuer musicians in 1968 and has since evolved into a team of professionals from the region.

Saint-Saëns was a brilliant and inventive composer of the 19th century. With his diverse ability to write among many genres, LSO highlights each section of their orchestra with his pieces.

Conductor Jerry Steichen directs the orchestra through a number of Saëns

works, including movements from “The Carnival of Animals” and “Samson and Delilah.” Concertmaster and first chair violinist Jennifer Dalmas showcases her talent in “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso.”

Jamie Weaver, PhD, of Stephen F. Austin State University hosts the April program’s Opening Notes. This is an informative discussion taking place 30 minutes prior to the show. To purchase tickets to LSO’s final shows of the season and stay up to date on future performances visit their website at www.longviewsymphony.org.

Hear Oceanography in Ben Wheeler Brian Kelly — performing under the name Oceanography — makes his way from Oakland, California, to perform April 23 at The Forge Bar & Grill in Ben Wheeler.

With yelping vocals over layers of angular guitar lines and solid drum beats, his songs recall some of the most acclaimed bands, like The Shins, British Sea Power, Tom Petty, and War-era U2.

As a claustrophobic melancholy looms

just beneath the orderly exterior of the songs and their narrators, one could view them as a collection of Raymond Carver stories, but with a beat you can dance to. Learn more about Kelly on www.oceanographymusic.com and for show information visit www.theforgebenwheeler.com or call (903) 833.5970.

Listen to his official video featuring “Monterey,” a song Kelly wrote for his late sister Cori.

VIDEO



MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 39

William Clark Green Returns to the Upper East Side of Texas Roots-Americana singer-songwriter William Clark Green makes a couple of appearances in the Upper East Side of Texas in April during his “Baker Hotel” tour.

VIDEO



The Flint, Texas, native’s music career began while attending Texas Tech in Lubbock. He recorded two albums while there, Dangerous Man in 2008 and Misunderstood in 2010. His third album, Rose Queen, released in 2013 and became his breakthrough album, with the first single “It’s About Time” becoming his first Top Ten Song on Texas Radio.

The album was inspired by Tyler’s Texas Rose Festival.

Now releasing his sixth album Baker Hotel on March 15, Green’s been selling out venues across Texas and beyond for the last 15 years making a name for himself as a gritty performer with a big voice and a powerhouse band. During the recent lull in live performances, Green took stock of his career, re-prioritized, and challenged himself and his sound. Baker Hotel is the creative universe born out of the process.

“What this record means to me is selfreflection, realizing that I just turned 35 and it’s like, ‘Where am I at in life?

Where do I want to be? Where did I think I would be?’ Not being able to work [during the lock down], I had a lot of time to sit and think about myself, and what’s really locking me down, and that’s what I think this record is about,” Green says.

On Baker Hotel Green sharpens his contemporary roots sound while exploring outside it, from indie folk (“Feel Alive”) and swampy country (“Dog Song”) to Southern rock anthems (“All Pot No Chicken”) and traditional Western balladry (“Me, Her and You”). Songwriting themes are similarly balanced, probing deeper into Green’s soul and examining personal convictions, optimism, doubt, and raw truth. Nowhere is the cohesive blend of vision and voice more evident than the album’s first single “All You Got,” a pop rock gem that goes down way too easy for a potential breakup song.

Green knows his way around being relatable while also complex, with heartfelt sentiments and turns of phrases like in “Gun to Your Head” when he harmonizes with a pitch-perfect lilt, “Would it kill you to give a little more than you take.” The vocal harmonies of the heartbroken “Give A Damn” (“How do you make love not give a damn?”) and the effervescent, commercial-ready “Feel Alive” are memorable.

In a proudly independent regional scene, it’s not easy to separate oneself and evolve but since 2010, William Clark Green has done both. Baker Hotel continues his growth and is a big step forward for a singer/songwriter hitting his stride.

Now living in Eastland, Texas, Green has proven his knack for utilizing location in his music with his last couple of records, Ringling Road from 2015 (Datna-na-na-na-na), and Herbert Island from 2018. He does the same on Baker Hotel, named after the towering, once opulent, and ominous 17-story landmark located in downtown Mineral Wells,

40 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

Texas, that was originally constructed in the 1920’s and was long shuttered but is now under reconstruction and set to reopen in 2024.

Built to take advantage of the mineral water craze of the roaring ‘20’s, the hotel barely got by through the Depression, survived through the war years when a nearby military base came to life, but closed in 1972, with its ornate architecture drawing curiosity seekers while its broken and boarded up windows gave the structure a ghostly quality.

As for the music of Baker Hotel, it’s said to veer between roots rock, Western balladry, swampy country, and Southern rock. To get folks started, Green has released the song “All You Got” (listen via video link above), which definitely sticks to more of the rock side of the William Clark Green sound.

Green performs at Banita Creek Hall in Nacogdoches on April 2 and Buffalo Joe’s Pub in Paris on April 15. Find tickets and more information on www.williamclarkgreen.com.

Tribute to Townes Van Zandt The fourth annual Tribute to Townes Van Zandt takes place from 2-4 p.m. March 6 at The Forge Bar & Grill in Ben Wheeler.

Presented by the Van Zandt Arts & Cultural District Foundation, performers pay tribute to the most influential Texas songwriter of the 20th century.

VIDEO

This year’s show includes Chase Glover, Kevin Tinney, Nate Kipp, Presley Haile, Nick Brumley, and Cole Allen. Other musicians are invited to bring instruments and continue the music in a campfire open jam session after the show.

Townes Van Zandt died January 1, 1997, at the age of 52 from cardiac arrhythmia while recovering from hip surgery. He is buried in the Van Zandt family plot in Dido Cemetery near Fort Worth. He came from a long line of Texas nobility.

His three times great grandfather, Isaac Van Zandt, was a prominent leader of the Republic of Texas and the namesake of Van Zandt County. His great, great uncle Khleber Miller Van Zandt was one of the founders of Fort Worth.

Although he was born into an affluent family, he endured poverty and often sang of folks living on the edge. He was a poet and songwriter beloved by his many fans and peers. Don Williams and Emmylou Harris had hits with his song “If



I Needed You.” Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard reached No. 1 with their versions of his song “Pancho and Lefty.”

His influence on Americana music is immense and continues today. Artists who cite Van Zandt as a source of inspiration include Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Lyle Lovett, Norah Jones, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, and Garth Brooks to name a few.

For more information on the Tribute to Townes Van Zandt go to www.theforgebenwheeler.com or call (903) 833-5970.

Special Shows Coming to the Greenville Texan

VIDEO

 The Texan Theater in Greenville is a nice destination for a day trip for those who like good food and good music. Every Wednesday from Noon to 1 p.m. is “Friendly Live” featuring a free concert in the spacious state-of-the-art theater. They serve lunch and every week feature different entertainment. Scheduled in March are Mitchell Ford, Sharon Blu Walker & Guthrie Kennard, Proud Country, Genevieve Allen, and Papa Cass.

Those looking for an evening in an intimate setting with good performances should consider The Texan evening shows. Coming in March are the Vandoliers, The Boxmasters (pictured above with award-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton), The Weight Band, Music of Cream, Vallejo, and Reckless Kelly.

See www.texantheatergreenville.com for more details or call (903) 259-6360.

Red Not Chili Peppers and a Others Fill the Stanley Stage This Spring Stanley’s Famous Pit BBQ in Tyler not only has award-winning barbecue but is known for their great lineup of live music. Closing down for the month of February, they kick off a new season on Fat Tuesday, March 1, with a parade taking off from downtown Tyler and ending up on the Stanley’s stage for a full evening of celebration. Mississippi Bastard Project (aka: Revelers Hall Band) with special guests from Big Ass Brass Band lead the parade and perform several sets of music at Stanley’s to celebrate Mardi Gras. MBP also plays Stanley’s on April 14 and May 6.

Other not-to-miss performances include Grady Spencer on March 4, Shinyribs Down Low (an alternate Shinyribs rhythmic experience with a twang) on March 12, David Ramirez and Caroline Spence on March 18, Red Not Chili Peppers on March 19, Pearl Gem and Nervana tribute bands on March 25, New Orleans-style funk band Dumpstaphunk on April 2, Old 97’s on April 8, Blink 180True tribute band on April 9, Rob Leines and The Comancheros on April 15, soul/retro pop’s Youngtones on April 22, Selfless Lovers on April 23, and the amazing Kevin Galloway full band (from Uncle Luscious) on April 29.

For more information and tickets, go to www.stanleysfamous.com or call (903) 593-0311.

MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 41

COMING SOON! Winnsboro Center for the Arts

Art Exhibits Student Art Exhibit Through April 18 WCA Retrospective April 23-June 11

Sidetrack in Mineola!

Mineola Nature Preserve 7:30 a.m. until sunset No admission fee

Hiking and Biking Trails Photographers Paradise Wildlif e Viewing S tations Equestr ian Trails

Four Old Broads

RV Hook-Ups/Equestr ian Pens

Theatrical Comedy March 11

Pavilion & Amphit heater Rental Disc Golf Course Wildscape Garden Birdwatc hing Fishing Ponds

Sofia Talvik Concert March 16

www.VisitMineola.com 1.800.MINEOLA

Renaissance Under the Stars Outdoor Market, Auction, Dinner, Entertainment and Concert

by Celtic Fiddler Mairead Nesbitt April 2

f Read the latest recipes and more in

FOOD + DRINK

Geoff Clapp Trio Concert April 9

Cultural Arts District • Winnsboro, TX WinnsboroCenterForTheArts.com (903) 342-0686 42 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

in the

County Line eMagazine.

VISIT HENDERSON, TEXAS 26TH ANNUAL

Antique Tractor & Engine Show April 22-23 23-24 Rusk County Expo Center Member Contact: (903) 889-2671

April 15thMay 31st

Downtown Merchants invite you to shop, have fun, and rest in the Alley on Main!

Rusk County Wildflower Trails

Visit the Depot Museum

City of Henderson Department of Tourism

866-650-5529

www.VisitHendersonTX.com

514 N. High Street

Emory, TX Let us lure you

“The Land Between the Lakes”

Emorya great place to shop while he goes fishing!

381 W. Lennon Dr. 903-473-0061

1026 E. Lennon Dr. 903-473-2022

www.emorytx.com MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 43

FOOD & DRINK

From The Rose Table to Yours Carrot Cake Cupcakes Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe

By Katie-Rose Watson There’s just something about carrot cake that makes me feel all warm and cozy. These cupcakes have a dash of cinnamon, a bit of orange zest, and toasted pecans. There are no raisins in these cupcakes because I don’t prefer raisins in my carrot cake. You can add some if that’s a deal-breaker for you but I think these are perfection just the way they are.

This easy recipe makes 24 cupcakes. The cupcakes are moist from the carrots in the batter with a perfect amount of crunch from the pecans. Toast the pecans before adding them to the mix. Pecans are so much tastier if they’re toasted first.

The cream cheese frosting is light and fluffy and doesn’t weigh the cupcakes down. I love seeing all of the adorable carrot cake cupcake decorating jobs that populate Instagram but I just piped the frosting on with a star tip and called it a day. The deliciousness speaks for itself. If you hate piping frosting, smooth it on instead and top the cupcakes with a sprinkling of toasted pecans for an easy, elegant look.

Ingredients: 2 cups granulated sugar 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil 4 eggs 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cinnamon 3 cups freshly grated carrots Zest of 1 orange 1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted and chopped (optional: another 1/2 cup for garnish) Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners and lightly spray with nonstick spray.

1. Beat together granulated sugar and vegetable oil in a stand mixer until combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition.

2. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Slowly add to the wet mixture.

3. Add grated carrots and the zest of one orange to batter and mix just until combined. Stir in chopped pecans.

4. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Softly bang the bottom of the pans against the counter to help settle the batter evenly and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 5-10 minutes, remove from pans, and cool completely on a wire rack.

5. Frost with cream cheese frosting (recipe follows). Store in the refrigerator.

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients: 8 oz cream cheese, softened (full fat) 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted 1 tsp vanilla extract Directions: Combine cream cheese and butter until smooth. Slowly sift in powdered sugar and beat one cup at a time. Mix in vanilla extract.

Katie Rose-Watson is the author of the beautifully illustrated cookbook The Rose Table and the cooking and entertaining blog, www.therosetable.com. Her imaginative Disney Dinners have been featured on several national news media outlets.

44 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 45

Fresh made tacos and margaritas!

county line

MAGAZINE

Of Of all all the the paths paths you you take take in in life, life, make make sure sure aa few few are are made made of of dirt. dirt.

OPEN: Wed-Thur 11 am-10 pm; Fri 11 am-midnight; Sat 11 am-1 am

111 E. Broadway • WINNSBORO, TX (903) 347-1098

Find us on

blogs

Subscribe to County Line Magazine for the inviting road less traveled.

www.CountyLineMagazine.com

From Speckled Crow Media Coming Soon

Small Towns & Cultural Districts promises simple reading pleasure and compelling photographs, as well as a perfect guide to hit the road and step into authentic experiences found only in the Upper East Side of Texas.

SIGN UP TO GET YOUR COPY

www.SpeckledCrow.com

46 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2022

Just play. Have fun. Celebrate!

Best Steakhouse

County Line Magazine Hall of Fame

Downtown Dining District

Tuesday & Wednesday

DINNER SPECIAL

Mixed Green Salad Choice of Fresh Fish of the Day, Ribeye Steak, or Filet Mignon Served with Whipped Potatoes and Green Beans $29.00

Top 100 American Steakhouses

f

www.VisitSulphurSpringsTX.org An East Texas Tradition

OpenTable.com

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

Make A Reservation

903.873.2225

www.fourwindssteakhouse.com

Burgers, Premium Hand-Dipped Ice Cream, Breakfast Anytime, and more

Open 24/7 at

I-20 & Hwy 19 in Canton, TX An East Texas Tradition

903-567-6551 • dairypalace.com

Burgers, Premium Hand-Dipped Ice Cream, Breakfast Anytime, and more

An East Texas Tradition

I-20 & Hwy 19 in Canton, TX

Open ROCKS! 24/7 at

Open 24/7 at

RURAL

Burgers, Premium Hand-Dipped Ice Cream, Breakfast Anytime, and more

903-567-6551 • dairypalace.com Subscribe to County Line Magazine for every creative step.

I-20 & Hwy 19 in Canton, TX 903-567-6551 • dairypalace.com

MARCH/APRIL 2022 • WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 47

Townes Van Zandt TRIBUTE TO

This event is outdoors and follows CDC safety guidelines.

SUNDAY

March 6, 2022 2 - 4 p.m.

Followed by Open Jam

FEATURING Chase Glover Kevin Tinney Nate Kipp Cole Allen Nick Brumley Presley Haile

BEN WHEELER

Van Zandt County, Texas FOR MORE INFORMATION www.theforgebenwheeler.com (903) 833-5970

Singer-songwriters pay tribute to the most influential Texas songwriter of the 20th century.

FREE ADMISSION. Suggested Donation: $10 All proceeds go to musicians and the Van Zandt Arts & Cultural District Foundation

To learn more about the Van Zandt Arts & Cultural District Foundation and find lodging visit www.VanZandtACD.com.

VA N Z A N D T ARTS & CULTURAL DISTRICT

VA N Z A N D T