Kaufman County Life Magazine

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Passion for Sports The Forney Sports Center focuses on getting physical while giving back.

Family

Five Women, One Goal Women are at the forefront of Terrell ISD’s volunteer board.

A Traditional Trend for Midwifery

Area firefighters have a fire-proof bond through blood and brotherhood.

Getting back to the roots of birthing is the stimulus for the rising trend of midwifery.

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Fall 2014 /Vol. 4 Issue 3 www.kaufmancountylife.com

Living with joint pain is no way to live.

Orthopedic Surgery You don’t have to look very far when it comes to joint care. In fact, all you have to do is go right up the street to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Kaufman. Because our board-certified physicians have been helping Kaufman, Terrell, and surrounding communities with sprains, broken bones, physical therapy, and yes, orthopedic surgeries for the last 35 years. From prevention to rehabilitation, complete joint care is just around the bend.

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Doctors on the medical staff practice independently and are not employees or agents of the hospital. © 2014

From the Publisher

Life

Character Counts

a slice of

Tradition, family and service.

Firefighting families

It’s a tradition that goes back generations for several Terrell and Kaufman County area firefighters and their families.

Public service through work or volunteering as firefighters is second nature to people like Jim Harper, Don Lindsey Jr., David Lindsey and Joe Smith. They are not the only ones carrying on the family tradition of firefighting service, but they do capture the spirit of helping their communities in time of need.

Staff writer Gary E. Lindsley recently visited with several firefighters with long ties to the service of protecting and serving.

He tells how the profession has changed over the decades from departments being very territorial in their service, to mutually working together with other departments for the greater good.

In this month’s Kaufman County Life Charm pages staff writer Paul Bottoni gives some insight into the makeup of the all-volunteer board of trustees of Terrell ISD. Five of the seven board members are women and they each bring a distinctly different set of life and career experiences to the boardroom.

The group is tasked with helping set the vision, goals and policies for the district’s fourthousand-plus students. While they each come from different backgrounds, board vice president Lisa Asher said the group has a

common goal that binds them — “to do what’s best for the children.”

Midwife trend is a throwback

This issue’s Character Counts feature focuses on not one, but two, Kaufman County residents who have a long record of community service and who have extended that commitment even more.

Between now and next spring’s Kaufman County Relay For Life event for the American Cancer Society, Brenda Horn and Clint Howie will likely log dozens, if not hundreds of hours, in planning the celebration of surviving cancer.

Meatloaf with a twist

Yet another installment in this edition’s KCL Charm lineup takes a look at the trend of midwifery. The practice of mothers-to-be having babies in the confines of their own homes goes back centuries.

And, although hospital births have become the norm in modern day America, midwife assisted births are on the rebound, according to Linda Turner. After working for well over a decade in various aspects of the medical field, she found what she feels is her true calling after a visit with a long-time friend.

This month’s Cook’s Corner feature highlights Gerry Chambers. She lives in Poetry, is retired from teaching and works part-time at First United Methodist Church in Forney.

Kaufman County Life staffers Cilla Wichmann and Stephanie Elswick spent some time recently in Gerry’s kitchen and came away with a couple of tasty recipes that draw rave reviews for more from her family and friends.

Gerry also has a couple of tips that she uses in her kitchen that we think others will find useful.

— Mike Elswick, Publisher

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Table of Contents Volume 4 Issue 3 | Fall 2014

Firefighting

Publisher & Editor Mike Elswick

Art Director Stephanie Elswick

Contributing Writers Paul Bottoni Mike Elswick Stephanie Elswick Gary E. Lindsley

Photography Paul Bottoni Patrick Brown Mike Elswick Gary E. Lindsley Cilla Wichmann

Creative Editor & Layout Erika Dorsey

Ad Design

Cook’s Corner Poetry’s Gerry Chambers may have retired from her years of teaching culinary arts.

But her talents are still very much alive and well in her own kitchen.

Patrick Brown

Advertising Sales Patty Barringer Stephanie Elswick

25.

Contact publisher@terrelltribune.com 150 Ninth Street, Terrell, TX 75160 972-563-6476 Kaufman County Life assumes no responsibility for the content of articles or advertisements, in that the views expressed therein may not reflect the views of the publisher, employees or contributors. This publication and all of its contents are copyrighted.

Cover photo by Gary E. Lindsley 4

KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | FALL 2014

6.

15.

Passion for Sports

Five Women, One Goal

The Forney Sports Center operates on the theory of giving back to the community with 56,000 square feet and a variety of opportunities.

Five TISD School Board volunteers talk about their goals for the district and how well they work together for a common goal, the children.

Family When they are not dousing fires or saving lives, the area’s firefighters have developed a close-knit bond through blood and brotherhood.

8.

20. Shopping Around Town Get a peak into local shops for unique finds.

22.

27.

A Traditional Trend for Midwifery

Character Counts

Midwife assisted births are on the rebound. Find out more on this trend with traditional roots from a Kaufman County midwife.

The home-grown Terrell duo, Brenda Horn and Clint Howie, plan to take Kaufman County’s Relay for Life to an unsurpassed level.

29. Health & Wellness Learn of a few of the choices that Terrell offers in the field of dentistry as well as some assisted living locations in Kaufman County.

31. Scene & Heard Update your calendar with all of the fall activities that Terrell has to offer.

www.kaufmancountylife.com

5

Passion

for

Sports

Ramin Gilani is seen in his Forney Sports Center.

Story and photos by

Mike Elswick

Forney Sports Center today serves hundreds of Kaufman County residents and also serves as magnet for sports tourism with a variety of tournaments that bring guests from a several state region to Forney.

T

he center arose from a passion and vision of owner Ramin Gilani. He was living in the North Dallas suburb of Plano with three active children, and his wife, Valarie. He was well familiar with the caliber of fitness centers and sports complexes available in the area north of Dallas.

Gilani was born in Iran in 1960, and came to the United States when he was 17 years old to study. That was years before the upheaval that has rocked that area of the globe. He went to college at Texas State University in San Marcos and got his master’s degree in computer science from the University of

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KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | FALL 2014

Texas at San Antonio.

He taught school for a few years and lived in the Boston area where his wife completed her degree at Boston University.

The couple moved back to Texas in the 1990s and Gilani got started in the furniture making business and opened a facility in Forney in a rented building owned by Red Whaley.

While furniture making was his living, sports and an active lifestyle were his passion.

“I’ve been involved in sports all my life,” he said. One of the couple’s three children, a daughter, got very active in playing basketball and the Gilani family found themselves spending lots

of non-work time at tournaments and practice.

“There were all kinds of great facilities in the Plano area, but nothing like this in Forney,” he said. Gilani started planning to bring a world-class facility to Forney on acreage he already owned adjacent to furniture plant.

But when the economy plunged into recession in the late 2000s, Gilani found a big part of his 110,000-square-foot manufacturing facility sitting empty. He scrapped plans to construct the sports complex he had dreamed of but did not trash plans for the complex completely.

Kaufman County Life | Feature Volume 4 Issue 3 | Fall 2014

Instead, he moved forward with utilizing a part of his then empty furniture plant and turning it into Forney Sports Complex.

“We got a lot of moral support from the city of Forney and we operate it on the theory that we want to give something back to the community,” Gilani said. “It’s run more like a community center than a business.”

There are optional memberships, people utilizing the facilities can pay a small fee to work out, rent the batting cages or play basketball, volleyball or other sports without a membership.

“It’s been very fulfilling,” he said of the acceptance and growth of the facilities. There are lots of tournaments and camps held at Forney Sports Center, including many that

bring attendees from out of town.

“We have people from all over the Dallas area, East Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana come

“...we operate it on the theory that we want to give something back to the community.”

— Ramin Gilani here for basketball and martial arts tournaments,” Gilani said.

There are also leagues for soccer, volleyball and basketball.

The center hosts lock-ins, church gatherings and has trainers who use the facility for their classes. One of the aspects of the center’s courts is that they can quickly be changed from basketball courts to those used for volleyball because of automated volleyball nets that can be lowered from the ceiling in a matter of minutes.

Forney Sports Center has five indoor batting cages that can be used for both softball and baseball pitching and hitting practice.

“When we first opened we were small but we’ve already expanded three times,” Gilani said. Today the facility encompasses about 56,000 square feet.

“One of the differences between us and others is the See PASSION, Continued on pg. 29

m r , a h C e h t Spot Win a $50 Gift Card!

Beginning with this issue of Kaufman County Life, readers can participate in our Spot the Charm contest. Here’s how the contest works: 1. Look for the charm graphic hidden somewhere in the magazine.

2. Once you find the charm graphic, please email Stephanie Elswick at selswick@terrelltribune.com with the answer as well as your name and contact information.

3. If your answer is correct it will be put into a drawing for a $50 gift card from any business advertising in this issue’s “Shop Around Town” pages.

4. Stephanie will notify the winner by phone.

5. The winner will receive a gift card from the “Shop Around Town” business of their choice.

6. KCL Charm will take a photo of the winner with their gift card. The photo will be in the next issue of Kaufman County Life.

Good luck!

Stephanie Elswick KCL Charm Please note: The charm graphic is hidden in the magazine. It is not the charm graphic within the KCL Charm logo. www.kaufmancountylife.com

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Family

Jim Harper, Joe Smith and Don Lindsey say putting on their firefighting gear is second nature.

Nothing gets the adrenaline flowing faster than the tones sounding in a firefighters’ home or at the station. For the families, some worry about what their loved ones are going to face. Others take it in stride and know it is just part of the job.

Story and Photos by

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KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | FALL 2014

Gary E. Lindsley

Kaufman County Life | Feature Volume 4 Issue 3 | Fall 2014

I

t is 2:30 a.m. and suddenly the tones go off.

Your heart starts to beat wildly. You are flush with adrenaline and ready to take on the unknown.

You don your boots, heavy pants and coat, and grab your helmet and the rest of your gear before heading toward the fire department or your engine.

fighter in 1977 with the Terrell Volunteer Fire Department.

Firefighting was in his blood.

“My dad was a firefighter before me,” Harper said. “It was always something I wanted to do.”

His father, Dowell, aka C.D., was a firefighter with the Mesquite Fire Department and retired from the Garland Fire Department.

“Like Hank Williams Junior said, — Jim Harper ‘It’s a family tradition,’” When you get to the scene of the fire, you encounter another fire department in your territory. Sometimes, those encounters end in fisticuffs while buildings burn.

The days of turf wars in responding to fire calls may be long gone, but the family tradition of fighting fires is alive and well in Kaufman County, especially in Terrell.

Nothing gets the adrenaline flowing faster than the tones sounding in a firefighters’ home or at the station.

For the families, some worry about what their loved ones are going to face. Others take it in stride and know it is just part of the job.

They, like their spouses, become part of a very close-knit family. Jim Harper, Joe Smith and David and Don Lindsey Jr. grew up together. They went to school together and were Boy Scouts in the same troop — Troop 390.

They also had dreams of serving others. Their dreams — being firefighters and helping their communities.

Harper got his start as a fire-

“Like Hank Williams Junior said, ‘It’s a family tradition,’” Harper said.

Harper got his first fulltime, paid firefighting gig — $1,000 a month — in 1980 with the Plano Fire Department. He

position, Harper still was a TVFD volunteer. In fact, he was assistant chief for 25 years.

“At that time, you could not be a volunteer when [employed as a paid] chief,” he said.

Harper loves being a firefighter, yet it is hard to describe why. “I cannot imagine not being in the fire service,” he said.

There are the times when calls are not easy, especially when children are involved. “They stick with you,” Harper said.

Then there was the Flexible Foam Products fire in the 1980s when firefighters from throughout Kaufman County responded.

“It burned from one end of the building to the other,” Harper said. “The last big fire we had here was the PrecisionAire manufacturing facility fire.”

The fire in 2006 put 150

Fire chiefs Jim Harper and Don Lindsey are seen at the Terrell Heritage Museum with items in a display highlighting the local history and tradition of firefighting.

retired in June 2002 to take the chief’s position with the Terrell Fire Department.

Until he took Terrell’s chief’s

people out of work when the company did not rebuild “We had nine departments with lots of help. Mutual aid is www.kaufmancountylife.com

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Kaufman County Life | Feature Volume 4 Issue 2 | Summer 2014

very important,” he said.

Mutual aid, Harper said, always plays a role in fires, especially the larger ones. “It was kind of limited early on because there was not much around, just us and Forney,” he said.

The city’s firefighters have responded to help fight fires in Mabank, Quinlan and Kemp.

They have even filled in for Greenville firefighters when one of their own died.

Although Harper is a seasoned veteran, firefighters cannot but help react when the tones sound.

“First you have to swallow your heart back,” he said. “It is pretty nerve racking for guys when the lights go on and someone is talking to them.”

It is even worse when firefighters are off shift and they are called in.

“A phone call in the middle of the night is never good,” he said.

“You kind of get used to it ... tones and stuff.”

Don Lindsey got his start in Terrell in 1981. “C.D. [Harper]

and Jim [Harper] talked me into it,” he said. “They said you need to come down and be a fireman.

It is a family thing, my father [Don Lindsey Sr.], brother [David Lindsey].”

Lindsey joined the Dallas Fire Department in 1989. Today, he is a DFD fireman and paramedic stationed at Love

Lindsey said. They go deer hunting together and their families have gatherings. “You have two families,” he said.

There is his immediate family and his firefighting family.

“We probably spend more time with the guys and gals than with our own blood families,” Harper said.

“We have met a lot of great people.

It is a brotherhood. When you live with someone 24 hours every three days, it is intimate. It is a kinship.” — Cindy Smith Field in Dallas while remaining as the TVFD fire chief.

“The first time, I turned the Love Field offer down because it was too slow,” he said. When he did make the switch, the crew at Station 42 — where he was stationed — made the move to Love Field together.

“We do a lot of things together,”

Jim and Kathy Harper said their family is intertwined with those of many others involved in firefighting.

Lindsey, like Harper, has incidents that will never dim for him.

“The one I really remember was the guy pinned under [an 18 wheeler] on [Interstate] 20,” he said. “He was still in the sleeper.” Its tractor-trailer was on fire. “You knew he was in there alive,” Lindsey said.”

How do firefighters handle such tragedies? Lindsey said they do so by having a good preacher, as well as critical stress incident team.

Then there are the calls which help even out the bad ones. Lindsey said there was a man in Poetry who had fallen, and he stood by the man’s bed for about two hours.

“It felt good to do it, talking with him,” he said. “There was a lot of stuff he could tell you.”

Harper said any day a firefighter is able to really make a difference is a good day.

His department has had medical calls in which they had to administer cardio pulmonary See FIREFIGHTING, Continued on pg. 12

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KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | FALL 2014

www.kaufmancountylife.com

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Kaufman County Life | Feature Volume 4 Issue 3 | Fall 2014

FIREFIGHTING, Continued from pg. 10 resuscitation — and saved the victims.

“Two weeks later, they come to the station and ask, ‘Do you remember me? You saved my life,’” Harper said.

That is what makes it all worthwhile, according to Lindsey and Harper. “As I often say, when fire departments are busy, someone is having a bad day,” Harper said. “You make a positive out of a negative. It is not always about lifesaving. “[Lindsey] made a difference talking to him,” Harper said in referring to the man who fell out of bed. “Those are the rewards you get for the bad things.”

Talking about his family’s history of firefighting, Lindsey said at one time, there were three of them on duty at the Dallas Fire Department. “David was hired 25 years after my father, on the same date,” Lindsey said.

David Lindsey said he was taught the value of giving back to his community by his parents.

Part of his desire to give back led to joining DFD in 1981. “I kind of fell into it,” Lindsey said.

Truck 37 at Station 37 on Greenville Avenue in Dallas.

Like his brother and Harper, David Lindsey said being a firefighter is like having a second family.

Not only is Lindsey a firefighter he also is still a Boy Scout and is the scoutmaster for Troop 390. “It was a natural progression [being scoutmaster],” he said. “I love to camp, backpack and hike. It is a great stress reliever.”

What is important to Lindsey is teaching his scouts values. When Lindsey is not pulling a shift at Station 37, he is either helping with community projects with Labor For Your Neighbor or helping out at First Baptist Church. He is also part of the DFD Honor Guard.

Firefighters not only face losing people they are trying to save on a daily basis, they also risk losing their fellow firefighters with whom they are fighting blazes side-by-side.

Earlier this year, when David Lindsey was presented the Terrell Rotary Club’s Community Service Award, all he could think about was the funeral of one of his friends, a fellow Dallas firefighter a day earlier.

“Every firefighter is inches away from life-threatening situations, even in the safest mode of operation.” — Joe Smith After just two weeks at the academy, he knew that firefighting — helping save peoples’ lives and homes — was the right job for him. “I feel like I am good at it and it is something I enjoy,” Lindsey said.

He is the second driver on 12

KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | FALL 2014

“I always want people to realize there are things we are supposed to do,” he said. It is not about getting a plaque. I almost felt guilty for stepping up on the stage because there was something so much bigger that happened the day before.”

Lindsey was talking about the funeral service and huge turnout of firefighters from around the country at the Terrell ISD Performing Arts Center for fallen DFD firefighter William Scott Tanksley who was killed in the line of duty during an ice storm on Feb. 10.

“From the time he passed away, there was always a firefighter by his side,” Lindsey said. “From the medical examiner to the time he was placed in the grave.”

Two days after burying Tanksley, Lindsey said he went to Long Elementary School to get back in the swing of things He helped laminate, ran errands for the teachers and sorted mail. “It was good getting back into a normal routine that was not planning a funeral,” Lindsey said.

Joe Smith, who grew up with the Lindseys and Harper and also was in the Boy Scouts, has been a firefighter for 33 years. He currently is one of Garland Fire Department’s battalion chiefs.

“I grew up with these guys,” Smith said about the Lindseys and Harper. “Me and Jim are in a picture when we were 7 or 8 bobbing for apples at the First Christian Church.”

Smith said talking with his brother-in-law, Mike Hunt, sparked his interest in becoming a firefighter. “It sounded like an interesting and exciting career,” he said. “He was in Duncanville and talked about every [incident] he went to. It is not a boring profession.”

Smith was 21 when he joined the ranks and went through rookie school and then emergency medical technician as well. He was paid about $600 a See FIREFIGHTING, Continued on pg. 31

www.kaufmancountylife.com

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FiveWomen:in theOne Goal Terrell Schools Making a difference

Story and Photos by

W

hile some school boards have members who represent a portion of area’s demographic or take divisive stances, the Terrell ISD Board of Trustees consists of members from an array of backgrounds and represent the city’s diverse population.

Board president Dena Risinger, Lisa Asher, Ann McDonald, Anita Mann and Channy

Ory, along with Reginald Williams and Thomas Mosley, make up the TISD school board.

The voter-elected board, whose members do not receive pay for their work, is tasked with shaping educational policies and the district’s goals and vision.

“Every one brings something special to the table, but at the end of the day we all have one goal: do what’s best for the chil-

Paul Bottoni

dren,” said Asher, who serves as the board’s vice president.

“We try to focus on these kids and what’s best for the district.

At the end of the day we come together to do what’s right.”

While some school boards have tension, leading to long meetings with tiffs over relatively small issues, TISD’s school board provides a unified front, with little to no bickering during public meetings. www.kaufmancountylife.com

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Kaufman County Life | KCL Charm Volume 4 Issue 3 | Fall 2014

“I think that is unique,” said Mann, who was elected for a third term in 2013. “I’ve heard it at many conferences. I’ve talked to members of other boards and they’ve said there can be a lot of tension. We’re a good group here.”

Part of the success of the board as a whole, members said, is each trustee comes from a different career field — from banking to hairstyling to veterinary care.

McDonald, a former teacher, is the only board member with a longtime experience in the field. Risinger also taught for a few years in West Texas while her husband attended medical school.

McDonald’s experience as a teacher was partly why she originally sought a seat on the board.

“I felt like I had a perspective that no one else on the board would have,” McDonald said. “I felt the teachers also needed a voice on the board. I was born here. My family has had three generations of graduates here. I have a pride in the city of Terrell and I want it to continue to be the best that it can be.

Back row: Thomas Mosley, District/Place 4; Micheal French, Superintendent; Reginald Williams, District/Place 2; Channy Ory, District/Place 5.

Front Row: Anita Mann, District/Place 1; Ann Kines McDonald, Place 6 At Large; Lisa Asher, Vice President, District/Place 3; Dena Risinger, President, Place 7 At Large. that represented on the board.”

In May, McDonald and Risinger were both re-elected for their fourth and fifth terms on the board, respectively, as atlarge candidates. They faced no opposition.

McDonald also serves as Terrell ISD’s representative on

“It’s very easy to put our thoughts and feelings aside when we’re focusing on the children.”

— Dena Risinger, TISD school board president We have different views and represent different things, which is good,” she said. “We don’t need five of the same person. We are a diverse community and so we should have 16

KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | FALL 2014

the Kaufman County Appraisal Board of Director, which she said has often had a different makeup than the TISD school board. Five of the seven TISD’s trustees are women.

“Often times, I’ve been the only woman member on the board,” she said. “It’s really special to have five of us on the [TISD school] board.”

TISD, along with other school boards throughout the state, participates in teambuilding workshops each year along with the district’s superintendent to bolster its effectiveness.

“We really work together as a cohesive unit. Do we all start out agreeing on an issue? Not necessarily,” Ory said. “We don’t really agree to disagree, though, because we all end up agreeing on a plan.”

Ory’s first term on the board wraps up in 2015. She ran for the vacant District 5 seat in 2012 out of desire to see tangible improvements in TISD. See GOAL , Continued on pg. 18

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Kaufman County Life | KCL Charm Volume 4 Issue 3 | Fall 2014

GOAL , Continued from pg. 16 “I felt it was a good place to get involved,” she said. “I didn’t like the direction of the district.

I have a stake in the district like many others — I have two kids who go to school here.”

The TISD school board established a new direction for the district when it hired thenQuinlan ISD Superintendent Micheal French in May 2013 to replace Kelly Rodgers, who left Terrell to take the same position for a district in Little Rock, Ark. Since French arrived, he has put in place a leadership team that has made comprehensive changes to TISD in terms of its day-to-day operation and its future, such as joining a pilot

The board works alongside French to guide the district.

What makes the team successful, Risinger said, is a shared goal — to do what’s right for the children of Terrell.

“We’re here about the kids, and I feel that’s Mr. French’s goal,” she said. “When you’re here for the children, your expectations are a bit different.

It’s not about us, it’s about the children. It’s very easy to put our thoughts and feelings aside when we’re focusing on the children.”

That mentality, along with a passion for volunteerism, was what inspired Mann and Asher to first seek posts on the board.

“We have a lot of work to do, but we came further along this year than I thought we would. I like the direction we’re going.

We didn’t decline overnight, so it’ll take a while to get where we want to be, but we’ve made progress.”

— Channy Ory, TISD school board

teacher and administrator evaluation program by the Texas Education Agency, curriculum and facility improvements and an open channel of communication with the community and parents.

“We have a lot of work to do, but we came further along this year than I thought we would. I like the direction we’re going,” Ory said. “We didn’t decline overnight, so it’ll take a while to get where we want to be, but we’ve made progress.”

18

KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | FALL 2014

“I certainly want to make a difference for the kids and the staff,” Mann said. “I enjoy volunteering. It was eye-opening at first because it was a lot more than I anticipated, but it’s rewarding to see the challenges we face and the many obstacles that the kids and the staff face, and how they set goals and overcome them.”

“I ran because I wanted to help and better our city and our children,” Asher said. “It’s all about the children with me. I feel

they deserve the best and I want to be here to help get the best.”

Risinger, who has served as board president since May 2006, said the board strives to find the best solution to an issue, with each member providing unique input because of their backgrounds and experiences.

“We work hard to make decisions that are in the best interest of the children,” Risinger said. “Our goal is to respect each board member’s opinion and support the final outcome.”

She said the board has a way of coming up with resolutions while allowing everyone to give their opinion.

“As president of the Terrell ISD School Board, my goal is to bring the board together to make the best decision for all children,” Risinger said. “As public servants, we must carefully express our opinions while representing the families of our community.” Putting the district’s students’ needs first is a priority, she said.

“It’s not about us, it’s about doing the right thing for kids,” Risinger said. “It’s easy to put our thoughts and feelings aside when we’re focused on the children.”

She said her own experience as a classroom teacher years ago helps provide her a different point of view on issues.

“I learned a great deal, I’m not an expert teacher, but it did give me an opportunity to see what both teachers and students experience,” Risinger said. “I ran for the board to be a voice for all students, especially those who can’t speak for themselves.”

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MINI-BANK 210 North Frances, Terrell, TX 75160 972.524.3411

INSIDE WAL-MART 1900 West Moore Avenue, Terrell, TX 75160 972.563.2079

Member FDIC www.kaufmancountylife.com

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Kaufman County Life | KCL Charm Volume 4 Issue 3 | Fall 2014

g n i p p o h A S

Town

Experience furniture shopping at its finest.

Locally owned since 1966, Traylor Furniture has the area’s largest selection of quality name brand furniture at affordable prices! Their friendly staff makes it easy and convenient to turn your house into your dream home. Flexible financing options are available. Browse our online catalogue!

Traylor Furniture 221 W. Moore Ave. Terrell, Texas 972-563-3453 wwww.traylorfurniture.com

Treat yourself to Serendipity!

An unforgettable retail experience awaits you at Serendipity. This must see store provides shoppers with unique home décor and fashion items that are unforgettable.

Choose from an endless range of items including candles, dishes, jewelry, wall art, fashion items and much more!

Serendipity Home Décor & Gifts 1735 North Frances St. Terrell, Texas 972-563-8490 Find us on Facebook.

For all your vacation desires!

• Reunions • Weddings • Fundraising Cruises for Non-Profits • Annual Meetings • Clubs • Family Travel • Dude Ranches • Honeymoon Packages • All Inclusive Resorts

Emerald Cruise & Travel 903-873-8629 | 214-335-3192 mary@emeraldcruiseandtravel.com

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KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | FALL 2014

Fashion dreams can come true.

Since 1952 Daisy’s has provided exceptional clothing and accessories to women of all ages. Stellar customer service coupled with brands such as Consuela bags, NYD Jeans, Mariana jewelry, One of a Kind Woodworking, Capri Blue Candles and Brighton will keep YOU coming back for more.

Daisy’s 105 W. Mulberry | Kaufman, Texas 972-962-3810 daisysdressshoppe.com

Around Tucked away in the small towns of Northeast Texas lie charming shops that are overflowing with unique and tasteful items. Try to take some time this summer to visit a few of these locations. Small businesses offer BIG shopping experiences!

Gift giving never smelled so good!

For quality flower arrangements and gifts in Terrell, order from Flowerfields Florist! Family owned and operated, these trusted florists are committed to creating beautiful, unique floral gifts for any special occasion. Gift items such as Aromatique candles and diffusers are also available.

Flowerfields Florist 404 W. Nash St. | Terrell, Texas 972-563-2252 | 1-800-638-8991 www.flowerfieldsflorist.com

Hidden treasures await you!

You won’t believe your eyes as you enter this quaint store that is chock full of specialties! The Front Porch searches high and low for the most unique antiques, fashion items and home decorations. From gifts for maternity, wedding and teachers to fragrances, fashion and special home decorations, visitors won’t leave this store empty handed.

The Front Porch 304 N. Catherine St. | Terrell, Texas | 469-474-7888 Like us on Facebook!

Consignment can be sophisticated.

Saving money while buying good quality women’s clothing and accessories is what Silhouette is all about.

Shop for eveningwear as well as career and recreational pieces. A selection of shoes, purses and jewelry are also featured. Layaway is available with a down payment. Happy closet!

Happy wallet!

Silhouette Ladies Resale Boutique 209 W. Moore Ave. Terrell, Texas 972-551-1707 Like us on Facebook!

Timeless fashion. enVogue offers women beautiful quality clothing that can be worn at work, for recreation or at a social event. When shoppers try on enVogue’s lines of clothing they slip into a time that is all their own. Family owned and operated, this boutique strives to meet women’s fashion needs with a smile.

enVogue 103 W. Moore Ave. | Terrell, Texas | 972-563-8969 | Like us on Facebook! www.kaufmancountylife.com

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a

l a n o i t i Trad

Trenyd

for Midwifer

Midwifery offers a throwback to a more natural way of birthing.

Story by

Mike Elswick, Photos by Cilla Wichmann

T

he journey into motherhood for many Kaufman County area women has taken the road less traveled thanks to a growing trend with roots that go back centuries — midwifery.

The move away from giving birth in a hospital environment and instead of using the familiar surroundings of one’s own home, or a home-like birthing center setting, is on the rise for a variety of reasons, according to Linda Turner, who operates Delivered With Love Midwifery.

It’s a business, but it is also a reflection of the change in philosophy of modern medicine of the past century or so.

Linda says for many mothers-to-be, the option of not delivering their newborn in a hospital environment offers a pleasing alternative.

“Every single birth is a miracle,” Linda says. For eons of time, until the advent of modern medicine, those births were normally done in the home of the mother and often with a midwife, or someone similar with at least some minimal training or experience assisting

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KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | FALL 2014

in the delivery process.

“Our society has become very medicine-ized and that can sometimes become a spiral of intervention,” Linda says.

“But birth is what the body does normally, naturally — it’s what happens in nature.”

“Many women just want more control and choice in the process,” she said.

Among those women is Stephanie Morgan, 21, of Garland who used Linda for the delivery of Cruise, who is now about 19

months old, and Gideon, who is about four months old.

“It’s just more natural and that is what I was looking for,” Stephanie said. “I have no regrets and never had to worry about having a C-section.”

For Stephanie, the possibility of having a cesarean was not something she wanted a doctor to even consider.

“In my case I was in labor for 43 hours with my first one,” she says. “If I had been a See MIDWIFE, Continued on pg. 24

Stephanie Morgan and her sons Cruise and Gideon, with Linda Turner.

www.kaufmancountylife.com

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Kaufman County Life | KCL Charm Volume 4 Issue 3 | Fall 2014

MIDWIFE, Continued from pg. 22 hospital for that length of time they would have probably forced me to have a C-section.”

Instead, Stephanie spent those hours of labor with Linda at her side, providing massages and reading the Bible.

“For me it was just so much better,” Stephanie says. “For a lot of the people I know who are expecting, the thought of using a midwife is scary. But I tell all my friends about my experience with natural birth and how satisfied I was.”

The huge increase in recent years of cesarean deliveries, plus increased use of epidurals and other medications in the delivery process, have driven many women to seek out options.

“Women today are educating

Midwife Linda Turner with four-month old Gideon Morgan, who she helped deliver.

themselves more and learning more about the options,” Linda says. Other factors, such as not knowing if the OB/GYN that a mother has been seeing for 24

KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | FALL 2014

months will also actually make the delivery, can be unsettling.

If the mother-to-be doctor is not on call when the baby is ready to be born, her baby likely will be delivered by a stranger

such by using herbs.”

Linda says midwives are trained to recognize anything out of the ordinary or unusual either during the early stages of labor or during childbirth.

“This is really a great time to bring families and couples together. It can be a life-altering experience.” — Linda Horn and that is not appealing to many women.

Whether the midwife works at the mother’s home or at a birthing center like Baby Place in Greenville or Baby Bliss in Canton, efforts are made to make the experience as pleasant as possible. Even if a birthing center is used, the experience is more like going into the bedroom of someone’s home rather than a cold hospital room. “Lots of times it’s almost like a spa experience with candle-light, soothing music and an oil massage,” Linda says.

A big part of having a midwife involved in the birthing process can be in the consultation visits done well in advance of the delivery. “We focus a lot on diet and nutrition, not only for the mother, but for the baby,” Linda says. Because of the pressure to see as many patients a day as they can, nutrition education for the expecting mother is something many of them spend little or no time on.

“We also go over a lot of what they will be going through, from morning sickness, back pain and breast tenderness to a common list of discomforts, she says. “We let them know of ways to deal with those issues naturally,

“Most of the time birth just happens like it is supposed to without complications,” she says. But if issues out of the ordinary do arise there are doctors she and other midwives can call on.

“After the birth we do an exam right there next to the mom,” Linda says. “It’s very thorough and the mother gets to watch.”

Linda had worked about 15 years in the medical field as a medical assistant working in a variety of doctor’s office environments from general practice to pediatricians and OB/GYN. Linda could have gone on but then she had a “light bulb moment” when the career path for her was placed in front of her.

“I ran into a friend from high school who was a midwife,” she said. The two longtime friends had a discussion and Linda said it was clear to her what she wanted to do. “It was exactly then that I knew what I wanted to be,” she said.

“That was in 2009, and within a week I left my job and enrolled in school to become a midwife.”

The Texas Association of Midwives has its own distance learning program supplemented with workshops and hands-on apprenticeships. The schooling See MIDWIFE, Continued on pg. 30

Kaufman County Life | Cook's Corner Volume 4 Issue 3 | Fall 2014

Cook’s Corner Stephanie Elswick Photos by Cilla Wichmann

Story by

T

he love of cooking can be hereditary. Or, at least that’s what Gerry Chambers, retired teacher of 31 years in home economics and culinary arts believes.

Standing in her kitchen in Poetry, Gerry fondly recalls memories of watching her “Nanny” cook biscuits, pies and other delectables. Gerry learned the tricks of the trade from her Nanny and, also, her home economics class in high school.

Many years later, Gerry is working on passing her love of cooking by creating fond memories in the kitchen with her grandchildren. She is married to Terry Chambers. They have three grown children between them and six grandchildren.

Gerry’s family often request these two favorites:

Gerry Chambers shares two of her family favorites, Granny’s Cheesy Meatloaf and Breakfast Sausage Rolls.

Granny’s Cheesy Meatloaf Gerry created this recipe to entice her son to eat meatloaf when he was very young. As a result of experimenting with the additions of hot sausage and cheese, this meatloaf recipe is different but addictive! This recipe yields two loaves.

Granny’s Cheesy Meatloaf incorporates hot sausage and cheese to become a unique and addictive dish. www.kaufmancountylife.com

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Kaufman County Life | Cook’s Corner Volume 4 Issue 3 | Fall 2014

Breakfast Sausage Rolls Gerry’s family looks forward to this breakfast treat on holiday mornings and during homecomings. This recipe is so easy to make that you will be finding reasons to make it for your family as often as possible!

GERRY'S TIPS Parchment paper, purchased at most food stores, is always good to use as a non-stick surface on cookie sheets and other cookware. The paper prevents food from sticking without creating a greasy surface.

Lining the loaf pans with Saran Wrap before adding the meatloaf mixture prevents a mess and serves as a convenient way to pop out the loaves for serving or freezing. And surprisingly enough, the plastic wrap does not melt.

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KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | FALL 2014

Breakfast sausage rolls fresh from the oven.

Gerry rolls the sausage into the biscuit dough.

Terrell natives join forces to head up the 2015 Kaufman County Relay For Life.

Character Counts Co-chairs Brenda Horn and Clint Howie.

Story and Photos by

T

he latest volunteer commitment from a pair of native Terrell residents can potentially result in lives saved, pain reduced and healthier lifestyles for dozens of Kaufman County residents.

Brenda Horn and Clint Howie have taken on the huge task of heading up the 2015 Kaufman County Relay For Life. They are co-chairs for the celebration of life event coming up in the spring.

The event annually brings hundreds of area residents together to focus on surviving cancer, raising money for research and educating the public.

The American Cancer Society event locally has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars toward the fight against cancer. For both Howie and Horn involvement is personal.

“Cancer has hit really close to home for me,” says Brenda.

She’s had a grandfather, an aunt, an uncle and lots of close friends who have battled the disease over the years.

“The American Cancer Society is there to help with things like getting medications, lining up transportation for treatment and more — and it’s all just a phone call away,” Brenda says.

Like Brenda and many other Kaufman County residents, Clint says his life too has been impacted by cancer.

“I lost two grandparents to cancer before I was even born,” he says. “I just don’t want people to have to go through this.

Kids should be to know their grandparents.”

Both Brenda and Clint have been involved in Relay For Life in the past. Clint served as online committee chairman this past year and has been involved at other levels in the event.

Brenda has been responsible

Mike Elswick

the past three years for the luminaria that have lined the track after dark where the event is held.

“I was ready to do something else,” she says. That “something else” is a big challenge due to the size of the fundraiser and the many aspects it entails.

“Anybody that gets involved will really be blessed by what they do.”

— Clint Howie But the co-chairmen think they are off to an early and positive start with a solid core of committee chairs who were interviewed over this past summer.

“We’ve met with each of them and think we have the best fits for their individual www.kaufmancountylife.com

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Kaufman County Life | Character Counts Volume 4 Issue 3 | Fall 2014

talents,” Clint says. “We also have several team captains back this year serving on our committee.”

Those team captains are the core of helping make the event a success. Their job is to get commitments from individuals at businesses, through civic groups or with friends who have a desire to get involved in the fight against cancer and work to raise money and awareness.

“A team doesn’t have to be a company or a business, it can be a family or a group from a school — anybody can have a team and participate and raise money,” Brenda says. “People

2015 American Cancer Society Relay For Life co-chairs Clint Howie and Brenda Horn at the Furlough Middle School track in Terrell where the event will be held next spring.

money,” Brenda says. “The American Cancer Society not just about raising money, although that is important.

They are there to help people with whatever their need is, it’s not just raising money for

“The American Cancer Society not just about raising money, although that is important. They are there to help people with whatever their need is.”

— Brenda Horn don’t realized that when they support the ACS, they are helping celebrate one more life.”

For 2015 the bar is high as Kaufman County Relay For Life comes off a banner spring 2014 event in which more than $95,000 was raised.

“Our goal for this coming year is $110,000,” Clint says.

They hope to have at least 40 teams, up from 33 teams this past spring, and get at least 130 cancer survivors involved in the Relay. That goal is up from the 108 cancer survivors who took laps around the track at Terrell ISD’s Herman Furlough Middle School this past spring.

“We want to emphasize this is not just about raising 28

KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | FALL 2014

research. There are lots of other services they provide like a 24-hour phone line that can provide emotional support and help people and their families talk through issues.”

When not volunteering, Brenda works in the fraud department of Terrell-headquartered American National Bank of Texas. She had retired from the bank after a 31-year stint and decided to come out of retirement.

Brenda has been active with the Terrell Chamber of Commerce, where she has been on the chamber’s President’s Club for her efforts in serving on the annual civic auction raffle committee. She is also active in

singing with the gospel trio “Still Blessed” with Fellowship Baptist Church. With that group she has performed throughout the region at a variety of events.

Clint has also been an active volunteer with the local Red Cross Chapter for a number of years.

Both Brenda and Clint are members of the Kiwanis Club of Terrell and are both former chairmen of that group’s annual holiday toy drive helping needy children. Clint says those volunteer hours were very rewarding.

“It makes it all worthwhile when a parent sees their child get a bike they would not have gotten for Christmas otherwise and they start crying,” he says.

Kiwanis has served up to 400 families annually through that program.

They both say when they see cancer survivors take a lap, or laps, around the track at Relay For Life they get that same type of feeling.

“When you see survivors go around the track it really makes all those hours of work worthwhile,” Clint says. “Anybody that gets involved will really be blessed by what they do.”

Health & Wellness Dr. Alan Nix The dental offices of Dr. Alan L. Nix are ready to put years of experience and the latest in techniques to work for residents of Kaufman County and the surrounding area.

Dr. Nix strongly believes in giving back to the community and one way he has done that is by becoming a dentist. He grew up in Dallas and graduated from the University of Texas Dental School in San Antonio in 1979.

Dr. Nix continues to give back to his community and is actively involved with Boy Scout Troops 390 and 391. Being an Eagle Scout

himself, he knows the value of Scouting, which teaches youngsters how to survive, be leaders and stresses the importance of honesty.

Honesty is very much a part of Nix’s dental practice. He treats every patient as if he or she were a member of his family. “I always address the three things that keep people from coming to the dentist,” Nix said. They are money, fear, and time. The office has flexible hours and provides simple, affordable financing.

For more information visit: dralannix.com; or call 972-563-7633.

Rosehaven Rosehaven/Hickory Square Assisted Living Inns are community and quality focused operations with more than two decades of service providing care at about half the cost of the national average.

The inns serve needs for elderly, disabled and veterans and have deep Kaufman County roots, according to Ray Manning, who owns and operates the inns along with his wife Wendy and staff.

“Our quality of care is as good as anybody’s,” Ray said. State officials are highly involved in

regulating all such facilities to ensure they meet quality standards.

“We’re very proud of the quality of care we give,” he said. “Our facilities are neat as a pin and provide a lot of value.”

Ray said some employees have been with the operation for more than 20 years.

“We’re Kaufman County residents serving other Kaufman County residents,” he said.

“We’re a home grown operation and are proud of the bargain and value we provide.”

Bright Smiles Terrell’s Bright Smiles Dental Clinic has announced the addition of Dr. Bethany Joseph, D.D.S., to the staff. She is a recent graduate of the school of dentistry at Louisiana State University New Orleans.

Dr. Joseph says becoming a dentist fulfills her desire to both help people and to build upon her love and passion for science.

She grew up in New Iberia, La., and did her undergraduate studies at Centenary College in Shreveport, where she majored in biology and minored in business.

“One of the things I want to do is help educate people on oral health and help them prevent problems down the road,” Joseph said.

At Bright Smiles she is an associate of Dr. Gwendolyn Kines McLeod.

The Bright Smiles offices are located at 401 N. Ann St., in Terrell. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays. For more information or to make an appointment, call 972-524-1048.

PASSION, Continued from pg. 7 personal relationship we have with our guests — we listen to them and work to change to meet what they want to see.”

Evidently that formula for success is working.

“It’s a very busy place,” he said. “I probably spend 80-to-90 hours a week here but it’s a calling, a passion of mine.”

Gilani takes pride in the

equipment, the facility and options that Forney Sports Center provides Kaufman County residents.

“We now have something here that rival anything in Frisco, Plano or North Dallas,” he said. And he sees more expansion in the future.

In the meantime, the facility will be hosting a five-year anniversary event from 10 a.m.

to 5 p.m., Oct. 4, free with lots of food and activities. Call or visit the website for details.

FOR More information: Forney Sports Center 12950 Farm to Market Road 1641 Forney, TX 75126 972-564-4333 forneysportscenter.com www.kaufmancountylife.com

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Kaufman County Life | KCL Charm Volume 4 Issue 3 | Fall 2014

“While a busy doctor may not have time to answer all of a woman’s questions, I love it when takes about three years and includes being involved they ask questions — that’s a big part of the eduin hands-on deliveries and lots of observation. cation process,” she says. “We’re there to help Delivered with Love Midwifery covers about a them be wiser and more well informed.” two-hour drive radius area around Terrell. Linda She provides expecting parents a four-to-five said she has delivered hour class to help them know what to expect. babies in Commerce, After the arrival of a new baby the midwife Wax-achachie, Garland, will stay with the mother for at least two Terrell and many rural hours and then will be in phone contact before a areas. follow up visit two days later, Linda says. Then Today, most health another checkup is done at 10 days after the insurance covers delivbirth and then at both three and six weeks after ery with midwives. An exception to that is Med- delivery. These help provide assurance that all is well and to help answer questions as the new icaid, which will not cover a birth at the moth- baby grows.

“This is really a great time to bring families er’s home but will cover and couples together,” she says. “It can be a lifethe expense if it is done altering experience.” at a birthing center.

Linda said the average expense these days for a FOR More information: hospital birth is about $10,000. “Our cost is Delivered With Love Midwifery about half that,” she says.

Linda Turner, LM, CPM stock photo If Medicaid is involved, it 15021 CR 342 Terrell, TX 75161 normally covers about 214-729-6050 $1,500 of the midwife birthing experience at a birthing center.

The Baby Place Birthing Center Other services a midwife can provide includes 2406 Church St. Greenville, TX 75401 taking care of legalities like filing for a birth cer903-413-2526 tificate and Social Security cards.But besides the www.thebabyplacebc.com cost factor, many mothers-to-be like the other benefits of working with a midwife. From avoidBaby Bliss Birthing Services ing long waits at a busy doctor’s office, to having 780 South Trade Days Blvd. Canton, TX 75103 many of the details of what to expect during the 903-368-0228 birth process explained on a personal level, there www.babyblissbirthing.com are a number of benefits, Linda says.

MIDWIFE, Continued from pg. 24

Medicare Advantage Plans and Medicare Supplements ** 65 and older affordable Healthcare for Seniors.

Contact Tricia Smith www.mymedicarelady.com d wne lly o ted. a c o L opera & 30

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KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | FALL 2014

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972-524-0083 214-952-1239 (Cell)

Scene & Heard Flights of Our Fathers Fly-In and Terrell ArtWalk Among activities the Terrell Chamber of Commerce staff and volunteers will be involved in this fall are The Flights of Our Fathers Fly-In and a fall edition of Terrell ArtWalk.

Terrell ArtWalk is a self-guided stroll through a variety of businesses and venues hosting artists and a variety of art from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 13.

The city’s annual Flights of Our Fathers Fly-In will be held from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 20, with activities filling up Terrell Municipal

Airport. The event annually draws a crowd of thousands to view vintage aircraft, view flyovers, watch skydivers and view static displays of a variety of aircraft. Classic car and motorcycle shows are also part of the event as is Kids Zone, with a variety of activities designed just for the younger set.

The event is sponsored by the No. 1 British Flying Training School Museum. For more info. call 972-524-1714; or visit www.facebook.com/ no1bfts.

FIREFIGHTING, Continued from pg. 12 month when he started. “It’s a profession,” he said. “You get to help someone every day."

"It’s the guys you work with,” Smith said. “They are your family. Most guys at the end of their careers stay because of the guys they work with.”

Like Lindsey and Harper, Smith has at least one incident he responded to that he would never forget.

In his case, it was a fivealarm fire that ended with an Owens-Corning building burning down in 1980. “It was a block long, a fire as far as you could see,” Smith said. “We had the same type of fire at Service Merchandise in 1988. They were such large fires.”

The Service Merchandise fire, though, was started the back of the warehouse by a security guard, according to Smith. “He wanted to discover it and be a hero,” Smith said, “but he was not able to put out the little fire he started. He started it in a box of toys inside a rack and it went up 40 feet through the rack system.

“Three firefighters got lost in the building,” he said. “I ended up pulling one down the

stairs. I thought he was dead.

“Just before I started giving him CPR, he took a breath,” Smith said. “I would probably have been pretty mad if we lip locked and he was OK. I was happy he started breathing.”

Smith said they were fortunate not to lose any firefighters in that blaze.

“We have had a lot of close calls, but by sheer luck, we haven’t lost anyone,” he said. “All of us have been on many incidents where an inch either way....

Ceilings have fallen on us.”

Smith also said firefighting has become a lot safer. “Years ago, we were rowdy and a lot more aggressive,” he said. “Now we are safer and less aggressive.

Every firefighter is inches away from life-threatening situations, even in the safest mode of operation.

“If we have a trapped victim, firefighter safety goes out the window,” Smith said. “It’s the only time when firefighter safety isn’t number one. It’s happened about three times.”

Smith and his wife, Cindy, are approaching their 35th wedding anniversary on Sept. 1.

Cindy and Joe grew up around the corner from each other and their parents went to

school with each other, but the couple did not meet until Joe returned form the U.S. Air Force.

They were married the opening day of duck season and he started his job as a firefighter that November.

“I have always thought it was a respectful, honorable profession,” she said. “Pay was horrible back then. Most of the older firefighters had second jobs.” Because of the low pay, being a firefighter was not that attractive, Cindy Smith said.

But she was happy Joe had a job, especially when they first were married because it was stable.

“Lots of people lost their jobs,” she said. Of course, when they first were married, he was fighting fires.

“I worried back then,” Cindy Smith said. “Today, I still worry, but it is a different type of worry. You have to have faith.”

She recalled that after a garage fire he was exposed to chemicals and he did not have the special gear back then.

“He has met a lot of great guys,” she said. “We have met a lot of great people. It is a brotherhood. When you live with someone 24 hours every three days, it is intimate. It is a kinship.” www.kaufmancountylife.com

31

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