Paris Life

David Salas MD • Joe Gray PA-C • Mandy Helberg, NP • Melanie Graham FNP-C • Tommy Caldwell FNP-C

Interview by: David Money

BRILEY SWAIN 16

Medical Mystery: A Mother's Quest for Answers & Healing

Story by: Tara Swain

AROUND TOWN

HOLLYWOOD NIGHTS: ADULT PROM 12

Photo Credit: Megan Pedersen

IN EVERY ISSUE

HEALTH 30

The Impact of Covid 19 on the Mental Health of Children

Story by: Ayesha Shafiq

WISE WORDS 32

Performance Review

Story by: Shannon McGuire

ENTERTAINMENT

DEJA VIEW 36

Grand Turismo: What a Ride!

Story by: Genevieve Cooney

CHECKPOINT 38

Retro Game Review: Crusader of Centy

Story by: Megan Pedersen

Photo Credit: Tara Swain

lives in Paris with her husband, Dr. Khalid Shafiq, who owns Paris Cardiology Center. She has three kids, Sayekm, Layla and Maya. Ayesha has been writing a heath column for Paris Life magazine for the past five years.

CONTRIBUTORS

is a graduate of Roxton ISD, after which he played collegiate basketball for four years and graduated from both Grayson County College and Wayland Baptist University. He also graduated from Dallas Bible Theological Institute. He has been employed for the last 22 years at Collin County Juvenile Probation Department serving as the Court/Legal Liaison for Juvenile Detention and Probation in the 417th District Court Collin County, Texas. He has been pastoring for 11 years and currently serves as Senior Pastor at Paris New Generation Church, 1513 Lamar Ave. in Paris. He is married with two children.

called,

4. Megan Pedersen became a graphic artist and member of The Paris News composing team in 2014. She is married to Luke Pedersen and together they have two beautiful daughters, Emma and Lucy. She has a Youtube channel

Megorium, where she regularly posts art and video game content.

3. Genevieve Cooney is Toni Clem’s little sister, a lifelong cinephile, she holds film degrees from UT and a Masters of Fine Arts from the American Film Institute’s Conservatory Program. She went on to work in the film industry as a script reader, a story editor and then Vice President of Development for an international film company.

1. Ayesha Shafiq

2. Shannon McGuire

OCTOBER 2023

OCTOBER 1

TEXAS COUNTRY BOYS

EAST PARIS BAPTIST CHURCH

725 N COLLEGIATE DR, PARIS, TX

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Come join the Texas Country Boys in concert at East Paris Baptist Church. Classic Country, New Country, Southern Gospel, Praise and Worship - this group does it all. Originally formed to spread the Gospel in Ukraine, this group has traveled to Europe 5 times and plans to return to Poland and even do some concerts in Western Ukraine this fall. Killer instrumentalists and rich harmonies will catch you from the very start. We hope you can join us for this time of great music and worship. Tickets not required, and the event is FREE, but there will be a love offering given towards TXCB upcoming mission trip to Ukraine and Poland.

OCTOBER 4

LADIES SUKKOTH LUNCHEON

221 8TH STREET NE, PARIS,TX

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Come join us for a day of fellowship as we discuss the prophecy of Yeshua/Jesus in the biblical holiday of sukkot/tabernacles. We’ll cover the timeline of messiah’s birth and the history behind this wonderfully fun holiday!

OCTOBER 7

20TH ANNUAL PARIS

HARLEY-DAVIDSON CHILI

COOK-OFF

PARIS HARLEY-DAVIDSON - PARIS, TEXAS

2875 NE LOOP 286, PARIS, TX

8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

**MARK YOUR CALENDAR, SATURDAY

OCT.7TH!!** It's time to SAVE THE DATE for our BIGGEST Parking Lot Party of the YEAR!! The world famous Paris HarleyDavidson Chili Cook-Off!! AND it's our 20th Annual!

OCTOBER 7

TEXAS ARCHEOLOGY DAY AT

THE MAXEY HOUSE

SAM BELL MAXEY HOUSE STATE

HISTORIC SITE

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM & 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

October is Texas Archeology Month! Join us on October 7 at 10:00 and 2:00 pm as we appreciate our history with FREE activities for kids including including:

- Dig: How do archeologists decide when people lived based on what they left behind? In this hands-on activity, participants will investigate an “archaeological site” to excavate the site and record arti acts they find

- Maxey House Artifact Matching Game: Match photos of actual Maxey House archeology artifacts!

- Pinch Pots: This is an archeology activity classic! Go home with your very own pot made at the Maxey House.

OCTOBER 7

OCTOBER

12

2023 FUNDRAISING GALA FEATURING EVIE WEST

LOVE CIVIC CENTER

2025 S COLLEGIATE DR, PARIS, TX

6:00 PM

RAT (RIDE ACROSS

TEXAS 1000)

Cycling event with several riding 1000 mils and overnighting in Paris. Contact Kevin Lee –Spinistry on Facebook.

OCTOBER 7

RED RIVER VALLEY VETERANS PRESENT

“THE OAK RIDGE BOYS” IN CONCERT AT DRAKES PARTY BARN

on Hwy 271 North – Gates open at 6:00p.m. Music starts at 7:00p.m. Tickets go on sale April 1st at 1025 S. Collegiate or www.outhousetickets.com

21st Annual Fundraising Gala hosted by Paris Pregnancy Care Centers. Our distinguished guest speaker, Evie West, is an infl ential advocate for lifea firming choices and empowering women on their pregnancy journey. Adding to the enchanting ambiance of the evening, the musical talents of Teresa Harmening and Mixed Society will grace our event. We invite you to be a part of this meaningful gathering, where we come together as a community to make a lasting impact. Your presence and support enable Paris Pregnancy Care Centers to extend its reach and continue offering essential services to expecting mothers, while also raising awareness abo t li e a firming choices in the face of challenges. For further details and to secure your place at this remarkable event, please visit our website or contact Ashley Green at 430-242-0348 We look forward to welcoming you to a night of purpose and unity.

OCTOBER 13

HALLOWEEN HAVOC

PARIS DRAGSTRIP

4417 US HIGHWAY 82 E, PARIS, TX

11:00 PM

Halloween Havoc where things get a little spooky at out facility!! Plenty of entertainment for the family and don’t forget the costumes and candy bags for the Costume Contest and Trunk or Treat! So much exciting entertainment packed into one place you don’t wanna miss it!! Hope to see you there!

OCTOBER 14

REACH/DOWN SYNDROME VOLLEYBALL TOURNEY

CHISUM ISD

3250 S CHURCH ST, PARIS, TX

8:00 AM

Hey we’re hosting a volleyball tourney, and all proceeds go to the Reach center and the red river valley Down syndrome society, to help the kids that can’t afford the tuition. it’s an amazing cause for some amazing families.

The Oak Ridge Boys

Evie West

e erience in tes o otality in Paris on onday A ril th ore in ormation to come abo t A the n estivities and atch Parties or the A P in PA isit Paris e as aceboo or contact chamber aristie as com

OCTOBER 19-22

TEXPACC SQUARE DANCE CONVENTION

C C C

2 2 C P

A wee end ll o dancing n and ellowshi with ancers and allers rom all across the nited tates

OCTOBER 21

MANNEQUIN NIGHT IN PARIS, TX P

3 P 3 P

his is a amily riendly event held the rd at rday in ctober rom m ntil m ol nteers dress in cost mes according to a chosen theme and ose as live manne ins in o r owntown windows ntry is ree to the blic and incl des live entertainment by talented local bands ood r c s and vendors add to the estivities A host o r and ombie al add to the n or more in ormation contact aceboo anne in ight in Paris

OCTOBER 21

CASEY STRONG PUMP TRACK RACE FOR KIDS

C C C

2 2 C P

he rd Ann al asey trong P m rac ace will ta e lace at P m rac Paris e as on ctober he event is o en to riders o all ages and levels o e erience egister Here htt s www bi ereg com caseystrong

BANQUET

C C C

2 2 C P contact chamber ariste as com or more in ormation

OCTOBER 27-28

2ND

a m to m he omm nity vent o the ear held in bea ti l owntown Paris aro nd the Plaza he event draws l s with over endors ood r c s ive ntertainment o ncy Ho ses ontests ids games and more nterested endors can visit the events age at www estivalo m ins com or more in ormation abo t the estival cbed ord ariste as com

P P C C

e will meet at the ar west o the co rtho se ar ing lot at am we will start the wal at and ta e a co le o la s aro nd the s are and then hotos at the o ntain

Photo by: Mark Tegethoff on Unsplash

Adult Prom

Briley Swain

Story

Briley Swain has a rare condition in her right leg. It affects that leg only, from the top of her thigh to her toes. She was diagnosed at 10 months of age at a hospital in Dallas. When she was 2 months old, I noticed she had bruising that was not going away on her right calf muscle. At 4 months I noticed pea size “knots” under her skin. After discussing it with her pediatrician, we decided to swap which direction we laid her on her changing table in case it was just from holding that leg when changing her. However, this didn't resolve the problem. After bringing her condition to her pediatrician’s attention regularly and after many trips to the hospital for ultrasounds of her right calf muscle, it wasn't until about a week before she turned 10 months old that PRMC told me that what they were seeing was "like a hematoma, but not a hematoma." Her knots were referred to as tumor-like, but they weren't concerned. The following week I received a call from her pediatrician to say that he had made an appointment at Children's for Briley, and we were to report to the leukemia department. Our hearts

stopped. he first a ointment at hildren's was not great. It was emotional. We saw no less than 10 specialists throughout the day. They brought in other doctors and told us they were “intrigued” by what was happening with Briley. They had never seen anything quite like it. It was a revolving door that day. Our main doctor let us know that she wasn't sure what it was. No one

was, but they wanted to rule out a rare cancer of the muscle. It was the only thing they could fathom her symptoms being connected to. I lost count of how many medical professionals we saw that week.

They asked us to come back Oct. 31 in 2010 (our first child s first Halloween) for an MRI. It was traumatic for her, and she did not do well coming out of

By: Tara Swain Photos: Tara Swain

anesthesia hat a ternoon while we were waiting or a call at home we received word rom o r doctor to let s now that they had a diagnosis e wo ld later learn that this wo ld not be acc rate b t this was all the in ormation we had at the time he was diagnosed with a enolym hatic mal ormation

r doctor told s that she had never heard o it hat morning the radiologist that ha ened to be wor ing st ha ened to now st eno gh abo t it in order to s ot it b t that was it e were so relieved to learn that it was not cancero s b t when as ed or more in ormation she told me that was all she co ld tell me here was no literat re no boo s no trials or treatments that anyone new o hen as ed her what o r ne t ste s sho ld be she told me to go and live a normal li e as m ch as we ossibly co ld and i the ain became nbearable to call her bac

hile we were so thanl that they cleared her o a cancer diagnosis being told to st attem t to give yo r month old baby a normal li e ntil the ain becomes nbearable and that there was absol tely nothing else that any o

the many s ecialists we saw co ld tell me is not e actly what wanted to hear

o did what yo re always told not to do went online to do some research o my own saw aw l images and read terri ying things earning that there co ld be mal ormations aro nd her l ngs or heart that we might not be aware o ntil it ca sed a li e or death emergency t there were still so many estions le t nanswered ast orward a year later he t mors were bac and slightly larger this time he swelling was worse he ain was worse called o r s ecialist he acted shoc ed that this had ha ened again he only thing she new to do was to have s come bac in or another b t let me now that there was still no other in ormation abo t her rare disorder new that was not ready to t her thro gh going nder anesthesia again considering how aw l it a ected her the last time so went bac online he revio s year had located some aceboo gro s and oined them went bac to those searching eywords and reading h ndreds o osts rom other arents never osted anything since was

still so ns re abo t her disorder began searching or com ression leggings or sleeves or babies was ns ccess l he tmors seemed to come and go so we st e t a watch on her learned that any sort o in ry to her leg ca sed the t mors omething as small as an accidental inch when b c ling her car seat wo ld ca se the t mors on the inside o her er thigh e st became care l to ee her rom having too many alls or in ries to that leg hings seemed to level o t a bit b t these years were e tremely nerve rac ing e had no idea what to e ect or o r toddler o idea what her t re loo ed li e ring riley s toddler years the swelling in her leg got worse he t mors were to an inch in diameter Her iss es had contin ed and we str ggled with worrying i we were ever going to get answers However the disorder did not slow her down one bit he was still st as active and lay l as any other id her age hile we co ld tell that she str ggled with her leg she managed to ee with the other ids and do all the things she wanted to

Briley After getting fitted for her afo and getting 2 new casts put on

tara holding baby Briley, waiting at Childrens in Dallas in the early morning hours the day she had MRI and was initially diagnosed.

The Photo Tara took that made her realize briley's leg was getting worse. This was just before diagnosis.

do other than needing to rest more o ten when her leg was tired he had beg n swim lessons at age and being in the water seemed to almost ma e her orget abo t her leg At she began dance lessons and was dancing year ro nd which she was really en oying so ght hel on aceboo loo ing or anyone who co ld

was des erate o r years o searching or answers to o r long list o estions was weighing on me and needed hel A client o mine reached o t and re erred me to a lym h edema s ecialist in reenville reached o t immediately he sched led a time or riley and to come in so she co ld loo

sit down with someone and disc ss what her t re might loo li e he sat with s or what elt li e ho rs he ta ght me di erent techni es that might hel with riley s swell ing hile lym hedema was not what riley has or had

learned so m ch not all o it was in ormation was re ared to learn ith riley s array o iss es there was also a ossibility that sho ld there ever be com lications there was a ossibility o her leg being am tated his wasn t

Working on stretching while recovering.

Awards from her 2017-2018 season Photo session of briley from her 2nd solo at age 5

overall award during 2021-2022 season

2019-2020 season.

like, either good or bad.

I continued to incorporate things the lymphedema specialist taught me. However, every year brought on new issues. By the time Briley was 5, my husband and I joked about what that year would bring. It always seemed that every autumn brought on new obstacles for Briley. She was so excited when she started kindergarten. However, it wasn't very long before we noticed an issue. Briley's swelling had not only increased quite a bit but due to all the swelling in her right leg, she was compensating

with her left. She began losing range of motion in her right ankle/foot. Her tumors were growing in size (ping-pong ball size now) and becoming more painful. When I reached out on my Facebook page again, the same client had another idea. She was able to get us in contact with a medical equipment company to order Briley a lymphatic pump. The sleeve of the pump fit her from toe to hip. The smallest sleeve they had been a little large on her, but it worked. She began wearing the pump every day for a minimum of an hour. This began to help with the swelling. I was also able to order her compression leggings at this age too, but they were still a little large on her and weren't quite doing their job. While the pump began to help, the damage was done, and she wasn't regaining any range of motion. She began physical therapy and continued for months. After grown male physical therapists tried to force her ankle/foot into a 90-degree angle, but being met with a brick wall, we realized we

needed something stronger to intervene and reverse this issue. Our physical therapist put us in contact with an orthopedist at Children's to work with her. I was really anxious about this visit, so a family friend came with us. I'm so thankful she did because I left in tears. He said that while he was willing to attempt Botox (which he let me know was going to be extremely painful for her in that leg), he didn't want to get my hopes up as he said he doubted it was going to help. He said the next step would be surgical intervention. I remember being absolutely terrified about surgery. Little did I know this was just the beginning. He gave me the name and number of one of two surgeons in the U.S. that could perform a minimal invasive surgery on her leg called selective percutaneous myofascial lengthening surgery. One was in Boston and the other was in the Galveston/League City area. This was something that was often performed on children with cerebral palsy or traumatic brain injury. Her tendons had tightened up so much from the swelling that her Achilles tendon needed to be released. This surgery would involve puncturing her Achilles tendons in multiple areas and then casting her legs and forcing them to 90 degrees for several weeks, while she walked on the casts. This was the next

great battle we fought. I filled out paperwork, I had X-rays taken and sent in for the Texas surgeon, I sent email after email and called weekly. With Briley's disorder being so rare, the assistant was convinced that we were wasting our time and that this was too extreme for what Briley was suffering from. After two or three months of calling and begging to get in with the doctor, they finally scheduled a date to meet with us. After spending only three minutes with the surgeon, he sighed and let us know that not only did Briley need the surgery, but it had gone on long enough that she had compensated with her left leg (which is not affected by her disorder at all) and she now needed both Achilles released at the same time. Casts on both legs at the same time... and learning to walk on two casts right after surgery.

She had the surgery a few weeks later. The recovery from the surgery involved getting her to walk again immediately. The recovery team struggled. The surgeon let me know that Briley was going to struggle with in recovery. They told us that they were thankful they could even get it that far as they did and worried, they might not even be able to reach the 90 degree point that was needed. The recovery was as difficult as we expected. It's painful having your legs forced 90 degrees after months of tightening as not only your Achilles tendon begins to tighten up. So, all muscles are being stretched at the same time.

It was at this point that we were sent to Scottish Rite. story, her diagnosis, her continued issues over the years

point. Rather than acting as if I had no idea what I was several new doctors in her life. One being a neurologist she had some differences in her spine, but nothing that

BRILEY'S visit to the Frisco Scottish Rite

Before her first surgery at age

Going back to school the Monday after her surgery 3 days prior

Briley is a shining light even after surgery.

be ca sing this and it was something that her ne rologist has contin ed to monitor on a reg lar basis he geneticist was ho ing to learn something abo t this disorder so that we co ld t a name to it n ort nately nothing was discovered or has been to this day

Her ortho edic doctor at cottish ite monitored her leg length discre ancy and we contin ed to have reg lar visits with him ntil a co le o years later in the all o the fi th grade when he had to ass s to another s ecialist who was also a s rgeon A new iss e had arisen and it a eared that her right nee was now not growing straight anymore Her nee was growing bent r s rgeon gave s two o tions

he first was a more e tensive s rgery called a istal emoral tension steotomy where they wo ld be removing a wedge sha e ortion o her em r o t straightening the leg and then re lacing it when a metal late and screws

he second o tion was to late ins in her growth lates to allow them to g ide her nee into growing straight as she contin ed to hit growth s rts

he s rgeon wo ld also be lengthening her Achilles while she was nder or the s rgery as well his wo ld be the second time or this roced re as well

he s rgeon went over both o the nee roced res with s in detail so we went home to disc ss and ray abo t o r o tions in the months leading to the s rgery ltimately the day o the s rgery the s rgeon told s he recommended going with the more minimally invasive s rgery which we did

n ort nately a ter several months the res lts were less than what we had ho ed so her ne t s rgery was sched led or etember his time the e tensive s rgery was lanned as well as another Achilles lengthening

he recovery or this s rgery was more di fic lt than any roced re in the ast hile she had been wheelchair bo nd a ter her second set o roced res she was in the chair m ch longer this time and on cr tches or an e tended eriod o time riley had dreaded this roced re beca se the s rgeon had recommended initially that she remain home rom school or a mini-

m m o to wee s b t riley let s now that she did not want to be o t that long A ter a disc ssion with the doctor he agreed that i she were determined to go bac to school sooner she co ld nder certain sa ety meas res his was also d e to the act that tone iddle chool was so accommodating to her needs e were so than l or the indness rom her teachers and the sta and the willingness to wor with s A ter lots o wor a lot o time s ent at cottish ite in hysical thera y and a lot o wor in her dance st dio a ro imately si months a ter the last roced res riley was able to transition o o cr tches lly and wal nassisted

e to her many iss es she still does str ggle with a lim leg length iss es strength and s asticity iss es and chronic ain in that leg along with other iss es hile every day is still a constant wor in rogress to hel give her the best mobility ossible there are still good and bad days

enrolled riley in dance right a ter she t rned years old here in Paris at anielle c ee ance om any later named lite ance Academy he has contin ed to dance consistently or the last years he oined the com etition team when she was years old and has danced com etitively ever since n the all o she began ta ing rivate lessons rom a teacher in oc wall and event ally transitioned to dancing with their comany team the ollowing year ollowing each s rgical roced re she wo ld wor hard to get bac into sha e or the com etition season ear a ter year we have watched her ace hardshi s with her mobility fle ibility and strength with that leg eing nable to do things she once co ld or having to regain abilities a ter a s rgery while also having to wor e tremely hard to ee with eers has been very di fic lt t regardless o the str ggle she has never once wanted to give or it ach time she is determined she will be bac on that stage at the start o cometition season and each year she has wo years ago while still nable to dance o tside o her A and ortho edic shoe on one oot and last season getting a two month late start on the season she has always made her come bac debated or years early on whether ee ing her in dance while

We were here for your grandparents, and we’ll be here for your grandchildren.

she was struggling with pain and mobility was the smart thing to do. I questioned her at the end of SEVERAL seasons, asking if she needed or wanted to take a break for a year, the answer was always a resounding, “No.” Finally, a couple of years ago one or our physicians’ assistants looked me in the eye and told me “her being in dance is the catalyst to what has allowed her to maintain as m ch fle ibility mobility and strength as she has. It was the best thing you could have done for her.” It was such a huge reassurance for me, and I was even prouder of Briley as she was the one who never wanted to give up.

To this day there is still no name for exactly what Briley has. While many years ago I connected with a mom in Kentucky whose daughter (at the time) had what we thought was that Briley had, over the years, Briley’s issues have changed drastically involving so many more intricate issues that we no longer consider the disorders remotely the same.

The symptoms she has had since the beginning up until now are swelling in her right leg, tumors in her leg that come and go, chronic pain in the right leg, loss of muscle tone, spasticity issues, a leg length discrepancy, right foot is two sizes smaller than her left foot, knee growing at angle and balance issues among others. Some of the procedures she has are those that a child with cerebral palsy or a traumatic brain injury would have. But Briley has neither. She does have a neurologist we see yearly to insure nothing new arises in that area, we mainly see our orthopedic surgeon multiple times a year.

consistent new issues will end with her childhood growth spurts, her doctors cannot guarantee that. It will continue to be a “wait and see” plan through the rest of her life as her situation is unlike anything else. We are not sure what the future holds. In earlier years we had a pretty scary outlook on the possibility of her losing her leg from certain complications. Thankfully with her being so active still, the chances of that are not an immediate concern.

being in dance is the catalyst to what has allowed her to maintain as much flexibility, mobility and strength

She has had seven procedures during three surgeries. She will have to have at least one more surgery in the future to lengthen her right leg. Our hopes are that she won't have to have any more surgeries other than the leg lengthening, but we have no way of knowing. While we also hope that the

The immediate future outlook for her will be the length lengthening surgery, which we most recently discussed at a checkup a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, this will be her most extensive surgery to date, also requiring her to be out of commission for a minimum of nine months, but more commonly, a ll year his is definitely something we are not looking forward to, but we know it needs to happen. It is just a matter of when. For the time being, we work on regaining as much strength in that leg as possible and continuing to push that knee straight. For now, Scottish Rite has released Briley and her only requirements per her surgeon is that she stay regular in her dance classes in Rockwall, as her physical therapist and surgeon have all agreed has been much more powerful in her recovery than her physical therapy appointments there. They agree they have seen a tremendous change in her abilities since beginning there with her fle ibility and strength he also wears a c stom A and a knee brace while at home at times and each night while she sleeps, to help keep her muscles from tightening up too much at night.

Briley is now looking forward to a new season with her dance company and beginning work on her solo for the upcoming season.u

CHERI BEDFORD

PARISIAN OF T E ONT

When did you get to Texas?

moved to Paris e as rom ichigan as a teen in ne o my first e as memories is o driving over the ed iver and ta ing a hoto by the granite state o e as mar er hat blistering hot ly day was definitely a shoc to o r system do not remember m ch else abo t that day e ce t that we too o r second hoto by the lbertson o ntain t made an im ression on s have been here ever since and than lly am acclimated to the e as weather r amily ell in love with this comm nity and its hos itality

Tell us a little about yourself.

met and married my h sband enneth in Paris e have three sons radley acob and icah all who grad ated rom Paris High chool have bea ti l da ghters in law and grandchildren nine in Paris and two in o isiana was able to be a stay at home mom when my children were yo ng owned a small b siness ainting holiday greetings on store windows at hristmas time ainted over b sinesses in Paris and

northeast e as t was a great way to get to now eo le and se my od given talents and led to me ainting several m rals in homes and a ew blic s aces attended P as an ad lt and have an associates degree in b siness administration

What do you do in your free time?

n my ersonal time ma e time or art ro ects travel weaving nat re and hanging o t with my riends doing whatever comes my way y c rrent ro ect is ainting my ho se alvary ha el is my main ch rch home and li e visiting other ch rches meeting believers in the comm nity and worshi ing together en oy o tdoor s orts and recently ic ed laying Pic leball t is so m ch n and now have a new circle o riends orts and fitness have always been a big art o my li e was a art o the fitness team at the Paris egional edical enter y res onsibilities incl ded coordinating swim teams or ids and ad lts and recreational activities to ee the itness enter members engaged en oyed that season o my li e wor ing on hel ing eo le meet their goals and find s ccess met a ew ersonal fitness goals too com eting in a Hal ron an in ali ornia and finishing the oston arathon

What about your job?

began my c rrent osition as ain treet oordinator in arch o and Historic Preservation ficer in hen began the osition did not have any e erience with city government or revitalization ort nately there was a networ o eo le already wor ing to ma e downtown Paris better became art o the team es it was a h ge learning c rve b t had a lot o s ort rom the comm nity and rom colleag es who do what do in other cities m ed in with both eet and here am almost years later

omm nity occ rs in downtown

oment m is high in downtown o m ch is going on and it s e citing y mission is to be a reso rce to citizens o Paris t is im ortant to me to listen to what eo le want and be available to hel them be s ccess l wor with those who are

nterview by avid oney Photos arvin orley

a b siness downtown remodeling a b ilding wanting to be a vendor or the armers ar et hosting a s ecial event or needing vol nteer ho rs A recently com leted ro ect that has been hel l was develo ing a downtown b siness g ide his com rehensive boo let is available in rint and online and has been a great reso rce or new or newer b sinesses to hel them navigate the ste s to being s ccess l in downtown Peo le who own historic b ildings are c rio s and want in ormation abo t their ro erties his led to the develo ment o an online database t is accessible to the blic on the ity o Paris basema and contains tons in ormation on each individ al ro erty com lete with c rrent and historic hotos his ro ect develo ment too two years his tool has roven inval able and had the o ort nity to s ea abo t it at the ational ain treet on erence in ichmond A in a gro session

Tell us about Main Street.

ain treet involves im rovement o the commercial district aesthetics and blic s aces Pro ects that have had a ositive im act are the ighting o the downtown trees and streets s earheaded by the ight Paris ommittee and the Paris Area Arts Alliance new m ral on onham Pro ects li e these vital and ta e a lot o coordination with city sta donors and vol nteers

ain treet romote economic o ort nities Paris artici ates in an online eal state lat orm created by the e as Historical ommission H called owntownt org his lat orm connects eo le to the o ort nities to b y or lease a b ilding Paris oined in the statewide e ort hosting an magine the Possibilities P to rs in ay his year s P to rs was a antastic artnershi between ro erty owners realtors the amar o nty Historic ommission oca ola and ndae in Paris ver co e floats were given away and we revealed one o the newest Historic ar ers with commemoration that Paris served the irst oca ola in e as H ndreds came and to red the available ro erties ome other ain treet activities incl de raising nds or the ilding m rovement rant with the Paris ine est ver in grant nds have been awarded to downtown ro erty owners thro gh this rogram

What about special events?

ctober brings the Ann al estival o P m ins and it is one o my avorite days t is a ton o wor b t it is so rewarding to see the comm nity come o t and en oy the day his event wo ld not be ossible witho t the s ort o the comm nity t is so good to now can call the area schools and

organizations and they always itch in his year s event is ctober here is always so m ch more going on in Paris with the all being a artic larly b sy time o year am loo ing orward to the reat American cli se on A ril

What do you like about Paris?

am ort nate to have a ront row seat to the civic minded eo le o o r comm nity who want good things or o r comm nity and who are wor ing to im rove the ality o li e or o r citizens y ob is to collaborate with o r comm nity as we wor to revitalize downtown t is not the wor o one erson b t a coming along side o board members ro erty and b sinesses owners historic gro s vol nteers civic gro s city de artments schools and ch rches hese ol s ma e a h ge e ort to ee downtown viable and restore c lt rally and historically significant reso rces in the areas u

I Love Paris

"It is a place where I have grown deep roots and experience a sense of community. I am proud of local shops I can feel good about patronizing, and neighbors I know and with whom I have a lifelong bond. It’s my home."

5 Decoration you in the Halloween &Home LivingGUIDE

Do yo want to create a Halloween atmos here in yo r home and yard? Here are five winning decorations to get yo ready to celebrate the s oo y season

1. Pumpkins. hether they re real or made o cardboard or lastic m ins are a Halloween m st e ending on yo r artistic talent and b dget yo can carve real m ins or aint them to match yo r decor

• Paint yo r m ins all white and create a amily o ghost m ins o vario s sizes r leave them aceless or a cozy vibe

• l e moss and s cc lents to the to o yo r m in or a r stic chic loo o can se real or a e lants or this cra t and the arrangements are to yo r ersonal taste

• arve o t the side o yo r m in com letely hollowing it o t Place tiny rnit re inside to create a little air home

• nny m ins are so c te and a great way to get the ids involved l e googly eyes a e hairy m staches and tiny hats to ma e silly m in eo le

2. Cobwebs. a e s ider webs immediately ma e yo r ro erty loo cree y and derelict or a less alarming e ect decorate yo r home with retty lastic or a er cobwebs to ed with riendly colo red s iders on t orget yo can stretch this st retty thin or a more realistic a roach o can even mi in cheese cloth to add a o o color and di erent te t re to yo r set Having tro ble getting yo r webs to stic ? ry sing velcro dots

3. Candles. ecorating with hal melted candles will ma e yo r home loo li e a witch s lair he more dri ed wa the better o can also hang battery o erated candles rom the ceiling or an eerie s ernat ral e ect o can b y really cool Harry Potter floating candles on Amazon and the best art is they come with a wand that yo wave to light the candles hey are s er easy to hang and n to lay with im ly do a search on Amazon or lameless andles with agic and emote ontrol

Decoration Ideas to getHalloween Spirit

. os s. a e ghostly com anions o t o old bedsheets create ethereal reflections in a mirror or stic them to a window ealistic or comical ghosts will t rn yo r home into a s ectral delight hese is er ect or hotos as well oss a white sheet over yo r head throw on a cool air o shades and have a s oo y hoto session with yo r amily and riends Print the hotos and hang them aro nd the ho se or a n memory to loo bac on or years and years

. a e ows. ombined with a ew a e crows scarecrows evo e a sense o the orbidden and instill ear However a cheer l ace can ma e them loo m ch more inviting ost eo le do scarecrows are art o their o tside decor b t what s sto ing yo rom stic ing the s oo y g y somewhere inside yo r ho se? o can mae him li e sized and sit him in ront o a window ee ing o t into the neighborhood o co ld get some small ones to decorate a stairway or fire lace lace m s re don t need to remind any o yo to be sa e when lacing decor aro nd yo r fire laces right?

r ly yo r imagination has no limits Are yo organizing a

Photo by haylyn on Unsplash

By: Ayesha Shafiq HEALTH Director of Paris Cardiology Center

The Impact Of Covid-19 ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN.

Mental health a ects in children and its rate goes d ring the times o a comm nity crisis ental health iss es are reflected in the ollowing orms in children

• Depression

• Anxiety.

• Sleep disorders.

• Anxiety.

• Substance abuse.

• Suicidal symptoms.

ith ovid tho gh most children have not e erienced the illness yet they have been s b ected to li e changes and stresses related to it li e school clos res cancellation o grad ation ceremonies and restriction on visitation with amily and riends

However some children are at a higher ris o being more e ected by ovid than others hese children incl de those with imm ne system roblems or those who have already gone thro gh a tra matic or li e changing e erience in their lives li e the divorce o arents loss o a arent child ab se car accident domestic violence ris y medical roced res racism etc

ne o the strongest actors in rotecting the mental health o a child rom the negative im act o ovid is the resence o a s ortive caring and loving ad lt on whom a child can rely on or rotection and com ort in times o ncertainty A mat re and caring ad lt will rovide the com ort a child see s while roviding a realistic b t redictable co rse o t re or the wellbeing and betterment o the child

his ad lt can be a arent or any tr stworthy erson he ad lt can dil te the dose o ovid by ma ing s re his child receives only act based in ormation abo t the vir s he arent will limit the gra hic and negative eed o ovid on social media and online or his child to view while receiving ed cation abo t the ever evolving nat re o the andemic to address his child s t re concerns as the Pandemic r ns its co rse et yo r child develo a networ o healthy relationshi s online to ease the an iety o the Pandemic ince hysical interaction between riends e tended amily members and teachers etc is limited d ring this time there ore enco rage yo r child to b ild healthy relationshi s with the same eo le over online video messages or te t messaging gro s taying connected with teams bands or other e trac rric lar gro s thro gh the se o aceboo nstagram email video con erencing or te ting can be very hel l in calming a child and normalizing his daily ro tine

So what can adults do to lessen the impact of Covid-19 on the mental health of children?

al o ten to yo r children d ring this time As them to e ress their eelings abo t this time et them as yo as many estions as they can to satis y their c riosity and calm their an iety

nco rage yo r children to se online tools to calm themselves each yo r children the techni es o dee breathing meditation and mind lness yo do not now them there are lots o ree A s available along with o be videos that can teach yo all o the above techni es and yo can then ass it on to yo r children

ost im ortantly ta e care o yo rsel t has been re orted that children do better when their arents are well yo are e ercising being connected to yo r social s ort gro reading meditating and raying yo r children will ollow yo r e am le and do the same hildren learn what they live yo now how to control yo r an iety and stress levels yo r children will learn it by observing yo r healthy res onses towards ovid

nvolve yo r children in o tdoor e ercises to allow them to leave the confines o their homes nco rage ta ing wal s or bi e rides with them while limiting their on screen time

ee ro essional hel i yo r child dis lays an ongoing attern o emotional or behavioral concerns s ch as increased aggression or de ressive behavior nightmares or e cessive an iety Parents sho ld act as the best advocates on behal o their children so their sym toms are eval ated and addressed on time u

hat parents can do when children do not respond to the above interventions?

By: Shannon c ire

performance review

It is a oy to witness eo le rogress and lfill their r ose in li e b t it is also a tragedy to observe lives become stagnate and n lfilled A h ge reason we ail to rogress in lfilling o r r ose is that we have acce ted the resent state o o r lives as the best we can do nder the circ mstances

he conce t nder the circ mstances is a hrase that we have heard over and over in o r lives and most o the time its re erence is not rom a ositive lace his conce t nder the circ mstances serves to im rison s and to immobilize o r od given ambition any o s have s rrendered to the stat s o and have become risoners o war o o r own minds

e o ten orget that circ mstances are sim ly tem orary arrangements o li e that we all ace e overloo or disregard that act that these circ mstances are designed to identi y e ose develo refine and ma imize o r tr e otential t s not what ha ens to s that mat ters b t what we do with what ha ens ch o the time we are not res onsible or o r cir c mstances b t we are always res onsible or o r res onse to those circ mstances A ma or ey to ma imizing yo r otential is to become dissatisfied with the circ mstances that restrict limit and stifle yo r otential

hessalonians ive than s in all circ mstances or this is the will o od in hrist es s or yo

t is my o inion that we ossess great otential and all have a significant r ose in li e n ort nately in most instances we still ail to move beyond good intentions and never

e erience the llness o o r lives o the estion is hy? believe o r com ort is greater than o r assion e become more concerned with fitting in than standing o t change anything that we are willing to tolerate r re

Pastoring for years and c rrently ser es as Senior Pastor at Paris e eneration Ch rch

trehlonUnsplash

TASTEFOOD: Lynda Balslev

COPYRIGHT 2023 LYNDA BALSLEV DISTRIBUTED BY: ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Chances are that this vegetarian stew will satisfy any meaty craving. The method for this vegetarian recipe is based on beef bourguignon, the classic French beef and red wine stew -- minus the beef. Mushrooms handily step in as the main ingredient. Not only are mushrooms notorious for their meaty consistency and heft, but they contain glutamate, an amino acid that provides savory, rich umami qualities to food. True, they do not provide the same amount of protein as meat, but they do have a higher protein content than most vegetables, and they carry a treasure trove of nutrients. Mushrooms are a rich so rce o fiber vitamins and antioxidants, and they are fat- and carbohydrate-free.

For this stew, take advantage of the mushroom season and choose a variety when available. Shiitake, portobello and brown cremini mushrooms are a great starting oint hoose those with firm ca s and store them in open paper bags in the refrigerator to allow them to breathe. To clean mushrooms, rub with a damp paper towel and use a brush to take away any dirt. You can run them under a trickle of water, if needed, but don't douse or submerge them, because they will act like sponges and absorb the liquid. Trim the ends and thickly slice or halve the shiitake and cremini mushrooms. To clean the portobellos, trim the stems and scoop away the gills. Cut the portobellos in bite-size chunks or thickly slice. u

STEW FO R

CARNIVORE S

Mushroom Bourguignon

Active time ho r otal time ho r ield erves to

• tra virgin olive oil

• o nds assorted m shrooms s ch as ortobellos shiita es creminis ends trimmed br shed clean

• osher salt and reshly gro nd blac e er

• shallots eeled thic ly sliced

• carrots thic ly sliced

• cloves garlic minced

• teas oon dried thyme

• tables oons tomato aste

• c s ll bodied red wine

• c s m shroom or vegetable stoc or more as needed

• bay lea

• to tables oons balsamic vinegar

• tables oon brown s gar

• Parsley or garnishing

Heat tables oon oil in a large tch oven or dee s illet over medi m high heat Add the m shrooms in batches i necessary and lightly season with salt and e er oo ntil they begin to release their ices and brown at the edges abo t min tes stirring re ently rans er to a bowl the an is dry add tables oon oil Add the shallots and carrots and lightly season with salt and blac e er a te over medi m heat ntil the vegetables begin to so ten and the carrots brighten in color abo t min tes Add the garlic and thyme and sa te ntil ragrant abo t min te more Add the tomato aste and stir or abo t seconds to coat the ingredients and coo the tomato aste

Po r in the wine and deglaze the an stirring any brown bits then add the stoc and bay lea et rn the m shrooms to the an hey sho ld be st covered with li id add more stoc to cover i not ring to a boil then red ce the heat to medi m low Partially cover the ot and simmer ntil the vegetables are tender abo t min tes

emove the lid and contin e to simmer to slightly red ce and thic en the li id abo t min tes tir in tables oon vinegar and the brown s gar and taste or seasoning Add additional vinegar and salt i desired adle into bowls and garnish with arsley he stew can be re ared to one day in advance o serving e rigerate ntil se and gently rewarm to serve

Being neither a gamer or a race car enth siast wo ld never have considered seeing A t at the insistence o my ellow film enth siast isa was rged to see this ict re A bris action and eel good nderdog s orts drama is based on the ltimate dream come tr e story o a teenage ran rismo gamer ann ardenboro gh becomes an act al race car driver

o th A rican director eil lom amscoots thro gh ann s amily li e ann Archie ad ewe and his ather imon Ho nso have a very tentative relationshi ad is a retired ro soccer layer now wor ing in a rail yard He is raising his sons to be cham ion layers li e he was ately he is er le ed by ann s s dden loss o interest in the game He re ers to stay in his room laying race car video games His ather shames ann and even ma es him go to wor with him to show what will ha en i he doesn t strive to ma e something o himsel

And then something e traordinary ha ens he mar eting director or a ma or a anese A to man act rer slightly shady anny oore rlando loom comes with a contest to select gamers to train in real s orts cars he winner o the ten will go on to drive in the ro essional racing circ it hy reticent and im ossibly tall ann gets o to

a not so romising start t soon he s ing his game bringing him more confidence He A win ann does win and heads to a an or more training here he is t nder the t telage o ac alter avid Harbo r ac is a ormer driver who lost his nerve and now wor s on the cars Harbo r gives a star t rn laying a cran y cynic t the two develo a dynamic that imb es ann with all the s ills he will need to s cceed heirs is a bea ti l and breathta ing o rney

All o the ail res and s ccesses on the trac are st nning than s to inematogra her ac es oret here will be no s oilers with a blow by blow o the races see it or yo rsel ince the late s he ran rismo racing games or Play tation have bro ght in billions o dollars rivaling the recei ts o some movie ranchises n act the gaming ind stry is worth abo t eight times more than the film ind stry t s val ed at billion vs the movie ind stry s billion And that answers the estion as to why we were getting a steady diet o gamer related films all s mmer ran rismo is rod ced by ol mbia Pict res Play tation Prod ctions and ntertainments

A lifelong cine hile ith degrees fro and a asters of ine Arts fro the A erican il nstit te s Conser atory Progra

That’s a wrap. Thank you Lisa, you rock!

.

u

By: Megan Pedersen Find me on Youtube: Megorium

Crusader of Centy

Igrew up playing the Nintendo Entertainment System and the N64 as a kid, so I never got to experience very many Sega games unless I was visiting my cousins over the summer. They didn't have a huge plethora of Sega games either, just Sonic and Toy Story. Now that Nintendo has added Sega Genesis to the online membership, I am happily exploring all the titles I missed out on. Over the last month, I have gotten to play Comix Zone, Earthworm Jim, and Ghouls 'n Ghosts, but today I'm going to talk about Crusader of Centy. I was completely surprised by how bright and vibrant this game is because the cover art does not give off that impression at all. Crusader of Centy is Sega's version of Zelda and is way more than just a knockoff of Zelda. It holds its own in a way I never expected and I couldn't wait to share my experience with all my wonderful readers.

Story

Release: 1994

Platform: Sega Genesis, Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership

Genre: RPG, Action-Adventure

Developer: Nextech

Publisher: Sega, Atlus Software

The story starts off with a cutscene explaining that the world was once covered in darkness until one day the light appeared, sending all the monsters dwelling in the darkness into hiding. Over time, the monsters come out and start rampaging through the world. The main character's name is Corona, but yovu are given the option to name your character whatever you want (I always name my characters MEG), thus starting the game. It's your 14th birthday today, and your mother is passing down your late father's sword and shield. You have a small birthday party with your friends, and one of them says they want to go see the hero Amon receive his sword from the King, and they all rush out of the house, leaving you to follow along. Upon entering the castle, you are met with a short scene in which the king gives Amon his sword, and then yo are instr cted to go to the a flesia training gro nd o must collect three medals—bronze, silver, and gold—and present them to the king in order to receive your own fancy sword just like Amon. The storyline is linear and the more I play the game, the more this dark undertone of pain and unfairness is unearthed. Corona does lose his ability to speak to human and gains the ability to speak with animals and monsters early on in the game. I don’t really want to spoil too much, and haven t finished the game yet so have no real concl sion b t at the moment I am starting to kind of feel bad for the monsters.

IN 1994 SEGA PUBLISHED RAGNACëNTY IN JAPAN. THE GAME WAS DEVELOPED BY NEXTECH AND WAS A SUCCESS! RAGNACëNTY QUICKLY MADE IT'S WAY TO EUROPE, THE TITLE WAS CHANGED TO SOLEIL. IN MARCH OF 1995 ATLUS PUBLISHED THE GAME IN THE U.S. CHANGING THE TITLE TO CRUSADER OF CENTY.

Cover art: https://www.pricecharting.com/game/jp-sega-mega-drive/ragnacenty

Visuals and Gameplay

The beauty of this game is noticeable as soon as you walk out of your home for the first time. The flowers are dancing in the wind, the animals are so cute, and there are fun little quirks in the dialogue of every character and animal you speak with. The animations are bouncy and fluid. The animation while swinging your sword is a bit slow. It took a bit of getting used to but was in no way a hinderance for me. One of the unique aspects of this game is that you can use your analog stick to move your character around, giving you an 8-point range of motion versus the old-school Zelda games that only gave you four directions to move while using the d-pad. Being a true RPG, this game shows its progression by unlocking skills obtained by befriending different animals throughout your gameplay experience. Some animals specifically help you in battle, while others help you traverse the world, such as obtaining the ability to jump or run faster. There are 16 animals to unlock, and you are allowed to use two at a time. You will equip the animals as if they were items; once equipped, they will walk or float directly behind you. Cycling through your animal companions is very easy and can be done at any moment during game play.

Character designs were a pleasant surprise. I was expecting a generic-looking game, but it instead delivered unique and fun characters. One of my favorite aspects was the diversity of the monsters and bosses I had to fight throughout the game. I truly never knew what to expect when entering a new biome or zone on the map. The puzzles are also challenging, but they aren't so difficult that I felt like giving up. Certain animals that you befriend help you with different puzzles that you run into while playing.

If I had to give it one critique, it would be that the game doesn't naturally lead the player through the world. There are many parts where I was exploring aimlessly and accidentally stumbled upon where I needed to be. You simply must talk to everyone to get anywhere. It was not a real issue for me; it was more annoying than frustrating. In this regard, the Zelda games do outshine Crusader of Centy. If comparing it directly to Link to the Past, Zelda's game is just a little bit easier to navigate and figure out, that's all.

Interesting Tid-bits

absol tely adore aster eggs and this game has ite a ew s ch as the dog ac with his first dialog e being ow wow wow i ee yo yi ee ya onic himsel is chilling in a old o t chair on the beach wagging his finger at yo here s also this n little thing the game does where yo r character might all into a toilet or into a little ddle o water that yo ve nearthed nder the grass and when that ha ens yo only see is yo r character s eyeballs here s even a scene where yo go into a cabin to find a giant wol who wants to eat a grandma who s hiding in the fire lace and yo st see these little circ lar nblin ing eyes eering o t o the fire lace and it s sim ly hilario s r sader s really had me la ghing o t lo d so many times

Final Thoughts

ve tried to ee the descri tion o this game as vag e as ossible so as not to give away too many s oilers to anyone who wants to e erience the game or themselves he game is dee er than antici ated and ll o charm he enemies are very cool and n to fight love finding new animal minions mean ahem com anions haven t finished the game com letely yet b t am en oying every second o it so ar and intend to see it thro gh to the end

Cheers, and Happy Gaming!