Bosque River Run

FALL 2023

O N 5 T H GA L L E RY Couple invites you to explore d i f f e r e n t p e r s p e c t i v e s a t C l i f t o n ’s n e w e s t a r t g a l l e r y.

A SPECIAL PUBLICATION OF THE CLIFTON RECORD & MERIDIAN TRIBUNE

RAWLS

Financial Services

“Helping our clients retire comfortably since 1965”

Ronnie Rawls

Casey Rawls Moore

Owner, President

Vice President, Licensed Agent

Perla Perea McMullen

Dawn Underwood

Medicare Specialist & Licensed Agent

Office Manager

Ronnie Rawls

Casey Rawls Moore

Perla Perea McMullen

Owner, President

Vice President, Licensed Agent

Licensed Agent

Our Services Include:

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE:

• Life Insurance

• Retirement Planning • Life Insurance Rollovers & Transfers • Estate & Legacy Planning • Retirement • Retirement Planning • Estate & Legacy Planning

• Medicare Supplements / Advantage

• MedicareRollovers Supplements / Advantage• Investment Advisory • Retirement & Transfers • Investment Advisory

Thank you www.RawlsFinancial.com Bosque County!

603 S Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634 254-206-3100

Se Habla Español

www.RawlsFinancial.com 2

|

BOSQUE RIVER RUN

Se Habla Espanol

$500 Jackpot BINGO

BOOKS ON THE BOSQUE Reader & Writer Conference

Oct. 28 H 9:30-4:30 $30 per person

OCT. 24 H 6:30PM

Includes continental breakfast and lunch

Doors open at 5:45

Bring your own snacks and libations.

Speakers include: CHARLAINE HARRIS - Author of Aurora Teargarden Mysteries and Sookie Stackhouse (HBO’s “True Blood” Series) THEO BOYD - “Unleash your Superpower” K.D. HUXMAN – Writing for children’s books GRANT FERGUSON - Self-publishing THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: Tolstoy & Company, First Security State Bank, Douglass Automotive Group, and Roland & Joyce Jones

10th Anniversary

Adam Willmann, caller

TEXAS TROUBADOUR SONGWRITER CLASSIC

LADIES LUNCHEON Featuring Fashions from

Nov. 11 H 6PM

Doors open at 5:00 p.m.

Mo Bandy

Judge and Headliner TICKETS NOW ON SALE $75 & $50 reserved table seating $25 general admission $125 Sponsor tickets Reservations required Tickets online at: Bosqueartscenter.org

TABLESCAPES Opening Reception

Nov. 16 6:00 p.m.

MARKET AT THE MILL

Nov. 8 H 11:30AM $40 per person Reservations required

Lunch prepared by Chef Oz and the culinary staff and students from University High School, Waco

ARTS OF CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE & NORTH POLE COUNTRY STORE Featuring:

“If Quilts Could Talk” Norwegian Country Christmas Quilt Exhibit • Gingerbread Decorating • Meet the Grinch • Coloring contest for the kids • Pottery and Quilt Guild on hand with great gift ideas • Cookies and cider

Dec. 1 H 6:30-8:30PM Dec. 2 H 9:00-5:00PM

$25 per person EXHIBIT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC $5 FEE

Nov. 17 through Dec. 2 9AM to 5PM Daily Saturday, 10AM to 2PM

CHRISTMAS CONCERT Featuring

WILSON FAIRCHILD Sons of the Statler Brothers

Dec. 16 H 7:00PM Tickets on sale in November

215 S. College Hill Dr. H Clifton H 254-675-3724 H Bosqueartscenter.org FALL 2023 | 3

about the cover FALL 2023

Table of

Contents 6 8 12 16 22 26 28 30 4

|

T exas T avern serves up enticing dishes.

O N 5 T H GA L L E RY Couple invites you to explore d i f f e r e n t p e r s p e c t i v e s a t C l i f t o n ’s n e w e s t a r t g a l l e r y.

A SPECIAL PUBLICATION OF THE CLIFTON RECORD & MERIDIAN TRIBUNE

ON 5TH GALLERY: Rachel Beene and Ross Gray are excited to offer their art gallery space to the Bosque County community.

B osq ue R iver R un M agaz ine FALL 2023 Short Snippets on Life

Tavern Tales

On 5th Gallery

Special Events

Core Philosophy

P U B LI S H E R R ita H am ilton E D IT O R N ath an D ieb enow P R O D U CT I O N M elanie R h yne P H O T O G R AP H Y N ath an D ieb enow M AR K E T I N G Katie Britain

Preservation Season

Counting on Birds and Us

Texts with a ‘Lake Monster’

BOSQUE RIVER RUN

B O S Q U E CO U N T Y P U B LI S H I N G

The Clifton Record & M eridian T rib une 31 0 W est 5 th Street • P.O. Box 531 Clifton, TX 76634 254-675-3336 B osq ueCountyT oday.com

letter from the

EDITOR

Freedom To Holiday

Happy Hallowgivingmas Eve, for all who celebrate!

Do you know where I’ll be when they drop the pumpkin stuffed with cornbread from the top of the biggest Christmas tree in New York City? *Spoiler alert* In bed... because it falls on a Sunday this year, and I need to work on Monday.

But no worries! Don’t pity me!

I’m taking off all of St. Valentrick’s Fool’s Break.

In the meantime, we’re wrapping up Season 1 of my stint here at the Bosque River Run magazine.

It’s been an interesting year – to say the least!

To say a little more: We’ve explored interesting homes, gotten to know interesting professionals, artists, and businesses, listened to interesting musicians, considered interesting hobbies, visited with interesting volunteers... all in good ol’ Bosque County.

Not bad for a county with just under 20,000 people in rural Texas, huh?

In this Fall 2023 issue, we’re pointing out interesting people, events, and things about Bosque County throughout this holiday season.

You can check out a local taxidermist and the gifts he can make for you, try out a new restaurant where you can bring your family and friends, learn about how we can track birds’ migration to save them and us, make plans to work on your physical fitness this new year, and look forward to a new art gallery opening soon.

And all the while, you can see why these industrious folks have decided to call Bosque County their own.

Thank you to Melanie for designing our magazine’s layout, Katie for hustling to connect advertisers with high-potential customers, Rita for keeping us focused and ship shape, and – last but not least – our wonderful readers for reading through these pages.

We hope y’all find something interesting here to share with your friends and family!

As always, I look forward to hearing from you. I’ll chat with you later!

-- Nathan Diebenow FALL 2023

|

5

SHORT SNIPPETS ON LIFE

‘Die with good memories, not with unfulfilled dreams.’

•

By Rita Hamilton

I believe I may have found my new mantra. My attraction to this particular saying is probably due to the fact that this year I surpassed the age when my mother passed and the fact that if I make it until January 2024, I will have also surpassed my father. Dang, they were young! And it also goes to show that we do not have the best genes in our family.

I’ve tried to take the positive route in that despite some difficult times I’ve experienced during my 66 years of living, I’ve made great memories. They are the very fabric that has sustained me through some of the darkest periods.

But since the passing of my second husband back in 2016, I have really started to cling to the second part of this saying in that I don’t want to die with unfulfilled dreams. Life really is too short. Of course, I want to see my children and grandchildren move through life and share in their joys as well as their sorrows. That’s a given.

Lifelong dreams and aspirations took on a new meaning once I travelled through the many stages of grief. I wanted to go and do like never before, and for the most part, I am accomplishing those dreams.

I obtained my motorcycle endorsement at age 59 after more than 30 years of wishing I could do it, and my crowning moment thus far was tackling the three Twisted Sisters in the Hill County. I was a bit anxious at the start of this trip but really proud once I completed the 150-mile adventure made up of twisty curves and Texas-sized mountains.

History is another passion, especially the eras surrounding the Civil War and World War II. In the last few years, along with my husband and travelling companion, Steven, I have visited the battlefields of Vicksburg, Shiloh, Franklin, Corinth, and various smaller battlefields in Arkansas. Despite the fact that I only lived 20 miles from Gettysburg, it took me until 2022 to actually visit this hallowed ground.

Going to Europe has always been on my bucket list, and in December of this year, I will fulfill that dream with a river boat excursion down the Rhine River from Amsterdam, through Germany and France, and ending up in Switzerland. Our plan, among others, is to visit Anne Frank’s House in Amsterdam as well as the Audie Murphy Museum in Breisach to help fulfill our interest in WWII history.

My parents did not take their first vacation until they were married 25 years. And from that point on about every five years, they would do another cruise. When they actually retired, I believe they thought it was more important to leave something to us than enjoy their last years together. I can remember telling them, just go. Cruising is something they loved, and I thought that was a better use of their money than saving it for us.

After Bob’s passing, I decided that I was not going to follow in my parents’ footsteps. I want to end this process we call life with more good memories and very few unfulfilled dreams. None of us know when our last day will be, but as long as I am able, I will continue to do the things I’ve always wanted to do and just celebrate life.

6

|

BOSQUE RIVER RUN

Community

Calendar

Museums

Bosque County Collection (Meridian) - www.bosquechc.org Bosque Museum (Clifton) – bosquemuseum.org Clifton Classic Chassis – cliftonclassicchassis.org Ringness House Museum (Norse) – ringnesshouse.org Walnut Springs Historical Museum – 4128 3rd Street (next to Walnut Springs City Hall)

Public Libraries

Laguna Park Library – Facebook @lagunaparklibrary Meridian Public Library – meridian.biblionix.com/catalog Nellie Pederson Civic Library (Clifton) – cliftonlib.com Valley Mills Public Library – valleymillslibrary.org

Community Meetings

Bosque County Genealogical Society – bosque-heritage.org Bosque County Commissioners Court – Mondays weekly. bosquecounty.us Bosque County Rotary Club – Thursdays weekly. Facebook @BosqueRotary City of Clifton Main Street Board – 4th Monday monthly.

Facebook @cliftonmainstreet Clifton Chamber of Commerce Board – 1st Tuesday monthly. cliftontexas.org Clifton City Council – 2nd Tuesday monthly. cityofclifton.org Clifton Civic Improvement Society – 1st Wednesday monthly, September – May. Clifton Economic Development Corporation – 3rd Monday monthly. cliftonedc.org Clifton Lions Club – 2nd Thursday monthly. Facebook @cliftonlionsclub Cranfills Gap Chamber of Commerce – 2nd Wednesday monthly. gapchamber.org Cranfills Gap City Council – 2nd Monday monthly. cranfillsgaptexas.com Iredell City Council – 2nd Tuesday monthly. 254-364-2436 Meridian City Council – 2nd Monday monthly. meridiantexas.us Meridian Chamber of Commerce – 2nd Thursday monthly. meridiantexas.us Meridian EDC – 3rd Thursday monthly. meridiantexas.us Meridian Lions Club – 1st and 2nd Tuesdays monthly. meridiantexas.us Meridian Parks & Recreation – 4th Wednesdays monthly. meridiantexas.us Meridian Planning & Zoning – meridiantexas.us Valley Mills Chamber of Commerce – 4th Tuesday monthly.

Facebook @valleymillschamber Valley Mills City Council – 2nd Tuesday monthly. vmtx.us Walnut Springs City Council – 3rd Thursday monthly. cityofwalnutsprings.org BROUGHT TO YOU BY

The Clifton Record & Meridian Tribune FALL 2023

|

7

Tavern

Tales

Restaurateur opens new ‘watering hole’ in Walnut Springs

•

By Nathan Diebenow

Everyone wants a place where they sit back, relax, and talk freely.

Back in the old West days, folks flocked to Walnut Springs for the area’s springs of water.

Around those springs, the town bubbled into a commercial trade center, boasting several bars, saloons, and restaurants as well as a college and several churches.

Much of the community’s business accommodated the workers in the Texas Central Railroad, but those began to dry up when the company’s machine shop burned down, and the railroad went belly up.

Inspired by the community’s current residents, April Shoffit is building on the modern, local social scene, as owner and operator of a new watering hole – The Texas Tavern!

April is not a native to Bosque County; she’s from (what used to be) a small town named Schertz in Guadalupe County. With a population above 40,000, it sits between San Antonio and New Braunfels.

She got into the restaurant and hospitality industry at the age of 15 as a bus girl at a

8

|

BOSQUE RIVER RUN

cafe called Country Corner. She moved into the server position at 16, and then, after it ceased operation, worked at the Marriott by the airport.

“I always gravitated towards the restaurant business because I love people and serving them. It inspires me,” April said. “My customers have become like family to me. Even the new ones. I love sitting down with them and getting to know every one of them.

Sometimes I do not have time, but if I do, I try to talk to everyone.”

April and her family have called Walnut Springs home for two years now. She and her husband moved from Schertz to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in March of 1996 and ended up in Southlake for six years.

“We noticed it was getting too large and congested, and we wanted a small town to live in as we never fit into the city life,” she said. “I found the home for sale by the Huffmans, and so we came and looked at it and fell in love with the small town and the house.”

She continued, “I absolutely love Walnut Springs, the community, and Bosque County, and I really love the people!”

April opened the Texas Tavern restaurant at the old Oma

FALL 2023

|

9

Leens location in historic downtown Walnut Springs in November 2022, but then, finding it a bit too small, moved the restaurant into the old Yellow Rose building. She’s been in the new location since August 2023.

“I loved the old location and the history of it. But the new location allowed us to have indoor bathrooms, a larger kitchen, and back patio,” she said.

April still feels it was a good move because the restaurant space retains a homey, friendly, and fun atmosphere -- although she still visits the old location because of its history and character.

“I appreciate Dobber and Kyle for giving me the opportunity to open and get started, and I appreciate the Wilsons for giving me the new opportunity to grow,” she said.

What hasn’t changed in the transition is the food. It’s still all home-made with care and exceptional quality all at the same time, she said.

“We do not cook out of a box. I love to cook and so does my husband,” she said. “I always tell my customers, ask me what I am playing with in the kitchen, you can most definitely be sure I have something up my sleeve and I want to see if other people like it. I also tell them, if I have it, I can make it.”

She added, “I also have some amazing cooks that love to come up with their own recipes as well. And believe me, they do!”

As for her business philosophy? “I live by God’s word, ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,’” she said.

Throughout the year, you can swing by and listen to live music on the stage, watch sports games on TV, or chat about the town’s friendly-neighborhood ghosts.

This fall, April is planning a birthday party for herself and her head cook Britany Ferrara. She’s also doing a special free Thanksgiving lunch for folks.

The physical address for the Texas Tavern is 4158 3rd Street, Walnut Springs, Texas 76690.

To view the Texas Tavern Walnut Springs’ menu, visit its Facebook page.

For more information about the Tavern email texastavernws@gmail.com or call (254) 998-4022.

The Texas Tavern in Walnut Springs is located at 4158 3rd Street in historic downtown Walnut Springs.

10

|

BOSQUE RIVER RUN

Riverplace Realty 40+ YEARS IN BUSINESS Your Interest is Our Only Goal

Richard Chrisner & Jean Weinkauf BROKERS Caren Sanders Lance Mathis Miguel Sanchez Pamela Woolsey 352 Hwy 22 Laguna Park, Texas 76644 At Lake Whitney Dam 254-622-8364

RIVERPLACE Gallery &Art Studio GALLERY WITH MANY MEDIUMS OF ART FOR SALE

Paintings, Sculpture and Clay CLASSES AVAILABLE IN MOST FORMS OF ART

Open Wed-Sat 10AM- 4PM 354 Hwy 22 Laguna Park, Texas 76644 At Lake Whitney Dam 254-229-7521 FALL 2023

|

11

ON 5TH GALLERY

“ I l i k e t o g e t m y h a n d s d i r t y .”

– RACHEL BEENE

12

|

BOSQUE RIVER RUN

•

By Rita Hamilton

One would think that the citizens of Bosque County, especially Clifton, have taken note of the ongoing renovations of the old building located at 318 West 5th Street in Clifton. The building itself was built in 1908 and was a general store front downstairs. The second floor housed both a law firm and a dental practice. From the bones of this building to the exterior, this unique standalone old building will have been refurbished by the time of the opening of the 22nd Annual Fall Fest on October 21st where everyone will have to opportunity to have a first look at the work that has taken place over the course of the past year.

There are two bright, articulate, and energetic young professionals who are the heart and soul of this project. It is their dream, along with their blood, sweat, and tears, that are behind bringing this newest art venue to Clifton and Bosque County.

Rachel Beene and Ross Gray could not have come from more different backgrounds. Rachel hails from the Garden State of New Jersey, while Ross is a born and bred Texan, complete with a black cowboy hat. Together they have a vision of making the On 5th Gallery one of immersion and accessibility for our community. Together they are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to the plethora of possibilities they intend to bring to Clifton.

For 15 years, Rachel was a touring vocalist. Her background is in theater. Rachel comes from a family of creative people. Rachel’s mother was a singer and performer, but she also has a sister who is an art director in fashion, an uncle who is an architect, and another who is a sculptor, and a cousin who is a published poet. So while Rachel comes from an artistic background, her experience is more in the performative aspect of art. Rachel majored in theater and minored in music with a double minor in lighting design. “I like to get my hands dirty,” Rachel said. She specifically studied the Stanislavski and Margolis Method of acting.

Original fuse box located on the second floor of the On 5th Gallery.

She has lived in an artist’s colony for acting and has also done a stint working for a law firm in the famed Chrysler building in New York City.

Rachel’s dream was to become a musician, specifically a singer, so she worked in the service industry where she discovered she was good at it and quickly moved into management and training. Her many experiences have given her great skills, primarily the ability to quickly connect with people, the gift of understanding, and she knows well how to use her circle of influence.

Another great example of not only her entrepreneurial spirit but her love for community and her leadership abilities is that she took a call from her best friend who wanted her to move to Costa Rica and help build a hotel. Rachel cited she had an amazing staff of about 25 people and 32 guest rooms, all located deep within the Costa Rican jungle. It was there that she was instrumental in the development not only of a hotel/resort/retreat center but of a food garden and a volunteer program that would feed and house the volunteers as well as others who were in need. Rachel lived in Costa Rica for about four and a half years, but when COVID hit, things got tough. However, the volunteer staff and permaculture garden are still in operation today.

Upon returning to the States, Rachel found a position in Houston working in an art gallery until she started on this new venture with Ross.

All of her work experiences, especially those she learned and developed during her time as a singer in Costa Rica and in the hospitality/service area gave her the necessary tools to be a successful business owner and entrepreneur.

FALL 2023

|

13

Ross also hails from an artistic family with his mother being an architect and his father being a general contractor for 30 years as well as an architect. Ross’s earliest memories are of being in a design studio, crawling through pastels and graphite. “I had this dichotomy between someone who was an expert in building and another that was an expert in design,” he said. To his mother, learning about the environment, sciences, and art were important to the education of her children. Instead of going to summer camp, the Gray boys attended science camp in Fair Park.

Ross attended the acclaimed College of Creative Studies, which is the first arts and crafts institute of America. He started his career as an industrial designer, with a focus on automotive and transportation design.

He worked with the big three automakers, including Ford Motor Company, where he worked on everything from their digital ecosystems to their interior design and how human beings interact with their environment, both physically and mentally.

Ross designed notable vehicles such as the Ford GT and the new Ford Bronco.

Although Ross did well climbing the corporate ladder, he became more resentful that he wasn’t practicing his first love of art on a full time basis. Yet he has no regrets for it gave hm a more strategic approach to art. “This works for me, but it doesn’t for most artists I’ve met in my life,” Ross said.

When the couple met, they had no idea of their common ties to the world of art. They were diverse in so many other areas. Fortunately for them and the art world, they discovered that they had this “thing” together, and it has worked. Both bring some extraordinary experiences to the table as individuals. The combination of the two together makes for quite the powerhouse couple who are intent on being part of the progression of Clifton in with their art gallery.

Ross shared, “I’d say she’s fantastic on an empathetic level with people and that I’m the counter to her in that I’ve practiced everything but aerospace. Rachel is amazing at working with people and really trying to understand empathetically who people are and what they want. I, on the other end, look at the work itself trying to understand exactly the intention behind it, the story behind it and the technique behind it. I try and hypothesize how a particular piece of work is being perceived by the public eye and against the market valuation and then individual people themselves. So, I think together we bring a beautiful balance to the art world for us.” He continued, “It’s not that making a buck isn’t fun, but for us, it’s more about the transformative experience of impacting someone’s life with a small artifact.”

The Purpose: “This town is worth celebrating,” Rachel said.

“We could have gone anywhere, but we had the opportunity to come here, and we are seizing that opportunity. People need to experience all that this town has to offer, and we hope that’s one of the things we’re helping bring to the table is more versatility, more accessibility, and that then will encourage other businesses to do the same.”

14

|

BOSQUE RIVER RUN

“We want to pull in every one of all demographics and age ranges,” Ross said. “The day after seeing an impactful piece of art can change someone’s life forever, even if you don’t own it. But also giving people the opportunity to own pieces of art

is something we get really excited about. There’s a lot of new creative ways to do that and give more people accessibility to art.”

Accessibility is one of the couple’s buzz words. How do they make what they do more accessible to multiple audiences? Their answer is to run their art shows more than the typical two weeks. They are leaning more toward a period of six weeks so that the show itself can be seen by as many people as possible. There will be free days where one can come and look and view the artwork. If people are interested in purchasing a specific piece, they can make a private appointment.

“We want people to feel like it’s a place for them to view and appreciate artwork, and if they choose to take it home that’s a beautiful arc of a story for me,” Rachel said. “We really want people to feel like they aren’t rushed to view and rushed out. We want our visitors to take their time, enjoy the space, and enjoy the town while they’re there.”

One of their aims is to cultivate a wider art environment. “It’s not just this gallery, not just the BAC and not just the theater,” Ross said.

“We want to create a holistic immersion of all these artifacts that live in Clifton and bring awareness to what is here.” People from Waco and DFW don’t need to drive 10 hours to Marfa to experience this. It’s right here in our own Bosque County backyard.

The couple is quick to point out that they are not looking to compete with any other businesses. They are looking more to collaborate and find where there’s possible gaps or holes that they can support and fill.

They are merely looking to add color to what already exists.

Art shows will not be the only happenings at the gallery. Live music of all genres will be part of their offerings and both Rachel and Ross have the connections to do that. The yard between the gallery and the Peace Lutheran Church will be a community driven space. They are in the process of building a stage and have made it to where there will be

ON

5

TH

G A L L E R Y

November 17

on5thgallery.com

options for food trucks to park and families and friends to gather. They look forward to working with other businesses to coordinate some of these planned events. There are also plans for three-day silent auctions in conjunction with art shows. Their ideas are endless as their energy is boundless.

If there is one thing that struck me during this interview, it was Ross and Rachel’s passion for developing relationships, be that with other artists, with musicians and more importantly with the people of Bosque County. They are both very authentic and passionate about this new venture. The couple feels blessed to become part of the art community here in Bosque County and the people of Bosque County will, I’m sure, be blessed by their presence here.

To learn more about the On 5th Gallery, follow them on Instagram at @On5thGallery, visit their website at On5thGallery.com, or email them at info@On5thGallery.com. •

‘No Pasa Nada’ Terlingua to Clifton

Tony Drewry Photographer

318 W 5th Street Clifton TX

on5thgallery FALL 2023

|

15

Special

Events

Norwegian Country Christmas Tour 16

|

BOSQUE RIVER RUN

This fall, Bosque County has several special events you can look forward to attending.

If you like reading as well as learning how to publish your own writing, we got it. If you want to listen to classic country recording artist perform as well as hear new talent compete as singers/songwriters, we got it. If you want to take a deep dive into the cultural heritage of Scandinavian settlers, we got it. And if you feel compelled to pay tribute to a character actor from Valley Mills who made a great career of it in Hollywood, we got it.

Here’s the run down:

Books on the Bosque

‘Books on the Bosque’ Conference

The Bosque Arts Center is bringing back the “Books on the Bosque” conference on Saturday, October 28, 2023.

The keynote speaker is author Charlaine Harris of the Aurora Teagarden mysteries and Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire books (HBO’s True Blood series).

Children’s writer K.D. Huxman of Colorado Springs will be speaking for anyone interested in books for young ones or in writing for children. Huxman’s second picture book “Grizzelda Gorilla” won an EPPY for Best Children’s/YA Ebook. Huxman also writes non-fiction for children.

Last year’s essay winner Thelizabeth (“Theo”) Boyd of Whitney will be here with her newly released nonfiction book “My Grief Is Not Like Yours.” Published by Simon & Schuster, it details her journey through tragic loss and finding her way to hope and healing. Theo’s topic: “Unleash Your Superpower: LISTEN to EMPOWER yourself and those around you.”

Local writer Grant Ferguson will offer guidance about the process of self-publishing. Grant is the author of the Cliftopolis books, a middle-grade adventure series, in addition to multiple workbooks on developing the different aspects of your book, like character, plot, and theme.

Reservations are required for the conference. The fee is $30 per person, with breakfast and lunch provided.

Doors open at 8:30 a.m. for registration and a continental breakfast sponsored by conference partner Tolstoy & Co. Bookshop. The keynote begins at 9:30 a.m.

The day closes with a reception and awards ceremony for the 2nd Annual Books on the Bosque Writing Contest beginning at 3:45 p.m.

The ceremony is open to the public with no charge for admission.

For more information or to make reservations, call (254) 675-3724 or visit www.bosqueartscenter.org. The Bosque Arts Center is located at 215 South College Hill Drive in Clifton.

Charlaine Harris

Grant Ferguson

K.D. Huxman

Theo Boyd

Texas Troubadour Songwriter Classic

Singer/songwriter Moe Bandy headlines the 10 Annual Texas Troubadour Songwriter Classic on Saturday, November 11, 2023.

Bandy will judge the five singer/songwriter finalists competing for the Texas Troubadour and People’s Choice awards at the live event.

He will then perform a concert with his band after the conclusion of the Troubadour segment of the evening.

Bandy’s long string of hits include “Bandy The Rodeo Clown,”“Hank Williams, You Wrote My Life,” “Till I’m Too Old To Die Young,” “Amerth

FALL 2023

|

17

Texas Troubadour Songwriter Classic

icana,” “It’s A Cheatin’ Situation,” “Just good Ol’ Boys,” “Barstool Mountain,” “I Cheated Me Right Out of You,” “I Just Started Hatin’ Cheatin’ Songs Today,” “Rodeo Romeo,” “You Haven’t Heard the Last of Me,” “Holding The Bag,” and dozens of other chart-toppers.

For more on Bandy, head to moebandy.com.

For non-BAC members, tickets are on sale at these levels: $25, $50, $75, and $125.

Lomax Gathering

Moe Bandy

18

|

BOSQUE RIVER RUN

The Lomax Gathering returns on Saturday, November 18, 2023, at the John A. Lomax Amphitheater in Meridian.

The annual musical event honors the life and legeacy of Meridian-raised John Avery Lomax who was a folklorist and musicologist of note in the early 20th century. In his work with Harvard University, he documented the burgeoning music scene of the American South, focusing on folk music that ranges from prison work songs to cowboy trail songs.

This year’s musical guests include Pipp Gillette, Kristyn Harris, and John Lomax III. Pipp Gillette lives and works on the family ranch near Lovelady, Texas, where his grandfather started raising cattle and cotton in 1912. Pipp and his late brother Guy received the Western Heritage Award for Outstanding Traditional Western Album of 2011 and the 2013 Western Heritage Award for Outstanding Original Western Composition for their performance of the Waddie Mitchell song “Trade Off.” Drawing on a lifelong interest in Western history and music, Pipp plays traditional cowboy music on guitar, banjo, harmonica, and bones. Pipp’s first solo album “Singing Songs” by Waddie and Pipp received the Western Heritage Award for Outstanding Traditional Western Album of 2016. His newest album Pipp Gillette with Lloyd Wright was released fall 2018.

To learn more about Pipp, head to CampStreetCafe.com Kristyn Harris, a Texas-bred musical powerhouse, is the four-time currently reigning International Western Music Association Entertainer of the Year, and the youngest person to have received this honor. She is known for her powerful vocals and energetic stage presence, which are complimented on stage by her swing guitar playing, yodeling, and songwriting.

Now 27, Kristyn tours across the U.S. and internationally. When she’s not playing music, her passions find her training horses, raising cattle and trick riding. She was most recently awarded the highly prestigious 2021 Best Western Album from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum for her latest release, “A Place to Land.”

To learn more about Kristyn, head to KristynHarris.com John Lomax III, a Houston-native residing in Nashville, Tenn. with family ties to Bosque County, is a music journalist, oral historian, author, artist manager, music publisher and distributor, record label executive, and album producer.

At the Gathering, he will sing songs and share stories about his grandfather John A. Lomax.

For more on Lomax III, head to thelomaxonlomaxshow.com.

At $50 per person, tickets for the Lomax Gathering are available October 1, 2023. Gates open at 5 p.m. The show runs from 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Guests can bring their own food or purchase goodies from local food trucks. Parking is available at the Meridian Civic Center.

To purchase tickets, call (254) 675-3845 or visit www.bosquemuseum.org/lomax.

Lomax Gathering

Norwegian Country Christmas Tour

The Norwegian Country Christmas Tour embarks on its 31 season on Saturday, December 2, in Clifton and the Norse Historic District. The event offers a weekend of history, food, and family-fun for those tempted to fully experience “The Norwegian Capital of Texas.”

The weekend kicks off with the Lighted Christmas Parade through historic downtown Clifton on Friday, December 1. After the parade, the Bosque Museum will hold its open house On Saturday, December 2, guests with tickets can take the tour of historic homes (9 a.m. - 5 p.m.) and partake in the luncheon with Norwegian-style cuisine at the Clifton Civic Center (11 a.m. 1:30 p.m.).

Throughout the day, the Armory in Clifton City Park will host the Heritage Village, a pop-up market showcasing vendors with foods, arts, and crafts as well as artisan demonstrations.

Tickets are $12 per person for the tour, and $12 for lunch. Tickets go on sale October 1, 2023.

To purchase your tickets, call the Clifton Chamber of Commerce at (254) 675-3720 or 1-800-344-3720 st

Kristyn Harris

Pipp Gillette

Fred Ward Memorial Tribute

Fred Ward Memorial Tribute

The Bosque Film Society will offer a free screening of “Escape From Alcatraz” (1979) on Tuesday, December 26, 2023, at the CLIFTEX Theatre in Clifton.

The film is in honor of the late Hollywood film actor Fred Ward, a native of Valley Mills, Texas.

Directed by Don Siegel, “Escape from Alcatraz” is an American prison action thriller film starring Clint Eastwood. The film was Ward’s film debut along with Danny Glover, Larry Hankin, and Jack Thibeau.

The film is an adaptation of the 1963 non-fiction book of the same name by J. Campbell Bruce and based on the 1962 prisoner escape from the maximum-security prison on Alcatraz Island.

After graduating high school in Valley Mills, Ward spent three years in the United States Air Force. He was also a boxer and worked as a lumberjack in Alaska, before appearing in such diverse films as Escape from Alcatraz, The Right Stuff, Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, Tremors, Henry & June, The Player, and Short Cuts.

Admission is free to the public. The CLIFTEX Theatre is located at 306 West 5 Street in Clifton.

For more information about the Bosque Film Society, visit www. bosquefilm.com.

Fred Ward

th

FALL 2023

|

19

SALES, SERVICE, PARTS, AND RENTALS Track Loader and Dozer Rentals Available Tractor with Mower Rentals

(254) 826-8381 10110 HW Y 6 MERIDIAN, TX 76665

centraltexastractor.com

D1 Dozer 289D3 Cab & Air Track Loader 299D3 Cab & Air Track Loader 299D3 Cab & Air Track Loader HighFlow Mini Skid Steer 3 Point Stump Grinder Hay Accumulator Teleclipper Danuser T3 Post and Pipe Driver Hammer Post Driver Tree Intimidator Trencher Pallet Forks Multi-Purpose Scaffolding Box Blade Pasture Renovator 72 in Grapple 3 Point Seeder/Fertilizer Spreader Wire/Fence Stretcher Belltec 9 in Auger with Rock Bit Available

20

|

BOSQUE RIVER RUN

SALES, SERVICE, PARTS, AND RENTALS Track Loader and Dozer Rentals Available Tractor with Mower Rentals

(254) 826-8381

10110 HW Y 6 MERIDIAN, TX 76665

centraltexastractor.com

Parts: We carry LS, TYM, Kioti, Zetor, Branson, Gravely and Grasshopper Parts.

WE DIG DIRT

If we don’t have it, we will order it!

Service: Zero Turn Repair & Maintenance Tractor Repair & Maintenance We repair and make hydraulic hoses We service and carry parts for all tractor brands, not just what we sell.

FALL 2023

|

21

Personal trainer offers outdoor fitness center •

By Nathan Diebenow

In Shakespeare’s “Othello” (Act 1, Scene 3), Iago tells Roderigo, “Our bodies are gardens, to which our wills are gardeners.”

In Bosque County, Krystal Eilers offers you an opportunity to tend to your body’s physical health at her new outdoor fitness training center.

Core

Philosophy

Krystal is a certified personal trainer and certified nutritionist who got her start participating in and eventually running fitness bootcamps through the popular Camp Gladiator community.

With her fitness partner Lynn Tweedle, she co-hosts pop-up fitness classes Monday through Friday at 5 a.m. in the parking lot of Meridian Elementary School.

Lynn does the HIIT style workouts on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, while Krystal focuses on core strength, balance, mobility, and flexibility on Tuesday and Thursday.

“My philosophy on fitness is it’s not just about how hard you can go or how much you can lift, but can you power through your everyday life easily and pain free?” she said. “There is so much more to fitness and life than a number that you can pick up. How is your stress? How is your sleep? How is your home environment? Your diet? Your pain?”

She continued, “Everything plays a role in total body health, and I’m here for it.”

In addition, at Krystal’s Freedom Fitness Training Center, you can receive extra training and special coaching in small groups or one-on-one with her.

But that’s not all!

Krystal offers so much more for individuals of all ages and fitness levels at her workout facility, which officially opened in May 2022.

The facility has a gym with free weights, stationary bicycles, and other fitness machines, and there’s stuff for children to do, too!

22

|

BOSQUE RIVER RUN

“I added a kids’ area with a climbing dome, airplane teeter-totter, a basketball area, and a T-ball hitting cage. The kid’s area is free for parents to bring their kids while they workout,” she said.

Krystal continued, “Most places don’t offer a kid’s area, so that was important to me. I utilized every piece of turf and patched together the kid’s area from all the scraps I had left over.”

She’s also developing a small nature trail to add a relaxing aspect to an individual’s training practice.

Krystal grew up in Lillian, Texas, just south of Mansfield.

She found her way to Bosque County through her husband Justin.

“We always wanted to move to the country, as my husband has family here, so in 2016, we moved to our current property,” she said.

The outdoor fitness center is located on their property located off Highway 56 between Lakeside Village and Laguna Park.

Krystal said that she got a “wild hair” to build the gym at their house back in June 2021, and proceeded to complete the work with the help of her family, friends, and neighbors.

“Everything I could possibly do by myself, I did – including hand-raking two dump trucks full of gravel. I then learned to be pretty good with our neighbor’s tractor for the other three loads. Whew!” she said.

She continued, “Whatever I couldn’t do alone, my husband helped, and whatever we couldn’t do, our amazing friends and family helped out.”

In that time, she had five days of training; plus, she drove to north Arlington for her job as a live-in caregiver.

“I worked seven days a week,” she said. “I spent every dime and every minute of free time over the following 11 months tirelessly working on the gym.”

At the facility, she offers three types of classes: Movin’ N’ Grovin’, Girl Gains, and Stretch N’ Flex.

Movin’ N’ Grovin’ is a fun class that incorporates movement to music followed by different strength, coordination, and cardio exercises. This class meets two times per week.

“My main demographic for that class is women who want to remain, strong, vibrant, and mobile

FALL 2023

|

23

as they age,” she said. “My oldest client is 83!”

Girl Gains is a strength training group. “We mostly lift weights and throw in a tad bit of cardio here and there,” she said.

Stretch N’ Flex is focused on core and balance strength, stretching, foam rolling, and recovery moves. This class is offered on Wednesday.

The start time for all classes is at 8:15 a.m. Monday through Friday. During the colder months the classes will start at 8:45 a.m., so everyone can still utilize the outdoor space. (An awning expansion is coming soon too.)

Krystal also offers her services as a nutritionist certified through the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA).

Her path to nutrition science came about after her sister passed away from cancer last year.

“Shortly after her passing, my stepdad was diagnosed, and I found out I have a cancer gene mutation. So, I decided to change my diet, for real this time. I’ve struggled with sugar addiction my whole life,” she said.

Krystal said she is also open to alternative, natural remedies, and treatments about which you can ask her.

“I’m very excited with the path that I’m on and with helping people truly get healthy in all aspects of their lives,” she said.

To schedule a tour, make an appointment, or get her membership rates at the Freedom Fitness Training Center, call her at (817) 320-1122.

The center’s physical address is 178 Private Road 1380, Morgan, Texas 76671.

For more information, visit freedomfitnesstrainingcenter.com.

24

|

BOSQUE RIVER RUN

305 E Morgan Meridian, TX 76665 254-435-3001

We’ve Got The Property You’ve Been Looking For Or We Will Find It For You!

FARM & RANCH H RECREATIONAL H COMMERCIAL H RESIDENTIAL

FALL 2023

|

25

Preservation

Season

Clifton native pays homage to local heritage through taxidermy

•

By Nathan Diebenow

Wes Crocket’s aim is to be your local taxidermist.

Growing up in the Norse Historical District, Wes was surrounded by wildlife and traditional hunting practices.

He gravitated to taxidermy thanks to his artistic eye for composition, his expertise in wildlife, and his network of encouraging friends and neighbors.

After working for two other taxidermists for a total of five years, Wes started his own business –Cedar Post Taxidermy– in 2021.

“I decided to stay in the town of Clifton because this is where I grew up. These people are my friends, neighbors, and community,” he said.

His goal is to preserve the trophies within the Bosque County community, which he knows intimately.

“I believe with my knowledge of wildlife, the community, and the taxidermy practice, I can aid in the growth of our town,” Wes said.

To refine his skills and experience and learn more tricks of the trade, Wes attended two taxidermy schools: All Trophy School of Taxidermy in Weatherford and Lone Star State School of Taxidermy in Llano.

The origin of his business name is based on a practice native to his home territory.

“As a child, I remember folks hanging animal remains on cedar posts. It was a common sight for predators

26

|

BOSQUE RIVER RUN

trying to get your livestock or simply a trophy you were trying to show off…” he said. “They were all hung on native cedar fence posts that the old Norwegian ranchers and their descendants cut and built by hand.”

novelty, and fun in custom orders for his clients’ pleasure.

He continued, “So we’re trying to preserve our heritage and identity in Clifton through the preservation of your harvested animals – kept in true central Texas beauty!”

Truly, with a little imagination, almost any part of a wild game animal can be used.

In the past year, Wes has worked on a red stag, a longhorn, a whitetail deer, and a pronghorn antelope.

Wes’ work also integrates native wood, barbed wire, and cedar stumps cut by the community’s forebearers.

In other words, Wes strives to “keep it real.”

In a video, he showed off a deer-head mount with what may look like blemishes and bald spots to an untrained eye into a real work of art.

“This deer has been fighting,” he said. “We try to make all the scars completely life-like like they happened yesterday.”

That said, Wes is not beyond whimsy,

This past year, he crafted a martial arts weapon –nunchucks– from a pair of deer hooves connected by a chain.

Hence, “deer chucks.”

“As far as my style, I have –of course– taken what I learned in class into practice and made it my own,” he said.

“However, my Signature Series skull mounts are in homage to the first taxidermist I worked for in Clifton –Hat Creek Taxidermy.”

For more pictures of his work, visit his website at www.cedarpost-taxidermy.com and his online Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/CedarPostTaxidermy.

To check out Wes’ work with your own eyes, schedule an appointment with him before stopping by in person at his location at 503 North Avenue I in Clifton.

To contact him, email him at cedarposttx@gmail.com or call/text at (254) 253-1642.

For a client this year, Wes Crockett crafted “deer chucks” from a pair of deer hooves inspired by the martial arts weapon nunchucks.

Looking for that perfect beer bottle opener for him or her?

Check out Crockett’s hog foot design.

This candleholder made of deer antlers is one of many designs by Wes Crockett of Cedar Post Taxidermy in Clifton.

Lose your wine cork? No problem. Pick up this deer antler wine stopper by Crockett.

Crockett of Cedar Post Taxidermy creates great stocking stuffers like this deer antler keychain.

FALL 2023

|

27

COUN T I N G O N B IR D S AND U S

Tool can save birds’ lives during migration season •

By Nathan Diebenow

When it was first discovered in the 19th century, it helped naval ships avoid collisions in fog.

In the late 20th century, it was used –in name only as a novelty– to let children watching television know Santa Claus’s whereabouts on Christmas Eve. However, in the 21st century, it has the potential to save the lives of birds by the millions during their seasonal migrations across our beloved continent.

It’s radar, and it’s now helping us avoid environmental catastrophe.

The term RADAR (short for “radio detection and ranging”) was coined by the U.S Signal Corps in 1939. It uses radio waves to detect objects difficult for us humans to spot with our naked eyes.

Today, the BirdCast Project deploys radar to track birds moving in large numbers together across the United States.

The Project continues the partnership birds and us humans have shared for millennia. Chief among birds’ services to us is warning of possible damage to our health and well-being, according to the late naturalist and ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson.

“Birds are indicators of the environment. If they are in trouble, we know we’ll soon be in trouble,” he once said.

Due to their body’s sensitivity, ability to travel great distances, and adaptation to different habitats, birds let us know when things are going south.

So, in response to declining bird populations since the 1970s, people encouraged the National Weather Service (NWS), the Federal Aviation Administration, and the U.S. Air Force to focus NEXRAD (Next Generation Weather Radar) on tracking and predicting bird migration.

Today, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Colorado State University, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst manage the BirdCast system, using the NEXRAD network of 160 high-resolution S-band Doppler weather radars to gather data on migratory birds.

Daily, the BirdCast team produces and publishes maps and data of birds in migration. The data can be viewed online at birdcast.info. To see migration data in your region, enter your state or county in the “migration dashboard.”

The data shared includes the number of birds that crossed the area the previous night; the estimated peak migration traffic; the altitude, flight direction and speed of the birds; as well as expected nocturnal migrants (powered by the eBird app: ebird.org).

Texas is a special place for birds because nearly two billion of them travel through the state in the fall months, and they do so primarily at nighttime in pursuit of food, shelter, and nesting grounds safely.

Folks in Texas indeed love birds. According to Texas A&M University, nature tourism –which the pastime of bird watching dominates– generates $300 million and maintains 4,407 full and part-time jobs annually. That’s in the Rio Grande Valley alone!

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, birdwatching became more popular across the nation because people wanted to be outdoors. (Birding is like playing Pokémon Go but with real creatures, you know?)

Unfortunately, in the 20 years since BirdCast launched, birds are still in decline.

That said, BirdCast is a success story because in the two decades researchers have collected so much data that they can forecast bird migration three days to two weeks in advance.

With so much data and advanced notice, managers of wind turbines can prepare for migratory birds by turning off their machines at night.

28

|

BOSQUE RIVER RUN

Plus, developers of wind-energy projects can build their structures away from birds’ migration routes and stopover habitats.

founded by former First Lady Laura Bush, this campaign helps reduce nighttime coalitions between birds and windows.

The American Bird Conservancy has provided a wind risk assessment map that can assist in identifying these safe routes and habitats, as part of its Bird-Smart Wind Energy Campaign: abcbirds.org.

In the end, the goal of all these programs is for humans and birds to thrive together as we have for thousands of years.

In addition, Texans have been taking an extra step to conserve migratory birds by instituting the “Lights Out Texas” program, in which businesses, developers, and homeowners turn off all their non-essential nighttime lighting on buildings from 11 p.m. - 6 p.m. each night.

Coordinating through Texan by Nature, a group

This Christmas season, the National Audubon Society will once again hold its Christmas Bird Count. The 124th tradition runs from December 14, 2023, to January 5, 2024.

For more info on joining the tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas on the count, visit www.audubon.org.

FALL 2023

|

29

•

By Nathan Diebenow

Remember when you could scuba-dive to the ghost town at the bottom of Lake Whitney? The waters were still crystal clear. You could see everything down there, although all that remains were old building foundations 110-feet below the surface...

Or so I’ve been told because I don’t scuba-dive. I just recall seeing those red-and-white flags flying above scuba shops on both sides of the Whitney Dam, and reading about the history of Towash, Texas, on the Internet.

Anyway, that’s about how long I’ve known of Valter and his kind.

I first heard about Valter –or at least his reputation– when I was a kid. My mom would drive me from Arlington to visit family in Bosque County, and inevitably we’d eat at “tea rooms” that served soup, sandwiches, and, of course, tea.

In those quaint restaurants, we’d hear whispers about the “Lake Whitney Monster” – a hairy sevenfoot-tall catfish man that will pull you under water if you misbehave on the lake. The 20-something waitresses would talk about feeling a sharp tug of their feet after they surfaced from a cliff jump, for instance.

PSA: Cliff jumping is a no-no, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who manage the lake.

As the monster’s reputation grew, so did the number of folks traveling to Lake Whitney just to egg him into messing with them. As the late troubadour John Prine once sang, “Some humans ain’t human.”

So, Lake Whitney’s monster became another tourist attraction. Money flowed from T-shirt sales and motel stays, as drownings and hospital stays mounted. Drugs and alcohol –mixed with swimming, boating, and kayaking– are lethal combinations, simply put.

Plus, the tourism attracted too much focus potentially in the area where the secret (yet not-so-secret) U.S. naval base under Lake Whitney was located.

That’s when the lake water became a lot more murky, and that nasty organic smell by the dam got worse. Of course, the lake’s water level is almost never constant. It’s always way up or way down. Eventually, the lake’s tourism trickled away.

This summer, I caught up with Valter while I was putting together the Bosque County “Destinations” guide.

We exchanged pleasantries as I was taking pictures of the lake and he was doing whatever retirees do.

When I shook Valter’s hand on the beach that humid summer afternoon, I could feel him tasting my thoughts like the first time we met many moons ago.

He has always been a curmudgeon with a certain sweet charm (He donates money to keep the Laguna Park Library in operation, for instance), but I suppose

30

|

BOSQUE RIVER RUN

that’s the type of personality the Cryptozoological Recon Rescue Rangers – Underwater Division (CRRRUD) of our United States Navy attracts.

But anyway, he read the Destinations guide and had some issues with it. What follows is our text message exchange edited for your reading pleasure: Valter: Hey there sonny boy, Why didn’t you put all those campsites and parks along Lake Whitney in your paper like you said you were? Aren’t they technically public spaces?

Bosque River Run: We ran out of space. We have only so many pages that advertising will support.

V: But how could you miss Kimball Bend Park, Cedron Creek Park, Soldiers Bluff...?

BRR: I would have added them. I had every intention... but we ran out of time and space. Maybe next year we’ll include them too. Let’s see how this one turns out first.

V: Include them too? You should run another guide just on them. The guys at the Army Corps office are pretty upset at you.

BRR: Well, the summer is over, which means lake season’s over, and we’ve got several other special sections coming out this fall. The veterans section. Breast cancer awareness section. Norwegian Country Christmas section. You want us to run yours instead of one of them?

V: No, no, no! What you call “summer” ain’t over!

We’ll have summer for another four months! At least!

BRR: Really? How do you know that? The Farmer’s Almanac says otherwise.

V: You don’t follow Katharine Hayhoe, the Christian Climate Scientist? I thought all you liberals knew about her.

BRR: Hey! Hold up! I’m not liberal. I’m a constitutional anarchist!

V:: What does that even mean? You smoking the wacky tobaccy, sonny boy?

BRR: <munches potato chips in Texan> V: I thought so.

BRR: Seriously though, we’ll figure out a way to promote them in the Bosque River Run magazine. I promise!

V: You better, or I’ll...

BRR: What? Drown me?

V: Well, I wouldn’t pull your leg.

BRR: Fair enough.

(Editor’s note: “The Lake Whitney Monster’ is a fictious creature created from the mind of Nathan Diebenow. He originally proposed the creature as a tourist attraction in his column published in The Clifton Record on August 9, 2002.)

Te

‘L M

exts with a

Lake Monster’ Famed creature promotes Lake Whitney still

FALL 2023

|

31

Bosque Museum

301 S. Avenue Q • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-3845

Business

Directory

George Boutwell

3083 Hwy 6 • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-6676 • Gboutwell.com

L.A. Thompson Gallery of Fine Arts

An Thompson 114 N Ave D • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-2787 • FB@lathomsonart

AUTOMOTIVE

Briley Auto Supply

Greg & Marie Garland 121 Main St • Meridian, TX 76665 • 254-435-2212

Douglass Ford

1206 N Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-8315 • douglassford.shop

Ken’s Auto Supply

ADVERTISING

920 N Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-8100

The Clifton Record & The Meridian Tribune 310 W 5th St • Clifton, TX 254-675-3336 • bosquecountytoday.com

Myatt Fuels

202 N Ave B • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-8107 • Myattfuels.net

ANTIQUES

BANKING & FINANCE

121 N Ave D • Clifton, TX 76634 254-675-8133 • bosquecountyemporium@gmail.com

603 S. Avenue G • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-206-3100

ARTISTS/ART GALLERIES

505 W 5th St • Clifton, TX 76634 254-675-2211 • citizensstatebanktx.com

Bosque County Emporium

Bosque Arts Center

215 S College Hill Dr • Clifton, TX 76634 254-675-3724 • Bosqueartscenter.org

Rawl’s Financial

Citizens State Bank

First National Bank of Bosque County

1203 N Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-6570 • fnbbosque.com

Fit aK K ing FitFor For a ing

(254) 675-4500

(254) 675-4500

602 S Ave G • HWY 6 • Clifton, TX 76634

HOURS:HOURS: M-TH 11AM-9PM; FR 11 & SA MON-THUR AM11AM-10PM -9PM FRI & SAT 11 AM -10 PM 602 SSheldon Ave G • HWY 6 Ivie, • Clifton, TX 76634 “Skeeter” Owner/GM

Pizza CalzonesALL • Pasta HHH NOW•DELIVERING DAY HHH HOURS: MON-THUR 11 AM -9PM ($2 in Town,•$5Desserts VM & Meridian) Subs FRI & SAT 11 AM-10PM k As out NOW DELIVERING ALL DAY *** Us Ab*** Catering! $2 In Town • $5 VM & Meridian

Pizza • Calzones • Pasta Ask Us About Catering Subs • Desserts *** NOW DELIVERING ALL DAY *** $2 In Town • $5 VM & Meridian

Ask Us About Catering 32

|

BOSQUE RIVER RUN

Keith’s Ace Hardware

927 N. Avenue G • Clifton, TX • 254-675-6513

Leon’s Floor Covering

Business

302 W 5th St • Clifton, TX 76634 254-675-8686 • Leonsfloorsclifton.com

R&M Fencing

Directory

1885 Co Rd 182 • Purmela, TX 76566 254-248-2205 • Randmfencing.com

Tri County Guttering Co Inc 286 Lady Bird Rd • Waco, TX 76712 254-848-7246 Tricountyguttering.com

Williams Construction Co

9149 Hwy 6 • Meridian, TX 76665 254-435-9011 • williamsconstruction.com

EDUCATION

First Security State Bank

Clifton ISD

1115 W 5th St • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-2265 • fssbtexas.com

1102 Key Ave • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-2827 • cliftonisd.org

J Phillips Mortgage Inc.

Cranfills Gap ISD

Kevin King • 214-549-8839 • www.myjpmortgage.com

505 S 2nd St • Cranfills Gap, TX 76637 254-263-3388 • cranfillsgapisd.net

Mattson Financial Services

5400 Bosque Blvd 4th Floor • Waco, TX 76710 254-772-6383 • Mattsonfinancialservices.com

Meridian ISD

310 D St • Meridian, TX 76665 • 254-435-2326 • Meridianisd.org

CONSTRUCTION & HOME REPAIR

FARM & RANCH

JBS Heating & Air Conditioning

Coryell County Commission Company

911 W.5th Street • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-978-2510

400 Cattle Drive, N. Loop Highway 36 • Gatesville, TX 76528 254-865-9121 • coryellcommission.com

203 East 5th Street Clifton, Texas 76634 (254) 675-3416 CUSTOMER Service Is Always #1! cliftonfeed@gmail.com www.CliftonFeed.com

We have everything you need for your home, farm or ranch!

We have everything you need for your home, farm or ranch!

We#1 invite you to visit our store on Customer Service is Our Priority weekdays from 8:00 - 5:00 and on Saturdays from 8:00 - 3:00.

203 East 5th Street • Clifton, TX 76634 (254) Animal Feed 675-3416Lawn Fertilizer

Deer Corn Deer Protein cliftonfeed@gmail.com Show Feed Cattle Tubs Mineral Gates Feeders Panels

Mulch Bedding Plants www.CliftonFeed.com Potting Soil Compost Fly Sprays Garden Seed Hanging Baskets Dog & Cat Food

Country Creations

Dog Houses Collars & Leads Buckets Herbicides Sprayers Hardware Fence Energizers Hunting Supplies Horse Tack

314 W. 5th Street ~ Clifton , TX 76634 254-749-5170 • HillCountryClocks.com

HAND CRAFTED ITEMS/UNIQUE WOOD CRAFTS, GARDEN POTTERY , SOAPS & CANDLES

LA

THOMPSON Gallery of Fine Arts

Original Art Custom Framing 114 N Ave D Clifton, TX 76634 254-675-2787 lathompson114@ gmail.com

FALL 2023

|

33

Bosque County Judge’s Office 110 S Main, Room 100 • P.O. Box 647 Meridian, TX 76665 • 254-435-2382 ext 6

City of Iredell

Business

225 Eastland St • Iredell, TX • 254-364-2436

Directory

City of Meridian

111 Main St • Meridian TX 76665 • 254-435-2381 • meridiantexas.us

Clifton Chamber of Commerce

Paige Key 115 N Ave D • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-3720 • cliftontexas.org

Clifton Main Street

403 W 3rd St • P.O. Box 231 • Clifton, TX 76634 254-675-8337 • FB@CliftonMainStreet

Central Texas Tractor & Implement 10110 Highway 6 • Meridian, TX 76665 254-826-8381 • centraltexastractor.com

Lawson Implement Co.

1130 S.Hwy 281 • Hamilton, TX 76531 800-658-6807 • Lawson-implement.com

Clifton Livestock Commission 3199 Highway 6 • Clifton, TX 76634 254-675-7717 • www.CliftonLivestockTx.com

GOVERNMENT

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Albrecht’s Pharmacy

506 W 5th St • Clifton, TX 76634 254-675-8398 • Albrechtspharmacy.com

Brookhaven Youth Ranch

5467 Rogers Hill Rd • West, TX 76691 254-829-1893 • brookhavenyouthranch.org

Careflite

4458 FM Rd 933 • Whitney, TX 76692 800-442-6260 • careflite.org

Dynamic Family Dentistry

Bosque County Central Appraisal District

9293 Hwy 6 • Meridian, TX 76665 • 254-435-2304 • Bosquecad.com

Tur in for

302 S Ave Q • Clifton, TX 76634 254-675-3518 • bosquecountydentist.com

ESTABLISHED 1985

Tri-County Guttering

Emergency Back Up Lighting NEVER BE LEFT IN THE DARK AGAIN...

LWB Support Services, Inc. Installation of Low Voltage Outdoor Decorative Lighting G R E AT F O R PAT I O S , WA L K WAY S , P O O L A R E A S , BARNS, GAZEBOS, INDOORS & MORE Call or Email Us Today For More Details

214-577-1447 Wade Britain lwb2727@att.net

Turning houses into homes for 75 years

Get your free estimate today for flooring, and custom showers.

34

Leon’s Floor Covering 302 W 5th St. Clifton, TX 76634 254-675-8686 | leonsfloorsclifton.com |

leons1948@gmail.com BOSQUE RIVER RUN

NOW OFFERING

Seamless Half Round Gutter Systems Seamless Rain Gutters

254-848-RAIN (7246)

286 Lady Bird Road • Waco, TX 76712

Please visit us at: www.tricountyguttering.com

Get you today f cust

LODGING

Velkommen Inn 1215

Business

n

• Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-8999

Texas Safari Ranch 192

Directory

i

t

o

4293 • Clifton, TX 76634 • 214-384-3000

Screen Door Inn 110

• Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-7829 •

PET SERVICES 4340

i

- o

ni

o

101 o

• Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-8322 •

Hamilton Healthcare System 400 o n t• 254-386-1600 •

ilton, TX 76531 ilton o it l o

Lutheran Sunset Ministries 413 n t • 254-675-8637 • t

o 71 • Clifton, TX 76634 n n to

Waco Cardiology Associates 7125 n 254-399-5400 •

o

•

o, TX 76712 iolo o

nn l

6 • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-1954

254-253-6124 • o

Goodall-Witcher Healthcare/ o Co nt lt i ti t

l

t

n

t

o

The River’s Bend Doggie Drop Inn o 228 • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-4936 •

lt

o

PRAISE & WORSHIP o

n oo inn o

Co nt Co

7023 6 • M i i n, TX 76665 254-396-1032 • o o nt o

o

i

o inn o

o C o

o

Clifton Bible Church

414 5t t • Clifton, TX 76634 254-707-1076 • lifton i l

o

First Baptist Church Meridian 207 ill t • M i i n, TX 76665 254-435-6007 • f i i nt o

Your Trusted Mortgage Professional in Bosque County Kevin King

Residential Mortgage Loan Originator NMLS #195846 - Company NMLS #225604

Cell (214) 549-8839 Kevin@myjpmortgage.com www.myjpmortgage.com

3020 Corporate Court, Suite 500 • Flower Mound, TX 75028 2577 FM 219 • Clifton, TX • 254-675-6308

FALL 2023

|

35

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Lhoist

2861 FM 2602 • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-8668 • Lhoist.com

Business

Directory

REAL ESTATE SERVICES

Bosque Real Estate, Inc.

100 N Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634 • 800-344-8092 • bosquerealestate.com

Carlisle Real Estate

305 E Morgan St • Meridian,TX 76665 • 254-435-3001 • carlisletexas.com

Clayton Waggoner Properties 325 North St. Paul Street • Dallas, TX 75201 972-897-9000 • claytonwaggoner.com

Cobb Properties First Presbyterian Church

211 S Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-8105 • Fpcclifton.com

300 3rd St • Cranfills Gap, TX 76637 254-253-0157 • Cobbranchproperties.com

First United Methodist Church

Sauer & Associates Real Estate

Meridian Methodist Church

RESTAURANTS & DINING

303 S Ave E • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-3984 • Fumcclifton.com 300 N. Main Street • Meridian, TX 76665 • 254-435-2218

Peace Lutheran Church

600 S Bosque St • Whitney, TX 76692 • 254-694-0123 • Sauerrealestate.com

Burger King/Clifton Fast Stop

102 S Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-6111

330 W 5th St• P.O. Box 112 • Clifton, TX 76634 214-213-3838• Peacelutheranclifton.org

Zion United Church of Womack

1411 FM 219 • Clifton, TX 76634 254-675-3599 • zionunitedchurchwomack.com

Corner Drug Cafe

102 N Ave D • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-265-7737 • cornerdrugcafe.com

Dairy Queen

311 N Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634 254-675-3003 • dairyqueen.com

Boarding at its Best!

Safe & Secluded Air Conditioned 4’x13’ Kennels One-to-One Care Large Outdoor Exercise Area Lots of Hugs & Kisses Reinforced Training Groomer Certified Trainer Available

Richard D. Lundberg, P.C.

Area’s LARGEST QUILTING STORE Machine Service & Long Arm Repair Available

254-824-1234

4355 FM 933 | WHITNEY,TX 76692

STITCHINSHACKWHITNEY@GMAIL.COM

WWW.STITCHINSHACKWHITNEY.COM

ERIC & STEPHANIE ANKER

CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT www.lundbergcpa.com 714 West Fifth Street | Clifton, Texas 76634

254-675-8635

BUSINESS OWNER/STAFF Rick Lundberg, CPA Jan Woosley, CPA Robin Hamilton, QuickBooks ProAdvisor Bree Robertson

36

|

BOSQUE RIVER RUN

Phone (254) 694-1173 Fax (254) 694-1174 email: whitneyqps@gmail.com

4355 FM 933 Whitney, TX 76692

Brookshire’s Food & Pharmacy

900 FM 3220 • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-3111 • brookshires.com

Business

Directory

Buckshot Rustic Furniture & Gifts

1432 E State Hwy 22 • Whitney, TX 76692 • 254-694-4100

C-Town Liquor

810 N. Avenue G • Clifton, TX 76634 • 469-328-0201

David’s/Brookshire Brothers

614 S Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-6345 • Brookshirebrothers.com

Double B Foods, Inc.

113 Morgan St • Meridian, TX 76665 • 254-435-6187 • doubleb.com

Hamilton Farmers Market

822 E Main St • Hamilton, TX 76531 254-386-5004 • FB@farmersmarkethamilton

Johnny’s Place

502 S. Avenue G • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-2001

Meridian Frozen Food & Locker LLC 106 Morgan St • Meridian, TX 76665 • 254-435-2803

Rattlesnake Ballroom

UTILITIES

Royal Pizza

1111 Johnson Dr • P.O. Box 357 • McGregor, TX 76657 800-840-2957 • Hotec.coop

4173 3rd Street • Walnut Springs, TX 76690 • 817-269-0554

602 S Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-4500 • Royalpizzatx.com

Texas Tavern

Heart of Texas Electric Cooperative Hilco United Services

4158 3rd Street • Walnut Springs, TX 76690 • 254-998-4022

4581 FM Rd 933 • Whitney, TX 76692 254-694-5237 • Hilcounitedservices.com

RETAIL & GROCERY

Texas New Mexico Power

1304 N Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634 • 888-866-7456 • Tnmp.com

Produce from Gustine LOCALLY GROWN Fresh

Come see us for all your trees, shrubs, flowers, local honey, jellies, jams, pickles, salsas, variety of nuts & more!

Local meat from Pederson’s and vegetables & gifts.

Come in & Try Our Salad Bar

HIGHWAY 84 EAST H STAR, TX 76880 325-948-3595 H mooresservicecenter.com

MON- THURS 11AM-2PM

On-site bakery, we have salads, wraps, sandwiches, dips, fruit cups, cookies, bread, etc made fresh daily.

Volleman Milk from local Volleman Dairy Follow us on FACEBOOK to keep up with all the happenings.

822 E Main St Hamilton, TX M-F 9-5:30 Sat 9-3

254-386-5004

We are a family-owned and operated business serving the agricultural community since 1991. In 2010 we became a Kubota and Landpride Dealer selling new tractors, RTV’s and Farm Equipment. Kubota, Landpride and Vermeer work with us to provide our customers with financial assistance as well as outstanding agricultural equipment.

KubotaUSA.com *Based on Power Products Marketing North American 2020 sales data for the pure utility vehicle (PUV) segment. © Kubota Tractor Corporation, 2023. This material is for descriptive purposes only. Kubota disclaims all representations and warranties, express or implied, or any liability from the use of this material. For complete warranty, safety, incentive offer and product information, consult your local dealer or go to KubotaUSA.com.

Call for Availability

254/675-8999

1215 N AVE G (HWY 6) CLIFTON, TEXAS

FALL 2023

|

37

List of

Advertisers

Selling Lake Whitney for over 60 years.

Bosque Arts Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Bosque Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Carlisle Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Central Texas Tractor & Implement . . . . 20 Clifton Feed & Service Center . . . . . . . 33 Cobb Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Country Creations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Gretchen Sauer | Robert Hook | Kelli Lawson Jones Hunter Brooks | Sean Boiles

Goodall-Witcher Healthcare . . . . . . . . 40 Hamilton Farmers Market . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Heart of Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 J Phillips Mortgage Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 LA Thompson Gallery of Fine Arts . . . . . 33 Leon’s Floor Covering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Lutheran Sunset Ministries . . . . . . . . . . 29 LWB Support Services, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . 34 Meridian Tribune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Moore’s Service Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 On 5th Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

NOW BOOKING

254-804-3189

Escape to y! ne ake WhitBOOKING LNOW

Rawls Financial Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Richard D. Lundberg, CPA . . . . . . . . . . . 36 River’s Bend Doggie Drop Inn . . . . . . . . 36 Riverplace Gallery & Art Studio . . . . . . . 11

FOOD TRUCK CABINS RV SLIPS BOAT & ATV REN 2 SWIMMING POOLS 254-804-3189 MEETING SPACES B O A T S NOW BOOKING

Escape to y! e o t n t i e p h a W c s e E k a L ! y e n t i h W e k a L scape to TRUCK CABINS Escape toRV SLIPS BOA EFOOD

Riverplace Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Royal Pizza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Sauer & Associates Real Estate . .NOW . . . .BOOKING 38 Stitchin’ Shack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254-804-3189 . . . . . 36 Tri-County Guttering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

WHITNEYRIDGERESORT

WWW.WHITNEYRIDGERESORT. 254-804-3189

NOW BOOKING

254-804-3189

ey! ney! TRUCK CABINS WhitnRV it e h k a W L BOA SLIPS a2ke FOOD L SWIMMING POOLS MEETING SPACE Whitney Qwik Pack & Ship . . . . . . . . . . 36 Velkommen Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

CABINS RV SLIPS BOAT & ATV RENTALS

FOOD TRUCK BOAT & ATV RENTALS FOOD TRUCK CABINS RV2SLIPS SWIMMING MEETING 2 SWIMMINGPOOLS POOLS MEETING SLIPS SPACES B O A T SPACE Whitney Ridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 2 SWIMMING POOLS MEETING BOAT SLIPS WHITNEYRIDGERESORT WWW.WHITNEY SPACES WHITNEYRIDGERESORT WWW.WHITNEYRIDGERESORT.COM | B O SWHITNEYRIDGERESORT QUE RIVER RUN 38 WWW.WHITNEYRIDGERESORT.COM WHITNEYRIDGERESORT WWW.WHITNEY

1900

The

Meridian Tribune

1920

It’s been 130 years since theMeridian MeridianTribune Tribune The

It’s been 130 years since in Bosque County, Texas. A newspaper who has survived that the Meridian Tribune

first began as the chronicler of history and everyday life here

1935

long continues to hold true the journalistic standards first and began as the chronicler of to history and everyday life hereit in Bosque A newspaper hascounty. survived that wasCounty, foundedTexas. on is truly a treasurewho of our

long and continues to hold true to the journalistic standards it

1943

was founded on is truly a treasure of our county.

Beginning in 1893, numerous publishers, editors, as well as Beginning 1893, numerous publishers,staff, editors, well as advertising,inaccounting and production haveasworked advertising, accounting and production have worked together to bring the citizens of Bosquestaff, County news and together to bring the citizens of Bosque County news and

information that is important to their lives. It was an information that is important to their lives. It was an important important endeavor endeavor in in 1893 1893 and and it it is is just just as as important important today today in in 2023.

2023.

Newspapers have traditionally been an important part of civil society, providing information to citizens, convening groups around events and issues, and serving as a watchdog against abuses by those in power.

Newspapers have traditionally been an important part of civil society, providing information to citizens, OUR CHANGED IN 130 YEARS convening groupsPURPOSE around events andHAS issues,NOT and serving as a watchdog against abuses by those in power.

OUR PURPOSE HAS NOT CHANGED IN 130 YEARS

Introduces

Self-Scheduling

Schedule your appointment today!

Goodall-Witcher has created an online platform designed to streamline the process of scheduling medical appointments. With a user-friendly interface, the innovative system allows for individuals to browse through a comprehensive directory of healthcare providers, filtering by specialty, location, and availability. To learn more, visit gwhealthcare.org

Scan to visit our website