September 2022 $4.95 Towering Over ParisHISTORY OF THE EIFFEL TOWER COOKING UP SOME FUN TAKING CENTER STAGE UNITING MAN & MAN'S BEST FRIEND PARIS JUNIOR KEEPINGHOMESLOCALTOPARISCLASSESTIFFANYMECHATRONICSCOLLEGEPHILLIPSOFFERSCOOKINGFORKIDSCOMMUNITYTHEATRERETURNSTHESTAGEAFTERPANDEMICNON-PROFITSWORKTOFINDFORABANDONEDANIMALSHANDS&MINDSWORKINGTOGETHER
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Take, for instance, Blossom resident Tiffany Phillips. An avid cook from a young age, Tiffany wanted to share her passion for the culinary arts with others, and get young children interested in cooking, just as she was in her youth. Her enthusiasm has been infectious, and now has dozens of young ones eagerly signing up for her fun lessons in the kitchen.
Downtown, in a delightful theatre that appears frozen in time, the thes pians at Paris Community Theatre put on regular productions of some of the most iconic stage plays ever written, and also many lesser-known ones as well. Having gone to many of their shows myself, I can attest to the fact that it’s always worth the price of admission to see a PCT performance.
In my five years living in Lamar County, I’ve come to realize just what a special place this is. While not as big or bustling as the DFW Metro plex, there are people who make this place unlike any other.
And of course, near the southeast part of town, our very own Eiffel Tower proudly sits, cowboy hat affixed to its tip and all.
Animal lovers abound in Lamar County, as evidenced by the terrific work done by the Lamar County Humane Society and local nonprofit Baby Gunn’s Animal Rescue. At both, volunteers work tirelessly to get our fourlegged companions into homes where they will be loved and looked after.
The cowboy hat on our tower is a wonderfully cheeky flare of individu ality, while also paying homage to our town’s French namesake.
PUBLISHER CLAY CARSNER EDITOR TOMMY CULKIN DESIGN HOLLY NOWELL MEGAN PEDERSEN ADVERTISING CLAY CARSNER ADAMHOLLYCAWTHONNOWELL COMPOSITION MEGAN PEDERSEN HOLLY NOWELL Facebook • facebook.com/ParisTXLife • facebook.com/theparisnews Instagram • @parislifemagazine • @theparisnews Twitter • @TheParisNews EDITOR’S letter Paris Life On the Cover Eiffel Tower, Paris TX STAFF A publication of The Paris News 5050 SE Loop 286 Paris, TX 75460 Copyright 2022 Photo by Tony Corso #parislifemagazine,theparisnews.com#myparistexaslife, #myparistxlife 4 Paris Life
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6 Paris Life contents EDITOR'S LETTER 4 CONTRIBUTORS 8 UPCOMING EVENTS 10 Local events you don't want to miss LIFESTYLE HOME & LIVING GUIDE 16 Taking Center Stage 28 Paris Community Theater returns to the stage after pandemic Story by Sally Boswell FEATURES Towering Over Paris 12 History of The Eiffel Tower Story by Mary Madewell Uniting man & man's best friend 18 Story by Tommy Culkin Cooking up some fun 24 Tiffany Phillips offers cooking classes for kids Story by Nanalee Nichols Mechatronics keeps hands & minds working together 40 Story by David Money IN EVERY ISSUE HEALTH 36 by Ayesha Shafiq WISE WORDS 34 by Shannon McGuire ENTERTAINMENT CHECKPOINT 30 by Klark Byrd DEJA VIEW 38 by Toni Clem 24 12 28 40 18
Paris Life 7 Tile | Vinyl | Carpet | Hardwood | Linoleum More Than Just Carpet. 903.785.6491 Monday-Friday 8:00 - 5:00 Saturday 10:00 - 12:00 1289 Clarksville St. - Paris, TX 75460 LARGEST SELECTION IN NE TEXAS & SE OKLAHOMA Where Everything Shines! DavidHouseJewelry @dhousejewelry 4207 LAMAR AVE PARIS, TX AT THE CORNER OF 42ND & LAMAR 903.706.5200 VOTED BEST JEWELER FOR OVER 24 YEARS! Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30-6 | Sat 9:30-3 We Buy Gold & Diamonds Jeweler on Premise for Same Day Repairs FINANCING SPECIAL W.A.C. • 12 months no interest or up to 3 years to pay You are Uniqueso is your jewelry 1465 N.E. 20TH • PARIS, TX 75460 PHONE: (903) 785-0467 • FAX: (903) 785-0470 INSURANCE BALLARDwww.ballardinsurance.netAGENCY RONNIE BALLARD, AGENT ronnie@ballardinsurance.net VICKI BALLARD, AGENT vicki@ballardinsurance.net
Toni Clem has written the Deja View column since 1984. She has been married 51 years to Paris attorney A.W. “Plug” Clem of the Moore Law Firm, and has two grown sons, Chivas and Bachman. She had a Public Relations/Marketing firm, T.Clem & Associates, from 1986 to 2016. She is a graduate of the University of Texas/ Austin, where she started graduate school. She continued that at Texas A&M Commerce, where she was a graduate instructor in political science. When she and Plug moved to Paris in 1969, her first job was ‘Society Editor’ for The Paris News. She left that to be press secretary for Jim Farris’ congressional campaign. She is an active mem ber of the Northeast Texas community.
Ayesha Shafiq 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 few years.
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Shannon McGuire 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 Ju venile 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.
CONTRIBUTORS
SHANNON MCGUIRE AYESHA SHAFIQ
TONI CLEM
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EventsLocal you don't want to miss 10 Paris Life September 3 "Hatch Chile Day" @ Paris Farmer's Market Starting at 8am, there will be a full house of vendors selling items such as fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, coffee, breads and pastries, jams, pastas, pickles, soaps, artisan items and so much more. Featuring Hatch Chilies. September 3-4 TMBRA Mountain Bike Race @ Barber Hills 3rd Annual “Barber Hills Hard Labor” Mountain Bike Race at Pat Mayes Lake. September 9-10 Paris Balloon & Music Festival @ Lamar County Fairgrounds Hot Air Balloons, Live Music, Vendors Market Place, Food Vendors. Fun for the whole family! September 16-17 "The Paris Pair" Trail Racing Across Texa. Race starting at the Eiffel Tower and on the North East Texas Trail. September 21-24 Kathy Whitworth Paris Open Women's Pro Golf Tournament @ Paris Golf & Country Club September 28-Oct 1 Paris/Red River Valley Fair @ Lamar County Fairgrounds Come out and enjoy the Red River Valley Fair!
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FEATURE 12 Paris Life
he signature landmark of the second largest Paris in the world, the Eiffel Tower with its iconic red cowboy hat on top, has drawn tour ists from around the world to marvel at its uniqueness.It’sdrawn couples to celebrate an niversaries, has been the site of engage ments, weddings, baby gender revelations, and is the location of numerous com munity events. The lighted tower has been photographed, filmed and reported about by local, national and international media and has been the filming location for sev eral commercials.
TOWERING OVER PARIS
T
By Mary Madewell
Photo by Joe Watson
Long billed as the “Second Largest Eiffel Tower in the Second Largest Paris in the World,” the local tower met competition when Paris, Tennessee, raised their tower an additional 10 feet in order to claim the title. But Paris, Texas, was not to be out-towered, and the red cowboy hat was added in 1998 to reclaim the title briefly until Las Vegas built a 540-foot replica in 1999, according to Lamar County Chamber of Commerce records.Prompted by civic leader Daon Wall, the red cow boy hat that sits slightly tilted atop the tower to give more height, was added amidst great community fan fare in late October 1998. The hat, scaled after a Steson straw hat owned by the late veterinarian Don Riddle, has a 10-foot diameter brim made out of 3/16-inch
Photo by Joe Watson Photo by Tony Corso
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Unveiled in July 1996, the 65-foot tall replica of the 949-foot Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, was built by BoilersMakers Local #902 at Babcock & Wilcox with workers donating their time and the company donat ing much of the materials used. More than 70 work ers spent roughly 1,000 hours constructing the tower located near Love Civic Center and adjacent to the Red River Valley Veterans Memorial on S. College Drive.
The past president of Paris Junior College, Walters recalls an earlier wooden tower replica located near the walking track in Dragon Park south of the college that whetted the appetite of the community for a tower. The parents of a Paris Junior College student from Medford, Photo by Tony Corso
Paris Life steel and a 3 ½-foot tall crown made out of 1/8 inch steel with a 6-inch wide hatban. The hat weighs roughly 1,400 pounds and sports an 18-inch feather tooled in brass by BecauseRiddle.of oxidation, the brass feather, which was once glistened in the sunlight, now is only barely visible from a spot between the civic center and tower, ac cording to Chamber of Commerce volunteer and host Bobby Walters, who is a wealth of information about the tower.Theidea of an Eiffel Tower with a hat on top first originated with Paris native Ann Sikes Hardin who at tended Paris High School and later taught English there. More than 40 years ago,, she drew a rudimentary sketch of an Eiffel Tower with a cowboy hat for a yearbook advertisement in the Paris High School yearbook, she told The Paris News in March 2008.
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“I used an Eiffel Tower with a hat on top as part of the “K” in KPRE,” Hardin said of an advertisement that appeared in a late 60s yearbook. “After that they put it on their trucks and their advertising.”
Photo by Tony Corso Photo by Joe Watson
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“The men out there at B&W did the welding and B&W fur nished the metal and the Chamber didn’t have to pay for anything,” Walters said. “And they put the legs of the tower deep into the ground so a wind would not blow it over. It just goes to show what people can do when they get fired up about something.”
Oregon, dismantled a 41-foot wooden tower that the husband built as a hobby after he retired and had it shipped to Paris where it was reassembled because his son thought Paris, Texas, needed an Eiffel Tower.
Photo by Joe Watson
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A year later, the tower fell victim to a spring wind storm, ac cording to Chamber records. The tower had already begun to serve as a landmark for special events and had adorned the cover of the Chamber’s Visitor’s Guide. And, it was scheduled to be featured in an upcoming statewide magazine published by the State Depart ment of Highways and Public Transportation.“Thepeople in the commu nity got fired up about an Eiffel Tower,” Walters said, although it would be several years later before the present tower became a reality.
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“We do anything we can to get these animals to the people who will love and care for them,” LCHS board member Stephanie Corley said. In addition to the adoptions they do, the Hu mane Society also works closely with animal rescues across the country to send animals out to places where they can find homes. At the moment, adoptions are going well at the shelter, especially considering the time of year.
Everyone knows the adage that dogs are man’s best friend, and if they are then we certainly owe a great deal to those who help unite man with his best friend. In Paris, and the rest of the Red River Valley, the Lamar County Humane Society and Baby Gunn’s Animal Rescue are both invaluable in helping locals find pets, and helping animals find foreverThehomes.Lamar County Humane Society is a lo cal nonprofit organization that operates out of the Paris Animal Shelter, which is run by the Paris Police Department. And while the city police are serving as animal control for the area, the Humane Society works to find homes for all the animals in its care.
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“All things considered, our adoption numbers have been pretty good lately, all things considered,” Corley said. “We usually see a drop in adoptions during the summer, when a lot of people go on vacations. … We also see fewer adoptions when the economy isn’t doing well. People usually aren’t going to add a pet when times are tight.”
Uniting man and man’s best friend
“Sometimes people think too much about aes thetics. For example, they might say they want a Shih Tzu but not want to do the grooming necessary for that type of dog.”
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“We look at a lot of different factors,” Corley said. “For instance, if it’s a house near a busy road, we look to make sure they have a fenced-in yard. …
And the Humane Society does far more than just oversee adoptions. Getting animals spayed and
And if we don’t think the animal is the right fit for them, we’ll work with them to find a better one.
People looking to adopt from the shelter can go down to the shelter during business hours, located at 310 Clement Rd., to look at the animals available for adoption. If they find one they like, they can talk to the shelter liaison and begin the process of adopting it.
But the Humane Society doesn’t just work to adopt out the animals in the shelter — they also work to make sure they’re sending the animals to homes that would be the right fit for the dogs.
Most of the animals housed in the shelter are strays, Corley said, though several are owner sur renders — pets from owners who could no longer adequately care for them for whatever reason.
“We do everything we can,” Ashford said. “We pull from shelters, we hold dogs for people and everything else we can.”
“Community is really huge. Adopt before you shop, come look at the animals we have here, and for a lot of them life or death depends on someone giving them a second chance.”
Baby Gunn’s, like the LCHS, will make sure animals are spayed and neutered, microchipped, dewormed and anything else.
The nonprofit organization officially formed in 2018, though adoption coordinator Sheri Ashford said she’s been helping find homes for animals for roughly a decade now.
Also similar to the LCHS, Baby Gunn’s works with rescues
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And if a dog has reached the end of its life and needs to be put down, they can help in that regard too with humane euthanasia, Corley added.The
shelter works with several local businesses that are more than happy to host adoption events that go a long way in helping animals find homes and also helps the LCHS spread awareness of what they do.
But the Humane Society isn’t the only avenue for pet adoption in the area; there’s also nonprofit Baby Gunn’s, which takes in animals and helps them find homes with loving families.
“Dogs that don’t have anywhere to go, either because they’re off the street or something else, we take care of them,” Ashford said. “Ev erything you can do to help a dog get adopted, we do.”
neutered, vaccinated and any other medical needs they may need are also all things they handle.
Paris Life 21 throughout the country, as Ashford said they regularly send dogs to places in Michigan, Illinois, Oregon and more. They work to place animals in homes where they’d be a good fit.
Social media has been instrumental to the suc cess of Baby Gunn’s. They regularly post photos of new dogs in their care on their Facebook page, and also use Facebook to keep community mem bers updated and informed on where they’ll be hosting adoption events, as they can regularly be seen at community events around Paris and the surrounding towns.
“If a dog is energetic and needs lots of exer cise, we don’t want them to be with someone who is a bit of a couch potato,” Baby Gunn’s President Carla Stowe said with a chuckle. “And on the flip side, if a dog is older and maybe has a hard time walking a lot, we might not want it to go to a fam ily that plans on doing a lot of hiking with them.”
“We do this because it’s something we’re very passionate about,” Stowe said. “Our advice to people is just to be responsible; spay and neuter your animals to cut down on the number strays. And love the animals you have.”
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By Nanalee Nichols
FEATURE 24 Paris Life
For Tiffany in particular, cooking was always fun and rewarding, even in childhood. It’s no surprise then that even though she is now Tiffany Phillips, married with four children and an accomplished teacher, cooking is still a huge part of her life. And she is imparting that love and skill to children.Shefounded Savory Sisters Catering in Blossom in 2013 and her sister, Heather Griffin, a full time nurse, helps with big jobs. The business took off and for a while Tiffany
Cooking up some fun
As a little girl, Tiffany Denison would sit on the kitchen counter with her beloved grand mother, Eneree Phifer, learning to crack eggs and to make “from-scratch” cornbread. The finished product, golden brown and fragrant, was a frequent menu item as her grandmother cooked three full meals a day in addition to keeping her granddaughters in the summers as their parents worked. Her grand mother was an old-school cook who made things from scratch, even sauerkraut. Her granddaughters absorbed that in their formative years.
Paris Life 25 quit teaching but missed the kids and went back. She now teaches special ed at Blossom Elementary School. She and her husband, Ben, a manager at Wepack, have four kids ages 21, 18, 16 and 12. Life as a teacher, mom and caterer is full. But that didn’t stop her from branching out!
The cooking classes for older kids are two hours and three days long. Her goal is to teach the kids, no matter how old, food safety, utensil safety and the ohso-important basics of cooking and baking.
One day, a catering customer said, “If only we could teach our kids this,” and an idea was Tiffanyborn. started cooking classes for kids. It didn’t take much more than a Facebook post to get the class full. The first class was Cooking 1 for ages 9-18. It was a big success, and the next year she added Cooking 2 for those who took the class the first year and wanted to build on it. That has been discontinued because of getting overloaded, though. Next, she added a baking camp for ages nine and up. Then, some student’s little sisters wanted to bake too! So there is now a 5-8 mini chefs“Thecamp.5-8 groups are just so much fun,” TiffanyThissaid.age group is too young to handle knives and sharp implements or a hot oven, but the enthusiasm, pride and joy is just a plea sure.This summer, she only intended to do two mini camps for the little ones, but there were just too many kids wanting to take it, so there were three camps with 10 children in each hour-and-a-half two-day camp.
“We keep it high energy and fun” Tiffany exclaims.Every class, students will prepare three recipes. In class they taste their foods, then the rest goes home with them. Their pride and confidence goes with the food items too. In the cooking classes her goal is for the students to be confident enough to cook a meal. Every day is different. One day they learn how to make ham and cheese tortilla roll ups and other things to take in school lunches. The third day is often meatloaf with vegetable sides and bread. She tries to vary the recipes so there is always a new challenge.
“You would assume that how to hold a knife was in stinctive but sometimes it isn’t,” she said. Every time they set out to chop or cut, she checks how her students are holding the knives because occasionally one is held sharp side up!
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The baking classes aren’t just cookies or brownies. They bake cakes, they use mixers and sifters and do frostings from scratch. They watch egg whites become fluffy, glossy and stiff, they add ingredients a little at a time. They learn about what happens with different cooking temperatures and Inmethods.fact,Tiffany teaches her students much more than preparing food. She used to teach science. So she is able to impart a knowledge of chemistry in every cooking experi ence.“Every time you put, say, a cake in the oven, you pro duce a chemical change,” she teaches. They learn why sifting flour creates a fluffy cake while packed flour doesn’t. Perhaps not surprisingly, some students don’t even know that there are two parts to an egg . They soon know how to separate eggs and how to use the white or yolk and what each does.
The adorable 5-8 year-olds probably have the most fun. This year, they made candy sushi, using fruit roll ups for the seaweed and rice crispy treats for the rice. They pop pop corn in the microwave and mix it with candies and drizzle with icings. And they make homemade Playdough.
One five-year-old went home and was enthusiastically
showing her parents what she had ac complished during the mini chef camp (all the while gobbling up her creations).
SoShakenGood
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“Daddy, maybe you could be a chef someday,” she exclaimed. “Maybe you could be the chef,” her dad “No,replied.I’m going to work at Kroger’s “ was her Tiffanyanswer.saysthere have been all kinds of cooking camp attendees. Not all are girls, there’s a sprinkling of boys. She’s taught disabled kids, kids who already had some cooking expertise and kids whose first cooking encounter was right at Savory Sisters. The camps cost $65 for the two-day and $100 for the three-day. “I wanted to keep them afford able,” she said. Since every student goes home with to-keep containers full of everything they cooked, as Tiffany buys all the ingredients and furnishes everything needed, plus sends them home with recipes to keep, they are certainly af fordable.Butprobably the most valuable thing these fortunate students come away with is a lifelong understanding and love of one of life’s most used skills, providing delicious nutritious food. u
28 Paris Life FEATURE Taking center stage
Sally Boswell PARIS COMMUNITY THEATRE RETURNS TO THE STAGE AFTER PANDEMIC
By
Downing is also the musical director of the PCC, which has also been inactive since the pandemic began.
“Since the pandemic, getting people to audition and to participate in the shows has been difficult,” said Lucia Bunch, co-artistic director. “We’ve also been dealing with maintenance issues on the building. Everything is on back order and supply chain issues have affected us. Maintaining a historical building is a challenge, but somehow we do it. We have had generous gifts from our supporters to help us do this, grants and donations to help us address the needs as theyHutchingarise.” said two years without no shows or shows with below average box office, coupled with repair issues, had left PCT in financial straits but a recent $50,000 grant from a local foundation was “a lifesaver.”
The second show of the season, already in rehearsals, is “Drop Dead,” a murder mystery set backstage of a theat rical production plagued by a crazy director, overbearing producers and a murderer among the cast and crew. It is to be directed by Laura Hutchings, a retired drama teacher and PCT’s newly-elected board president. Hutchings, a long-time presence in Paris’ theatre scene, taught for many years at North Lamar High School and after retirement continued as a contract worker at the high school, lending her expertise to the district’s fine arts program. Over the years she also occasionally directed and acted at “OurPCT.priority this year is to get PCT back up on its legs after a very rough couple of seasons,” said Hutchings, “then we will branch out into some issues we all feel strongly about, including community outreach and increasing our diversity onstage and in our audience.”
Paris Life 29 Paris Community Theatre is already hard at work rebuilding after two years of pandemic closures and a season of rebuilding but are still struggling with financial constraints as the non-profit, amateur organization continues its 2022-23 season.
Part of the rebuilding at PCT includes getting the group’s Children’s Theatre program back up and running, she said. To that end, this year’s board agreed to enter into a partnership with an after school enrichment program af filiated with the local Episcopal day school to provide the infrastructure, teachers and space for the youngest students to enter classes in theater. Older students will meet at the group’s home, the Plaza Theatre on the north side of the square,Beforedowntown.thepandemic, Children’s Theatre met at PCT’s Brown Center for the Arts, a former storefront just off the square on Clarksville Street, but the century old building has roofing and plumbing issues that the board decided made it inappropriate for use by scores of youngsters. The board is now seeking a buyer for the property, which was donated to the organization several years ago by a local benefactor. Classes will begin this month and the search for teachers has already begun, said Hutchings. Applications for teachers as well as admission forms for children and youth are avail able online at pctonstage.com. The season as announced for 2022-23 is somewhat dif ferent from previous years. “We are giving ourselves a break this year, financially and in terms of manpower,” said Alaina Downing, co-artis tic director at PCT. “We are doing fewer shows this year; the
Laura Hutchings
“We’re not worried about keeping the lights on, but we are still being very careful how we spend our funds,” she said.For more information about Paris Community Theatre’s 2022-23 season, admission and season ticket prices and how to audition or volunteer with PCT, visit pctonstage.com.
Its first production of the year, “The Marvelous Won derettes,” boasted a cast of four trained and talented ladies singing more than a couple of dozen of everyone's favorite girl-group songs from the ’50s and ’60s, and had a successful run, despite lingering cases of Covid and supply chain issues that force a week’s postponement on the production.
musical, we just did last month, two plays and a musical re view. There is no Christmas show this season, but the annual Paris Community Choir Concert, “Songs of the Season,” is now part of the season ticket package.”
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“Splatoon” fans rejoice — the debut of “Splatoon 3” on Nintendo Switch is soon upon us! Players will once again enter the Splatlands, where Inklings and Oc tolings will face off in the chaotic Splatsville.Nintendo promises dynamic new moves in this colorful, painted shooter that will help fighters dodge attacks and cover more ground. “Splatoon 3” also introduces a new bow-shaped weapon for fighters to sling ink.
Got an ink-slinging friend? Play ers can team up to fight waves of Salmonid bosses in Salmon Run, the game’s co-op mode. If you don’t know what “Spla toon” is, you’re missing out but here’s a refresher: The series is a thirdperson shooter game in which players shoot ink at one another, painting their surroundings as they try to win. Each weapon type has different abili ties. There are Rollers that cover large amounts of area in ink, and Chargers are sniper rifle-like for long range attacks. There’s also the mid-range weapons to keep you covered. Got a favorite weapon from the previous games? They’re all making a return appearance.
When you’re not facing off against other players, “Splatoon 3” offers a story mode in which Agent 3 fights against the unruly Octarians. “Dis cover the secrets of Alterna, the Fuzzy Ooze, and how they connect to the mode’s theme, ‘Return of the Mamma lians,” Nintendo says.
The game has its heart-pumping moments, but at its heart, it’s a simple mystery game that you’ll be able to com plete in four to six hours, depending on how much explora tion you do. It’s not necessary to collect every collect ible to finish the game, but the journey in doing so will be worth it.
I definitely don’t want to ruin anything about this game — it is hands down one of the most adorable games of the year — but here’s a few things to know. You’re going to spend a good chunk of time in that decaying cybercity, where you’ll run into and interact with its robotic citizens. If you want to fully solve the game’s mystery, you’re going to have to talk with just about everyone. You’ll also want to leave no unex plored nooks or crannies. You never know where you’ll find one of your companion robot’s memories.
“Stray is a third-person cat adventure game set amidst the detailed neon-lit alleys of a decaying cybercity and the murky environments of its seedy un derbelly,” the publisher tells us. “See the world through the eyes of a stray and interact with the environment in playful ways.”
Speaking of, your companion is a flying drone named B-12. Not only will you get accustomed to being B-12, but you’ll grow to love him as you get to know him. You’ll depend on him a lot for everything from hacking door locks to talking with the robotic citizenry.
“Stray” is available now for $29.99 on PS4, PS5 and PC, or it’s free for PlayStation Plus subscribers.
“Stray” is an absolutely beautiful game graphically, de spite the seedy underbelly with questionable webbing strewn about. Take some time, when you’re not being chased by Zurks, to use your cat vision and look at the environment.
Game of the Month Stray Publisher: Annapurna Interactive Rating: E10+ Price: $29.99 Paris Life 31
“Lost, injured and alone, a stray cat must untangle an ancient mystery to es cape a long-forgotten city.” That one sentence sums up your mission in “Stray,” developed by BlueTwelve Studio and published by Annapurna Interactive for the Playstation 4 and 5 and PC.
“Stray” was my testing game for livestreaming on YouTube (I’ve since switched to Twitch), and I had a lot of fun playing it. Gameplay is somewhat linear with sandbox stopping points that allow you to explore, knock things over, tear up carpets and couches and find the puzzle pieces you’ll need to solve the mystery.
32 Paris Life 2550 Lamar Ave., Paris 903-785-8484 1700 W. Main, Clarksville 903-427-3500 721 N. Center, Bonham 903-583-3188 www.c21harvey.com Proud Member of The Lamar County Chamber of Commerce Each office is independently owned and operated Serving all of North Texas & Southern Oklahoma for over 20 yearsLet CENTURY 21 Harvey Properties be your 1st choice in Real Estate!VOTED BY THE PARIS NEWS READERS Only Choice Beef “ONE BITE AND WE GOT MarketDavid’sYA!”Meat Enjoy fresh cuts of beef, pork and chicken from our butcher shop and meat market. We have a variety of items in our market such as frozen breads,vegetables,sauces,andcondiments Stop by for lunch! hamburgers, and chopped bbq 425 N. Collegiate Dr. Paris, Texas 903-737-887675460 We have gift certificates of any denomination, always a safe and easy gift! Send us your feedback. We want to know what you parislife@theparisnews.comthink. Paris Life @parislifemagazine @PLifeMagazineParis Life Magazine FOLLOW US ON: ELEGANT. OPULENT. CHIC. Send us your feedback. want to know parislife@theparisnews.comwhat Paris Life @parislifemagazineParis Life Magazine FOLLOW US ON: ELEGANT. OPULENT. CHIC. Send us your feedback. We want to know what you parislife@theparisnews.comthink. Paris Life FOLLOW US ON: ELEGANT. OPULENT. CHIC.
Paris Life 33
WISE
King Solomon in the Bible is known as the wisest man to ever live. He wrote the book of Proverbs. This book of the Bible is full of wisdom quotes. We would all be better people if we followed its practical teach ings. Proverbs 22:1 teaches us that a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold. In my opinion it sounds like your name (reputation) is something of value. Have you ever given much thought to how valuable a good name really is? I was blessed as a child to spend a lot of time with my grandparents, Lovie and Willis McGuire. They had a place in the country right outside of Roxton, near Ben Franklin, that sat up on a hill. It is a place that holds many happy childhood memories for me. My son now owns the property and I often help him with projects around the old home place. Honestly, I do more supervising and watching than working. Recently, we worked together taking down a fence. It’s ironic that this was the same fence that I helped my grandfather build when I was a young man.It seemed like my grandfather was always teaching me. I remember he would say to me, “Boy, a good name will follow you everywhere you go, but a bad name will beat you there.” He was trying to instill in me the importance of having integrity, a sense of honor and being proud to be a McGuire. He wanted me to think before I acted, to make good choices. He wanted me to understand that what I did affected us all. I want to believe that I have made him proud. Have I made some mistakes? Yes! Don’t we all? If you know better, you should do better and I’ve tried to learn from my mistakes. I have passed this same timeless wisdom that my grandfather gave to me to my children. I’ll talk about my son and give my daughter a pass... this time. Her time is coming though. I’m proud of my son Kalyl, he understands the importance of this concept so much that he put his name, our name, on his business. There is a lot at stake when you do that. You can’t hide. Remember.... your name (reputation) follows you. Kalyl knows the importance of putting out quality work, being fair not only to his customers but to his employees; everything that goes with being in business for yourself. He understands that what he does affects not only him, but all of us that bear the same name.
Disclaimer: This article is the opinion of the writer only and does not reflect the position of Collin County Juvenile Probation Department or Paris New Generation Church.
The value of a good name WORDS Shannon McGuire has been pastoring for 11 years and currently serves as Senior Pastor at Paris New Gen eration Church.
In the opening paragraph I asked a question: “Have you given much thought to how valuable a good name really is?” We all want to have a rich full life. Proverbs 22:1 makes it clear that you get to choose what type of life you have. You can choose something that is temporal such as material things or you can choose the eternal — loving favor instead. I don’t know about you, but just like I wanted to make my grandfather proud, just like Kalyl wants to make me proud, I want to make the Lord proud. When I come to the end of my journey here, when I get to Heaven, I want to hear him say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”
I want him to know that I chose eternal things and knew the value of a good name. Finally, I want him to know I valued his name which is the name above all names. What will you choose? u
Paris Life 35
• A sudden sense of calm after they are extremely depressed: It means he/she has made up his/her mind to commit suicide.
• Wants to be alone: A suicidal person is withdrawn from family and friends. Goes into social isolation.
• Getting their affairs in order: A suicidal person will make unexpected visits or calls to family and friends by saying good-byes as if they will never meet again, They will often give away prized pos sessions to family and friends, make his or her will or make arrangements for family members to be cared for in the years to come.
Since September is Suicide Prevention Month, it is important to understand the magnitude of this problem. The World Health Organiza tion estimates that almost 1 million people die every year from suicide! What makes a person decide to commit suicide? It is difficult to understand what drives so many people to take their own lives. But it is widely acknowledged that suicidal victims want to end their sufferings because they see no hope and cannot bear any further pain since they are in a perpetual state of hopelessness and depression.
Suicide warning signs: What to look for?
• Seeks out dangerous means: A suicidal person starts searching for means to kill himself or her self. He or she will try to look for access to guns, knives, pills or other objects that could end his or her life.
SUICIDE PREVENTION: HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
36 Paris Life HEALTH By Ayesha Shafiq, the director of Paris Cardiology Center
• Displays self-destructive behavior: Suicidal people often take unnecessary risks, as if he/she has a wish to die. Does reckless driving, Increases alcohol consumption or subjects himself/herself to drug abuse.
• Talking about Suicide: One of the earliest signs a person can detect with a suicidal victim is that he or she may start talking about committing suicide by using expressions such as, “I wish I were dead,” “I wish I wasn’t born,” or other expressions with an unusual focus on death.
• Self-loathing and regrets: A person who wants to commit suicide often feels guilty, unwanted, worth less, hopeless and feels hated.
How to help a suicidal person?
Paris Life 37
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, at least 90% of all people who die by suicide suffer from one or more mental disorders like: bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression or alcoholism. However depression plays a much larger role in all suicides. Therefore, as a family member, encourage a healthy lifestyle in a suicid al victim; introduce plenty of sleep and getting in the sun with family and friends for at least an hour a day. Exercise is extremely important for a suicidal person as it introduces endorphins, promotes emotional wellbeing and relieves stress.
If a suicide attempt seems imminent, call 911.
Even if immediate suicidal crisis has passed monitor the suicidal family member /friend closely. Keep all potential means of suicide out of the reach of the suicidal person like pills, guns, knives etc.
The best way a family member or friend can help is by being em pathetic. Lend a listening ear. Let your loved one know and understand that he/she is not alone and that you care. You can offer help but do not take responsibility for making your loved one well. The suicidal person has to take that responsibility upon him/herself to recover. It is a very courageous and daunting task to help a suicidal person recover from depression and self-destructive thoughts. It is very pain ful for family members emotionally to go through helping a suicidal person recover. Family members should also seek counselors to talk about their feelings and will need to ask for professional help with their suicidal family member in certain cases. Call National Suicide Prevention lifeline at: 1-800-273-8255 for professional help.
Turner Classic Movies a great source of entertainment
38 Paris Life DEJA VIEW
I
Toni Clem is a Paris resident and has been writing Deja View for more than 30 years.
Created in 1994, the station has a long list of sister networks, including TBS, Discovery, HBO, CNN, HGTV, The Food Network, Animal Planet, et al. I’m advis ing movie buffs to sign up online to receive TCM’s newsletter and a schedule, so you won’t miss seeing old and older films of which you have fond memories or failed to see, as well as newer films for the same reasons. But the significant reason is that
f you don’t have the TCM channel — Turner Classic Movies — on your short list of television entertainment, you’re missing a good thing. And you don’t even have to pay extra for it, because TCM comes free with basic cable. It’s a nonstop film source with no commercials, and gen erally short notes from an educated TCM staffer who offers tidbits of trivia about screenplay and actors, as well as notes on the film’s history. But the big perk is that Turner is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, and its programming is mainly classic theatrically released feature films from the Turner En tertainment film library, one of the largest in the country. Specifically, it comprises films from Warner Bros. (covering films released before 1950), Metro-GoldwynMayer (covering films released before May 1986), and the North American distribution rights to films from RKO Pictures. TCM also licenses films from other studios, even screening more recent films.
903.785.DENT 1421 19th St. NWWork! Paris, TX We Take the “DENT” Out of Accident! Family Owned & Operated Since 1982
Paris Life 39 the films are screened uninterrupted. I know we’re all a bit spoiled about streaming a film on our time, but those cable stations charge money for the privilege. And if they haven’t gone up, they will. And some of us have memberships to way more things than we need or use.
TCM has days in which films of a particular actor are screened. One recent day was devoted to Wil liam Holden, and they were screen ing “Sunset Boulevard,” a film that, surprisingly, this critic had only seen in bits and pieces. It was great to see it all of a piece, a classic known more for Gloria Swanson’s demented silent movie star Norma Desmond than Holden’s role as an out-of-work screenwriter seduced by her atten tion and her money. The great Billy Wilder directed it, the same who gave us “Sabrina,” “Witness for the Pros ecution,” and “Some Like it Hot,” the latter of which one of those films I will watch anytime it’s playing. u Paramount Pictures
40 Paris Life
equipment used in industry,” said Pam Anglin, president of the college. “This is a program where demand for workers is so high, students often have job offers prior to finishing the program. Local residents can be trained for employment in highly skilled positions throughout the region where the wages will allow them to live a comfortable life without needing a bachelor’s degree.”
The program at Paris Junior College can be a
Mechatronics keeps hands and minds working together
Story by David Money, photos submitted
Mechatronics is a wave of future job op portunities and one can catch that wave at Paris Junior College.
“There is still a workforce drought right now and not many are coming into the field,” he said. In two years, a student could earn a mechatronics associate degree, a certification or both, he noted.
“Mechatronics merges mechanical systems with electrical systems tied up with computer systems and robotics,” said Jeff Frankland, who is an instructor in mechatronics at PJC along with Bobby“ThereFields.is a very high demand for it. Local in dustries are calling us all the time,” Frankland said, mentioning area employers such as Kimberly-Clark, Campbell Soup, American SpiralWeld, Potter’s Industries and “Mechatronicsothers.is one of the programs that prepares a student with the skills to understand, program, operate and troubleshoot this automated
“Industrial maintenance is a skilled, high pay ing position,” Frankland said. “Starting salaries are currently approaching $30 an hour.”
FEATURE
“If someone who likes to work on their car or to just build and improve things, then they could turn that into a very viable career,” he said.
It teaches students how to troubleshoot and work to both improve machine and control systems perfor mance.“If they like to combine critical thinking along with working with their hands to see real results, this is for them,” Frankland said.
“How we work and the types of jobs have changed drastically over the last decade. During the first year of the pandemic, the use of technology advanced 10 years. There is more automation in industry, and much is done through robotics and computer driven machines. In the job market, this requires a higher level of skills than ever before,” Anglin said. “PJC provides opportunities to learn the skills needed to work and thrive in regional industry.”“Everything has a life. The field is good because if you think about it, everything is wearing out and everything is in the process of failing and you need to take care of it. So why wouldn’t it be wise to invest in a career in this field. You will always have work,” Frank land said. u
“It is one of the best career paths that has a strong starting wage versus the low educational investment,” said Frankland, who worked in the field for 33 years before joining the faculty at PJC.
Paris Life 41 student’s ticket to a challenging career in the area, the state or somewhere else in the county, he said.
“Current students are typically technology driven and want more for their families and they see this is a career path to that,” he said. “It gives the individual a sense of accomplishment. You can raise a family and provide the niceties of life.
“I worked at Kimberly-Clark as an automation engineer and reliability engineer,” he said, adding that he graduated from Texas Tech. “I retired from the manu facturing environment to move into education.”
“This is a hidden gem. People are not aware of the lucrative opportunities in this field locally and nation wide,” he said, adding the class size is generally 15 to 20 students.The training at PJC guides students into the field by offering them hands-on training with the equipment that would be used on the job.
“History has shown that improved technology increases jobs, but there are alway higher skilled jobs,” he said. “Robotics and automation are becoming more and more affordable which will increase the pace of improvement. It is a great living. It’s in high demand. There is not a manufacturing facility that doesn’t have the need for it and it is rewarding.
42 Paris Life FREE ESTIMATES www.powerjacktexas.com Serving Paris & Surrounding Area Since 1976 Solve Your Problems Before They Start, Install Helical Piers For New Construction! • Lifetime Transferable Warranty • Insured For Your Protection Helical Piers Installed To Rock Or Stable Bearing Polyurethane Foam Injections No Unnecessary Damage To DrainageLandscapeImprovements M M M M 903-785-4636 LIKE US ON Find the Texas hidden in the magazine that matches the one shown here and you could be the winner of a $50 gift certificate to one of our Paris Life Advertisers! It could be hidden anywhere! Email us at cindy.mcgee@theparisnews.com or write to us at The Paris News, 5050 SE Loop 286, Paris, TX 75460 with your name and phone number & tell us where you found it! FIND THE TEXAS Name Phone# Where did you find it? ________________________________ All correct entries will be entered into a drawing to be held in August. The lucky winner will recieve a Paris Coffee Company gift card. Ruby Taylor Won a $50 Gift Certificate to David’s Meat Market August’s Texas was on Page 13
One of our current CSR’s, Cheyenne Brewster (pictured right), fills in to help Jordan and her business run smoothly. With the high demand, Cheyenne was thrilled to assist a small business owner like Jordan. It’s employees like Cheyenne that prove our motto of “People Helping People,” holds strong and true. It is important for our local, small businesses to succeed and Peoples Bank wants to help if we can. Stop by today and see for yourself it’s not just our motto, it’s how we do business.
L-R Business Owner, Jordan Helms & Peoples Bank CSR, Cheyenne Brewster
Business owner of Pic Me Vintage Photo Camper, Jordan hit the ground with all wheels turning; literally. She has a mobile photo booth that has been completely remodeled in a vintage way that truly catches your eye. This camper is trailered all around town to accommodate her customers’ requests. Whether it’s a wedding, birthday party, corporate events, or community concert, Pic Me Vintage Photo Camper is available to accommodate your unique photo needs. Please give Jordan a call today to schedule a one-of-a-kind photo experience (903) 517-4659. Props available on site!
Paris Life 43 PEOPLES BANK 2805 Lamar Avenue | pbparis.com | 903.783.3800
When we say, “People Helping People,” we mean it. We are so proud of our previous employee, now business owner, Jordan Helms. She was fantastic, hardworking and a true joy to be around while employed with Peoples Bank. Jordan took a step in life many are reluctant to take and she has never looked back.
