Paris Life October 2022

EDITOR’S

If asked what you most closely associate with the month of October, I’m sure most people would immediately respond, “Halloween.” That’s why, this month, we’ve got an extra spooky, seasonal edition of Paris Life lined up for you.

We highlight Downtown Paris’ costumed extravaganza Mannequin Night, returning after a two-year hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandem ic. Also in this edition is a feature story on Afterlife, a spine-tingling, bonechilling haunted exhibit that has frightened Parisians for years. And resident film critic Toni Clem offers her thoughts on some of the best horror and Autumnal films out there.

Of course, the second-most common response to the question of what people most often associate with October is Breast Cancer Aware ness Month. That’s why we’ve also featured a number of local women who have fought and overcome breast cancer, recognizing the challenges they’ve overcome and letting them share their experiences.

I earnestly hope you all enjoy the stories within these pages. This edi tion of Paris Life holds some added significance for me because, believe it or not, it’s my final edition as the managing editor of The Paris News.

The decision to leave The Paris News was not an easy one to make, and it certainly comes with many bittersweet emotions. I want to thank my colleague and friend Holly Nowell, without whom this magazine truly could not exist. And I want to thank the tremendous journalists who contribute

Zoey

Photo by Jill Awtrey

UPCOMING EVENTS 10

Local events you don't want to miss

LIFESTYLE

HOME & LIVING GUIDE 18

FOOD + DRINK 40

Butternut Squash Soup

Recipe by Chef Michael Perry, Paris Golf & Country Club

FEATURES

Mannequin Night Returns to Paris 12

This years Theme: "comics, cartoons and storybooks".

Story by Tommy Culkin, Photos by Lora Arnold

Frightful Fun 16

Afterlife readies for another big Halloween season

Story by Nic Huber

Strength renewed in Pink 20

Survivors tell of Cancer journeys

Story by Kareyn Hellmann, Photos by Leslie Cox

Tuned In 26

Rod "Dirtman" Willis provides Northeast Texas with Tunes, entertainment

Story by Tommy Culkin

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

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 ‘Soci ety Editor’ for The Paris News. She left that to be press secretary for Jim Farris’ congressional campaign. She is

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.

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.

SHANNON MCGUIRE

AYESHA SHAFIQ

TONI CLEM

MICHAEL PERRY

Events

Local you don't want to miss

October 1

Oak Ridge Boys Concert

@ Drake's Party Barn, 7pm

Red River Valley Veterans present a concert with the Oak Ridge Boys. Gates open at 6:00, music Starts at 7:00. Food trucks will be on-site and a cash bar will be available! For more informartion visit www.rrvvm.org/concert

October 8

Rita’s RAT Pack – Ride Across Texas

@ Love Civic Center Pavilion

This cycling event will stage at the Love Civic Center and ride towards Clarksville and back on the NETT to encourage the RAT participants we come across. Gather back at Paris in the evening for a BBQ "meat and greet". For more informar tion visit www.spinistry.net

October 20-23

TEXPACC Advanced Square Dance Convention

@ Love Civic Center

For more informartion visit www.texpacc.com.

October 22

22nd Annual Festival of Pumpkins

@ Downtown Paris

Vendors, contests, games, live music and fun for all ages!

MANNEQUIN NIGHT RETURNS TO PARIS

The freaks will take back the night on Oct. 15, as Mannequin Night returns to downtown Paris after a two-year hiatus. On Mannequin Night, volunteers line the streets of the square donned in elabo rate Halloween costumes, and remain as still as possible for passers-by. Each year’s event features a theme, and this year’s theme will be “comics, cartoons and storybooks,” said event organizer Jill Awtrey.

Story by Tommy Culkin, Photos by Lora Arnold

Started in 2014, Awtrey said she got the idea from a similar event in Michigan, where groups of college students and local businesses teamed up. When Awtrey brought the idea to Paris, the community immediately got on board. Students at the local high schools were all too eager to take part in the costumed festivities, and other local businesses, such as Britney Drake’s Steppin’ Out Dance Studio, were also more than happy to take part.

Many volunteers are also high school students, as organizations such as Chisum High School’s Beta Club and the Honor Society at Paris High School and North Lamar High School also participate.

“All ages take part in it,” Awtrey said. “We’ve had mannequins that were as young as five and also people in their 60s and 70s.”

Characters who will be out and about on the square will include Green Lantern, the Addams Family, the characters of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Captain Caveman, the characters of Stranger Things and more. In particular, Awtrey said she’s excited about the Green Lantern “manne quins.”

“They’ve got special effects and lighting they’re going to incorporate into the act,” Awtrey said of the Green Lantern characters, to be portrayed by the members of the local dance studio. “They always go all out.”

Cash prizes will be given to the top three windows as picked by the event committee, and there will also be a crowd vote for best windows and best costumes.

Previous themes have included “Superheroes and supervillains,” “Decades” and “Halloween characters.” And popular mannequin characters have included Disney villains, southern belles and the characters of Halloweentown.

The festivities include more than just the assortment of human mannequins too, Awtrey said. There will also be a ghost tour, where guides will lead participants on a tour of Downtown Paris, giving spooky tales along the way. As the final part of the tour, those taking part will take a trolley from the splash pad to the Sam Bell Maxey House, where the house’s staff will impart their own spooky stories. The trolley will then take participants back to Paris’ downtown.

Tickets are $15 for the ghost tour, and can be purchased ahead of time at the Maxey House. The tour runs every 30 minutes, from 5-9 p.m.

There will also be music throughout the evening, cour tesy of area bands Southern Outlaws and Rhythmaddicts.

And food trucks will be present too, providing the downtown area with a wide variety of culinary options.

Over the years, Mannequin Night blossomed into one of the downtown’s premiere fall events, though the Covid-19

pandemic shut things down in 2020 and 2021.

“We were actually planning on doing it in 2021,” Awtrey said. “But then about 63 kids over at North Lamar got Covid. High schoolers make up most of our volunteers, so I just thought it would be best to hold off for another year.”

Now that it’s back, Awtrey is ready for the tradition to pick back up, and so is the rest of Paris’ downtown community.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Awtrey said enthusiasti cally. “It’s a great way to bring eyes to downtown businesses, and everyone who comes always has a great time.” u

Spooky

FRIGHTFUL FUN

Afterlife readies for another big Halloween season

By Nic Huber

season is around the corner, but for Afterlife

Haunted Attraction owner David Crossland, he's been hard at work all year.

"I've been out here every day since March," he ex plained. "For most people, Halloween is just an October thing but it's all year for me."

The Blossom haunted house, located at 5176 U.S. Highway 82, is making its last preparations before its eighth season kicks into gear Oct. 1.

Crossland said he likes to add different attractions every year and has been expanding the building since he started in 2015.

This year, Crossland has gutted and expanded a back portion of the building to include a new swamp area and slaughterhouse, complete with lasers and realistic props.

As the area's only haunted attraction, Afterlife Haunt is more popular than ever as 2021 turned out to be Cross land's biggest turnout.

"I was really surprised at the turnout following the pandemic," Crossland said.

When asked about the number of tickets sold, the Blossom business owner couldn't help but grin.

"Thousands and thousands," Crossland said with a laugh.

Crossland said he was hesitant to remain open during the height of the pandemic in 2020 but wanted to give people something to do.

Afterlife Haunted Attractions opens Oct. 1 and will be open every Friday and Saturday in October at various times.

The attraction will open at 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Oct. 1-15, 8 p.m. to midnight Oct. 21-29, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Oct. 31, and then once again Nov. 5 for Blackout Night

Strength Renewed in Pink

Survivors Tell of Cancer Journeys

Story by Kareyn Hellmann, photos by Leslie Cox

For most people, pink ribbons delineate October as “Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” a time of the year for somber recollection and charitable giving to causes that support cancer research. NFL players wear pink hats, gloves, towels or shoes to show support and stores carry rosy-hued banners high. In many ways, the month becomes a national phenomenon and recognition.

However, for breast cancer survivor Melissa Bridges, October can be a hard time of the year—a reminder of the adversity she has endured and the difficult road of resilience she has walked to survive.

“Honestly it took me a while to even enjoy the month of October,” Bridges said. “You know, because you try to get away from it a little bit, and that whole month, it’s thrown in your face. Not everybody thinks

that way, but a lot of people do because it’s like that fear is already there. So when everywhere you turn it’s there, it’s a process to grasp, ‘I went through this. I’ve overcome this. And I embrace the month currently, but I remember having those thoughts. … It takes awhile to get there.”

Before her cancer journey, she felt like any other mother of two. A little overwhelmed sometimes, certain ly, but never in fear of the future or what her kids’ lives would look like if she died.

“I grew up here in Paris,” she said. “I graduated from North Lamar High School. I had a great childhood growing up, and fortunately, we did not have any cancer in our family on my mom’s side of the family nor my father’s. You don’t think of cancer when you don’t have it in your family, so it was never a thought in my mind.”

After her 2012 diagnosis though, her perspective changed. Initially terrified, she looked desperately for hope and counsel.

“I was very, very lost. I didn’t have a lot of resources. … It was December 12, my birthday, I was told that I was going to have to do eight rounds of chemo, and I had to do 30 rounds of radiation. So it was pretty rough. Happy birthday,” she said.

However, through the difficulty of the diagnosis and coming face to face with her own mortality, she found solace in her faith and the company of others going through the same situation.

“My sister had given me this Jesus Calling book, and I hadn’t really picked it up,” Bridges said. “I thought, well, I’m gonna pick this up because I was at a loss, and I was like, I don’t really want to do this, but I’m gonna have to. And I picked up that book. On the very first page in bold letters, it said, ‘I’m taking care of you.’ It was that moment I changed my mind. I was like okay, I can get through this. I’m gonna do whatever it takes.”

Support from others flooded in, with local churches making prayer cloths to signify they were praying for her

and old friends checking in to make sure she was doing okay. Listening to others who were going through the same situa tion made it much easier to connect and be understood.

Sure enough, Bridges did overcome the cancer. Taking eight rounds of treat ment at Texas Oncology here in Paris, she eased her way into remission and has now been cancer free for ten years. Now, she leads her own prayer cloth mission at her home church, and she wants to start a support group for local women who had or currently have breast cancer.

Her story is mirrored by Candace White, who has been cancer free for two years. White thought her symptoms minor and almost didn’t get them checked, but her husband persuaded her.

“November of 2019, I felt a lump, a

not on any prescription drugs. I didn’t think it was anything. Come like January, my husband’s like, I think you should get it checked out. What if it’s cancer?”

However, when she got it looked at, the results came back positive. After hearing the diagnosis, her first thought was that she would die. Friends, family and others in the community encouraged her and helped bring her through her treatments, but it was in holding on to her three kids that she found hope.

“The first thing I told my husband was, “I don’t want to die,’” she said. “And all I thought about was my kids. What are they going to do without me. So that was the first thought, of them growing up without me. When people get a cancer diagnosis, that’s like their first thought. A lot of time, you hear, “she got cancer, she died.” But there’s so many people that are survivors that we don’t even realize.”

However, one of the hardest parts to work through was not the treatment or the initial fear, but rather the loss of her hair. For women, espe cially, she said, the loss hits hard.

“With women, losing all your hair, that’s tough,” White said. “Chemo sucks, surgery sucks, but the mental of losing all your hair, and the way it is and trying to figure out wigs and hairpieces, it’s hard. It’s so materialistic to say that was the hardest part, but it was. I’m totally thank ful that I was one of the lucky ones that chemo worked for me, but my first thought was, ‘I’m gonna lose my hair.’”

Thankfully, though, it has grown back to about shoulder length now, and she saw a com plete recovery. Bridges and White, alongside nine other survivors of breast cancer, took photos together to recognize their journey and the road they had traveled. Each held balloons with the number of years they had been cancer free. For White, the gathering helped illustrate the commu nity of survivors present even in Lamar County.

Candace White

Melissa Bridges

“When I went to take this picture, I was like, ‘Oh my God, you’ve had breast cancer too.’ So now I look back. That was a short time in my life, and it was crazy and emotional, but I’m just glad to be here,” White said.

Bridges wanted to thank everyone who had supported her along the way and Leslie Cox Photography and the Hidden Willow in Blossom for donating the venue for the photos. In the future, she’s excited to start a sup port group for other breast cancer survivors in the area. The first meeting will be held October 18, 2022 at Blossom Church of God Fellowship Hall, 255 N. Cedar Blossom.

“This is something that has been asked about for several years and we believe the women in Lamar County should come together and support each other. Please come and bring your ideas so we can make this support group available to all women who need it,” Bridges said. u

Tuned In

Rod “Dirtman” Willis provides Northeast Texas with tunes, entertainment

By Tommy Culkin

When it comes to offerings on the radio, 101.9 KBUS has been the main option for the Red River Valley’s fans of classic rock. And for years, listeners of that station have come to know the station’s morning DJ Rod Willis. However, they likely know him by a different name, the simple moniker of ‘Dirtman.’

Originally from Ironton, Ohio, a town in the southernmost part of the state, Willis has had a passion for music for as long as he can remember. Then, as a teenager, he took an interest in radio when he took a radio and television class while in high school. Those two interests coalesced, and he took his first radio job at WCAK, a radio station in Catlettsburg, Kentucky.

“I’ve only had one job that wasn’t radio, and it was at a restaurant as a line cook,” Willis said. “I

dio station. He thought he’d wind up working there for the rest of his career, but life had other plans.

Over the next several years, Willis worked at a number of different radio stations across the coun try, and wore a number of hats along the way, in cluding one stint at a radio station where he served as the station’s mascot, showing up to promotional events in a full rabbit costume.

“I hated it,” Willis said with a laugh. “Do you have any idea how hot it gets inside those cos tumes? It was unbearable.”

The longer he worked in radio, though, the better his roles with the stations became. Starting in the overnight shift — which Willis said is the least desirable one with the lowest listeners — he began working better and better time slots before eventu ally getting to DJ in the most coveted time slot: the

Along the way, the persona of ‘Dirt man’ started to develop.

“I do think of the Dirtman as a kind of character,” Willis said. “To me, he’s just that cool guy on the radio.

“The one who knows all about the music scene and has really good taste in music,” he added with a laugh.

Part of the Dirtman persona involves pitching his voice into a slightly richer cadence, and sometimes involves donning a pair of sunglasses as well.

“People will tell me all the time that they’re surprised at how different I sound when I’m not on the radio,” he noted.

About five years ago, Willis came to Paris after the radio station he’d previously been at underwent massive layoffs, and he found the opening at KBUS in Paris through the owner of East Texas Radio.

Since then, he’s made the morning slot his own, incorporating his wry and sardonic sense of humor, his knowledge of the goings-on in Paris and the great Red River Valley area and his taste in music.

“I really like a lot of the stuff from the 70s and 80s, your Pink Floyd, your Rush and stuff like that,” Willis said. “The 90s are alright. … But I actually also really like a lot of the newer bands out there too — bands like Greta Van Fleet. We don’t play those as much, but I still really like them.”

Willis also features regular guests throughout the week, including comedian Bob Zany, a “Cheech and Chong”-esque act called the Weekly Weed News, characters with names like Trailer Park Tammy and The Sports Kid and more.

In his decades in the radio industry, Willis has seen the duties and responsibilities of DJs change dramatically. And though many of the new advancements make things undeni ably easier, Willis said to him that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re better.

“There were no computers when I first started. Every thing was on vinyl, and if you were lucky, some stations had their top 40 songs that they’d play on a cart, which kind of looked like an 8-track, but it only holds one song. All com mercials are on carts,” he explained. “You’d have to put them all together in these cart machines, and then go from cart to vinyl.

“As time progressed, things moved to CDs, and that lasted for about a year or two. But now it’s all computerized.”

When computers were introduced into the realm of radio, DJs nationwide were told that now, their role would be minimal. Whereas it before required constant diligence and attention, with new computer programs, the playing of songs and advertisements more or less took care of itself.

“It’s much easier now, because it took away from the work of actually, well, working a radio station,” Willis said. “It used to be that you had to be on top of a song, and if the song was only two minutes you had to have the next song queued up and ready to go. … It’s easier now, but it doesn’t ask much out of you anymore.”

Still, Willis added, at its core the job is fundamentally unchanged, guided by two basic principles.

“You want the listener to be informed, and you want them to be entertained,” he said.

When not working at the station, Willis can often be found playing his own music around Paris at places like Buf falo Joe’s and the Sunset Lounge, and sometimes even per forms outside of Paris in nearby cities like Sulphur Springs and Texarkana.

Recently, audio of Willis on air in his Dirtman persona was sampled in the song Red Freightliner Blues by rock band Izzy Ded, something that Willis is all smiles about.

“That was pretty cool,” he said. “I was just joking around on the mic, and he calls and says, ‘Hey, can we use that?’”

On Oct. 8, Willis plans on playing at Buffalo Joe’s, and on Oct. 15 people can find him playing some original songs at Sunset Lounge. But you don’t have to wait for those days to hear him. All you need to do is tune in. u

Game of the Month

It’s not often I give “Game of the Month” honors to a game that hasn’t published yet, but we know enough about “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II” and we’ve seen enough to know that this one will be big.

The Call of Duty franchise has made more than $30 billion since launching in 2003. Gamer Rant ranked the Call of Duty games by sales and found that “Call of Duty: Black Ops,” released in November 2010, was the highest selling game with 30.72 million units sold. The lowest is the original “Call of Duty,” released in October 2003, sold 4.5 million.

Besides the fact that Call of Duty is a beloved franchise — even by those like myself who have a love/hate relationship with it — “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II” will be the predecessor to an expected November launch of “Call of Duty: Warzone 2,” the successor to Activision-Bliz zard’s massively popular free-to-play first person shooter battle royale.

The current “Call of Duty: Warzone” launched in March 2020, and since it has incor porated three Call of Duty games — “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare,” “Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War,” and “Call of Duty: Vanguard” — it’s become a bit bogged down. And that’s not even mentioning the numerous bugs, glitches and cheats that are essential fuel to the hate part of the love/hate relationship.

Let’s get back to “Call of Duty: Modern War fare II.” Although the game is set to release Oct. 28, 2022, Activision-Blizzard hosted a first-look party on Sept. 15. That was followed by the open beta on Sept. 16, exclusive to Playstation, and followed by the open beta a week later for crossplatform play on Playstation, Xbox and PC. So, we’ve had a pretty good look at the sequel to the 2019 Modern Warfare reboot.

Activision-Blizzard is promising new game play innovations, new gun handling, advanced AI and “a massive calendar of free content

post-launch featuring evolving gameplay with new maps, modes, seasonal events, community celebrations and more.”

The game’s campaign will bring back Capt. John Price, Sgt. Kyle Garrick, Lt. Simon Riley, Sgt. John MacTavish and other beloved Modern Warfare characters three years after Price forms Task Force 141. Set in 2022, Task Force 141 is called into action when a missile strike from the U.S. kills a foreign general. To prevent escalation, Task Force 141 will take on the terrorist organiza tion Al-Qatala and the drug cartel Las Almas.

The new campaign, new moves, new Gun smith and, well, new everything won’t be this game’s only selling points. Activision-Blizzard has also announced that it will be the last Call of Duty for two years, meaning the publisher is dropping the every year schedule it’s had for more than a decade. That’s a good thing because it will give customers who buy guns, skins and more a sense of having gotten their money’s worth

before dumping another $70 to $100 into a new release. It should also mean a more stable envi ronment for Warzone 2.

You can pick up or digitally download “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II” later this month, or pre-order online for more opportunities at early access. u

By Klark Byrd

Shannon McGuire has been pastoring for 11 years and currently serves as Senior Pastor at Paris New Gen eration Church.

The man that you feed is the man that will grow

In my December article, I wrote about setting goals for the New Year, and taking inventory of your life to hopefully elevate to the next level. With only three months left in the year, it’s time to reflect on our progress and see how we are doing. Let's dig deeper. Have you asked yourself if your life lines up with the word of God? Is your life a reflection of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith and meek ness, which are the fruit of the Spirit? Or is your life completely opposite? The life you're living will manifest in the fruit that you're producing. Think about this for a moment…

I don't know about you, but I don't think I am the most self-aware person. Sometimes I need a little help. For example, it was pointed out to me that I am never completely satisfied with my food; always complaining that something is a little off or that it needs this or that. It didn’t matter if someone else made it or I prepared it myself. I didn't even realize the negative impact I was having on those around me until it was brought to my attention.

At that moment I had a choice to make, either continue that behavior or simply change it. If you are wondering, .I made the decision to try and change. Remember, if you know better, then you should do better! After reading this article, you'll have a choice to make, too: continue or change.

How do you know if you need to change something? Besides the type of fruit your life is producing, another indicator that you're not where you need to be, is in how you are respond ing to difficult times. When troubles come, do

you turn to God in prayer or instead turn to friends or even yourself?

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 3:5-7, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.”

The truth is my fleshly man wants to com plain about everything but my spiritual man longs to line up with those fruit of the Spirit that I mentioned in the introduction. How do I get to where I need to be spiritually? I simply feed what I want to grow and starve what I want to de crease. In order to arrive at this place of spiritual maturity, I had to apply Proverbs 3:5-7. This mindset brings about peace. Do you have peace or is your mind clouded by confusion? If you need peace, remember, 1 Corinthians. 14:33 says, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

God is the right recipe!

Bottom line, we all have things that we need to change so that our lives align with the Word of God, so that we can fulfill the purpose that he has for us while we are here. I always say "The biggest room in everyone’s house is the room for improvement."

We can't make this change on our own so we must read, study, and apply our Biblical prin ciples. Prayer and praise also sweeten and fulfill the spiritual man so that we can live by the spirit rather than the flesh. The Man/Woman that you feed is the man that will grow. Which man will you choose to feed? u

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.

HEALTH

By Ayesha Shafiq, the director of Paris Cardiology Center

Lack of good dental hygiene can cause periodontitis. To keep your mouth clean, you need to practice good dental hygiene every day. Periodontitis, or gum disease, is caused by bacteria in your mouth that lives in the form of plaque on your teeth. Many of the foods you eat cause the bacteria in your mouth to produce acid that is called plaque. This sticky layer of material on your teeth accumulates from food deposits in areas where your toothbrush cannot reach. Many foods with sugar or starches, like bread, cereal, etc., are obvious sources of plaque. The plaque irritates the gum, making it red, sensitive and susceptible to bleeding that can cause gum disease.

Once gum disease occurs, the gums pull away from the teeth and form pockets that fill with bacteria and pus. If gum disease is left untreated, the bone around the teeth will be destroyed; and that may cause teeth to become loose or they may have to be removed by a dentist.

How periodontitis can cause your physical health to decline

How do you prevent gum disease?

• Brush your teeth at least twice a day: Brushing removes plaque from your teeth. Try to brush at least twice a day — once in the morning and once before going to bed. Use an antimicrobial toothpaste containing fluoride, which protects your teeth from decay.

• Floss your teeth at least once a day: Flossing your teeth also removes plaque. Flossing is vital to prevent gum disease.

• Do not brush too soon after eating: Consuming acidic foods like citrus, tomatoes, sports drinks, wine, etc., can erode the glossy outer layer of your tooth called tooth enamel. Do not brush your teeth right away after eating acidic foods, as it will brush the acid right on to your teeth. Instead rinse your mouth with warm water soon after eating acidic foods and wait a half hour before you brush your teeth.

• Replace your toothbrush often: Toothbrush should be replaced every three to four months. Not only does it become ineffective, but it also starts harboring bacteria that can cause infections. Also, using a hard-bristled toothbrush can destroy your tooth enamel. Therefore, use a soft toothbrush.

• Do not bleach your teeth excessively: Over-bleaching your teeth not only make your teeth look unnaturally white, but it also increases the sensitivity of your teeth. Check with

your dentist about the frequency of bleaching your teeth so it does not cause any tooth damage.

How does gum disease affect your physical well-being?

Studies suggest that periodontitis can increase the chances for certain diseases such as diabetes and HIV/AIDS as it lowers your resistance to infection. Since your mouth is the gateway where bacteria resides, it can team up with food, saliva or medications to enter digestive and respiratory tracts through your blood stream in order to cause harm. It be comes important to pay attention to proper oral hygiene.

Gum disease has been known to cause endocarditis. This term refers to the infection of the inner lining of heart chambers or valves. Moreover, gum disease has been linked to heart disease, clogged arteries and stroke. Periodontitis has also been connected to premature birth and low birth weight. Once certain bacteria in your mouth reaches your lungs, it can cause pneumonia and other respiratory diseases. Osteoporo sis, a bone-weakening disease, is linked with periodontal bone loss and tooth loss. Worsening oral health is also noted as the early sign of progression in Alzheimer’s disease. Certain cancers, eating disorders, rheumatoid arthritis are also linked to poor dental hygiene. u

Halloween at the movies

Everyone wants to talk about scary mov ies at Halloween. But do they really want to talk about ‘scary movies,” or scary fun movies? Because ‘scary movies’ brings to mind “Alien/Aliens,” “Carrie,” “Psycho,” or “The Omen,” all scary movies that will make you never go anywhere by yourself again.

There are plenty of THOSE films around: movies like “Hostel,” “Saw,” “The Texas Chain saw Massacre,” or 1978's “Halloween,” believed by many to be the mother of all slasher films–a film that looks like child’s play next to the three others. I’m not averse to a little blood-letting. History is full of it. We watch it daily in the news. Ukraine, anyone?

But I don’t understand the passion for torture films like the “Hostel” or “Saw” series. I long for the years in which I thought any film with Peter Cushing or Vincent Price was a hor ror movie. So you will appreciate the following list I would recommend for Halloween, whether it’s witches or a murder mystery.

1985's “Clue” is a star-studded spoof that uses the board game for its plot, and includes Madeline Kahn, Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Leslie Ann Warren and Christopher Lloyd, et al.

In the same vein, one could do no better than finding “Murder by Death” (1976) stream

ing on Netflix.” A disparate group of famous sleuths, played by the likes of David Niven and Maggie Smith, Truman Capote and Eileen Brennan, James Coco and Elsa Lanchester. All assembled on a stormy night in a dark mansion, to solve a mystery. Alec Guinness plays the blind butler. Peter Sellers plays Charlie Chan. I start laughing thinking about it.

Then one starts thinking about really funny scenes from related films, like 1974's “Young Frankenstein” comes to mind. Yes, again with the glorious cast including Gene Wilder and Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman and Marty Feldman--taken from us too soon. I’m thinking the scene with the monster (Peter Boyle) who wanders into a hut in the woods, where Gene Hackman’s blind monk invites him to sit and have a bowl of soup, which he pours every where but the bowl.

Looking at later films, “Hocus Pocus,” (1993) with Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy play the Sanderson Sisters, witches brought back accidentally. “Hocus Po cus 2" arrives Sept 30, with a resurrected original cast–no pun intended.

Speaking of witches, “Practical Magic” (1998), with Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock as sisters from a long line of witches, is cur

Toni Clem is a Paris resident and has been writing Deja View for more than 30 years.

Warner Bros.

rently streaming on HBO Max, The cable company announced that a prequel series with the same cast was in production back in July 2019. But no word since.

“The Addams Family,” from a cartoon by cartoonist Charles Addams and its 1964 TV series, was released in 1991. Budget overruns scared Orion so much they sold it to Paramount, who finished it and distributed it in the U.S. Orion took on distribution internationally. The film, with Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia (another actor taken from us too soon), and Christopher Lloyd, was a hit, made money and a sequel was released two years later.

“The Exorcist” (1973) remains toward the top of any scary movie lists. There have been several iterations, but nothing rivals it for drama.

M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Village” is a good Hal loween flick about monsters “lurking in the woods.” Released in 2004, it stars Joaquin Phoenix, Bryce Dallas Howard, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver and Adrien Brody. Great cast for such a little film. But it’s harmless for a Halloween slumber party.

And speaking of Sig Weaver, we can’t let this column go without listing 1984's original and hilarious “Ghostbusters.” What’s not to love in a comedy with her, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd. Harold Ramis and Rick Moranis. But don’t rule out 2016's re-boot with Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Chris Hemsworth as their secretary, stealing every scene he’s in.

I would be remiss if I failed to include 1975's “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” which some purists con tend is a musical. But I think it’s the best “dress up in your costume and go to the movies” show ever. And I’ll see you there. u

Hoya

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp Butter

• 2 stalks of celery (diced small)

• 1 large carrot (diced small)

• 1/2 onion (diced small)

• 1 sweet potato (diced small)

• 1 butternut squash (peeled & diced small)

• 1 quart heavy cream

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 cup of water

Instructions:

1. Place butter in the bottom of a soup pot and melt.

2. Add all dried ingredients and stir for about 5 - 7 minutes, allowing ingredients to slightly change color and soften.

3. Pour water and heavy cream in the pot and let simmer for about 1 hour, while occasionally stirring.

4. After 1 hour of simmering, blend the soup in a blender until the consistency is smooth. Check the taste before add ing salt & pepper.

5. Garnish top with Parsley (optional).

Recipe by Chef Michael Perry, Paris Golf & Country Club

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LOOKING FOR A FRESH START?

It all started 21 years ago for Randy Hoover, current store manager. Back in 2001, Randy was the delivery driver for the parts store. He soon understood that this was the business he wanted to be in and he knew the path to achieve success within the store. As the years progressed, so did Randy. He soon became a salesman where he studied and researched every part, every shelf, and every logistical piece of the business.

Once Randy obtained the operational mindset, he then focused on customer service to ensure everyone received top quality service and respect. This led to his next big promotion as the Manager of the store. Randy now manages all aspects of the business day in and day out for top quality service at fair prices. Randy stated, “It’s hard to manage the business and the people if you haven’t worked the jobs first.”

Like Randy and his locally owned parts store, Peoples Bank also puts a strong focus in achieving great customer service. Our friendly staff takes pride in efficiency and service with a smile. For both businesses, our customers are our friends, our neighbors and all are considered family. Needing a fresh start with your parts store or looking for a new bank? Visit both businesses and see for yourself what makes us great. At Peoples Bank, “People Helping People,” is not just our motto, it’s how we do business.

Peoples Bank and Cullum Auto/Carquest is here to help.

W. Chance Abbott Peoples Bank Vice President

Randy Hoover Cullum Auto/Carquest Manager