HOMEFRONT A Fort Hood Herald publication | February 24, 2016
Shoemaker turns 92 P8 | Fort Hood National Prayer Breakfast P10
| Homefront
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
[ Inside this issue ] Letters from the Homefront: Getting through deployment
Page 3
Financial Fitness: Tips for paying income taxes
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Financial Fitness: Tips on required minimum distributions
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Financial Fitness: Tips to pay off credit card debt faster
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On the Homefront: Gen. Shoemaker turns 92
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On the Homefront: Fort Hood National Prayer Breakfast
Page 10
What’s Happening: Upcoming area events
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At the Movies: “The Witch”
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Dining In: Orange beef
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Dining In: Cheesy hamburger skillet
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Vol. 9, Issue 2 | February 24, 2016 Homefront is a Fort Hood Herald publication. Contact Us Editor: Jacob Brooks | jbrooks@kdhnews.com | 254-501-7468 Reporter: JC Jones | jcjones@kdhnews.com | 254-501-7464 Contributors: Vanessa Lynch | Amy Proctor On the cover: Retired Gen. Robert M. Shoemaker, right, and his assistant, Leslie Francis, clap after a presentation for Shoemaker’s 92nd birthday Feb. 18 at Robert M. Shoemaker High School in Killeen. Photo by Amy Proctor. Find more news at forthoodherald.com.
Homefront |
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Spouses rally together to help each other as soldiers deploy
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hen most people think of Iraq, they think of the war that began in 2003 and the fight against terrorism. However, the U.S. military’s first major conflict with the country started 25 years ago. Operation Desert Storm began Jan. 17, 1991, after Iraqi forces who had invaded neighboring Kuwait refused to withdraw. From start to finish, Desert Storm only lasted 43 days. I don’t remember much about the conflict, aside from what I was taught in school, since I was just 6 years old at the time. My only real memory of that year was my baby sister, who was born Jan. 15 and my parents brought her home from the hospital just as Operation Desert Storm was beginning. Growing up, I had no ties to the military. Many moons before I was born, my maternal grandfather served briefly in the Portuguese military and I had an uncle who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, but my day-to-day knowledge of the lifestyle or the sacrifices made by both the service member and their families, was obsolete. It wasn’t until I married an Army officer in 2009 and moved across the country and an ocean to our first duty station that I got my introduction to life as a military wife. My mind was blown. Being married to the military is no small feat and it’s not for the faint of
Being alone is one thing, but being the only adult taking care of children, is something else all together. Having to hold down the fort and stay strong for your littles while your spouse takes care of business thousands of miles away, never gets easier. Letters from the Homefront Vanessa Lynch
heart. I knew that my spouse would deploy, but I had no idea what “going to the field” meant or how often he would go “TDY.” I learned a lot very quickly. I threw myself into the challenge of interpreting the acronym-filled, regulation-driven world of the military. Early on, when many of our friends would go “home” during a deployment, I didn’t understand their reasoning. Why would you leave? Wasn’t this place your new home? Well now that we have a family of our own, I totally get it. Being alone is one thing, but being the only adult taking care of children, is something else all together. Having to hold down the fort and stay strong for your littles while your spouse takes care of business thousands of miles away, never gets easier. Sadly, with the way the world is, deployments aren’t
going away. Lucky for me, I have only been through one deployment and that was way before the twins were born. Now, when my husband goes into the field for a week or more at a time, I start to sweat and call in reinforcements. I don’t know how families survived the doldrums and uncertainties of deployments without all the advancements in technology we have today. When my husband was deployed, we would communicate almost daily via social media or through email or Skype. Those terms are like a foreign language to our Vietnam veterans. I remember talking with a local vet and he told me he used to communicate with his wife via an operator, and he would have to tell this voice “I love you, dear” hoping it would get relayed, hopefully, back to his wife. Crazy how things change. Although technology has helped bridge the gap it doesn’t change the fact
that a loved one is a world away. Even with a drawdown of forces, service members are still being deployed to various parts of the world. Deployment is a way of life for many military families and families locally are bearing the brunt of it. The number of Fort Hood soldiers deployed around the world jumped to more than 7,400 in February, according to Fort Hood’s population report card, the highest it’s been since 2012. Officials said the spike is due to the rotation of troops heading to and coming from South Korea — part of a new Army plan that has, thus far, fallen largely on the shoulders of Fort Hood soldiers. Saying goodbye to your loved one and watching the buses drive away never gets easier. What always amazes me is how spouses rally together during these times to support one another. The life we lead, the choices and sacrifices we make, although it baffles others, is what bonds us and helps lessen the blow when duty calls.
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Call us at 254-501-7500 or 254-778-4444. Connect online at texappealmag.com.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
[ Financial Fitness ]
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Homefront |
Do I have to file taxes? Five factors to consider $ $ Courtesy of USAA
The Internal Revenue Service provides guidance in the instructions for the various tax forms (1040, 1040A, etc.). Here is an overview of the factors that influence IRS requirements:
Basic Income Thresholds
If you earned more than this, the IRS requires a tax return for 2015 (ages are as of Dec. 31, 2015): • Single: $10,300 under age 65; $11,850 if you’re 65 or older. • Married filing jointly: $20,600 if both spouses are under 65; $21,500 if one spouse is 65 or older; $23,000 if both are 65 or older. • Married filing separately (any age): $3,950. • Head of household: $13,050 if you’re under 65; $14,600 for 65 or older.
Special Situations
No matter what your income, there are a number of situations that may require you to file a return. Examples include selling your home, earning more than $400 in self-employment income or taking an early distribution from an IRA or retirement plan. Additionally, even without a tax liability, by filing a return you may be entitled to claim valuable credits for things like education, health care insurance, children or the Earned Income Credit (low income earners).
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Tax-Time checklist: What documents do I need
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Income Tax Withheld
If you had income tax withheld from your pay anytime during the year, you will generally want to file a return. Even if you didn’t make enough money to require it, filing is the only way to get a refund of the amount withheld.
Social Security
For seniors, Social Security benefits are not included as income in the above thresholds, unless half of those benefits plus your other gross income and tax-exempt interest exceeds $25,000 ($32,000, if married filing jointly). If that’s the case, determine how much of your Social Security is taxable and file a return.
Dependents
Dependent children must generally file a return if they had unearned income over $1,000 or earned income over $6,300. However, parents can file a Form 8814 to include their child’s income on their return. But the child must typically be under age 19 or a full-time student under age 24.
Taxes are inevitable. Preparing them, however, doesn’t have to be painful. One way to speed up the process: Gather everything you need before it’s time to work on your 2015 return. According to Bob Meighan, vice president of customer advocacy for TurboTax, it also helps to think about taxes in simple terms. “Think of it as a financial summary of your year,” Meighan said. “The IRS just wants to know how much income you’ve earned during the year.” You’ll need to collect: • A W-2 from your employer, stating your total wages for the year, federal, state and local taxes paid, Social Security and Medicare withholding. Check with your employer, because you may be able to access yours electronically. • Bank statements (1099-INT for interest) • Investment reports (1099-DIV for dividends or 1099-B for proceeds from a broker) • Property tax bills • College tuition expenses • Charitable donation receipts • Mortgage statements If you work an additional job, that makes things more complex and you’ll also need a detailed record of business expenses. Many veterans, for example, participated in the sharing economy in 2015. “If you drive for a ride-share company, you have your own business income to report, as well as business expenses, because you’re technically self-employed,” Meighan advised. “It’s the same with people temporarily renting out parts of their house or a bedroom. They become landlords. These filers need to have more detailed records.” If you’re running a small business, invest in bookkeeping software that manages and tracks expenses. What’s more, a good software program — USAA recommends TurboTax — can walk you through simple to increasingly more complicated returns based on your job and business.
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[ Financial Fitness ]
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Six things you should know about RMDs By Joseph “J.J.” Montanaro Courtesy of USAA
Whether or not you’re ready to start drawing retirement, IRS rules require anyone who owns a traditional IRA or has a retirement plan, such as a 401(k), to start pulling out their money at age 70½. It pays to know the ins and outs of those withdrawals — called required minimum distributions, or RMDs. Or, I should say, it can prevent you from paying. That’s because there’s a 50 percent penalty for not taking out your RMD, or taking out too little. The math is pretty easy. Forget to make a $10,000 RMD and you pay a $5,000 penalty. Ouch. Over the years, the rules have been simplified, but RMDs remain a source of confusion for some investors. These six concepts are worth keeping straight: The beginning date can be delayed. Leave it to the IRS to make something as seemingly simple as a start date con-
fusing. You can take your first RMD the year you turn 70½ (I’m not sure who chose 70½ as opposed to 71) or as late as April 1 of the following year. Remember, though, if you delay into the next calendar year, you’ll be forced to make two RMDs that year. Employer retirement plans have their own start rule. While IRA RMDs always start at 70½, you can delay RMDs in employer retirement plans until you quit working, as long as the plan is from the place where you’re still employed. The RMDs from those plans must begin no later than April 1 following the calendar year you retire. RMDs can’t be rolled over to a Roth IRA. Folks often ask me if they can satisfy RMD requirements by rolling over money they remove from a traditional IRA or 401(k) into a Roth. Their thought: I’m paying taxes anyway; why not put the money into an account that doesn’t have RMDs and offers the potential for tax-free withdrawals?
This would be a good idea — if it were allowed. Anyone at any age can convert money into a Roth (and pay taxes on it), but that amount would need to be above and beyond what they took out to meet the RMD requirement. The implications go beyond income taxes. The point of the RMD system seems to be to allow Uncle Sam to collect the taxes created when you withdraw. However, in your distribution planning, it’s important to remember RMDs mean increased income and that can boost Medicare premiums, result in taxation of Social Security benefits and even reduce or eliminate eligibility for any number of needs-based programs. Taking the long view of all the implications of that increased income is critical. Be careful where you pull from. This can be tricky. You’re not required to take RMDs from all your IRAs individually. You may calculate the RMDs individually and pull the total amount out of any or all of the IRAs. However, money
withdrawn from an IRA does not satisfy the RMD requirement for a 401(k) or other employer retirement plan. RMDs for those types of accounts must be calculated and withdrawn separately. You can’t pay it forward. This may seem pretty straightforward, but people have asked me if they can pull money out today and use it to satisfy future years’ RMDs. Nope. That’s not permitted under the rules. Of course, anything you pull out today would reduce the account balance and thus future RMDs, but you can’t use something withdrawn today to meet a future RMD requirement. Don’t put your earplugs in and get caught short making your RMDs. Make a note on your calendar, set up a reminder on your computer, fill out the forms to automate your withdrawal, but don’t forget to make your required minimum distribution(s) this year. If you do, the IRS will let you hear about it in a big way.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
[ Financial Fitness ]
Homefront |
How to pay off $5,000 in credit card debt in a year By Joseph “J.J.” Montanaro Courtesy of USAA
There are good debts — money prudently spent on items such as an education or a roof over your head — but the best debts are those you can speak of in the past tense. That’s particularly true of credit card debt. Unfortunately, many people carry month-to-month balances on their credit card accounts. Those can be crushing sources of stress — financial and otherwise. Estimates abound for how much credit card debt the average American carries, but the number that matters is your number. Let’s just say it’s $5,000. Here’s a five-point plan to crush that $5,000 of debt over the next 12 months. Freeze your credit use. If not easy, this is simple: just don’t use it. Struggling? Put your cards in a bowl of water and really freeze them. No matter how you
If you only make the minimum payments over the course of the year, you’ll end up about where you started. do it, the first step is to stop adding to the problem. Develop a spending plan. If you only make the minimum payments over the course of the year, you’ll end up about where you started. That means you need to free up or find money so you can increase those payments. To be specific, if you want to pay off your debt in a year, you’ll need to come up with $350-$400 a month above your minimum payment(s). Scrutinize where your money goes and find ways to cut back or cut out expenditures. Canceling the cable, eating out less or clipping coupons are all changes that can help.
You may want to consider a second job, a new job for a stay-at-home spouse or an entrepreneurial endeavor to boost income for the cause. Create a safety net. If you haven’t already, set aside $1,000 in a savings account before you start to go full force at your debt. You might ask, “Wouldn’t it make more sense to use the $1,000 to pay off debt?” Nope. Having a cash cushion will help ensure you don’t have to use credit if you have a financial emergency. Getting rid of debt is all about habits and this step will help you kick the credit card habit. Consider selling some stuff or using money found during step two to come up with that $1,000. Execute the plan to kill your debt. This is your road map out of debt. If you’ve got one credit card, your path is simple. Simply apply all the extra monthly cash in your new spending plan toward that credit card until it’s paid off. If you’ve got more than one card start
by paying as much as you can on the card with the highest interest rate and minimum payments on the rest. When that card is paid down, work on the next one. The linchpin of your success will be developing a spending plan and supersizing your payments. Don’t pay more interest than necessary. Call your credit card(s) and request a lower interest rate. It could also make sense to consolidate your credit cards into a single zero or low interest rate card or consolidation loan. Remember, though, consolidation alone doesn’t solve the problem. One more consideration: During next 12 months, be on the lookout for windfalls that could help knock out your credit card debt. If you get a tax return, a bonus at work or an inheritance, make the most of it by paying down your debt. However you do it, saying goodbye to your credit card debt may rank as your biggest accomplishment of the year.
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[ On the homefront ]
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Retired general celebrates 92nd birthday
BUy this photo at kdhnews.com Amy Proctor | HOmefront
The Grey Wolves boys basketball team present retired Gen. Robert M. Shoemaker a team portrait as a birthday gift on Feb. 18. Shoemaker celebrated his 92nd birthday at Shoemaker High School with over 750 students, friends and dignitaries from the Fort Hood/Killeen area.
Students, soldiers salute Shoemaker By Amy Proctor Herald Correspondent
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ILLEEN — More than 750 Shoemaker High School students, staff and Fort Hood area dignitaries celebrated retired Gen. Robert M. Shoemaker’s 92nd birthday at the high school bearing his name Feb. 18. Nearly a dozen of the school’s groups and clubs performed for the retired general, followed by a cake-cutting ceremony and refreshments. The auditorium at Shoemaker High School was standing room only, overflowing with affection and appreciation from students, faculty, family and local community leaders who came to honor the former four-star general. “How blessed are we that we have such a man such as our dear Gen. Shoemaker, as not only our namesake, but as our benefactor and our Grey Wolf grandfather,” said JROTC cadet Capt. Joshua Rillera, a senior at Shoemaker High School. Rillera went on to echo the sentiments of many other students as he described Shoemaker’s leadership, generosity and support in the community and school, asking God for a special blessing for “Shoemaker and his family, that all his days may be filled with faith, hope and love.” Proclaiming Shoemaker High School as Gen. Shoemaker’s “home away from home,” Killeen Independent School District Superintendent John Craft said there have only been 227 four-star generals since the Army’s inception and that Shoemaker shares the esteemed position with the likes of George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant and Douglas MacArthur. “Gen. Shoemaker remains a testament to the type of character we should all aspire to emulate; a committed soldier, a dedicated patriot and a compassionate community leader,” Craft said. “Robert M. Shoemaker remains a
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
[ On the homefront ]
Homefront |
BUy these photos at kdhnews.com Photos by AMy PRoctor | Homefront
1st Cavalry Division commander Maj. Gen. John Thomson III, right, talks with retired Gen. Robert M. Shoemaker and his wife, Tuke, at Shoemaker’s birthday celebration Feb. 18 at Shoemaker High School.
perfect illustration of what it means to be an American citizen.” Killeen Mayor Scott Cosper declared Feb. 18, 2016, “General Robert M. Shoemaker Day” in the city, wishing him a happy 92nd birthday and best wishes and gratitude. During the celebration, Shoemaker was treated to performances by the school’s cheerleaders, Grey Wolf Band,
ABOVE: Varsity and junior varsity cheerleaders from Shoemaker High School perform for retired Gen. Shoemaker in the school’s auditorium. AT LEFT: Dozens of balloons fill the halls of Shoemaker High School on Feb. 18 as over 750 students, faculty, community leaders, friends and family gather to wish retired Gen. Robert M. Shoemaker a happy 92nd birthday.
Theatre Arts and color guard, ending in a rousing rendition of the Army Song. Nearing the end of the celebration, Shoemaker and his wife, Tuke, were escorted to the auditorium’s stage where he cut his birthday cake with a saber presented to him by a Shoemaker High JROTC cadet. Students were able to wish Shoemaker a happy birthday and
take pictures with him. Representing Fort Hood, III Corps deputy commander, Maj. Gen. John Uberti, spoke at the celebration calling Shoemaker a “patriarch of the modern United States Army, of the United States Forces Command, of the 3rd Corps, of the 1st Cavalry Division, of the city of Killeen, and of Central Texas.” Uberti called Shoemaker the “true
embodiment of a servant leader” and wished him a “happy and healthy 92nd birthday, and many more,” on behalf of the 95,000 soldiers of III Corps. Shoemaker, who commanded III Corps and later U.S. Army Forces Command, retired as a general after 36 years in the U.S. Army. Shoemaker was born on Feb. 18, 1924, in Almont, Mich.
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[ On the homefront ]
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Fear, guilt and divine intervention shapes faith
BUy this photo at kdhnews.com Amy PRoctor | Homefront
The Fort Hood National Prayer Breakfast keynote speaker, Master Sgt. Eddy Ford of the 89th Military Police Brigade, addresses a crowd of about 400. Ford shared how his faith has been tested in combat, while at the same time how those tests have made him a more spiritual man and soldier.
Speaker addresses crowd at Fort Hood National Prayer Breakfast By Amy Proctor Herald Correspondent
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ort Hood chaplains and chaplain assistants prayed for peace, the fallen and wounded, families and the nation Feb. 19 at the Fort Hood National Prayer Breakfast. More than 400 other Fort Hood soldiers and family members joined in prayer and found camaraderie among those at the annual gathering. Held at the Phantom Warrior Center on Fort Hood, soldiers and families packed the room for a hot, catered breakfast while a keynote speaker discussed spiritual resiliency in combat. Master Sgt. Eddy Ford of the 89th Military Police Brigade told of how his faith has been tested in combat, while at the same time how those tests have made him a more spiritual man and soldier. With multiple combat tours to Iraq, Ford captivated the audience as he relived some of those experiences of near death or losing friends to war. Recalling serving under Gen. David Petraeus in the 101st Airborne Division, Ford said that “everyone has fear. … It may not be the fear of your own death, it could be the fear of the unknown or losing one of your soldiers.” He described being one of two soldiers from his unit with the 101st being selected to go on four days of R&R to Qatar after several months of combat. He was excited to be selected to be on a helicopter to Mosul in Iraq that would transfer soldiers to Qatar, but a last minute change gave those seats to another unit. Disappointed, he did what any soldier would do; he sucked it up and returned to work. But an hour later, Ford received word that the helicopter he should have been on had gone down over Mosul and there were no survivors.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
[On the homefront ]
Homefront | 11
BUy these photos at kdhnews.com Photos by AMy PRoctor | Homefront
About 400 Fort Hood soldiers and family members attend the Fort Hood National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 19. The annual event was held at the Phantom Warrior Center.
“I remember immediately thanking God that I wasn’t on that flight, and then I realized that some other soldier just died in my place. The guilt was crushing. It didn’t matter that I didn’t have control over the circumstances. I’d found a way to chastise myself for thanking God that someone else had died in my place. I had to tell myself that resiliency comes from not always being safe, but by recognizing divine guidance. It’s not about me.” Ford said “in combat, it’s been my experience that you can see what God does. You can actually see Him working.” These experiences, Ford shared, have changed him for the better because he let them, and he encouraged the soldiers present to use their combat experiences for good, to motivate them with the realization that God has destined them for good. The annual Fort Hood Prayer Breakfast acts as a vehicle for soldiers and their families to share their faith, struggles and doubts in an environment of camaraderie, as well as to pray for the nation and wisdom for those in command.
Lynda MacFarland, wife of Fort Hood’s commander,l Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland, and 1st Cavalry Division commander Maj Gen. John Thomson III talk over breakfast at the Fort Hood National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 19 at the Phantom Warrior Center. See more photos at forthoodherald.com.
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Auditions Casting Call for a feature film, “1040 Not so EZ,” will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 20 at Harker Heights Library, 400 Indian Trail, Harker Heights. Cast includes seven main character roles, 22 speaking roles and many extra positions. The film is meant to portray a theatrical display, inspired by a culmination or montage of different life events. Based on experiences of individuals whom the story is based, it inspires a noble outlook through the display of intense urban legend that is displayed in this satire focusing on the experience of four loved ones and friends, as they attempt to outsmart the public in order to strike it rich. Upon receiving vengeance from but one of the hundreds of people they scammed, they begin to feel the repercussions of karma. Contact: Lucrisa Hillard at cinemahillcasting@gmail.com or 254-415-7246 or go to www.cinemahillproductions.com.
Local Music Dirty Harry’s presents live music on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. For ages 21 and older, no cover. Dirty Harry’s is at 206 W. Veterans
[ What’s Happening ] Memorial Blvd., Harker Heights (next to Kin Pin Tattoos). Call 254-680-6557. Bo’s Barn Dancehall at 4984 W. Farm-toMarket 93 in Temple presents live music from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Catch karaoke from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. every Thursday, with a DJ until 1:30 a.m. Happy Hour is from 5 to 8 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Go to www.bosbarndancehall.com or call 254939-7131. Stillhouse Wine Room presents an evening of special entertainment from 8 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Tuesday is Game Night at the wine room. Enjoy a glass of wine or beer and catch a game of checkers, chess, backgammon, cards, Scrabble and more. Thursday Night Trivia is from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. with a relaxed version of the game. Topics include music, movies, science, animals and more. Every 10 questions someone wins a bottle of wine. Stillhouse Wine Room is at 403 E. Stan Schlueter Loop, Killeen. For more information, go to StillhouseWineRoom. com. The Dead Fish Grill at 2207 Lake Road in Belton presents live music from 7:30 to 10 p.m. every Friday and Saturday. Call 254939-5771 or go to .www.deadfishgrill.com.
Farmers Markets All-Year Pioneer Farmers Market will be open in front of Tractor Supply Company on Central Texas Expressway in Killeen from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, weather permitting. Call Virginia at 254-423-5277 or go to www. facebook.com/pioneerfarmersmarket.
Arts & Theater Cinemark Theater in Harker Heights presents a live screening of Manon Lescaut performed by the Metropolitan Opera in New York at 11:55 a.m. March 6 with an encore at 6:30 p.m. March 9. Tickets are $23 and intermission includes a behindthe-scenes look at the cast and crew. The performance lasts nearly 4 hours. Go to metopera.org.
Bars, Clubs Chopstick, 2600 Trimmier Road, Suite 200, Killeen has karaoke from 8 to 11 p.m. Thursday.
Family Fun Temple’s Railroad and Heritage Museum’s
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
temporary exhibit, “Trains Around the World: The Railroad Photography of Fred Springer” is on display through March 26. The museum, at 315 W. Avenue B, in downtown Temple, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Go to www.rrhm.org or call 254-298-5172.
Clubs, Meetings The Copperas Cove Bass Club meetings are at the Lil Tex Restaurant in Copperas Cove on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. Call 254-661-9274. The Killeen Civic Art Guild has open studio time from 5 to 8 p.m. Mondays and offers various workshops from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays at the Killeen Arts & Activities Center, 802 N. Second St., Suite D 100. Contact Jutta Mack at jmack1@hot.rr.com, call 254-466-4040 or go to www.killeencivicartguild.org.
Planetarium Several films are showing at the Mayborn Science Theater at Central Texas College. For descriptions, schedule and ticket prices, go to www.starsatnight.org. Find more events at KDHnews.com.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
[ AT the movies ]
Homefront | 13
An unnerving horror film, ‘The Witch’ feels like a creepy classic By Michael Phillips Chicago Tribune
In 1999, when the Internet was young and our hearts were blithe and bonny, the found-footage horror film “The Blair Witch Project” was brought to market on a production budget of well under $1 million. It went on to make nearly a quarter-billion worldwide. Its aesthetic seemed novel back then, before all the “Paranormal Activitys” and visual copycats. With its shrieky, hand-held, shaky-cam approach to fright, the scruffy li’l movie connected with a new generation eager to get freaked out by this thing that seemed to be some sort of snuff film that snuck into the multiplex. The new film “The Witch” is the opposite of “The Blair Witch Project,” visually, tonally, every way. Writer-director Robert Eggers’ “New England folk tale” film isn’t likely to go bonkers in the popular culture the way “Blair Witch” did. But it’s an infinitely richer, more meticulous, more elegant and more unnerving horror film — the best since “The Babadook,” and very likely a 21st century classic in its hardy yet malleable genre. The time is 1630, a few decades before the Salem witch trials. Relatively new arrivals from England, farmer William (Ralph Ineson), his wife Katherine (Kate Dickie) and their five children are banished by the church leaders in their community for shadowy reasons. They relocate to a remote edge of a forest, with their goat, Black Phillip, and the hope of a decent if isolated new life. But the eldest child, Thomasin (Anya
A24 via TNS
Anya Taylor-Joy in “The Witch,” which is now playing in theaters.
Taylor-Joy), is watching her youngest sibling one day, and the child’s disappearance is sudden and definitive. Thus begins a steadily enveloping story of dread, recrimination, bone-deep misogyny, Puritan ideals and rampant scapegoating, in addition to the presence of a real, not metaphorical, goat, the aforementioned Black Phillip. Like the wobbly domestic unit at the
heart of “The Shining” (a key influence on “The Witch”), the family here turns on itself in the face of demonic forces. I don’t want to give any more away regarding what happens in “The Witch,” because for once in a modern horror film, the tactics and developments are simple yet surprising, and the filmmaking captures its chosen time, place and dark corners beautifully.
Eggers conducted years of research, drawing on all sorts of 17th century material ranging from witch pamphlets to Puritan diaries to court documents. The language sounds authentic, neither too slavishly devoted to the argot of the day, nor too contemporarysounding in its texture. The actors are all terrific, particularly Dickie, a “Game of Thrones” alum whose performance in the Andrea Arnold film “Red Road” (see it if you haven’t) pointed to a great career that hasn’t quite materialized. Yet. Eggers has worked mostly as a production and scenic and costume designer, in film and in the theater, and his remarkable debut feature looks and feels right and true and certain in its details, from the ashen tone of Jarin Blaschke’s cinematography to the exceptional musical score by Mark Korven. The music accompanying Thomasin’s wide-eyed transformation from one sort of teenager to another includes the Swedish “nyckelharpa,” the hurdy-gurdy and a vocal choir straight out of “The Omen.” It all works. By the end, in a key close-up of pure ecstasy, Eggers reminds modern audiences of the perils of a binary society, where nothing can exist comfortably in between the worlds of Puritan repression and satanic freedom. For the record, the official spokesperson for The Satanic Temple recently declared “The Witch” a “transformative Satanic experience.” That’s swell, but you don’t have to be a devil worshipper to admire Eggers’ craft, his swift yet careful pacing, his fluid way with the camera or his film’s spellbinding aura.
[ Dining in ]
14 | Homefront
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Gretchen Mckay | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Orange Beef complements the Year of the Monkey By Gretchen McKay Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Chinese New Year this month ushered in the Year of the Monkey, the ninth of the 12 animals in the recurring 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle. While people born under this sign can be a bit quick-tempered, they’re also thought to be cheerful and energetic. Monkeys might even be described as magnetic. The recipe we offer below to celebrate the new lunar year has many of the same qualities. Tangy-sweet and crunchy-tender, it offers the perfect balance of flavors and textures. True, it’s more Chinese-American than authentic Chinese, but it’s a favorite take-out dish nonetheless. It was a little spicy for my parents, who got it for their 65th
wedding anniversary; next time I’ll cut back on the chilies. Serve with white rice and charred orange wedges. Chopsticks optional.
ORANGE BEEF
For sauce 1½ cups orange juice ½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar ½ cup granulated sugar ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce 1½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger 1½ teaspoons finely chopped garlic 1 fresh red Thai chili, thinly sliced For dish 1 pound boneless rib-eye steak, fat trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 large egg white
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ cup vegetable oil ½ cup sliced red onion 3 scallions, dark greens thinly sliced, the rest cut into 1 ½-inch pieces 2 Asian dried red chiles 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest 2 cups steamed broccoli florets Make sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients in medium skillet, bring mixture to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it reduces by about half (to 1½ cups) and it’s just barely thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, about 10 minutes. Reserve ½ cup for dish. The rest will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or in freezer for up to 3 months. Make dish: Combine steak, egg white, cornstarch and salt in bowl and toss with your hands to coat the beef well. Heat oil in a wide cast-iron skillet over high heat
until oil begins to smoke. Add beef in one layer and cook without stirring until the bottoms of the pieces are golden brown, about 1 minute. Flip beef, add red onion, scallion pieces and dried chilies and cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is cooked to medium rare, about 2 minutes more. Transfer contents of skillet to plate. Pour ½ cup orange sauce into skillet, let it boil and cook, stirring occasionally, just until sauce thickens to a syrupy texture. Dump rib-eye mixture into sauce and stir until sauce coats the beef, 12 to 30 seconds. Take skillet off heat, stir in orange zest and scallion greens, and transfer the dish to a plate with broccoli. Serves: 4. Source: “Asian-American: Proudly Inauthentic Recipes From the Philippines to Brooklyn” by Dale Talde with JJ Goode (Grand Central Life & Style, September 2015, $32)
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
[ Dining in ]
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Dinner comes together quickly with cheesy hamburger meal By Susan Selasky Detroit Free Press
CHEESY HAMBURGER SKILLET
Serves: 4 Preparation time: 15 minutes Total time: 35 minutes
2 cups whole wheat macaroni or favorite high fiber elbow macaroni 1 small red bell pepper, washed, diced ¾ cup diced frozen onion 3 cloves garlic, peeled, minced 3 ounces reduced-fat cheddar cheese 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, no salt added, do not drain 1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper Place the macaroni in a skillet that’s at least 2 to 2 ½-inches deep. Pour about 1 ½ (16.9-ounce) bottles of cold bottled water over the pasta. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook until the macaroni is al dente (just a little underdone), about 7 minutes. Most of the water will absorb, but drain any that is remaining. Set aside. While pasta cooks, rinse and dice bell pepper. Peel and finely chop onion. Peel and mince garlic. Grate cheese. In large skillet over medium heat, add beef or turkey, bell pepper, onion and garlic. Cook, crumbling beef with spoon, until meat is no longer pink, about 15 minutes. Drain fat. In skillet, add remaining ingredients to meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook over medium heat until cheese is melted, 5-7 minutes. Cook’s note: You can add any of your favorite veggies (such as cooked spinach and broccoli) with the other vegetables, to add variety and up the vegetable content. Adapted from Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters and tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. Nutrition per serving: 300 calories (25 percent from fat), 8 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 34 g carbohydrates, 25 g protein, 360 mg sodium, 4 g fiber.
Salwan Georges | Detroit Free Press
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Wednesday, February 24, 2016