Meet The Team Lindsey Kasprzak
PUBLISHER, ART & MEDIA DIRECTOR
Leslie Henderson MANAGING EDITOR
Robert Kasprzak EDITOR
Taylor Smith WIRTER
Welcome to Lone Star Local Guide! My name is Lindsey and I am so proud to not only call myself a Texan, but also a Houstonian. My family history is not only deep in the heart of Texas but deep in the heart of Houston since I’m a direct descendant of the Allen Brothers. I’m therefore very proud that my digital publication represents the area where I live and where my family is from. I am passionate about my community and the businesses that reside in it. Without a community, we have no place to call home and nothing to leave the next generation. I believe strongly in the power of the small business and what it represents. When you shop at a small business, you’re not only supporting your community, but you’re also supporting a family. I started Lone Star Local Guide to showcase these local businesses. I strive to fine unique small businesses, each offering something different. You may not have even known some of these companies were local to you and my hope is that I’ll be able to give them exposure and support for their businesses. Along with promoting these unique businesses, the Guide will also include informational, educational, and just plain interesting articles on various issues and topics that I hope you will enjoy. Here’s a helpful tip: every ad is linked directly to the advertiser’s website so no more having to write it down- just click and go! Thanks again for stopping by and I look forward to seeing you again in the next issue! Please help spread the word by liking and following us on Facebook and Instagram, where we’ll regularly post upcoming local events, news, and, of course, awesome local businesses!
Beth Waytt SALES
CONTRIBUTORS:
Meet Our Publisher
MAJOR ROBERT KASPRZAK TRACEE EVANS CLAUDIA LAIRD W.F. STRONG RAIGAN MAYO CONROE/LAKE CONROE CHAMBER CONROE LIONS CLUB
Lindsey Kasprzak Click Here To Download Our App
Visit us online at:
www.LoneStarLocalGuide.com
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram
LONE STAR LOAL GUIDE © 2019, all rights reserved. All editorial and advertising copy belongs solely to LONE STAR LOAL GUIDE Reproduction in whole or part without express written permission is strictly prohibited. Articles are the opinions and experiences of other people and we do not necessarily approve, agree with, and/or condone those opinions.
table of
CONTENTS MAY 2019
Business of the Month Scratch By Sarah Bakery & Cupcakery - Page 6
Features
6
Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber - Page 5 Learn From Lady Justice - Page 9 Squeaky Pig Living Keto - Page 11 Spring Fire Department - Page 13 Conroe Lions Club - Page 15
17
Come And Explore It - Page 17 Texas As A Unit Of Measure - Page 21 Texas Might Have Been Smaller - Page 23 Adopt From Dogtown Texas - Page 27 A Page From History - Page 29 Out-Texas Me This! - Page 33 Lone Star Local Savings - Page 32
29 Lone StarEdition Local Guide Dock Line Magazine - Atascocita AprilPage 20183 3
Lone Star Local Guide Page 4
Lone Star Local Guide Page 5
By: Taylor Smith
The fresh smell of bluebonnets
make delicious cakes and cupcakes.
business model, I decided that titling
might be gone until next year, but
She grew up in a house where every-
Scratch as a “bakery and cupcakery”
the sweet smell of buttercream frost-
one was a fantastic cook and baker
best suited my overall offerings. While
ing, strawberry cakes, and chocolate
and she thought it was normal that
the cupcake is definitely my special-
sauce are an everyday scent pouring
everyone made cakes as wonderful
ty, I also make all sorts of cakes, cook-
from the kitchen at Scratch By Sarah.
as her family. It wasn’t until people
ies, brownies and desserts. Everything
Three years ago, Sarah was con-
started asking her personally to make
I make is from scratch. No shortcuts,
vinced that everyone knew how to
cakes for their events and then the
no artificial flavorings, and all com-
overwhelmingly positive feedback
pletely custom made to order. I have
she got about how delicious her cre-
no set menu. The creativity door is
ations were that she realized she
wide open for them, and for me. For
could actually make a business out of doing what she
loved-
Not only can Sarah make you
making
amazing sweets, but she uses fresh,
cakes and cupcakes.
quality ingredients and no artificial
“I love everything
flavorings. When you order some-
about my business! To
thing with strawberries or a strawberry
be able to have cre-
flavor she uses actual strawberries as
ative
freedom
and
the flavoring. You can be sure there’s
even
delivering
my
no added chemical or fake flavoring
orders and seeing the
coming from Sarah‘s kitchen.
huge smiles on my cus-
Sarah is no stranger to big events
tomers faces. Especially
either. She may be a business of one,
my younger customers,
but she can handle any kind of event,
seeing a child’s face light
wedding and office party. Maybe
up is the best feeling ever!
you just need a dozen cupcakes for
When I was creating my Lone Star Local Guide Page 6
that, I am the proudest.”
a girl’s night out? She’s got
For me, there’s nothing more impor-
you covered in that depart-
tant than maintaining the quality my
ment as well and will make
customers have come to expect. You
your girls get together a
can’t get the best results without us-
sweet one to remember.
ing the best ingredients and putting
No matter the task, Sarah
the time and effort into each order
has the determination and
that it deserves.”
the love of baking to get the job done.
So, the next time you’re at the grocery store and you need a sweet
What does Sarah feel
treat for your event, remember to
is essential to success?
shop local and support a small busi-
“For me, staying true to
ness owner and her dream.
my morals and standards
You can see more of Sarah’s
is most important for my
baked goods and contact her at
success. Often as busi-
www.scratchbysarah.com.
nesses grow, in any in-
also on Facebook and Instagram so
dustry, volume goes up
head over and give her a like and a
and quality goes down.
follow.u
She
is
Lone Star Local Guide Page 7
Lone Star Local Guide Page 8
What Constitutes a Common Law Marriage? There are plenty of questions about what constitutes a common law marriage in Texas. In Texas, there are two types of marriages. The most obvious type consists of the big white dress, cake, and all the other goodies coupled with a license obtained from the County Clerk. For those less inclined to go that route there is a second choice: a common law marriage. To establish a common law marriage, a couple must compete three steps: 1. They must cohabitate. This means they must live together. No particular timeframe is necessary for two consenting adults to live together before a common-law marriage may be established. 2. They must hold themselves out to be married. This normally happens when the happy couple introduces each other as husband and wife at
events. Holding oneself out as married can also take place on formal documents or records. Mortgage agreements, lease agreements, tax forms or medical forms indicating next of kin are several places a person may hold him or herself out to be married. 3. They must agree to be married. Thank goodness we cannot accidentally become married. There has to be an agreement between the couple to be married. Each one of these requirements must be met before a couple become common law married. Readers should be advised that once all three of these criteria is met, there is no such thing as a common law divorce! Once a formal marriage or common law marriage is established the only way to legally terminate either is to complete divorce proceed-
ings in court. Those wanting to alleviate any confusion about whether they intend to have a common law marriage can fill out a declaration form and file it with the County Clerk in the county in which they reside. A form for this purpose may be found by clicking HERE. It is not necessary to complete the form to be common law married. It is helpful if later there is a dispute as to the couples’ intent. Understand that whether or not a common law marriage existed for an individual is a topic often contested in family and probate courts. This is expensive and time consuming. Those really intending to be common law married could save several hours in court and a lot of money for themselves and/or their next of kin by filing the form for a judge to take as evidence of the marriage.u
Lone Star Local Guide Page 9
Lone Star Local Guide Page 10
By: Raigan Mayo Food Blogger
Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole
I love tacos, enchiladas, or any type of Mexican cuisine. I thought once I started keto or a low carb diet that I would only be able to have these using lettuce wraps or cabbage. A few months ago I was introduced to Susalia Products - tostados, tortillas, chips, and crackers. They are mostly made with cactus which makes them extremely low carb and actually taste great. There are some things to make this recipe easier if you are in a time crunch: • Chicken can be made easier by utilizing rotisserie chicken or buying pre shredded chicken • Green Chile Enchilada Sauce can be bought in a can but I haven’t tried it. • Aw Sh*t Seasoning is a mix of chili powder and variety of peppers. You Can substitute Chili Powder and Cayenne Pepper(be careful with how much you add, you can always add more if needed) • Mexican Crema can be substituted with Sour Cream • I use an immersion blender to puree the sauce. You can use a standard blender however be very careful, heat expands, and if filled too much can cause the blender top to fly off. I know this from experience.
Ingredients: 2 TBL Butter 1 Cup Yellow Onion, chopped 2 TBL Garlic, chopped 2 Large Jalapenos, chopped 2 - 10 ounce cans Whole Green Chiles, drained & chopped 2 1/2 Cups Chicken Broth 1 TBL Cumin 1 TSP AW Sh*t Seasoning(chili powder pepper mix) 2 Pounds Chicken Breast 1 - 8 ounce container Mexican Crema 2 1/2 Cups Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded 1/4 Cup Cliantro, chopped Cooking Instructions Cook onions, jalapenos, garlic, butter until onions are translucent Add green chiles, cumin, and Aw Sh*t seasoning cook another 3 minutes to help the seasonings to bloom. Add chicken breast to onion mixture, add chicken broth, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes or until chicken reaches 165 degrees. Turn off heat. Remove the chicken from the liquid and allow to cool. Blend remaining contents of pan to create your enchilada sauce Once chicken is cooked, shred by hand or you can use a fork. Add crema, 1 cup of cheese to chicken and mix. Construction of Casserole Start by dipping one tortilla at a time into the sauce and layering in a 9 x 13 pan. Once bottom of pan is covered with tortillas, add a layer chicken mixture. Add another layer of tortillas(dipped in sauce), add a layer of chicken, add 1 cup of cheese Top with layer of tortillas(dipped in sauce), 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake in oven 375 degrees until browned. Top with Cilantro Serve with sour cream, avocado. Extra sauce can either be frozen or I like to top my casserole with some when I serve.
Lone Star Local Guide Page 11
Lone Star Local Guide Page 12
Spring Fire Deploys Ballistics Gears By: Tracee Evans
In order to protect firefighters responding to hostile situations, the Spring Fire Department is deploying ballistic vests and helmets on all fire apparatus. “We get dispatched to provide emergency medical treatment in violent incidents, such as shootings and stabbings,” said Deputy Chief Scott Schoonover. “By adding ballistic protective equipment (BPE) for our firefighters, we are better able to protect our first responders in potentially violent circumstances.” “The BPEs were deployed last week,” added SFD Quartermaster Senior
Captain Matthew Corso. “Each fire engine has been issued ballistic vests and helmets for each riding position.” All Spring firefighters are receiving training on how to properly use BPEs in conjunction with NFPA 3000 standards. “With this additional training, our crews
(L-R) Firefighters Walker Kuykendall and Jay Villalobos training in the BPEs. will be prepared to provide emergency medical response in an active shooter situation or large scale hostile event.” said Deputy Chief Joel Crenshaw.u
(L-R) Firefighters Jay Villalobos and Shawn Maya, Captain Josh Posey, firefighters Michael Manshack, Ryan Rebarcek and Walker Kuykendall Lone Star Local Guide Page 13
Lone Star Local Guide Page 14
Conroe Noon Lions Club More than a Desire
Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed... Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders. -Henry David Thoreau Each year as spring peaks from around winter’s corner, we begin to see the sprouts of the new, as well as the rejuvenation of the old. Seeds that were planted begin to show life, and before we know it, God’s handy work is evident in every direction. The Greatest Lions Club in the
World planted a few “seeds” recently with the election of new officers and board members for the upcoming year. Just as the blossoms come forth in the springtime, the handy work of these Lions will soon be evident as they grow in their leadership roles and continue efforts to help those who need it most! They are ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work! Congratulations to those recently elected! Spring time also means fair time: “I need a cheeseburger with everything on it!” or “Chili cheese dog with onions and jalapenos!” These are just a couple of the all too familiar phrases heard during our week at the fair concessions. Ever wondered what it felt like to be a Lion? This project is the epitome of Lionism, as it includes service, fundraising and the opportunity to work side by side with fellow Lions. Much appreciation for all of the support and enthusiasm from so many dedicated club members; It was an absolute team effort, and it took each and every Lion doing their part to make it a success. In addition to concessions, Conroe Noon Lions participated in a Fair Buyers Group. On behalf of the club, members donated from their own pockets to support the youth of Montgomery County. CNLC was proud to support these 4-H & FFA students by purchasing Grand Champion Broilers and the Grand Champion Hog. With all of the action in the month of April, you might think it’s time to
take a breather…not so fast! Not only is Conroe Noon the Greatest Lions Club in the World, we are also one of the BUSIEST! Mark your calendars for these upcoming events, and spread the word: Work Weekend at the Texas Lions Camp – Kerrville May 4th; ‘Kids on the Lake’ – fishing derby for special needs children – Saturday, May 13th ; and the 33rd Annual Golf Tournament, May 23rd – April Sound Golf Club. There’s plenty to be done! The Conroe Noon Lions Club meets every Wednesday at noon at the Lone Star Convention Center. For more information, please visit our website, www.conroenoonlions.org, or call the local club office at 936760-1666. You may also call for additional information on any area Lions Club.u Lone Star Local Guide Page 15
Lone Star Local Guide Page 16
ak ey Kasprz By: Linds
Before the bluebonnets said goodbye for another year, my husband and I decided we should take a trip on highway 290 out to Fredericksburg with my in-laws. Being the wine enthusiasts that we know them to be and the fact that
they live in California we knew a road trip on the Bluebonnet Trail would be the perfect trip. Now if you’ve never taken the somewhat long drive out to Fredericksburg here’s how you do it. First, you’ll want to stop in Giddings population 5,000. Why? Because they have some great places to grab a bite to eat. From BBQ at “Lost Pines Bar B-Que” or right down the street is a food truck stand full of about five food trucks to pick from. If you decide to stay and eat outside, beware of the 12 o’clock lunch siren that can be heard from miles away! After lunch and now passed Austin (no time or need to stop there on this trip!) and you’re almost to Dripping Springs, be sure to stop at Deep Eddy
Vodka to enjoy a flight of their delicious flavored vodkas. They have so many vodkas to choose from that you have to try them all. They also have a wonderful outdoor sitting area to relax, play games, drink some cocktails, and enjoy the view and day. Right down the road is another distillery called Dripping Springs Distillery where not only do they distill their own vodka but also gin and bourbon, so be sure to stop by take the tour and do the tasting. Once you pass Dipping Springs you’re only a short ride away from Fredericksburg. We didn’t have the time to stop at them all (and wouldn’t have been walking afterwards if we tried!), but here are a few of our favorite spots Continue on page 19 u
Lone Star Local Guide Page 17
Lone Star Local Guide Page 18
and vineyards. Okay, so this first place isn’t a winery but not everyone wants to drink wine and if you’re going to wake up that tough pallet of yours it might as well be at Garrison Brothers Distillery. I I know what you’re thinking, “Hey I started reading this because I want to know where the good wine is!” Well hold your horses, it’s coming! I say start at Garrison because it’s further out and this way you can work your way back to town. Now here’s
a little trick and my words of advice. SHARE EVERYTHING! With all these tasting you’re about to do, you’ll want to pace yourself. Plus it cuts down on spending. Garrison Brothers has a great flight of five of their bourbons that you’ll love to sip on while sitting outside under huge shade trees. Plus, they have water, tea and beer that you can purchase on the honor system. It’s a great place to get your Fredericksburg adventure started. Head down the road a bit and you’ll definitely want to stop at William Chris winery. They have some of the best wines we had the whole time and a great outdoor seating area. My personal favorite was the Roussanne which has a rich buttery after note that made every Roussanne I had thereafter pale in comparison. Next on the list is Kuhlman Cellars. They had a great view of their vineyards and a pleasant little tasting. The nice man that was explaining every wine to us was quite knowledgeable when it came to wine and was also very helpful when telling us where we should explore next. Of our many options, we chose Pedernales Cellars- another great place with a gorgeous view! Prior to Pedernales Cellars we actually took a little trip down a dirt road to a winery and let’s just say getting to
Pedernales was a breath of fresh air! I don’t know if it was the odd taste in my mouth from the previous winery, but Pedernales Cellars has some very clean and refreshing wines that are sure to be a hit for the hot summer to come. Along with having great wine, they have a wonderful view that overlooks the valley below. This is one winery I would highly recommend. These wineries are outside of Fredericksburg and I know some of you may not want to do a lot of driving. Lucky for you, all these wineries have tasting rooms in town and are all within walking distance to each other. Just beware, it is much more crowded in town and parking can be hard to find. If you plan on having dinner in any of the area restaurants, I recommend making reservations because they fill up fast. I hope this little bit of information is helpful. If you do decide to take a trip out the Fredericksburg, let us know! We would love to see your pictures and share them with the Lone Star Local Guide community!
Lone Star Local Guide Page 19
Lone Star Local Guide Page 20
By: W.F. Strong
Tom Hanks in the movie “Cast Away” was stranded all alone on a deserted pacific island. He was the lone survivor of a plane crash. The seriousness of his situation sunk in as he did the math in his head. He explained radial geometry to Wilson (his Volleyball friend) as he illustrated their predicament on a stone wall. He concluded, impressively, that since they went 400 miles out of their way to circumvent the storm the search area would be (400 miles squared x pi) 500,000 square miles. And he thought a moment and added, dejectedly, “it’s twice the size of Texas!” Texas is often used as a unit of measure like that – in movies and in the real world. Exactly 30 years ago, Texas Congressman Mickey Leland’s plane disappeared over Ethiopia. It took a week for a massive search to find the crash site. During that week people around the world couldn’t believe that they couldn’t find the plane, despite dozens of aircraft looking for it. A frustrated Search Commander explained to the media, “We are looking for a needle in a haystack. The haystack is half the size of Texas.” More recently many a news report warned about the growing environmental disaster of a floating island of plastic trash out in the Pacific, which is twice the size of Texas. And this is not just for U.S. consumption. Worldwide it seems to be a comparison that provides clarity for people because most people around the world know at least one thing about Texas – it’s BIG. Even Alaska uses Texas to explain its size. “We’re more than twice the size of Texas,” they say. Of course one of those Texases is mostly
snow and ice. Just kidding Alaska. As far as states go, we’re brothers. BFFs. People have a good deal of fun on the Internet laying Texas over other countries and regions of the world. It’s bigger than Spain, bigger than France, bigger than Germany, twice the size of England and bigger than Japan. Texas was even used as a unit of measure in relation to Pluto. When Pluto was kicked out of the Solar System (as a planet anyway) and demoted to a dwarf planet, there were people who said, as justification, “It’s smaller than Texas!” That was truly an exaggeration. As the Austin American-Statesman pointed out in 2015, Pluto is has almost twice the diameter of Texas, if you use the state’s widest point, which is north to south, and Pluto is 24 times larger than Texas by land area. Still, interesting that was used as a unit of measure even way there in space, or 4.6 billion Texases away. Even we Texans like to use Texas distances to illustrate things and amuse ourselves. We enjoy noting that El Paso is closer to the Pacific Ocean beaches of San Diego than it is to Beaumont. Brownsville is closer to Mexico City than it is to Dallas. Reminds me that a friend from Chicago
once had a conference in El Paso to attend. He decided to take that chance to get a good look at Texas. He flew into Dallas, rented a car and enthusiastically started driving to El Paso. He said I knew it would be long drive,” but after driving about 3 hours I got to Abilene and was immediately depressed by the sign I saw there: El Paso 444 miles.” We Texans know that the first day of a driving vacation to anyplace outside of Texas will be devoted to getting out of Texas. Maybe our version of the Chinese saying should be, “A journey of a 1000 miles begins with a long drive to the border.” We do have fun finding all the ways that border cities are closer to Chicago or Denver or Nashville than they are to other parts of the state, which is why we measure distance in hours more often than miles. And most Texans think we are closer to heaven than most anywhere else – we’re God’s Country, they say. Well I’m out of time. Gotta run. I’m W.F. Strong and these are stories from Texas. Some of them are true. This article was edited for broadcast by Texas Standard producers for the Texas Standard radio program on Apple podcast
Lone Star Local Guide Page 21
Lone Star Local Guide Page 22
By: W.F. Strong
You can never underestimate the value of a good friendship forged early in life. If not for such a friendship, Texas would be nearly 1,000 square miles smaller. Before I get to the friendship, come with me up to the northwest corner of the panhandle where Texas meets Oklahoma and New Mexico. If you were looking at a map you would see that the border between Oklahoma and New Mexico doesn’t meet up exactly with the border between Texas and New Mexico. The line makes a jog to the left. It goes 2.3 miles left before heading straight south. That jog is the result of a survey error that some have called the worst survey error in U.S. history. But it isn’t
just a two mile error – that error gets bigger as it continues south 310 miles to the bottom Texas-New Mexico corner, where it turns west and heads for El Paso. All total the mistake amounts to a 942 square mile error, a land mass bigger than Houston, though long and skinny, like a gerrymandered voting district. In truth, that land should have gone to New Mexico. That was what was supposed to happen when Texas sold off its northern and western territories for ten million dollars in 1850. The border between Texas and the New Mexico Territory was to be exactly along the 103rd Meridian. When the official survey was undertaken, almost ten years later, there was a prob-
lem with water, Indians, stars, algebra and math, which all contributed to the error that ended up a blessing for Texas. Naturally, there’s quite a good long story behind the mistake. It is far too complex for this article. I will give you the “cut to the chase version.” A man named John H. Clark was hired to do the survey and plant the monuments along the 103rd meridian. He started from the south and surveyed northward until he ran out of access to water. So he stopped and said, “I’ll just go up to the north end of Texas and come down.” So he did. Clark started again northwest of present day Dalhart and headed south until the native Americans frightened him off. Though he was about 70 miles from connecting his two lines, he figured it was good enough and turned in his work. His two lines wouldn’t have intersected anyway. The problem was his northern starting point was about 2.3 miles west of where it should have been and his southern corner was nearly 3.8 miles west of where it should have been. Consequently, that border slides imperceptibly 1½ miles ever so gently southwest over a distance of 310 miles. Pull up a google map on your phone and align the southeastern corner of New Mexico with your left straight-edge phone border. You will see that the border slants off to the right up at the top. That’s the error. It amounts to 603,348 acres. About ¾ the size of the King Ranch. Continue on page 25 u
Lone Star Local Guide Page 23
Lone Star Local Guide Page 24
Well, nobody knew it was wrong and so the bad survey based on poor calculations was certified by the U.S. in 1891 and it became the legal boundary. By the time New Mexico was about to get statehood with the Enabling Act of 1910, it had become aware of Clark’s error and slipped into the statehood law a clause saying that the eastern boundary would be the true 103rd meridian. New Mexico would get its land back. All was going well and nobody was paying attention to the land grab except for John Farwell, who was an original investor in the XIT ranch. Those were the same investors who essentially built our state capital in Austin. Well, he realized that the XIT would lose hundreds of thousands of acres (and mineral rights) if the New Mexico plan went through as it was. He couldn’t get any legislators to
listen and so he did what we all do in times of trouble: he said, “Who do I know?” Just so happened that he knew President William Howard Taft. They had been good friends during their college years at Yale. So he went to see his old buddy, Howard. He explained the predicament and Taft immediately summoned powerful men to his office and told them that the Clark border would be the legal border when New Mexico was made a state or it wouldn’t be made one. He said that since the boundary had existed for more than fifty years, and had been certified 20 years before, it had to be grandfathered in. Otherwise, people who believed they were Texans would suddenly be in New Mexico and litigation over land titles would never end. And that is how a survey error, and an old friendship ended up making Texas almost a thousand square miles bigger
than it was supposed to be. Once again, it’s all about who you know. A final note of interest. There is a town out in the Panhandle called Farwell, Texas. It’s just a few feet on the Texas side of the border with New Mexico. It is named after John Farwell. Had he failed to convince Taft to keep the old border line, the town named for him would have become Farwell, New Mexico. Sources: Brock, Ralph H. “Perhaps the Most Incorrect of any Land Survey in the United States” Southern Historical Quarterly, April 2006, pp. 431-462. Haley, J. Evets. The XIT Ranch of Texas and the Early Days of the Llano Estacado, University of Oklahoma Press, 1953. Hoover, Mike. “The Southeast Corner of New Mexico.” The Texas Surveyor, May, 2015, pp. 16-23. This article was edited for broadcast by Texas Standard producers for the Texas Standard radio program on Apple podcast
Lone Star Local Guide Page 25
Lone Star Local Guide Page 26
Lone Star Local Guide Page 27
Lone Star Local Guide Page 28
TIME PASSAGES Robert A. Kasprzak Major, USAF (Retired)
Time is eternal yet fleeting. It has a tendency to soften memories while maintaining a reluctance to acknowledge that, as we grow older, memories tend to fade and blossom into what we imagined things were like in the past. The older I get the
better my stories become! Trying to reconcile past experiences with current memories is often a frustrating and confusing endeavor. A case in point is the famous photograph taken by Life magazine photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt on
Tuesday, August 14, 1945. You’ll recall the iconic image of the sailor kissing the nurse in Times Square after victory was declared in World War II. Several sailors and nurses claimed to be in that photograph. I have no doubt Continue on page 31 u Lone Star Local Guide Page 29
Lone Star Local Guide Page 30
their memories justify their perspectives but, unfortunately, we’ll never actually know who is really in the photograph. Nevertheless, I’ll share what I believe to be the most accurate account of that famous kiss. At 7:00 o’clock PM on August 14th, President Truman announced via a radio address that the war with Japan was over. Almost immediately, spontaneous celebrations erupted across the country...especially in New York City’s Times Square. On hand were numerous photographers including Mr. Eisenstaedt. According to Life magazine, he took four photos of a sailor kissing a nurse and found the one ultimately published in Life to have the best “composition”. Unfortunately, he never obtained the names of either the sailor or the nurse. As a result, numerous theories, studies, and candidates have emerged. This is where my story begins. In the August 14, 1995 issue of the Dayton Daily News, there was an article commemorating the 50th anniversary of the famous kiss. The article noted the nurse was a woman named Edith Shain and she identified the sailor as a retired New York City police detective named Carl Muscarello. Edith claimed he was the only sailor who accurately described the kiss. Additionally, Edith was interviewed by Mr. Eisenstaedt in 1980 (contents of the encounter are in the August 1980 issue of Life magazine) who acknowledged she was the woman in the photograph. I subsequently spoke with Mr. Muscarello and received a wonderful letter from Ms. Shain. I also received their autographs on a copy of Life. Finally, both Edith and Carl were in Times Square to help dedicate a statue of the famous kiss in 2005. They would not be there if they were not in the original photograph. Based on this data, I believe Edith and Carl are the ones in the photograph. HOWEVER. Other sailors and nurses also claimed that distinction so it will be impossible to prove who is cor-
rect. As I originally indicated, memories tend to blur the past. In fact, before she died, Edith did not recall with certainty that Carl was the sailor. Nevertheless, the fact she knew it was Carl some twenty years earlier (when her memory was clearer) indicate to me Mr. Muscarello was the sailor. The bottom line is we will never know the true identities of the couple. We should recognize the influence of time passages and perhaps accept the evidence closest to the period when the event occurred. Although not a perfect solution, the true story is ultimately lost to time and history. Robert A. Kasprzak, Major, USAF (Retired)u Lone Star Local Guide Page 31
Local Savings
Find all these coupons on our app!
Get Our App In The App Store and On Google Play! Lone Star Local Guide Page 32
Local Savings
Find all these coupons on our app!
Get Our App In The App Store and On Google Play! Click Here To Download Our App
Lone Star Local Guide Page 33
Lone Star Local Guide Page 34
Lone Star Local Guide Page 35