Harrison Magazine Fall 2021

fa s h i o n | b a c k ya r d s u r p r i s e s | h a r r i s o n c h a m p i o n | & M O R E !

C ove r S t o r y :

school’s in fall 2021 ISSUE

Harrison County superintendents, districts navigate COVID, educational challenges

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LETTER

fall 2021 ISSUE

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ducation is the cornerstone of success. Be that of an individual or institution, or in our case many institutions, education serves the community. We are uniquely positioned in Harrison County by being the home to four different institutions of higher learning. Not many communities of our size can boast about that, and it is not something we should take for granted. Our county has five different public school districts that serve kindergarten through 12th grade. The parents and guardians of our area youth can find a public school that matches their student’s wants and needs.

In this issue of Harrison Magazine, we speak with our area superintendents about several topics facing public education, including the challenges that have presented themselves during the pandemic and how they have dealt with the responsibility of instructing the pupils entrusted to their care. As we all know, education does not always happen in the classroom. For the many of us who played sports, we learned many lessons about life while striving for athletic success. We caught up with some of the Maverick student-athletes to put a youthful spin on this edition’s fashion pages.

Marshall ISD over the past few years has upgraded and opened new facilities across the city. What happens to the schools that are no longer being used? We take a look in this issue how George Washington Carver Elementary has a new life and continues to serve as a hub for the community.

Everyone knows every teacher has a little magic up their sleeve.

So this issue would not be complete without a story about a magician that will spark your imagination and curiosity.

The purpose of an education is to allow us as adults to find a career that provides for ourselves and loved ones. As part of the culinary pages of the magazine, we will introduce you to chefs who are cooking up something special. We are excited to introduce a new segment of our magazine that will highlight a local business in our community. Our first will be Puretone Hearing Aide Center, and you’ll learn how it is a family affair.

As you can tell, this issue has a theme of education. It did not necessarily start out that way, but it does make you realize education is vital to success. No matter if you are a proud Bobcat, Maverick, Indian, Wildcat or Yellow Jacket, please remember to thank your area educators, as they are molding a cornerstone to our community now and into the future.

Publisher Alexander Gould

agould@mrobertsmedia.com

Editor Meredith Shamburger

mshamburger@marshallnewsmessenger.com

Advertising Sales Johnnie Fancher

jfancher@marshallnewsmessenger.com

Marquisia Wright

mwright@marshallnewsmessenger.com

contributing Writers Jessica Harker Bridget Or tigo Robin Y. Richardson

contributing Photographers Michael Cavazos Les Hassell Grant Worley

Graphic Designer Katie Case

Special thank you to Marshall Mavs Athletics

on the cover

Richele Langley, Superintendent at Marshall ISD. Photo by Michael Cavazos

published by Alexander Gould

agould@mrobertsmedia.com

4 | HARRISON MAGAZINE

903.935.7914 | 309 e. austin st., Marshall

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TABLE of contents BACKYARD SURPRISES

Longview magician keeps the secret behind magic tricks alive COVER STORY

School’s In

Harrison County superintendents, districts navigate COVID, educational challenges HARRISON CHAMPION

Former elementary school transformed into neighborhood blessing

FASHION

GAMEDAY READY

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Puretone Hearing Aide Center continues a generational tradition CULINARY DELIGHTS

Unique places to eat in Marshall, and the chefs that serve up our favorite food HOUR GLASS

A look back at how Marshall tackled the Spanish Flu

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FALL 2021 ISSUE | 5

BACKYARD SURPRISES

Left: Brandon Sheffield shares his love of magic with East Texas. Top & Middle: Card tricks and sleight-of-hand make up Brandon Sheffield’s magic performances.

Bottom: Brandon Sheffield gets a woman to write her name on the card then makes it appear from his shoe.

POSITIVELY

MAGICAL

story by Bridget Ortigo | photos by Grant Worley 6 | HARRISON MAGAZINE

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he secret to magic is to not reveal the secret. An East Texas magician understands this better than most as he has spent years deep diving into the secrets behind magic tricks and perfecting those tricks himself.

Longview resident Brandon Sheffield has spent years blowing the minds and amazing people he comes into contact with as he displays his mastery of magic tricks.

“I loved magic when I was a kid,” Sheffield, 39, said. “I really enjoyed it but didn’t have the money to get into it. I saw a David Blaine special when I was older and was hooked.”

Sheffield — who supervises several East Texas Sonic locations, including in Hallsville, Tatum, Spring Hill and Longview — said the community of magic followers and enthusiasts is small and basically like a family, and he learned from the help and support of other magicians that came before him.

Sheffield reached out to that community of magicians to learn, and then he began the most important part of magic: practice.

“Magic takes practice,” he said. “Years and years of practice. You can spend 10 years just learning and practicing one hand movement that is part of one magic trick. You practice it over and over throughout the day while you’re doing other things until it becomes like muscle memory. I’m always practicing. My employees and my wife have seen more magic than humanly possible. The beauty of magic is that the skill, the part that takes so much practice to learn, is the invisible part to the audience.”

To successfully pull off a magic trick, Sheffield said it takes knowledge of the method, the process by which the trick is done and constant practice to physically master the method.

The methods and processes of each magic trick are the secrets that magicians hold near and dear, kind of like special recipes to chefs.

“There was one trick I wanted to learn that I had seen a magician do where he put a string in his mouth and then pulled it out through his eye socket,” he said. “I really wanted to learn that trick, so I reached out to him and finally, he agreed to teach it to me, so I paid for him to come here and teach me. The trick was actually just him really pulling the string through his eye, which he learned by practice, phys-

One of Brandon Sheffield’s card tricks is shown at Cajun Tex in Hallsville. ical conditioning and having a high threshold for pain. He showed me how he did it and I practiced it, but it just hurts.

My eye was red for hours after trying to do the trick once I learned it. I never tried it again and that was all just to learn one trick.”

Sheffield’s bread and butter when it comes to tricks is close-up magic — especially card tricks.

“I love close-up magic, that’s definitely my favorite style of magic and I do a lot of card tricks,” he said. “A lot of these tricks that magicians do are old, old tricks that have been passed down for decades or hundreds of years, and each magician puts his own touch to it.”

Sheffield said he can do almost any magic trick the famous

“I love the close-up magic where it’s just inches away from your face.”

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Brandon Sheffield makes a lemon appear from under the cup in front of audiences at Cajun Tex in Hallsville.

David Blaine can do, but instead of performing for large crowds, he prefers smaller crowds or private parties where the guests can get up close and personal and interact with him while he performs.

“I love the close-up magic where it’s just inches away from your face,” he said. “It’s more intimate and you can see it and feel it.”

Sheffield said when he performs, he gets a wide range of reactions, from disbelief, fear and laughter.

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“You have some people that just enjoy being surprised and others that really just want to know how it’s done or they throw out guesses of how you do it that are usually way more elaborate than anything I’ve actually done,” he said.

“I’ve even seen some people run away in fear thinking we’re possessed or something.”

Sheffield is so good at what he does and has been in the magic business so long, he’s been featured four times in the nationally published Penguin Magic magazine.

Sheffield, who serves as the current President of the East Texas Court of Magic, has several upcoming performances for those who would like to see him in action. Another local magician, Joseph Downer, assists Sheffield in many of his tricks, providing quality control and guidance.

Despite all of the magic he’s seen in his lifetime, Sheffield said he still enjoys watching it performed.

“I enjoy the method,” he said. “Some magic is based on psychology, redirection and distraction. There’s a famous saying in magic that a good magician will lead people down the guarded path and then turn the water hose on them. I mainly use all sleight of hand.”

8 | HARRISON MAGAZINE

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COVER STORY

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story by Bridget Ortigo 10 | H A R R I S O N M A G A Z I N E

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hile the past couple of years have brought change across many institutions and community services, few institutions have had to adopt more changes and adapt in real time than the public school system.

Each year, especially those following legislative sessions, districts see updates implemented across the realm of public education in Texas, but those updates have happened in record speed throughout the time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The News Messenger recently reached out to our five Harrison County superintendents at our kindergarten through 12th grade school districts to discuss the current state of public education.

Marshall ISD Superintendent Richele Langley said hands down, the best learning environment has been and still is public education, particularly in East Texas.

“There is no better learning environment than the public schools of Texas,” Langley said. “Our universities and colleges are filled with the products of our public school systems, as are jobs in our communities.”

Langley said the curriculum taught in Texas public schools is highly researched and proven and teachers go through continuous training to learn the most effective teaching methods.

“The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) that are taught in our schools are research based and aligned from kindergarten through 12th grade,” she said. “Our teachers are trained to teach these skills to the depth and breadth needed to progress our students academically.”

Langley said in addition to the classroom curriculum, extracurricular programs teach students other soft skills needed to make them successful members of the workforce and community.

“Along with the academics, the extracurricular paths teach our students skills that give them a well rounded education and allow for social skills to be taught, so that our students are able to manage the world they will be faced with once they are an adult,” she said.

Waskom ISD Superintendent Rae Ann Patty agreed the students in East Texas public schools particularly have an advantage.

“I feel the most notable advantage for student learning is that Harrison County districts are able (to) have smaller class sizes, which enable our students to get more individual attention,” Patty said.

The smaller class sizes allow for more one-on-one attention, and teachers that not only know their students but also their

parents and family members as well as they are often a product of the school systems where they now teach, Elysian Fields ISD Superintendent Maynard Chapman said.

“Normally in small school districts, the student-teacher ratio is very small, which leads to a personal advantage for our students,” he said. “Harrison County schools have a reputation for hiring teachers who are graduates of their school systems, which in turn helps maintain a level of success and familiarity. A district that can effectively grow its own teachers has a distinct advantage in creating processes that can be more readily understood, accepted and remain in place. This creates a more stable environment for students in the classroom.”

Harleton ISD Superintendent Jay Ratcliff said the sense of community is an important distinction of East Texas public schools.

“One of the greatest advantages of learning at a public school is the aspect of getting involved in organizations that drive home the idea of teamwork and cooperation,” he said. “In this day, we are constantly faced with serious issues that affect us all, and we need to strive to produce students that have well-developed critical thinking skills, as well as a sense of collaboration, so that we may be able to all work together for the common good.”

Pandemic

The past two years have seen our society face many challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the public school systems have had to face and address those in real time.

Hallsville ISD Superintendent John Martin said the pandemic presented a unique set of challenges, mainly the task of remote learning.

“In person learning is very important for our Hallsville ISD students,” he said. “Remote learning, during the pandemic, has shown to develop or increase educational learning gaps for many of our students, especially in math” Martin said other challenges also came up as a result of districts having to prepare for remote learning.

“Remote learning identified the lack of high speed internet and a general need for more student technology,” he said.

Chapman agreed remote learning was an unprecedented task

1. Marshall High School students cheer for their school at a homecoming pep rally and bonfire, held Sept. 30 in the Five Notch parking lot. Photo by Meredith Shamburger 2. Harleton High School students take part in graduation exercises earlier this year. Photo by Bridget Ortigo 3. Hallsville High School band students march in the Western Days parade in October. Photo by Jessica Harker 4. Elysian Fields High School’s Class of 2021 celebrated graduation in May. Photo by Meredith Shamburger F A L L 2 0 2 1 I S S U E | 11

“There is no better learning environment than the public schools of Texas.

Our universities and colleges are filled with the products of our public school systems, as are jobs in our communities.”

Richele Langley

Marshall ISD Superintendent

Photo by Michael Cavazos

12 | H A R R I S O N M A G A Z I N E

schools were forced to take up in 2020.

“The biggest challenges in the last two years for our district here in Elysian Fields was trying to ensure that students were able to utilize remote learning and also to develop a district plan to make sure all students had access to the Internet,” he said.

Chapman said students, teachers and parents were asked to do more than ever to ensure learning continued during the pandemic.

“The types of educational challenges presented since the spring of 2020 are unprecedented. Other issues were providing food for our students and navigating through the challenges presented to our teachers, who had to work overtime in many cases throughout the pandemic in order to provide instruction to our students,” he said. “Our school board, community and parents did a great job in helping us in so many ways. This was a first for everyone involved. Parents were asked to become familiar with tools like Google Classroom and SeeSaw. Everyone can appreciate both the advantages and the complications presented by technology, especially in a rural setting like ours, but our parents and teachers found a way to make it work and give our students the opportunity to be successful.”

Langley said her and her team at Marshall ISD also wanted to focus on a safe learning environment when students were able to return to the classroom.

“Having a safe environment is the most important aspect for schools,” she said. “If a child does not feel safe, he or she cannot learn. Obviously during COVID, the biggest challenge has been trying to keep our students and staff as safe and healthy as possible. The families in Marshall have done a wonderful job of instilling the importance of maintaining safe practices, and this has made it possible to stay in school this year. Our staff also works hard to maintain clean and safe environments for our students.”

Langley said the effects of the pandemic are now clear, academically, and schools are now facing the challenge of closing learning gaps.

“The learning loss is the next biggest challenge,” she said. “On average, our students dropped about 10 percent in all core subjects except social studies.

However, Marshall ISD has organized our school days so that students have the opportunity to get additional academic instruction in their core subjects, as well as get their grade level instruction over the TEKS. In addition, we have added strong research based programs such as STEMScopes and Read 180 to add even another layer of support for our scholars.”

All districts, Ratcliff said, including Harleton ISD, are still learning ways to address challenges brought on by the pandemic which go beyond academics.

“During the pandemic of 2020 and still today, schools continue to go through difficult times as we attempt to educate kids,” he said. “We never know what challenges we may be met with each day, with respect to the COVID-19 virus.

Also, kids are facing overwhelming issues every day, like sickness and death in families, the loss of jobs in the home, being forced to move because of the loss of livelihood, etc. We are facing social-emotional challenges like we have never faced before in education. We have implemented many checks and balances to ensure that the social-emotional well-being of our children is being met, as well as provide counseling and academic remediation to any child that we see that has a need. We fully rely on the diligence and expertise of our administration and staff to help us each day.”

Patty said at Waskom ISD and across East Texas, children are resilient and have done well to allow for changes in the way they learn.

“The biggest challenge we faced was ensuring our students are safe and that

learning continues in uncertain times,” she said. “Our students did an outstanding job of continuing the learning process while quarantines and other obstacles were placed in their path.”

Changes

Student learning, curriculum, testing and extracurricular paths have seen many changes in the past several years in public education, and some of those have had both positive and negative effects.

“I’ve been in education for 32 years, so I have seen many changes,” Langley said. “However, the change that has changed education the most is the high stakes assessments and accountability system. The assessments aren’t the true issue — the accountability system is the issue. It is complex and is very difficult for those not living in the day-to-day world of education to understand. The inordinate amount of work that is required of our teachers in order to teach their content and prepare students for testing adds stress to both our teachers and students.”

Langley said the issue of accountability needs to be addressed on a state level in order to truly show the full scope of learning taking place day in and day out in Texas classrooms.

“Although socio-economics plays a small part in the overall percentage of a campus/district’s accountability score, there still needs to be more done to differentiate the work being done by those students most in need versus those students who are more advantaged,” she said. “I do believe that school districts need to be held accountable for giving their students the best education possible, but I do not believe the system Texas is using currently is beneficial.”

Ratcliff, Martin and Chapman also agreed the current state accountability system needs a revamping.

“I truly believe the biggest change in public education has been the state assessment and the accountability process,” Chapman said. “I do think it works both ways. It benefits the education system by setting standards and developing goals. It also hinders public education by making it the total focus for schools.

Most administrators can remember when money was not fastened to success and job security didn’t depend on what your district campuses’ and teachers’ scores were.”

Ratcliff said the A-F rating system doesn’t show the public all of the progress being made in Texas classrooms.

“The public understands letter grades like A, B, C, D, and F, but the accountability system is designed to award a school district a ‘C’ if they are meeting every mark of the accountability system and are found to be in an average range,” he said. “However, if a school district earns a ‘C’ in the A-F accountability system, which means that they have met every mark, then the public will see that as a major negative. The A-F accountability system does much more harm than good, in my opinion, due to the public not knowing what all goes into the calculation.”

Martin agreed accountability in public education is needed but said the current system misses the mark.

“The Texas high stakes testing has been a hindrance for public schools and continues to be the center of attention from our state education leaders,” he said. “Testing is needed, but should not be the end all, be all for our public school students.”

Ratcliff seconded that sentiment.

“Our students did an outstanding job of continuing the learning process while quarantines and other obstacles were placed in their path.”

Rae Ann Patty Waskom ISD Superintendent

Photo by Meredith Shamburger

F A L L 2 0 2 1 I S S U E | 13

“One of the greatest advantages of learning at a public school is

“Reducing the entire performance of a school district to a single letter grade absolutely takes away from the daily, selfless jobs that educators do to not only educate kids but to help them become productive citizens,” he said. “Schools are not all about tests, but a large portion of the A-F accountability system is.”

Patty said one thing the legislative system got right in recent years was House Bill 3.

“This piece of legislation helped districts to fund the programs needed for our students to continue their education, funded at levels to help ensure success,” she said.

Chapman said no matter the hurdles thrown in their way, public schools will continue to jump those hurdles and ensure student learning continues.

“Teachers have always left a lasting impression on students, and every school district has always taken pride in developing their students to be successful and to become productive citizens,” Chapman said. “School districts will continue to lay the foundation for the future of our students.”

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the aspect of getting involved in organizations that drive home the idea of teamwork

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and cooperation” Jay Ratcliff Harleton ISD Superintendent

3

Courtesy Photo

14 | H A R R I S O N M A G A Z I N E

1.Marshall High School students cheer for their school at a homecoming pep rally and bonfire, held Sept. 30 in the Five Notch parking lot. Photo

by Meredith Shamburger 2.White Oak Superintendent Brian Gray, left, and Harleton Superintendent Jay Ratcliff, right, are pictured during a pre-87th legislative session forum hosted by White Oak and Union Grove ISDs at Union Grove High School in October 2020. Photo by Michael Cavazos 3. Hallsville High School students rehearse a scene from “Dearly Departed,” their fall production. Photo by Bridget Ortigo

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Community Ministry Former elementary school transformed into neighborhood blessing story by Robin Richardson | photos by Les Hassell

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ith Anointing Grace Ministries as the foundation, Carver Community Center operates under the mission of building a legacy of faith, hope and love.

“The mission for our church is this verse, it says we’ve come that you may know Christ and have life more abundantly,” said Angelita Jackson, who co-founded the church and community center with her husband, Pastor Kenneth Jackson.

“That’s truly our mission for the community as far as what God says,” said Jackson. “The first thing is that we may know Christ, the second is that we may have life more abundantly.

And life means recreation, entrepreneurship, being able to have a better life supporting your family — whatever God has it to be.

“That’s why we’re here. That’s why the church is here; and the community center,” she said.

The Jacksons acquired the former G.W. Carver Elementary School, located at 2302 Holland St., from Marshall ISD, back in 2019, and established the church and the community center inside. Since repurposing the former school building into the area’s first privately owned, fully operational Christian community center, the center has been running full speed ahead, fulfilling its calling.

“Our logo says I’m building a legacy of faith, hope and love and the greatest of these is love,” Jackson said of the

16 | H A R R I S O N M A G A Z I N E

community center’s logo, created by their daughter Kelsey.

“That’s the community center. We’re helping to build a legacy for here in the community. It’s a slow process. It’s not going to happen overnight, but we’ll look back and we can pass it on to somebody else and people in the community can look back and say this is where things turned around for me in the midst of COVID. This is where there was a shift.

Things changed right here. And you just have to be alert and be patient and do everything with love.”

In addition to the church’s sanctuary, the Community Center boasts a reading room, a computer room, an auditorium, and meeting room, to name a few.

“The community leaders have been and are a tremendous support of the center and ultimately to our children’s success and well being,” said Jackson.

For instance, Delta Kappa Gamma, a women’s society dedicated to educators, sponsored the reading room; East Baptist University donated 20 refurbished computers for the Tech Space in the computer room; and Wiley College refinished and waxed the floors in the common and high traffic areas to help beautify the facility.

Other projects in the works for the center include a museum, a general store and a clothes closet.

“Several churches have joined us to create a clothes clos-

et,” said Jackson.

Several rooms are also available to lease for incubator businesses. One of the first that made its home at the center is “Mae’s Place,” operated by local seamstress Mae Carter.

“She makes clothes; she makes bedding; she makes everything. She’s so happy to be here and we’re glad she’s here too,” said Jackson.

The community center recently welcomed the newest business to join them, Fresh Start East Texas Counseling Services, which provides behavioral health rehabilitative services for ages 5 to 21.

“We want to help create micro-businesses to come into the community and to start a business,” said Jackson. “We try to get people to come in and Angelita Jackson lease for at least a one-year contract.”

The main auditorium is rented out almost weekly. It’s available for use for $400 per day. between George Foreman Jr. and Dascena Labs.

“What we’re doing is taking the little bit God gave us and The community center was happy to partner with Michelwatching him multiply it and bring people along to help our son Museum this summer to host a free art camp for chilcommunity,” said Jackson. dren. Additionally, the Jacksons’ son, Chase, also conducted the center’s first annual Young Black Entrepreneurs proOn a Mission Since opening, the community center has hosted summer gram, which aims to equip and educate students in grades feeding programs, Vacation Bible School in conjunction with sixth through 12th with the tools they need to realize their the church, distributed PPE (personal protective equipment) in business dreams.

The center will soon offer after school tutoring for students response to the COVID-19 pandemic, hosted Juneteenth festiviin the neighboring Price T. Young Middle School. ties and a Black History Month Brunch — to name a few.

“We’ll be fully operational in the spring,” said Jackson.

“I was so happy to have our Black History Brunch,” said Applications for staffing are being accepted through the Jackson. “We had over 100 to attend that first year. We had a Texas Workforce Commission. grant and we talked about the financial health of Black Mar“We’re hiring three tutors, a cook prep and custodian,” said shall. We had a dialogue of where we are and how to move Jackson.

“We want to be able to do everything for the kids.” forward to improve our health, our finances and our educaAdditionally, the center has recently launched a 4-H protion for our children. We had a great conversation that day.” gram, now offering shooting/sportsman classes to youth. A She said it was also a blessing to be able to provide computer robotics will start soon. food through the summer feeding program in light of the “Look for flyers through the schools,” said Jackson.

COVID-19 pandemic.

“That’s the community center.

We’re helping to build a legacy for here in the community.”

“Even at the peak of COVID, we still served the kids in the community,” said Jackson. “All that spring, they were out of school and we still tried to meet a need. We got funding from Super 1 and from City of Marshall and we passed out PPE and food all that spring until it was out. So I truly thank God for that.”

The community center has also partnered with other agencies, including Lullaby House to host a pamper giveaway for mothers. The center teamed up with Prairie View A&M to facilitate free online computer coding classes for youth.

The center also served as a free COVID-19 testing site, offering testing seven days a week, thanks to a partnership

The Ministry Jackson said they are excited about their upcoming church anniversary in celebration of Anointing Grace Ministries, the community center’s foundation.

“It’s truly labor of love. Kenneth’s been preaching 12 years.

I’m here in the ministry working beside him,” said Jackson.

Jackson said the sanctuary is the first project they tackled when moving into the building in 2019.

“We worked on the sanctuary first and then the outreach community center because we have to take care of God’s house first. We have to honor Him first,” she said.

The Jacksons transformed the school’s old library into the F A L L 2 0 2 1 I S S U E | 17

sanctuary. Next door to the sanctuary is a tranquil prayer room.

The prayer room is particularly special to Jackson as it is decked with figurines of angels that were gifted to her over the years.

Many of the angels were given to her throughout her 22year career in human resources for the City of Shreveport.

“Every year people would buy me angels for my birthday or Christmas because my (nick)name is Angel. And I had all these angels. Little did I know they were waiting for this space right here,” she said.

“It’s over 20 years worth of angels I’ve collected that people have given me from being in the city.”

Some of the angels are in memory of two special coworkers, one of whom served as her prayer partner. Jackson, who boasts 30 years in professional development, said it was her work as human resources director with the City of Shreveport that prepared her for an even greater work in her new calling as a minister and co-director at the church and center.

“God prepares us,” she said. “He prepares you for His work, and you don’t know what He’s doing. And I love people.

“And through my job, we ministered to people, because I worked with people,” she said of her job in human resources.

“You saw people at their worst moment, but you had to still treat them with dignity and let them know this is not the end; this is a mistake; you can recover.”

“I got promoted about 2010 to become the director. But it was all part of the preparation to get me to this point,” she said.

Jackson’s husband had already been in the ministry for over a decade. She heard her calling into the ministry loud and clear while exercising early one morning in the gym.

“I was at the gym, just moving. He said I want you. I knew exactly what he meant,” she said of God’s voice. “Then He sent me five wonderful women, I call my five C’s, and they are these women in the ministry that ushered me through the process.”

Once she surrendered and accepted her calling, blessings poured in. One of them was the former school building.

“As soon as I said yes (to ministry), in 2019, we just thought about a place. I knew this place was available,” JackTOP: Mae Carter shows off some of her products at Mae’s Place in the George Washington Carver Community Center. MIDDLE: Deborah Epps works on a sewing job at Mae’s Place in the George Washington Carver Community Center. BOTTOM: Mae Carter says she long dreamt of having her own sewing business, even having a sign made almost 20 years ago, that sign now hangs on the door of her business space at the George Washington Carver Community Center where she and Deborah Epps say they do everything from clothes alterations and awning repair to making custom drapes and bedding.

18 | H A R R I S O N M A G A Z I N E

TOP: Angelita Jackson looks at some original signage from the former elementary school that has been preserved at George Washington Carver Community Center. BOTTOM LEFT: Annointing Grace Ministry’s sanctuary at the George Washington Carver Community Center. BOTTOM MIDDLE: Annointing Grace Ministry’s small chapel at the George Washington Carver Community Center. BOTTOM RIGHT: Reading lab at the George Washington Carver Community Center. son recalled.

Through God’s grace, they were able to get the building.

She said for it to happen in the order it did, in such a historic neighborhood, in a community that needed some reviving, was truly destiny.

“You talk about dry bones… He can bring back to life dry bones,” Jackson said of God’s power. “And He’s moving and it’s a matter of being faithful and staying here, and bringing back the community not to just life, but to become saved.

“And it’s going to happen through our children and the perseverance, and us just being here and continuing to do His work,” said Jackson. “I do believe and have said it from the beginning… this is a true assignment. This is an assignment and we’re here on assignment. We started it. We’re going to finish it. We’re going to do it to the best of our ability.”

Jackson said God has sent community partners and volun-

teers to come and pour into their mission. She thanked their five-member board as well for their support.

“It’s all of us working together to make sure it happens,” she said.

“When we say it takes a village, it’s truly a village helping our children,” Jackson said. “It’s taken a village to get this done. It’s going to take it, with Christ leading us in here and going before us.”

Jackson encourages all to continue to support the community center through volunteerism, donations, but most of all prayer.

“Pray for us, pray for our community, for our children and pray that the Holy Spirit stays in the forefront of all of this,” she said. “We want to finish the work. We want to make sure it’s done properly, and for our children’s sake so they can see God doing great work on their behalf. He’s working for them, to help them, support them through this world we’re in.”

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photos by Michael Cavazos

F A L L 2 0 2 1 I S S U E | 20

Cross country athletes Alaila Allen, 15, and Luis Ramirez, 14.

Marshall Mavericks Mahogani Wilson, 17, and Emily Hill, 17

21 | H A R R I S O N M A G A Z I N E

Marshall Maverick’s Buck Buchanan, 17, and Domar Roberson, 18

F A L L 2 0 2 1 I S S U E | 22

23 | H A R R I S O N M A G A Z I N E

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

TOP: Puretone Hearing Aide Center is located on East Grand Avenue in Marshall. Photo by Meredith Shamburger. RIGHT: Roger Garcia started Puretone in 2003 after his father retired. Photo by Jessica Harker.

A Family Affair Puretone Hearing Aide Center continues a generational tradition story by Jessica Harker

S

tepping foot into Puretone Hearing Aide Center, located at 1005 E. Grand Ave. in Marshall, is like stepping into the history of the family of owner Roger Garcia.

The walls of the center are decorated with personal items showcasing everything from the head of Garcia’s favorite bull, cowboy hats gifted to the family by George Straight, family photographs throughout the ages, memorials to those they lost, and so much more.

Garcia’s decorating style perfectly reflects the way he runs, and thinks about, his business, which is centered on good customer service and a family business atmosphere.

Business success runs in the Garcia family, he explained: 24 | H A R R I S O N M A G A Z I N E

His father owned a number of successful businesses in his time that Garcia used to work with in Marshall.

In fact, after closing his first hearing aid business to work full time with his father, Garcia did not leave to reopen his own business until around 2003, when the idea for Puretone came to him and his father officially retired.

It wasn’t long into opening Puretone that the family’s affinity for business came full circle, with one of Garcia’s four children, Nick, making the decision to go into business with his dad.

“Nick hurt his knee playing football, and after that he thought for a while and he told me that he wanted to learn

The Brass Trunk 111 E. Travis St. • Marshall, TX 903-935-3645 • info@brasstrunk.com

what I do and go into the business with me,” he said.

Nick, who now operates the Puretone location in Longview, came on board right away. His brother Zachary joined the team in December 2013.

A few years later, tragedy struck the Garcia family when Zachary died in December 2020 in a car accident.

“It was hard, it was the hardest thing that has happened to our family,” Garcia said, “It devastated us.”

However, the horrible tragedy only strengthened the bond of the Garcia family members, with the third Garcia son, Kris, making the decision to move to the area to be a part of the family business as well.

Now the Garcias all work together at Puretone Hear Aide Center and its three locations, with the youngest child, Julie Garcia, planning to join them after she finishes her schooling.

“Julie, she is much younger than the boys, but she is also way smarter than all of us,” Garcia said, “She grew up hearing all of these stories from what we do, and she knew that she wanted to do it too.”

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9039271111 www.puretonehearingaidcenter.com F A L L 2 0 2 1 I S S U E | 25

CULINARY DELIGHTS

Cook’s Corner Unique places to eat in Marshall, and the chefs that serve up our favorite food story by Jessica Harker

M

arshall has a number of hidden gems when it comes to the restaurant world. These eateries, scattered around town, are well known to the locals who love them, but the chefs that cook up our favorite meals rarely get praised for the work they do.

Get to know two of Marshall’s unique eating establishments, and the crews behind the scenes who make it all possible.

The Ginocchio Reynaldo Jandres has been working as the head chef at The Ginocchio since it reopened as a restaurant and bar in 2018, though this is far from his first time on the job.

In fact, Jandres brings with him years of experience, learning French, Italian and Mexican style cooking under chefs from all over the world.

Jandres has extensive experience as a chef, having spent over 20 years as the head chef for a Shreveport restaurant called the Village Grill.

Alan Loudermilk, owner of The Ginocchio, said that when he heard that the Village Grill was closing, he knew that he had to get Jandres to work for him at his new restaurant.

“We were about two thirds of the way through construction and I still wasn’t sure about our chef, when I heard about the Village Grill,” Loudermilk said, “I knew then that we had to have him, and I reached out to him, and at first he turned me down.”

Not one to stay idle for long, Jandres said that he was already working at another eating establishment when Loudermilk gave him a call, though this did not deter Loudermilk from making the offer again.

“I knew that what he was doing, it wasn’t enough for his talents, so I called him up and we talked on the phone, and then I got him to come aboard,” Loudermilk said, “I wanted 26 | H A R R I S O N M A G A Z I N E

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Beer battered shrimp from The Ginocchio. Reynaldo Jandres has been working as the head chef at The Ginocchio since it reopened as a restaurant and bar in 2018. Redfish with cabbage and champagne sauce from The Ginocchio. someone to be a partner, so he came in and we finished the kitchen to his liking, and we brought in a staff to train under him.”

Now, over three years later, Jandres said that he and his staff at the Ginocchio are a well-oiled machine, offering unique dishes and a fine dining experience all in the unique atmosphere of the historical Ginocchio hotel building.

Jandres said that the key to his staff’s success is their consistency in the quality of their food, as well as the freshness of their ingredients. He said that each steak is cut by his hand, with each member of his staff encouraged to throw away a dish before serving something of low quality.

“They (kitchen staff) know what they are doing, they’re all very well trained, and even when I am not there I know that they will do it right,” Jandres said.

The Ginocchio is well known for a number of its drinks and dishes, but Jandres said that a recent favorite has been the Champagne Lick Cream Sauce.

“I hope people come in and see us,” Jandres said, “I want them to know that they don’t have to drive to Dallas or Shreveport anymore, they can have that quality here.”

Though, he warned, if you’re interested in eating at The Ginocchio during peak meal times, be sure to call ahead and reserve a table, since they are almost always booked up.

Veranda Café Lori Cason has only been the Chef Manager of the Veranda Café in Marshall for four months, but she has already put to bed the old stereotype that hospital food is no good.

In fact, Cason and her team at the Veranda Café, a restaurant connected to the Christus Good Shepherd hospital in Marshall, have been recognized as one of the best places in town to get a good breakfast.

“That is an interesting preconception that people come in

with, and I have absolutely talked to Lori about that, because it is sort of a challenge. But she has totally rolled with it.”

Christus’s General Manager of Food and Nutrition Christina Wright said. “I think anyone who eats there can safely say that she has put that stereotype to bed. She just puts so much love and skill into the food.”

The restaurant is open from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and Sunday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. serving breakfast, lunch and dinner to the Marshall community.

Cason ventured that the restaurant is most known for its breakfast options thanks to their made-to-order omelet bar run by employee Louis Zak. “Louis is great. He’s always smiling, people come in and he will remember their name and their order,” Cason said.

Outside of breakfast, Cason said that the restaurant offers a wide range of menu options, with Tuesday’s reserved for Mexican style cooking, including homemade enchiladas and chicken tortilla soup, and Fridays reserved for Southern cooking, with catfish, gumbo, fried shrimp, mac and cheese and more all on the menu.

Cason emphasized that almost all of the restaurant’s dishes are made from scratch, with staff utilizing a batch cooking method to ensure all of the food is freshly cooked. She said that many of the meals she cooks up at the Veranda Café are inspired by her mother and grandmother, all of whom taught her to cook.

“Ever since I was old enough to pull up a chair, I was at the table cooking with them,” Cason said, explaining that her grandmother actually owned a restaurant, inspiring her to go into the same business.

“I love it, I love to cook and I love to watch people eat the food that I make,” Cason said, “I just hope that everyone comes out here and eats with us.”

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HOURGLASS

LEFT: This Peruna ad is from Oct. 30, 1918 and encourages Marshallites to restore and maintain a healthy condition of their mucous membranes. RIGHT: This photo made available by the Library of Congress shows a demonstration at the Red Cross Emergency Ambulance Station in Washington during the influenza pandemic of 1918. Historians think the pandemic started in Kansas in early 1918, and by winter 1919 the virus had infected a third of the global population and killed at least 50 million people, including 675,000 Americans.

Some estimates put the toll as high as 100 million.

‘I call it — War!’

A look back at how Marshall tackled

the Spanish Flu story by Meredith Shamburger

W

e’ve hit a grim milestone during the current pandemic: COVID-19 has officially killed more people than the Spanish Flu, which was, until late September of this year, considered our nation’s deadliest pandemic. The 1918 influenza outbreak, which lasted through the next few years, is estimated to have killed 675,000 Americans.

28 | H A R R I S O N M A G A Z I N E

Marshall was not saved from that pandemic, and a read through the News Messenger archives from the 1918-1920 time period shows that, in fact, they were dealing with their pandemic much the same way we dealt (and are still dealing) with COVID-19 today.

There was no Facebook back in 1918, so the newspaper acted as the community’s social media feed. And, indeed,

those pages are often filled during the influenza outbreaks. with news and notes about peoAn Oct. 9, 1918 article notes “On ple falling ill, dying and tending the advice of the City Health to the sick.

Officer C.E. Reartsill, the Mar“The health of the communishall school board has decided ty is not so good,” reads a Oct. to close the city schools, effec22, 1918 Elysian Fields News tive at closing time this aftercolumn, “Bailey Westmoreland noon, until further notice. This has the Spanish “flu.” applies to all city schools, and Dr. Baker is in bed with the is done as a precautionary mea“flu.” sure, and a means of assisting Dr. W.J. Pippen has just in stopping the spread of Spanreturned from San Antonio, ish influenza.” where he attended the bedA Sept. 18, 1919 article details side of his son, C.J. Pippen, how State Health Officer C.W. who was dangerously ill with pneumonia, but who is now Goddard encouraged Texans to take steps to prevent flu. resting better and convalescing. Dr. Pippen turned with the “Sounding a note of warning against influenza, C.W. GodSpanish influenza. dard, State Health Officer, in an official statement declares Professor Alonzo Escoe returned on Tuesday from Tyler, that ‘in the light of past knowledge and experience, it would be where he attended the bedside of his brother, Rev. Mr. Edd nothing short of criminal not to take steps to protect the public Escoe, who was dangerously ill with pneumonia. When Mr. against a possible recurrence of last season’s devastation.’”

Escoe left his brother was just a little better.

Editors of the Marshall paper felt the same way, writing School closed down at this place last week until the influen- Sept. 11, 1919 in support of City Health Officer C.E. Heartza epidemic has left the county. sill: “It is to be presumed that the City Commission will back Miss Pearle Pippen is home for a few days on account of him up in his efforts to thwart this threatened menace to the her school being closed during the influenza epidemic.” lives and health of our people. The city officials can do much A proclamation for the City of Marshall ran in the same in the way of prevention measures but after all it still rests paper and ordered “closing up certain public places and largely with the people. We must live sanely and profit by the schools and places of amusement for a pethings the medical profession riod of ten days, and for the reason therein have learned about how to comset forth of an epidemic of Spanish influenbat the disease.” za, then prevalent in the City of Marshall, “We can keep down the epiand… all public and private schools, thedemic if we begin early and get aters, moving picture shows, shows and the start on it,” declared Dr. all other places of amusement, soda water Heartsill in the Sept. 8, 1919 fountains, all churches, Sunday schools newspaper. “We can’t afford to and prayer meetings, pool halls, private let it assume the proportions of and public clubs, within the limits of the last year’s epidemic.”

City of Marshall, be and remain closed unGoddard would also promote til further notice.”

“Clean-Up Day to Prevent Flu” The proclamation, issued by D.D. Dodd, several times that fall. chief commissioner of the City of Marshall Marshall was still dealing with and chairman of the City Board of Health, periodic outbreaks of influenza also prohibited funerals inside churches; epidemics into 1920. A Feb. 11, they had to be graveside. Marshallites 1920 paper notes “A resolution were also prohibited from gathering in requesting the School Board to This Sept.

8, 1919 story looks at crowds of more than six people in public close the city schools in view the possibility of a Spanish Flu or private, excepting “works of emergency of the increasing seriousness resurgence. or charity or necessity.” of the influenza epidemic was Marshall schools also closed periodically passed by the board of direc-

“We can keep down the epidemic if we begin early and get the start on it.”

- Dr. Heartsill, Sept. 8, 1919

The Marshall News Messenger (Marshall, Texas)

https ://www.news papers .com/image/319919084

· Mon, Sep 8, 1919 · Page 5 Downloaded on Oct 20, 2021

Copyright © 2021 News papers .com. All Rights Res erved.

F A L L 2 0 2 1 I S S U E | 29

tors of the Chamber of Commerce last night. The action came following statements made by several members of the board that about 50 per cent of the pupils of some of the schools were out on account of sickness… The Chamber of Commerce directors were of the opinion that it was not only unfair for the pupils who are ill to be left behind by their grade, but also unjust to those who are well to be exposed to the epidemic.”

But also like today, the Marshallites of old turned to humor during a dangerous and stressful pandemic. Just read this poem published in the Jan. 17, 1919 issue:

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“You’ve got the Flu” When your back is broken And your eyes are blurred, And your shin bones knock And your tongue is furred, And your tonsils squeal, And your hair gets dry, And you’re doggone sure You’re going to die, But you’re skeered you won’t, And afraid you will, Just drag to bed and have your chill, And pray the Lord to see you through; For you’ve got the flu, You’ve got the flu When your toes curl up And your belt goes flat, And you’re twice as mean As a Thomas Cat, And Life is a curse, And your food all tastes Like a hard-boiled hearse; When your lattice aches, And your head’s a buzz, And nothing is as it ever was — Here are my sad regrets to you, You’ve got the flue, You’ve got the flu What is it like this Spanish flu?

Ask me brother, for I’ve been through It is by misery or out of despair.

It pulls your teeth and curls your hair, And thins your blood and brays your bones.

And fills your crawl with moans and groans, And sometimes, maybe, you get well Some call it flu, I call it — War! — Anon

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