7 minute read
Clear Texas Lakes
CLEAR TEXAS
by Mark Miller | photos courtesy of Don Gaston
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One day while fishing on the western shore of Lake Lewisville shortly after moving to the area from California, Don Gaston couldn’t help but notice all the trash accumulating around the lake shore.
“Where I was at was not indicative of the entire lake, but there are certain places where there’s a lot of trash — especially where I like to fish.” the Lantana resident said. “The second time I went out there, I decided to take a garbage bag and clean it up. I also noticed the trash collects in areas only accessible by boat, and it got me thinking it was going to take more than a walk around the lake to clean it up properly.”
When he later snagged what turned out to be a slipper shoe instead of a fish, he decided to take it a step further. After much research and due diligence, he launched a 501(c)3 non-profit organization called Clear Texas Lakes, a full-scale lake clean-up initiative dedicated to the continuous removal of trash and debris from Texas lake shorelines.
Gaston learned no one organization formally is in charge of cleaning Texas lakes, nor is there a budget within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In fact, Corps officials indicated he was the first person to ask about developing such a program.
He also came across the Texas Department of Transportation’s long-running Don’t Mess with Texas campaign but found it pertained to roads and highways only. He wanted to create something like this for the area lake shores, and as a new retiree, he was looking to do something meaningful and fun.
So far, everything is paying off as he recently received a memorandum of understanding from the Corps to do his good work.
“It’s a simple concept,” Gaston said, “It’s not necessarily a ‘green’ thing it’s a ‘clean’ thing. You see trash, you pick it up, you throw it in a garbage can.
“We are unique in that our cleanup effort is continuous rather than periodical. The
trash buildup is very prevalent with each new storm bringing in and moving trash and debris all around. This can be harmful to people while recreating at the lakes and can be detrimental to wildlife as well.”
Gaston grew up in Oregon and around 1990 moved to a small town on the coast of northern California where he met his wife Kathy and raised their children, Dustin, Darik, and Delaney. After working about 10 years each in the lumber industry, electrical construction, property management, and owning an automobile glass business, he decided to retire and was looking for a change. Kathy, a timber industry IT professional, retired around the same time.
While he said Northern California is beautiful, the often foggy, cold, damp weather no longer suited them. They wanted to be somewhere warmer and accessible in their retirement. This brought them to the Dallas area. As a bonus, Delaney was accepted as a transfer student and is now a junior at Southern Methodist University.
“I feel at home in Texas,” he said. “It’s a good fit for me and my family – the people, the BBQ, the Texas Pride and all has been a delightful change.”
Gaston is no stranger to community service. He has held several leadership roles including boy scouts, youth baseball, site and parent council, and fund raising. Not having experience in forming nonprofit organizations, however, Gaston reached out to SCORE Mentors, an organization that helps people start new businesses.
Currently, Clear Texas Lakes focuses primarily on Lake Lewisville. The team uses a pontoon boat donated by Vista 1 Construction plus nets, grabbers, stabbers, cables, and other equipment to remove the trash and debris. He purchased and donated a truck and currently funds all operational costs. Gaston hopes to raise awareness about his organization and plans to secure sponsorships, partnerships, and grants to support existing operations and eventually expand to other area lakes.
“I want to hire people and pay a living wage in support of the effort,” he said. “So far, we’ve relied on volunteers but need a permanent crew in addition to volunteers to be successful in the long run. It would be challenging to rely solely on volunteers to support a regular cleanup program.”
To find out more details about Clear Texas Lakes, visit cleartexaslakes.org, email don@cleartexaslakes.org or call Gaston at 707.616.7411. Donations can be made online or mailed directly to P.O. Box 271164, Flower Mound, TX 75027. DENTON COUNTY SPOTLIGHT
Down Home
HANGOUT
by Brooke Ezzo | photography by What’s That Guys Name? | PHOTOGRAPHY BY GUY T
So much more than a bar, Mule Barn Sports Bar and Grill is a destination. Quaintly positioned off FM 156 in Justin lies a spacious restaurant and concert venue that has attracted music lovers and foodies from near and far. As a neighborhood spot full of friendly faces, family-sized meals, cold beer, seasonal events, and catchy tunes, Mule Barn is perfect for locals and those traveling through.
“After Leasing the building in 2007 and opening Lonesome Spur Cafe on April 1st, Dakon & Amy Doggett would soon move to Justin to begin renovations on the space next door to turn the once motorcycle shop into a local watering hole. After opening the Mule Barn in 2009, the Doggett’s quickly realized, people around town wanted more.”
“We opened Mule Barn the day after Thanksgiving, and within two months after opening, we expanded the back room into a game room with pool tables,” Dakon said. “Then we just kind of morphed into a music venue. We’ve had a lot of bands come through trying to get their start.”
Acts like Whiskey Myers, Turnpike Troubadours, Sam Riggs, and Josh Ward, just to name a few. Many big names in the Texas Country music scene have made their way through Mule Barn at some
point, but many come to the barn to be seen (and heard, obviously!).
“We have many up-and-comers that play here,” Dakon said. “A couple of the bartenders are musicians and perform when they aren’t working, and who knows who may be the next big one.”
The best thing about the live music is the intimacy patrons have with the bands. People travel from all over Texas and Oklahoma to see their favorite artists, but they also come for the up-close-andpersonal experience with those singing on stage.
“That’s the cool part about it. There isn’t a bad seat in the house,” Dakon said.
Live music is a huge part of the draw to Mule Barn, but Dakon’s goal is to provide a family-friendly atmosphere — a place to bring together the community.
“We are known for the live music scene, but we were a restaurant first, so we are revamping the menu to provide families a place to stop and eat during the week,” Dakon said. “More people are moving to town and we want Mule Barn to be a dinner destination, as well.”
Almost every day of the week at Mule Barn is the place to be: Taco Tuesdays, Chef Feature Wednesdays, Pizza Thursdays, and, of course, live music on the weekends.
Don’t forget about the Corn hole tournaments going on now!
Future plans for Mule Barn includes enclosing the patio out front to make it functional all year long. The wood patio was replaced with concrete and fans were installed to keep people comfortable during our hot Texas summers. TV’s were also added to the patio that makes for a great place to come watch your favorite sports team!”
“As far as goals, the main thing is to keep improving and letting everyone know that although our name says ‘sports bar’ we are more than that,” Dakon said. “We have great music, great food, and it’s a great time for everyone.”
Kept as two separate spaces, attached to the Mule Barn is the Lonesome Spur restaurant, serving down-home southern cooking just the way Mama does it. They offer hearty country breakfast and lunch plates, and you’ll never leave hungry. Need plans this week? Lonesome Spur for breakfast, then Mule Barn for dinner. You’re welcome!
Mule Barn offers a free concert series during the summer, ticketed concert series have just begun and information on upcoming shows can be found at,
www.MuleBarnTexas.com.
Let us cater your next event!
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