Early Summer 2023

Table of Contents

Longtime PK residents live the 'Lush' life

Timing is everything, both in business and love, and for Bo and G Bennett, the timing has worked out great.

Page 8

Our Iconic Home Feature: The home of Todd and Ann Burns

We'll take you to their beautiful home in Sportsman's World, where they have invested $135,000 on their 3,300-squarefoot home, that includes the 4 5 acres the house sits on, too!

Page 14

Meet your PK neighbor A New York Times Best Selling Author, Geri Williams

Our Cover Photo: Let the season begin! Soon, Hells Gate will be filling up with another season of memories! Photo by Nancy Upshaw.

Page 25

All of these stories, plus much more inside!

Theseasonishereandwe'regratefulfortherecentrains!

Wehavelotsoflocalstoriestosharewithyouinthisissue,startingwithastoryonBo andGBennett,ownersofLushResort. Spoileralert,it'sabitofalovestory,withlotsof funpicturesthatwalkyouthroughtheirjourneyoverthelastdecadetobuildLush Resortintowhatitistoday.

Oneofmyfavoriteregularfeatureswedoistheiconichome. Thismonth,wefeature thehomeofToddandAnnBurns. Their3,300squarefoothomeinSportsman'sWorld sitson4.5acres.Allin,includingthelanditsitson,theyestimatetheyhaveinvesteda totalof$135,000ontheproperty. I'mstillamazedathowtheywereabletodothat, especiallyintoday'stimes. We'llwalkyouthroughitwithlotsofpictures,too.

DidyouknowwehaveaNewYorkTimesbestsellingauthoramongus? You'llenjoythe storyonlocalGeriWilliams. ShedescribesherworksasHallmarkChanneltypebooks, andthey'resetinthemade-upTexastownofBrazosBend. Manyofherbookstouchon familiarplacesforthosewhofrequentthePKLakearea;forexample,thelocalgrocery storeisTheTradingPost,PossumKingdomLakeisthesettinginseveralbooks. DoI hearaPKbookclubcallingourname?

ManycheeredonourGrafordJackrabbitsontheir2ndStateBasketballtitleearlierthis spring. Those boys made our hometown proud. When the head coaching job at Grafordcameopen,CoachJeffBellsawitastheopportunityofalifetime. Heviewedit asa'bucketlist'job,stating"Thisistheclosestthingto'Hoosiers"I'veeverseen. The crowd,thefans,they'resomethingelse." Ifoundthisstoryheartwarming,Ithinkyou will,too.

Inthisissue,wehavelotsofbusinessupdatesforyou.We'rethankfulforourlocal businessesmakinginvestmentsinimprovingourcommunityandqualityoflife.

BobKasparputtogetherwhathecallstheTop5hikingtrailsnearPossumKingdomLake foryoutoenjoy,aswellasastoryontheMineralWellsFossilPark-prettymuchtheonly parkIknowofthatallowsyoutotakeresourcesoutofapark.

Asalways,wehavelotsoflocalfacesinside,wehopeyouenjoytheearlysummer edition!

Thankyoutoallofouradvertisersandreadersforyoursupport.Bewell!

Kim

Vol.3|No.2

EarlySummer2023

Publisher: KimNussbaum

ContributingEditor: JohnJarvis

DigitalEditor: KimNussbaum

ContributingWriters: MichelleInce,PhD BobKaspar

SteveNussbaum AndreaOzier

ContributingPhotographers: ErikaCarter

Distribution: MailedtoPaidSubscribers 2,500distributedthrough strategicracklocations

Digitalreplicaeditioncanbefound onourwebsite pk-magazine.com

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PKMagazineisproducedby TheUPSStore7355 KSNFamilyInvestment,Inc. 101NFM2353Unit101 Graford,TX76449 940-573-7170

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Sendthemourway! info@pk-magazine.com

NextIssue: August2023

LongtimePKresidents

live the 'Lush' life

Lush Resort

club off Red Bird Road on the east side of Possum Kingdom Lake, and the location has a rich history dating back to the 1960s.

In 2014, Bo and Gelasia “G” Bennett bought the property, which has gone through major renovations and expansion sincethen.

TheBennettshaveknowneachothersince1992.BoBennett and his family used to fly a plane to the lake from West Texas. They would land at the old airstrip that runs parallel with La Villa Road, then would grab their bags and walk down La Villa to G’s grandparents’ house to the end of the dock,wherehisgrandmotherwouldpickthemupintheboat and take them across the lake to her house directly across thelakeinGainesBend

Long before they married, the couple became fast friends as teenagers spending their summers at the lake and exchangedtheirfirstkissonBoBennett’sboat.

Life took the couple in different directions for a while, though; G Bennett headed off to Tulane University in New Orleans, while her future husband found employment in Ballinger, Texas, working for a welding supply company, traveling all across the southwestern United States for his job

Their paths didn’t cross again until 2012, when G Bennett and her family made plans to spread her father’s ashes at PK SheranintoanoldlakefriendandaskedhimtoseeifBo would want to attend the ceremony, since he had been a closefriendofherdad

Story Continues on page 10

Pictured above: Lush Resort owners, Bo and G Bennett inside one of their six lakefront suites. This is L5 - Lily of the Nile. In addition, the resort features 12 hotel rooms and 4 poolside bungalows.

Pictured left: G and Bo Bennett sitting on the dock with the resort they created in the background.

Story by Steve Nussbaum

Photos by Erika Carter

is a lakeside boutique hotel, restaurant and

Bo Bennett attended the memorial service, and the two subsequentlyrekindledtheirromance

The couple married just over a year later One day when they went for a walk they saw that the old Scuba Point property was for sale The property had been turned into an RV park by Don and Ruth Zahn, who had purchased the historic property from the Burns family, which had run Scuba Point since the 1960s. It’s a premier location that encompassesaspecialpieceoflakehistory.

The Bennetts said their plan was to run the property as an RV park, reasoning that if they hated running a business on thesite,theywouldbuildahousethereinstead

The ideas and vision for the property came from their honeymoon travels in the Bahamas, as well as “ a little tequila,”BoBennettadmitted.

Thus began the renaissance at the lakefront resort, with the namechangeto“Lush”inspiredbythecouple’sbeloveddog Atimelineofchangesinthepastdecadeincludes:

·Winter 2014: The Bennetts added a five-slip floating courtesy dock with five jet ski ports, remodeled the lakefront pool, added a beach and new landscaping, and opened a beerandwinebaroverlookingthelakewith“PooLiveCrew” performing at the grand opening party. Their timing could not have been better, either, as the lake filled up that year afterseveralyearsofdrought

·Winter 2015: The couple oversaw the building of the new LakefrontSuiteHotel.

·Winter 2016: The Bennetts opened a glass-enclosed lakefrontbarandgrillwithafullliquorlicense,expandedthe docktoeightboatslipsandaddedfouryachtslips

·Winter 2017: The couple added 12 hotel rooms, four bungalows,andtwomorepoolstotheirproperty.

·Winter 2020: The Bennetts had to remove the RV sites to expandtheon-sitesepticfield “Nowwehavealargegrassy area, ” Bo Bennett said. “We also concreted the entire parkinglotanddriveway,andaddedanewentrance”

The COVID-19 pandemic made 2020 a year of upheaval in the hospitality industry, and for Lush Resort the pandemic prompted a change in operations The crowds to the lake kept coming and never stopped, forcing the Bennetts to make adjustments to their business model, as they couldn’t accommodate all their hotel guests and the public lake traffic Theyeventuallyshiftedtoamembershipmodel,which allowed them to service their hotel guests and still have the capacity to serve their members, too. The resort still offers a coupleofeventseveryyearthatareopentothepublic.

Images of transformation:

WhilebuildingandoperatingLush,theBennettsmanagedto raise four teenagers Bo’s kids and G’s nephews spent every summer at Lush. His daughter, Jade, is now 25 and lives in SanAngelo HissonBryce,23,isgraduatingfromTexasA&M Corpus Christi this month and has a job with Texas Parks & Wildlife this summer before beginning his masters’ degree in the fall. G’s nephew, Connor, lived with them at Lush, attended Graham High School, graduated from Texas Tech last year and now lives in Fort Worth. His brother spent severalsummersworkingatLush,too.

These days the couple lives in the house above the office andrestaurantofLush,abeautifulspacewithincrediblelake views Itmeanssevendaysaweeklivingonsite,butthetwo ofthemsaidtheyfigurethattheyhavesurvivedconstruction, a pandemic and raising four teenagers, so the work never stops.

The start of this year brought about a new challenge when the Rocker B Ranch shut down operations for a few months Theeventvenue,locatedinGraford,Texas,bringsmorethan 40,000 people to the area every year, and on the day it announceditwasreopening,Lushhaditsbiggestdayeverin advancebookings

Timing is everything, both in business and love, and for the Bennetts the timing has worked out great. They said they enjoy working together and eagerly await what the future holds.

Bo and G Bennett on their wedding day

Bo and G Bennett enjoying their honeymoon at Stranded Naked in the Abacos, which inspired them to build Lush.

Bo and G Bennett's first dance as a married couple with Alleycat playing the song he was playing when they exchanged their first kiss.

Pictured left: The beach off the lakefront pool at Lush Resort, as well as interior shots of the hotel rooms with massive views.

Photos contributed by G Bennett

The house that would make Johnny Cash proud

Every issue of PK Magazine features an iconic home, and PossumKingdomLakehaslotsofbeautifulmultimillion-dollar mansionstochoosefrom

But it’s not always the biggest structures that are iconic Instead, it’s the ones folks drive by and point out to their relatives who are visiting from out of town Those are the homesthathaveauniquestorytotell.

This issue’s iconic home belongs to Todd and Ann Burns, who built their Sportsman’s World abode in 2017 with

love, patience and many hours of hard work. The way in whichitwasbuiltevokesalinefromthechorusoftheJohnny Cash song “One Piece at a Time” In the 1976 chart-topping novelty song, Cash narrates a tale about a General Motors assembly line worker who schemed to build a Cadillac “ one piece at a time, and it wouldn’t cost me a dime I’ll have theonlyonethereisaround”

Inasimilarfashion,that’swhatthecouplehasbeenableto do in their home, combining their rich family history at the lakewiththeiruniquevision – along with lots of helpfrom

Story by Steve Nussbaum | Photos by Erika Carter

Pictured above: Homeowners Ann and Todd Burns inside their 3,300-square-foot home they built on 4.5 acres in Sportsman's World for $135,000. The home is filled with recycled products that have either been given to them or have come from torn-down structures, making it a treasure trove of PK artifacts and history. The unique kitchen island is made from a 1966 Chris Craft boat that Todd Burns salvaged and is truly a work of art.

familyandfriends,too

Todd Burns estimates that he and his wife have spent $135,000 on their 3,300-square-foot home. That’s not a misprint,either;theybuiltatrulycustomhomeinSportsman’s Worldforthatprice–andtheydidthisin2017,not1982 That $135,000 bottom line includes the 45 acres the house sits on,too Thecoupleadmittedthatit’sstillaworkinprogress, buttheirhardworkhaspaidoff

Ann Burns’ father started Scuba Point in the 1960s (the site ofthecurrent-dayLushResort). She and her brother, Roy, were raised around a shop and building things In fact, one of her first baby pictures shows her in a makeshift bassinet withababybottleclampedtoaboard,whileherdadworks on a boat he named the RoyAnn after his two children Her father, Tom Davis, started selling air and renting scuba setupsatthelakefor$7.50.

Ann’s father, Tom Davis, passed away in 2000 Ann took over the business and would eventually buy out her brother’s shareoftheoperation Ann and Todd Burns metatScuba

Point,wherehehadcometothelaketogetcertifiedasa diver

Thecouplesoldthebusinessin2013

Ann Burns said her dad dove all over and was an avid collectorofseafiguresandshells

“IthoughtIwasinheritingadiveshop,”shesaid “Iactually gotthousandsofshellsfromaroundtheworld.”

Thenauticalthemeshegrewupwithhascarriedovertothe couple’s home. They’ve been married for 17 years, and betweenthemtheyhavefivechildren.

They also own and operate two businesses at the lake. Ann Burns runs Clean Cruis’n Boat Cleaning service, while her husbandrunsToddBurnsDockRepairandDiveService.

Todd Burns said he doesn’t dive too much anymore and instead lets his employees do most of the diving nowadays, but he added that he still enjoys helping recover wrecked anddestroyedwatercraftonthelake

AnnBurns said shestillcleans boats to supporther “resin

The large windows above the kitchen sink came from the salvaged 1966 Chris Craft boat. Guests who look closely can see marks left behind in the glass by the boat's windshield wipers.

Story continues on page 16

Story continued from page 15

habit,” which she has turned into a small business Her handiwork can be found throughout the couple’s custom home

In2016thecouplewaslivingonthenorthernpartofthelake when Ann Burns decided she wanted to be closer to her brother in Sportsman’s World She and her husband were lookingforlandtobuildonwhentheycameuponabeautiful 45-acre parcel that had a huge rock wall feature and a creekrunningthroughitthatflowedrightintoHell’sGate

They said their children ran from the car when they saw the propertyandclimbedarockwall,exclaiming,“Thisisit!”

ToddBurnsrecalledthinking,“Wecan’taffordthisproperty.” However,AnnBurnsnoticedthatherbrotherwastheperson whohadputthepropertyupforsale,andhesoldittothem atapricetheycouldafford.

After buying the land, Ann and Todd Burns began constructiononthesitein2017

The Burns began building their home themselves from the ground up, and other than the framing, electrical and exterior parts, the home is filled with recycled products that have either been given to them or have come from torndown structures, making it a treasure trove of PK artifacts andhistory.

It’s a two-story structure, with three bedrooms, two-and-ahalf bathrooms, a media room and a safe room The home has so many unique features, though, that it’s hard to describe Almost every piece of furniture, appliance and fixture has a story of how the couple either acquired it or built it themselves The rustic and nautical theme pays homagetoAnnBurns’familyhistory–andScubaPoint,too.

Guests enter through the extra-tall glass front door, which came from The Rafters restaurant, now the site of Hemmingway’sCraftHouseandPieHouserestaurants Once inside the Burns’ house, visitors enter a wide-open kitchen, living and dining space. This is the heart of the home, and Ann Burns made all the kitchen cabinets herself out of recycled barn wood she was given. The kitchen countertops are all made of resin that is filled with sand and shells she got from her dad. The kitchen’s farm sink was given to the couple because it had a small, undetectable chip, and Ann Burns did her thing and built the cabinets and countertops aroundit

Themostunusualfeatureisthekitchen’sisland,whichisthe focal point of the entire house. The island was made from a 1966ChrisCraftboatthatToddBurnssalvagedandistrulya

work of art It features electrical plugs that pop out of the top,anditcaneasilyseat10people

The top of the island is another one of Ann Burns’ resin projects It’sfilledwitholddriftwood,shells,sanddollarsand seahorses that her dad collected The entire kitchen island tooksixgallonsofresinandmorethan60hourstocomplete, shesaid,andunder-cabinetlightingwasaddedtotheisland forambiance

The large windows above the kitchen sink came from the salvaged 1966 Chris Craft boat, as did the wooden table in the kitchen dining space. Guests who look closely can see marks left behind in the glass by the boat’s windshield wipers.

In the living room is a collection of family memories and nautical items the couple has collected over the years. On the main wall is a transom that was given to them by Bobby andDavidMartinfromanotherabandonedChrisCraftboat, and hanging in the living room is one of the old Scuba Point signs.

Bobby and David Martin gave The Burns this transom that came from another abandoned Chris Craft boat. The lights work and it is a major focal point in the living room, as well as one of the old Scuba Point signs, below:

Dive Shop sign that they placed in their backyard. The Burns enjoy a beautiful cliff wall that runs along the creek in their back yard that is absolutely stunning

Theroomisanchoredbyalargepicturewindowthatgivesa great view of the cliff wall that runs along the creek in the backyard.Thewindowwasanoldslidingglassdoorthatthe Burnsrecycledintoahugepicturewindow

Most of the downstairs walls are covered in beautiful, rustic woodthatcamefromthefloorsofahomethathadflooded three times The wood has a great look and texture left by theonce-damagedflooring.

The entire home also has barn doors that Ann Burns made outofrecycledbarnwood

Upstairs in their son ’ s room is a feature that might not be found in any other home anywhere. It is a cab of an excavator that was filthy and abandoned The cab was restored and had to be hoisted to the second floor of their housewithamechanicallift

“I had just put in the studs when Ann had the idea for the excavatorcab,”ToddBurnssaid.

He removed the back door and studs so the project could becompleted,andtodaythecabsitsintheirson’sroomand isusedasagamingspace Theybothagreethatthecabwill be included in any sale of the house, because it’s not going anywhere

Todd and Ann Burns have many shared memories of life at Possum Kingdom, including being part of the original group of volunteers that started the Hell’s Gate Clean Up The Inland Divers have now taken on this important project, and neither of them dive anymore, but it was diving that brought thecoupletogether

Both stay busy with their jobs and continue to build their home one project at a time, and Ann Burns also spends her time on her various resin crafts and other items she makes. She has a whole craft room in the house, and a large barn forherwoodprojects,too.

In addition to all that, she also serves as one of the organizers for the Sportsman’s World Craft Show that will takeplaceMay27underthepavilion.

Intoday’sworldofinstantgratification,it’sgreattoseetwo people patient and skilled enough to build their own home “ one piece at a time,” and even the singer who was known as“TheManinBlack”probablywouldhaveapproved

Story concludes on page 18 with more photos.

This table was also rescued from the same Chris Craft boat that The Burns built their kitchen island out of.

Most of the downstairs walls are covered in beautiful, rustic wood that came from the floors of a home that had flooded three times. The wood has a great look and texture left by the once-damaged flooring.

site of Hemmingway's Craft House and Pie House Restaurants. The house has several of these doors

Pictured right: Upstairs in their son ' s room is a feature that might not be found in any other home anywhere It is a cab of an excavator that was filthy and abandoned The cab was restored and had to be hoisted to the second floor of their house with a mechanical lift. The space serves as a gaming space.

Ann and her brother, Roy, were raised around a shop and building things One of her first baby pictures, was in a makeshift bassinet with a baby bottle clamped to a board, while her dad worked on a boat

Pictured above: Todd and Ann Burns in front of their front door, which came from The Rafters restaurant, now the

Pictured above: The entire home also has barn doors that Ann Burns made out of recycled barn wood.

Pictured above: The Burns made a custom sign that resides in the hallway of the home thanking all of those that contributed materials and other items to their custom, one-of-a-kind home in Sportsman's World

Ann Burns' father, Tom Davis, started Scuba Point in the 1960s (the site of the current-day Lush Resort). He passed away in 2000.

Ann today, in her in-home craft room preparing for a craft show

Meet your PK Neighbor: New York Times Best Selling Author, Geri Williams

Story and photos by Andrea Ozier

Beingathird-generationPossumKingdom“lakerat”scored Steve Williams a spouse who happens to be a New York Times bestselling author – and Geri Williams, his wife, admittedthatshemarriedherhusbandbecausehehadaPK lakehouse.

Andthere’snothingwrongwiththat.

After more than four decades of marriage, PK is now home forthiscouplethatgrewupinWichitaFalls

They married just as they graduated from Texas A&M University (Class of ’79), and Geri Williams worked selling advertisingforanewspaperbeforestartingafamilywithher husband

She said she always was an avid reader and thought she couldwritebetterthansomeoftheauthorswhoseworksshe read, so she joined the Trinity Arts Writers Association and tried her hand at writing a book. “The Texan’s Bride” was published in 1993 under her maiden name, Geralyn Dawson, andherfirst15bookswerehistoricalromancenovels.

After a chance encounter with a “bad luck” wedding dress thatshesawinamuseumattheFortWorthStockyards,Geri Williams let her imagination run wild, and it led to her first nationally acclaimed book “The Bad Luck Wedding Dress” supercharged her exploits as a writer, and a copy of her bestselling book is now displayed next to the dress in the stockyards.

She admitted there was one point in her writing career whenshewasreadytotossherpenasideanddosomething else, but that’s also when her husband told her, “Geri, you ’ re a writer” So, instead of quitting, she shifted her focus from historical fiction to contemporary tales and began crafting romancenovelsunderthepenname“EmilyMarch”

ShedescribedthoseworksasHallmarkChannel-typebooks, and they’re set in the made-up Texas town of Brazos Bend Many of her books under that nom de plume touch on familiar places for those who frequent the PK Lake area; for example, the local grocery store is The Trading Post, Possum Kingdom Lake is the setting in several books, and Wichita FallsandFainElementarySchoolarealsopointsofinterest.

Shesaidshetriedtousenamesandplacesthatarefamiliar to her so she wouldn’t get confused when writing After all, shehas41novelsandahalf-dozennovellastohercredit.

It was during a writing dry spell that her character Celeste Blessing, the heroine in Geri Williams’ “Eternity Springs” series,madeherdebut.

“Readersloveher,”shesaid “Sheresonateswiththem

The series is set in a small Colorado town where “broken heartsgotoheal”andrejuvenatetheirsouls Itwasintended tobejustthreebooks,GeriWilliamssaid,butitprovedtobe sopopularthatitturnedinto19novels.

Story continues on page 29.

New York 'Times Best Selling Author

Story continued from page 25...

Thatpopularity,inturn,ledtotheseriesbeingoptionedfortelevision and film. “Touched by an Angel” star Roma Downey and “7th Heaven” writer Brenda Hampton have teamed with Virgin River executive producers Roma Roth and Christopher E. Perry to be the executive producers on a series adaptation of the “Eternity Springs” series,shesaid,withthefirstlookgoingtoAmazonPrime.

Geri Williams’ novels are a delightful escape from reality, whisking readers away to picturesque towns and charming characters But what sets her works apart from other writers is her ability to tackle real-life topics within the cozy romance genre Her characters grapplewithissuesrangingfromgrieftoaddictiontopost-traumatic stress disorder, making her novels both heartwarming and thoughtprovoking.

She said she does plenty of research as she’s writing because her readers hold her accountable when she gets something wrong. She consults with medical workers, firefighters, glass blowers and more asshewritesto“keepitreal.”

In one of her books, Geri Williams has a character that makes differentsoaps,soshevisitedasoapmakingbusiness,AnAncientArt SoapCo (theninStrawn),andspentadaylearningaboutthecraft Shethencommissionedthecompany,nowownedbyPKlocalSandy Winkleman,tomakeprivate-labelsoapsthatshehandedoutatbook signings

Geri Williams said she writes about family, love and laughter. She lights up when speaking of her dad, John Edward Dawson, referring to him as “the best storyteller I ever knew” Judging by her literary success, she seems to have inherited his ability to spin a story, thoughshereadilyadmittedthatshecan’ttellastorylikehecould

Her works have been published by Penguin/Random House, Simon and Schuster, Macmillan, Harlequin, Hachette Book Group and Audible Originals, but despite that impressive list she is hesitant to speakofherawards ShealsohasreceivedaccoladesfromtheNew York Times, Publisher’s Weekly and USA Today, and one honor she is most proud of is being named a finalist for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award, the most prominent award for Englishlanguageromancefictionfrom1990to2019

She and her husband raised their three children – Steven, John and Caitlin – in North Richland Hills. They bought their lake house in Sportsman’sWorld11yearsagoandbecamefull-timeresidentsthere duringtheCOVID-19pandemicthatbeganin2020,andtheyadded thattheydon’tmisslivinginthebigcity.

Steve Williams works for Donovan Marine, a marine supply distributor.

Thecouplehasfourgrandchildren–Blake,JD,MaddieandEmmie–who enjoy visiting Possum Kingdom and are fifth-generation “lake rats”

After a chance encounter with a "bad luck" wedding dress that she saw in a museum at the Fort Worth Stockyards, Geri Williams let her imagination run wild, and it led to her first nationally acclaimed book. "The Bad Luck Wedding Dress" supercharged her exploits as a writer, and a copy of her bestselling book is now displayed next to the dress in the stockyards.

PK Neighbors and Texas A&M Alumni pictured left to right: Steve Williams, Dr. Gary Ozier, and Geri Williams

Possum Kingdom Lake Association Working hard to protect your investment

Story by Bob Kaspar

In their lovely lakeside home, Possum Kingdom Lake Association president Monte Land and his wife, Carolyn, recently were hard at work folding a stack of invoices for annual dues to be mailed to the membership of the Possum KingdomLakeAssociation.

The association, formed in 1971, is led by a nine-member board of directors offering a diversity of perspectives from differentareasofthelake.

“We were formed to be a watchdog group for the lake,” MonteLandsaid

Hiswifepreviouslyservedastheassociation’ssecretary.

The association’s membership comprises 1,300 local businesses, residents and vacation homeowners, and the organization’s primary goals are to protect the natural beautyofPossumKingdomLakewhilealsoprovidingavoice forthelocalcommunity

As a strong advocate for local residents and businesses alike,theassociationhasbeeninstrumentalinprotectingthe investmentofitsmembership.

Thanks to the diligent work of its members, the association has scored some major victories for the Possum Kingdom community, and one of them was the passage of House Bill 3031intheTexasLegislature

Atonetime,manyoftheresidencesaroundthelakewereon land that was leased from the Brazos River Authority (BRA).

The association advocated on behalf of homeowners to allow them to buy their leases from the BRA and get a fair land valuation for their property, while also receiving credit forwhattheyhadalreadypaidontheirleases.

After successful negotiations, the association was able to get state lawmakers to pass a bill that provided the legal framework to allow leasees to buy their property from the BRA

The association scored another big win via its mission to safeguard Possum Kingdom Lake’s water levels during water sales As a river authority, the BRA helps supply water to communities throughout the state through water sales from the Brazos River When one especially large sale was

Story continues on page 82

A life of church, gym, & farming leads to a storied hoops career Meet local coach, Jeff Bell

A rural farm just outside of the small West Texas town of Dimmitt may not sound like the most conventional place for one of the winningest coaches in Texas high school basketballhistorytocomefrom,butthat’sexactlywhereJeff Bell found not only his passion for the game, but his drive to win,too.

“My dad was a farmer,” Bell said, adding that it was on that farmthathelearnedthemeaningofhardwork

“Wehadsevenplotsofland,”hesaid “Itwashardwork”

Bell had two older brothers, and he said it wasn’t until later thatherealizedtheyalwaysgavehimtheworstjobs

From changing the irrigation system around to being on a tractor all day, Bell said it instilled in him a work ethic like nothingelsecould

Healsorecalledthathisfatherwasveryparticular

“My dad was picky,” Bell said “You had to go up and down thoserowsjustright Ithinkthat’swhyI’mpickyonthings”

Farming, however, was not where Bell’s heart was Dimmitt in the ’60s and ’70s was known as a basketball powerhouse, andhesaidthat’swhenhefellinlovewiththegame

Bell fondly remembers his mother rebounding for him for hours on a homemade basketball goalhisfathermadefor

Story and photo by Michelle Ince

him

“That’swhenIwasabout4,”hesaid “Ialwayslookedupto thoseolderguys.Iwenttoeverygame,andwenevermissed a game So that’s what made me want to play. We would workonthefarmalldayandthenheadtothegymandplay forthreetofourhours”

Hesaidlifeforhiminthosedayswaschurch,gymandfarm, andheaddedthathe’sproudofwherehegrewupbecause itallowedhimtoabsorbbasketball

“Back in those days, our big rival was Morton,” Bell said “In those days only one team made it to playoffs, and either Morton was ranked No. 1 or Dimmitt was ranked No. 1, so whoever won the playoffs would end up going to the state tournament”

He said Dimmitt had been to the state tournament more than any other team in Class 3A at the time, and the coach, KenCleveland,becameBell’shero

Cleveland also happened to be the first one to see coaching potential in a young Bell It was Cleveland’s encouragement and mentoring that started Bell on a storied hoops career that includes 953 career wins and four state championshipsalongwithaTexasCup

After graduating from high school in 1978, Bell started his college career at Lubbock Christian University, where he played basketball. LCU wasn’t a great fit, though, so Bell moved on to Abilene Christian University, where he focused onfinishinghisdegreeandbecomingacoachfulltime.

It was at ACU where Bell met and fell in love with his wife, Jennifer “Ijusttookonelookather,andIknew,”hesaid

“We had one date and never dated anyone else,” Jennifer Bell added. “We knew each other for one month and got engaged”

By that spring they were married, just in time for her husband’sgraduation

Comparedtofarming,Bellfoundcoachingtobeeasy,butit wasn’tbecauseofwhathelearnedincollege.

“When you go to college, you think they’re going to teach youhowtocoach,buttheydon’t,”hesaid

What he did know about coaching he learned back in high schoolbywatchingCleveland,Bellsaid.

“I really watched my high school coach a lot,” he said “His values were the same as mine He would always say, ‘Do what’sright.’Hewasmyhero.”

Cleveland was 57 when he died after being struck by lightning.

“IhatedwhenIbeathisrecord,”Bellsaid.“Ididn’twantto.I didn’twanttosurpasshislegacy.”

Lorenzo, Texas, was the next stop for the newly married coachandhiswife,butthatassistantcoachingpositiononly lastedayearbeforeBelltookajobinSmithvilleasthehead coachthere.

“Theseasonbefore,theyonlyhadsixwins,”Bellsaid

Under his guidance, Smithville reached the regional tournamentforthefirsttimeever,anditwasfromtherethat Bell’s legacy began to grow Making the playoffs, no matter wherehewent,becamethenormforhisteams.

BelleventuallylandedatBrock,wherehewonhisfirstClass 1A state title By the next year, Brock had grown to a Class 2Aschool,butthatdidn’tstophisteamfromclinchingbackto-backstatechampionships

Being successful propelled Bell to other districts, and he creditedhiswifewithbeingtherockthathelpedhimliveout hisbasketballdreams.

“Shewasalwayswillingtofollowmeandletmegettohave thisexperience,”Bellsaid.

Hiswifelaugheduponhearinghimsaythat

“I went,” she said, “but sometimes it was kicking and screaming.”

As an educator herself, and later an administrator, Jennifer Bell said it could be very hard at times to leave friends and go start over, but she did it even while raising three boys alongtheway

“Being a coach’s wife has a reputation,” she said, laughing “Coaches’ wives and preachers’ wives … they don’t have a name,andthey’reexpectedtosupporteverything”

After leaving Brock, the Bells found themselves east of Dallas, away from their sons and their families. It was during this time that Graford found itself without a head coach, andBellsawitastheopportunityofalifetime.

“Thisisa‘bucketlist’jobforme,”hesaid.“Thisistheclosest thingto‘Hoosiers’I’veeverseen Thecrowd,thefans,they’re somethingelse.”

“Coach Bell has brought home what this community has beenwantingsince1965,whichwasourfirsttasteofastate championshiprun,”schoolboardmemberJeffLemleysaidof Bell “Hehasbroughtthiscommunitytogetherlikewehaven’t seensinceCharlesHearne,andhewillalwaysbeabletocall

Story continues on page 36

Grafordhome.”

TwoofHearne’steamsplayedinthestatesemifinals.

“It’s an honor to have Coach Bell leading our young men on thebasketballflooraswellasmoldingtheirlivesinapositive way, ” said fellow school board member Travis Rogers, who also was a state qualifier under Hearne “His style of basketball is exactly what ex-players like me think of when we think of Graford basketball, which follows a very close pathtoCoachHearne,whoweholddeartoourhearts.”

When asked about his coaching style, Bell replied, “I coach by feel I thrive on pressure I love the playoffs I love that feelingwheneverythingcounts.”

Hesaidhereallydoesn’tdrawupplays,either.

“I see what’s happening and how we need to adjust,” Bell said.

A big part of Bell’s style is his relationship with his players. Jarod Westmoreland is Bell’s assistant coach, and he said whatmakesBellsospecialishisinnateabilitytomotivatehis players

Said Bell: “Every player is different, and you have to know howtomotivateeachonedifferently.”

“There aren’t many coaches left in the whole country that arelikehim,”saidGrafordjuniorBradLemley.“Coachwould push us past our limit every single day during practice in order to get as close as possible to guaranteeing victory every time we stepped on the court, even if that meant he hadtohurtsomefeelings”

Practice is critical, Bell said, adding that his practices are hardbecausehewantsthegamestofeeleasyafterthat.

“Besides the success we ’ ve had the past two years, the biggest impact is how passionate Coach Bell is with practice,” Westmoreland said “I always enjoyed coaching duringpractice,butwatchinghimfiredupduringpracticeis unmatched.”

Added Lemley: “Every time we entered the gym (during practice or on the players’ own time), we were on a mission He had the whole team convinced we could accomplish anythingthroughhardwork”

Bell said his Graford players love the game, and they’re willingtoworkhardtobesuccessful

“These boys will be in the gym on their own time for hours,” he said. “Not because I ask them to, but because they want to”

Afterwinningthestatetournamentlastseason,Belllostfour starterstograduation,andmanywonderedaboutGraford’s

chances for back-to-back championships, but Bell said he neverhadanydoubt

Added senior Colin Roberts: “Coach gave us spring break off,andthenhetextedandwantedtoknowifwewantedto doitagain”

Bell said what he sees in players is potential, and there are someplayersonrivalsquadsthathewatchesandthinks,“I’d liketohavethatkidonmyteam”Butheaddedthatknowing how to motivate the young men he has is what makes leadersonthecourt

“Weweredownbysevenatonepointinthestatefinal,”Bell said,“andoneofmyplayerscameuptomeandsaid,‘We’re going to win’ These kids here, I can’t describe how good theyareandwhattheymeantome.”

“This team this year did everything by the book,” he added. “I never had to worry about them doing dumb stuff When you have players who are coaches, you ’ ve got a team that’s special”

With four returning starters, Bell said he’s excited about whatliesaheadforhissquadnextseason.

“He is truly greatness and dedication personified,” Lemley said. “As players, we all love and respect him for all that he hasdoneforus”

Whenaskedifhehasanyplanstoretire,Bellreplied,“When Ilosethatfire,I’llknowit’stimetomoveon.Ilookforwardto practice It’sjustanindescribablefeeling”

Bell said he still receives at least 10 text messages a day from former players, and he added that he makes it his missiontoreachouttoatleastoneformerplayeraday.

Bell’s wife, meanwhile, is hoping for retirement at some point.

“We’ve only ever been on two vacations,” Jennifer Bell said “There’s spring league, fall league, TABC camps There’s alwayssomething.”

As far as the community of Graford is concerned, though, Bellhasajobforlife

“TobeinmyshoesthelastcoupleofyearswatchingCoach Bell has been special,” Westmoreland said “He is an unbelievablebasketballcoachandmanoffaith.”

“I coach by feel. I thrive on pressure. I love the playoffs. I love that feeling when everything counts.”

- Coach Jeff Bell

Entrepreneur Turns Love of Lake into a Business

Story by Steve Nussbaum

Photo contributed by Dylan Bussey

“Findsomethingyoulovetodoandyou’llneverhavetowork adayinyourlife”isafamousquotebyseven-timeNewYork Timesbest-sellingauthorHarveyMacKay.ForDylanBusseyof Wichita Falls, that saying closely resembles what he’s done at Possum Kingdom Lake in the past year to turn his passion intoabusiness.

There are plenty of great places to rent boats and other watercraft on the lake, but Bussey is one of the few who charters his own watercraft and offers several types of excursions

Bussey, who grew up coming to PK, said his business, Buoy Boyz, offers a safe, worry-free day at the lake Boating can be fun, he said, but it’s a lot of work, and those who aren’t familiar with boats and watercraft safety can end up with a badexperience

Bussey's company offers several different types of boating experiences, all chartered by a trained captain Buoy Boyz has a pontoon boat thatisgreatforlargegroups,cruising

the lake and going to Hell’s Gate For those wanting a little more speed, though, Buoy Boyz offers a ski/wake boat for customerstoenjoy

Bussey said his favorite thing is teaching young children different watersports He said he loves the smiles on their faces when they start to get the hang of things The lessons usually take place by The Cliffs and the dam, because that end of the lake has a wide-open space that is a good spot to learn, he said, adding that the excitement in their faces when they learn how to ride a water tube, ski or wake surf thefirsttimeispriceless.

This year Bussey also is offering yacht cruises on a 43-foot Regal yacht He said it’s the perfect boat for a full day on thelakeorasunsetcruise.

Bussey also recently bought a 53-foot double-decker houseboatthathehopestohaveonthelakethissummer

Story continues on page 42

Entrepreneur turns love of lake into a business

Story continued from page 39...

Buoy Boyz can accommodate many different groups, and last year the company catered to several bachelor/bachelorette parties, college sports teams and families

Bussey said he can be as involved in a tour as much as the customers want him to be, adding that safety is always his No 1 priority His main goal, he said, is for everyone to have fun.

One of the company’s more popular tours last year was a “lake restaurant crawl” The excursion usually would start at one side of the lake and hit up several lakeside restaurants, then end up at Hell’s Gate Bussey said it’s a great way to experiencePK.

Bussey,aserialentrepreneurwhoalsoownshisownroofing and welding business in Wichita Falls, said he decided to turn his favorite pastime into a business. All his tours have a two-hourminimumandabeginningpriceof$300

Lastsummer,hesaid,BuoyBoyzwasjustgettingstartedand

didaboutthreetoursaweek.ThisyearBusseysaidhehopes togrowthebusinessandaddmoreexperiencesandoptions Having a chartered boat takes the worry and stress out of everyone, he said, and that’s what a day at the lake should be

Formoreinformation,call(940)7330-7433,visitthewebsite: wwwbuoyboyzcom or find the company's Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/BuoyBoyz.

"My favorite thing is teaching young children different watersports. I love the smiles on their faces when they start to get the hang of things."

- Dylan Bussey

PK BUSINESS SCENE

It’s been a busy offseason for the businesses at Possum Kingdom Lake, with many of them expanding, making improvements and sporting new ownership. These local businessessupportourgreatlakecommunity,socheckouta samplingofrecenthappenings:

LakeHavenCommunity(formerlyTheCottages)

13285Highway16,Graford

(940)521-6371,jilene2272@gmailcom

ToddandJileneFousthaveaddedanotherpropertytotheir growing list of PK businesses On Oct 1 the couple purchased The Cottages on Highway 16, and they’ve spent the entire winter painting and giving the entire property a fresh look They plan to remodel the properties as renters change.

The property includes 14 two-bedroom, one-bath homes The Fousts are remodeling a three-bedroom, two-bath structurebothasamodelandapotentialshort-termrental, andtheyhavemadesignificantimprovementstotheroad, parkingandarealighting,too.

Story continues page 48

Story by Steve Nussbaum | Photos by Erika Carter

LakeHaven Community (formerly The Cottages) under new ownership with major updates completed, and more on the horizon.

The racetrack on the property is for lease, will build to suit.

PK BUSINESS SCENE

“Six of our Hemmingway’s employees live on the property,” Jilene Foust said, adding that she sees a huge need for affordablehousinginthearea.

The Racetrack is for lease, and the Fousts said there are no plans for that building at this time They hope to add some community spaces to the redevelopment and also improve thespacefortheresidents Asofpresstime,thereweretwo homesavailableforrent.

MotorboatInn

1762ParkRoad36,Graford(onthepeninsula)

(940)260-7874,info@motorboatinncom

The Motorboat Inn on the peninsula has a fresh new look and has been completely transformed by the new owners. Alex Payne is leading the project and has given the old inn much more than just a facelift. Every room in the inn was repainted over the winter, along with the installation of new windows, light fixtures, carpet and TVs The first noticeable changes are the new Motorboat Inn sign and vintage boat outfront Thesign’svibeevokesthenostalgicfeelofthelake and PK’s fun atmosphere The business is taking reservations for the summer season, and Payne said bookings have been verystrong.

JuniperRidgeDevelopmentandMarina

3071ParkRoad36,Graford

(940)260-2610,jr-pklife(realestatewebsite)

(940)779-3737,marina@jr-pk.life(marinaemail)

AlexPayneandhisgrouphavemadesignificantprogresson the new luxury housing developments They have sold 11 of the 13 homes, and the lakeside pool nicknamed “The Bunker” isnowopen,providinganawesomeplacetorelax

TheJuniperRidgeMarinaisopenandtakingreservationsfor 30- and 40-foot boat slip rentals, and it also has rental space for personal watercraft The conveniently located marina is open and ready for the season, with a protective wave barrier to protect all the vessels at the marina in this highlydesirablelocation.

TheRetreat

1782FM2951,Graford(onthepeninsula)

(940)779-2333

The third development by Alex Payne and his group is the rebirth of the hillside cabins collectively known as The Retreat. All of the cabins have been remodeled and are availableforshort-termrentalorsale Thecabinshavegreat views,andhaveaccesstothenewpoolandthesoon-to-becompletedclubhouse

Inside view of one of the newly renovated rooms at Motorboat Inn

PK Business Scene continues on page 55...

PK BUSINESS SCENE

GoldenCove/WaterRushRentals

2334SanbarRoad,Graford (940)463-5477,pkwaterrush.com

ThefolksatGoldenCoveandWaterRushRentalsareadding

a summer concert series beginning May 27 The first concert is titled “Bringin’ in the Summer” and features the Charlie Hickman band performing under the new lakeside pavilion. Theyplantohaveasummerconcerteveryfewweeksandthe businesses will be open to the public as a BYOB venue, plus cover charge. Visitors should bring their own chairs to sit back and enjoy one of the best spots on the lake to watch thesunsetandlistentosomemusic.

Summer Concert Series begins May 27th at The Golden Cove under the new lakeside pavilion.

PK Business Scene continues on page 56...

PK BUSINESS SCENE

ThePizzaShack

457FM2353,Graford

(940)446-4006,thepizzashackatpk@gmailcom

The longtime Pizza Shack has been brought back to life by Ronessa Livingston and her daughter, Ashli Reed Livingston ran the Pizza Shack from 2017 to 2019, and earlier this year she bought the business, which closed in 2022 Livingston andherdaughtersaidtheyareexcitedtobringbacksomeof the old favorites that customers love, including the popular hoagie sandwiches, as well as the lunch buffet and accompanying salad bar. Livingston also has added her chicken salad, a customer favorite. Beginning in May the eatery also offers a breakfast buffet and baked potato bar on Thursday nights. Livingston said she has been cooking her whole life, and she is excited to be working alongside her daughter.

PK BUSINESS SCENE

B&CNorthForty(convenienceandliquorstore)

605FM2353,Graford

(940)779-3017

B&C North Forty has a completely new building in the same locationastheoriginalstructure TheoriginalNorthFortywas built in 1979 and had been a fixture on the north end of the lake Owners Bijay Chettvi and Sarban Chipalu made the decisionlastyeartobuildanewbuildingrightbehindtheold one

Chettvi said the added traffic on FM 2353 in front of the store had become dangerous for his customers, so it seemed like a good opportunity to expand the business at the same time.

Thetwoofthemspentallwinterbuildingthenewstore;once itwascomplete,theytoredowntheoldbuildingandputina new–andmuchsafer–parkinglot.

The 4,000-square-foot store has added some popular cigars, and now offers some fresh beef, too. The owners expandedthefoodanddeliofferings,andtheyplantooffer

a$799burger-and-friesspecial

TheexpandedstorealsofeaturesA"beercave" Thiscool spacemakesitconvenientforcustomersandemployeesto getquickandeasyaccesstotheirfavoritebrandsofbeer Theownerssaidtheyplantoexpandthestore’scraftbeer selectionduringtheseason

Can You Dig It?

mineral wells fossil park

Story and photos by Bob Kaspar

It isn’t often that visitors are allowed to take resources out of a park, but at Mineral WellsFossilParkthey’reencouragedtodoso.

Fossilsaresoabundantattheparkthatevenamateurfossilhunterscanfilltheirhands with ancient treasures in a matter of minutes This ease of collection has attracted professional paleontologists and amateur rock hounds alike to the park since its openingin2010

The geology of Mineral Wells Fossil Park is hundreds of millions of years old, but in the more recent past it served as the “borrow pit” for the city’s landfill. The landfill was closedintheearly1990s,andthe20yearsofexcavationanderosionthereremovedthe topsoiltorevealtheMineralWellsFormation,ageologicstratadatingback300 million

yearstowhenmostofthelandonEarthwaspressedtogether intoasupercontinentknownasPangaea.

Texas, and much of the Americas, once was attached to present-day Africa on this supercontinent, and the area was covered in a shallow sea The story of this ancient sea life is toldinthefossilsthatcanbefoundatthepark

The most common finds in the park are remnants of crinoids. With a stalk and feathery arms, crinoids may look like plants, but they’re actually animals similar to sea stars and sea urchins Fossilized clams and other shelled sea life are also abundantatthepark.

Rare finds at the park include prehistoric shark teeth and trilobites, an ancient creature that looked somewhat like a modern-day horseshoe crab. Their segmented bodies make awe-inspiring fossils that help tell the story of Earth’s prehistoricpast.

Fossils are extremely plentiful and easy to find at the park, making the site a fantastic place for youths Any fossils found canonlybekeptfornon-commercialpurposes,anddiggingis only allowed with a small shovel There is no running water at thepark,sovisitorsshouldmakesuretobringtheirown.

On the website of Mineral Wells Fossil Park, comments are posted from visitors wondering why the park isn’t more publicized, but the park has to compete with many other

offbeat attractions found in and around the city. After all, MineralWellsiswellknownforitsrichhistory,fromtheglamor of the Roaring ’20s and the wild world of the 1800s, to hundreds of millions of years ago when the area teemed with abundantsealife

Mineral Wells Fossil Park is located at 2375 Indian Creek Road Hours are 8 am to 8:45 pm daily, and admission is free

Formoreinformation,visitthewebsite: wwwmineralwellsfossilparkcom

Take a Hike!!

TOP 5 HIKING TRAILS NEAR POSSUM KINGDOM LAKE

Story by Bob Kasper

Photos by Diane Davis, PK Lake Ranger

The Possum Kingdom Lake community is internationally renowned for its natural beauty, and though most people appreciate this natural splendor from a boat, the area also aboundswithincrediblehikingopportunities

Withthatinmind,here(innoparticularorder)arefiveofthe topdayhikesinthearea,allwithinanhour’sdriveofthelake

PKPhotoOp

Johnson’sPeak,SouthD&DWestPark,Graford https://brazosorg/About-Us/Reservoirs/Possum-KingdomLake/Amenities/Public-Use-Areas

The Possum Kingdom Hike and Bike Trail is a system of 16 miles of trails that wind through the hills surrounding Possum Kingdom Lake. For a panoramic view of the lake, Johnson’s Peak is hard to beat, and visitors should park in the South D&D parking lot. There are two trailheads in this park, so makesuretotakethewesterntrailhead Therockytrailwinds itswayupintothehillsthroughdenseoakandcedarthickets. It’s about one mile to Johnson’s Peak, and hikers can retrace their steps from there or continue the loop for another four miles

Beautiful trail off of Frontier Unit Raod

DownintheHollow

RedWaterfrontTrail,LakeMineralWellsStatePark

http://tpwmagazine.com/archive/2021/jan/scout2 takeahi ke/

With its hiking and biking options and an entire lake within its boundaries, Lake Mineral Wells State Park has something for everyone Foratrulymagicalexperience,trytrekkingtheRed Waterfront Trail to Penitentiary Hollow From the trailhead, visitors can follow the path through a verdant grove of ancient oaks and weave between massive sandstone boulders as they descend the hillside The trail briefly traces the rocky shores of Lake Mineral Wells before creeping into Penitentiary Hollow, a closely cloistered canyon that is a world unto itself. Hikers can follow the stone staircase out of thehollowandfinishtheirexcursionwithascenicoverlookof LakeMineralWells.

ATripwithaDip

BrazosRiverTrailtotheDam,Graford https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/texas/brazos-river-trailto-the-dam

This 25-mile trail is one of the many hidden gems around Possum Kingdom, with an easy hike offering access to the Brazos River Visitors should take Red Bluff Road to find a parking area at the base of Morris Sheppard Dam. The trail parallels the banks of the Brazos River through meadows of spring wildflowers and towering pecan trees. About 1.5 miles into their adventure, hikers will find a boat ramp tucked into thesideofthetrail,andfollowingitleadstoapopularfishing spotandswimmingholeflankedbytoweringbluffs

View from Observation Point, looking toward the dam.

Story continues on page 62

HikeandBike

WesternHeritagePark,MineralWells

https://www.trailforks.com/region/western-heritage-park/

This park on the northern edge of Mineral Wells boasts miles of mountain biking trails to suit all skill levels The Green Trail provides a leisurely cruise through the park, while the rock gardens of both the Red Trail and Blue Trail are extremely challenging. These trails also cater to hikers seeking to explore the park at a slower pace Interpretive signage throughout the park tells the story of Palo Pinto County and some of the colorful characters, who now are legends of Texashistory,thatoncecalledthecountyhome.

GoingtheDistance

Cross Timbers Maroon Trail, Lake Mineral Wells State Park&Trailway

https://tpwdtexasgov/state-parks/lake-mineralwells/trails-info

Those ready to cover some serious distance need to look no further than the Cross Timbers trail system in the backcountry ofLakeMineralWellsStatePark.Visitorsshouldmakesureto get a map from the park’s headquarters, as there’s plenty to explore–butforalittletasteofeverything,adventuroussouls are encouraged to try the Cross Timbers Maroon Trail at the farthestreachesofthepark’sbackcountry.Justgettingtothe trailisquiteatrek Alongtheway,hikerswillencounterrolling oakforests,pecan-studdedriparianwoodlandsandabounty oflocalwildlife Oncethere,theycanclimbtherockyascent, lookoutacrosstheparkandenjoythepeaceandsolitudeof this secluded trail The trip to the trail is about a seven-mile roundtrip,andthere’snorunningwaterinthebackcountry,so make sure to bring plenty of water It’s an arduous trail, but incrediblyrewarding,too.

Those lucky enough to call Possum Kingdom home know that it’s a beautiful place to live, and this list is by no means exhaustive,sogetoutthereandexplore!

Possum Kingdom Lake can be a great place to have a good time and enjoy our beautiful lake, but every year accidents happen. We encourage everyone to be careful, have a designated driver, and know the lake and your surroundings The lake is down several feet this year and areas you think you know are different, BE AWARE! Todd Burns shared just a few pictures of the boats he has had to retrieve in recent years. The good news is no one was hurt in any of these accidents Just some bruised egos and undue stress

Story by Steve Nussbaum

Photos Contributed by Todd Burns of Todd Burn's Dock Repair and Dive Service

See more starting on page 67

This boat took a sharp turn and lost control - ending up on the side of a cliff

This houseboat broke away from its slip during a storm. The boat owner was asleep on the boat, smelled smoke and stepped in water when he got out of bed. The boat was recovered and took five years to restore.

This boater was driving at night and saw a porch light and thought it was the channel marker They ended up driving onto land in shallow water

This boat hit some debris in the lake It knocked the plug out and the boat started sinking

A big storm came in and a large Chris Craft boat came unplugged and lost power The boat sank and it took three days to recover the damaged boat

The driver of this boat was pulling kids on a tube The driver was looking back and ran up on top of a dock

OUT OF THE OFFICE

Scenes from The Possum Kingdom Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Business After Hours. Q1 was hosted by Lush Resort Q2 will be hosted by PK Ice House The event is open to all Chamber Members

Jasmine & Pat Murchison

Randy Burdick and Wende ONeal

OUT OF THE OFFICE

Melanie Deen, Teresa Kidwell and Linda Fewell

S Che

Kaitlyn and Sean Kinne, daughter of Denise and Mark Cotter of Gaines Bend, married 4-22-23. The ceremony was held at Marty Leonard chapel in Ft. Worth. The chapel was designed by Fay Jones. Kaitlyn attended the Fay Jones school of architecture at the University of Arkansas. Reception was held at McDavid Studio, part of Bass Hall in Ft. Worth.

Pictured left: Denise Cotter and daughter, Kaitlyn"going to the chapel"

Pictured above: Mark Cotter and Kaitlyn"first look"

SayCheese!

Pictured left: Olivia Goodgion wins her first game of PK Lake Opoly.

Pictured left: Friends enjoy a shrimp boil catered by 2 Old Crows at the home of Dwayne and Sandra Hodges

PIctured left to right: Mark Vinson, Melissa Anderson, Clay Springer, Mark Anderson and Pat Murchison of Gaines Bend

Say Cheese!

ed left: Emma and Pat isonofGainesBend ather like daughter, always heirgunsup! Wreck'em

SayCheese!

Possum Kingdom Lake crew traveled to Amarillo, TX to celebrate the grand opening of the De Cardenas family cheese plant, Cacique The De Cardenas’ have relocated their business and family to Texas and love spending time at their home on PK lake on the peninsula

Pictured left to right: Dwayne Hodges, Clay Springer, Troy and Sherry Welch, Bo Bennett, Ward McNally, Gelasia

Bennett, Pat Murchison, Holly Chandler, Gil De Cardenas, Amy Springer, Bryce Gentry, Isabella De Cardenas, Dan and Debbie Lee, Jay Parker

SayCheese!

Cathy and Mike Garrison (pictured above) hosted a fun evening of delicious BBQ, Mike's famous margaritas and dancing to the Tejas Brothers at their home in Sportsman's World

Possum Kingdom Lake Association

Continued from page 32:

planned, the association aired concerns that the lake’s water levels might be adversely affected Through negotiation, a settlementwasreachedtominimizethenegativeimpacts

The association also has assisted community members in times ofemergency In2011,thePKLakeareawasravagedbywildfire, with more than 100,000 acres scorched. The association played a valuable role in securing donations of much-needed tools and equipment,aswellasfoodandwaterforthefirefightingcrews. At the association’s upcoming annual meeting on Saturday, June 10, the association’s members will address major issues affectingtheentirecommunity,including:

Concerns about a permit recently issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to the city of Abilene to dump effluent from its water treatment plant back into the Cedar Creek area of Possum Kingdom Lake. The effluent containssaltandsomesuspendedsolidsleftoverfromthewater treatment process The association’s members are concerned that this area of the lake may not consistently have adequate stream flows to properly dilute the incoming effluent, which coulddamagetothelocalecosystem.

The reduction of the number of lake rangers assigned to patrol Possum Kingdom. These law enforcement professionals are employed by the BRA and tasked with providing a safe environment on the lake According to the association, the number of lake rangers has been reduced from as many as 15 down to two Although the BRA has turned much of the lake patrolling over to the Palo Pinto County Sheriff’s Department, association members worry that safety on the lake might suffer withouttherangers’experienceandlocalknowledge.

Discussions by the BRA regarding the topic of turning authority of the local Possum Kingdom Airport over to Palo Pinto County. Some residents are concerned about how the airport will be properlymaintained

·Plans for the installation of a solar farm in the area. Upon its completion, the farm could be appraised for billions of dollars, leaving some area residents fretting about a possible major increaseinlocalpropertytaxvalues

Through the dedicated work of its membership, the Possum Kingdom Lake Association has provided a voice for the local community while helping to protect the lake itself Those interested in becoming a member of the association can attend its annual meeting June 10 at the Possum Kingdom Chamber of Commerce.

Formoreinformation,visitthewebsitewww.pklakeassn.orgor theassociation’sFacebookpageat: https://www.facebook.com/pklakeassociation.

S yCheese!

Paul and Cristal Isaacks host a baby reveal at their condo at The Willows over Easter weekend Son, Kane and Daughter-In-Law, Taylor will be welcoming their first baby in the fall It's a girl! Joining in the fun were grandparents Howard & Barbara Isaacks of The Willows and Taylor's parents, Chris and Christine Timmons Photo submitted by

Pictured above: Lucy Dean Record, who will soon turn 99 and niece Kim Nussbaum Record received the Living Legends Award at the CSWM 23rd Annual Western Swing Fest

Melody Macha

No green beans left behind at Hemmingway's Craft House. Sofia Gregg, daughter of Will & Diana Gregg couldn't get enough of their green beans!

Boudreaux Robertson living his best life at PK. He may be a cow dog, but he loves the lake! Photo submitted by Staci Robertson.

SayCheese!

Katie Nussbaum Stauth was able to meet one of her favorite TV personalities, Ree Drummond at The Pioneer Woman Mercantile in Pawhuska, OK

Katie Nussbaum Stauth and Captain Alex Stauth pause for pictures on the flight line. The Stauth's are stationed at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, OK. while Alex undergoes flight training for the USAF.