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MARCH/APRIL 2015

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BLAKE NEELY SPRING BLOOMS SOUTHERN SOUL THE REDLANDS TONY RAMEY SWITCH PIZZERIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS GANACHE BAKERY WELLNESS RETREAT, PADDLING TRAIL, BARSTOOL RACES

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44th Annual

Linden Wildflower Trails of Texas DOWNTOWN LINDEN FESTIVAL APRIL 24-25

Flowers, Fun, Food, Arts & Crafts, Rodeo, Parade, Quilt Show, Cake Walk, Children’s Activities, Homemade Ice Cream, Classic Car Exhibit, Entertainment and more.

« « « « «

EVENTS

KilGogh • March Avalon Faire • March/April Rangerette Revels • April Texas Shakespeare Festival • June/July Baseball, Balloons & Root Beer • July

« East Texas Oilmen’s Chili Cook-off • November « East Texas Pipe Organ Festival • November « Snow Hill Festival • November « Christmas Under the Stars • November / December « Rangerette Christmas Extravaganza • December

Festival admission: Free.

Rodeo: $8 and $4.

www.lindenwildflowertrails.net

903.796.3003

Texas Shakespeare Festival Kilgore College Rangerettes

World’s Richest Acre

East Texas Oil Museum

e m o c l We

to Celebration Dining District

sulphurspringstx.org hopcal.com MARCH/APRIL 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 3

CONTENTS

36 Crossroads Music Company Brings Concerts to Sulphur Springs

By Cindy Roller 36 Two March Shows Set for Texan Theater 37 Ray Price Exhibit Opens In Carthage

8

FOOD & DRINK 38 Bakery Serves Sweet Treats

By Alia Pappas 39 Switch Brick Oven Pizzeria & Wine Bar

By Patti Light

16 12

EXPLORE THE UPPER EAST SIDE OF TEXAS 40 Paddling Trail Opens in Jacksonville 40 Rummage Sale Set 41 Outdoor Opportunities Abound in Athens this Spring

LIVING ROOM 42 Gardening Conference Set For March 19 In Athens 42 Paul Michael Company Earns Regional Award

FEATURES 8 Blake Neely Scores Big in Hollywood

Catching up with Paris native.

By P.A.Geddie

12 East Texas Welcomes Spring Find out where to go to enjoy natures gifts in the region.

By T. Denise Stokes

16 Symphony Orchestras Inspire

THE ARTS 24 P ublic Arts Projects On Tap in Hunt County

STAGE 26 Tenessee Williams Play Comes To Lindale Theatre 26 ArtsView Spring Choir Members Selected

28 Classic Movie Takes

By Jules Scroggin & Jess LeBeau 29 Marshall-Based Documentary Highlights Historic Trail

DEPARTMENTS

LITERARY

Editor’s Note. Letters.

THIS TIME OF YEAR 18 Women’s History Month, Diamond Bessie, Daylight Savings 19 Hattie Brantley, Don Meredith

CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT 20 Texas State Railroad is Back On Track 20 Traveling Airplane Museum Comes to Tyler 21 Motorized Barstools Race in Ben Wheeler 22 The Redlands Celebrate 100th Anniversary

44 Guests Are Inspired at Wellness Retreats

By P.A. Geddie 44 Childcare Provider Training Offered in East Texas 45 How to Be a Cool Guy in Your Seventies

By Edward H. Garcia

FILM

Symphonies fill the air in the Upper East Side of Texas.

By Gwyn Kersey-Weatherford

5

FEEL GOOD

30 Book Review by Jeremy Light: In the Kingdom of Ice 30 The Original War Eagle Woman is Living An Author’s Journey 31 Writers Conference Set For Mount Pleasant 31 Poetry & Prose

MUSIC 32 Catching Up with Singer-Songwriter Tony Ramey

By Tom Geddie 33 Crookston in Concert in Winnsboro 34 Behind the Badge of Southern Soul

By Cindy Roller

SEE WEBSITE EXTRAS! www.CountyLineMagazine.com 4 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2015

COVER ART: Gatilov Pavlo

fl&g +

county line Since 2000

MAGAZINE

PUBLISHER & MANAGING EDITOR P.A. Geddie CONTRIBUTORS T. Denise Stokes Gwyn Kersey-Weatherford Cindy Roller Jeremy Light Patti Light Ine Burke Alia Pappas Edward H. Garcia Tom Geddie Jules Scroggin Jess LeBeau SALES P.A. Geddie COPY EDITORS Terry Britt Mark Miller GRAPHIC DESIGN & PRINT PRODUCTION Jette Stephens ADMINISTRATION Natalie Marshall DISTRIBUTION Pam Boyd Bombyk David Michelina County Line Magazine is published every other month, 6 timess a year. It is available free of charge in the Northeast Texas area in select businesses, limited to one copy per reader. Subscription costs: $18 per year in Texas, and $22 per year outside Texas. Bulk rate postage paid at Ben Wheeler, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to County Line Magazine, P.O. Box 608, Ben Wheeler, TX 75754. Contents COPYRIGHT 2015 County Line all rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without written permission. Opinions expressed in articles appearing in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Mailing address: P.O. Box 608, Ben Wheeler, TX 75754 Phone: 903.963.8306. E-mail: info@countylinemagazine.com Website: www.countylinemagazine.com. Free listings are entered on a space available basis. Advertising space may be purchased by calling 903.963.8306.

Serving the Upper East Side of Texas

EDITOR’S NOTE Dear Readers, Welcome to spring in the Upper East Side of Texas! The season is filled with music in the air and a backdrop of colorful blooms along highways and back roads and featured at numerous locations and special events.

I was thrilled to visit with Blake Neely of Paris whose name I see from time to time on some of my favorite movies and TV shows as the music composer. It is the talents of this man that take us from scared to hopeful, from tears to smiles, as we watch The Mentalist and Resurrection and movies like The Wedding Date and Life as We Know It. These stories are lifeless without the music that touches us emotionally and connects us to the characters, creating a much deeper, more meaningful experience.

The kind of music that caught the attention of Blake Neely as a child and set his career path in motion is symphony orchestra. Some may be surprised to learn that talented musicians and conductors perform this kind of music on a regular basis in this region. Numerous symphony orchestras and smaller chamber groups bring beautiful music to eager listeners throughout the year. Learn more about them in this issue and the inspiration they bring to young and old.

Enjoy the many fun and adventurous choices for things to do in your leisure time this season among the music and the blooms of our remarkable region.

P.A. Geddie

Publisher & Managing Editor

LETTERS Dear Editor, Thank you County Line for your support. Also, thank you to all of your readers who support us. I am proud to be a sustainable, organic farmer in East Texas. And to be associated with other women like Maureen Killaby and Bertie Malone (2014 Best winners) makes me very happy. Proud of our East Texas roots and Lindale, Texas.

Beth Walker Beth’s Little Farm Market Lindale Thank you for your article on the Pulpwood Queens. It was also thrilling to see Kasey Lansdale was voted Best Local Singer/Songwriter and Nacogdoches’ The Liberty Bell was voted Best Facebook. Also Nacogdoches’ Brick Street Antiques was voted best Pinterest. Nacogdoches was thrilled to host the 15th Annual Pulpwood Queen Girlfriend Weekend for the first time. We hope it

will be held in Nacogdoches every year from now on. Love your magazine.

Ellen Francis Nacogdoches I love the magazine and how it displays the different events in and around the area. Love Ben Wheeler and Edom.

They both have something to offer for just about everyone.

Sheila Atkins Edom I enjoy seeing the updates and coming events in Upper East Texas. Thanks.

Jack Wallace Mount Vernon

Let us hear from you.

Please feel free to send us your comments.

County Line Magazine P.O. Box 608, Ben Wheeler, TX 75754 email: info@countylinemagazine.com Find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Go to LETTERS on www.countylinemagazine.com.

CHECK OUT COUNTY LINE DIGITAL PUBLICATIONS @ www.CountyLineMagazine.com New responsive eMagazine premieres this month for DESKTOP, PADS, and MOBILE PHONES! Set up a SHORT CUT TO THE COUNTY LINE ON YOUR DEVICES! Subscribe to eNewsletters including Weekender, Food & Drink, and The Arts!

MARCH/APRIL 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 5

6 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2015

Discover the East Texas Oil Fields of the 1930s

Pawpa’s House in the country

The East Texas Oil Museum is located on the campus of Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas. This fascinating museum houses the authentic re-creation of oil discovery and production in the early 1930s from the largest oil field inside U.S. boundaries.

MUSEUM HOURS Tues-Sat 9am - 4pm April-Sept 9am - 5pm Sun 2-5p.m.

Hwy. 259 at Ross St, Kilgore, Texas On the Kilgore College Campus, 903.983.8295

www.EastTexasOilMuseum.com

Satellite • Wireless Internet Jacuzzi Tub • Hot Tub Fully Equipped Kitchen • Handicap Accessible Near Canton, Ben Wheeler, Lindale, Tyler, Mineola. One hour to Dallas.

1601 VZ County Road 1512 Van Texas

903.571.3620 • www.pawpashouse.com

MARCH/APRIL 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 7

Blake Neely Scores Big in Hollywood Neely remembers his interest in music starting when he was just about four years old as he touched the keys of the family piano. He also enjoyed watching hours and hours of TV, mostly cartoons where characters like Mickey Mouse perform the William Tell Overture, the three little pigs build their houses to Brahms’ Hungarian Dances, Bugs Bunny conducts Von Suppe’s Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna, and Tom and Jerry conduct an orchestra of cats to Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermous.

Neely often spent time in his bedroom “studio” with a toy magic wand conducting his parent’s Leonard Bernstein records.

By the time of the Star Wars experience, Neely was well entranced in music, but on this day, he knew something changed.

“I was sitting in the theater and thought ‘I’ve never heard that before,’” Neely recalls, realizing for the first time that creating music for film was somebody’s career. “’I want to have this job,’” he said. “And I became obsessed with all the Star Wars music and that became my quest to get to Hollywood and do this for a living.”

By P.A. Geddie When Star Wars premiered in 1977, an eight-year-old boy sat in awe in a dark theater in Paris, Texas. Along with millions of other viewers, he was intrigued with the story of the young farm boy Luke Skywalker who joins forces with a Jedi Knight and other interesting characters to save the universe and rescue Princess Leia from the evil Darth Vader.

But unlike most little boys, it was the sounds of the London Symphony Or-

chestra that kicks off the film and weaves its way through every heroic and adventurous scene that captured the attention of Blake Neely and ignited a force within he couldn’t ignore.

Bonnie and Bill Neely ushered baby Blake into this world April 28, 1969. Bill was a farmer and Bonnie a stay-at-home mom, with three children eventually.

Life was simple, and creative, amid the backdrop of a rural small-town in Northeast Texas, that proudly claims it’s the second largest Paris in the world.

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For an eight-year-old in rural Paris, Texas, that was a lofty goal and long way away from the life of a farmer.

“There was no Internet,” Neely said.

“You can’t see outside of Paris growing up in the 70s. Access to Hollywood was extremely limited.”

He read magazines and took piano lessons and played in bands and while many kids his age were into sports or other small-town activities, music was his outlet, in several forms.

“I was always a classical music geek,” he said. “I was in little garage bands and

bought synthesizers. We played Top 40 Rock. I played drums and keyboard.”

lege student, Neely was focused on his interests and it paid off.

Neely said people believed in him while growing up in Paris and nurtured his passions.

“I was always playing music in my dorm room and didn’t go out,” he said. “I stayed in to write music.”

When composer Michael Kamen (Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, Mr. Holland’s Opus, What Dreams May Come) was doing a concert tour and looking for someone to put the scores in order, Neely was recommended.

“My parents were very encouraging,” he said, even taking him to Dallas for private lessons with composer Simon Sargon when he expressed an interest in writing his own music at around age 12.

When his friend Jordan Levin noticed this about him, he mentioned Neely to his father who happened to work at Disney studios in California, which resulted in an offer for an internship.

He worked with Kamen for about two years building a library of scores for him, and then Kamen turned to Neely one day and said, “You’re probably an orchestrator.”

“I jumped at the chance,” Neely said, still remembering the excitement and his childhood ideas about getting to Hollywood.

“I wasn’t, but knew how to do it so I said sure,” Neely recalls.

Three piano teachers in Paris stand out in his mind as well.

“They let me write my own music,” he said. “I remember even at a very early age one of my first piano recitals — my teacher allowed me to do one of my own.”

In high school his band teacher at Paris High School encouraged him to continue pursuing music.

But things got a little less encouraging outside his hometown when he entered college at the University of Texas in Austin.

“I auditioned to get in the music department and did not pass the audition,” he said. “I got a letter that said, “we encourage you to pursue other options.’”

Confident of his true calling in life, he was not deterred.

“It put a fire under me to prove them wrong.”

He went to a composition class taught

by Dan Welcher and asked if he could sit in to feed his need to learn more even though he would get no educational credits for it.

“I was probably a bit begging when I knocked on his door but I really wanted to do this,” Neely recalls, grateful that the teacher agreed and for the knowledge it gave him.

Not your typical run-with-the-crowd col-

While working as an unpaid intern at Disney in the summer of 1989 he was doing odd jobs for the music department and would go in to the film-scoring department.

“I was hooked,” he recalls. “This might be a way to get out there.”

The next summer he did a different internship at Disney and when he graduated from college there was an opening at their record company and he got the job.

“I got from Paris to LA and I’m working at Disney,” he thought, “I’m good for a while now.”

Joining him in California was his wife Beth — they married in Austin in 1988.

During the next 10 years or so they had two children, Jordan and Jacob, moved back to Texas for five years and then back to Los Angeles when Neely’s work started keeping him away from his family too much.

He worked at Disney from 1991 to 1996.

After a few years he moved to the music publishing division and handled publications of Disney’s sheet music and songbooks. His job was to make sure it was correct and had credits. This put him in close proximity to teams for composers the likes of Elton John and he began to build relationships.

Kamen was working on something for Metallica.

“He said, ‘see if you can orchestrate this piece,’” Neely remembers, “And I became an orchestrator.”

After the success of the Metallica project, Neely worked with Kamen as one of his orchestrators on other projects and all of his films that followed, until Kamen’s unexpected death in 2003.

Neely and Kamen were working on a movie directed by another East Texan, Forest Whitaker. The movie was First Daughter starring Katie Holmes and Michael Keaton.

“Michael (Kamen) was hired to score,” Neely said. “I was doing orchestration. I sent some things to Forest to see how he liked them and found out Michael died that night.”

Kamen had started scoring the music.

“Forest wanted to keep Michael’s music in the film and keep his theme, and he hired me to finish it,” Neely said.

“That was difficult. I scored first using what Michael had done and how he would have done it but I needed to write things that were new.”

The song Dance My Dreams came through in that process.

Continued on page 10

MARCH/APRIL 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 9

Continued from page 9

Writing music comes naturally to Neely.

“Forest wrote the words and I wrote the music,” Neely said. “It worked.”

The film is dedicated to Kamen.

“There’s a constant music stream playing in my head. Sometimes it’s something I haven’t heard before. Sometimes it’s other pieces.”

As Neely gained experience and credits, more opportunities came his way.

With film scoring he meticulously works frame by frame.

One of his most remarkable experiences to date came when composer Vangelis (Chariots of Fire, Blade Runner) was looking for an orchestrator to help with large symphonic work.

“You play up until they kiss (for instance), then crescendo, and make sure it syncs. The idea is to follow the story and support it but not stand in its way.

People need to feel it not hear it.”

“I flew to Athens, Greece, we met and I got the job,” Neely said, and then things got even more spectacular. “When I went back for the concert rehearsal, he said he just fired the conductor so could I do that.”

Neely said he is honored when someone says they didn’t even realize there was music in a scene.

Again, not having done something professionally didn’t stop Neely from jumping in with a resounding, “yes.”

“It’s a compliment. You made them feel it but it didn’t stick out.”

“Oh, definitely,

“It’s kinda nice in small-town Texas — people are happy with it, so why change.

I’m happy going to that same old place.

composing is the favorite. I just love the craft of composing music. Whether it’s to

The performance was filmed for a PBS concert and is available on YouTube.

film or TV show or just

That project led to Neely working with another great composer, Hans Zimmer who hired him as a conductor.

Today, composing music takes up most of his time and he’s happy about that.

“Oh, definitely, composing is the favorite. I just love the craft of composing music. Whether it’s to film or TV show or just for music titles.”

His sister Pamela lives in New Jersey and operates a horse farm. His brother Tom lives in Los Angeles and is a graphic artist. His parents are retired and still living in Paris where he occasionally visits.

He enjoys that his music helps create the story.

“And me at the Temple of Zeus in Athens, Greece,” Neely beams. “It was the experience of a lifetime.”

In 2002, Neely also got his first chance at composing for a TV series, Everwood.

Following that success, other TV credits came including Brothers & Sisters, No Ordinary Family, Pan Am, Golden Boy and most recently The Mentalist, Arrow, The Flash, and Resurrection.

While he doesn’t see his parents and siblings as often as he’d like they do keep up with each other.

“I do go back from time to time. It doesn’t change quickly. Not like Austin where there are new buildings and restaurants every time you go.

This landed him conducting “Mythodea” with the London Metropolitan Orchestra, Jessye Norman, Kathleen Battle, 30 timpani players, a 200-piece choir and Vangelis on keyboards.

He conducted Pirates of the Caribbean, which led to even more opportunities and a dream career now in full force.

His film credits include The Last Samurai, Something’s Gotta Give, and Life As We Know It to name but a few.

and Beth are proud of their children.

Daughter Jordan is 20, and studying theater and acting. Jacob is 17 and although he showed an interest in music at an early age it’s only recently that he’s figured out he wants to follow in dad’s footsteps to be a film composer. It pleases Neely that he may work with his kids on projects someday.

for music titles.”

“It’s what wasn’t there, what was needed. It’s not always emotion, or a gotcha, but maybe what wasn’t completely told by the actors in the filming. Sometimes it’s a deeper emotion than can be explained in words or actions on the screen.”

What’s his favorite composition so far?

“I’m happiest with what I’ve just finished, until I move on to the next one.”

He’s also happy these days knowing he’s at a place where he can choose to do projects that he cares about.

He’s come a long way from his first “studio” in his bedroom in Paris, Texas.

When he’s not composing Neely enjoys spending time with his family. He

10 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2015

Sometimes it’s good to remember where the spark began. The little boy with lofty goals from Paris, Texas, is not only living his dream but as is so often the case when people discover and follow their passions, it makes the world a much better place.

Listening to Neely’s songs on YouTube often stirs people to post about how they make them feel and sometimes how a particular song helps them through a hard time.

“It’s moving that you’ve touched someone,” Neely said. “It’s kind of amazing.

It came from nothing. Something you heard and put out there for the world and it helps someone.”

He’s gotten some great emails over the years too, he said.

“One woman’s daughter is autistic and told me my piece calmed her,” he says in amazement. “Something that came out of my head calmed a child that has such difficulty in her brain to live with — it inspires me to do better and more.

“It’s a crazy thing about music. It’s the only art form that you can’t see. It shouldn’t make sense. It’s just sound waves moving in the air. It hits people differently and sometimes it makes a difference.”

MARCH/APRIL 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 11

The Nacogdoches Azalea Trail includes beautiful flower-lined pathways in several garden areas. Photo By Ine Burke.

Northeast Texas Welcomes Spring Blooms

By T. Denise Stokes This is the time of year when festivals, gardens and trails present beautiful flowers in addition to the natural wildflowers seen along roadside and mosaic sights, and thought-provoking landscapes are part of the public garden crown jewels of the Upper East Side of Texas. The horticultural-themed displays help put East Texas on the map not only around the region and state, but also around the country and around the world.

Magnificent spring blooms in this part of the country include the orange Tipsy Tangerine, the yellow Admiral Semmes, the Purple Spider Azaleas, Texas Bluebonnets, daylilies, dogwoods, bird’s foot violets, and roses as far as the eyes can see.

For a spectacular start to the season, take in the sheer beauty and soak up the colors and smell of the blooms, elaborate gardens, wildflowers, trails and the festivals that celebrate them. East Texas visitors and residents alike are delighted each year. Spend a few days or weeks in a row this spring to explore the incredible, blossoming through April.

Here’s a round-up of at least a dozen flower trails, gardens, festivals and celebrations of all things in bloom for in-

dividuals, families and groups to stroll along, commune with nature and enjoy the charm and spirit of East Texas.

Nacogdoches Azalea Trail

It doesn’t cost a thing to feast your eyes on the largest collection of ornamental azaleas in the state at the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden. There are more than 7,000 pink, purple, white and yellow azaleas that line a 25-mile self-guided driving or paved walking trail through residential and historic districts. This year’s special treat is the Azalea Society of America National Convention March 2629. Bloom reports and convention registration and event fees are online. Visit the website visitnacogdoches.org to see why the area is designated the Garden Capital of Texas or call 888.653.3788 for more information.

Stephen F. Austin Mast Arboretum

Just a short walk over the bridge from the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden is the SFA Mast Arboretum with a diverse collection of plant material from agaves to zingibers, including annual color selections, gingers, shade-tolerant plants, ornamental grasses, Texas-tough perennials, plants for pollinators, hollies, unusual trees from around the world, ferns and so much more. Open daily dawndusk. No admission fee. 1924 Wilson

12 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2015

Drive. 936.468.4404. 936.468.1832. sfagardens.sfasu.edu.

Tyler Azalea Trail

This test garden turned into aromatic blooms that blanket more than 10 miles of enchanted home gardens along two trails. March 20 through April 5 is the best time to saunter through or drive these trails to see early spring flowers of azaleas, dogwoods, tulips and daffodils. Learn more at visittyler.com or call 903.592.1661.

Rose City Artisans and Flower Market

The Rose City Artisans and Flower Market takes place March 27-28 at the Goodman-Legrand Museum and has expanded this year to include baked goods, wine, homemade items, and herbs in addition to the plants, bulbs, flowers and seeds you can buy to create your own masterpiece garden at home. 624 North Broadway. 903.531.1286. goodmanmuseum.com.

Tyler Rose Garden

Add this place to your bucket list. The Rose Garden Center is the best starting and vantage point to explore more than 600 varieties and 32,000 bushes that comprise the nation’s largest collection of roses on display for free. The butterfly magic, golden-age, the prince, grand

prize and broadway are just some of the rambling roses as far as the eye can see. For the most breath-taking beauty, visit the Rose Capital of America in the spring, beginning mid-April. 420 South Rose Park Drive. 903.531.1213. parksandrec.cityoftyler.org.

Palestine Dogwood Trails

Palestine is ‘Home of the Dogwood Trails’ and it’ll prove it three weekends in a row March 20-22, March 27-28, and April 3-5. The Dogwood Trails Festival is Palestine’s longest running festival and celebrates “Decades of Dogwoods” on Saturday, March 21. Unique to the festival this year is the centennial anniversary of the county courthouse and the Redlands Historic Inn. Tour busses full of people will also explore Davey Dogwood Park at 900 N. Link Street. 903.723.3014. texasdogwoodtrails.com.

Linden Wildflower Trail

The Linden Wildflower Trail forms a triangle that takes you through the Cass County cities of Linden, Avinger and Hughes Springs. To keep the momentum going, visit the annual Wildflowers Trail Festival April 25 at Courthouse Square in downtown Linden that includes arts and crafts vendors, live music, a carnival, children’s activities, quilt show, 5-K run, car show, parade, horseshoe tournament, and rodeo. New for the 2015 festival is a steak cook-off. Of course, plants and flowers continue to be the central focus. This year’s theme flowers are the field phlox and the bird’s foot violet. Driving in along Highway 155 and 59, the roadside is littered with Indian paintbrush and viburnum wildflowers. 903.240.1394. Lindenwildflowertrails.net.

Mrs. Lee’s Daffodils

This farm near Gladewater is only open two months out of the year because daffodil blooms only last a short period of time from mid-February through March.

Depending upon Mother Nature, millions of daffodils are scattered across 918 acres of farmland. Visitors have come from as far away as Africa to walk or drive the rolling hills and valleys. It’s free to roam around the farm, but donations are welcome. 21600 CR 3103.

903.845.5780. daffodilgarden.com.

East Texas Arboretum

Every little girl who has ever wanted to be a real-life fairy will flock to the arboretum to experience its magical, new

Enchanted Fairy Garden opening May 9. This spring it will introduce Japanese maples, Chinese pistachio, Gingko and a few more trees. While visiting the arboretum, also be on the lookout for the birds and animals that also call it home.

1601 Patterson Road. 903.675.5630. easttexasarboretum.org.

Blue Moon Gardens

The nursery, set on six acres of land with 100-year-old trees and lovely display gardens tended by gardeners and growers for 30 years, has become a must-visit destination for people who love plants.

Giant, fluffy poppies in shades of pink, orange and red stop traffic when they bloom in April. In early spring, you can also find many varieties of herbs and wallflowers. Look for several new color choices of re-blooming irises this year.

Spring Open House is Saturday, April 25. 13062 FM 279. 903. 852.3897. bluemoongardens.com.

Mineola Nature Center

Nature lovers can take their pick of walking, biking or horse riding trails to connect with animals and plants in their natural community on the Sabine River.

You’ll have to bring your own horses, though. Awesome outdoor experiences can include alligators, blue bonnets, several ponds, primitive camp sites, archery ranges, an educational aquatic loop for the kids, and the master gardener area with native plants and grasses. 1860 County Road 2724. 903.569.6983. mineolnaturepreserve.com.

Glenda Mae’s Daylily Farm

The farm opens for the spring months from March through June. The peak season to tour is the end of May to midJune. More than 350 varieties of daylilies bloom with more than 200 available as potted or bare root. Ask about their newest variety – aquadisiac, and expect more animal ferns than ever before. 120 VZ CR 4712. 903.235.2529. glendamaesdaylilyfarm.com.

Ennis Bluebonnet Festival

In the mood for a field trip? Take a camera, sketch pad, friends or family members for this adventure. The Official Bluebonnet City and Trail of Texas celebrates the Texas state flower in grand style every year for 30 days in a row. Coveted bluebonnet trail maps are handed out at the Bluebonnet Festival April 1819. Pierce Park. 972.878.4748. visitennis. org/bluebonnetfestival.

www.VisitEdom.com

An Old-Fashioned Small Town Street Fair for Adults, Kids, and Pets!

DRAGONHEAD RETREAT B&B on 25 Wooded Acres at 675' Outside Living Area WiFi • Kid Friendly 903-520-2069 www.Vrbo.com/559168 www.dragonheadretreat.com

Unique Handmade Items Tasty Fair Food Live Music Pet Parade Live Auction Children’s Activities And More!

THE FARM HOUSE RETREAT A Unique East Texas Experience Lodging, Weddings, Retreats 903.749.1682 www.facebook.com/thefarmhouse retreatweddings

Saturday & Sunday April 18-19, 2015 EDOM GALLERY & CAFE Art. Food. Music.

903.852.5552 EdomGallery.com

MARIPOSA CABIN Quiet Relaxation in the East Woods, Hand-crafted, lofted 1 bedroom cottage 903-571-2423 www.Vrbo.com/354940

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Downtown Edom 214.478.8999 www.AprilInEdom.net

BLUE MOON GARDENS Perennials. Herbs. Garden Art. Gift Shop Open Daily 9-5 • 903.852.3897 www.bluemoongardens.com

POTTERS BROWN STUDIO & GALLERY Original Handmade Stoneware 903.852.6473 www.pottersbrown.com

WOOD HAVEN CABINS Relax & Unwind 903.279.2308 www.woodhavencabins.com

ZEKE & MARTY Jewelry Studio, Custom Orders Welcome 903.852.3311 www.zekeandmarty.com

THE PEGASUS PROJECT we give horses wings

Dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and placement of neglected, abandoned or abused horses in East Texas. Please visit our website for more information or to make a donation.

www.PegasusRescue.org • 903-469-3578 MARCH/APRIL 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 15

Texarkana Symphony Orchestra closes its season April 25 with “American Sounds,” featuring Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring among others. Courtesy photo.

Symphony Orchestras Fill the Air with Soulful Sounds

By Gwyn Kersey-Weatherford The curtains open to a dimly lit stage as orchestra members test their instruments in preparation for an upcoming performance. Subtle inharmonious sounds tickle the ears of music lovers as they enter the room. The chaotic notes subside as a tuxedo-clad man enters and stops center stage. From the moment he lifts his baton, random notes are magically transformed into music.

A number of symphony orchestras bring classical music to communities nestled amid the tall pine trees, cattle ranches and rodeo arenas weaving a thread of culture and refinement throughout Northeast Texas.

Orchestras and supporting leagues based in Texarkana, Longview, Tyler, and Marshall organize performances throughout the year. Many orchestra members also perform in smaller chamber music ensembles and symphony bands taking beautiful music all over the region.

East Texas Symphony Orchestra

The Tyler Symphony Orchestra was created 79 years ago on March 16, 1936.

Although it disbanded during World War II it was revived in 1950. In 1954 the orchestra was renamed East Texas Symphony Orchestra to reflect the broader region from which performers and musicians are drawn.

The East Texas Symphony Orchestra’s mission statement is “to engage, embrace and excite the East Texas community through inspiring musical performances.” They accomplish this with business practices exemplifying integrity and values. Because of this the East Texas Symphony Orchestra is one of three 2015 non-profit charities nominated for the 2015 Better Business Award for Excellence.

ETSO hired Richard Lee in 2012 as its 10th music director and conductor. Lee passed music exams with honors at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and pursued a degree in music performance and studied as both a violinist and violist and further studied conducting with a long list of notable musicians and conductors at the University of Toronto.

Ute Miller, principal violist for the ETSO states, “The ETSO is a professional regional orchestra, and it is a point of pride for a community like Tyler to have a symphony orchestra of this quality presenting a five-concert season.”

The East Texas Symphony Orchestra presents “Melody Makers” March 18.

Orchestra melodies such as Rossini’s William Tell Overture and J. Strauss’ Die Fledermaus and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 are performed. In addition, violinist Christine Wu,, 2013 winner of the Juanita Miller competition award, performs music by Mozart.

16 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2015

The season concludes with a transcendent evening of music including Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with soprano Shannon Mercer April 25.

Concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. at the University of Texas Tyler Cowan Center.

Marshall Symphony Orchestra The Marshall Symphony Orchestra, founded January 1951, is a longstanding orchestra in East Texas. With both lament and gratitude, it is saying farewell this year to conductor Maestro Leonard Kacenjar who has been with the orchestra 39 years.

Throughout his tenure the symphony’s objective is to “offer the East Texas area a cultural opportunity to experience an enriched life resplendent with excellence in music through quality performances featuring talented artists and encouraging gifted youth.”

Kacenjar is aware that the tenure of any orchestra depends on incorporating new talent with the seasoned musicians. He is currently serving as adjunct professor at Panola College in Carthage. and teaches violin and viola for “Project String Power, Inc.” and is developing a string program for the college. Without a doubt several of his students will perform with not only the Marshall Symphony but with other orchestras throughout the area.

Comprised of professional musicians and student musicians from throughout the Ark-La-Tex, the Marshall Symphony Orchestra presents three concerts each year.

Longview Symphony Orchestra

Conductor Dr. James Snowden was instrumental in the creation of the Longview Symphony Orchestra in 1968.

The original orchestra consisted of about 60 dedicated conservatory-trained volunteer musicians who were committed to sharing their music.

“Although the orchestra has not increased in number, today’s orchestra is now composed of professional, paid musicians from East Texas, Dallas/ Fort Worth, Arkansas and Louisiana,” Snowden said.

In addition to performing with the Longview Symphony Orchestra, in 1988 Snowden founded the East Texas Symphonic Band. Recently the band received the 2015 Sudler Silver Scroll Award from the John Philip Sousa Foundation.

The Longview Symphony Orchestra presents “Freedom Rings” under the direction of conductor Tom Webster April 11 at the LeTourneau University Belcher Center. The celebration of the diversity of American composers and styles features the masterworks of Morton Gould, John Williams, Aaron Copland, Charles Ives, Leonard Bernstein, and Adolphus Hailstork. Open notes begin at 6:30 p.m.

A small group of East Texas Symphony Orchestra musicians practices for spring performances scheduled at the Cowan Center. Photo by Efrain Sain.

and the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available online at belchercenter. com or by calling 903-233-3080.

Texarkana Symphony Orchestra

Celebrating its tenth anniversary this April, the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra is preparing for exciting growth in its program.

Its mission is “to pursue, for all, the transformative power of symphonic music through excellence in live performance and education.”

From its beginning April 4, 2006, this group has extended a hand of encouragement to the young musicians and in just a few months after the symphony was founded, the Junior League of Texarkana awarded them $100,000 to “foster educational excellence for children through local access to professional music ensembles.”

“We are especially proud of our youth orchestra,” said founding board president Remica Gray. “Several kids have gone on to perform in college orchestras. Others play in church orchestras or major in music. Others simply enjoy attending performances. It is our privilege to love, teach and equip them to grow into adulthood with an appreciation for music.”

The Texarkana Symphony Orchestra is continuously looking for talented musicians to add to the group.

East Texas Symphony Orchestra conductor Richard Lee picks up his baton for two performances this spring in March and April.

Photo by Dr. Scott Lieberman

“Our most prominent goal for the next five years is to recruit professional string players to move to Texarkana,” Gray said. “We are looking for musicians who will live and teach music in this area.”

According to Gray, currently one-fourth of the orchestra members live in Texarkana area, but the string musicians are shared with neighboring orchestras.

The Texarkana Symphony Orchestra performs “Mozart in March” on March 7 featuring Kara Kirkendoll-Welch on flute and Jaymee Haefner on harp.

On April 25 the orchestra closes out its season with “American Sounds” featuring Mary Scott Goode on piano. Music includes Copland’s Appalachian Spring, Mozart’s The School for Scandal Overture, Tower’s Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

Performances take place at the Perot Theatre located at 221 Main Street in the heart of downtown Texarkana. Concert previews begin at 6:40 p.m. and the main concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available on the Texarkana Regional Arts & Humanities Council website, www. trahc.org or by calling 870-773-3401.

Local Symphony Orchestras are composed of highly trained professional musicians. Each orchestra contributes not only entertainment but strength and unity to their communities.

All of the symphony orchestras and leagues are especially dedicated to providing young musicians an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of music. They either sponsor a children’s concert giving area students the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of music or incorporate the talents of these young, gifted musicians into symphony performances.

Audiences of all ages are growing in appreciation as more symphonies fill the air in the Upper East Side of Texas.

MARCH/APRIL 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 17

THIS TIME OF YEAR Celebrate Women MARCH. WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

MARCH 8

Daylight savings time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 8. Set your clocks ahead one hour.

MARCH 17 You must do things you think you cannot do. — Eleanor Roosevelt APRIL 2, 1935 History was made 80 years ago on April 2, 1935, when a debate team from the small African American Wiley College in Marshall beat the reigning national collegiate debate champions, the University of Southern California. But Wiley would not supplant USC as collegiate debate champions or enjoy the crown. The Wiley CollegeUSC debate was a non-decision affair because Wiley was not a member of the segregated organization governing the national contest.

MARCH 20. SPRING BEGINS

Still, it was a defining moment in history for the legendary Wiley College debate coach Melvin Tolson and the students he inspired to speak boldly about important issues of the day. The story was made into a movie, The Great Debaters, that premiered in 2007 directed and starring Denzel Washington. One of the producers of the film is Oprah Winfrey and Longview-born Forest Whitaker is one of the key cast members.

Read more about this part of East Texas history on countylinemagazine.com.

APRIL 30-MAY 3

18 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2015

A play about the life and murder of Diamond Bessie takes place during the 68th Annual Pilgrimage Tour of Homes in Jefferson.

A popular stage entertainer, she was spoiled by her husband with diamonds and jewelry which he eventually gambled away except for her two diamond rings. The story goes that when she wouldn’t give those to him he took her out in the woods and killed her.

APRIL 4, 1916

PAPER

Indulge YOU DESERVE IT

SUBSCRIBE! Hattie Brantley (inset) was born April 4, 1916, in Jefferson. She was a lieutenant and nurse in the U.S. Army at the start of America’s involvement in World War II and was stationed in the Philippine Islands when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. She was evacuated to the fortified island of Corregidor and escaped the horrors of the Bataan Death March, but was taken to the prison camp at the University of Santo Tomas where she cared for fellow prisoners, including survivors of the death march and Japanese abuses, from mid 1942 until early 1945 when she was liberated. When she retired in 1969 as a lieutenant colonel after nearly 30 years of service, she was the last Army prisoner of war nurse from World War II in uniform. She was known as the “Angel of Bataan.”

Brantley is featured with other courageous women of World War II in Mary Conk Farrell’s book “Pure Grit” available on Amazon. She died September 20, 2006, and is buried in New Prospect Cemetery near Jefferson.

APRIL 10, 1938

In celebration of our

15th anniversary get a one-year subscription in 2015 for just $15 per year!

SUBMIT ORDER ON WEBSITE OR MAIL TO P.O. BOX 608 BEN WHEELER, TX 75754

county line Upper East Side of Texas Regional Magazine

fl&g Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, broadcaster, and actor Dandy Don Meredith was born in Mount Vernon April 10, 1938. He died of complications from a brain hemorrhage December 5, 2010. The first floor of the Fire Station Museum in Mount Vernon is dedicated to his honor. Read more about his life and accomplishments in the archives of County Line eMagazine.

903.963.8306 countylinemagazine.com

MARCH/APRIL 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 19



CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

Check out the eMAGAZINE www.countylinemagazine.com for extended event listings.

Texas State Railroad is Back on Track

Traveling Airplane Museum Coming To Tyler Airport

The Collings Foundation Wings of Freedom Tour is landing at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport on March 13-15.

The Historic Aviation Memorial Museum, located at 150 Airport Drive in the old north terminal building under the control tower, hosts this event.

In 2014, the Texas State Railroad (TSRR) shattered ridership records, one of which which stood for three decades.

The railroad ended the year with annual ridership of 79,354. That was an increase of 13,345 riders or 16.8 percent over 2013.

By comparison, the railroad’s best previous year for ridership occurred in 1984, when it was operated by Texas Parks and Wildlife. That year, 75,078 people rode the historic passenger railroad.

“The Polar Express” Train Ride, by far the railroad’s largest and most popular annual special event, also set new ridership records. The seven-week event in 2014 drew 58,184 riders from 40 states and four foreign countries.

By comparison, the 2013 event brought in 45,529 passengers from 31 states and eight foreign countries. The increase of 12,655 riders netted the railroad 19.6 percent growth in that event in 2014 over 2013.

The 2014 event was by far the largest Polar Express event in the eight years the TSRR has hosted it. In addition, the TSRR’s Polar Express event was the largest in the Iowa Pacific Holdings, LLC’s fleet of railroads for the third year in a row.

“This just goes to show, if you offer a quality product and quality customer service, people will come and ride the train,” Texas State Railroad Marketing and Public Relations Manager Janet Gregg said.

“This railroad is the official railroad of

Texas. It runs the only consistently operated steam train in the state and that alone makes it truly a Texas treasure,” Gregg added. “But when you add in the improved special event schedule that offers a wide variety of train rides for all ages and differing interests, then it becomes even more of a ‘must do’ tourist destination.”

“I am very proud of this year’s accomplishments at the Texas State Railroad,” general manager Steven Butler said. “Our dedicated staff has been a major part of bringing our ridership up to exceed the past record from 30 years ago.”

To increase ridership in 2015, the TSRR plans to add more runs to its Polar Express schedule, and five new special events throughout the year.

Among the new offerings are a three-day steampunk weekend event that offers four different train ride experiences, including a steampunk photo train, a Victorian high tea train, a Victorian dinner train and a Victorian brunch train.

The TSRR also features a Mother’s Day brunch train, a Father’s Day BBQ train, “Wine in the Pines” wine tasting train and “Pints in the Pines” beer tasting train.

The Wings of Freedom Tour is a set of B-17, B-24, and P-51 World War II planes touring the United States each year as a traveling museum. Tyler has hosted the exhibit several times during the past seven years and it is always well attended.

Guests can purchase a ride on any one of these planes for a tax-deductible fee as the Collings Foundation is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization. Pricing and scheduling for rides are available atcollingsfoundation.org or after arrival at the Historic Aviation Memorial Museum.

The Collings Foundation’s Huey Helicopter joins the tour this year. This helicopter travels with the bombers during their stops in Texas and is also available for rides.

After their arrival on March 13 at approximately 2 p.m., the planes are available on the ground for walk-through tours for $12 per adult and $6 for children 6-12 years. Flights are usually scheduled in the morning and late afternoon, with the walk-through tours from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

For more information call the Tyler museum at 903.526.1945.

Last but not least, the railroad is adding a new class of service to its Piney Woods Steam Excursions from June through mid-November. The Streamliner Diner class of service offers a five-course, hot catered meal (with three different menu choices each month) in a vintage dining car.

For more information about the Texas State Railroad, visit its website at TexasStateRR.com or follow it on Facebook.

20 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2015

The Wings of Freedom Tour is in Tyler March 13-15 at the Tyler Pounds Regional Airport hosted by the Historic Aviation Memorial Museum. Courtesy photo.

Motorized Barstool Races Return in Ben Wheeler

claimed racers are now on display at participating shops across the historic town and drivers are preparing for the March 21 event. From there organizers say the barstool races will continue throughout the year during special events.

Those interested in making their own motorized barstool can check out the Ben Wheeler Motorized Barstool Racing Rules and Regulations. Entry forms and complete rules are available at Moore’s Store, The Forge Bar & Grill or online at BenWheelerTx.com.

EVENTS

The idea of a motorized barstool race came to a group of men in 1978 at the Quiet Man Bar on Knox Street in Dallas. The original circle of six barstool creators consisted of Bill Jenkins, Thomas Spangler, Johnny Gable, John Pullman, Mike Carr and Keith Blackwell. Each man created his own version of a motorized barstool and then they began to race them outside the Quiet Man bar.

Soon it grew to the Highland Park Cafeteria parking lot where Mrs. Dewey Goodman announced the racers at a polished track. From there they moved to the Dart Bar of Cedar Springs followed by Luke’s Outhouse. The tradition continued throughout Dallas, where Jenkins made the news with his barstool cannon blast that set off the alarm of a nearby liquor store.

The Dallas Farmers Market quickly took up the event in full sponsorship along with Ben E Keith and Budweiser to blast the races citywide. Jenkins’ barstool train debuted (featuring a super charged 350cc Honda) coming in first place one year. In 1991, the races finally found their end at the Greenville Avenue Saint Patty’s Day Parade.

Until now.

The barstools have now resurfaced in Ben Wheeler. The reincarnated, re-

April 7

Taste of Longview. Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Complex, 100 Grand Blvd. 903-452-3286. toppoffice.com.

April 11

Through June 27

Delta County Fair.

903.395.4314. deltacounty.org.

February 26-March 1 and April 1-5

5th Annual Athens EggFest. Athens.

Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, 5550 FM 2495. 903.676.2277. athenstx.org.

Enchanted Fairy Garden. Athens. East Texas Arboretum. 903-675-5630.

The re-ignition of the former Dallasbased Barstool Races occurs March 21 in Ben Wheeler, following a Barstool Adoption Auction held in January.

er Nature puts on a spectacular show in East Texas during the dogwood blooming season and this special brunch train makes this viewing a truly memorable occasion. This train departs the Palestine Depot at 10:15 a.m. and returns at approximately 2:45 p.m. Reservations must be booked by 5 p.m. March 25th. $50-$80. Texas State Railroad.

877.726.7245. texasstaterr.com.

First Monday Trade Days. Canton.

903.567.6556. firstmondaycanton.com.

March 3

Taste of the Arts. Marshall. Marshall Convention Center, 2501 East End Blvd. South.

903-935-4484. marshallartscouncil.org.

March 6-8

Zonta Antiques Show & Sale. Longview.

Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Complex, 100 Grand Blvd. 903.932.0984. zontalongview.clubexpress.com.

March 13

Celebrate Texas! Lil Texas in Concert. Longview. Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Complex. 903.746.0072. outhousetickets.com.

March 21

Cherokee Neches Paddling Trail Launching Party. Jacksonville. Neches River Run Park. 903.586.2217. jacksonvilletexas.com.

March 27

Healthfest 2015. Marshall. Various locations. healthfest.com.

March 28

Cooper.

April 14

Taste of Tyler. Tyler. Harvey Convention Center, 2000 W. Front Street. 903-5349761. tasteoftyler.com.

April 18-19

April in Edom. Old fashioned street fair. Downtown Edom. 214.478.8999. aprilinedom.net.

April 24

Steampunk Express (Cogs, Leather, Lace & Steam). Palestine. Wine Tastings, High Tea, Whiskey Tasting, Victorian Dinner Train and Absinthe Tasting, Steampunk Festival, and Victorian Brunch. Texas State Railroad.

877.726.7245. texasstaterr.com.

Henderson County Go Texan Rodeo.

Athens. Henderson County Regional Fair Park Complex. 3356 Hwy. 31 East.

903675-5181. athenstx.org.

April 25

Independent Film Showing — Coherence. Downtown Edom. The Old Firehouse. 8241 FM 279. 903.852.2781. theoldfirehouse.net.

Independent Film Showing - Force Majeure. Downtown Edom. The Old Firehouse. 8241 FM 279. 903.852.2781. theoldfirehouse.net.

Harvest Festival Crawfish Boil.

Longview. Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Complex, 100 Grand Blvd. 903236-8428. harvestfestivallivestockshow.com.

Outdoor Expo. Athens. Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center. 903-676-2277.

April 30-May 3

March 29

Dogwood Special Brunch Train. Moth-

Magnolias and Muskets: 68th Jefferson Historical Pilgrimage. Jefferson. Various locations. 903-452-3836. jeffersonpilgrimage.com.

MARCH/APRIL 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 21

The Redlands Celebrates 100th Anniversary In honor of the 100 years of Palestine and Texas History at The Redlands, a centennial celebration will be hosted in conjunction with the 77th Annual Texas Dogwood Trails Celebration, March 19-22.

Located in the center of downtown Palestine, The Redlands has been an iconic building for 100 years. In 1914, a group of interested local investors pooled their money to open the finest hotel outside of Galveston. The architects used the most innovative and fire

resistant material of the time, concrete.

The Redlands Building opened with fanfare and excitement in 1915. Lavish parties, community meetings and overnight guests from the train would grace its doors for four years. In 1919, it was purchased by the International & Great Northern Railway to be its headquarters. Hotel rooms and public spaces were renovated to be offices for the railroad. A few changes were made to the interior during the railroad occupation, but the basic structure has

remained the same for 100 years. The railroad moved its headquarters to a new building in town in 1956.

The building was left unoccupied and waiting for 21 years, until visionary coowners Jean and Norman Mollard and Robert Laughlin purchased the property and began to bring the grand dame back to life. For nearly 38 years, they have lovingly restored the exterior and common spaces, creating a multi-use building of apartments and commercial spaces. They kept the details that make the building stand out, the delicate tile work in the lobby that was crafted by Italian artisans, the amazing skylight on the second floor and the historic charm of the Renaissance Revival style of the building.

March 19, 4:30 - 7 p.m.

Ribbon cutting ceremony to recreate the opening of the hotel in 1915 and its 100 years in downtown Palestine.

Ceremony will include: opening remarks, a reception and an introduction to historic exhibits prepared for the centennial celebration.

22 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2015

Photos By Dave Schultz

Schedule of The Redlands Centennial Events:

March 20-21 The Red Fire Grille Centennial Dinner Service. Located in The Redlands and one of Palestine’s finest restaurants, it will be offering a pre-fix dinner that has been chef recreated from the dinner served at the opening in 1915 in the dining room of The Redlands. Menu will be available on The Redlands website, reservations requested.

March 19-April 4 (Daily) “Life in Palestine in 1910-1919” Exhibits and Displays Exhibits include: • Palestine’s Past and Present – a video presentation, with several showings daily.

• Life and Times, featuring exhibits of articles of the period which show life at the turn of the century.

• Rail History and how the railway helped Palestine grow in that era.

• Architecture Explained: How the building was built and the men and women who built it.

• Recognition of Palestine veterans who served in WWI • Redlands 2015 and Today: Will feature the building in its current incarnation with tours, featured apartment tour, and special events in the shops on the first floor.

The Redlands is listed on the National Register of Historic Properties and still serves as an iconianchor to the City of Palestine’s Main Street District.

For more information visit its website at: redlandshistoricinn.com or pick up a brochure in The Redlands.

featuring the “Dogwoods Through the Decades” Parade with floats and entries that highlight Palestine history.

Parade is at 10 a.m. and starts at the courthouse, winds through downtown, right by The Redlands and back to the courthouse.

While visiting this iconic downtown location, make plans to enjoy the activities of the 77th Annual Texas Dogwood Trails Celebration March 20-22.

Cars of Palestine Car Club – Friday night Cruise-in followed on Saturday by the 30th Annual Cars of Palestine Car show and People’s Choice Awards.

Centennial Weekend Schedule Events for Texas Dogwood Trails:

For more information on the 77th Annual Texas Dogwood Trails Celebration visit: texasdogwoodtrails.com or call the Palestine Chamber of Commerce at 903.729.6066.

of

March 21 Dogwood Trails Festival and Parade,

MARCH/APRIL 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 23

THE ARTS

visual. performing. film. literary.

Public Arts Projects On Tap In Hunt County Pamela Edwards painting depicting the cotton history of Greenville is going up on the Scott & Ray Law building in downtown Greenville.

ABOVE. Artist David Zvanut is creating two sculptures from rustic materials to go in Commerce City Park. RIGHT: “Spectrum” by Cathy Smithey is the 2014 mural addition to downtown Greenville on the side of the Armstrong Appliance building. Courtesy photos.

Hunt County Public Art plans two new large-scale public art projects in 2015, helping to continue the revitalization of the county using work produced by local artists.

fence posts suspended from a steel armature, these contemporary sculptures celebrate local history and draw attention to this longstanding park in central Commerce.

One project is a huge mural on the side of the Scott & Ray Law building in downtown Greenville. A graphic abstraction on Hunt County’s natural history by artist Pamela Edwards, the piece pays homage to Greenville’s cotton-farming heritage in a bold, brightly colored design.

Edwards is an enterprising design professional and artist. A Los Angeles native, she was partially educated in Greenville and recently returned. In addition to a degree in graphic design, she has an extensive creative background, teaching experience, love of nature, and currently instructs painting classes at Downtown Art Party. Edwards’ skill sets include drawing, painting, sculpting, animation, architectural drafting, serigraphy and typographic design.

The modern look is inspired by the geologic history of Hunt County, which was once covered entirely in saltwater millions of years ago and was later inhabited by Native Americans.

The other project is a creation of two massive sculptures in Commerce City Park by artist David Zvanut. Made from rustic materials including old bois d’arc

Zvanut, of Commerce, received his MFA from East Texas State University in 1986. His art is held in many private and public collections in Commerce and around the country. More infor-

24 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2015

mation on him can be found at zvanut. com.

In 2014 the Hunt County group raised funds for a large-scale, brightly-colored mural and sculpture on the side of the Armstrong Appliance building in downtown Greenville.

The piece, “Spectrum” by local artist Cathy Smithey, took a big step toward completion recently when several huge, metal sculptural rings were installed on the wall. The rings are backlit at night with LED lighting to make the artwork an eye-catching downtown attraction even after the sun goes down.

Other pieces to be added to “Spectrum” include a changeable art panel to showcase local artists’ work, a life-size figure of a person from Greenville’s history and directional signage that points visitors to other downtown attractions.

EVENTS Through March 6 Pottery Exhibit. Mount Pleasant. Whatley Center for Performing Arts. Northeast Texas Community College. 903.434.8181. ntcc.edu/whatley.

Through March 9 Remixed. Tyler. Gallery Main Street, 110 West Erwin Street. 903.593.6905. cityoftyler.org/Departments/MainStreet/GalleryMainStreet.

Through March 15 11th Annual High School Art Exhibition. Tyler. Free. Tyler Museum of Art,1300 S. Mahon, 903.595.1001. tylermuseum.org.

Through March 28 Stuart Riordan Exhibition. Nacogdoches.

Cole Art Center, 329 East Main Street.

Through April 18 Going Green Exhibit. Athens. Free. Gallery 211, 211 North Palestine St. 903.292.1746. artgallery211.net.

Through April 25 Caddo Lake Exposed. Marshall. Michelson Museum of Art, 216 North Bolivar Street.

903.935.9480. michelsonmuseum.org.

64TH ANNUAL

Ennis

Bluebonnet TRAILS FESTIVAL

Sponsored by Ennis Garden Club

April 18-19, 2015

(Mapped trails open in April)

Arts/Crafts/Food/Live Music Free Trail Maps Children’s Fun Area Car Show & Wine Walk (Sat. only) 49th Annual

National Polka Festival

May 22-24, 2015 Czech Family Fun for Everyone!

13 live polka bands and much more.

Just 25 minutes south of Downtown Dallas on IH-45 Ennis Farmers Market (Saturdays, April-Oct.)

972-878-4748 www.visitennis.org

Through May 2 Evolution: Two Teacher’s Anecdotes. Texarkana. Free. 321 West 4th Street. 903.792.8681. trahc.org.

Through May 6 Tin Toys & Raw Realities. Tyler. A solo exhibition of works by John Hartley. Tyler Museum of Art ,1300 S. Mahon Ave. 903-595-1001. tylermuseum.org.

March 14-May 4 Exploding Boundaries: A Fiber Arts Exhibit. Tyler. Main Street Gallery, 110 West Erwin Street. 903.593.6905. cityoftyler.org/Departments/MainStreet/GalleryMainStreet.

March 20 The 34th Annual Tyler Quilt Show: Color Your World with Quilts. Tyler. $6-7. Harvey Convention Center, 2000 W Front St (Hwy 31 W). 903.581.0175.

March 21 16th Annual Women for the Arts Party With Picassos. Texarkana. Northridge Country Club.

903.792.8681. trahc.org.

May 9 Dangerous Curves Exhibit Opening Reception. Athens. Free. 211 North Palestine St. 903.292.1746. artgallery211.net.

MARCH/APRIL 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 25

THE ARTS STAGE

Tenessee Williams Play Comes to Lindale Theater

ArtsView Spring Choir Members Selected

ArtsView Children’s Theatre announces its 2015 Encore Players Spring Show Choir.

Auditions were held in December to choose a group of talented teens to entertain in and around Longview during the spring semester.

This year’s Encore Players include Victoria Bishop from White Oak, Alysa Haden from Hallsville, Mercedes Nunley and Bucky VanDoren from Kilgore, Shayde Seward from Diana, Trevor Stripling from Gladewater, Elijah Bump, Kaleb Dunahoe, Isaac Grimes, Auburn Hilliard, Aaren Smith, Nick Smith, Savannah Smith, and Danielle Wooden, all from Longview.

The Lindale Community Theater presents the second show of its 2015 season, Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie.”

and Laura strive to create to make life bearable collapses about them. Tom, too, at the end of his tether, at last leaves home.

Production dates are April 17-19 and April 24-26.

Friday and Saturday performances start at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday matinees start at 2 p.m. Doors open 45 minutes prior to show time.

Amanda Wingfield is a faded, tragic remnant of Southern gentility who lives in poverty in a dingy St. Louis apartment with her son, Tom, and her daughter, Laura. Amanda strives to give meaning and direction to her life and the lives of her children, though her methods are ineffective and irritating. Tom is driven nearly to distraction by his mother’s nagging and seeks escape in alcohol and the world of the movies. Laura also lives in her illusions. She is crippled, and this defect, intensified by her mother’s anxiety to see her married, has driven her more and more into herself.

The crux of the action comes when Tom invites a young man of his acquaintance to take dinner with the family. Jim, the caller, is a nice ordinary fellow who is at once pounced upon by Amanda as a possible husband for Laura. In spite of her crude and obvious efforts to entrap the young man, he and Laura manage to get along very nicely, and momentarily Laura is lifted out of herself into a new world. But this crashes when, toward the end, Jim explains that he is already engaged. The world of illusion Amanda

Adult admission is $15, students get in for $12 and children 12 and under are admitted for $8. Tickets are available online at lindalecommunitytheater.org or at the door. The theater also has 2015 season tickets available at the show.

The theater is located at 109 W. Hubbard in downtown Lindale. For more information, email tim@lindalecommunitytheater.org or call 903.638.0402.

The focus of this outreach group is singing, dancing, and entertaining for people of all ages throughout the area.

Performance venues last year included AMBUCS, Colonial Village Retirement Community, Downtown Live, the Salvation Army Family Fun Run, Six Flags Over Texas, AlleyFest, and many others.

The 2015 Encore Players are directed

by Caroline Donica with assistant director Brooklyn Davis.

EVENTS March 26 Blue Man Group. Longview. LeTourneau University Belcher Center. 903.233.3080. belchercenter.com.

April 18 Fancy Nancy The Musical. Longview.

Belcher Center. 903.233.3080. belchercenter. com.

March 15 Kevin James. Longview. Belcher Center.

903.233.3080. belchercenter.com.

March 13

ArtsView Children’s Theatre recently selected its 2015 Encore Players Spring Show Choir after auditions held in December. The group includes teens from White Oak, Hallsville, Kilgore, Diana, Gladewater and Longview. Courtesy Photo

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Live from Nashville. Marshall. Marshall Convention Center. 903-935-4484. marshallartscouncil.org.

April 17 Penn & Teller. Tyler. UT Tyler Cowan Center. 903-566-7424. cowancenter.org.

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THE ARTS FILM

Classic Movie Takes Community Spring Gatherings Sport Singing and Interesting Characters

Fred Astaire. Made in 1948, it also stars Ann Miller and Peter Lawford. It is set in 1912. Music is by Irving Berlin with songs such as “Easter Parade,” “Steppin Out With My Baby,” and “We’re a Couple of Swells.”

Fred Astaire plays a Broadway star, Don Hewes. His dancing partner Nadine Hale (Ann Miller) has plans to be in another show without him. His best friend Johnny, played by Peter Lawford, shows up and Nadine is interested in him. Don is angry and goes to a bar where he sees Judy Garland in the chorus. He enlists the unknown Hannah Brown (Garlan) to teach her to be a star. Johnny, in the meantime, meets Hannah at a rehearsal and is attracted to her.

By Jules Scroggin and Jess LeBeau

STATE FAIR

State Fair is a 1945 musical starring Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Fay Bainter, and Dick Haymes. The original music by Rodgers and Hammerstein includes popular songs such as “It’s A Grand Night for Singing” and “It Might as Well Be Spring.” The last of which won the Academy Award for Best Song.

It is the story of a farm family, the Frakes, who look forward every year to the Iowa state fair where they can mingle with the more worldy folk who come from all over to compete for the best in cooking and livestock among other contests.

The daughter Margy (Jeanne Crain) longs for something more than her humdrum life on the farm. She encounters romance with handsome stranger Pat (Dana Andrews), a reporter covering the fair and who she meets on a roller coaster. They spend the day together.

The mother played by Fay Bainter is intent on winning the cooking contest with her mincemeat. Her husband Abel (Charles Winninger), thinks the mincemeat needs a little something and adds brandy to it, unbeknownst to Mrs. Frakes. The judges like her mincemeat and keep sampling it making them very tipsy. They agree it’s a winner and give her a special award.

The father, Abel thinks that his pig Blue Boy will win a livestock prize and bets that he will. Dick Haymes is the brother Wayne whose girlfriend cannot go to the fair. He meets a girl there played by Vivian Blaine.

Margy and Pat fall in love and he asks her to marry him. Even though they are quite different, she accepts.

The movie was later remade in the 60s with Pat Boone and Ann Margret. But the original is still the best version. It is good wholesome family fare everyone can watch.

EASTER PARADE

Easter Parade is a delightful holiday musical starring Judy Garland and

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Nadine’s show is a success and Hannah finds out that Nadine used to be Don’s girlfriend. She tries to find more ways to be with Don by making mistakes so that they have to rehearse more. Hannah thinks that Don used her to make Nadine jealous. Johnny tells Hannah she should forgive Don and she goes to meet him for their date at the Easter parade. Don proposes to Hannah as photographers take their pictures while they walk down the street during the parade. The movie was the most profitable one either Astaire or Garland ever made. Easter Parade won the Academy Award for Best Original Music Score in 1948. Some of the other songs included were “Happy Easter,” “It Only Happens When I Dance with You,” “A Fella with an Umbrella,” “Shakin the Blues Away”, “Better Luck Next Time,” all by Irving Berlin.

The film is now available for viewing on YouTube in two parts. youtube.com watch?v=EAkmH8fh-k0 and youtube.com/watch?v=iVpvE-PwpeA

Marshall-Based Documentary Highlights Historic Trail The Marshall Historic Landmark Preservation Board recently completed “The Buard History Trail,” a documentary film on the contributions of African-Americans to the growth and development of Marshall.

The film was written and directed by Barney Canson, produced by Jack Canson and executive producer is Bo Ellis.

It was funded by a grant from the Texas Historical Commission and by private donors.

who spent an enormous amount of time compiling the accomplishments of area African Americans. A trail guide brochure is available at the Marshall Convention and Visitors Bureau or guests can call in advance to arrange a guided tour. For more information about the trail call 903.702.7777 and go to visitmarshalltexas.org.

Filmmakers hope it is used in classrooms, meetings, and websites to promote education, preservation, and protection of the landmarks identified in the Buard History Trail. The trail is a driving tour includes important African-American sites such as historic Wiley College, New Town, and the Old Powder Mill Cemetery, which includes the graves of two of the famous Tuskegee Airmen who served in World War II. The trail is named for the late Rebecca D. Buard, a popular local historian, MARCH/APRIL 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 29

THE ARTS LITERARY Bausinger’s writing career started when she wrote a story for TJC’s creative writing magazine, The Bell Tower, which ended up winning a best story prize. Encouraged by creative writing professor Tracy Borum and literature professor Dr. Linda Gary, Bausinger continued her writing pursuits in her creative writing class and wrote the first chapter of War Eagle Women.

In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeanette

By Hampton Sides ISBN 9780385535373 Reviewed by Jeremy Light

Even though Hollywood insists on foisting the next slam bang action film on the public every week, sometimes real life is even more thrilling than anything a screenwriter could come up with.

Hampton Sides provides a detailed and harrowing account of the USS Jeanette, a fateful 19th-century voyage to the North Pole. It might seem that a story taking place mostly in a colder clime might bring about a case of frozen apathy. However, Sides’ account of the event, meticulously researched from primary sources, is a page turner greater than any piece of fiction.

In 1879 the world was much more bare than it is now. The North Pole was a region virtually unknown, and discovering the unknown, not unlike today, brought with it massive reward —namely fame. But as with most things, fame comes with a price, and that price in this story is ridiculously high.

The story of the USS Jeanette begins with the owner of The New York Herald, James Gordon Bennett, and his funding of an expedition to the North Pole, as a way of keeping his readers interested.

Incidentally, Bennett had previously financed Sir Henry M. Stanley’s expedition to find Dr. David Livingstone.

Fame begets hubris, and that is certainly the case here.

The captain of the expedition, George Washington De Long, made the trip as planned, only to have his ship trapped

in ice. But that is only the start of the story. Things get much more harrowing. Ironically, as good as the story is, it is precisely the kind of tale almost definitely headed for the silver screen at some point. Better to enjoy it with masterful and compelling prose before all the life is sucked out of it.

The only possible drawback to the story is the historical detail. It may divert the compelling narrative every once in a while, but it simultaneously lends the exciting story the authenticity it needs.

This is one for the top shelf.

“After that, it got placed on the back burner for a while,” Bausinger said.

War Eagle Women might have been relegated to great untold-story status if it was not for a close friend and fellow student’s advice to attend a writer’s conference in Dallas. While there, if a complete manuscript was ready, an agent could peruse the work.

This development gave Bausinger the needed push to complete the idea in her head. Afterwards, she was able to complete other noteworthy projects, such as her first non-school publication, which appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul-Thanks Dad, and would later publish in Chicken Soup’s Runners.

But things were not always successful for Bausinger.

“I got so many rejections, after a while, it got to be funny,” Bausinger says. She even traded rejection letters with Tracy Borum, comparing to see which was worse.

The Original War Eagle Woman is Living An Author’s Journey

By Tina Coleman Bausinger ISBN 13: 978-1-61935-306-0 Reviewed by Jeremy Light

One thing East Texas never lacks is talented writers — having met several is just an added bonus. One of them is Tina Bausinger, writing professor at Tyler Junior College. She recently published her first novel, War Eagle Women, a work that keeps alive the unique genre of southern Gothic. Though the concept of the intertwined lives of the women in the story is interesting, perhaps even more fascinating is the story of the original War Eagle Woman.

30 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2015

It is this kind of humor, coupled with her writing skill, that makes Bausinger the published author she is.

National publications like USA Today have mentioned her new work, War Eagle Women, in their Must Read book trailer.

Bausinger is attending the 2015 Stanley Hotel Writer’s Retreat in October in Estes Park, Colorado, where she conducts a panel called “How to Write a Haunted House Story.” Learn more at tinabausinger.com.

It is definitely inspiring to witness a literary star in the making, and there is no doubt that War Eagle Women will prove a success, not only for Bausinger, but for all of East Texas.

row speaks Friday on “Forget the Fluff, Mastering the ‘Fab Five’” about plotting books to get novels outlined and drafted in 30 days, and Saturday about “Layering Process, Learn” to use a comprehensive list of “layers” to flesh out a manuscript.

Attendees can schedule a one-on-one appointment with her.

Writers Conference Set For Mount Pleasant

The Northeast Texas Writers Organization is holding its 25th annual Writers Round-Up Conference April 24-25 at the Texas Civic Center in Mount Pleasant.

Aspiring writers are welcome to attend the conference with this year’s theme, “Sowing Seeds of Success,” to learn more about increasing writing skills and getting published.

Speakers span the range of the writing world including authors, small press publishers, and agents. Presenters include: Author and editor Susan Malone – Malone owns an editing business where she works with authors who sell their books to traditional publishers. She speaks Friday on “Creating Masterful Scenes” and on Saturday on “Viewpoint – The Hub.” She offers one-on-one meetings with limited authors during the conference.

Author Jayna Morrow – A fiction writer as well as author of “Book Writing For The Rest Of Us, The Layering Process,” Mor-

POETRY & PROSE Mother Nature

If you look into the eyes of nature, you will see Mother Nature.

She will take you in as one of her own, ‘cause you are a nature kind of person.

Abigail Barker, 4th grade Kaufman

SUNDAY MORNING WALK IN TYLER,TEXAS

Bird songs and people inside in Sunday indolence and I am early moving into the day gradually warming with a hint of the heat to come in the somnolent air moving through this morning on Azalea Street a walker in the body

Blogging coach Renee Groskreutz – She is a blogging whiz and teaches others how to blog for their success. Groskreutz speaks Friday only on “Intro to Blogging for Business and Why it Matters.” Prior to the conference, she can review blogs, and meet with authors one-on-one to discuss how to improve and be more successful. Because numbers are limited, those interested should register to have this first-come, first-serve opportunity.

Cherry Weiner of Cherry Weiner Literary Agency – For those who have ever wanted to ask a literary agent a question face-to-face or have them read the opening pages of a manuscript, that chance arrives with Cherry Weiner answering conference attendees’ questions on Friday. A limited number of individual appointments with Weiner are available for those who register early.

Lee Thomas – Thomas talks about “Writing Villains” on Saturday. Those who need tips and techniques about how to build a dubious character can learn from a professional. Thomas can speak with attendees on a first-come, first-serve basis to discuss characterization development. bringing all this singing world into himself, and stopping to touch the scent of some blooms on a bush, and his soul shouting: “I am here,” “I AM & EVERYTHING IS,” and that is all he ever needs to know as he moves through the morning and the growing light.

Peter Hoheisel Jacksonville

bright dark life

My life has been painted with blue and with gray It certainly did not turn out the way that I thought would be nice circumstances I could not control changed all the brightness of my life never did I hope or dream for the bleak shades of divorce and addiction

Author and book sales guru Harry Hall – Hall speaks Saturday and teaches attendees “Conducting Good Book Signings,” including tips on venues, publicity and marketing. He also meets with attendees who want to discuss techniques individually.

Evelyn M. Kusch of White Bird Press – This publisher’s expertise comes from not only being a multiple-time best-selling author, she is a publisher. On Saturday, she speaks about the advantages of small press publishing. Prior to the conference, she has agreed to receive a limited number of samples of attendees opening chapter pages on a first-come, first-serve basis, and meet face-to-face with those submitting to discuss manuscripts.

Lunch on Saturday includes the Jory Sherman Fiction Contest Winner presentation. The contest is open to any short-story writer and although the winner is announced at the conference they need not be present to win. Entries must be post marked by April 5.

The April 24 program begins at noon and ends with a meet-and-greet from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The April 25 session is from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. with a roundtable wrap-up.

For more information call 903.843.2914 or visit the organizations website at netwo.org/. that I would live to see a child so very far away, deep in my soul anxiety how dark can be the day… growing older I’ve grown wiser knowing this is true, that life is not always painted with a joyful hue …I choose the colors of contentment in the small sweet things of life a laughing little red haired grandson and a crystal blue winters sky gold and crimson sunset when day is fading red roses in the summertime though not what I expected, I’ve learned you must accept the longest night and the warmest light In the always changing seasons of the bright and dark of life Jill Cummings Tyler

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THE ARTS MUSIC

Catching up with Singer-Songwriter Tony Ramey no ambitions of Nashville. It was just sorta fun and I made pretty good money at it.”

His Nashville career began when noted producer Buddy Cannon heard Ramey’s first album, saw a couple of his shows, and offered him a contract just as the music industry went into the flux of corporate buyouts and the changing face of commercial music.

Ramey’s music has evolved a bit but his style hasn’t changed much.

“I’ve kinda gotten closer to the songwriter now than I was when I was in the thick of major market commercial production,” he said. “I started out loving all kinds of music from Merle Haggard to Elvis to Bill Withers. Country music to me is kinda like white soul music; it’s very lyrically driven and deals with real life things and real people and hardship and beauty, landscape and loss, all of that stuff.

By Tom Geddie A quick quiz for music fans: what’s the common link among these country songs aside from the fact that all four earned gold records: George Strait’s “Hot Grease and Zydeco;” Alabama’s “That’s how I was Raised;” Trisha Yearwood’s “Second Chance;” and, John Michael Montgomery’s “I Don’t Want This Song to End;” Give up?

The man who wrote all four songs was raised in Appalachia, earned a master’s degree in English literature with focuses on romanticism and medieval literature, and, after a long stretch in Nashville,

now lives with his family in Greenville.

His name is Tony Ramey.

Like many good musicians, he’s been doing this music thing for a long time without becoming a household name the way George Strait, Alabama, Trisha Yearwood, John Michael Montgomery, and some of the others have.

Which is okay with Ramey. He feels appreciated and he’s done what he wants to do for more than 20 years now, including the release of a new country album of his own with some soul, blues, and contemporary folk elements mixed in.

“I started playing for money when I was in college to pay for books and sorta worked my way into forming a pretty good following up in the Appalachian region, the Ohio Valley,” he said. “I had

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“Everybody thinks of Haggard as a country artist, and I can’t disagree with that, but there’s nothing swampier or more R&B than the horn section on Haggard’s ‘Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink,’” Ramey said. American music “isn’t confined to a certain production, theme, type of voice, etc.; rather, it is an organic, constantly-morphing phenomenon that resists mass market, trendy merchandising, and influence from corporations always vying for shelf space at a local retailer or ‘sounds-like’ lists of artists on a digital download store.”

Ramey removed himself from that Nashville industrial bubble with his relocation to Greenville.

“I’ve gotten more back to who I am than who publishers need you to be. Even when I was writing in Nashville I couldn’t make the ultimate compromise for the sake of writing for somebody else. I never could write for anybody except myself but it so happened that people recorded songs I wrote for me.”

Ramey said he got to a point where he

couldn’t really understand what was happening in Nashville, or just didn’t want to. He had the discipline to write with others two or three times a day; his success is obvious. But he left Nashville after 17 or so years, settling into Greenville, where he would stay with family when he played Texas dates, a couple of years ago to make his own music again. He and his wife have two children: a 15-year-old daughter and a 12-year-old son.

He’s played plenty of honky-tonks – and still does – but he’s gravitating toward theaters where people come to listen to the storyteller.

“I want people to dance and have a good time, but there’s a romantic part of me that wants to believe it’s all derived from an honesty and passion in music that has substance and meaning, not just a loop or hip-hop beat and words that rhyme.”

One of Ramey’s stock answers to the question about what makes a good song is the idea that the first line is the most important one. Not the oft-perceived “hook line” in the chorus, but the very first words out of the singer’s mouth.

“I always thought the first line is pretty much the most important part of a song. If you can catch the listener with that, you’re off to a good start. The second most important part is the second line,” he says, laughing, “and so on and so forth. When I do these retreats (for songwriters), it’s always the same question. I tell them if listeners don’t make it through the first line, they won’t make it to the hook. Every part is important.”

One of Ramey’s early mentors in Nashville was John Schweers, who wrote dozens of country hits including Charley Pride’s “Amazing Love” and “She’s Just an Old Love Turned Memory,” “Golden Tears” for Dave and Sugar, “Your Memory” for Steve Wariner, and more.

“John told me a great song holds simple imagery of what you feel inside. His example was ‘A Good Year for the Roses.’

All of the images in that song are so simple, so powerful. If you can pull that off without having to explain it, people are struck by the feeling, by something that’s going to last.”

Ramey said he chose music as a career because music chose him, almost a by-

product of growing up in the Virginia, western Kentucky, and Ohio region.

“It was a hotbed for growing up in an insular community, not having much to do except letting your imagination run wild. I chose to play music rather than video games or whatever.”

After he earned his English literature degree at Marshall University, he was working on his doctorate and teaching at Middle Tennessee State when he quit because he was spending so much time writing and on the road.

Ramey’s new album – his eighth – is “Soul Survivor” featuring 18 of his own songs including a duet with Willie Nelson on “The Bible, the Bottle, and the Gun.” He calls the album an organic production with very little tinkering.

“We fixed a line or two here or there, but we didn’t use any tuners or compressors or exciters or anything like that,” he said.

“It’s just kinda who I am, not the wall of sound that pinches your ear. It’s real music with real mistakes. That’s what makes it human, gives it that human element.

The only thing we have to hold onto is the mistakes that give it character, make it different, distinctive.”

One of Ramey’s goals this year is to double or triple the number of live performances he does.

“Last year, we didn’t start touring heavily until the end of May and we got in about 43-44 shows. We’re trying to ramp up this year in Texas, the Appalachians, the Ohio Valley, Cleveland, Chicago, the Midwest, and nationally,” he said. “I’m taking my guitar and hitting the road running to theaters and listening rooms, mostly solo acoustic and some band shows and some corporate shows.”

Crookston in Concert in Winnsboro March 13

Musician and artist Joe Crookston performs at The Bowery Stage at the Winnsboro Center for the Arts on March 13.

Crookston’s recording, “Able Baker Charlie & Dog,” is filled with story songs from a Rockefeller songwriting grant and was awarded “Album of the Year” by the International Folk Alliance in Memphis, Tennessee. Crookston recently signed to Tamulevich Artist Management with fellow songwriters John Gorka, Red Horse and Peter Yarrow.

Crookston’s song “Blue Tattoo” is the inspiration for “Blue Tattoo,” a documentary film that relates how Crookston and Holocaust survivor Dina Jacobson of Elmira, New York, came together to form a unique friendship with a common sense of purpose. The documentary recently premiered at the Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival.

For information about the concert, email wca.artwcenter@gmail.com or call 903.342.0686. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door.

Visit winnsborocenterforthearts.com/ for advance tickets and more information about the concert. The Winnsboro Center for the Arts is located at 200 Market Street.

For more information about Joe Crookston and his music visit joecrookston.com.

One of those shows is May 3 at The Old Firehouse listening room in Edom.

“I’m trying to reach as many people as possible with live music, with the album available to as many people as I can bring into the room playing music for them,” he said. “Long term, I want to build a good business as a troubadour, as an artist to continue to be able to do it as a living. In my mind, I’ve already ‘made it’ because I’m doing what I want to do for a living. I just continue to write songs and make music.”

Joe Crookston, a musician and artist from Ithaca, New York, plays The Bowery Stage at the Winnsboro Center for the Arts on March 13.

Courtesy Photo

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THE ARTS MUSIC

Behind the Badge of Southern Soul

Delta County lawmen Ryan Brown (left and playing drums) and Adam Hall (right and playing guitar) are following their dreams of performing music and writing songs for receptive audiences. Photos by Cindy Roller.

By Cindy Roller What do lawmen do when they aren’t pinned to a badge? In the case of Delta County Deputy Adam Hall and Investigator Ryan Brown it’s belting out some rock and roll tunes with guitar and drumsticks in hand.

The two formed a band with friends Jacob Mazoch and Salvador Castro.

Together, they are Southern Soul with Hall playing guitar and lead vocals, Mazoch on lead guitar and backing vocals, Castro on bass and backing vocals, and Brown playing drums.

Mazoch is office manager at the familyowned Sunbelt Custom Mineral Company and Castro is a sales representative at McKay Music Company — both companies are in Sulphur Springs.

Within weeks of practicing together, the group entered and won the Hopkins County Fall Festival Battle of the Bands held at Muddy Jake’s Sports Grille and Pub Backyard last October. They filled North Davis Street with fans and impressed the judges.

“We were shocked,” Hall said. “We were really thankful for our friends and fam-

ily that supported us. They made that show for us. As a whole package, we performed to the crowd.”

The “garage band” literally gets together to practice in a decked-out garage with a simple philosophy of “just having fun.” Watching the magic happen among old license plates and neon beer signs one cool East Texas evening, dust rolls in from the nearby county road.

The band members slowly begin the process of setting up their instruments and the heckling commences as they joke over amusing text messages. Taking care of some duct-tape surgery on equipment and working out cord kinks, they finally get down to business.

Lead singer Hall straps on his guitar adjusting the law enforcement badge on the strap, hoping his microphone doesn’t deliver a shock. A loud pop and a few choice non-lyrics indicate all the kinks are not quite worked out.

Some troubleshooting later, consulting Google, the guys solve the electrifying case.

“This is what we do. We yell at each other for three hours and maybe play one song,” joked Hall.

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The group found their love for music individually at church, being in the school band, and some self-exploration long before they decided to see what they could do together.

“We had talked about playing together and one night we got a wild hair to come over and jam together and it really sunk in,” Hall remembers.

But it was the Battle of the Bands event that solidified their current journey.

“Battle of the Bands hit, and we have been running ever since,” said Hall, who enjoys the “no pressure” practices.

With the take off of their small-town fame, they are working on expanding their fan base. They’ve created a Facebook page and have Twitter followers at @SouthernSoulTx and are scheduling events and writing new songs. They’ve played gigs including The Drunken Mule in Commerce and are scheduled at Mardi Gras Seafood in Mount Pleasant March 20.

“I love the shows,” Mazoch and Castro said in unison.

“The fans are great. The fan base is

already starting to form,” Brown said.

“They are making their own band shirts and following us to shows and showing up at our practices. They have been extremely loyal in the small amount of time we have been together. It has been really nice.”

Looking on as he watches two of his officers follow their passions, Delta County Sheriff Ricky Smith is supportive.

“I think it is something they really enjoy, and I support it,” he said. “They are doing a great job, and I’m pleased with their work (both on and off the stage).”

Many of their fellow local law enforcement officers are found in the audiences during their shows.

Like many start-up Texas musicians, Southern Soul is discovering their style.

Black Keys’ “Little Black Submarines” and much of their show leans towards Southern rock with some country and blues blended in.

The talented group naturally rolled in to songwriting and performs many of their own songs as well with titles like “All Wrong,” “Your Heart is Mine,” “In my Dreams,” “Tell Me,” and “Feeling Free.”

“I am actually enjoying most of our new songs we have been writing,” Brown said. “It is all original stuff and flows really well.”

Short-term goals for Southern Soul are trying to get a record produced. Long term is, of course, what every garage band dreams of — getting paid to do what they love.

“It is all unchartered territory,” Hall said. “We come from a diverse musical background. We all listen to everything, but we are still just trying to find our sound. We are just trying to make good music.”

“We are just trying to find our permanent groove. It is great having a good, solid group of guys that are supportive and push you to do better,” Hall said.

“We just slid in and fit.”

A couple of their cover tunes are Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen” and The

Cindy Roller is a freelance writer and the editor of the Cooper Review.

EVENTS March 6

Marty Stuart. Longview. S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center. 2100 S. 903.233.3080. belchercenter.com.

March 13

Joe Crookston. Winnsboro. The Bowery Stage, 200 North Market Street. 903-3420686. winnsborocenterforthearts.com.

March 14

Robby Hecht. Edom. The Old Firehouse.

903-852-2781. theoldfirehouse.net.

Chris Wayne Band. Ben Wheeler.

Moore’s Store. 903.833.5100. mooresstore. com 7:30 PM

March 27

The Bellamy Brothers. Nacogdoches.

Banita Creek Hall. 936.462.8000. banitacreekhall.com.

April 4

Zydeco Stingrays.

Ben 903.833.5100. mooresstore.com.

Wheeler.

April 10

Southern Troubadours. Longview. Joe Ely. Ruthie Foster. Paul Thorn. Belcher Center, 2100 S. 903.233.3080. belchercenter.com.

April 11

Jen Hajj. Edom. The Old Firehouse. 903852-2781. theoldfirehouse.net. 7:30

April 17

Trout Fishing in America. Winnsboro.

The Bowery Stage, 200 North Market Street.

903-342-0686. winnsborocenterforthearts. com.

April 24

Texas Fingerstyle Guitar Concert.

Mineola. John McClellan. 903.638.8023. rafaelespinozamusic.com.

May 2

Tony Ramey. The Old Firehouse. 903-8522781. theoldfirehouse.net.

May 9

Pat Green. Nacogdoches. Banita Creek Hall. 936.462.8000. banitacreekhall.com.

May 15

(l-r) Salvador Castro, Adam Hall, Ryan Brown, and Jacob Mazoch make up the band Southern Soul.

Photo by Cindy Roller.

An Evening of Conversation and Song with Peter Yarrow. Winnsboro. The Bowery Stage, 200 North Market Street. 903342-0686. winnsborocenterforthearts.com.

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THE ARTS MUSIC

Crossroads Music Company Brings Concerts to Sulphur Springs

Crossroads Music Company began in 2005 at the helm of singer/songwriters Lynn Adler and Lindy Hearne from Winnsboro, honoring their hometown’s 1854 name — Crossroads. When Gustafson acquired the music company he transported it from Winnsboro to its new home in Sulphur Springs.

Since the relocation the Chamber Listening Room has presented performances by Kirby Brown, Rhett Butler, Tony Ramey, Brad Davis, Kate Hearne, Emily Elbert, Slaid Cleaves and the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Bluegrass Band.

By Cindy Roller Crossroads Music Company plans a series of concerts this spring at the newlyrenovated Sulphur Springs City Hall Chamber Listening Room.

“We are really going in lots of different directions to bring top notch entertainment to Sulphur Springs,” said Crossroads owner Gus Gustafson on the upcoming concerts.

Recently celebrating its 100-year anniversary the historic city hall building is proving to be a popular musical entertainment venue.

Two March Shows Set For Texan Theater

The Texan Theater in Greenville has two shows set in March with David Church on March 6 and Mark Wills on March 13.

The David Church concert, starting at 7 p.m., includes dinner, parking and all gratuities for a price of $110 per ticket.

From the iconic Hank Williams to

“It should be a good year, with a big variety for the listening crowd,” said Gustafson, who also works as the event specialist for the City of Sulphur Springs.

The venue offers refreshments in the lobby for ticket holders during the show but Gustafson encourages concert-goers to visit area restaurants in the downtown area before the show.

Scheduled shows include 2-Bit Palomino, March 14; Trout Fishing in America, April 18; and Beppe Gambetta, with Brad Davis May 30.

his own “roots/retro” country music, Church has made a huge impact on music enthusiasts all over the world. David and Terri Lisa Church have reignited a passion for traditional “retro” country music and have made a connection that has crossed generations, from college students to great grandparents.

Church was born and raised in Lancaster, Ohio, a small town on the outskirts of Columbus. The youngest of 14, he grew up surrounded by country music and bluegrass. His father taught himself to play the five-string banjo and played at local barn dances and picnics, where he performed some of the songs by artists such as Uncle Dave Macon, The Carter Family, Jimmy Rodgers and Bill Monroe.

Church’s biggest influence was his Uncle Stant, who played the lap steel guitar, and encouraged his nephew to “never give up.”

The Mark Wills concert on March 13, also starting at 7 p.m., is $120 per ticket

36 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2015

The concert on April 18 with Trout Fishing in America, Gustafson says, is a very fun family-oriented event.

The concerts are sponsored by Grocery Supply Company and the City of Sulphur Springs. Tickets are available for $10 in advance or $15 at the door. City Hall Chamber Listening Room is located at 201 North Davis Street in downtown Sulphur Springs. For more information, go to crossroadsmusiccompany. com/store or call 903.342.1854.

Cindy Roller is a freelance writer and the editor for the Cooper Review in Delta County. and also includes dinner, parking and all gratuities.

The Reader’s Digest version of Mark Wills’ story makes it clear he’s an awardwinning singer’s singer. His matchless phrasing, passionate and meaningful delivery and right-on-the money vocals make each and every song he performs come alive. Like a picture-perfect painting, Wills’ music is a vocal work of art that walks right off the canvas and into the hearts of country music lovers alike.

“I think I’m a good storyteller to make a song meaningful. Whether romantic or ‘reality,’ my focus is on the music delivery to make it my own for the people who listen – so that they can make it their own.”

Since garnering his Top New Male Vocalist recognition in 1998, Wills has become a staple in country music.

Tickets are available online at avgo2. audienceview.net and are sold until 24 hours before each concert.

APRIL 11

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Ray Price Exhibit Opens In Carthage

reer accomplishments and features more than 60 items. Among the exhibit’s pieces are a custom Nudie suit, his Grammy and other awards, along with personal treasures. Price was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.

On the day of the exhibit premiere in February, Price’s wife, Janie, was scheduled to appear to discuss the exhibit’s special items and sign autographs.

A new exhibit at the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in Carthage, “For the Good Times,” honors the musical legacy of the late Ray Price.

Ray Noble Price was born in in Perryville in the Northeast corner of Wood County January 12, 1926, and was living on his ranch near Mount Pleasant at the time of his death in December 2013.

He left behind a catalog of classic country tunes like “For the Good Times” and “Crazy Arms.”

The new display focuses on Price’s ca-

“Ray was so proud that he was able to accomplish his dream of becoming an international star,” she said, “but he was most proud to be a Texan and to be able to give back to his home state. To have this new exhibit so close to home, as we continue to write the last chapter in his life story, is a special honor.”

Ray Price completed his last career album, “Beauty Is . . . The Final Sessions,” shortly before his death. The popularity of that album has spurred a renewed interest in his life and career.

To find out more about the exhibit call 903.694.9561 and visit carthagetexas. com/halloffame/.

MARCH/APRIL 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 37

FOOD & DRINK

Bakery Serves Sweet Treats

baked goods, Ganache also offers special diet pastries and does not use preservatives in anything sold at the bakery.

“People come to us for the all-natural, home-baked goodies,” Ashby said. “We are a made-from-scratch bakery. We don’t use anything out of a bag as far as pre-made mixes, so nothing has any preservatives, no fillers or anything like that.

We also offer dietary needs pastries, such as the gluten-free, vegan, and sugar-free.”

By Alia Pappas A specialty, dark-chocolate ganache cupcake entices from behind bakery display windows. Rich cupcakes, exotic Parisian macarons, and brightly-decorated cupcakes sit freshly baked on the shelves, waiting to be tasted by hungry Northeast Texans. From 7 a.m. to closing time, the scent of these sweet treats fills the air of Ganache, Tyler’s independent Frenchstyle bakery.

“It all started with a sketch of a city-like bakery and a passion,” said Holly Short, founder and owner of Ganache. “I chose to open Ganache in Tyler because it’s where we live and we wanted to educate people about great food using great products.”

Before founding Ganache in 2010, Short worked as a nurse. Her love for food education and baking led her to leave her job in the medical field to open the bakery.

“I have a passion for food education and a love for homemade food without preservatives,” Short said. “I wanted to share good food in Tyler.”

One of Ganache’s most prominent, preservative-free baked goods is the signature ganache cupcake. This pastry is made with dark chocolate cake and is drizzled with ganache, a chocolate topping from which the bakery derives its name.

“It’s basically just any type of chocolate and then cream,” Ganache head baker Katie Fry said. “We just mix it together and it makes a silky-smooth topping. It’s really good.”

Along with the signature ganache cup-

cake, the bakery also offers other cupcake flavors. Some of its most popular flavors include lemon, salted caramel, and red velvet.

“The salted caramel and red velvet cupcakes are probably the most requested,” Ganache manager Maren Ashby, said.

“Those are the two that we sell out of daily. Red velvet is that southern classic cake, and we make ours with real cream cheese, so it’s just really hard to beat.

The salted caramel — it’s just so popular.

People just love it.”

Although the bakery is known for its cupcakes, Ganache also sells decorated shortbread cookies, cake pops, crème brulee, sweet bread loaves and Parisian macarons.

“Right now, the number one thing that is trending with us is our Parisian macarons,” Ashby said. “They’re really unique.

We offer lots of varieties of them and we make them in house from scratch, which is kind of rare for around here. They’re exclusive to us here in Tyler.”

On the saltier side of unique baked goods, Ganache sells homemade Chex mix, crackers, and even dog treats.

“We offer savory treats, too,” Ashby said.

“We do a spicy twist on a classic Chex mix. Especially during football season, the guys will come in here and buy our Chex mix off the shelves. We also make homemade crackers. It’s just something different. It’s still home baked and all natural.”

According to Short, all-natural ingredients are beneficial to your health because your body recognizes these ingredients more easily than those that are artificial. Along with selling all natural

38 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2015

It was important that Ganache offered dietary-needs cupcakes in Tyler because, before the bakery opened, these types of pastries were difficult to find in the city and were not being made with taste in mind.

“Tyler is unaware of a lot of special diet needs and about farm-to-table foods,” Short said. “We decided to offer dietaryneeds cupcakes because we wanted everyone to have a place they could go and not be left out due to dietary restrictions.”

According to Ashby, Ganache’s customers are surprised by the different varieties of special-diets baked goods they offer. An example of a particularly popular dietary-needs menu item is the glutenfree Parisian macarons that Ganache offers in a multitude of flavors.

“I really think that we have the most testimonies on our special-diets cupcakes,” Ashby said. “With the gluten-free cupcakes, people call us from all over.

I have people call me from the Dallas/ Fort Worth area and they say, ‘I’m coming through Tyler, and I need a dozen of your cupcakes because I just love them.’

They’re so happy that we offer something that’s tasty in our store but also suits their dietary needs.”

Ganache is celebrating their five-year anniversary this month. The latest business accomplishment is an expansion to offering their Parisian macaroons in the FRESH by Brookshire’s bakery cooler. Short is optimistic about Ganache’s future.

“We now have our own hand-crafted, authentic Parisian macarons for sale in FRESH,” she said. “We hope to continue to be in Tyler and offer many more European treats to the area. We are excited to have had five great years in Tyler, and we are looking forward to many more.”

from top to bottom. Santone makes the dough by hand, as well as their mozzarella, and they make all the sauces and slice all the pepperoni. Carmen’s family recipes inspire their menu and then he adds his own flair to them.

Switch Brick Oven Pizzeria & Wine Bar 903-729-7700 1615 South Royall Street Palestine, Texas 75801 www.switchbrickovenpizza.com

Reviewed by Patti Light The drive into Palestine from just about any direction is lined with large lush trees and miles of country highway.

In search of this Italian kitchen you’ve heard about, the turn onto South Royall Street from Loop 256 leaves you wondering where in the approaching large brick homes is it? Look to the left and you’ll find it is one of the large brick homes, the former, newly renovated Kingdom Hall.

Switch Brick Oven Pizzeria & Wine Bar is nestled upon a hill with a large beautiful iron and wood front door. The barn doors slide open and welcome diners with a rush of garlic, fresh tomato and baking dough perfume. It is rustic inside with a small dining area, bar, and a private wine room with a table for 12. The back of the restaurant is consumed by an open kitchen and impressive brick oven bringing heat and aroma to all who enter. The wine selection is not one you would expect to find in East Texas. Join the wine club for great events and announcements. My guests and I knew we were in for an evening of food and love the minute we sat down.

Switch is open Tuesday-Friday for lunch and dinner and on Saturday for dinner only. The wait staff is friendly and the owners, Carmen and Regina Santone, wander through the dining rooms checking on tables, filling glasses, when they are not in the kitchen making amazing food. The food is made fresh each day

Pizza is the star at Switch. It comes served piping hot from the brick oven and resting on the crisp and fresh made dough.

Santone imports his dough flour from Italy. You should try at least two each time. The Blanco is a heavenly slice of the take on the new trend of “white” pizzas with house-made mozzarella, spinach, garlic herb sauce, ricotta and pecorino Romano cheese. The Oink is saucy and layered with fresh mozzarella, speck, Italian sausage and rich and earthy sauce.

My favorite thing at Switch is not the pizza though it is found on the back of the menu and it may be the best pasta I have had outside of a small place in Little Italy, New York. It is called the Meatball Immaculata. It is two large hand-made meatballs with a spicy tomato sauce, but plated next to them is a mound of hand-made pasta in what Switch calls a Benevento sauce. Your taste buds say this is a creamy vodka sauce or maybe a tomato with fresh herb. It is a pure Benevento-region vegetarian sauce that is silky and layered with herbs, vegetable notes and roasted tomato. It is so lovely and filling.

Recommending Switch is easy and if you have room try the sweet and decadent zeppole with a cup of their French press coffee. My only wish for Switch is that it was open on Saturdays for a quick lunch or had a great Sunday brunch. The treat of eating here is always worth taking a look at hours on your calendar to plan your pile of Italian love in Palestine.

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www.fourwindssteakhouse.com MARCH/APRIL 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 39

EXPLORE THE UPPER EAST SIDE OF TEXAS tion for those with a boat, call Neches River Run Park (riverrunpark.com) at 903.724.4100.

For more information about paddling trails, visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website at tpwd.texas.gov/ fishboat/boat/paddlingtrails.

Rummage Sale Set at Recreation Center

The Glass Recreation Center’s annual rummage sale takes place March 7 from 7 a.m.-1 p.m.

The event is open to the public. Vendor registration is $15 per booth and setup time is March 6 from 5-9 p.m.

New Paddling Trail Opens In Jacksonville

The public is invited to help open the new Cherokee Neches Paddling Trail at a launch event on March 21.

The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce partnered with Texas Parks and Wildlife in designating the Cherokee Neches Paddling Trail. Other partners are Neches River Run Park, Texas Conservation Alliance and Friends of the Neches River.

They host the launch event beginning at 11 a.m. at the put-in location for the trail in Neches River Run Park.

For bargain hunters searching for great deals, this annual event offers plenty to choose. Doors open at 7 a.m. on the day of the sale, but no earlybird shoppers are allowed. sociation, kayaking and canoeing are the fastest growing segments in outdoor recreation. The Cherokee Neches Trail provides water enthusiasts an outdoor opportunity to view the historic Neches River up close and personal. Its designation as a State Paddling Trail is likely to draw tourists from all over the state and the nation.

For more information about the event, call the Jacksonville Chamber at 903.586.2217, 800.376.2217, or go to jacksonvilletexas.com. To reserve a rental canoe or to arrange transporta-

“This event grows more popular each year it is offered,” Glass Recreation Center Supervisor Ann Santana said.

“Find clothes for the kids, great decorative items, furniture, books, plants and many other items at a fraction of the cost.”

Proceeds from the sale of booth spaces help fund the free youth service programs vital to the East Texas area. For more information, visit the Glass Recreation Center located at 501 West 32nd Street in Tyler or call 903.595.7271.

The launch event includes the unveiling of an information kiosk and a ribbon cutting on the river to dedicate the trail. Attendees are then encouraged to paddle the Cherokee Neches Trail at any time.

From its starting point at Neches River Run Park, the trail continues downstream on the Neches River to the takeout location at Highway 79. The sevenmile paddle usually takes the average paddler with normal river conditions about three hours. Informational kiosks about the Cherokee Neches Trail stand at the put-in and take-out locations.

According to the Outdoor Industry As-

The Glass Recreation Center holds its annual rummage sale from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 7 with good deals on furniture, books, clothing, and more. Courtesy photo.

40 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2015

Outdoor Opportunities Abound in Athens this Spring The City of Athens Department of Tourism welcomes nature lovers to its outdoor activities and diverse venues.

Known for its natural beauty, Athens provides an array of activities for visitors to enjoy the outdoors including bird watching, fishing, boating, nature walks, and golfing just to name a few.

Athens offers several activities to families during spring break for many schools. On March 7, Keep Athens Beautiful transforms the Henderson County Regional Fair Park grounds and Senior Citizens building into a marketplace for the annual Home and Garden Show. The lawn mower races, hosted by the Lone Star Mower Racing Association, are a new addition to this year’s annual event.

Participants come from across the country to showcase their personal recipes, meet with fellow Eggheads and share some great food with the crowd at the 5th Annual Athens EggFest on April 11 also at the fisheries center.

The Henderson County Go Texan Rodeo, hosted by the Athens Chamber of Commerce, takes place April 24-25 at the Henderson County Regional Fair

Park Complex. Contestants compete in events including team roping, barrel racing, calf roping, the popular 21-andOlder Women’s Calf Scramble, and Bull Riding.

For more information about Athens including hotel accommodations, coupons and upcoming events, visit AthensTX.org or call 1-888-294-2847 to request a free visitor’s guide.

On March 14, the Cain Center hosts its first St. Patrick’s Day fun run called Come Jig & Jog With Us. Participants can choose the 5K or one-mile run/ walk and may register their dog to join them in the fun.

Also on March 14, the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center is having its monthly Bird and Nature Walk and hosts the annual Fly Fish Texas. Fly Fish Texas is aimed at the novice fly fisher and teaches how to tie a fly, cast it and catch a fish with it, all in the same day. Food vendors are on site every day from March 10-14 at the fisheries center so families can spend the entire day enjoying the outdoors during this spring break.

Learn a variety of outdoor skills and engage in activities such as archery, fishing and kayaking at the Outdoor Expo on March 28 at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center. The event showcases outdoor recreation opportunities in East Texas while teaching some of the skills needed to enjoy them from fishing and outdoor cooking to birding and more.

MARCH/APRIL 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 41

LIVING ROOM and numerous newspaper and magazine articles on gardening. His “Gardening with Skip” YouTube channel features more than120 brief gardening videos. Skip has served as the National Gardening Association’s regional horticulturist for the southeastern U.S. and is a contributing editor to Texas Gardener magazine.

Gardening Conference Set For March 19 In Athens

Skip is a weekly guest on “Your Livable Garden” radio show, the nation’s longest running landscape architecture radio show.

Henderson County Master Gardeners announces its 2015 Spring Conference on March 19. The keynote speaker is Richard “Skip” Richter and his topic is “Smarter Gardening the Easy Way.”

Tickets are $20 each and include dinner. Purchase tickets from any Henderson County Master Gardener or contact the Henderson County AgriLife Extension Office at 903.675.6130.

The conference takes place at the First United Methodist Church, 225 Lovers Lane in Athens, from 5-9 p.m.

Paul Michael Company Earns Regional Award

The conference features a dinner and a silent auction of many garden-related items and door prizes. Attendees have the opportunity to ask local master gardeners about the program and other gardening questions. Henderson County Texas AgriLife Extension Agent Rick Hirsch is scheduled to attend as well.

Richter is a 24-year employee with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Montgomery, Travis and Harris Counties, where he currently serves as a Texas AgriLife Extension Agent in horticulture.

He is an enthusiastic student and teacher of natural gardening techniques. He helped develop the Extension’s “Don’t Bag It” yard waste recycling programs, the “Composting for Kids” educational webpage and the Grow Green environmental education program, which educated Austin residents on landscaping practices that protect water quality.

The Paul Michael Company, a furniture retailer and manufacturer headquartered in Lake Village, Arkansas, was recently awarded the prestigious ARTS Award in the Home Accent Store category for the Midwest/Southwest region.

The Paul Michael Company has a retail store located at 2100 North Trade Days Boulevard in Canton.

ART and Dallas Market Center, cofounder and producer of the ARTS Awards, announced the winners at the 26th annual Arts Awards gala held recently at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas.

The ARTS Awards is the premier international awards program for the home

industry honoring designers, manufacturers, retailers, and sales representatives, and is held each year during the Dallas Total Home and Gift Market.

The Paul Michael Company produced a presentation judged via computer by five judges. The Paul Michael Company presentation consisted of three marketing examples; eight display examples and rationales; and three store differentiation examples: the Paul Michael Company’s manufacturing division, recycled and reclaimed product line, and the company’s presence at the Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market, along with examples of community involvement.

The Paul Michael Company was founded in 1993 and is well known for its use of locally harvested and reclaimed woods in its furniture making.

“Growing up in my family’s department store on Main Street in Lake Village, I attended the Dallas Market at a very young age. I have seen the entire marketplace change and evolve, and it is an honor to be recognized by ART and the Dallas Market Center for our continued success and growth,” says owner Paul Michael.

“The entire Paul Michael Company team works every day to bring our customers a truly unique shopping experience and this award is a testament to their dedication,” he added.

The Paul Michael Company also recently won Best Shopping Experience in the annual County Line Magazine Best of the Upper East Side of Texas.

Richter has gardened in the brush country of south Texas, the rocky hills of the Missouri Ozarks, the acid sands of the East Texas piney woods, the semiarid climate and high pH soils of central Texas, and the humid, hot climate and black clays of southeast Texas.

He writes a bi-weekly Internet column for the National Gardening Association

Paul Michael Company recently won a national award for their home accents and County Line Magazine’s “Best Shopping Experience.” Visit their store in Canton on Highway 19 near Interstate 20.

Photo By P.A. Geddie

42 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2015

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FEEL GOOD

Childcare Provider Training Offered In East Texas

Sisters Jen Sugermeyer from Dallas and Katie Sugermeyer from New York City met at Retreat in the Pines near Mineola for some yoga and relaxation. Courtesy photo.

Guests Are Inspired at Wellness Retreats

By P.A. Geddie Retreat in the Pines near Mineola recently celebrated 10 years of providing women with wellness and yoga getaways and has a full schedule underway for 2015. Some of its upcoming retreat packages include Love Yourself, Detox & Yoga, Yoga Nurture, Living Your Yoga, Escape from the City, Mind & Body Wellness, Burnout to Bliss, Strength and Healing, and Finding Gratitude.

While some people may hear “yoga retreat” and imagine an expensive, strictlyscheduled experience with hard-core yoga classes, Retreat in the Pines founder Theresa Polley and her daughter Nina Herndon pride themselves in hosting budget-friendly yoga and wellness retreats for women of all fitness levels and ages. Since 2004, guests from as far away as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City have retreated to the beautiful piney woods of East Texas for a weekend of so much more than yoga and fitness.

Polley’s vision for the retreat center was to make it relaxing for her guests, inviting them to indulge in some of their favorite things like wine, coffee, chocolate, and delicious meals along with healthy

yoga classes, nutritional workshops, and walks among the East Texas pines. Even more important, she imagined a getaway accessible to women of all sizes, ages, levels of experience, and budgets. Her all-inclusive weekend retreats are under $500.

The getaway is seemingly remote on 30 acres of peace, serenity, and pine trees, but it’s close enough that guests can enjoy a trip into Mineola, Lindale or Winnsboro to visit local art studios, antique stores, wineries and more. Many of the women enjoy the small-town atmosphere on Saturday during free time and have lunch at local restaurants and enjoy shopping at unique downtown shops.

The retreats offer delicious, healthy meals and guests often make new friends over the dinner table. The mother-anddaughter team make it their mission to provide women a safe place of refuge, inspiration, and renewed perspective that create an enjoyable – sometimes life-changing -- experience for all that attend Retreat in the Pines.

To learn more about Retreat in the Pines call 469.867.0766 or visit retreatinthepines.com.

44 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2015

To increase the quality of childcare offered in East Texas, Workforce Solutions East Texas Board hosts training academies for Texas Rising Star Childcare Provider directors and assistants. Training sessions occur in March, April and June in Kilgore at the Hampton Inn. In the first session held in January, 27 directors and staff were trained by Champions for Children of Tyler and received continuing education certifications from Tyler Junior College.

Texas Rising Star Providers are designated childcare providers meeting standards above those required for a state licensed childcare provider. They commit to provide ‘quality’ early childhood education realizing that the first few years in a child’s life are imperative in cognitive development.

“Of the 23 Texas Rising Star Providers in our region, we had participation in our first academy training from 20 centers.

We are very encouraged by this and know we are meeting a need in the region and fulfilling a mission of the board to increase the quality of childcare in East Texas,” said Keith Huddleston, Workforce System Improvement Lead at the East Texas Council of Governments.

The focus of the academies centers on providing the newest ideas and information in early childhood education, creating a better childcare environment, establishing a pathway/blueprint to quality childcare and improving childcare center operations.

Funding of the training academies is provided by the Workforce Solutions East Texas Board. For more information about the Texas Rising Star program, contact Patsy Boersma, Childcare Development Specialist for the East Texas Council of Governments, at 903.218.6419 or email Patsy.Boersma@etcog.org.

dispatching a spider or cockroach in the bathtub is one. Calming a crying baby is another and pretty irresistible.

How to Be a Cool Guy in Your Seventies

By Edward H. Garcia First off, it’s not easy. Ask your grandkids. And maybe you think you’re already cool. You aren’t. Ask your grandkids.

Cool is a state of mind, and it can be cultivated. The trick is to look around and see what cool people do or did and try to adapt it to your 70-plus-year-old circumstances. Think Cary Grant or Paul Newman or George Clooney. One example of a “cool move” — a cliché of action movies — is walking away from a huge explosion and not looking back or changing the bored look on your face and not cringing in terror and covering your head and getting the heck away, which is what most real people would do. It will not come up that often in the average 70-year-old’s life to walk away from a huge explosion, but you can do your own version. Try this: the next time you park your car in, say, the Walmart parking lot, walk steadily away and, without looking back, aim your remote behind you and press it to lock the car. Don’t change the bored expression on your face as the car beeps behind you. Think of yourself as Bruce Willis or Javier Bardem as you walk away and you’re halfway there.

Interacting with the opposite sex is another opportunity to be cool. Think of Lauren Bacall telling Bogart, “You know how to whistle, don’t you, Steve? You just put your lips together and...blow.”

Now I have no experience with 70-year-

Unfortunately, one of the prime sources of cool when you were in your teens is no longer available for those of us in our seventies — smoking. I’m convinced that one of the reasons it’s so hard to quit smoking is that it’s the coolest, most graceful thing most people do. Remember Paul Henreid lighting two cigarettes and giving one to Bette Davis in “New Voyager”? Don’t try that with your Medicare-eligible date. It’s a deal breaker. And a hacking cough is never cool.

old dating, but I think you should act like you’re dating even if you’ve been married for 40 years, so this advice applies in any situation. There’s a famous (maybe apocryphal) story about Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy meeting for the first time. She said, looking down from four-inch heels, “I’m afraid I’ll be too tall for you,” and Tracy reassured her, “Don’t worry, I’ll cut you down to my size.” Hepburn was a goner. That’s the kind of cool self-confidence that wins the lady and the day.

There are many opportunities to show your coolness and impress her: calmly

Another area where being cool is possible is in clothing, but in your seventies avoiding un-cool is probably the best you’ll be able to manage. You’ll want to stay away from “putter pants,” especially the ones with elastic in the back. It is impossible to be cool in putter pants. I have a faded jean jacket which I used to think was pretty cool, until my daughter told me my granddaughter asked her, “Is Grandpa wearing a girl’s jacket?” Apparently, the only people she’d ever seen with jean jackets were teenaged girls.

So, yes, there are challenges to being cool beyond a certain age, but it’s worth the effort. Just keep channeling Bogey and Paul and Cary and keep your hand on that remote in your hand and try not to limp as you walk coolly away from the car.

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46 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2015

John Hartley (b. 1958). Rocket Shooting Fighter, 2007. Oil on canvas, 60 x 84 in.

Courtesy of the artist

TIN TOYS & RAW REALITIES A Solo Exhibition of WorkS

by John hArtlEy

MARCH 1 – JUNE 28, 2015 Tyler Museum of Art

1300 South Mahon Avenue • Tyler, Texas 75701 903-595-1001 • www.tylermuseum.org

REASON #39 TO VISIT PALESTINE, TEXAS: Fine dining with a side order of Piney Woods scenery.

Texas State Railroad Culinary Train Schedule Dogwood Special Brunch Sunday, March 29 Mother’s Day Brunch Sunday, May 10 Wine in the Pines Friday, June 5 Father’s Day BBQ Lunch Sunday, June 21 Moonlight Special Dinner Friday, August 28 Pints in the Pines Saturday, September 26 Fall Foliage Brunch Sunday, November 8

www.visitpalestine.com 800-659-3484

MARCH/APRIL 2015 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 47

“Nobody knows Texas better.”

Jay Novacek

Texas Rancher Former All-Pro Tight End Dallas Cowboys

When it comes to financing land, a country home, hunting and recreational property, an ag operation or just about anything else in Texas, Heritage Land Bank is the name to know. For almost 100 years, Heritage has helped Texans make the most of rural living. If you’re looking to buy land, build a home or improve your place in the country, talk to the lender who knows how to help.

903.534.4975 • HeritageCounty.com EQUAL HOUSING LENDER

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