January/February 2018 County Line Magazine

BEST OF THE UPPER EAST SIDE OF TEXAS

county line JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

M A G A Z I N E

MARDI GRAS LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL

FAT TUESDAY FEAST

Around the World in Two Days WWW.COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM

Andy Warhol Hank O’Neal James Surls Blaze Foley Matthew McConaughey Freeze Your Fanny Cultural Diversity Remembering Columbia

OPEN MON-THU: 11 AM - 10 PM FRI: 11 AM-MIDNIGHT SAT: 11 AM-1 AM 1125 E 5TH ST. (MIDTOWN) TYLER (903) 202-0295 @ROASTSOCIAL ROASTSOCIALKITCHEN.COM

TICK E T S ON S AL E NOW AT W W W. STA N L EYSFA M O U S. C O M jan 19

UNCLE LUCIUS

WEEKLY

jan 25 & 26 Feb 2

Shinyribs

2 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

The Final Shows

CHARLEY CROCKETT

GREENVILLE

Entertainment with a Twist!

David Crowder at

the GMA - Jan 12

l at theTexan

e Whee Asleep at th

- Jan 19

travelgreenvilletx.com Cirque Zuma Zum

a at theTexan - Feb

24

We’re ready to surprise you!

Looking for authentic Louisiana flavors to complement your Mardi Gras experience? In Shreveport-Bossier, start with the world-famous Shrimp Buster at Herby K’s, a roadside seafood joint. Grab a “dressed” po-boy at Kim’s Seafood and Po’boy, sample crispy, piping hot beignets at Marilynn’s Place or muffulettas at Fertitta’s Delicatessen or The Wooden Spoon.

Plan your Mardi Gras experience by requesting a Mardi Gras Gris Gris Guide by visiting www.ShreveportMardiGras.org or calling 800-551-8682.

Mardi Gras

Parade Dates

• Krewe of Sobek - Jan. 13, 2018 • Krewe of Harambee - Jan. 15, 2018 • Krewe of Centaur - Feb. 3, 2018 • Krewe of Gemini - Feb. 10, 2018 • Krewe of Highland - Feb. 11, 2018

Enter to

Win!

Visit the website for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to ride on a parade float!

www.ShreveportMardiGras.org/CountyLine JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 3

CONTENTS 8

22

THE ARTS 26 Rediscovering Andy Warhol in Longview, McKinney Performing Arts Center, Portraits of Jews in Shreveport, and Yayoi Kusama in Dallas.

STAGE 28 H enderson County Performing Arts Center Shares Season of Classics.

LITERARY

29 Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys meet in Nacogdoches and Jeff Campbell pens “My Morning Ride.”

30 Photographer and author Hank O’Neal has a new book and a photo exhibit highlighting his East Texas roots.

FILM

32 James Surls documentary, Mars Colony of East Texas, Ethan Hawke’s Blaze, and catching up with Matthew McConaughey.

MUSIC

34 Round up of Grammy nominees with ties to the Upper East Side of Texas.

46

FOOD & DRINK

36 Shreveport food and drink reviews just in time for Fat Tuesday.

COUNTY LINE KIDS

42 Robotics made in Greenville help kids get excited about learning.

FEEL GOOD 44 Freeze Your Fanny and other winter bike rides.

46 Women of different cultures are gathering in Tyler to discover commonalities.

BEST OF THE UPPER EAST SIDE OF TEXAS

county line JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

FEATURES

8 Best of the Upper East Side County Line’s annual awards for the Best of the region.

DEPARTMENTS 5 Editor’s Note & Letters

THIS TIME OF YEAR

16 Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo, and Blair.

18 Mardi Gras Celebrations

Numerous Fat Tuesday parades and parties are taking place in the region.

By Tracy Torma

22 Around the World in Two Days

A trip around the region takes in towns with European names including Athens, Paris, Naples, Geneva, and Moscow.

By Tracy Torma

17 Hemphill Remembers NASA Tragedy.

M A G A Z I N E

MARDI GRAS LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL

FAT TUESDAY FEAST

CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

21 Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersey speaks in Longview.

SEE WEBSITE EXTRAS! www.CountyLineMagazine.com 4 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Around the world in two days

COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM

Andy Warhol Hank O’Neal James Surls Blaze Foley Matthew McConaughey Freeze Your Fanny Cultural Diversity Remembering Columbia

COVER: Athens Brewing Co., downtown Athens.

Photo by Tracy Torma

county line Since 2000

MAGAZINE

EDITOR’S NOTE Dear Readers, Welcome to the 18th year of County Line Magazine! There are certainly many changes we’ve seen over the years most notably that there’s an ever-increasing list of fun things to do and see and good food to eat. The annual Best of the Upper East Side of Texas highlights many of these and there are so many more gems in the region to experience. I always start making a list of all the places I want to visit about this time every year and this one is no exception. I am genuinely excited about the places we’ll go!

Serving those living & playing in the Upper East Side of Texas

PUBLISHER & MANAGING EDITOR P.A. Geddie COPY EDITORS Steve Freeman Tracy Torma

CONTRIBUTORS Gaile Robinson Jeff Campbell Hollis Shaden Stuart Whitaker Tyler Tindall

County Line Magazine is reaffirming our commitment in 2018 to highlight our small towns and countryside as well as the special things we find in our larger towns and the metroplex. Our readers like to travel to other towns within and nearby the region for “staycations” and weekend getaways. For those of us that live in small towns and country, it’s just part of what we do — it keeps things interesting.

DESIGN & PRODUCTION P.A. Geddie Krista Leard

ADMINISTRATION Misty Florey

pa.geddie@countylinemagazine.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS info@countylinemagazine.com County Line Magazine is published every other month, 6 times a year. Subscription costs: $15 per year. 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 2018 County Line all rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without written permission. Opinions expressed in articles or advertising 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. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement we deem incompatible with our mission.

Thank you so much for the incredible story. (July/August 2017: Predictions Are Good for Old Omen). We’re both so excited and proud we can hardly stand it. And the writing on the story was so lovely and elegant and accurate.

Cannot thank you enough for such a superb story.

Old Omen Band Tyler

(RE: Sissy Spacek Takes Quitman Roots to Hollywood Fame and an Ordinary Life in the Hills of Virginia, CL Archives: May Texans for the Texans forArts the Arts 2012) over 20 years, For over For 20 years,

has consistently worked to: worked to: has consistently

Protect Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) arts funding

Protect Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) arts funding

Sissy became friends with my twin sisters who lived in Mineola: Brenda and Linda Blackmon. Linda ran into Sissy in a WalMart not many years back, and Sissy remembered her. We are proud of you, Sissy, but most of all for remembering the value in your roots of growing up in a small town. We grew up in Mineola and it holds such amazing memories that kids no longer experience. (It was the life before electronics.) I loved

Increase funding for the Texas Commission on the Arts

Increase funding for the Texas Commission on the Arts

The Official Arts Advocacy

arts leaders, committed supporters, and citizen activists like Texans for the Arts is at the forefront of empowering artists, you! Together we can amplify our powerful voices to increase artsboth leaders, publiccommitted and private supporters, resources to and buildcitizen strong,activists dynamic, like you!andTogether can amplify our powerful creative we communities all across Texas. voices to increase

Expand the conversation about the vital role the arts Expand theand conversation play in our schools communities about the vital role the arts

in our and schools communities Support play tax policies otherand measures that help artists arts organizations and Support tax policies and other measures that help

Advocateartists for increased for the National and artsfunding organizations Endowment for the Arts and for federal policies that Advocate for increased funding for the National support artists and arts organizations.

both public and private resources to build strong, dynamic, and creative communities all across Texas.

CHECK OUT COUNTY LINE DIGITAL PUBLICATIONS www.CountyLineMagazine.com

This year’s Best Slogan comes from Denison: “Moving Forward. Kicking Back.” I think that pretty much sums up the whole region.

The world is getting smaller as they say and in this issue we take a trip around the world without leaving Texas. It’s fun to discover European-named communities and what they have to offer.

We’re also getting ready for Mardi Gras in the region along with our Louisiana neighbors and we’ve even crossed over the county line into Shreveport to sample some of their best food and drinks just in time for Fat Tuesday.

Laissez les bons temps rouler in 2018!

P.A. Geddie

LETTERS

ADVERTISING

TheOrganization Official Arts Advocacy for Texas Organization for Texas Texans for the Arts is at the forefront of empowering artists,

Our readers have sophisticated tastes, love art and good music, are happy to know our neighbors, and fully embrace the need for honoring our history while always moving towards better lives for ourselves and others.

Endowment for the Arts and for federal policies that support artists and arts organizations.

running barefoot on the hot-oil-topped road and looking for shady spots to cool off a minute.

Lainey West Van A couple visited the museum a few weeks ago and they mentioned that County Line was their favorite magazine and that this is their source as they travel through East Texas to enjoy museums and culture. Thank you for all you do to bring the arts to life.

Tiffany Nolan Jehorek Longview Museum of Fine Arts

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.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 5

HENDERSON HAPPENINGS Henderson Main street Board Hosts tHe 4tH annual

Henderson Civic Theatre Gala February 3, 2018 Henderson Civic Center Henderson Civic Theatre Productions 2018 Blood Brothers Musical Feb 16-18, 23-25 Fri & Sat 7:30 p.m., Sun 2:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10th

SAVE THE DATE...

“Miracle Worker” May 4-6, 11-13

5:00 till 9:00 PM East Main St. • Downtown Henderson Tx

Gumbo Cook-Off

Gumbo Tasting For $10 per person Children under 12 Free Admission with Parent’s

122 E. Main St. 903- 657-2968 www.hendersoncivictheatre.org

Beer and Wine Garden Zydeco Band Live Music

City of Henderson Department of Tourism • 866.650-5529 • www.visithendersontx.com

NOW OPEN!

Rockwall Location: 600 Horizon Rd Rockwall, TX 75032 (972) 332-5555

Visit CareNow.com for details

Weekdays: 8am-9pm Saturday: 8am-8pm | Sunday: 8am-5pm

Web Check-In®

6 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

at CareNow.com

One of the Coolest Small Towns in Texas

Kids Eat Free Tues.

Unplug & Wine Down Wed. Live Music Fri. & Sat. Open 7 Days a Week

903.833.5100 • MooresStore.com

Texas Highways

Open Wednesday – Sunday

Live Music

903.833.5970 • TheForgeBenWheeler.com

OFFICIAL

W ild Hog

Go Hog Wild With Us in 2018!

Ben Wheele r

SHOP, DINE, PLAY & STAY!

Capital of Texas

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March: Barstool Races April: Easter at the Community Library June: JuneBug Festival July: Independence Day Celebration August: Annual Fish Fry October: Fall Feral Hog Festival December: Santa Claus Comes to Town

Steel & Magnolia’s BE’s Records

Ben Here Yet? • www.BenWheelerTX.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 7

Best of the Upper East Side of Texas In its 14th year now, County Line Magazine’s annual survey keeps uncovering more and more local gems in the Upper East Side of Texas. Nominations more than doubled this year showing that our region continues to grow as a Texas treasure with delicious food, wonderful attractions and beautiful backdrops, one-of-a-kind shops, exciting entertainment, and many talented individuals.

This year’s winners represent a great selection of the Best in the Upper East Side of Texas.

Best Barbecue TIE Big Smith’s BBQ, Sulphur Springs. Who needs the frills? This humble restaurant serves straight-on good BBQ and fixings, as well as home-fried potato chips and delicious desserts. 4858 Texas 154 South.

903.438.1547.

Texas Bar-B-Que Corral, Mount Vernon.

Customers rave about the smoked brisket, but there’s more! Try the ham, turkey, ribs, sausage, downhome sides and a loaded baked potato. 201 I-30 Frontage Road.

903.537.4848.

Honorable Mention: Cowburners, Mineola Hall of Fame: Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q

Breakfast

The Cake Lady Bakery Cafe, Mount Vernon.

Find out what the locals already know. For fluffy pancakes, filling eggs and bacon, biscuits and gravy, or melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon rolls, head to this family-run eatery.

209 Main Street. 972.948.8636.

Honorable Mention: Spit and Whittle Cafe, Winnsboro

Best Brew

What are the odds that two winning breweries are located at the same address in different towns?

Athens Brewery Co. is located at 101 East Tyler Street in Athens and Oil Horse Brewing Co. is at

101 West Tyler Street in Longview! Sounds like an East Meets West brew challenge is in order.

Under 50k

Athens Brewery Co., Athens. Rave reviews for Athens Brewery Co. state good beer and food, friendly staff, and laid-back atmosphere that encompasses a historic building and courtyard in downtown Athens. They also have live music. The ABC Nitro Stout is tasty and not too heavy and others really like their IPAs. Included on the menu is Apricot Ale, The Funk, Wit of Premonition, Red Dog Red IPA, Piney Woods DIPA and homemade root beer. 101 East Tyler Street.

903.952.7493. athensbrewingco.com.

Honorable Mention: Pittsburg Feed & Seed/ Anvil Brewing, Pittsburg

Over 50k

Oil Horse Brewing Co., Longview. Beer fans love this place. The house brews — including an Irish red, a Texas brown, and a pale ale — are complemented by seasonal favorites. Regulars recommend the milk stout and the “Lavender Ossamus.” 101 West Tyler Street. 903.241.4686. oilhorsebrewing.com.

Best Catfish

Vaughan’s Catfish Restaurant, Pittsburg/ Lake Bob Sandlin. For those who like the view of a lake with their seafood, this place is the full package. The catfish comes in whole or filet portions, and on Thursdays the “All You Can Eat” option is specially priced for seniors and kids 12 and under.

741 County Road 2920. 903.572.3474.

Honorable Mentions: AJ’s, Lake Fork; Sidekicks, Emory; Seth’s Lake Fork Creek; and The Marina at Lake Cypress Springs

Best Chicken Fried Steak

Lone Star Republic Steakhouse, Winnsboro.

The chef here gets rave reviews for their “gourmet” take on this Texas classic. It’s deep-fried to golden crunchiness and covered in sage gravy. 206 Market Street.

903.347.6526. lonerepublicsteakhouse.com.

Honorable Mention: The Fatted Calf, Rockwall Pier 101, Rockwall

Best Coffee

Speakeasy, Quitman. Besides the usual “suspects” like Americano and hand-crafted espresso, the latte line-up includes creations named Al Capone, Greta Garbo and others.

103 North Main Street. 903.760.2739. speakeasycoffee.net.

8 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Honorable Mentions: Book Club Café, Rockwall; Coffee off the Square, Sulphur Springs; Jo’s Downtown, Mount Pleasant; Watermelon Mills, Mount Vernon; and Clean Brew, Van, (a combination laundry mat/coffee bar).

Best Hamburger Under 50k

While Athens may be the home of the original hamburger, Winnsboro is certainly the place for burger lovers to go for delicious and unusual choices in three restaurants in the downtown arts district, which earned the town a three-way tie this year.

The Barrel House Bar & Grill. When a standard burger won’t do, try this restaurant’s creation with smoked Gouda cheese, bacon, fried egg, lettuce, onion and avocado. 204 Market Street. 903.347.1282.

Rooster Café. Look no further than the newly famous Winnsburger to satisfy that hunger. It’s made with brisket, short rib, and chuck combined. 111 East Broadway Street.

214.762.8901.

Lone Republic Steakhouse & Bar. True Texans love the mouth-watering flamegrilled burger choices like the Alamo, Santa Anna, and the Republic burger. 206 Market Street. 903.347.6526. lonerepublicsteakhouse. com.

Honorable Mentions: The Liberty Bell, Nacogdoches; Boots Burger, Rockwall; The Dairy Bar, Mount Vernon; The Forge, Ben Wheeler; and East Texas Burger Company, Mineola Hall of Fame: Dairy Palace, Canton

Over 50K

Jucy’s, Tyler. A traditional tasty burger at a good price sets this restaurant apart. There are plenty of other options on the menu, but people keep coming back for the burgers. 2330 East 5th Street and 6421 Old Jacksonville Highway.

903.939.2395. jucyshamburgers.com.

Best Malt Shop

Spurlock’s Malt Shop, Anna. It’s not uncommon to hear a friend say “Get your own” when considering sharing at this ‘50s-style shop. The 15 flavors include marshmallow, pumpkin spice, banana, coffee, and peppermint. 504 North Powell Parkway. 972.924.7217. spurlocksdrivein.com.

Best Pie

Bonafide Bettie’s Pie Company, Rockwall.

The mathematical formula “pi r squared” simply won’t be heard here. There’s nothing “square” about such creations as Merry

Cranberry, Boozy Betty, or Hott Mess, a buttermilk pie with coconut pecan praline topping. 103 S. San Jacinto. 970.692.1457. bonafidebettiespieco.com.

Honorable Mentions: Ain’t Just Pie, Greenville; Ganny’s, Winnsboro; Odie Fae’s, Omaha; and Oxbow Bakery, Palestine

Best Pizza Under 50k

Steve O’s, Mount Vernon. Located on the downtown square, Steve-O’s Pizza and Pub gets great reviews for its pizza, friendly staff and live music. And don’t forget to order the fried pickles. 114 East Main Street.

903.270.2515 Honorable Mentions: Arturos, Sulphur Springs; Nardello’s, Mount Pleasant

Over 50K

Roast Social Kitchen, Tyler. Eclectic brickoven pizzas, small plates and a full bar in a convivial, industrial-chic atmosphere, Roast Social features great pizza, freshly prepared with handmade dough and loaded with unique toppings roasted fresh onsite daily.

1125 E 5th Street. 903.202.0295. roastsocialkitchen.com.

Best Produce

Efurd’s, Pittsburg. What started out as a simple family business in a little dirt-floor shed has quickly grown to a national operation with customers all over the country.

Owners Greg and Amy Efurd provide the freshest fruits and vegetables at great prices.

Call ahead to check produce availability.

4004 US-271. 903.856.2253. efurdorchard.com.

Best Restaurant Under 50k

Love and War in Texas, Lindale. Serving up Texas food, heritage, and music, diners won’t find “sushi” or “Alaskan snow crab” on the menu. They stick with tried and true Texas Gulf seafood, and Texas grown produce and meats. They have an all-Texas wine list and a collection of Texas beers. Texas singer-songwriters are featured every week.

The space is large with several choices for seating on a patio, at indoor picnic tables, in a dining room or the bar. It’s also attached to Miranda Lambert’s store, The Pink Pistol, so diners can easily shop a bit before or after their meal. 114 East North Street, Suite 4.

430.235.2100. Loveandwarintexas.com Honorable Mentions: 107 Paris Texas; Roosters, Winnsboro; KenSal’s Cuckoo Nest, Mount Vernon; Odie Fae’s, Omaha

Over 50k

The Grove Kitchen and Gardens, Tyler. The

ambience at The Grove makes diners feel like any day is a special event. They feature chef-crafted menus with made-from-scratch meals that promise to take the best of healthy and mix it with updated Southern comfort. On the grounds is a place for playing games like corn hole and shuffleboard, an amphitheater for live music and performances, and outdoor seating. Inside facilities include the main dining area with wallto-wall glass to view the beautiful outdoor area, the Smoke Shack with Texas barbecue, and an impressive bar lounge with a cozy fire. 3500 Old Jackson Highway. 903.939.0209. thegrovetyler.com.

Best Salad

Zanata, Rockwall. This is not the first time Zanata in historic downtown has claimed the Best Salad prize – they beat out the competition in 2013 as well. They continue to listen to what customers want and today offer delicious flavor combinations including Spinach & Gorgonzola Salad (pecans, dates, pears, grapes), “Z” House Salad (figs, candied pistachios, red onions, feta cheese, cabernet vinaigrette), Brushetta Salad (avocado, tomato, mozzarella, bacon, toasted ciabatta), Steak Salad (roasted jalapenos, crumbled blue cheese, avocado, tomatoes, buttermilk chive dressing), Crab Salad (field greens, toasted pine nuts, strawberries, mozzarella, red onion) and not your average Chopped Chicken Salad (roasted butternut squash, cranberries, walnuts, goat cheese, balsamic vinaigrette). 202 East Rusk Street.

972.722.2822. zanatas.com.

Best Sandwich

Pint and Barrel Drafthouse, Palestine. The Pint and Barrel offers a diverse sandwich menu. Pulled pork choices include one, two, or three little piggies, two of which come with fried SPAM. Also on the menu is Grilled Cheese and Soup (tomato soup, fried green tomatoes), Green Grilled Cheese and Soup (spinach artichoke dip, cheese, tomatoes, onions, grilled on sour dough), BLT (served with poblano soup), Meatloaf Sandwich, Cuban Sandwich, Buffalo Chicken and Bacon, Philly Cheese (steak or chicken), and Reuben. 302 E. Crawford Street. 903.727.2711. pintandbarrel. com Honorable Mention: Book Club Café, Rockwall

Best Seafood Under 50k

Pier 101 Seafood Bar & Grill, Rockwall.

Established in 2016, Pier 101 is the spot for Continued Page 10

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 9

BEST continued from page 9 the best in Cajun/Creole and seafood, featuring a full bar with specialty cocktails, the finest quality seafood and friendly service.

101 S Fanin St., Suite 100. 469.769.1108. pier101seafood.com.

Over 50k Clear Springs Restaurant, Tyler. An offshoot of a restaurant founded in New Braunfels 30 years ago, Clear Springs Restaurant serves a variety of western specialties, including fried catfish, hand-breaded onion rings and juicy thick-cut steaks and burgers. 6519 South Broadway. 903.561.0700. clearspringsrestaurant.com/tyler.

Best Steak Under 50k Rooster, Winnsboro. A cute café with small outdoor seating area, the Rooster Café opened in 2017 by owner Steve Barnhart, who ran Del Frisco’s in New York for eight years. They serve filet au oivre served with pommes frites, and ribeye. The Ollie is an open faced shaved prime rib with mashed potatoes, brown gravy, and frizzled onions.

111 E. Broadway Street. 903.347.6541 Honorable Mentions: Lone Republic Steakhouse, Winnsboro; Redneck Grill and Bar, Sulphur Springs Hall of Fame: Four Winds Steakhouse, Wills Point; Five D Cattle Company, Avinger

Over 50k

Dakotas, Tyler. Serving Tyler since 2002, Dakotas is known for its mouth-watering steaks, aged to perfection, and fresh seafood. Enjoy a cocktail in the restaurant’s warm, sophisticated setting or outside on the heated patio. 4803 Old Bullard Rd #1.

903.581.6700. dakotasintyler.com.

Best Mexican Cuisine

Rustico Fine Mexican Cuisine, Denison.

“Holy guacamole, this place is awesome,” says one five-star Yelp reviewer about Rustico, which features authentic Mexican cuisine in a fine dining atmosphere. Awardwinning chef Felipe Gaytan began his culinary career at age 19 and worked in many great kitchens, including the Hilton Palacio Del Rio in San Antonio and the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, before opening Rustico. 506 W Chestnut Street. 903.337.1447. rusticocuisinetx.com.

Best Vegetarian Under 50k

KenSal’s Cuckoo Nest, Mount Vernon.

KenSal’s CuckooNest features Asian Fusion cuisine, a combination of many traditions and styles of food, including Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese. Located off the town square, the restaurant features entrees such as crabs with ginger scallions sauce, shrimp with ginger oyster daunte, baked salmon with lemon capers sauce, sushi, BBQ roast pig and curry chicken satay. 106 Houston Street. 903.270.2512. kensalsasianfusion.com

Over 50k

Juls, Tyler. Juls features a cross between Asian and New American food with a dining experience in a spacious main dining room with high ceilings and wide windows or on its 5,000-square-foot patio overlooking a lake. For a unique nightlife experience, Juls’ bar features specialties, including handcrafted cocktails and craft beers, and DJ entertainment. 7212 Old Jacksonville Hwy. 903.581.5857. juls903.com

Best Winery

Landon Winery, Greenville. Landon Winery has three locations in historic downtown districts including Greenville, McKinney, and Wylie. The Greenville location gets the award this year for serving up Landon’s delicious wines in their spacious, inviting dining rooms and adjoining outdoor patio. They source their Texas grapes from vineyards in the Texas high plains south of Lubbock, as well as from California. Landon Winery’s Greenville bistro serves high-end brunch, lunch, or dinner. 2508 Lee Street. 903.454.

7878. landonwinery.com.

Honorable Mentions: Enoch’s Stomp, Harleton; Kiepersol Estates, Tyler; Los Pinos, Pittsburg

Best Annual Event

Harvest on Main Street, Mount Vernon.

Organizers set out to bring fine dining to the downtown Plaza District featuring local food and wine from local farmers, ranchers, and wineries. It receives rave reviews and people get it on their calendars a year in advance. The dinner on Friday night is followed the next day by Market on Main, a day-long shopping experience featuring local businesses. 903.537.4070. mountvernonmainstreet.com.

Best Antique Store

Mr. B’s Antiques, Ben Wheeler. Visitors to this downtown Ben Wheeler store find scores of hidden treasures here from antique furnishings, to collectibles, to artwork in a concept that feels like a 140-yearold general store. It’s operated by the owners of Wagon Wheel Antique Mall in Murchison. 903.833.1070. benwheelertx.com.

Honorable Mentions: Beauweavils and Finders Keepers, Winnsboro; Margaret & Ophelia’s Antiques & Uniques, Henderson; Pandora’s Box, Frankston; and Town Square Antiques, Sulphur Springs The Grove, Tyler

Best Art Gallery

Sparrow’s Gallery, Denison. “Real art for real people” is how Sparrow’s Gallery describes itself. The gallery’s trifold mission is to connect fine art from emerging and established artists with emerging and estab10 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

lished collectors, while sharing part of the proceeds with the local charitable community. The gallery features a wide variety of artists from North Texas and Southern Oklahoma. 124 W Main Street. 903.337.0708. sparrowsgallery.com.

Best Attraction

Texas State Railroad, Palestine. All aboard the official railroad of Texas. From the moment your party steps onboard one of the refurbished train cars, they’ll feel transported to a simpler, more leisurely time.

Vintage steam and diesel locomotives take passengers across the celebrated rails of the Piney Woods route on a 50-mile round-trip adventure between the quaint East Texas towns of Palestine and Rusk. The Polar Express Train Ride is a favorite during the holiday season as well. 789 Park Road.

855.632.7729. texasstaterailroad.net.

Best B&B

Clark House, Winnsboro. Filled with rich character and true Old World Charm, the Clark House Bed & Breakfast was built in 2001 in similar style and décor as the Oaklea Mansion, a historic home next door built in 1903 and now a Texas Historical Landmark.

Its rooms are filled with antiques, heirlooms, and rare collections. The Winnsboro Cultural Arts District is conveniently located within a few easy drivable blocks. 100 E Cedar Street. 903.588.0465. clarkhousewinnsboro.com.

Hall of Fame: Thee Hubbell House, Winnsboro

Best Bookstore/Book Club Under 50k

The Bosslight Bookstore, Nacogdoches.

Located in the heart of downtown Nacogdoches, this unique store is filled with Texas authors and publishers, colorfullyworded t-shirts, and novelties like fairy furniture. 123 E. Main Street. 936.645.9800. thebosslight.com.

Hall of Fame: Beauty and the Book, Hawkins

Over 50k

Pea Picker Bookstore, Tyler. With 6,000 square feet filled with books, books, and more used books, this gem is a great deal for the whole family. 2803 University Blvd.

903.565.4345. peapickerbooks.com.

Best Camping Spot

Walleye Park, Franklin County, Lake Cypress Springs. Located in Franklin County, Walleye Park features premium RV sites with full water and electrical hookups. Park amenities include restrooms and showers, a pavilion, picnic tables and boat ramp, playground, volleyball areas and a tent camping area. County Rd. SE 3122. 903.537.4536.

Best County Courthouse

Rockwall County, Rockwall. Located in the smallest county in Texas (covering only 147 square miles), the courthouse has undergone several transformations, from a frame courthouse in 1878, to a sandstone structure in 1892, to an art-deco design in 1941. Today’s majestic courthouse, completed in 2011, features a brick exterior with stone details, with an interior featuring terrazzo floors, granite wall paneling and mahogany ceiling paneling.

1111 W Yellow Jacket Lane. 972.204.7000.

Best Getaway

Deer Lake Cabins, Mount Vernon. Fifteen fully furnished, intricately decorate, private cabins, lake houses, and cottages are available for peaceful and relaxing getaways next to Deer Lake. Some are located in more secluded areas for solitude while others are next to the lake for easy access to water activities. The cabins are pet friendly and come with access to recreational activities like UTV rentals, fishing, hiking, paddle board yoga, and kids’ classes. Dude Ranch activities include roping lessons, horseback riding lessons, trail rides, and pony rides. 1692 Panther Creek Pass.

903.860.3898. deerlakecabins.com.

Honorable Mentions: Greer Farm, Daingerfield; The town of Jefferson; Mill Creek Ranch Resort, Canton

Best Gift Shop

Clara Ida Frances, Winnsboro. This country boutique and gift shop is a joy to spend time searching for treasures starting with the ambience of the restored historic building. The store is filled with select clothing, bath and body products, jewelry, a men’s shop, gifts, scents, and unique items for home, kitchen, and garden. 219 N. Main St. 903.342.6137.

ClaraIdaFrances.com.

Honorable Mentions: Fox & Fig, Sulphur Springs; M.L. Edwards & Co., Mount Vernon

Best Golf Course

Garden Valley Golf Resort, Lindale. Golfers enjoy the feeling they are getting out of the city and into the country at this hidden gem.

The course is around two large lakes and several groves of East Texas pines. A beautiful clubhouse overlooks the course with dining, a Pro Shop, and private event meeting rooms. And there’s lodging including cottages and cabins. And homesites with golf or lake views are also available. Garden Valley is conveniently located just off Interstate 20 between Dallas and Shreveport near Lindale, about 20 minutes from Tyler.

22049 FM Road 1995. 800.443.8577. gardenvalleytx.com.

Hall of Fame: Links at Land’s End, Lake Fork

Best Historic Building/ Restoration

M.L. Edwards & Co., Mount Vernon. The M.L. Edwards & Co. building was constructed in 1916 and is located in historic downtown Mount Vernon on the Plaza Square. It served the agricultural community providing general store goods for many decades.

The Ostertag family bought the building and did a major remodel in 2017. The original hardwood floors and tin ceiling were brought back to life and brick-sealed windows were uncovered. The 11,000-squarefeet old general store is now home to retail goods, a café, and event space. 103 Kaufman Street. 903.270.2516. mledwardsco.com.

Best Home Décor

Pandora’s Box, Frankston. Featuring vintage to the newest trends in décor, Pandora’s Box offers “a carnival of cool curiosities.”

Located in the little town of Frankston on Texas 155, the shop offers a treasure trove of antiques, furnishings, primitives, stained glass, ironwork, imports, architectural salvage and an outdoor area featuring perennials, garden statuary, arbors, gazebos, and other outdoor furniture. 302 N. Hwy 155.

903.876.5056. pandorasboxantiques.com.

Best Hotel

The Fredonia Hotel, Nacogdoches. Newly remodeled and reopened, this historic gem sits just a block off downtown Nacogdoches.

On site are two restaurants/bars, an outdoor pool, a luxury boutique, and workout room.

The merging of classic, mid-century style with fully modernized amenities makes this an excellent choice for one night or more. 200 North Fredonia. 936.564.1234. thefredonia.com.

Best Improved Town

Pittsburg. With the addition of the new Pilgrim Plaza a few months ago, Pittsburg is creating excellent community space for people to gather. The plaza is a tranquil garden and gathering area built to compliment the magnificent prayer tower for citizens and visitors alike to enjoy. Since the plaza’s completion the town has held several events there and others gather in smaller groups for yoga, live music, movies, and more. 903.856.3621. pittsburgtexas.com.

Best Improved Community Space

The Alley on Third, Mount Pleasant.

Businesses in downtown Mount Pleasant saw an opportunity in an empty alley way. They turned it into a meeting place with live music.

Food can be ordered from restaurants that back up to the alley. 903.575.4000. mpcity.net Continued Page 12

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 11

BEST continued from page 11

Best Live Music Venue

Henderson; Northeast Texas Children’s Museum, Commerce

The Back Porch, Kilgore. This venue with a charming outdoor stage does a great job of providing live music several times a week featuring local and touring bands and singersongwriters. And they mix it up every now and then with something new like the Dueling Pianos coming up March 9. The adjoining restaurant serves soups, salads, loaded baked potatoes, burgers, and southern fried dinners. 904 Broadway. 903.984.8141. thebakporchkilgore.com.

Best Nature Walk

Honorable Mentions: The Bowery Stage, Winnsboro; The Forge, Ben Wheeler; The Liberty Bell, Nacogdoches

Coleman Park, Sulphur Springs. Coleman Park features a 2.5-mile walking trail which circles a lake, taking visitors past two breathtaking waterfalls, over three bridges, and through a tunnel, connecting to soccer and baseball fields. The park also offers two tennis courts, a fishing pier, several picnic areas with charcoal grills and tables and a playground area. 125 Davis St. South.

903.474.7478.

Hall of Fame: Moore’s Store, Ben Wheeler

Best Museum

Longview Museum of Art. The museum hosts exhibits about six times a year and displays a permanent collection as well with more than 700 paintings, etchings, woodcuts, photographs, works on paper, lithographs, and pieces of sculpture. Works from contemporary regional artists (Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana) are the primary sources for the collection. Their long-standing mission to create interest in and promote knowledge of the visual arts is commendable. 215 East Tyler Street. 903.753.8103. lmfa.org.

Honorable Mentions: Texas Museum of Broadcasting & Communication,

Northeast Texas Trail, Farmersville to New Boston. An ideal choice for hikers, this 70-mile-long stretch of abandoned railroad routes cuts across seven counties with numerous entry points along Texas state highways 82 and 34. netexastrail.org.

Honorable Mention: Dogwood Trails, Palestine

Best Park

Best RV Park

Mill Creek Ranch Resort, Canton. Striving to be a different kind of cabin resort, Mill Creek Ranch Resort features fully equipped cottages with a modern feel and rustic charm, including Tiny Homes available to rent or purchase. Its RV resort has won several awards, including the Good Sam Top RV Park Award and County Line Magazine’s Hall of Fame. 1880 North Trade Days Blvd.

877.927.3439. millcreekranchresort.com.

Best Shopping Experience

First Monday Trade Days, Canton. This unique shopping experience started in the 1850s when the circuit judge stopped in Canton on the First Monday of each month and people came to town to conduct business and sell or trade their own goods, produce, and livestock. Today, people from all over Texas come to browse the mix of antiques, collectibles, home furnishings and crafts at the massive shopping center, featuring indoor and outdoor vendors. While today the event runs from Thursday through Sunday on the weekend of the first Monday of the month, it will forever be known as First Monday Trade Days. 800 Flea Market Road. 903.567.6556. firstmondaycanton.com.

Honorable Mentions: M.L. Edwards, Mount Vernon; Paul Michael Company, Canton; Downtown Sulphur Springs; The Pink Pistol, Lindale; Downtown Rockwall

Best Sign

SMILE!, Paris. The folks in Paris erected a billboard on top of a downtown building last year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the “Great Fire of 1916” that wiped out much of the town. Through tremendous courage and determination, the town came back even better. “Smile! The slogan that rebuilt the City of Paris in 12 months” reminds all that pass by what people can accomplish when they put their minds to it.

Best Slogan

Moving Forward. Kicking Back, Denison.

Denisonlive.com Honorable Mention: Life Is Sweeter Here, Mount Pleasant

Best Downtown Under 50k

Northeast Texas Trail

Rockwall. The downtown area of Rockwall has a nice variety of options available for shoppers (some late-night opportunities) and delicious dining choice like Bin 303, Book Club Café, Charlie’s Burgers & Street Tacos, Pier 101, Zanata, and The Fatted Calf. There’s plenty of activities in this inviting historic downtown district going on from live music, to special events, and its farmers market is open May through October. Uptown Downtown Art Gallery & Studio holds classes and exhibits throughout the year. A self-guided historical walking tour tells about the history and architecture so carefully maintained since the late 1800s.

With history as its foundation, the town has revitalized with specialty shops and boutiques and offerings to rival any town of its size. rockwalldowntown.com.

12 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Over 50k

Tyler. The non-profit group Heart of Tyler has spearheaded projects now totaling more than $100 million in reinvestment in downtown Tyler. There are active art projects at Gallery Main Street with exhibits and public art on buildings and downtowns streets and numerous events throughout the year. Some of the downtown attractions include Discovery Science Place, Innovation Pipeline, and Liberty Hall. Downtown food and drink places include Jack Ryan’s Steak & Chophouse, Rick’s on the Square, Don Juan’s, Strada Café, Janie’s Cakes, ETX Brewing Company, and The Foundry Coffeehouse. cityoftyler.org.

Best Chef

Enam Chowdhury, Chophouse on Bankhead, Mount Vernon. Formerly at Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards in Pittsburg and Lombardi Family Concepts Restaurants in Dallas before that, Chef Enam Chowdhury is now at the brand new Chophouse on Bankhead in Mount Vernon. Located in a renovated historic 1890s building the restaurant includes a menu of steaks, fresh fish, poultry, wild game, salads, pasta, and there’s a full bar. 102 E. Main Street. 903.270.2600. Chophouseonbank head.com.

Hall of Fame: Frank Rumore, Four Winds Steakhouse; Jackson York, various locations

Best Artist

David Tripp. Former Arlington ISD teacher David Tripp now enjoys spending time painting nostalgic watercolor scenes from small Texas towns and countryside. His latest endeavor had him spending most weekends working at The Gallery at Redlands in Palestine on “The American Railroad Odyssey” train exhibit during the holidays.

See some of his amazing work on his website recollections54.com.

Honorable Mention: Valery Guignon, Winnsboro

Best Local Band

Blindpursuit. Michael Paul, Katie Reed, John Reed, Craig Jones, and Marc Mitchell make up the Palestine, Texas, based Blindpursuit, an independent southern rock band with music that’s “one part soul, two parts rock and roll, a little splash of country, and a whole lot of good times.”

They recently released their debut album, Offramp. Blindpursuit.com.

Honorable Mentions: Dubb & The Luv Machines, Jason Waldon Band, The Kid Icarus Project, Miss Demeanor and the Groove Felons, Chris Colston

Best Local Singer/Songwriter

Matt Dunn. He lists his hometown as Sulphur Springs but he’s called the road home for several years opening for the likes of Cody Jinks, Jack Ingram, Bart Crow, Raney Foster, Brandon Jenkins, Max Stalling, and The Damn Quails. He and his band, The Runaways, have a new debut album, Desire. Upcoming shows include January 27, Lone Republic Steakhouse, Winnsboro; February 3, Sundown at The Granada, Dallas; March 10, The Texan, Greenville; and April 6, Love and War, Lindale. mattdunnmusic.com.

PAPER

Indulge YOU DESERVE IT

Best Play

One Toe in the Grave, Winnsboro Center for the Arts. Directed by Bob and Becky Hibbard of the former Quitman Community Theatre (they closed the curtains in 2015), this tale of a rising young bachelor executive and his antics won big accolades from all that saw it on The Bowery Stage in Winnsboro at the end of 2017.

Honorable Mention: Dixie Swim Club, Lindale Community Theater

Best Theatre Company

Henderson County Performing Arts Center.

The group performs about eight plays each year and always gets heavy applause. As well they should since they’ve been around for more than 50 years, always with a mission to bring quality entertainment and education to East Texas. 400 Gibson Road. 903.675.3908. hcpac.org.

Best Actor/Actress

Noel Weems, Lindale Community Theater.

Noel Weems was a crowd favorite in a couple of plays in 2017 including The Boys Next Door, as the innocent Sheila and in The Dixie Swim Club where she played Lexie, at first a flamboyant man chaser whose character gets a bit more serious when she discovers she has cancer. LCT Executive Director Tim Mitchiner says, “In The Dixie Swim Club, she played the beautiful Lexie— the quintessential narcissist — and as that character, she had the audience in the palm of her hand, usually laughing out loud at her antics, her never-ending string of men and her interaction with the lifelong friends that join her.

“The Boys Next Door was a 180-degree turn as she portrayed Sheila, a mentally handicapped woman with a fascination for keys and not missing the bus. Poorly dressed and unkempt, the audience never once doubted Noel was Sheila and was entranced by the simple filter she applied to everything in her very different reality.”

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903.963.8306 www.countylinemagazine.com

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 13

WINNSBORO CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT

Best Live Music Venue!

ANNIE MAE’S COFFEE SHOP & CAFE

LIEFIE LI VINE

108 W. Elm St. - (903) 347-6510

302 N. Main St. - (903) 347-1111

COPPER LEAF DAY SPA

WinnsboroCulturalDistrict.com

209 N. Main St. - (903) 342-7772

Texas Certified Cultural Arts District

Neptune’s Car Frank Martin Gilligan January 13

DIRECTIONAL WELLNESS

213 N. Main St. - (903) 342-7772

THE ROOSTER CAFE

February 10

LA CONCHITA

205 N. Walnut St. - (903) 347-1213

THE BOWERY

111 Broadway - (903) 347-6541

Dining, Music, Arts, & Entertainment

Barrel House Bar & Grill

STAR DRAGONFLY HERBS

204 Market St. - (903) 347-1282

George Winston

300 N. Main St., Suite C - (903) 588-4313

100 East Cedar Street • 903-588-0465

200 MARKET STREET • 903-342-0686 14 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

903-342-3666

DINE. SHOP. STAY. ARTS. ENTERTAINMENT. All shows start at 7:30 PM. Tickets available online at www.winnsborocenterforthearts.com; Winnsboro Emporium, 212 Market St., 903-342-6140; and at the Winnsboro Center for the Arts.

BEAUWEEVILS

205 N. Main - (903) 342-6800

CLARA IDA FRANCES

219 N. Main St. - (903) 342-6137

June 25 LONE REPUBLIC STEAK HOUSE

Bill Hearne Trio March 2

Sofia Talvik

206 Market St. - (903) 347-6526

FLOWERLAND/215 MAIN

215 N. Main St. - (903) 342-1050

March 12

SUNDAY AFTERNOON CLASSICAL SERIES Mount Vernon Music Chamber Trio

BETSY’S BOUTIQUE

THEE HUBBELL HOUSE

216 N. Main - (903) 347-6511

307 W. Elm St. - (800) 227-0639

WINNSBORO BAKERY CAFE

WINNSBORO EMPORIUM

January 7 Selections from the Goldberg Variations by J.S. Bach, the Seranade for string trio by Ernst von Dohnányi, and selections from the Divertimento K. 563 by W.A. Mozart

ART EXHIBITS Men in the Arts Exhibition Through Jan 13

Carlos Owens Underwater Photography

210 N. MAIN ST. - (903) 347-6508

212 Market St. - (903) 342-6140

Jan 20 - Feb 24

Reception Jan 20. 5:30 p.m.

Rich in history. Steeped in country. First in class.

FINDERS KEEPERS ANTIQUES CULTURE CLUB, GALLERY OF ARTISTS

304 N. Main St. - (903) 347-1271

Logos represent donors or supporters and are utilized by permission only.

107 E. Elm St.

www.WINNSBOROCENTERFORTHE ARTS.COM JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 15

THIS TIME OF YEAR

Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.

Aristotle

JANUARY 23, 1943

CATCHY PHRASE

Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo, and Blair

Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo, and Blair were communities along a railroad in Shelby County made famous by a crapshooters’ phrase and a song by the singing cowboy Tex Ritter who grew up nearby.

Here are his own words on the subject from a recording around the early 1950s: “Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo, and Blair.

Those are four little East Texas towns in Shelby County. Now I was born in the southern part of Panola County in Murvaul Creek. They were on the HE and WT (Houston East and West Texas Railway). Now they used to call that little line ‘a railroad to hell any way you take it.’ But to tell the story, the conductor would holler them all at one time. He went through the coach hollering in each town and before he got through the fourth one, the train had been through all four of them. It became a saying in dice games when you’re trying to make ten — ‘Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo, and Blair.’ That saying went all over the world during WWII, but it’s four little towns in Shelby County very near to where I was raised.”

It was said that HE&WT became specifically know to stand for “Hell Either Way Taken.” The first railroad in East Texas was sometimes a rough ride and the locomotive was known to jump from the track from time to time.

As for how the phrase “Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo, and Blair” began, most agree with Ritter’s account that the conductor’s words caught on and, adding to

that, it is believed that a National Guard Unit during World War I composed of men from Shelby County started using the phrase in place of “hup, two, three, four,” to honor their hometowns. That spread the chant further out into the world where dice players started using it for good luck when trying to roll double fives. Ritter’s song surely added fire to make it a worldwide term.

Some of the words of “Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo, and Blair” are: On the HE&WT line, Old East Texas sure looks fine Drop me off just anywhere, Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo, and Blair Hear those drivers pound the rails, Takin’ me back to Texas trails,

Casablanca Celebrates 75th Anniversary

Said by some to be the most romantic of all movies, Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, released in the United States on January 23, 1943. Tickling the ivories and crooning the famous love song “As Time Goes By,” was Dooley Wilson, as Sam. Wilson was born in Tyler in 1886 and went on to star in many movies, plays, and a TV sitcom called Beulah. He died May 30, 1953. In 2014, the piano he so famously played in Casablanca sold in a New York auction for $3.4 million. It’s pictured here (above) with Wilson (right) and Bogart.

JANUARY 20, 2018

Bought my ticket, paid my fair, Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo, and Blair Let’er highball, engineer, Pull that throttle, track is clear, There’s a gal just waitin’ there, Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo, and Blair.

Tenaha and Timpson are still active small communities with about 1,200 people according to the 2010 census.

Bobo and Blair are basically gone now with the exception of a few houses, a church, and a historical marker.

The phrase continues today among those who like to play dice games and in songs like “Ping Pong, Pool” by Texas singer-songwriter Max Stalling, whose love song states he’s not playing games.

16 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Eagle Capital of Texas Readies for Annual Festival

Rains County is the official Eagle Capital of Texas. Every year in January, the county welcomes visitors from all over the world to celebrate the eagle population. Bus and barge tours are available for eagle and other wildlife spotting.

There’s live entertainment, wildlife exhibits, food, vendors, and more from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, January 20, in Emory. Go to visitrainscounty.com for more information. Photo by Lisa Hilbers

Hemphill Remembers Fatal NASA Tragedy all our astronauts were recovered and their remains were sent home.”

Eight years later, with the help of public and private contributions, the community opened the NASA Columbia Museum in Hemphill. Its excellent exhibits tell the story of both Columbia’s 28 missions and the fateful day — February 1, 2003 — that the airship and its occupants came to rest on Sabine County soil. Besides the artifacts and information, an introductory video helps tell the story.

The museum plans to mark the day of the tragedy on February 1 with special events. A program is scheduled at 7:45 p.m. at First Baptist Church and all visitors to the museum that day get in free, as they do on February 1 of every year to honor the anniversary. Guest speakers are on hand at the museum throughout the day to randomly discuss various topics related to Columbia and the recovery effort. Volunteers also tell of their memories from that time 15 years ago.

Crew members of the fateful final flight of the Columbia were (left to right) David Brown, Commander Rick Husband, Laurel Blair Salton Clark, Kalpana Chawla, Michael Anderson, William McCool, and Ilan Ramon.

By Steve Freeman People living in Hemphill, Texas — and in much of Sabine County, for that matter — don’t think of February 1 as just another day. It was on that date 15 years ago that Space Shuttle Columbia rocketed to the earth due to a malfunction in reentry to the Earth’s atmosphere in route to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. All seven astronauts on board were killed.

Much of the debris landed in and around Hemphill, including the flight recorder that helped NASA piece together what went wrong.

Stunned and overwhelmed, the small community and unpopulated rural areas surrounding it sprang into action much to the admiration of NASA, Texans, and Americans alike. Their mission was to help anyway they could for investigators and salvagers to do their job.

The story of how a small community served up thousands of meals, cooperated with needs for property and

resources, and made ground zero as much like home during the massive effort is inspirational.

Members of the Hemphill community assisted NASA in accomplishing an unprecedented air, ground, and water search. Their dedication was instrumental in the recovery of more than 80,000 pieces that helped NASA understand the accident, and provided the groundwork for the agency’s successful return to flight. The debris was spread from Corsicana to western Louisiana. The flight recorder was found in Hemphill.

“Their mission became our mission,” volunteer Belinda Gay says. “At every recovery of our astronauts, a memorial service was performed. By day 12,

Pawpa’s House in the country

1601 VZ County Road 1512 Van Texas

903.571.3620 • fb.com/PawpasHouse www.vrbo.com, VRBO#421840

Authors Jonathan Ward and Mike Leinback are on hand with their book Bringing Columbia Home.

Activities of the day and throughout the year at the museum include a tour taking visitors on a journey through Columbia’s first historical flight through its last mission. It also provides a glimpse of the recovery of Columbia and the crew, along with two people who lost their lives in the recovery efforts. This museum has many items and artifacts from NASA and its contractors, the families of the crew, as well as from other individuals.

Regular hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday and Monday by appointment only (excluding holidays).

Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students.

Go to nasacolumbiamuseum.com or call 409.787.4827 for more information.

Near Canton, Ben Wheeler, Lindale, Tyler, Mineola. One hour to Dallas.

A Great Satellite • Wireless Internet Jacuzzi Tub • Hot Tub Getaway!

Fully Equipped Kitchen Handicap Accessible

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 17



CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

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

Mardi Gras Celebrations Planned In and Around the Upper East Side of Texas

By Tracy Torma When it comes to “letting the good times roll,” the Upper East Side of Texas takes a cue from our Louisiana neighbors with numerous celebrations.

Mardi Gras, also called Fat Tuesday, is a time to feast and live it up prior to heading into the Lenton season of penitence, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday. The timing is based on the lunar calendar used by the Catholic Church to determine the date of Easter.

Before all that fasting, it is a tradition for many to attend carnivals and other celebrations for their last night of eating richer, fatty foods, and other indulgences.

This year, Fat Tuesday falls on February 13 and organizers are using the weekend, and even weeks before, to hold events.

A number of Texas cities on the Upper East Side and in nearby ShreveportBossier celebrate Mardi Gras with parades, concerts, and the opportunity to taste great Louisiana delicacies. Here’s a roundup of activities planned this year.

Taste of New Orleans February 3 Palestine

Palestine’s Taste of New Orleans is an annual celebration of Louisiana-style

cuisine and music. Hosted by downtown businesses, the event showcases both the talents of local chefs and the city’s historic buildings. Visitors enjoy free food demonstrations at numerous downtown locations starting at 11:30 a.m. and rolling until 5:30 p.m. There are Cajun dance lessons where guests can swing to the Zydeco beat and the Trinity Valley Junior College jazz band performs at 4:30 p.m. at the historic Redlands Inn downtown.

The 9th Annual Mardi Gras Parade, starts at 6 p.m. at the historic Anderson County Courthouse and runs through the Main Street district.

For more information, visit www.visitpalestine.com. See related video on countylinemagazine.com.

Mardi Gras Up River February 9-11 Jefferson

Mardi Gras was celebrated in Jefferson back in the mid-19th century when, as the largest inland port in Texas, it had direct ties with New Orleans. But the celebration ended when the town’s tremendous steamboat commerce stopped after the Corps of Engineers successfully blasted away a huge logjam on the Red River in the late 1870s, ending the riverboat trade.

In 1998, Jefferson resurrected its Mardi Gras celebration, and the party only gets bigger and better each year.

The festivities kick off on Friday, February 9, with the Doo Dah Parade, a zany event where everyone is invited to dress in their craziest Mardi Gras costumes and join in the fun. Afterwards, enjoy the music of Mardi Gras Queen Amanda Turner (top) waves at thousands of revelers attending the 2016 Grand Krewe of Hebe Mardi Gras Parade in Jefferson while others drive and walk along the parade route to entertain the crowds. Photos by Tracy Torma

(Bottom) On Sunday of Mardi Gras weekend in Jefferson, visitors enjoy a children’s parade. Photo by Hollis Shaden 18 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Other Mardi Gras parades include: The Krewe of Centaur Parade XXVII, one of the largest parades in Louisiana, is held at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 3. In conjunction is the 12th Annual Red River Mardi Gras Bash offering VIP treatment and behind-the-scenes access for groups of 10 or more. For $40 guests get access to a climate-controlled party tent, live music, Cajun food, king cake, a commemorative Mardi Gras bead and t-shirt, and get to meet krewe royalty and take guided tours of the parade route.

Mardi Gras Bash is a rockin’ party located along the route of the Krewe of Centaur Parade XXVII in downtown Shreveport February 3. Groups of 10 or more get VIP treatment including access to a climatecontrolled party tent, live music, Cajun food, king cake, t-shirt, and more. Photo courtesy of Shreveport-Bossier CVB.

What the Funk, a Northwest Louisiana band playing on the Main Stage downtown. The music continues all day on Saturday, February 10, featuring a variety of bands, from Zydeco to party music, and continues on Sunday, February 11.

The main attraction – the Krewe of Hebe Grand Mardi Gras Parade – starts at 1:45 p.m. on Saturday, February 10, with a motorcycle parade, followed at 2 p.m. by the Grand Parade featuring more than an hour of floats, bands, and bead-throwing mania. On Sunday, a Children’s Parade at 2 p.m. features many of the same floats without the crowds. There’s also a Children’s Costume Contest, a Paws & Claws Pet Parade (immediately following the Children’s Parade) with an Ugly Dog Contest, Pet Look Alike and Best Pet Costume Contest. For more information, visit mardigrasupriver.com.

Mardi Gras Krewes January 5 - February 10 Shreveport-Bossier

Shreveport and Bossier City welcome more than a half-million parade goers for family-friendly fun starting in January.

The earliest major parade on ShreveportBossier’s annual Carnival calendar is the Krewe of Harambee Martin Luther King Jr. Day Mardi Gras Parade, a huge musical parade that marches through downtown Shreveport at 1 p.m. on Monday, January 15.

The Krewe of Barkus and Meoux Pet Parade, featuring hundreds of ornately costumed dogs, cats, ponies, chickens, and other pets, begins at noon on Sunday, February 4 at 2000 Reeves Marine Center in Bossier City.

The final major parade weekend of carnival season in Shreveport-Bossier begins with the Krewe of Gemini Grand Parade XXIX at 4 p.m. on Saturday, February 10.

The Krewe of Highland Parade XXIII, a quirky neighborhood parade, held annually on the Sunday afternoon following the Krewe of Gemini Parade, begins at 2 p.m.

For more information – including downloadable brochures, special Mardi Gras offers from hotels, and more – visit ShreveportMardiGras.org or call 800.551.8682.

Gumbo Cook-off February 10 Henderson

The City of Henderson celebrates Mardi Gras on its historic Heritage Square with its 4th Annual Gumbo Cook-off on Saturday, February 10. Gumbo taste tickets are $10 and will be sold at the event, which includes a Beer and Wine Garden and features real Cajun music by a Zydeco band from Louisiana. The event runs from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Downtown Heritage Square.

For more information or to enter a gumbo cook-off team, contact Judy Lewis at 902.657.6551.

Palestine ends its day-long Taste of New Orleans event with a Mardi Gras parade, which starts at the Anderson County Courthouse and winds through the historic Main Street District. Photo by Stuart Whitaker JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 19

VISIT

EXPLORE WOOD MeetingCOUNTY the locals has never been so memorable

www.woodcountytx.com “Beyond the Lure of Big Fish”

www.woodcountytx.com Wood County Tourism

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

1301 S. Henderson Blvd – Kilgore, TX Phone: (903) 983-8295

Discover

KILGORE Hours:

Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

1100 Broadway Blvd – Kilgore, TX Phone: (903) 983-8265

20 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Gun Barrel City ...a straight shot to Cedar Creek Lake

Come Stay & Play.

We Aim to Please!

903.887.1087 www.gunbarrelcity.net www.gunbarrelcityfestivals.net

Bringing local, regional and national live music to the heart of historic downtown Athens.

EVENTS Dates and times are subject to change. Always call ahead before planning a visit.

January 6, February 3

Joyner-Kersey Set to Speak at Stars Over Longview

Star Party. Tyler. Center for Earth and Space Science Education, 1411 E. Lake St. 903.510.2312. sciencecenter.tjc.edu

one of the Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century.

January 13

The annual Stars Over Longview Award honors 12 of the most influential women in the Longview area who always rise to the occasion to make a difference in their communities. Women are nominated from every industry, profession, and walk of life.

Feast of Saint Voloc. Ennis. The Telico Gin, 948 Kirkpatrick Road. willowdenfoundation.com

January 19

2018 B2B Expo. Tyler. Harvey Convention Center. 903.592.1661. tylertexas.com

January 20

Rains County Eagle Fest. Emory. Rains High School, 1651 US-69. 903.473.2465. emorytx.com

January 26-28

Jefferson Quilt Show. Jefferson Institute, 120 E Austin Street. 903.665.2672. jeffersonquiltshow.com

January 26-28

East Texas Boat & RV Show. Longview.

Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Complex.

903.237.4023. longviewchamber.com

Through February 18

Dinosaurs Live. McKinney. Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary, 1 Nature Place. 972.562.5566. heardmuseum.org

Longview Regional Medical Center holds the 18th Annual Stars Over Longview Awards Ceremony and Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. January 11 at Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Complex. Keynote speaker is Jackie Joyner-Kersey, Olympian and

The honorees for 2018 are Shalonda Adams, Lori Holyfield Ball, Crista Black, Sharon Bradley, Mary Collier, Carmela Davis, Gerrie Forbis, Carol Manley, Dawn Martin, Pamela MercerMcWilliams, Mary Morris, and Julie Woods.

Tickets are $30 each or $240 for a table of eight. To purchase tickets, call Longview Regional Medical Center’s Marketing Department at 903.553.7400. For further information, visit LongviewRegional.com.

February 1-4, March 1-4

First Monday Trade Days. Canton. 903.

567.6556. firstmondaycanton.com

February 3

Bourbon & Bowties. Longview. Maude Cobb Center. 903.462.7794. longviewwow.org

Enjoy Shopping, Dining & Entertainment in Historic Mineola, Texas in 2018!

BAKED POTATO FUNDRAISER January 26 Benefits Mineola Historical Museum

Krewe of Barkus. McKinney. Downtown.

972.547.2660. mckinneytexas.org

MINEOLA AMTRAK WINE FEST March 24-25 MineolaMainStreet.com

February 9-11

East Texas Home & Design Show. Longview.

Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Complex.

903.758.6416. easttexasbuilders.org

MAIN STREET FARMERS MARKET 101 W. Front Street May - October

Mid-February Through March

Mrs. Lee’s Daffodil Garden. Gladewater.

The Helen Lee Foundation, 21600 CR 3103.

903.845.5780. daffodilgarden.com

February 18

Texas Peace Summit. Tyler. UT Tyler Ornelas Activity Center. txpeace.com.

February 22-24

Nacogdoches Film Festival. Nacogdoches.

Fredonia Hotel, 888.564.7351. nacogdochesfilmfestival.org

MINEOLA NATURE PRESERVE 7a.m. until sunset MINEOLA HISTORICAL MUSEUM 114 Pacific St (Hwy. 69)

COMING SOON National Train Day

Free. Open Thur, Fri, Sat 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

RAILROAD MUSEUM Restored 1906 Mineola Depot 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. 7 days a week. FREE

AMTRAK TEXAS EAGLE

Designated Daily Stop 1-800-669-8509

March 2-4

Zonta Antiques Show & Sale. Longview.

Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Complex.

501.230.5728. zontaantiqueshow.com

See countylinemagazine.com for extended event listings.

1.800.MINEOLA • www.mineola.com

f

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 21

Around the World in Two Days Visiting Athens, Paris, Naples, Geneva, and Moscow in the Upper East Side of Texas

By Tracy Torma County Line took to the road for a worldwind trip throughout the region to cities with famous European names. What unfolds is a beautiful drive with some fun attractions, interesting history, great shopping, and delicious food and drink options along the way.

We started our journey from Palestine (Texas, that is) and traveled in a large circle to Moscow, Geneva, Naples, Paris, and Athens. While it was fun going “around the world” in two days (plus, it makes for a great headline), the journey can also break into a few day trips to adequately enjoy the sights and scenery these Texas towns with European names offer.

MOSCOW

Population 170 Polk County At the junction of U.S. Highway 59 and FM Road 350, 90 miles north of Houston, the community was named for the distant city of Moscow, Russia, after postal authorities refused to accept the townspeople’s first choice of Greenville, after the founder David Green. (Another post office in the state claimed that name.)

Moscow incorporated in 1856 and became a trading center for Polk County farmers during the latter 1850s, with

cotton gins, sawmills, and various businesses and shops. Today, Moscow offers a brief respite for travelers on the Interstate 59 corridor to Houston. The town consists of a post office next to a convenience store and service station and a lovely community park dedicated to William P. Hobby, publisher of the Houston Post and the 27th governor of the State of Texas (1917 to 1920).

sion marker that commemorates El Lobanillo, a ranch established during the mid 1700s by Antonio Gil Ibarvo. When Spain evacuated colonists from western Louisiana and East Texas in 1773, Gil Ibarvo’s mother and other refugees remained at the ranch. In 1794, it was granted to Juan Ignacio Pifermo and was later inherited by John Maximillian in the early 1800s.

Those visiting Wednesday through Saturday, be sure to eat at the popular local restaurant, Big Jake’s Western Dive.

It’s a classic Texas diner, with framed local rodeo pictures on the wall. Big Jake’s gets rave reviews for its burgers, chicken-fried steak, and chargrilled ribeyes. They serve down-home cooking at its finest that’s definitely worth the drive.

The drive through Sabine County features a wealth of other historical markers, including one honoring Mial Scurlock, an early Texas settler who was killed in the Battle of the Alamo; the County Line Baptist Church and Cemetery, which began soon after the end of the Civil War; and the site of the Battle of Fredonia, the first Anglo American rebellion in East Texas in 1826.

GENEVA

NAPLES

Population 100 Sabine County If you enjoy Texas history and driving beautiful less-traveled back roads, journey to Geneva in Sabine County. Located at the intersection of El Camino Real (Texas Highway 21) and Farm Road 330 in northwestern Sabine County, the site is considered to be the oldest one continuously occupied in East Texas.

Today, Geneva is just a spot in the road marked by a Texas Historical Commis-

22 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Population 1,348 Morris County Located in northeast Morris County, Naples developed around a railroad station on the Texas and St. Louis Railway, which built through the area in 1880.

The town grew to become an important shipping point and supply center in the late 1880s. During the early 1900s, Big Jake’s on U.S. 59 in Moscow is known for its chicken-fried steak (that’s the small portion at right) and its chargrilled ribeyes. Photos by Tracy Torma

around, offering the finest of East Texas rolling hills, woods, and farmlands. And not one car was encountered on the drive. Nice.

PARIS Population 25,005 County seat of Lamar County No visit to Paris is complete without visiting the Eiffel Tower. And visitors to Paris, Texas, won’t be disappointed as France’s Texas counterpart has its own 65-foot-tall Eiffel Tower, topped with a 10-gallon red cowboy hat.

The City of Geneva is noted by two roadside markers, one as a location on the El Camino Real and the other a Texas Historical Commission marker commemorating El Lobanillo, a ranch established during the mid 1700s by Antonio Gil Ibarvo. Photo by Tracy Torma

when it was incorporated, lumber became an important local industry. By the late 1920s, the town had grown to 1,500 people.

Today, the city stretches for several blocks on one side of the railroad tracks, with several shops, a local pizza place, and Don Juan’s, a popular familyowned Mexican restaurant chain. The city hosts an annual Watermelon Festival the last weekend in July.

If visiting on a Saturday, see the Red Road Vineyard and Winery for a wine tasting and plate of cheese and crackers. The winery is open from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday at 105 W. Front St. on the other side of the train tracks across from downtown.

The 13-mile drive on Texas Farm 67 from Hughes Springs to Naples is one of the prettiest winding country roads

Start your tour by visiting the impressive Red River Valley Veterans Memorial, located next to the Eiffel Tower. The memorial features a “Ring of Honor” – a circle of granite walls with the names of the veterans from the Red River Valley area (Lamar, Fannin, Red River, and Delta counties in Texas and Choctaw, County in Oklahoma) who gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country in a war zone.

Visit the Lamar County Historical Museum, which features artifacts, photogcontinued Page 24 Established along the railroad tracks in the 1880s, today Naples offers visitors several places to shop and eat (pizza and Mexican food) on one side of the tracks and taste local Northeast Texas wine from Red Road Vineyard and Winery on the other side. Plus, the quiet drive to Naples on Texas Farm 67 features beautiful back-road scenery. Photos

by Tracy Torma

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 23

Paris, Texas, features a 65-foot-tall Eiffel Tower topped with a Texas-size red cowboy hat. Adjacent to the tower is the impressive Red River Valley Veterans Memorial.

Be sure to drive three miles to the downtown square for great shopping. Photo by Tracy Torma

WORLD continued from page 23 raphy, and re-creations detailing life in the town over the years, including a blacksmith shop and pioneer kitchen.

Other key attractions include the Santa Fe Depot, built in 1914, which features the Lamar County Genealogical Society Library and the Valley of the Caddo Museum and Cultural Center.

Paris has many historic structures, including the Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site, a 19th century Victorian-style home, which is open for tours.

In 1916, a fire fanned by high winds almost destroyed the city. In the town center is a plaza with a marble fountain dedicated to those who rebuilt the town. Then on April 2, 1982, Paris was hit by a tornado that destroyed more than 1,500 homes and left eight dead and 3,000 homeless. Since then, local businesses have invested nearly $7 million to renovate and revitalize the downtown area, which features the historic town square surrounded by great shopping in specialty shops and antique stores.

ATHENS

Population 12,811 County seat of Henderson County Athens was established in 1850 on a one-square-mile site of land. The town was named in honor of Athens, Greece,

by Dulcinea Averiette, who felt the town would become the cultural center of the county.

The city boasts such famous citizens as Clint W. Murchison Jr., businessman and founder of the Dallas Cowboys football team; William Wayne Justice, former U.S. District Court judge; and former pro athletes Pete Donohue, Major League Baseball pitcher, and Terrence McGee, NFL cornerback for the Buffalo Bills.

Unique Places to Stay Along the Route ATHENS

PARIS

Meadowlark Fields Country House. Located on 50 pastoral acres about four miles south of Athens, the Country House was built in 1913.

7185 FM 1615. 903.677.1117. meadowlarkfields. com

NAPLES

Tara Vineyard and Winery. The Tara Inn overlooks acres of vibrant vineyards. This turn-ofthe-century house consists of four large guest rooms, a special spa bathroom with a large Jacuzzi tub, a huge wrap-around porch, and terraces surrounding the entire second story.

8603 County Road 3914. 903.675.7023. tarawinery.com

GENEVA

The Geranium House Bed & Breakfast.

Experience an atmosphere of nostalgia from a by-gone era at this historic 2,240-square foot home on three acres. 600 Wood Street, 903.675.6895. thegeraniumhouse.com

24 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Old Magnolia House Bed & Breakfast. A twostory Victorian home built in 1871 near downtown, this B&B offers a Southern gourmet breakfast every morning. 731 Clarksville Street.

903.739.8600. oldmagnoliahousebandb.com Wildernest Ranch Bed & Breakfast. A lovely, quaint log cabin perfect for honeymooners, a getaway, or a writer’s retreat. 325 County Road 2512. 469.585.109. facebook.com/wildernestbb Mission Dolores State Historic Site. Camp at this former site of a Spanish mission built in 1721. The property offers overnight camping, featuring full hook-up and paved sites. 701 South Broadway Street. 936.275.3815. missiondolores@thc.texas.gov

Visitors to Athens can enjoy a beverage in the outdoor courtyard at the Athens Brewing Company (Top photo). On weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., enjoy lunch at the Railway Cafe, featuring soups, salads and sandwiches. Both establishments are located near the courthouse square. Photos by Tracy Torma

Athens is nationally acknowledged as “Home of the Original Hamburger” and hosts the Uncle Fletch Davis Hamburger Festival in September. It also welcomes the annual Athens Old Fiddlers Contest and Reunion each May, the oldest such event in the U.S., now in its 87th year.

Popular visitors’ attractions include the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, which provides an educational experience with a production fish hatchery.

Each year, more than 500 kids catch their “first fish” at the center. Downtown, visit the Henderson County Historical Museum, which features a turn-of-the-century dry goods store on the first floor and a re-creation of an early law office, parlor, bedroom, bath, kitchen, and school room on the second floor.

Year-round, people can enjoy two miles of nature trails at the East Texas Arboretum & Botanical Society, located on 100 wooded acres. The arboretum is home to the historic Wofford House Museum, built in 1851 and open on weekdays.

To whet your whistle, Athens has several local wineries and a brewery downtown, the Athens Brewing Company. Visitors

can buy fine wines at local wineries, including Tara Vineyard & Winery, 3 P’s in a Vine Winery and Vineyard, and Castle Oaks Vineyard and Winery.

And Dulcinea Averiette would be proud of the active arts culture in Athens today, including 211 Gallery, open every Thursday through Saturday featuring the works of many local fine artists for sale and in exhibits throughout the year.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 25

THE ARTS

Second Andy Warhol Exhibit Pops in the Upper East Side of Texas

and two original drawings featuring animals from his Endangered Species series.

Coordinated with the exhibition is a lecture and film series showing a variety of films either directed by Andy Warhol himself or written about his life.

The exhibit opening takes place January 13 with refreshments, special guest speakers, and the kickoff of celebrations for the museum’s 60th anniversary.

Go to LMFA.org for more information or call 903.753.8103.

McKinney Arts Center Anchors Downtown

Visitors who enjoyed seeing Andy Warhol’s “Screen Prints & Snapshots” at the Tyler Museum of Arts (showing through January 7) will also enjoy “Rediscovering Andy Warhol” on exhibit from January 13 through March 24 at the Longview Museum of Fine Arts.

This show features a few of the pieces shown in Tyler, but the majority are completely different.

The exhibit features 30 original Warhol works in all gathered from local art collections and the Meadows Museum at Centenary College in Shreveport.

Featured are Warhol’s “Cowboys and Indians” companion pieces, including

his one-of-a-kind graphite drawing of Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull.

In addition to his iconic western series, Warhol’s famous “Birth of Venus” — part of his portfolio of four screen prints of Botticelli’s goddess of Venus on Arches Aquarelle paper — is on display.

The exhibit also features screen prints from his 1985 advertising portfolio, including those for Paramount Studios, Chanel, Mobil Gas, and Van Heusen shirts featuring actor and former President Ronald Reagan. Other works on exhibit include a famed version of actress Marilyn Monroe, Moon Landing,

Rediscovering JANUARY 16 – MARCH 24, 2018

903.753.8103 • LMFA.org 215 E. Tyler St. • Longview, TX 75601

26 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

David Hobson’s “Music in Motion” oil painting is one of many art pieces adorning the walls of the McKinney Performing Arts Center in the former Collin County Courthouse standing magnificently in the center of downtown McKinney. The multi-purpose facility features a 427-seat theater where live entertainment — including offBroadway, comedy, theater, and concerts — takes place throughout the year. Children’s dance classes are held regularly on the second floor, while the first floor plays host to the works of local artists like Hobson. Having the arts at the center of this historic downtown district keeps the focus on creativity, beauty, and building cultural bridges.

Photo by P.A. Geddie

Portraits of Jews Featured in Shreveport Exhibit

“Lost Stories, Found Images: Portraits of Jews in Wartime Amsterdam By Annemie Wolff” is on exhibition from January 8 through March 23 at the Meadows Museum of Art in Shreveport. The show features photography of German-born Dutch photographer Annemie Wolff that she took of Amsterdam’s Jews during the German occupation of The Netherlands at a time of great danger both for her and for her subjects.

Some of these photos were taken for falsified papers to aid these individuals in their escape. Other images were taken as mementos for friends, relatives in camps, or remembrances of children when parents went into hiding.

These previously lost works, rediscovered in 2008 by Dutch photo historian Simon Kool, help illuminate an untold story of Jewish life in Amsterdam during the Holocaust.

The Meadows is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 318.869.5040 for more information.

ARTS EVENTS Dates and times are subject to change. Always call ahead before planning a visit.

Through January 13

Men in the Arts Exhibit. Winnsboro Center for the Arts. 903.342.0686. winnsborocenterforthearts.com

Through January 8

Heavy Metal Exhibit. Tyler. Gallery Main Street. 903.593.6905. downtowntylerarts.com

Through January 13

Donnie Copeland Exhibition. Texarkana.

Yayoi Kusama Exhibit Comes to Dallas Museum of Art The works of Japanese artist and writer Yayoi Kusama are on display at the Dallas Museum of Art through February 25.

“Yayoi Kusama: All the Eternal Love I have for the Pumpkins” is one of the artist’s signature “Infinity Mirror Rooms.”

This is the first mirror pumpkin room created by Kusama since 1991 and the only “Infinity Mirror Room” of its kind in a North American collection. The exhibit focuses on a series of acrylic yellow gourds covered in black polka dots, one of her frequently used symbols.

Kusama is often considered an influence on Andy Warhol and a precursor to Pop art. Now 88 years old and living back in Japan since the 1970s, Kusama’s work continues to appeal to the imagination and the senses of many around the world.

Go to dma.org or call 214.922.1200 for more information.

The avant-garde artist was an influential figure in the postwar New York art scene, staging provocative happenings and exhibiting works such as her “Infinity Nets,” her physical representation of the idea of infinity. “Narcissus Garden,” an installation of hundreds of mirrored balls, earned Kusama notoriety at the 1966 Venice Biennale, where she attempted to sell the individual spheres to passersby.

The Regional Arts Center. 903.792.8681. trahc. org

Through January 7

Andy Warhol: Screen Prints & Snapshots.

Tyler Museum of Art. 903.595.1001, tylermuseum.org

Through February 25

Contemporary Texas II: Selections from the Permanent Collection. Tyler. Tyler Museum of Art.903.595.1001. tylermuseum.org

January 25-March 24

The Sky’s the Limit Exhibition. Athens.

Gallery 211. 903.292.1746. artgallery211.net

Pastoral (1997) by Margie Crisp

Contemporary Texas II through February 25, 2018

Tyler Museum of Art (903) 595-1001 • www.tylermuseum.org

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 27

STAGE HCPAC Presents Season of Classics

STAGE SHOWS Dates and times are subject to change. Always call ahead before planning a visit.

January 18

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

Tyler. UT Tyler Cowan Center, 3900 University Blvd. 903.566.7424. cowan@uttyler.edu

January 20

Comedian Donnie Baker. Hawkins. Red Rooster Icehouse, FM 14. 903.769.0707. redroostericehouse.com

January 21

Cinderella. Lufkin. Temple Theater, Angelina College, 3500 South First Street. 936.633.3220. angelinaarts.org

February 3 The 2018 lineup at the Henderson County Performing Arts Center (HCPAC) features some classic tales.

February 22 - March 3 The Skin of Our Teeth This Pulitzer Prize-winning drama features George and Maggie Antrobus of New Jersey who bear a casual resemblance to Adam and Eve. Son, Henry, reminds us of Cain, while Gladys, the daughter, is a perfect child. Then there is the garrulous maid, Sabrina. Whether he is inventing the alphabet or saving the world from the apocalypse, George and his redoubtable family somehow manage to survive by the “skin of their teeth.”

March 22-31 Coyote Tales Based on traditional folklore from Mexico and the American Southwest, these whimsical and vibrantly colorful tales, sprinkled with Spanish-language dialogue, dramatize the adventures of Senor Coyote, a mischief-maker of legendary proportions with an appetite to match.

April 19-28 Animal Farm When animals on the farm drive out the master and take over running the farm, the pigs become the leaders. Their character, however, is not equal to their intelligence. Based on George Orwell’s book about the perils of totalitarianism, this dramatization retains its affection for the animals and the incisiveness of the message.

June 21-30 A Midsummer Night’s Dream This play becomes a comedy of error when Theseus and Hippolyta are planning their wedding and others get involved. Spells, love potions and betrayals abound and chaos ensues. Set at the Athens Arboretum, guests enjoy a wonderful wedding festival where true love prevails.

July 19-28 James and the Giant Peach When James is sent by his conniving aunts to chop down an old fruit tree, he discovers a magic potion that results in a tremendous peach, launching a journey across the ocean with his insect friends.

September 13-22 The Odd Couple In this Tony Award-winning comedy by Neil Simon, Oscar and Felix become the ultimate roommates when their wives leave them. Felix’s fastidious, depressed, tense, clean freakiness drives Oscar nuts.

November 29 - December 8 A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic features the transformation of Old Ebenezer Scrooge after a Christmas Eve visit from the ghosts of Christmas’ past, present, and future.

Learn more and purchase tickets at hcpac.org.

28 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.

Tyler. UT Tyler Cowan Center, 3900 University Blvd. 903.566.7424. cowan@uttyler.edu

February 8

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder.

Lufkin. Temple Theater, Angelina College, 3500 South First Street. 936.633.3220. angelinaarts. org Trae Crowder: The WellRed Comedy Tour.

Dallas. House of Blues. 214.978.2583. houseofblues.com/dallas

February 22-March 3

The Skin of Our Teeth. Athens. Henderson County Performing Arts Center, 400 Gibson Road. 903.675.3908. hcpac.org

February 24

Cirque Zuma Zuma. Greenville. The Texan Theatre, 2712 Lee Street. 903.259.6360. texantheatergreenville.com

February 27

Complexions Contemporary Ballet: Bach to Bowie. Tyler. UT Tyler Cowan Center, 3900 University Blvd. 903.566.7424. cowan@uttyler. edu

March 3

Duane Murray “As I Was Saying…” Denison.

The Rialto Theater. 424 West Main Street.

903.462.4300. therialtotheater.net

SEE MORE EVENTS ON

COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.com



 LITERARY

My Morning Ride There’s a place I ride My Morgan and me By a tall cornfield Sunflowers and bees

Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys Meet in Nacogdoches for Bohemian Rapsody

Underneath blue skies A breeze in my face Rhythm of hoof beats A nice steady pace Across a fence line Where a gate used to be Between two signs Words contradictory A rusty one states “Stockmen Enter Here” But I’m the only one That’s entered in years The shiny one reads “For Sale Will Subdivide” A posted death letter For this green countryside Passing the sale barn I hear the auctioneer Just a ghost in the wind That will soon disappear We rest on a hill Under a live oak A break from the sun Their limbs like a cloak From here I can see The loss of farm and range And I know in my heart The one constant is change But today I’m thankful For a ride after dawn ‘Cause I know the time comes When these days will be gone Jeff Campbell McKinney

Pulpwood Queens Book Club founder Kathy Murphy and her throngs of members have scheduled their annual Pulpwood Queens Book Club Girlfriends Weekend — which also includes Timber Guys Book Club members — for January 12-14 at the recently renovated Fredonia Hotel and Convention Center in Nacogdoches.

tion Prizes; Alice Hoffman, The Rules of Magic; Ann Hood, The Book That Mattered Most; M.J. Rose, The Library of Light and Shadow; Randy Susan Meyers, The Widow of Wall Street; Lisa Wingate, Before We Were Yours; and Daren Wang, former executive director of the Decatur Book Festival and author of The Hidden Light of Northern Fires.

The 2018 theme is Bohemian Rhapsody.

This is a lively weekend where authors mingle with participants and, at the “Big Hair Ball,” where readers and writers dress in costumes and have a spirited book-loving time. See thepulpwoodqueens.com/girlfriend-weekend for more information.

The weekend features keynote addresses and panels on many genres. Keynote authors include co-host Jamie Ford, author of the new Love and Other Consola-

Poetry Submissions Welcome

We welcome poetry submissions from all ages throughout the year. Those under 18 years old require parental consent. Send submissions via email (preferred) to editor@countylinemagazine. com or mail to County Line Magazine, P.O. Box 608, Ben Wheeler, TX 75754.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 29

Some of O’Neal’s views of East Texas include a group of domino players at Starnes Store in Winona, 1972 (above) Price Killion, Horace Chaney, Dow Graham, Emmit Cagle, and Clyde Dale. (Left) McCann’s Cafe in Tyler,1972, and an abandoned church near Jacksonville, 1972 (below). O’Neal hopes to publish a coffee table book of his photos of East Texas in the near future. (Right) A familiar image one might see of O’Neal with his camera in New York City (corner of Spring Street and Bowery, Lower East Side), or in other captivating parts of the world like East Texas.

30 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Renowned Photographer and Author Releases New Book on East Texas Roots The book is published by TCU Press and releases early this year for sale on Amazon. O’Neal — who frequently leaves his New York home to shoot photos of “Heavenland” as his father called East Texas — is planning several book signings in the region.

Preserving Lives: An American Family’s Scrapbook, 1920-1950 is the story of two ordinary people living ordinary lives in East Texas almost a century ago. Presented by Kilgore-born Hank O’Neal about his parents, Harold and Sarah, he shares their stories from what he gathered from old scrapbooks, photographs, letters, postcards, illustrations, and bits of memorabilia of their lives together. The book takes readers through the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, World War II, and the emerging supremacy of what came to be known as the American Dream.

O’Neal was born in East Texas in 1940 and the family moved to Fort Worth, Indiana, and New York. In 1962, he was about to graduate from Syracuse University when he was recruited by the CIA and worked for the organization as a contact specialist. He lived in Greenwich Village and immersed himself in Harlem’s jazz scene. His artistic interests overtook his world of espionage and by 1972 he founded a small independent record label called Chiaroscuro Records. In 1973, he published his first book and held a photography show, “Winona, Texas,” in Manhattan.

O’Neal has taken photographs all over

He’s collaborated on many other creative projects with the likes of Clint Eastwood, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and counted guitar legend Les Paul among his friends.

He’s photographed and befriended Andy Warhol, Elie Wiesel, Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie, Cab Calloway, and Jacqueline Kennedy, just to name a few from his world in New York and beyond.

O’Neal’s photos from around the world are displayed on his website hankoneal. com. Under “Places” he has categorized his favorites into France, England, Norway, the Far East, and other adventurous lands. At the top of the list sits East Texas.

Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Center is located at 100 Grand Boulevard in Longview and is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and during special events. Call 903.237.1230 for the best times to see the O’Neal exhibit.

Photo by Ian P. Clifford

The story began and thrived in the rough and tumble world of the East Texas oil patch, making it all the more compelling.

In addition to the new book, many of O’Neal’s East Texas photographs are in an exhibit at Maude Cobb Convention Center in Longview throughout 2018 from the Longview Museum of Art’s permanent collection.

the world, but none better than those in East Texas where he has emotional attachments.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 31

FILM

Documentary Features the Life of Sculptor James Surls The House, The Hand, and the Hatchet: The Odyssey of American Sculptor James Surls is a documentary film scheduled for release in 2018, says producer Barclay Lottimer.

The feature explores the life, art, and philosophy of Malakoff-born and raised and world-class artist James Surls. Lottimer says the show includes the telling of Surls’ upbringing in Texas and parts of it was filmed at his childhood Malakoff home.

Born in East Texas in 1943, Surls graduated from Sam Houston State Teachers College in 1966 and from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1968. He taught at Southern Methodist University in Dallas from 1969 to 1976 and then moved to Splendor, Texas, with his wife Charmaine Locke. They had seven daughters and were there for more than 20 years before moving in 1997 to the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado where they still live today. His outstanding artwork continues in exhibits and collections in museums and on city streets throughout the world.

See the film trailer and get more information at thehousethehandandthehatchet.com. Read more about Surls in the County Line archives, countylinemagazine.com.

(Left) James Surls poses with his piece “Seeing Around the Thorn Vine.”

Movie Centers Around a Fictitious Mars Colony Called East Texas The Space Between Us is an American romantic science fiction film released in 2017 starring Asa Butterfield, Britt Robertson, Gary Oldman, and Carla Gugino. It’s about a teenage boy who is born on Mars when his mother, the lead astronaut, discovers she’s pregnant and can’t get back to earth before the child is born. He grows up on this Mars colony called East Texas along with about 14 other people. As a teen, he meets a girl online from Earth and he eventually gets to go there despite how risky that is for his health.

While there is not a real East Texas colony on Mars (that we know of), there is a real Mars community in East Texas. Or there was. The Mars community was settled in the mid-1800s a few miles south of Ben Wheeler in Van Zandt County.

There’s a Texas Historical Marker noting the area as the site of the “nearlyvanished” Mars community, a cotton gin settlement that flourished from the 1890s until about 1930. It’s at the intersection of FM 2339 and 773.

32 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Blaze Set for Sundance Film Festival

Ethan Hawke’s new film Blaze premieres at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah January 18-28. Blaze is a biographical drama based on the life of musician Blaze Foley.

The screenplay was co-written by Hawke and Foley’s girlfriend, Sybil Rosen. Musician Ben Dickey (pictured above) plays Foley and others in the film include Alia Shawkat (as Rosen), Sam Rockwell, Wyatt Russell, Steve Zahn, Kris Kristofferson, and Richard Linklater. Charlie Sexton plays Townes Van Zandt.

Foley was an up-and-coming singer-songwriter (real name Michael David Fuller) until his untimely and tragic death in 1989. His music still has a huge following and numerous entertainers covered his songs. “If I Could Only Fly” became a hit by Merle Haggard and “Election Day” was covered by Lyle Lovett. John Prine covered “Clay Pigeons” on his Grammy Award-winning 2005 album Fair and Square.

Marsha Weldon is Foley’s sister. She lives in Athens and manages the Blaze Foley Facebook page among other family interests. Although someone else plays her in the movie, she does make a cameo appearance.

Recently one of Mike Judge’s new “Tales from the Tour Bus” animated episodes is about Foley and numerous other tributes to his life are available including Duct Tape Messiah, a documentary by Kevin Triplett. His story and his big personality are sure to continue for more decades to come. Go to blazethemovie.com for updates on the film and learn more also at blazefoley.com.

(Top left) McConaughey plays Richard Wershe, Sr., the father of the youngest undercover informant for the FBI; (Top right) The Beach Bum has McConaughey as a rebellious stoner called Moondog; and bottom is McConaughey with his co-star Anne Hathway in Serenity. Courtesy photos

Catching Up With McConaughey Matthew McConaughey hasn’t slowed down much in the last few years, and 2018 is going to be no exception. Set to release January 26 is White Boy Rick, based on a true story of teenager Richard Wershe Jr. who became an undercover informant for the FBI at the age of 14 during the 1980s and was ultimately arrested for drug trafficking and sentenced to life in prison. Richie Merrit plays the teen with McConaughey playing his father Richard Wershe Sr. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Eddie Marsan, and Bruce Dern are but a few of the actors portraying a long list of characters in the film directed by Yann Demange.

Releasing soon after is Serenity, the tale of a fishing boat captain living in

the Caribbean whose mysterious past comes back to haunt him. Directed and written by Steven Knight, the film also stars Diane Lane, Anne Hathaway, Djimon Ounsou, Jeremy Strong, and Jason Clarke.

Also releasing in 2018 is The Beach Bum with McConaughey playing rebellious stoner Moondog. Isla Fisher plays his wife. Also in the film are Bria Vinaite, Snoop Dogg, and Jimmy Buffett, who plays himself. Harmony Korine (Spring Breakers) wrote the script and directs.

Read more about McConaughey’s Longview days in the County Line’s exclusive interview in the archives, countylinemagazine. com.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 33

MUSIC

See countylinemagazine.com for extensive music listings.

Nominees for the 60th Grammy’s Include Numerous Talents with Ties to the Upper East Side of Texas Arts, located in the heart of the Dallas Arts District.

John Beasley is nominated for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, MONK’estra Vol. 2, and for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella, “Ugly Beauty/ Pannonica.”

Born in Shreveport and getting his break writing for the University of North Texas in Denton’s jazz band, Beasley has recorded and performed with Miles Davis, Sérgio Mendes, Freddie Hubbard, John Patitucci, Queen Latifah, and many others.

It’s no secret that amazing talent grows out of the Upper East Side of Texas like a magnolia in full bloom. This year’s Grammy nominations include a nice list of Who’s Who from the musically talented pool of the region.

Miranda Lambert (Lindale) and Maren Morris (Arlington) are in good company with Sam Hunt, Alison Krauss, and Chris Stapleton, all vying for Best Country Solo Performance: Lambert for “Tin Man” and Morris for “I Could Use a Love Song.”

Lambert is also nominated for Best Country Song for co-writing “Tin Man” with Jack Ingram (Houston) and Jon Randall (Dallas). Her “Livin’ Like Hippies” tour hits the road in 2018. Starting in Greenville, South Carolina, she zig-zags through the country ending the tour March 24 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Closest to home are shows in Oklahoma City on March 9 and Little Rock on March 10.

“Tin Man” is one of 24 tracks from the singer-songwriter’s studio, double,

album The Weight of These Wings and appears in two of the four categories that comprise the country music field.

Another Upper East Side of Texas Grammy nominee includes Burlesonborn Kelly Clarkson for Best Pop Solo Performance for “Love So Soft” in the company of such notables as Kesha, Lady Gaga, Pink, and Ed Sheeran.

Lady Antebellum with Texas roots (Hillary Scott’s mom is performer Linda Davis of the Carthage area) is nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “You Look Good,” and LA is also nominated for Best Country Album, Heart Break.

Greenville’s MercyMe is nominated for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song, “Even If” and Best Contemporary Christian Music Album, Lifer.

Dallas-based Lisa Loeb is nominated for Best Children’s Album, Feel What U Feel.

The 60th Anniversary of the Grammy awards, America’s celebration of music of all genres, airs Sunday, January 28 on CBS.

MUSIC Dates and times are subject to change. Always call ahead before planning a visit.

January 6

Mickey Gilley. Greenville. The Texan Theatre.

903.259.6360. texantheatergreenville.com

Dallas native J. White Did It is nominated as producer of Cardi B’s breakout single “Bodak Yellow” in the categories of Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.

January 7

Jazzmeia Horn is up for Best Jazz Vocal Album for A Social Call. Horn is a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual

The Doobie Brothers. Tyler. UT Tyler Cowan Center. 903.566-.7424. cowancenter.org

January 11

January 12

David Crowder. Greenville Municipal Auditorium.

903.457.3126. showtimeatthegma.com

RESTAURANT LIVE MUSIC FULL BAR MOORE FUN! Ben Wheeler, TX

Billy Joe Shaver. Dallas. Kessler Theater. 214.

272.8346. thekessler.org

903.833.5100

Frank Martin Gilligan. Winnsboro Center for the

mooresstore.com 34 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Mt. Vernon Music Chamber Trio. Winnsboro Center for the Arts. 903.342.0686. winnsborocenterforthearts.com

January 13

East Texas Jazz Orchestra. Ben Wheeler.

Moore’s Store. 903.833.5100, mooresstore.com

Arts. 903.342.0686. winnsborocenterforthearts.com The Purple Hulls. Big Sandy Music Hall.

903.345.4289. bigsandymusichall.com

January 14

Katy Perry. Dallas. American Airlines Center

January 19

Asleep At The Wheel. Greenville. The Texan Theatre. 903.259.6360. texantheatergreenville.com Shinyribs. Tyler. Stanley’s Famous BBQ. 903.521.8092. stanleysfamous.com

January 22

The Moody Blues. Irving. Toyota Music Factory

EDOM TEXAS

www.VisitEdom.com

POTTERS BROWN STUDIO & GALLERY 903.852.6473 pottersbrown.com

January 25-26

Uncle Lucius. The Final Shows. Tyler.

Stanley’s Famous BBQ. 903.521.8092. stanleysfamous.com

January 27

Jeff Black. Edom. The Old Firehouse. 903.852.

2781. theoldfirehouse.net Johnny Mathis. Bossier City. Horseshoe Casino.

800.895.0711. caesars.com/horseshoe-bossier-city Strauss and Schubert - The Trout. Mount Vernon Music Hall. 903.563.3780. mountvernonmusic. org

February 2

BLUE MOON GARDENS 903.852.3897

bluemoongardens.com

ARBOR CASTLE BIRDHOUSES 903-852-7893

arborcastlebirdhouses.com

DRAGONHEAD RETREAT 903-520-2069

dragonheadretreat.com

Charley Crockett. Tyler. Stanley’s Famous BBQ. 903.521.8092. stanleysfamous.com

February 3

Take 6 and the Manhattan Transfer. Longview.

Belcher Center. 903.233.3080. belchercenter.com Chris Colston Band. Ben Wheeler. Moore’s Store,. 903.833.5100. mooresstore.com

February 9

Bellamy Brothers. Greenville. The Texan Theatre. 903.259.6360. texantheatergreenville.com

February 10

George Winston. Winnsboro Center for the Arts.

903.342.0686. winnsborocenterforthearts.com

February 12

East Texas Symphonic Band. Longview.

Belcher Center. 903.233.3080. belchercenter.com Million Dollar Quartet. Tyler. UT Tyler Cowan Center. 903.566.7424. cowancenter.org

February 17

Curtis Grimes. Ben Wheeler. Moore’s Store.

903.833.5100. mooresstore.com Tony Ramey. Edom. The Old Firehouse.

903.852.2781. theoldfirehouse.net

February 18

The Texas A&M Singing Cadets. Greenville Municipal Auditorium. 903.457.3126. showtimeatthegma.com

March 3

Baroque Con Brio. Mount Vernon Music Hall.

903.563.3780. mountvernonmusic.org JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 35

FOOD & DRINK

Shreveport Serves Great Feast for Fat Tuesday and Throughout the Year

By Gaile Robinson Shreveport is upping its food game with many new chefs, new restaurants, and aspirants at the local farmers’ market and mobile food trucks. They are making their names and edging out some of the less inspired eateries, leaving a landscape of old, entrenched, but beloved, stalwarts and dazzling newcomers. Here’s but a sample of culinary delights found in “Louisiana’s Other Side” just in time for Fat Tuesday or any time of the year.

THE NEW

Well+Fed Louisiana

One of the new dining locations in Shreveport is this juice bar and café that caters to foodies with lists of imperatives

— organic, vegan, gluten free, sugar free, and paleo compliant — whatever needs to be eliminated, owners Lindi Martin and Ashley Everage have figured out a way to do it. They recently teamed up with Scratch House Kitchen to offer foods that pair with their juices. They claim they serve the only avocado toast in Shreveport, and they have developed the After Booze juice for morning after ills that contains activated charcoal, lemonade, agave nectar, and alkaline water.

It may not be as tasty as their most popular juice made of rose water, pineapple, green apple, lemon, pear, and beet, but it will cure what ails you. A kid favorite is the beet, carrot, apple, and lemon juice with a pound of carrots in each drink.

The $8-a-bottle juices don’t have ador-

able names, they are simply referred to by their list of ingredients.

One recent morning on their outdoor patio, plates of organic breakfast items included black pepper biscuits, maple oat scones, cinnamon rolls, avocado toast, biscuits (made by baker/nurse practitioner Monika Thompson) without wheat, eggs or dairy — not that you’d notice —and a pumpkin bowl smoothie with pumpkin, dates, cashew milk, ice, and bananas. Oatmeal cookies made the breakfast menu because, you know, oatmeal.

Well+Fed Louisiana, 687 Egan Street. 318.

779.0030. wellfedLa.net

Whisk Dessert Bar

Last year the winner of the Golden Fork, Shreveport’s chef smack-down competition was caterer Blake Jackson. After his triumph, Jackson opened a charming dessert café.

“The food scene is crowded now so it’s hard to have an original dish,” Jackson says, “but the dessert landscape is wide open. We have so much room to play.”

That may explain his mocha, green tea, and white chocolate cookie, and the stunning chocolate doma, an igloo-shaped plated dessert, with interior layers of varying chocolate densities, including a bouchon (a cork–shaped brownie), dark chocolate mousse, a caramel crack layer, then the whole thing is enrobed in a glossy dark chocolate outer layer. It is served with three cocoa dusted truffles because you can never have enough chocolate. Or maybe you can. This definitely tests the endurance level of a dedicated chocoholic.

The French pastries, cookies, and gelatos are all on display. His most spectacular and creative offerings, such as the doma, are not available for ogling, as they have to be handmade, but are worth the wait.

Whisk Dessert Bar, 724 Azalea. 318.459.

8771. facebook.com/whiskshv/

36 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Best Steakhouse

County Line Magazine Hall of Fame

The morning offering at Well+Fed (opposite) boasts a bounty of baked goods, many made without wheat, eggs, or dairy — not that one would ever know — to go along with their juice bar offerings. The beautifully plated cannoli (above) at Whisk Dessert Bar is a cannoli in shape only, the waffle exterior encases a filling of champagneroasted strawberries and Chantilly mascarpone cream. Flights of margaritas (right) at El Cabo Verde include the traditional lime as well as mango, cucumber, and spicy versions. Photos by

Tuesday & Wednesday

DINNER SPECIAL

Mixed Green Salad Choice of Fresh Fish of the Day, Ribeye Steak, or Filet Mignon Served with Whipped Potatoes and Green Beans $27.00

Gaile Robinson

El Cabo Verde Gabriel Balderas began his chef journey in a taco stand at the local farmers’ market. He climbed the food ladder and moved to a taco truck and was so successful with such an avid clientele base following him from location to location, he hit the brakes and made it easy for them by opening El Cabo Verde a year ago. The minimalistic, all white interior of his restaurant, named for Caddo and Bossier parishes, is not what a Texan expects of a Mexican restaurant. It’s so nouvelle.

most delicious appetizers found at any Mexican restaurant.. Smooth, just the right amount of kick, and bereft of needless chunky additives that seems to do little but make it difficult to wield a chip.

Balderas is a proponent of the slow food movement and insists that his ingredients are fresh, organic, and locally sourced.

In 2016, he was named a Chef to Watch

by Louisiana Cookin’ Magazine.

Their flight of margaritas come with large glasses in a three-carrier tray. The traditional lime margarita is the best, as the mango and cucumber tended toward too much sweetness and could be mistaken for daiquiris. The spicy version looked like a mojito it had so much greenery floating in it. The taste seemed to come straight from the pickled jalapeno jar, with way too much jalapeno burn for

The queso and guacamole are two of the

continued page 38

Top 100 American Steakhouses OpenTable.com

Located in a beautiful lakeside lodge at 21191 FM 47 in Wills Point,one block north of Interstate 20, Exit 516 Open Tuesday - Saturday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Available for Special Events

Make A Reservation

903.873.2225

www.fourwindssteakhouse.com

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 37

FEAST continued from page 37 drinking enjoyment. It was comforting to know the traditional is still the best.

Sometime between flights of margaritas and the offering of flan, more appetizers and main courses are appreciated. The ceviche is excellent but the pork carnitas can be a little dry.

El Cabo Verde, 1023 Provence Place, 318.603.3167. facebook.com/elcaboverdeorganics

SALT

Located next to the new aquarium attraction in Shreveport is the restaurant SALT (Sea, Land, Air, and Time). Both are situated on the banks of the Red River with a glorious view that encourages gathering.

The lunch menu is built primarily on locally sourced ingredients and credit is given to their origins, such as the Bahn Mi sandwich ($12) of pork loin from the organic Mahaffey Farms. A troika of salads, the Agri Trio ($14, $20), consisted of Emerald Tabouli, (cauliflower, broccoli and garlic rice with tomatoes and cucumbers), Deconstructed Potato Salad (potatoes and sweet potatoes, herbs de Provence, pickled artichokes and mustard dressing), and Doodley Dee’s Seasonal Salad of romaine, blistered peppers, honey orange vinaigrette, pecans, and goat blue cheese are more than a lunch portion. All of the salads are available individually as well. Chef Aaron Ehrle seems to have spent as much time naming his menu items as constructing them.

The force behind the bar, Kelli Sizemore, is the woman guests want as their new BFF. Her cocktails are unusual, imaginative, and quite tasty. They are numbered, rather than named. No. 7, with 360 Vanilla Vodka, apricot liqueur, almond extract, and cherry blossom foam is as pretty as wedding reception décor.

SALT, 601 Clyde Fant Parkway. saltshreveport.com

THE STALWARTS

Marilynn’s Place

Marilynn’s is an institution in Shreveport where coffee and beignets are served all day. Beignets are those puffy clouds of deep-fried dough heavily dusted in pow-

The Agri Trio salad (above) at SALT, with Emerald Tabouli, deconstructed potato salad, and Doodley Dee’s seasonal salad and homemade bread sticks. This is the “small” version. From the creative bar manager at SALT is the No.7, with vanilla vodka and apricot liqueur (right). Beignets (opposite) — these humble sugar bombs are treated to exuberant plating at Marilynn’s. Photos by Gaile Robinson

dered sugar. Diners can eat the beignets and then proceed to wear most of the powdered sugar on their shirt for the rest of the day. Everyone knows what they’ve been doing but there is no shame here.

There is a full menu of Louisiana specialties in this converted filling station — red beans and rice, jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, shrimp creole, seafood gumbo, and fried seafood po’ boys, ending the menu with the LA big finish, bread pudding.

Well known for its food, Marilynn’s is equally famous for the parade, the daily parade. While it is the place to be dur-

38 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

MORE FOOD & FUN! Go to County Line eMagazine for more fun food and drink articles, recipes, dining ideas, wineries, farmers markets, and events.

countylinemagazine.com/ Food-Drink

ing Shreveport’s Mardi Gras, the weekly Sunday morning brunch is also quite a spectator sport. Most of the crowd is just finishing their Saturday night revelries, so expect un-choreographed entertainment. It is overseen by local colorful character Bozz Baucom.

Marilynn’s Place, 4041 Fern Ave. 318.868.3004. marilynns-place.com

An East Texas Tradition Burgers, Premium Hand-Dipped Ice Cream, Breakfast Anytime, and more

Open 24/7 at

I-20 & Hwy 19 in Canton, TX 903-567-6551 • dairypalace.com

e t a r b e l e C Come s!

With U

Real BBQ and More

Harvey Clay is a giant among the Shreveport pit masters, literally. He is the size of a phone booth, and likely to welcome you with a hearty hug that’ll squeeze some extra space in your mid section to make room for more of his barbecue. He’s Texas born and smokes his meats over pecan wood the way he learned how in Midland.

Eight years ago he started in a building so small all it had for service was a drive-thru window. Four years later he moved to a site that accommodated dine-in. Recently he moved to a 90-seat facility. Just a week after opening, he was in an expansive mood and happy to talk about his early years and the family that contributes to the effort.

“If you don’t have pride about making it good, you should just go home,” he says.

To that end, everything at Real BBQ is made in house. His wife Shirley makes the potato salad. This is one of the most problematic points at so many barbecue joints: the sides taste like institutional slop. Not so at Real BBQ. Shirley uses her mom’s recipe, half mayo and half mustard, and it is just right. His daughter Erica makes the beans and they are truly outstanding. continued page 40

Celebration Dining District “Where the Locals Eat!”

Fb.com/SulphurSpringsTexas

www.sulphurspringstx.org JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 39

FEAST continued from page 39 The ribs were superb, large, flavorful, and quite juicy. They had the requisite charred crust and interior rosy ring that is evidence of a long time in the smoker.

There is an item on the menu called the Now and Later, which is four pounds of meat on a baked potato the size of an athletic shoe, topped with a hearty plop of mac ‘n’ cheese. More apt would be to call it the This Month and Next Month, as it would probably last that long in a Styrofoam to-go box.

The iced tea is sold “un-sweet” or “really sweet,” so finally there is some truth to that division of the tea divide.

Real BBQ and More, 5863 Fairfield Avenue.

318.670.3730.

Strawn’s Eat Shop Every town of some size has a breakfast joint. In Shreveport it is Strawn’s Eat Shop. The name alone speaks to its lack of pretension. It is an old-fashioned diner, famed for its strawberry pie, breakfasts, and giant mounds of butter that are displayed like centerpieces on counters.

It’s seat-yourself service. While waiting guests can take in the many murals of dubious quality and ponder, “Is that really the Three Stooges next to John Wayne?”

A waitress who is likely to call you, “Sugar,” comes by and it’s good to be ready with your order. Be prepared.

The prices are inexpensive. Only the dinner specials with drink and a slice of their very famous pie tops $10.

Strawn’s is an institution. It’s been in the same place since 1944 and owned by the same family since 1988 so the locals probably don’t notice the hard-worn surfaces and patina of grease. Some of the best breakfast joints survive because they are an institutionalized habit, so it is with Strawn’s. It also has a history of accolades that fuel its longevity — the strawberry pie has been featured in Southern Living six times, and the establishment is listed by Thrillist as one of the “21 Best Diners in America.”

Strawn’s Eat Shop, 125 E. Kings Hwy. 318.868.0634. strawnseatshop.com

Herby K’s

This very old, beloved, tiny, family-owned restaurant is a must on every trip to

40 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Shreveport. It began as a neighborhood grocery store sometime in the 1920s. In 1936, Herby K., son of the original owner, added food service. The restaurant of long standing is now in the hands of the fourth generation, and from the looks of the bar back, customers have been leaving sentimental tokens since the day the store first opened.

Still in its original location, near the intersection of I-20 and U.S. 80, the area has transitioned from a neighborhood of houses to light industrial, to vacant lots, which makes parking spots easy to find.

A constant stream of visitors maxes out the limited seating even mid-afternoon on a weekday. They come for the fried seafood and the signature dish, the Shrimp Buste ($12.95), butterflied fried shrimp pounded to flatness, served on French bread with fries, coleslaw and a “Here, taste this, and this too,” says Herby K’s waiter, and waiters often know best. He served the signature flat shrimp and onion rings, a small dish of gumbo, and lump crabmeat appetizer (below). The roasted duck on scallion pancakes at Lucky Palace, (opposite page, bottom) is perfect.

The entrees include plate after plate of Chinese food (opposite, top) from this hidden gem in Bossier City. Photos by Gaile Robinson

sauce that tastes half red sauce and half barbecue sauce.

Po’ boys, burgers, fried seafood in sandwich or dinner form, frog legs, soft shell crab, raw oysters, salads, and sides (choose the onion rings) are on the extensive menu inducing customers to suspect the kitchen must be twice the size of the dining room.

The service is gracious and attentive; the ambience, colorful; the food, great. Plus, it is such a dive people just want to like it.

Herby K’s, 1833 Pierre Avenue.

318.424.2724. herbyks.net

Lucky Palace

Don’t look. Driving up to the most recognized and awarded Chinese restaurant in Bossier City, do not look at the surroundings. Do not judge from the outside.

Located on the ground floor of a worn motel that rents by the week, the Lucky Palace is the place to go, especially to dine with area chefs.

Owned by Kuan Lim, a Malaysian wine aficionado, the restaurant serves some of the best Chinese food one can find between the Chinese neighborhoods in New York and California. Lim’s wine stock is famous, and awards decorate a good portion of the lobby, including Top Ten Restaurants in USA, Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator every year since 2003, local hosannas, and reader’s choice awards from the Shreveport Times.

The menu is extensive, but the musthave, do-not-miss item is the Duck on Scallion Pancake ($20.95). The perfectly roasted crispy duck is served with shredded scallion on soft, scallion-infused pancakes with a side of hoisin sauce. Simple and delicious.

The duck and steak entrees are standouts. The traditional Chinese dishes are handled beautifully with crisp, fresh produce, but order the duck. Diners would have to travel across at least four state lines to find duck this well prepared.

Remember, upon leaving, do not look at the motel surroundings.

Lucky Palace, 750 Diamond Jacks Blvd., Bossier City. 318.752.1888 Gaile Robinson is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Dallas Morning News, and Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 41

KIDS COUNTY LINE f

CountyLineKids

Shaping the Future of the Upper East Side of Texas

Greenville-Based Robotics Help Kids Learn

By Steve Freeman

while “playing” with toy robotics.

Something happens when a kid gets the components of a robot and is challenged to make it work, make it perform some task or even compete against other robots.

Thanks to a unique company in Greenville, robotics motivate and thrill students to learn more and more in Texas and across the nation.

Snap this piece with that. Make sure the gears mesh. Position the battery for maximum efficiency. Make sure the components respond well to the onboard artificial intelligence. A kid engages imagination and draws on everything learned and everything that can be learned up to that point.

In short, a desire for learning is created — and not just any learning. Students of all ages explore concepts of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — better known as education’s often missing STEM proficiencies —

“I didn’t want to be in the program at first, but then I joined in high school and I learned design principles,” says Madison Kroncke, a senior at Greenville High School. Even before pursuing the study of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas, she has already created six tech products for a company through sophisticated CADD design.

This year, Greenville Independent School District (GISD) has more than 100 robotics teams made up of 513 students in grades five through 12.

“Through the robotics program, I’ve

42 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

also learned other things like advocacy, public speaking, collaboration, communications, and mentoring,” Madison says.

Innovation First International produces VEX Robotics — the kits, components, and curriculum that gave rise to this learning phenomenon. The company was the brainchild of Tony Norman, an electrical engineer, and Bob Mimlitch, a mechanical engineer, who nurtured a love of robotics from Tony’s garage in Greenville to become an educational force through their high school mentoring service. The company now has more than 300 employees and nine offices worldwide.

“We know what it’s like to get excited about something cool,” Norman says.

“We know the magic a student experiences the moment they create some-

thing with technology. We’re providing tools which are easy for beginners to master, but will expand with the imagination and experience of their users.”

Students’ love of robotics draws a wider audience when student competitors gather at state, regional, and national locales annually for the VEX Robotics Competition. Houston is the national site for the next three years, but in the past, it’s been held in Orlando, St. Louis, and Atlanta.

Each year in April, Innovation First puts out guidelines and kits for any school’s students to compete. Year-long curriculum aids are available for elementary, middle school, and high school students. University students also participate. The competition is

also open to Scout troops, 4H Clubs, and other non-profits.

VEX Robotics projects encourage creativity, teamwork, leadership, and problem solving among groups. The resulting robots are required to accomplish some task like throw or dump cubes across a two-foot fence or hang on a bar. Work by college teams simulate real-world challenges.

The robotics program began in GISD in 1992, due in a big part to the close proximity of Innovation First. One of the first teams from the district — The Robowranglers — has won numerous regional, state, national, and world awards since then, says Adrienne Emerson, GISD director of robotics for grades 9-12.

The robotics curriculum gives kids an expanding knowledge and interest in math, physics, language arts, speech, social skills, art, and research. Ironically, robotics also works to interest students with discipline problems or kids at risk of failing in some subjects, too.

“There are benefits for both ‘booksmart’ and ‘street-smart’ kids,” Emerson says. Already disciplined and studious students get real-world applications and “street-smart” kids are attracted by their love of video games to learn some math and science along the way.

“Robotics makes math and science ‘cool’ by allowing students to design ‘cool’ robots and take them ‘cool’ places for them to compete,” says Johnny Tharp, GISD’s director of VEX Robotics.

(Opposite) Teamwork and good communication helps the Greenville team of (left to right) Wyatt Spivey, Jessi Molina, Josue Adame, Kamden Priest, and Kian Smith ready their robot for a trial run. Photo by Tyler Tindall. (Left) VEX Robotics held its first Girl Powered Flagship event in October at Texas Instruments in Dallas. The mission was to get girls more interested in STEM disciplines. Photo

by Innovation First. (Left Bottom) All hands on deck as Greenville students work on a practice robot during the build session at a 2014 competition. Photo by Greenville ISD. (Below) The robot named “Vipe” brought Greenville students a fourth-place finish (out of 4,000 teams) at the 2013 world championship competition in St. Louis. The robot amazed the crowd and judges by climbing up and hanging onto a pyramid, as shown here, as well as shooting frisbees into a goal 10 feet away. Photo by Greenville ISD.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 43

FEEL GOOD

Freeze Your Fanny and Do Good for Others Winter makes everyone a little less likely to stay active, but several area events beckon participants to get much needed exercise and support some great nonprofit causes.

Freeze Your Fanny is a cycling race and 5K run held February 3 in Longview.

Some 300 riders and another 100 runners are expected this year — weather permitting — to mark the event’s 30th anniversary.

Organizer B’Ann Boiles says “the Freeze” raises about $10,000 each year for East Texas Lightnin’. Funds raised support the many athletic and recreational teams made up of Longviewbased individuals with intellectual disabilities. Lightnin’ teams compete in tournaments covering seven sports held throughout the year through the Area 7 Special Olympics of Texas, making up East Texas.

“Runners, wear your earmuffs,” Boiles says.

The average morning temperature in early February is often near freezing.

The 5k starts at 8 a.m. and the ride at 10 a.m. with the starting line for both at Johnston McQueen Elementary School, 422 FM 2751.

Special 30th anniversary activities include the request that runners wear their oldest T-shirts — given the fact that T-shirts are a benefit of signing up each year. The early-bird entry fees are $30 for each event or $35 for participation in both. After January 26, the fees go up $5. To register, visit Active.com.

Other races held this winter include: Texas Chainring Massacre January 27, Valley View, Texas Off-road biking spinistry.net/calendar

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Viking Dash Trail Run January 27, Rockwall vikingdashtrailrun.com 33rd Annual Super Bowl Sunday Ride February 4, Dallas greaterdallasbicyclists.com Ray Porter Memorial Race Against Cancer February 24, Tyler Endurance race and “Stairway to Bacon” event bigpigcancerfoundation.org 30th Annual Beauty and the Beast Bicycle Tour March 17, Bullard Produced by the Tyler Bicycle Club, sponsored by Kiepersol Estates tbcbnb.com

Program Trains Volunteers to Help Texans Improve Health

communities. Participation is not limited to health professionals — college students, employees, retirees, and anyone interested in promoting health and wellness are invited to attend.

In January, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is holding statewide training for Master Wellness Volunteers. Training takes place locally and online.

Opportunities to serve are wide-ranging: giving presentations for local groups, assisting with healthy cooking demonstrations, participating in health fairs and much more. Because each community is different, MWVs work with the County Extension Agent and other stakeholders to identify needs and opportunities to help make a local difference. Because MWVs come from diverse backgrounds, they’re often able to identify novel topics, audiences, and resources in the area.

In the United States, 86 percent of health spending is related to chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and many others. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these costs can be managed and potentially reduced through education and lifestyle modification.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is seeking participants for its Master Wellness Volunteer (MWV) Program. They undergo 40 hours of training on health, nutrition, and food safety and are then empowered to provide outreach and education, helping reduce the burden of chronic conditions in Texans and their

For more information about the Master Wellness Volunteer Program, visit agrilife. org or email mwv@ag.tamu.edu with contact information and the county in which you live.

Submitted by Melisa Rhodes, Family and Community Health Agent, Van Zandt County

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 45

Women’s Gatherings Break Down Divisive Barriers

Young people of multiple faiths were brought together in 2017 when Tyler residents brought yellow flowers to a local mosque as a sign of friendship, kicking off a continuing movement of acceptance and love. Courtesy photo

A Facebook post from a Muslim friend in which he expressed fear because of his faith helped start a movement of acceptance and love in the Tyler area.

In February 2017, when several of his Facebook friends read his post, they decided to show their support by dropping off yellow flowers at the East Texas Islamic Center as a sign of friendship.

The purpose was to set an example of acceptance and love at a time when many Muslims are feeling very profiled, unwelcomed, and overall discriminated against.

The friends sent a private Facebook invitation to their contacts to get the ball rolling. When more than 85 people rsvp’d for the surprise event, the organizers decided it would be best to inform the mosque they were coming.

Then the mosque decided to invite everyone to dinner, and a movement began.

“Hundreds of people showed up at the mosque with flowers,” says Jen Katz, one of the event’s organizers. “The event got so big, we had to call flower shops to tell them to stock up on yellow flowers. We called the police to help coordinate traf-

fic and the local newspaper and TV stations were there. It was bigger than any of us thought.”

That evening in February, Katz watched a stream of cars drop off flowers and cards. “It was so emotional seeing all the flowers, letters, notes, and cards. One of the Muslim teenagers started crying when she read such encouraging words as ‘We’re here for you.’ ‘You’re welcome here in Tyler.’ ‘You’re our neighbors.’”

Moved by the love shared that evening, the next morning, Katz started a Facebook group, Tyler Supports Our Muslim Neighbors, and began coordinating Women’s Gatherings at local houses of faith to help share information about different religions, traditions, and customs.

The events include panel discussions where people can learn more about Christian, Muslim, and Jewish faiths.

“There is an automatic bond between women and they feel very comfortable talking and answering deep questions, like ‘What is your belief in God?’” Last year, Women’s Gatherings were held at the East Texas Islamic Center, First Presbyterian Church, Congregation Beth El, and First Christian Church, all in Tyler.

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She’s also coordinated volunteer efforts at the East Texas Food Bank, where people of different faiths work alongside each other packing food, and helped promote educational events on Ramadan and Hanukah for children at the Tyler Public Library. “For kids, it doesn’t matter if you are a different religion, culture, or background. If we start cultivating acceptance when they are really young, it won’t become a barrier when they get older.”

During all these events, people are encouraged to have casual conversations with each other by answering such questions as “What’s the last movie you saw?”

“What is your favorite book?” “What is your dream vacation?”

“I want to show people we’re more alike than different,” Katz says. “Many times we have perceptions about people, but if you get to know each other, you realize we’re very much the same.”

To learn more about this movement and the next Women’s Gathering, join the Tyler Supports Our Muslim Neighbors closed Facebook group or email Katz at JenKatz55@yahoo.com.

www.paulmichaelcompany.com | 903.567.0363 1930 n Trade Days Blvd| Canton, tx| JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 47

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