NETX Crossroads

C NETX

ROSSROADS

Northeast Texas Trail page 38

Summer tastes sweeter with Efurd peaches page 34

MAGAZINE

Where the blacktop ends

The story of Carrol Green

page 6

NFL ties run deep in Daingerfield page 18

... and more!

About the Cover

MAY 2018

Background photo by LESLIE BROSNAN

PBR Champion Mike White, from DeKalb, takes a turn with the rope during the 9th Annual Mike White Open to the World Pasture Roping event on Easter weekend.

Photo by KENNY MITCHELL

C

S D A O R S S RO

CONTENTS

NETX

MAGAZIN

t Northeasail r T s a Tex page 38

tastes Summer ith sweeter w hes c Efurd pea

E

4

e Where th s d n op eGreen blacykoftCa rrol

The stor

page 6

NFL ties in run deep ld e fi r e g in Da

page 18

re! ... and mo

NTCC Softball

page 34

Bu erfly Co age

14

22

C NETX

ROSSROADS MAGAZINE

Published and distributed by

Northeast Texas Publishing, LP

in Bowie, Camp, Cass, Marion, Morris and Titus counties. © NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE — ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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Hootie Russell

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Atlanta: Title town, Texas

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tim Emmons Christy Green Mike Hall Kenny Mitchell Heather Russell Carly Scott Lynda Stringer Toni Walker Ben Woods

PHOTOGRAPHERS Tim Emmons Christy Green Carly Scott Toni Walker Kenisha Webster Maggie Whitlow Ben Woods

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Hootie Russell

By HEATHER RUSSELL

So seldom in life do we come across people who leave us with lasting memories just by being themselves. People who do not demand respect, but have earned it because of the way they lived their lives and the contributions made to the world. Such was the case of Bowie County’s Hootie Russell, known affectionately as the unofficial Mayor of Malta.

Born in Malta, Texas, the youngest child of May Bell and Joseph Russell, he was spoiled to the core. He went to Malta School through the eighth grade, but when it was time to go to high school in New Boston or DeKalb, he decided it was too far from his mama to continue his education. He dropped out and did odd jobs and helped around the farm until he convinced his father to sign for him to join the Navy in the early forties. He caught the tail end of World War II and served in the South Pacific until he was discharged, and returned to Malta and signed with the closest Marine Reserve unit in Texarkana. That unit was called up in 1950 to serve in the Korean Conflict, and Hootie soon found himself on the USS General Meigs, a troop transport, headed to Korea.

Hootie never talked much about the war until the final years of his life. He stormed the beaches of Inchon on September 15, 1950 and drove an amphibious DUKW, transporting troops and supplies to the front lines. His “co-pilot” if you will, was Sam Purtle, another Bowie County boy, whom without, Hootie said, he would have never made it back to Malta, Texas. He was a member of the Chosin Few - soldiers who fought in the Chosin Reservoir in the winter of 1950 in the harshest conditions ever known to US forces. Temperatures dropped to -40F and according to him, “You could spit and it would freeze before it hit your boots.”

He also told of holding vials of pain medication in his mouth to keep them thawed out for medics administering them to the wounded. “Those North Koreans and Chinese, they had no respect for human life,” he often recalled. “They sent those boys down the mountains, sometimes barefooted - barely dressed - to charge us , knowing they were sending them to certain death. Wave after wave would come at us, whooping and hollering, some of them armed only with sticks - and we killed them all. Those we didn’t shoot were burned up with the napalm dropped by US fighter pilots, and they were just left there.”

He gladly left Korea and returned home in the summer of 1952. “I promised the Lord if he would bring me home to Malta, I would never get any higher than Glass Hill, any lower than the Anderson Creek bottoms, and no farther from home than what I could get back before the sun goes down,” he always said.

And he pretty much kept that promise. He met Ima Fay Davis, shortly after he returned, at a church singing. When he asked her to marry him, she told him she would agree, but only conditionally. She told him he had to do three things to win her hand: Get his GED, resign from the Marines ,and join the church. He agreed, and they were married on March 7, 1953.

Married life was good to them. Hootie worked at the Red River Army Depot, they bought a home in Malta within shouting distance of Hootie’s parents, and had two boys, Mike and Doug.

Hootie became a deacon at Malta Baptist Church and was the song leader. Ima finished her degree and took a job teaching at Malta School and life

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MAY 2018

played out near picture-perfect. Five grandchildren were born, they both retired, and Hootie putted around the farm, while they doted on the grandchildren first, then great-grandchildren. Life was serene, picturesque even, when tragedy struck the Russell family on the 28th of December 2002. Their oldest, Mike, had gone on a camping trip to the Trinity River in Palestine, Texas when, without warning, he died of a massive heart attack. He was 48 years old. They cried every day. They missed him every day. But they never questioned the Lord’s plan in their lives. They just kept looking forward to the day they would see him again. Ima Fay dreamed of her son often, and Hootie would tell folks how jealous he was, that she saw him and talked to him and he didn’t. “I know he wonders what’s taking me so long to get there…to get to Heaven,” he would say.

But life rolls right on. Time doesn’t stop for a father’s grief. Ima Fay, who was always so independent, was diagnosed with dementia and Hootie took on the role of primary caregiver. However, in 2011, a routine surgery for polyp removal went wrong and Hootie himself ended up in very critical condition.

He fought for his life for three months, with doctors telling the family every day would be his last - all in order to return home to my grandmother who needed him. At that point, they both needed near round-the-clock care. Ima Fay, a product of the Great Depression and caregiver for her parents and a brother, had thought ahead. She had spent a significant amount of her retirement on a long-term care policy that provided in-home care. That, along with their children and grandchildren, who were more than willing to give back to the people who had given them so much for so long, they were more than adequately provided for by people who knew and loved them. Ima Fay lost her battle with Alzheimer’s in February of 2016, with Hootie by her side. He even sang her his favorite hymns in her last hours - a memory I will cherish until I too - see heaven.

With Ima Fay gone, Hootie was lost. For the near two years to come he did his best to remain upbeat, and to bring smiles to all the faces around him, as he always had. On December 18, 2017, he joined Ima Fay and Mike in Heaven, and no doubt he has never been happier. He is where he longed to be for so long.

“The last of a dying breed…”

“They don’t make them like that anymore….”

I had the privilege of knowing Hootie Russell my whole life. When I was born to his oldest son Mike, our family lived next door to him on one side of him and my grandmother and my Uncle Doug and his family lived next door.

He kept his boys close. As his second grandchild, some of my earliest memories are of him tilling the garden between our houses, driving the tractor, and leading the music at Malta Baptist Church. Hootie loved music. He loved the classics, country music, and of course, gospel. He was constantly singing or whistling, and boy, could he whistle. He didn’t whistle like you or I would - he curled his tongue and warbled like a song bird. Legend is that he learned how to whistle that way because he entered a contest at school where he ate crackers and then tried to whistle, and whistling through your tongue was a sure-fire way to win.

I could go on and on, but to sum it up, there is a hole in the world today. A world without people like Hootie Russell is a sad place. But as I told him I loved him for the last time, he winked at me and mouthed the words, “I’ll see you again.” And I, for one, will spend the rest of my days making sure I do.

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

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Where the blacktop ends Story & photos by

CHRISTY GREEN

N

estled in a quiet corner of the countryside in Atlanta, lays not only acres of grass and dirt, but also the legacy of a man; a humble, hard-working farmer, my dad.

Starting out poor, Carrol Green was an only child, living with his parents in the small Antioch community outside of Atlanta.

For more than seven decades Green has put his heart and soul into farming. There has been much blood, sweat and tears shed throughout the years, but there is one thing that has never faltered, his will to continue to do what he loves, the only life he has ever known, in spite of difficult, challenging times and the changing world around him.

This area has drastically changed in his lifetime. He remembers when Wright Patman Lake was just corn fields.

Green stated that farming is not something to go into unless there is total dedication. According to Green, the rewards of farming are not money. It’s a passion that runs deep, a daily responsibility with many ups and downs.

“If you like to work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year you’re in business,” Green explained. “If you don’t, then don’t get into farming.”

“It’s better to learn by doing,” said Green. “There are things that can’t be learned by reading a book or earning a degree.”

He instilled in his own children the same values of hard work, and the rewards that come from hard work. “Nothing good comes free,” Green said adding, “If you want something in life, you have to work for it.”

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NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

Green would like to encourage younger generations to get outdoors and get back to their country roots. Growing up on a family farm as a young child back in his day was much more challenging and different than it is for today’s youth.

“I would have to wait for the sun to heat the water in a washtub so I could take a bath,” he said. “I also remember back in the 1950s riding to town in the truck with daddy and I could see the highway through the floorboard,” he added laughingly.

“I remember sleeping on the porch many times at my grandma’s old breeze-way house down the road from us, and I remember her making chitterlings on that porch in a large pot that I still have in the yard.”

He recalled many other childhood memories, like milking and feeding cows every morning before catching the school bus, and he

Carrol Green leads his granddaughter Isabella around his farm ​near Atlanta on his horse Princess.

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and his family living off the land they worked. These were just an everyday part of Green’s childhood. Before the days of all-terrain vehicles, working cows from horseback was a common thing.

“I bought my first horse for $17 with money I made mowing yards,” recalled Green. “My grandpa gave me my first cow when I was 12-yearsold, and I’ve had cows ever since,” he added. Since that day he has always had a horse and cattle in his life.

He is savvy with a rope due to working cows by horseback on his own land, even roped calves in the Linden rodeo with his horse named Rex that a friend rode one night and told Green, “That horse could turn around on a dime and leave nine cents change,” Green chuckled.

Green remembers working on the farm when he was not even big enough to pick up a square bale of hay, explaining he would have to roll the bale to the trailer. Hard times never held Green back or kept him from

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wanting to be a farmer, they just paved the way for a better future.

When not helping on the family farm, Green enjoyed bird and squirrel hunting with his dog, and riding horses with his cousins. He also played football for Queen City in junior high and high school and was quarterback for three years during his high school years. He Carrol Green also won many first-place has put his trophies for running the heart and soul mile in track. into farming “When I was older and for more than out of school for summer, seven decades.

I worked as a contractor, picking up roots along a highway that was being newly constructed and also driving a dump truck for one dollar an hour,” he added. “I made $40 a week working 10 hours a day. I was able to buy gas, go to the movies, buy popcorn and a coke, have a good time and still have money left over. The value of a dollar was worth so much more back then,” Green reminisced.

He also remembers hauling cotton for 10 miles from Antioch by mule and buggy all the way to the cotton gin in Queen City.

In his 77 years, Green has gotten to experience many different things in this life. He served his country in the Army National Guard and his community on the Queen City School Board.

In his adult years Green worked sometimes three jobs, his shift at Cooper Tire and Rubber Company, in Texarkana, where he later retired in supervision, then doing dirt work, hay, and other odd jobs until the sun light faded to dusk, and all the while, taking care of his own land.

Green bought his first piece of land in 1969, now he maintains more than 200 acres day in and day out, and even though retired, he’s still just as dedicated to his passion after all these years.

Holding true to his country roots his values have made Green a good life. Hard times and hard work never held Green back, they just paved the way for a better future.

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The NTCC softball team:

WINNERS on the field and in life By

CARLY SCOTT

Photos courtesy of NTCC Softball Coach Jessica Keith

W

hen it comes to Northeast Texas Community College softball players, college is not only about their 4.0 grade point averages and outstanding athletic abilities on the field, it’s about building character for life.

Northeast Texas Community College (NTCC) aoftball players have formed a reputation for themselves in Titus County, and the impact they’ve made in the lives of children in Mount Pleasant won’t soon be forgotten.

The team;s players began to “look outside of themselves” when NTCC softball coach Jessica Keith encouraged the girls to volunteer their time at Titus County Cares, a faith-based, non-profit organization that coordi-

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nates resources and services that help meet the needs of the economically disadvantaged people of the local area.

The softball team began assisting Titus County Cares with its Food4Kids program. The program provides bags of food for economically disadvantaged children in Titus County.

“As rewarding as it is to win on the softball field, it’s even more rewarding to beat something bigger than us, and that’s hunger,” said NTCC player Kara Carter.

Titus County schools provide kids with breakfast, lunch and a snack Monday through Friday but aren’t able to provide food after school, on weekends or holiday breaks. That’s where Titus County Cares Food4Kids

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

steps in and sends bags of food home to over 1,300 youngsters each week. On Tuesday night, when the members of the softball team could be studying or out with friends, they’re giving their time in order to put bags of food together for local youths.

“It’s a nice breather,” said Coach Keith. “It gives them a chance to think about something else, and you can really see their personalities come out. They’re seeing things from a different perspective.”

“Every Tuesday night we have an awesome group of ladies from the college come and help us,” said Titus County Cares volunteer Rob Holliday. “They get a days worth of work done in about 20 minutes.”

The NTCC student athletes join hands with fellow Titus County Cares volunteers on each of those Tuesday nights to pray over the food that will be distributed in bags and for the children who will be on the receiving end.

According to Titus County Cares officials, the team does a substantial amount of work for the organization, but that’s not where their volunteer work stops. Students have teamed up with Communities in Schools so that each week the players are able to visit Corprew Elementary students who are the recipients of Titus County Care bags. “We go to Corprew and we get to actually see where the bags go,” said Shelby Baker.

Communities in Schools works directly in 2,300 schools in 25 states and the District of Columbia, and the organization builds relationships that empower students to stay in school and succeed in life. Their school-based staff works with teachers to identify challenges students face in class or at home and coordinate with community partners to bring outside resources inside schools Communities in Schools officials paired their most “at-risk” students with “Eagle Pals.”

“They didn’t choose the kids,” said Coach Keith. “The kids chose them.”

Keith explained her statement with a video that captured the day the NTCC girls were matched with Corprew students. The players sat at lunch tables and the at-risk students chose who they wanted to be their Eagle Pal. “I’m blown away with the effect they’ve had,” said Communities in NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

Schools representative Laura Lambert. “We don’t get a lot of volunteers who give as generously as these girls do.

It’s good to see this generation help and do all that they do.”

NTCC players have taken one student each under their wing, but to the softball girls, these aren’t just economically disadvantaged kids — they’re their little sisters.

Some NTCC players come from privileged families, while some are no stranger to poverty, but no matter what background the student athletes come from, their lives have been impacted by their volunteer work in the same way.

NTCC Softball player Ashley Barnett has been so impacted by her experience as a volunteer that she has changed her college major.

“I wanted to be a math teacher, but now I’m going to do social work,” said Barnett.

The softball players not only visit the students on campus at Corprew, they have invited their “little sisters” to come visit them on the NTCC campus. While visiting NTCC, the Corprew students have become inspired to attend college, play softball at college level, and have a dorm room “just like” the NTCC student’s rooms.

“I grew up in a poor neighborhood, so I really wasn’t that surprised when I met the kids and heard their stories,” said one NTTC player. “I already knew so it didn’t surprise me, but I think it’s cool that they look up to us. It makes us all want to be a better person — the best possible people we can be.”

The team as a whole is excited that they are helping to get the word out about Titus County Cares and Communities in Schools in hopes that their work will inspire others to participate as well.

The NTCC Softball team is compOsed of Shelby Baker of Carrolton, Ashley Barnette of Maud, Concepcion Adame of San Antonio, Blakelea Nettles of Conroe, Hollie Thomas of Henrietta, Alyssa Gregory of College Station, Daniela Azuaje of Venzuela, Ramzi Smith of Texarkana, Hannah Powdrill of New Caney, Korbyn Bassett of Palestine, Mackenise Mankel of Hurst, Michaela Castleberry of Huntsville, Kristen Allen of Sulphur, Jamie Franks of Arlington, Kara Carter of White Oak, Lauren Chapa of Waller, Aileen Robles of Diboll and Sydni Schulze of Alexandria, La. MAY 2018

11

It’s all about the A’s at Chapel Hill By

C

MIKE HALL

hapel Hill is the ‘Public School District of Choice’ in Northeast Texas. With a total student body of just over 1,000 district-wide, the single campus containing Elementary, Junior High, and High School is located just North of Northeast Texas Community College on FM 1735 and CR 4660. A focus on the success of each and every student truly makes Chapel Hill a place “Where Everybody is Somebody.” This individual attention is found in intentionally smaller class sizes and through Chapel Hill’s focus on the ability of students to pursue paths in the areas of “Academics, Agriculture, Arts, and Athletics.”

“We are all about the A’s at Chapel Hill - not just the grades or the test, but Academics - Agriculture - Arts - Athletics. Accountability is that fifth ‘A’ that we also consider important,” said Superintendent Marc Levesque. “Who are we accountable to and for what? We provide a high quality customized educational opportunity to every child here in their best path. We are accountable to our community, the parent, and the child for that learning.”

Chapel Hill’s achievements in the academic area are extensive. From the National Blue Ribbon recognized Elementary to the National Bronze Level High School ranked in the top 10% statewide by US News and World Report, Chapel Hill is consistently above state and regional averages for accountability measures. In other areas of Academics such as University Interscholastic League (UIL) competitions, Chapel Hill has a strong history

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MAY 2018

of outstanding student performance including a Second Place Overall Statewide Trophy, First Place Team in Speech and Debate, and State Champion Teams in Computer Applications and Journalism. Students with the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) have also consistently placed well at State competitions and competed in National competitions in multiple events. Several students have been recognized at the National level for their abilities with business software. Teams in Destination Imagination have competed and placed at Globals several years, showcasing their creativity and talents.

Students throughout the District are given opportunities to pursue interest-based learning outside the regular classroom through the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM). Students have pursued interests as diverse as non-profit support and fundraising for issues, scrapbooking, medical and veterinary job shadowing, and business development. Many of these interests have become programs at the school including: cosmetology, robotics, outdoor education, and bass fishing. In the Elementary, the SEM Lab provides students guided experiences in many different interest based areas throughout the year. In the Junior High and High School, more specific focus through interest groups allow students to explore a single area more in-depth. “We don’t make the mistake of asking a student what they want to be when they grow up. We ask questions like, what problems do you want to solve and how?” said Superintendent Levesque.

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

Students at the High School have opportunities along academic and career paths including the potential to earn college credit from NTCC while in High School. Many Chapel Hill students graduate with 24 or even more hours of college credit, having completed the equivalent of an entire year of college at the highly reduced dual-credit cost of $70 per credit hour or $210 per class. Some students are even now graduating having completed the basic requirements of 42 hours transferable to any Texas public University as ‘Core Complete’ or having completed an Associates Degree of 60 or more hours. Chapel Hill also provides tuition paid workready certification programs through NTCC in Industrial Maintenance, Robotics, Cosmetology, Auto Tech, and Pharmacy Tech.

Chapel Hill’s outstanding Agriculture program provides leadership and skill development for a broad group of students of all ages. Programs include raising livestock, public speaking, agricultural mechanics, and career/leadership development events. Chapel Hill Future Farmer’s of America (FFA) and Jr. FFA members consistently compete well at competitions locally and across the state. Chapel Hill FFA members have also served as Area, District, and State officers, attended State and National FFA events and placed well in Leadership Development Events (LDEs) and Career Development Events (CDEs).

Chapel Hill Fine Arts continues to expand a tradition of great talent and performance. With a history of state placing One-Act Play (OAP) teams and outstanding musical theatre, Drama at Chapel Hill continues to create opportunities for students to develop and display their talent. Music in many ways is also learned by students at Chapel Hill, with classroom instruction and performances for Elementary students and classes in Band, Choir, Ensemble and Applied/Lab Music for Junior

High and High School students. Art is highlighted at Chapel Hill with classroom time for Elementary students and classes for JH and HS students. The Fine Arts Department has recently begun the monthly ‘Club Red’ to offer performances and displays from all areas in the Arts as a combined program.

Athletics at Chapel Hill is an active opportunity for students. With teams consistently making District playoffs and beyond, student athletes learn about life on the court and the field. Chapel Hill continues to expand Athletic opportunities into developing areas, like: Soccer, Power Lifting, and Swimming. Basketball is huge at Chapel Hill for all ages, beginning with Little Dribblers and leading to a strong secondary program. Baseball, Softball, Volleyball, Track, and Cross Country are also available to Junior High and High School students with Golf and Tennis for High School. Elementary students regularly have physical education activities and playtime on the covered play areas.

Chapel Hill accepts transfers with students attending from across Titus, Camp, Franklin, Morris and Upshur counties. Transfers are accepted on an application basis with attention paid to discipline concerns, academics, attendance, and parental involvement. “We want students that will add value to Chapel Hill and that gain value from Chapel Hill,” said Superintendent Marc Levesque. Currently about a third of Chapel Hill students are transfers. Approved transfer students pay an annual tuition fee of $1,000 for the first student in a family and $250 for the second and third student, with no charge for additional students in the family. The tuition fee is roughly equivalent to the average property tax on a household in the District. Transfer packets may be obtained by contacting the Superintendent’s office at 903-572-8096 x797.

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Atlanta

TITLE TOWN Texas By

PHOTO: COURTESY STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

The Runnin’ Rabbs varsity boys’ track team displays its state championship hardware. The team won its sixth state championship since 1989.

TIM EMMONS

PHOTO: MAGGIE WHITLOW

PHOTO: TIM EMMONS

PHOTO: KENISHA WEBSTER

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MAY 2018

T

o be nominally named “Title Town, Texas” or “Title Town” anywhere; sports players of every level must be successful in securing championships.

From little league to the pros, football championships to sailing championships, “Title Town” can be applied to the most dominating figures and teams known area to worldwide.

Some prime examples are the Texas Longhorns’ Men’s Swimming and Diving team, which won its 14th national crown and fourth straight in March or the fact that Alabama boasts the most NCAA football titles with 17, Green Bay boasts 13 NFL Championships (the most NFL championships for a city) and Boston boasts 10 sports

PHOTO: TIM EMMONS

championships in the 21st century, including at least one per major sports team; the Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins.

Each could carry the moniker “Title Town.”

Here in Cass County, Atlanta could also carry the moniker of “Title Town.”

Atlanta High School has eight state championships between three sports, several individual champions and innumerable championships like district, regional and area.

The Atlanta High School Track and Field program on the boys’ side leads the way with six state championships to date, 28 of 31 district championships (they won with 226 points which was 100 points better than the second place team), two NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

area championships and 12 regional titles.

The baseball team also won a state championship in 1998 and the football team won a state title in 2003.

Atlanta’s first state championship team in any sport was the 1989 varsity boys’ track and field team under the guidance of then head coach Gordon Pynes.

The Rabbits dominated runner-up Marlin by scoring 52 points to Marlin’s 28, and set several records in the process.

The program established a track dynasty in Atlanta that has dominated East Texas for 29 years and counting.

The next track titles came in 1997, 2002, 2003 and 2004. The Rabbs were state runner-up in 1992, 2008 and 2016.

Last May Atlanta won its sixth track and field state championship overall.

The Rabbits watched regional rival Dallas Carter get as close as three points, but that wasn’t enough to unseat the champions from Atlanta.

Head Coach Nick Miller summed up perfectly how the Atlanta track Josh Edwards sails over a hurdle during a district track meet.

PHOTO: KENISHA WEBSTER team approaches every meet.

“State [UIL track meet] can be a vacation, an ‘oooh’ and ‘aaah’ event or We have a great track program a business trip,” Miller stated. “We are in Atlanta and I’m honored to Atlanta and it’s always a business trip. be part of it.”

A few other standout highlights include the Atlanta girls’ PHOTO: KENISHA WEBSTER golf team winning 16 consecutive district titles and the cross country team winning 17 straight.

Individually several athletes have graced the state stage and won gold such as Chris Ibarra, Sarah Haydel and Alvin Battle who became Atlanta’s first powerlifting state champion.

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Pittsburg ISD District of Champions

Sweepstakes Band Cole Kilburn

State UIL Swimmer

Gabriel Gutierrez

State Champion in Medical Mathematics

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Gene and Madeline Warrick began their link to service in 1959.

The restaurant also serves burgers and fries and a variety of plates and is located at 136 West Marshall Street, Pittsburg, Texas. Call in orders at 903856-5765. Please visit the website at pittsburghotlink.com for information and to place your mail order.

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A Hero’s Welcome

Dave Waddell didn’t get the kind of welcome a veteran deserves when he returned from Vietnam five decades ago, but his noble acts of heroism, bravery and sacrifice were not forgotten

I

By

CARLY SCOTT

n 1966 the Vietnam War was escalating, and the United States found itself mired in the middle of two groundbreaking events: The Gulf of Tonkin Crisis of 1964 and the Tet Offensive of 1968. The legality of the war was beginning to be questioned by U.S. citizens and politicians.

Opposition toward the war was growing as more men were being inducted through the draft.

Meanwhile, songs such as “California Dreamin’” by the Mamas and the Papas and “Paint it Black” by the Rolling Stones were hits on the radio, a team of five African-American starters won the NCAA basketball championship for the first time, and a 20-year-old Talco native by the name of David Waddell was in the U.S. Navy and serving his country proudly in Vietnam for all the right reasons.

When a Navy helicopter crashed in North Vietnam, Waddell, who was serving as a Naval Airman, went into action to save others — readily willing to risk his life for his fellow servicemen.

The young Waddell served in the Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Four based in Imperial Beach, Calif. The squadron operated from the USS Yorktown, an aircraft carrier off the coast of Vietnam in the South China Sea, flying search and rescue missions. It could be dangerous work — electronic gear was stripped from the aircraft that Waddell operated, machine guns were installed to take its place.

Waddell was in his heliopter, hoisting the pilot of the crashed helicopter up through jungle trees, when he came under heavy small arms fire.

Before the pilot of the crashed helicopter could get safely to the bottom of Waddell’s aircraft, a bullet clipped the hoist cable, and it began to splinter. Waddell could have given up on his rescue mission, but he continued to fight the good fight and attached a reserve clip to the cable in case the lifeline parted.

Although Waddell’s aircraft was hit by multiple bullets, he was able to stay airborne. As the crew flew away from the free-fire zone, Waddell continued to think of others first and himself last, working to keep the rescued but dangline flier from swinging back into the helicopter tail rotor. Waddell flew out to sea, and put the pilot — his fellow hero — in the water so that he could be picked up by another helicopter on standby.

Fast-forward 52 years to Friday, April 13, 2018. The former Talco resident stood aboard the USS Yorktown hanger deck once again, accompanied by his wife, Carolyn, and seven of his fellow aircrew members.

Waddell may not have received the “welcome home” he was entitled to and deserved after his service in Vietnam, but on that day in April 2018, Waddell was recognized for his heroic and noble act of kindness, his bravery, and the sacrifice he made for all Americans. He was presented with a plaque and a Roll of Honor Membership certificate by Veteran Navy Pilot Tom Phillips. Roll of Honor membership is limited to enlisted combat U.S. Navy, Marines and Coast Guard Aircrewmen. Waddell was also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroic actions.

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Photo courtesy of Louie Graves Dave Waddell (left), a native of Talco, was recently honored for a “heroic and noble act of kindness, his bravery, and the sacrifice he made for all Americans” during a rescue mission in Vietnam in 1966. Veteran Navy Pilot Tom Phillips (right) presented Waddelll with a plaque and a Roll of Honor Membership certificate.

MAY 2018

17

Daingerfield High School Field House boasts a Wall of Fame that features former Tigers who have either coached or played in the NFL.

NFL ties run deep in Daingerfield Story & photo by

O

f the thousands of high school football players, very few play college ball. Even fewer advance to the professional level. According to NCAA.com, approximately 6.8 percent of high school football players advance to the NCAA. The percentage drops to 1.5 percent of NCAA athletes advancing to the professional level, according to the same website. Daingerfield High School boasts 13 former athletes who have played in the National Football League (NFL), and one who currently serves as an NFL coach. Daingerfield has had at least one player from each decade to at least be a part of an NFL training camp since 1960. Of those players, two Daingerfield graduates can claim the title of Super Bowl Champion.

Eddie White DHS Class of 1969: White was a part of the 1968 State Championship team before attending the University of Tulsa. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos as a running back. White also spent time in the World Football League.

Arthur Moore-DHS Class of 1969: Like White, Moore also played on the ’68 Championship team and attended the University of Tulsa. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 1973 NFL Draft (149th overall) by the San Francisco 49ers before being traded to the New England Patriots. Moore

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MAY 2018

TONI WALKER played four seasons at nose tackle and defensive tackle for the Patriots, 1973-1974 and 1976-1977. Moore played in 29 games over his four year career, all with the Patriots.

Gary Lewis DHS Class of 1977: After graduating from Daingerfield, Lewis attended the University of Texas at Arlington before being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1981. Lewis was drafted in the second round (35th overall) as a tight end/ wide receiver and played four seasons for the Packers (1981-1984). Over his four year career, Lewis logged 44 games played, in which he had 21 receptions for 285 yards and one touchdown.

In the 1983 season, Lewis also added four rushing carries for 16 yards and another touchdown. Lewis also played in two playoff games in the 1982 season, a 41-16 win against the Saint Louis Cardinals and a 37-26 loss to the Dallas Cowboys John Rodgers DHS Class of 1978: Rodgers followed his Tiger career by attending Louisiana Tech University. He entered the NFL in 1982 with the Pittsburg Steelers and played three seasons. Rodgers played in 28 games for the Steelers, logging 2 receptions for a total of 36 yards. Rodgers also played in one playoff game for the Steelers, a 31-28 loss to the San Diego Chargers. Rodgers passed away in 1995.

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Darryl Lewis DHS Class of 1979: The younger brother of Greg Lewis, Darryl also attended the University of Texas at Arlington prior to entering the NFL. Darryl was drafted 128th overall in the fifth round of the 1983 draft by the New England Patriots. He played one season for the Cleveland Browns. During that season, Lewis saw action in two games for the Browns.

Thomas Everett DHS Class of 1983: Everett played seven different positions with the Tigers, including quarterback, and is currently the only Daingerfield Tiger to have had his high school jersey number retired. Everett’s four year career at Baylor was highlighted by many plays, including a 46-yard interception return for a touchdown in an upset win over the Texas Longhorns during his sophomore season. As a senior, he was selected to receive the Jim Thorpe Award. (1986 was the first year the award was given to the top defensive back in college football.) Everett was the first to receive the award. Everett was chosen to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006, and the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame in 2015, thanks in part to his twice being selected as First Team All-American while at Baylor.

Everett was selected in the fourth round of the 1987 draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he spent the first five years of his career. While in Pittsburgh, Everett played in 73 games notching 16 interceptions for 176 yards. Everett also forced (4) and recovered fumbles (7) for the Steelers. In 1992, Everett joined the Dallas Cowboys and was a part of the team’s 1992 and 1993 Super Bowl wins against the Buffalo Bills. While with Dallas, Everett played in 27 games, including six playoff games. Everett hauled in four interceptions during his two years patrolling the Dallas Cowboys’ secondary. After the 1993 season, Everett was traded to the Tampa Bay

buccaneers, where he played two seasons before retiring. Everett currently resides in Dallas, where he works with young athletes.

Eric Everett DHS Class of 1984: Eric Everett gave Daingerfield a second set of brothers to graduate and make it to the NFL. Graduating a year after his older brother Thomas, Eric was a part of the 1983 Daingerfield Tiger State Championship team that is considered one of the best and ranked at one point as the second most memorable team in Texas, according to Dave Campbell.

Eric attended Texas Tech after his graduation from Daingerfield, and went on to be drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles took the younger Everett in the fifth round (122nd overall). He went on to play defensive back for the Eagles for two years and amassed five interceptions for 92 yards and one touchdown. The younger Everett also spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Minnesota Vikings prior to his retirement following the 1992 season.

David Whitmore DHS Class of 1985: David Whitmore attended Stephen F. Austin University following his graduation from High school.

Another defensive player, Whitmore was drafted in the fourth round of the 1990 draft by the New York Giants. Whitmore played in 16 games for the Giants, and had 123 recorded tackles. Whitmore also won a Super bowl Championship with the Giants following the 1990 season, giving Daingerfield two Super Bowl Champions (T. Everett was a two-time champion with the Dallas Cowboys.) Whitmore joined the San Francisco 49ers for two seasons in 1991. Whitmore was a part of the trade that sent Joe Montana to the Kansas City Chiefs prior to the 1993 season, where he stayed for two seasons. Whitmore retired after a one year stint with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1995.

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MAY 2018

19

Eric Turner DHS Class of 1988: Turner attended East Texas State University, where he was a two-time All-American cornerback.

Though undrafted, he signed as a free agent with the Miami Dolphins.

David Mims DHS Class of 1988: Like T. Everett, Mims attended Baylor following his DHS graduation. Mims signed a free-agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons following the 1993 draft. Mims played two seasons with the Falcons, amassing 121 yards on 15 receptions. Mims currently resides in Daingerfield, where he assists with youth football leagues.

Greg Evans DHS Class of 1988: After attending Texas Christian University, Evans became the third member of the DHS Class of 1988 to sign an NFL contract. Evans played defensive back for Buffalo during the 1995, and grabbed one interception for 18 yards. He also recorded 18 tackles and seven assists.

Evans also played one season with the Washington Redskins.

Kyle Caskey DHS Class of 1997: Caskey attended Texas A&M following graduation, where he played tight end during the 1997 and 1998 seasons. He also played in the Cotton and Sugar Bowls for the Aggies. Caskey was a fouryear letterman in track and field for the Aggies, earning All Big 12 honors in 2000 in the discus. He earned big 12 All-Academic honors in 2000, 2001, and 2002.

Caskey currently serves as an assistant coach for the Cincinnati Bengals, where he is beginning his eighth season, and his fourth season as running backs coach. Prior to joining the Bengals coaching staff, Caskey spent stints as a defensive assistant at Mississippi State. Caskey also served as a graduate assistant at Louisiana-Monroe where he earned a master’s degree in Instructional Technology.

Steve Edmond DHS Class of 2010: Edmond was a four-year linebacker at the University of Texas at Austin, with 34 starts in 49 career games. His 323

career tackles was first among active players and just 23 away from the UT all-time top 10. Edmond was a three-time All-Big 12 choice, earning honorable mention honors 2012-14. He was also a member of the watch lists for the 2014 Butkus Award and Rotary Lombardi Award and a prep All-American who played in the 2011 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Edmond was a part of the won three state championships in high school. Edmond was invited to training camp with the New Orleans Saints.

Keyarris Garrett DHS Class of 2012: Garrett is widely remembered

by Tiger fans for his game-winning reception in the 2010 State Championship game. Garrett played college ball at Tulsa, where he amassed 219 receptions for 3,209 yards and 22 touchdowns. During his senior campaign, Garrett caught 96 passes for 1,588 yards and eight touchdowns, which made him the top receiver in college football for the 2015 season. He set the American Athletic Conference record with 268 receiving yards on 14 passes during an Oct. 23 game.

Garrett went undrafted in the 2015 draft before signing a free-agent contract with the Carolina Panthers on May 2, 2016. Though cut by the team on Sept. 3, Garrett joined the Panther’s practice squad for the 2016 season and signed a reserve/futures contract with the team in January.

Garrett has a healthy NFL bloodline: his cousin David Mims played for the Atlanta Falcons, and his uncle David Whitmore also had a stint with several NFL teams.

David Mims II DHS Class of 2012: Mims II, the son of former Falcons running back David Mims, attended Texas State University following his graduation from Daingerfield High School. Another member of the three-time Texas State Champion Tigers, Mims II went undrafted in the 2016 draft. He did attend rookie minicamp as an undrafted free agent, however, with the Atlanta Falcons.

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Bu erfly C tage Story & photos by

D

HEATHER RUSSELL

own a winding Farm-to-Market road just west of New Boston, tucked in to just over an acre of land, Bruce Pardue’s Little Country Greenhouse is a veritable oasis in the rolling pastures and pine forests of Northeast Texas. Customers stroll through the greenhouses packed with vibrant color and lush greenery, along with a koi pond, honey bee hives, ducks, and exotic chickens. But coming in May, Little Country Greenhouse will boast a new feature, the first of its kind in this area, and open to the public.

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MAY 2018

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

Little Country Greenhouse owner Bruce Pardue, a degreed horticulturist and self-proclaimed “bonafide, certified blooming idiot,” says he always strives to make his customers’ shopping experience unique and special. “I want my customers to feel they are shopping in a botanical garden,” he explained. “My goal has always been that when you come in I want you to have a happy and enjoyable experience.

And it has always been in the back of my mind to build a butterfly cottage.” With a tentative grand opening date of May 18, Pardue has made that thought in the back of his mind a reality.

The Butterfly Cottage will host several native butterfly species, in their natural habitat. “We are going to fill it with local native butterflies indigenous to Texas, which does include the monarch, the black swallowtail, tiger swallowtail, gulf fritillary, and dusting sulphur,” said Pardue. The cottage will be open to the public, and admission will be free. Pardue will provide two types of tours, one for those who just want the experience, and an educational tour for school groups and those who wish to learn more about the butterflies’ ecosystem and its impact on our environment. “Our goal is for you to learn what you need to do in your own NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

backyard to have these butterflies,” he said.

“We want you to come in and learn how to help us protect something that’s extremely fragile in our environment.”

The Butterfly Cottage will start with about 150 residents, and visitors will be able to see these butterflies in each stage of their life cycle.

“You will be able to see butterflies flying, laying eggs, eggs hatching into caterpillars, caterpillars turning in to chrysalises, and them seeing them emerge as another wave of butterflies come through,” Pardue said. The Cottage will also be filled with native plant material conducive to butterfly growth and reproduction, and even some Chinese Painted (button) Quail to provide natural bug control, especially ants. A small deck, or “Lookout Point” in the corner of the Cottage provides a perfect spot to view the cottage in its entirety and take pictures of and with the butterflies. Pardue says once the Cottage is in full swing, butterflies will literally land on visitors as they walk through. “Vistitors will be amazed at what they see here,” he says excitedly. “It will literally be a jaw-dropping experience.”

For more information on booking a tour of the Butterfly Cottage, go to www.facebook. com/lcgreenhouse.

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Dreams T

Story & photos by

CARLY SCOTT

really do come true

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MAY 2018

he Mount Pleasant Pilot Club, chartered on Nov. 10, 1983, prides itself in its pet project, “League of Dreams,” and so does Titus County.

It all began when Pilot Club President Betty Reese, the director and founder for League of Dreams, was at a softball game with her husband and noticed a young boy, sitting closely to the backstop, cheering for his sister.

The young man was sitting in a wheelchair. “He loves this game and he’s never going to get to play,” said Reese. After witnessing this, Reese immediately went to work with fellow Pilots to develop a league for children with special needs.

Reese was successful. The league began its 16th season this year. “The first year we did it ourselves,” said Reese. “The second year I called Guaranty Bank and they said they would sponsor League of Dreams. Thirty minutes later we had enough sponsors for the entire event.”

Monday, April 2, was opening night of the 2018 season for Mount Pleasant’s League of Dreams.

The first game of the year was sponsored

by Titus Regional Medical Center, with TRMC staff assisting at the game.

“League of Dreams is an event that the staff at TRMC looks forward to every year,” said TRMC Community Outreach Coordinator Seth Alexander. “The work the Pilot Club does to give these kids the chance to play baseball is something our whole community should be proud of, and we are thrilled to be able to take part in both the game and dinner for the team and families.”

The league has enjoyed widespread support from the Titus County community, including other civic organizations such as the Mount Pleasant Lions Club.

Kids are eligible to participate in League of Dreams from five years old through high school age. The event has inspired other local clubs to put on similar events on a smaller scale. “League of Dreams is the only other outing some of these kids get,” said Reese. “We have a lot of graduates who come back and participate as helpers.”

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MAY 2018

27

ANNE FARRIS A legend in Bowie County education and a Noble Heart.

By

HEATHER RUSSELL

T

cepted a position as Elementary Principal and High School Counselor in his is a quote that DeKalb native Anne Farris says she believes the small town of Lazbuddie, Texas, working under her former Superinin, and with a career in education spanning over forty-two tendent at Pleasant Grove, Mr. Joe Hall. The Farris family spent five years years, she has definitely seen the benefits of quality education. there, Anne getting her first principalship under her belt, while assisting Anne was born in Hubbard, Texas, to Andrew and Estelle 17-20 high school seniors each year with their college plans.

Richardson. She attended school at Hubbard through the eighth grade, After five years in West Texas, Anne, Guy, and their boys returned then went on to DeKalb High School where she was an honors student, home to DeKalb, where Anne worked as the DeKalb Elemenplayed clarinet in the high school band, and graduated third in her class. It was also during her time at DeKalb High tary Principal, and her boys were able to graduate School that she met and began dating her from the school where both their parents had graduated. As elementary princifuture husband, Guy Farris. pal, Mrs. Farris made many changes, After high school, Anne promised implementing new reading programs, her parents she would not get married “The only key out of and receiving support and recogniuntil she obtained a college degree, tion from the State of Texas as one of so in just three years she received poverty is education.” three schools in Region 8 to become her degree in English, with a minor — Lyndon B. Johnson a partnership school under Governor in French, from East Texas State Anne Richards. Mrs. Farris opened University in Commerce. She kept her her doors to parents, welcoming promise to her parents, graduating on May 29, and becoming Mrs. Guy Farris on them to the campus at any time, and setJune 8. ting up site-based committees to include parents and community members in decision making processes concernMrs. Farris began her career at just twenty years old, when ing the schools. When DeKalb Superintendent Allan Cooper retired, she was hired to teach English at Hooks High School under the direction Mrs. Farris was encouraged to take the job, and became the first female of Principal D.L. Connor and Superintendent Hall Griffin. “I couldn’t superintendent of schools in Bowie County history. have had a better start,” she recalled. “Mr. Connor and Mr. Griffin ran a Though Mrs. Farris says she initially had to prove herself worthy of the tight ship.” All these years later, the freshman and sophomore students responsibility of three campuses and around 1200 students, the Board she taught that first year still keep in touch and invite her to their class of Directors, staff, and community had all seen the positive changes she reunions. had implemented during her time as Elementary Principal, and she While teaching at Hooks High School, Mrs. Farris decided to go back to continued to make changes and improvements to the district in her new school for her Master’s Degree, and after receiving a Master’s in Guidrole of Superintendent. During her five year tenure, many campus and ance and Counseling, the Hooks High School Counselor left mid-year and building improvements were made, and a new stadium was built. Anne Principal D.L. Connor asked her to take the position, thus taking her first retired from Dekalb ISD in 1997 - but not for long. counseling job.

J.D. Cox, Superintendent at Atlanta ISD was the first to call Anne From there Anne worked with special needs children all over Bowie out of her short-lived retirement. His Special Education Director had County as the Special Education Director of the Western Bowie County left mid-year and he was in need of Anne to fill in. Not expecting to Co-op, and as a counselor at New Boston High School, where she contincontinue with the district long-term, Mrs. Farris worked as the Special ued to assist students who never thought they would be able to attend Ed Director before accepting a position as Atlanta ISD’s Public Relations college. “I felt so much satisfaction and pride in the fact that I helped Director, and then working for about a year as interim Superintendent. students go on and continue their education,” said Farris. After five years It was after her time in Atlanta that Mrs. Farris retired for the SECOND in New Boston, she accepted a position as Director of Guidance Services time. at Pleasant Grove, where she provided guidance and counseling services Again, her retirement was short-lived, as Redwater soon called in to the first ever graduating class at Pleasant Grove High School. need of an interim Superintendent. Mrs. Farris accepted the temporary By this time, Anne and Guy had two children, Clay and Clint, and Guy’s position, only to decide to sign a contract and serve as Redwater ISD health was deteriorating. The Farris family had friends in West Texas who Superintendent for three years. seemed to think the drier climate would be good for Guy, so Anne ac-

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Mrs. Farris says that although some of the job positions she accepted were temporary positions, her work ethic always had a feel of permanence. “I couldn’t do those interims without really working,” she said.

“I couldn’t just be a figurehead. They wanted to make their schools better, and I wanted to be a part of it.” Perhaps that’s why so many administrators and educators called on Anne Farris when they were in a bind - when they needed someone they could depend on and trust with the lives and educations of their students. Perhaps that’s why she touched so many lives as a teacher, counselor, principal, and superintendent. Because every position she ever held was more than just a job - it was an opportunity to make something better.

Mrs. Farris is in her last year of a five years of service on the Board of Trustees at Texarkana College. Even in retirement, she serves students all over the county who wish to better themselves through continued education. As a trustee, she has seen the implementation of Texarkana College’s Presidential Scholarships - full scholarships covering books, tuition and fees that are awarded to graduating seniors in the top 15% of their class.

“I’m humbled to be a part of that,” Farris said. “I feel I’ve brought to the board an awareness of the needs of rural high school kids.”

Mrs. Farris’ term on the Texarkana College Board of Trustees expires at the end of 2018, and perhaps true retirement for her will really begin.

She says she looks forward to spending her days exactly as she pleases, and spending time with her sons and her three grandchildren. However, only time will tell, whether or not she can stay “completely out of the loop” when it comes to education in Bowie County. Regardless, it is safe to say that Anne Farris holds a place of reverence in Bowie County education, retired or not.

One final quote sums up Mrs. Farris, her life, her career, her persona.

When asked how she dealt with what must have been many conflicts that occurred during her time as an educator, her reply was quite simple. “When you don’t know what to do, just do the right thing.”

Farris was honored in March 2018 by the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce and its Noble Hearts with recognition as the 2018 recipient of the Heart of the Community Award, better known as, the Noble.

In presenting her that recognition, it was said of Farris, “Educated in our local schools…the best of the best…and as many of our past recipients, found their calling in education…more specifically…in children. And in doing so has made history on more than one occaision.

DeKalb Elementary Principal, DeKalb ISD Superintendent, Redwater ISD Superintendent, interim Superintendent at Atlanta ISD, Director of Education Cooperatives, counselor, and finally to her association with Texarkana College. In 2013, the voters of Bowie County voted to expand the tax district of TC from six square miles to over 1,000 square miles…and with that…came representation from the west end of Bowie County. She took point…she stepped forward to represent us…and to me it was prophetic…the TC Seal…speaks to her inner being…a live oak branch symbolizes strength and grandeur…a laurel branch…represents honor and peace…I believe these go well with the definitions of ‘Noble.’”

There is little doubt that when you speak of education, no one has made a greater impact on it in Bowie County more than Anne Farris.

Her dedication to the students and teachers and her untiring efforts on behalf of education will leave a legacy that will endure for generations to come.

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29

Lone Star Steel

Only a shell remains of local industrial giant

N

Story & photos by

TONI WALKER

estled in the Piney Woods, on Lone Star Lake, sits what remains of an industrial giant. United States Steel, formerly Lone Star Steel, was once the center of industry in Lone Star, Texas.

To say that Lone Star Steel was the center of industry in Lone Star is an understatement, as many reports state that the community did not develop until the 1930s, when Dallas-based Lone Star Steel established a steel mill. The plant was expanded to 600 acres during World War II. In 1943, Lone Star Steel used government defense-plant money coupled with private capital to build a blast furnace, coke ovens, and beneficiation plant. All of this was purposed to produce pig iron using limestone from nearby sources and coke made from Oklahoma coal, which was the traditional method for producing pig iron. The steel plant had not been finished by the end of World War II, but production began in 1947. By 1949, Lone Star Steel received a $34 million loan from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to complete the plant. The loan was contingent on the company investing $22 million of its own in the project’s completion.

Plans for the plant included four open hearth furnaces and a mill for producing electric-weld steel pipeline and oil well casing. Ores for the projects were mined from Morris County in the 1950s, and the plant was officially completed in 1953, producing steel ingots and pipe. Steel workers settled in the area, and by the mid 1950s, Lone Star was an incorporated city with a population of 1,131.

As the plant continued to grow and expand their steel making capabilities, the town also continued to grow, reaching a population of 2,006 in 1980. It was during the 80s that plant started facing financial difficulties, mainly due to a slump in the oil and gas industry. Competition from foreign steel suppliers also caused hardship for the plant, as well.

In 1986, 2,000 of the company’s 3,800 employees were laid off in the first downturn for the plant, as well as the area. Despite the layoffs, Lone Star Steel continued producing, and eventually many of those laid off would be rehired as the oil and gas industry began to pick back up.

Although never fully back to its original stature, the plant did continue

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producing throughout the 1980s and 1990s, as well as into the 2000s. In 2007, Lone Star Steel was acquired by United States Steel, based in Pennsylvania. In 2009, the plant underwent more layoff, this time in what the company billed as “a temporary cut” that affected approximately 750 of the 892 union workers. Workers left on the payroll at that time worked day to day, week to week, knowing that at any time, they could be joining their fellow steel workers on the unemployment line. According to releases from the company at the time, “We continue to adjust our work force to keep pace with customer orders.” This meant that if the plant had an influx of orders, then more workers would be called back to the job.

The plant continued the rotating practice of layoffs and call backs through 2016, at which time the company made a definitive decision on the fate of the plant. In January of 2016, nearly 700 employees were let go as the plant continued to face softened market conditions. In March of the same year, a decision was made by United States Steel officials to idle the plant, leaving only a smattering of fire and security crews at the plant.

Today, there are still skeleton crews that operate at United States Steel on a regular basis. The company, although nowhere near the level of the past, still produces pipe and calls back workers as orders warrant. Travelers from Lone Star to Longview still pass the sprawling acreage that once served as the senter of industry in the area and are reminded that with prosperity, the downfall can be far-reaching.

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31

Ken & Niecy Baum Innkeepers fulfill B & B dreams

Photo by KEN BAUM

W

Photo by LYNDA STRINGER Ken and Niecy Baum, owners of The Holman House.

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By

LYNDA STRINGER

hen Ken and Niecy Baum bought The Holman House Bed & Breakfast in 2017, they were leaving behind the corporate world and big city living to start a new chapter in their lives.

“We were enamored with the house, but we fell in love with the people here,” Niecy Baum said of the small Camp County town that has embraced them as the new innkeepers of the historic John M. Holman House.

From the moment their realtor opened the doors of the 1913 Colonial in historic downtown Pittsburg, Niecy Baum knew this was where they would pursue their dream of running a bed and breakfast. She fell in love with its original architectural features such as the formal living and dining rooms, the original floors and staircase made of original growth pine, and the beautiful pocket doors.

“The inner workings are all still original and they work,” she said. “The house has gone through several remodels with different owners and the things we’ve had to repair is mostly

the new stuff. It’s a very solid built house.”

John Holman was cutting edge for the era and built the house with electricity and plumbing.

“Electricity had just come to town. Edison had just patented the knob and tube wiring when John Holman put it in, and you can still see (examples of) the original wiring upstairs,” Niecy Baum said.

The family’s history, elements of the original home and the history of its previous owners are chronicled on the hallway wall on the second floor as a testament to its past.

“The Holman family was an integral part of Pittsburg. They built an amazing house and made a huge contribution to the city,” she said.

On the Holman House website, the couple describes the essence of their business. “We love people and take great joy in our guests.

Cooking and serving the first meal of the day to those who come into our home is how we can express the grace that fills our lives. We love laughter and helping people laugh.”

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They also warn people they’ll hear a corny joke or two around the communal breakfast table in the dining room, but also expect a mouthwatering meal. Ken Baum is the chef, and he takes pride in the menu and the high-quality, locally-sourced ingredients.

“One of the signature things we do is source our food locally whenever we can,” he said. “We get our eggs from Mike Laing who has free-range chickens and the richness of the yoke is so wonderful.

They also add imported coffee beans into the lineup.

“We get our coffee from the Daily Grind Coffee Shop near the hospital and they import their coffee from all over the world. We do a French press and grind it fresh that morning. It’s an entirely unique experience, and people enjoy that more.”

He also shared the secret for his specialty waffles.

“The secret is carbonated water. It makes a fluffier Belgian waffle. The waffles are huge and light and take the syrup right away,” he said.

The breakfast is made to order, and Niecy Baum described it is as not gourmet, but rather “down-home, hearty and relaxed while offering something unique and different.”

“My wife and I work on the breakfast together. It’s like an orchestra. We just know each other and I love that,” Ken Baum said. “Then we get the opportunity to come out holding our coffee cups and have conversations and get to know the guests a little bit. That’s probably been the most fun part.”

Sometimes the conversation turns to bumps in the night and the stories the home’s haunted past.

During a recent tour of the B&B, the couple shared their passion for discovering and displaying the home’s rich history, the legacy of its namesake, and dispelled a few of the tall tales of ghostly guests.

“It’s an old house that makes a lot of noise, so I suppose it’s as haunted as you want it to be,” Niecy Baum said.

The rooms and suites are named honoring the original family members

John M. Holman, Sue “Sudie” Holman, and their daughters, the oldest Christine, and Mary, who died at age 12 a year before they built the home, and never lived in the house.

“Their pictures are on the wall for a reason. We feel so connected to them, and the Holman family appreciates that we respect their family legacy and they like what we’re trying to do here.”

The Baums admit that they have experienced some unexplained activity on the second floor, and they shared a few of their favorites.

“The soothers on the bedside tables, when you click the power button, it comes on to the babbling brook every time, and to get to the birds, you have to select the birds setting,” Niecy Baum recalled. “One night I heard a noise. I’m a light sleeper, so I got up, and all of the soothers in all of the rooms were going off on the birds.”

“There’s no way to turn it on and have it go to the birds,” Ken Baum said.

They also shared that the brand-new fire alarms he’d installed turned on and off on their own.

“We’d had the Peach Queen pictures taken here, and people were in the house. I had come upstairs to turn off the lights, and the alarm went off, and as I walked into the John room, it stopped. I walked back out, and it started again. It was nothing sinister. Just kind of playing with you,” Niecy Baum said.

But, as far as the tales of apparitions, they’ve seen no such thing.

“This house is warm and inviting, not scary. It’s just stuff that you raise an eyebrow at,” she said.

“Some people stay here that are sensitive (to the spiritual world) and feel they can connect and we welcome that,” Ken Baum said. “But, everybody that has stayed here has told us they get nothing here that’s threatening. It’s about love. That may be a little corny, but it’s true.”

The couple enjoys its guests, seen and unseen, and opens wide its doors for local events, family holidays and travelers around the world to share in the rich and colorful history the home has to offer.

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MAY 2018

33

Summer tastes sweeter with

Efurd peaches

Photos by

LYNDA STRINGER By

LYNDA STRINGER

It’s about that time again.

Time to savor the sweet, juicy peaches that will be in season from mid-May to September when Efurd Orchards kicks into high gear for the summer.

O

wners Greg and Amy Efurd opened the authentic roadside farmers market in Camp County for its 46th season in midApril, a few weeks later than usual due to a March hailstorm that devastated the initial strawberry crop.

They had enough of the unmarred fruit to stock the shed, but the strawberry patches needed about 10 more days to produce enough for people to pick their own, one of the highlights of the operation.

Efurd’s also offers pick-your-own blackberries by late May or early June.

Of course, the peach is queen at the Efurd farm that’s been in business since John Efurd, the late

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family patriarch, opened the original dirt floor shed in 1972. Efurd, who died in June of 2016, built the current location three miles south of Pittsburg in 1975 when U.S. Highway 271 was first built.

Besides the famous fruit known to peach lovers from all over East Texas and around the nation, the shed has a draw for other reasons.

“It’s the hospitality, the oldtimey look. There are less and less of these places around, so it’s a destination place,” said Amy Efurd.

“Grandparents want to show their grandkids that peaches don’t come from a Del Monte can. You can sit on the porch out here and chat, look at the pond and relax.”

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Photo by There’s also something fun, quirky and fascinating about the old tractors parked around the property. There’s even one sitting right in the middle of the pond.

“They like to come and walk all over the place. There are old antiques and toys. The kids like to look at the ducks on the pond, and the men don’t mind shopping with their wives when they can look at old tractors and farm junk,” Amy Efurd said.

Greg Efurd said it’s the way it was nearly a half century ago.

“You don’t see this much anymore, the plows and horse-drawn equipment sitting around and hanging up under the shed. The grandpas will say, ‘I used to use that when I was a kid.’ So, they get to reminisce and bring back the olden days. We’d love to be in air conditioning, but we won’t ever be able to because everybody likes to go to the farmers market the way it used to be.”

People young and old also come for the to-die-for homemade ice cream.

There’s traditional vanilla and chocolate, swirled to a peak of creamy perfection.

The fresh fruit flavors of strawberry, peach, blackberry, and blueberry pop in as each crop ripens and you’ll find unique flavors like cantaloupe and sweet potato.

Besides their signature fruits, the Efurds fill the shed with canned jellies, jams, salsas, and honey, pottery, unique finds from Canton, and an array of plants. You’ll also find potatoes, onions, and peppers from the Efurd gardens, plus bushels and baskets of produce sourced from other local farms.

“The majority of produce we sell, if we can’t get it right here, it’s within a 100-mile radius of this farm. We consider all that local. It comes from Canton, from Princeton and McKinney and around Mineola,” Greg Efurd said.

Amy Efurd gives the credit to God for the operation’s success.

“Sometimes it’s overwhelming to know that we’ve created something that everybody enjoys. You get scared sometimes because you think, ‘What if we don’t have a good crop one year, but we’re humble. It’s nothing that we’ve done. It’s the Lord. Farming is tough, but he’s been good to us, and he’s gotten us through.”

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The third generation of Efurds, Brantly, Courtlyn, and Reagan, are all Texas A&M graduates and are involved with the business in one way or another, with Brantly Efurd working with his parents fulltime now. Like his father, who was 10 when the roadside market began all those years ago, it’s in his blood.

“I don’t know what life is like without being in the business,” Brantly Efurd said. “There’s a sense of pride knowing that your Grandpa started it and your Dad kept it going and maybe one of these days, I’ll have it. It’s a legacy.”

Someday you might even see fruit wines on the shelves. It’s something that Brantly Efurd has been dabbling in and sharing with friends.

“I wouldn’t want a winery, but I’d like to do private label wines,” he said.

He and his sisters are also diversifying the family legacy by helping their parents build and operate a new wedding and event venue across the pond from the peach shed.

“We’d been thinking for a long time that something needed to be over there. As venues and event places became more popular, we just decided to build it,” Amy Efurd said.

“We have a daughter that might be interested in the wedding business, so this would help diversify and help everybody have an income,” Greg Efurd said.

The 10,000 square-foot facility will feature rustic “Efurd-style” decorations on one side of the space, more traditional, elegant decor on the other, and a balcony and a staircase in the future.

The full vision Amy Efurd has for the venue is still two years from being realized, but people are already clamoring to rent the building. The Efurds said they would start booking it in the fall of 2018 with a grand opening or a reception planned for possibly November.

In the meantime, the farmers market demands their attention as the spring and summer season heats up.

“We’ve lived a good life out of that peach shed,” Amy Efurd said.

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MAY 2018

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MAY 2018

37

Northeast Texas Trail Take a stroll on this diamond in the rough and see the beauty of Northeast Texas By

KENNY MITCHELL

Tracing through seven counties and over 130 miles across Northeast Texas lies a diamond in the rough that could one day be a beacon for tourism and commerce.

T

he Northeast Texas Trail stretches from Farmersville in Collin County to New Boston in Bowie County, and once it is completed, will be the longest hike and bike trail in the State of Texas. It is also set for equestrian use and has already been featured on television, with a feature on RFD-TV’s The Best of America by Horseback. The show featured a more than 20 mile stretch of the trail from New Boston to Avery.

The trail is home to some of the most beautiful countryside anywhere as it winds its way through Northeast Texas, crossing the Sulphur River at one point and several crossings over Kickapoo Creek. Along the trail are over 100 rail bridges with many of them already restored.

Many sections of the trail have been enhanced since its inception with notable upgrades in Bowie County, Red River County and Lamar County.

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There is even a stretch of close to 20 miles that has been developed with an all-weather surface.

The most notable upgrades come in the Paris area, where the Trail de Paris offers more than 10 miles of covered surface.

In Red River County, there is now a hostel/bunkhouse in Avery. The Avery VFD needed to expand to house some new trucks, and in doing so, decided to make room for a place for trail users to stay the night. The bunkhouse is available to trail riders on a donation basis. The hostel was built and furnished through a private, anonymous grant of $5,000 along with other private donations. Another company donated the design work and structural steel needed to build the building. The Lennox Foundation, in Clarksville, also approved a total of $10,000 in grants to do the inside of the structure and add on a front porch.

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The bunkhouse comes equipped with beds, a full bath with shower, cooking facilities, and everything else needed for an overnight stay.

Trail users are already taking advantage of the bunkhouse, with a lot of visitors coming in last fall.

In DeKalb, the DeKalb Industrial Park has facilities for overnight stays with an emphasis on equestrian trail users.

From DeKalb to New Boston, the trail is benefitting from the completion of the Hwy 82 expansion project and the City of New Boston has completed several miles of paved surface that ends at T&P Trail Head Park, with the trail to now end adjacent to the soon to open 3 Bostons Museum and Visitors Center.

Since it’s birth, many have made the trek from one end to the other.

Dallas resident Tracy Curry was one of the first, making the 130 mile hike back in 2013 when many parts of the trail were still undeveloped.

Curry stated, ““I like the idea of a natural surface that reminds you that this was once an active railroad instead of a sidewalk or paved road. Other parts of the trail where it has not been touched in several years were harder to get through because of overgrowth, but made me anticipate a ghost train coming up behind me any second. Several of these towns grew up around the track because of the economic boom it brought to the area and I like to think that now that there is a plan to open this trail up from end to end for Biking, Hiking and Equine use these areas will start to boom again. But this time instead of moving cotton, tomato, onions and other products through this area it will bring tourism.”

And tourism is the hope for the organizers of the trail.

Many of the towns and communities along the trail are in need of an

economic boost. Along with the benefit of providing a place for recreation and relaxation, the Northeast Texas Trail is also expected to bring that boost.

An Outdoor Industry Foundation study found that Americans spend more than $730 billion annually on outdoor recreation. A huge chunk of that comes from bicycling, trail activities, camping and wildlife viewing.

It stands to reason that people using the NETT will need places to rest, like the bunkhouse in Avery, and will need supplies. Those will be bought in the communities along the trail, providing that much needed economic boost.

For instance, at the Great Allegheny Passage, a 141-mile system of biking and hiking trails through Maryland and Pennsylvania, over $40 million in revenue for local communities along the trail was attributed directly to trail users.

Many other trails across the country see similar numbers.

Trail tourism is becoming one of the new trends for “staycations” that are outside the norm. Trail supporters hope to one day make the Northeast Texas Trail a place that people choose to spend their time away from the grind and for it to become one of the trails known around the country as a great place to get away from it all.

This is not out of the realm of possibility say organizers.

The Northeast Texas Trail is becoming a diamond in the rough and a home away from home for many in Texas and hopefully will be that for people all across the country soon. It is a picturesque view of life in Northeast Texas and a place where hikers, bikers, equestrians and communities can all come together to share the beauty and serenity of this place we call home.

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Historical Cass County Courthouse

Story & photos by

T

he crowning jewel of downtown Linden, Texas is the historic Cass County Courthouse that is the oldest working courthouse in Texas and the sole surviving antebellum style courthouse in Texas.

“Courthouses are important cornerstones to vibrant downtowns and having the oldest working courthouse gives us a unique attraction,” said Linden Main Street Manager Allie Anderson.

Construction first began on the courthouse in 1853 as a two story wooden structure with four rooms on the second floor and the courtroom located on the first floor.

Local historians believe that the wood was sourced from a local forest and then was hauled by ox to a saw mill located close to downtown where the lumber was processed.

It was in 1861 when the courthouse became a brick structure with locally fired bricks, the previous wooden structure was disposed of.

To pay for the construction of the brick courthouse the county levied a special tax in 1861 of 12.5 cents for every hundred dollar value of property.

The brick courthouse was modeled after the Harrison County courthouse and the architect used the Greek revival style which was also called ‘Little Virginia Courthouse’.

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MAY 2018

BEN WOODS

There were eight large fireplaces in its brick construction to provide heat.

Several restorations and modification were made to the courthouse in 1905, 1917, 1918 and 1934.

During the many restorations and modifications wings were added to the courthouse along with a third story and clay tile roof.

In 1933, the courthouse experienced a terrible fire that burned almost all of the wooden trusses, but the brick held strong and the courthouse was rebuilt in the following years.

This fire happened before the construction of the historical water tower and they had a bucket brigade to try and extinguish the fire.

The most recent restoration was paid for by the Texas Historical Commission with a preservation grant along with two generous donors who were Don Henley and William Hines.

The grant was received in 2008, but the current restoration wasn’t completed until 2012.

The courthouse has the Cass County Clerk’s office and is also used on occasion for court. This is why it has been dubbed ‘the oldest working courthouse in Texas’.

“It is very unique working in a historical courthouse,” said Cass County Clerk Amy Varnell.

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41

Jason O. Bean, president of Little Pine Friends of Daingerfield State Park, is seen with Park superintendent Steve Killian at a recent workday where the Friends group assisted rangers and volunteers at the park.

Friends group works to enhance park experience Story & photos by

T

he Daingerfield State Park offers a plethora of activities and opportunities for visitors. To make sure the park runs smoothly, there is a staff of dedicated rangers who are on site for all major events.

But rangers can only do so much. Being a state entity, there are some things that the park and its employees cannot do, like accept monetary donations or certain events outside of the park. This is where the park needs assistance from its “friends”.

In August of 2017, Jason Bean and other volunteers at the park began the idea of starting a Friends of Daingerfield State Park group. By September it was fully organized as “Little Pine Friends of Daingerfield State Park.” The group meets monthly to plan, organize, and prepare for events within the park.

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TONI WALKER

“There are many things that the park cannot do,” said Bean, who serves as the group’s president. “The Friends group helps with that.”

All members of the group are volunteers who want to give back to the park.

The Friends group helps with events within in the park, such as the annual Halloween in the Park and Christmas in the Park events, as well as serving in various capacities with other events. Volunteers have helped with clean-up projects, weekly dances, and parking for large events as well. Volunteers also help promote the ark in the community, as they can do several things that the park cannot, such as join the Chambers of Commerce and solicit volunteers.

Bean said that volunteers have two ways of joining the group-either through a monetary payment or a payment of time.

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

“Members can join either by paying yearly dues of $10, or provide 10 verifiable volunteer hours,” said Bean. “Since September, volunteers have logged over 1,000 hours.”

Helping at the park is not the only way volunteers help the park.

According to Bean, many times grants will accept volunteer hours as a match to the grant amount.

“Sometimes, when we apply for a grant,” said Bean, “they will take volunteer hours a match. For example, they may say for a $5,500 grant that we have to offer 100 volunteer hours to match it.”

The Friends group meets monthly for a Dutch oven Cooking group, known as Little Pine D.O.G.s (Dutch Oven Gatherings). That group offers visitors an opportunity to learn about Dutch oven cooking as they prepare and partake in various Dutch oven dishes.

Often times, the park will be approached about groups coming to help volunteer, such a RAI. Friends group volunteers, as well as park rangers, will assists groups who wish to volunteer. The RAI group worked along-side Friends members and staff to clear the damn on the back side of Little Pine Lake.

Other groups have come to the park and assisted the Friends group as they cleared the CCC Island last fall.

Events inside the park are not the limit to the reach of the Little Pine Friends of Daingerfield State Park.

“Any local school that wants us to come, we can come and do lessons for the students,” said Bean. “Or they can come to the park if they want to schedule a field trip and we can do classes for them here.”

The group currently has approximately 20 volunteers headed into the busy summer months at the park. Anyone interested in learning more about volunteering can visit the Little Pine Friends of Daingerfield State Park group page on Facebook.

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