Issuu

C NETX

ROSSROADS MAGAZINE

Friday Night Lights

Country Music Hall of Fame

Highlights from around Northeast Texas pages 20-24

Reeling in guests from around the globe page 8

Andrea Lee

fulfills “knockout” career page 14

David Masterson brings a big splash of color to Center page 30

... and more!

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2018

About the Cover

NOVEMBER 2018

Northeast Texas high school bands, drill teams, cheerleaders and mascots turn on their Friday Night Lights. Photo by TRACY FARR

S D A O R S S RO ts ight Ligh

CONTENTS

NETX

MAGAZIN

nd FridayigN om arou hlights fr as H

st Tex Northea pages 20-24

Music Country ame Hall of Fests from

Lauren Burge shoots her way to national title

gu Reeling in globe e around th page 8

ea Lreeeer Andkrou t” ca

fulfills “k

son id Mspalasshteofrcolor Dav g bi gs a brin r page 30 to Cente

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page 14

re! ... and mo

Phillips Saw Mill makes history

Drew Smithers

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tracy Farr Mike Elswick Tim Emmons Christy Green Kenny Mitchell Miranda Oglesby Heather Russell Wilson Toni Walker Ben Woods

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NOVEMBER 2018

Local prodigy shoots her way to national title

Story & photos by

auren Burge is not your typical high school teenager. Sure, she’s active in school activities, loves to hang out with her friends, go shopping with her mother; but there’s another side to Lauren in a story just begging to be told. Lauren is a skeet shooter who recently attended the 2018 National Skeet Shooting Association’s World Skeet Championships in San Antonio and shot her way to being named the 2018 NSSA Ladies High Overall Runner-Up World Skeet Champion. Not only that, but she was also named NSSA’s U.S. Open Runner-Up Mini World Skeet Champion and U.S. Open Ladies HOA Mini World Skeet Champion. In other words, that girl can shoot. I talked to Lauren earlier in the year when she was the reigning 2017 National Skeet Shooting Association’s (NSSA) Lady High Overall Champion, and she described how it felt to be recognized as a crack shot at such a young age: “I was speechless,” said Lauren about winning the event last year in San Antonio. “I was standing on this three-step podium in front of all these people, and it brought tears to my eyes.” “When your 15-year-old little girl wins a world title, [we were in] a 4

NOVEMBER 2018

TRACY FARR state of euphoria that my wife and I really can’t explain,” said her father Chuck Burge. “When we drove back from San Antonio, we were bumping knuckles all the way back to Mount Pleasant.” The NSSA championships happen every October, but Lauren’s story begins seven years ago, when she was just 9 years old and a fourth grader at Chapel Hill Elementary School in Mount Pleasant, Texas. “We used to have birthday parties out here, and so all the guys went out and shot,” she said. “My dad asked me once [if I wanted to try it], and I got out there and was beating those boys. I just fell in love with it.” That’s when he bought for her an “over and under” shotgun. “I was speechless,” she said. “We had a couple of local people here in town give me some tips here and there. I just went to the local gun range and started putting two and two together.” It didn’t take much coaxing for Lauren to get involved with shooting sports through Titus County’s 4-H group. “There was a group of kids that I joined, and we went to little shoots that had sporting clays here, skeet here, trap here – I mean all different kinds of events. And so I was shooting better at skeet than I was shooting at anything else, so I said, ‘Hey let’s find a way to shoot NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

skeet without just shooting 75 shots and leaving.’ I wanted to shoot more, and I wanted to get better at skeet.” To that end, the Burges built in their backyard a regulation skeet field for Lauren, and she typical shoots 150 to 200 targets per day, five days a week. “Seven years ago when we walked on our first skeet field, I didn’t know what happened out here,” said Chuck Burge. “We had no idea,” Lauren agreed. “My wife and I decided two years ago that we were going to take it to the next step,” Chuck said. “And when we decided that, we bought her the best gun, and we hired a man to build this field. Where do you draw the line for your kids?” Recently, Lauren has won a place on the 2018 NSSA Krieghoff All-American Ladies Team, the 2018 NSSA Krieghoff

All-American Junior Team, and has been named the Texas All State Ladies Team Captain for 2018. “At least 90 percent of this game is mental,” said Chuck, who took up the sport at the same time his daughter did, and also competes alongside her. “If you want to hit your target every time, two things must exist: You must love the sport and you must love your gun. The gun must fit you like a glove.” In 2017, when Lauren took Lady High Overall, Chuck won in his 28-gauge class. “The NSSA thinks that’s the first time for a father and daughter to ever podium at the same time,” he said. “[This sport] is like nothing you can ever imagine,” said Lauren. “Once you get so involved in it, it’s just like pure love for the sport, and it’s

Lauren stands in front of the many trophies and awards she has won so far in her shooting career.

uplifting – as something you can love so much and have so much fun at.” “I think also it’s a piece of freedom that we get to come out here and shoot,” said Chuck. “It’s a release. It’s fun.” “It’s a place you can go to get away from everybody and

everything,” Lauren agreed. “If you have a bad day at work, you come out here and shoot; if you have a stressful day at school, it’s always comforting to know that you have somewhere to go and can do something that you can have fun and enjoy.”

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NOVEMBER 2018

A BURNING PASSION to serve By

CHRISTY GREEN

In life,

you don’t choose your passions, your passions choose you. At a very young age Atlanta native, James Ragsdale’s passion did choose him, and he knew he wanted to be a fireman. “It gets in your blood and stays there,” he said.”Kind of like a little kid and a fire truck.” Ragsdale was born Sept. 10, 1946, at Brooks Hospital in Atlanta and amazingly, he was born one of a second set of twins. When Ragsdale was around 15 years old, his mom had a Dairy Queen ice cream shop, and after school he spent a lot of time there helping her. Her shop was located next door to where the Atlanta Fire Station was during those days. “I would always see the fire trucks going by, so I started going next door along with several other boys,” said Ragsdale. “Dan Davidson was fire chief at that time, and he let us be a part of what was then called the Junior Fire Department.” Uncle Sam later made his call to Ragsdale, and he was drafted into the United States Navy for four years. He served with five of his fellow young fire volunteers. Upon his return from serving his country in 1971, he married the love of his life, Judy, and they have been married for 47 years and still going strong. She has also dedicated her life to giving and helping others in need. The year 1971 marked the beginning of a life-long career of his childhood passion, once again, he was a fireman. He retired as Battalion Chief with the Texarkana Texas Fire Department in 2013 after 43 years of service. 6

NOVEMBER 2018

What matters most is how well you walk through the fire — Charles Bukowski

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

“The worst fire I can remember would have to be at a paper processing plant in Texarkana,” Ragsdale shared. “There was six million pounds of paper on fire. We had an engine on site for 10 days pumping water. When you have 2,000-pound rolls of paper in stacks, it’s hard to put out.” He also retired from the Atlanta Volunteer Fire Department in 2008 after serving 37 years. He is currently a volunteer for Cass County E.S.D. #2 in Queen City and has been with them for over 10 years. He had a chance to pass on his knowledge to those who shared his passion and has spent 30 years as an instructor at the Texas Municipal Fire School held at Texas A&M University one week of each summer, where he was once a student. He recently received a coin honoring his service. Training is held in a three-story building, simulating an apartment complex. “Most students that come through this project live in towns where there are only one story houses,” said Ragsdale. He said they are taught Multiple Hand-Line Advancement, which is running two lines at one time, going to separate floors in temperatures close to 700 degrees with a building full of smoke. “We show them something we call evolution,” he said. “We begin outside the building putting on gear, then how to advance the fire hose into a building, up stairs, putting a fire out, and then extracting the hose back out of the building as a team. Ragsdale not only reaches out to his own community, church and family, whom he dearly loves, but his reach extends past our state and even our country’s borders. There are two words that can describe the behavior of such a man, selfless dedication. He is part of the Southern Baptist Texas Convention and a disaster unit that is part of his church at Westside Baptist Church. He and several other local men recently got back from a 12-day relief effort in Morehead City, N.C. lending a helping hand to those in need after the devastating effects of hurricane Florence. “We were the only technical rigging chainsaw unit there,” he said. “We did about 22 jobs, most of them each taking half a day. We removed and cut up large trees that were down on houses and vehicles, while trying to prevent any further damage. There was a moment that he shared with his wife and his church that really touched his heart while in North Carolina. Ragsdale had just helped to remove a tree from a woman’s house. She came toward him to embrace him and he warned her that he was dirty and dripping with sweat, but that made no difference in the world to this woman. She embraced him tightly and it melted his heart to see such gratitude. Westside Baptist Church has also founded churches in Mexico, and Ragsdale goes on mission trips delivering furniture, food and other items. “He is awesome,” said his wife Judy. “He has been a wonderful husband and father, and I’m real proud that he is doing the Lords work. He’s a fine Christian man and a very hard worker. God has blessed him with good health, and is driven and energetic, and at the age of 72, and can work circles around a lot of people in their 30s or 40s.” Judy also said that her husband is happy when he is busy, and said he was nervous about retiring because he was afraid he couldn’t NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

COURTESY PHOTO

James Ragsdale has dedicated his whole life to being a fireman. Even after retirement, he still volunteers for Cass County E.S.D. #2 in Queen City and devotes all of his extra time to helping others. find enough to do, now he has found way too much to do. As a fireman, Judy said he gets so focused during a fire or accident that he doesn’t focus on faces or names, but his mission. “Later, he would find out on certain occasions that it was someone he knew and he didn’t even realize it at the time,” Judy said. “And if anybody had to climb out of a window, or jump off of a rooftop in an actual fire, he would be the first one in line to do it.” With him spending so much time at the fire station throughout the years, there was a rule Ragsdale brought home, the cook never washes dishes. “He washes dishes after every meal,” said Judy. He and his wife were both Atlanta High School graduates. In 1974, they had a daughter, Jamie. Now they have two granddaughters and two great-granddaughters. According to Judy, he’s a real family man and loves his daughter and granddaughters deeply. “Words are not adequate to describe how great I think he is,” she added. NOVEMBER 2018

Carthage venue a mecca for fans of country music Texas Country Music Hall of Fame/Tex Ritter Museum keep reeling in guests from around the globe

PHOTO BY MIKE ELSWICK

MIKE ELSWICK

They come from every state in the union and dozens of foreign countries all focused on their common interest of tuning into country music, especially that with a distinctly Texas connection. The Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in Carthage showcases the pivotal roles the state and Texans have played in the evolution of the genre. 8

NOVEMBER 2018

PHOTO BY MIKE ELSWICK

While exhibits may touch on movie roles and other entertainment areas, the focus of the Carthage venue is on Texas Country Music and the people who have carried the torch to make it a mainstay of the recording industry. NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

WHERE TO SHOP

For Every Occasion PHOTOS BY MIKE ELSWICK

Memorabilia of Tex Ritter, recording artist and star of movies and Broadway, occupy about a fourth of the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame and Texas Ritter Muesum.

The venue could be located in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Grapevine, or one of any number of other large Texas cities, but the passion that created the showcase continues today through Texâ€™s cousin Tommie Ritter Smith. She is the mastermind behind the idea which initially created the Tex Ritter Museum as a tribute to Tex, his Panola County roots and the impact he had not only in the world of music but in glamorizing the role of the cowboy in movies. The museum depicts the story of Texâ€™s life from rural farm boy in Panola County to popular music icon and includes many collections of his cowboy tunes as well as his work on Broadway, radio and in the movies, Smith said. In the early 1990s the museum was founded in upstairs space at the Panola County Chamber of Commerce and its offices in a classic antebellum home. While paying homage to Tex Ritter and his legacy was the impetus for the museum, the idea grew and grew, she said. NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

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Willie Nelson

Bob Wills

“We average about 5,000 visitors a year,” Tommie Ritter Smith said. “They’ve come from all 50 states and more than 60 countries.” Among visitors to the venue was Patricia Dufur from Missouri. “We enjoyed our visit here very much,” Dufur said. “We went specifically because of the Tex Ritter connection but there was plenty of other music memorabilia to hold our interest.” While a visit might not be for everyone, she said it hit a cord with her group. “I doubt if this would keep little ones entertained but if you like old time country music you are going to love this place,” Durfur said. Many of those visitors are part of bus tour groups big and small, Smith said. “Just in September we had guests from 15 states plus Holland and Australia,” she said. In 1997 the museum expanded to include other country music legends with Texas roots and the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame was born. City leaders got on board with the idea and Carthage built a 13,000-square-foot, $2.2 million facility which opened in 2002.

NOVEMBER 2018

Dale Evans

Jimmy Dean

While Tex Ritter exhibits comprise about one-quarter of the museum, other greats from the world of country music are also featured, she said. Buck Owens, George Jones, the Gatlin Brothers and Jim Reeves. “We’ve been really blessed in that we have not had to pay for any of the items used in our exhibits,” Smith said. “When they see the quality of our facilities with temperature and humidity controls and security we have in place they are always willing to loan us memorabilia.” Each August the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame hosts an induction ceremony with the next one set for Aug. 10, 2019, Smith said. “We won’t name the inductees until after the first of the year and tickets for the induction should go on sale in March,” she said. An important part of the weekend is the John Ritter Tribute Showcase featuring young, up and coming talents. John Ritter is the son of Tex Ritter who has gained fame in the entertainment industry, including the long-running role of Jack Tripper on the comedy television show “Three’s Company.” Past recipients of the induction ceremony make up not only a who’s who in Texas country music, but also country music as a whole. Willie Nelson, Clint Black, Kenny Rogers, Tanya Tucker, Ray Price, Dale Evans, Waylon Jennings and Neal McCoy are among past inductees.

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

John Ritter

Linda Davis

Ray Price

Another Panola County talent, Linda Davis, is also among those. Smith said Davis fans are in for a special treat on Nov. 17 when Davis joins with Hillary Scott and The Scott Family perform “A Scott Family Thanksgiving.” The musical family includes Davis’ husband Lang Scott, and daughter, Hillary Scott, who will be performing in a dinner theater setting at the Hall of Fame. Hillary Scott is the lead singer for the popular group Lady Antebellum and is a seven time Grammy Award winner. Tickets for the dinner theater type event are $40 with only 200 seats available, Smith said. “We expect to sell out,” she said. “They’ll be singing songs from their Grammy Award winning album ‘Love Remains.’” Fellow country music standout Kenny Rogers teamed up with Davis

Tex Ritter

on a tour several years ago and called her among tops in the industry. “Linda Davis is absolutely one of the best singers in the business,” Rogers was quoted. “In this business, there are people who can sing and there are singers. She is the best.” Smith said showcasing talent like that keeps drawing visitors to Carthage, the Panola County seat with a population of about 6,800. In 2019 in addition to hosting the annual induction ceremony in August, she said plans included ramping up marketing efforts in major metro markets like Dallas and Houston to draw even more visitors. “Every year we update about a fourth of our exhibits and rotate things around,” she said. Among the latest exhibits tapped for revamping is the one dedicated to The Gatlin Brothers, Smith said.

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NOVEMBER 2018

For the love of the game New Boston native living her dreams on the sidelines covering pro sports By

HEATHER WILSON

ew Boston, Texas native Malori Carlow was a high school cheerleader in a football town - a far cry from what you would expect when you think of an NBA sideline reporter. However, Malori is doing just that and loving it. Born and raised in New Boston, Malori always had a knack for public speaking and performing. She excelled in One Act Play, landing the lead role all four years of high school, and competing in pageants. Unsure of the path she wanted to take after graduation, Malori listened to the urging of then New Boston Athletic Director Buddy Ray, who encouraged her to major in communications, and become a sideline sports reporter. Malori took Coach Ray’s advice and continued her education at the University of Texas - Tyler, where she majored in communications and was on the college dance team, until the discovery of a rare heart condition sidelined her - literally. “I was always tired after practice, and my feet started turning purple,” Malori remembered. “At first I thought I just wasn’t stretching well, or that I had pulled something, but finally after many, many doctors appointments, they found what they thought was a tumor where my inferior vena cava should be. It turned out there was no tumor, just no inferior vena cava at all. I am literally the 1% - there’s no one else like me that they know of.” Facing the end of a life-long dance career, Malori was unsure of what the future would hold for her when she was approached by the school’s social media team and asked if she would be interested in conducting some sideline interviews for the college’s sports teams. “They knew that I wanted to become a sports reporter, and they knew I would need some experience,” she recalled. “It came at a good time. I had just found out I was going to have some limitations because of my heart condition and the opportunity to report for the college opened a lot of new doors.” It was during her time reporting for college sports that she realized her love for all things basketball. “Basketball is my thing,” Malori said. “Growing up in a football town, basketball gets pushed to the side, so in high school I didn’t really like it. But when I got to college, they didn’t have a football team, so basketball was our main sport, and the sport we danced for. I loved the pace of the game and the atmosphere, and started watching it on TV a lot - now I am 12

NOVEMBER 2018

hooked.”

COURTESY PHOTO NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

COURTESY PHOTO Carlow plies her trade interviewing former Dallas Mavericks player Kyle Collinsworth.

Malori graduated from UT-Tyler in 2017 with a BS in speech communication, sports communication, and psychology, with clear and specific goals. She reached out to a friend through social media who had been reporting for a large, well-known media outlet in the Dallas area. A couple of phone calls and meetings later, Malori was living her dream and working as a sideline reporter for Dallas Sports Fanatics, covering the Texas Legends and the Dallas Mavericks. She also recently accepted a position with D210 Sports. “People like Michael Lark, who owns Dallas Sports Fanatic and Vernon Hadnot, owner of D210 sports have shown me so much support,” said Malori. “And Kristen Ledlow (sports broadcaster for NBA-TV/TNT) is my friend and mentor - I couldn’t do this without them.” And while Malori gives credit where credit is due, she credits her upbringing and background as being crucial to her success as well. “Growing up in pageants I for sure had to learn communication skills, interview skills, and talking in front of large amounts of people,” she said. “Everything I have done has built up and made me good at what I want to do. I’m so grateful for the things my family made me do when I was younger - they definitely helped me out for what I’m doing today.” What’s in the future for Malori Carlow? More of the same, she says, with one very specific goal. “I am a huge Golden State fan and a huge Draymond Green fan,” she gushed. “I haven’t met him yet, but we’ve been in the same area and he waved at me! My goal this season is to work the Mavs/Golden State game and to meet Draymond Green.” A goal, like the others she has set for herself, Malori will surely attain.

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Andrea Lee fulfills “knockout” career

Andrea Lee smiles after winning her UFC debut in Chile. PHOTO BY LEANDRO BERNARDES leandrolb.com

TIM EMMONS

here aren’t many stories out there of boxers or Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters coming from small towns in Texas or even too many with aspirations, but every once in a while life deals you a knockout career of good proportions. Andrea Lee, daughter of Atlanta’s Cheryl Taylor and Kent Lee, was born and raised in Atlanta and graduated from Queen City High School in 2007. After moving to Shreveport, Lee became highly involved in a dream she had always desired. Her dream was to fight inside the Octagon. She began training in Louisiana. Six months into her boxing training she competed for the first time at the Louisiana State Golden Gloves Championships against a four-year 10-fight veteran of the sport. Lee knocked her out in the second round. From that moment on she knew she had found her calling in life. Afterwards she amassed an amateur record of 27-5, not counting Jiu-Jitsu victories, and headed into the pros with an 11-fight win streak. The young fighter posted an undefeated record in Muay Thai (10-0), an 8-3 mark in MMA and a 9-2 mark in boxing. Quite a bit has happened since that time in 2010. She won the 14

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Louisiana State Golden Gloves Championships again, was named Ascend Combat Amateur Flyweight Champion twice, was named IKF World Classic Amateur Muay Thai Champion, Amateur National Golden Gloves Champion, WKA Amateur North American Muay Thai Champion, WKA Amateur North American Kickboxing Champion, Legacy FC Amateur Flyweight Champion in her inaugural fight, TBA Amateur World Open Lightweight Muay Thai Champion, IKF World Classic Amateur Featherweight Muay Thai Champion, North American Grappling Association Bluebelt National and World Champion and LFA Women’s Flyweight Champion in her inaugural fight. After conquering the amateur level, the first-ever Muay Thai triple crown winner, signed a professional contract with the XFC (Xtreme Fighting Championships). Lee fights under the moniker “KGB” because of her resemblance to Russian fighters, but “KGB” is just a nickname for those who wonder why. Lee’s first pro fight lasted just 10 seconds after she threw a left kick and nearly ripped Kim Colbert’s finger off at the “GFA 27: The Stage” in Louisiana. Colbert was attempting to block the kick but instead she swatted at Lee and nearly had her finger amputated. With win #1 under her belt the 25-year-old flyweight’s skill and NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

impressive résumé landed her a contract with Invicta Fighting Championships or Invicta FC. In her second pro fight but first Invicta fight, Lee dominated Shannon Sinn to move her record to 2-0 professionally. In the Invicta FC 10 bout, Lee lost a hard-fought battle to Roxanne Modafferi by split decision. Lee rebounded with a defeat of Rachael Ostovich at Invicta FC 14 via armbar submission with seconds left in the fight. Lee then fought for Legacy FC where she defeated Ariel Beck to become the Legacy FC Flyweight Champion. Lee fought again for Invicta in 2016 where she was choked out by Sarah D’Alelio. Lee returned to Invicta at the beginning of 2017 with a quick knockout victory over Jenny Liou. The following month, she defeated Heather Bassett to become the inaugural LFA women’s flyweight champion. Lee followed up with a decision win over Liz Tracy in Invicta and a successful LFA title defense over Jamie Thorton in her fourth fight of the year. With additions to her already dazzling résumé Lee’s dream quickly turned reality when she was signed to the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship).

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

Atlanta native, Andrea Lee, lands a body blow to Veronica Macedo during her professional UFC debut. Lee won the bout over Macedo. PHOTO BY LEANDRO BERNARDES/leandrolb.com

NOVEMBER 2018

When asked what sets her apart from other fighters, Lee replied, “I believe I am relentless and am very strong mentally, I can’t be broken.” Lee was very relieved to sign a contract with UFC. “My initial reaction was ‘it’s about dang time! Lol’”, Lee said. The former flyweight champion made her UFC, Octagon debut against Veronica Macedo in a 125-pound weight class flyweight bout. The event was in Santiago, Chile May 19 of this year. Lee not only took a decision from Veronica Macedo in her promotional debut, but won $50,000 for “Fight of the Night” honors. With her feet firmly planted on the UFC scene Lee was asked what her next steps would be to achieve. “I’d like to win the UFC flyweight world championship title. I’d also like to be good enough to someday be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame,” Lee remarked. “My main focus is to make enough money to support my whole family.” Goals can be challenging to achieve but Lee feels she has a great supporting cast around her to make that happen. “I feel like I have accomplished a lot of my goals with the help of my trainers and training partners,” Lee stated. “I can’t do it without them, also my friends and family are huge supporters and I couldn’t do it with them.” Lee’s (9-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) second UFC pro fight is slated for Saturday, Dec. 15, in Milwaukee, Wis., against Jessica-Rose Clark (9-5 MMA, 2-1 UFC) on FOX 31. If you’d like to follow her career you can follow Lee on social media: Twitter - andreaKGBlee, Facebook -Andrea KGB Lee and Instagram – AndreaKGBlee.

NOVEMBER 2018

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A Man of Vision James Henry Russell leaves an indelible mark on the Northeast Texas landscape By

KENNY MITCHELL

n September, the Texarkana College Board of Trustees heard from current college president James Henry Russell, as he announced his plans to resign from his position in January 2019 after more than seven years of service to the college and community. Russell will begin his new job as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer with BWI Companies, Inc. in January 2019. The departure will be offset by the recent hiring of former Pleasant Grove Superintendent Dr. Jason Smith, but Russell’s legacy at the helm of TC will be hard to match. During his time at Texarkana College, Russell is credited with bringing the school back from the brink of failure and restoring it to one of the crown jewels on Northeast Texas. During his tenure, Russell has spearheaded achievements for the school including the expansion of the college district to include all of Bowie County, the inclusion of western Bowe County representatives on the Board of Trustees, the establishment of the Perot Leadership Museum and Classroom in TC Academic Commons Building and the expansion of the Texarkana College at TexAmericas Center Training Site. He has also lead the effort to help students with the Presidential Scholarship Program, the establishment of the TC Honors College, compressed eight week and weekend classes, cost reductions and the institution of a fire training academy and a professional driving academy. Russell stated, “Texarkana College is an institution that my entire family has fallen in love with…the faculty, staff and students have truly become family.” He went on to say, “After much discussion with family, many mentors, friends and church family, I decided that it was time to accept a wonderful opportunity with a company that I highly respect

NOVEMBER 2018

and value and have for my entire life,” Russell said. “I will work hard the next few months with the TC Board of Trustees to ensure that there is a great plan in place to make sure Texarkana College continues to grow and excel beyond what we were able to accomplish together while I was here.” After the announcement, Mike Sandefur, former President of the Board of Trustees told the Tribune, “James Henry Russell is one of the finest men I know. He is a man of honesty and integrity. Working with James Henry at Texarkana College has been one of the highlights of my life. His truth-telling and servant leadership characteristics are rare and tremendously successful. Fortunately, we are keeping him in our community, where he will continue to serve and influence our future.” Texarkana College colleague Donna McDaniel, the college’s VicePresident of Instruction states, “James Henry has shown great vision over the past seven and half years by leading Texarkana College from very tough times in the beginning to a nationally awarded community college. We cannot thank him enough for the vision and leadership he has provided TC. Personally, I have truly been blessed by the support, encouragement and mentorship he has given me. I am not only losing him as a boss, but will miss working with my very dear friend. He is one of the best leaders not only in Texarkana but in the state. I am very proud that he has this awesome opportunity to excel in the private sector. I feel that I can speak for the entire leadership team in saying that we will make it our mission to continue to move Texarkana College forward to ensure he leaves a legacy reflective of his incredible leadership and passion for education. I truly love all things about TC— the people, places and traditions and am praying for God to send us the next great President of Texarkana College.” NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

Russell went on to say that he has great confidence in the faculty and staff at TC to carry out the mission and goals of the College for years to come. “The leadership team is the best group of people I have ever worked with in my entire life,” said Russell. “They are great people who love Texarkana College as much as I do. I have zero doubts in my mind about them taking Texarkana College to much higher levels in the future. They are the ones who run Texarkana College, and I have never been prouder of a group of people or had more faith in a group of people than I do the leaders at Texarkana College. They are amazing leaders.” Russell also took the time to thank the media and and his family for supporting his efforts over the seven plus years he lead the school. “The media has been so good to Texarkana College and has done a wonderful job telling our story,” Russell said. “All media outlets have been so fair and have done a great job covering our news. Also, a huge thank you to the community and our donors. Without you, Texarkana College simply would not be here today. You made some very dark days bright, and I so appreciate your support of Texarkana College and the support you’ve shown me.” As for his family, he stated, “I have to tell my family thank you… the last 7 ½ years have been filled with many late nights, travel, weekend work, events, doctoral classes, and on and on. My wife, Rosemary, is the best person in the world and there is no way I could have lived through the past years without her unwavering and calming support.”

College Awards & Honors • The Leah Meyer Austin Award- National Award for Student Success and Completion • Achieved National Recognition as an Achieving the Dream Leader College • TC Ranked Highest in the State in Student Completion Rates in 2016

James Henry Russell’s Professional Achievements and Awards Since 2011: • Serves as Treasurer for the Texas Association of Community Colleges • 2017 Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society’s Administrator Award • Appointment to Congres-

sional Field Hearing Panel as STEM Expert Witness • Appointed to Texas House Committee on Manufacturing • Regional spokesperson for Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s p-16 Council on 2-yr Postsecondary Education • Received NAACP President’s Award • Named 2012 CE Palmer Award Winner by Texarkana Chamber of Commerce • Recipient of the “2012 Best Community Leader” by Four States Living Magazine Readers • Recognition as President of One of the Top 120 Community Colleges in the Nation by Aspen Institute in 2011

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NOVEMBER 2018

Friday Night

Lights New Boston Lions Photos by Heather Wilson and Sandy Tutt

Center

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Friday Night

Lights

Center

Redwater Dragons

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Friday Night

Lights Hughes Springs Mustangs Photos by Trisha Carey

Daingerfield Tigers Photos by Toni Walker

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Friday Night

Lights Mount Pleasant Tigers Photos by Tracy Farr

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Friday Night

Lights Atlanta Rabbits

Linden Kildare Tigers

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Mount Pleasant preacher celebrates 30 years at church

MIRANDA OGLESBY

r. Tommy Oglesby has

been spreading the gospel for decades, and in October, is celebrating 30 years as the pastor of South Jefferson Baptist Church. The preaching career path was something that came to him as a child. “When I was eleven years old, I began to feel a strong sense of God calling me to be a preacher. I knew I was too young and felt I was surely mistaken. But over a period of months this feeling never went away,” said Oglesby. “On a Sunday night a couple of months before twelfth birthday I walked down the aisle of the church and told my pastor who was my father that I believed God was calling me to be a preacher. In just a couple of months just after my birthday my Dad asked me to preach on a Wednesday evening church service.” After taking advice from his mother, Oglesby preached for that Wednesday evening service, which led to several years of preaching at youth gatherings and speaking in churches as a supply preacher. “My mother said read the Bible until God speaks to your heart and then get up tell people about it,” he said. “To this day that has been some of the best advice I was ever given.” In 1973, Oglesby began attending Louisiana Baptist University in Shreveport, Louisiana. “I often say that I crammed four years into seven,” said Oglesby. “The lack of funds kept me from being able to carry a full load, and thus I was always working in part time jobs as well as serving churches as a youth director during my college years.”

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In 1988, Oglesby was the pastor at Veal Switch Baptist Church near Daingerfield. While there, he traveled to Mount Pleasant several times, and spoke as an evangelist at South Jefferson Baptist Church. “When the pastor at South Jefferson resigned due to his health the church asked me to become pastor. After much prayer my wife, Risa and I felt that God was directing us to Mount Pleasant.” said Oglesby. Now, 30 years later, Oglesby is still bringing the gospel to Mount Pleasant. “I consider being pastor of South Jefferson Baptist Church for these 30 years to be one of the greatest blessings that God could have ever given me,” he said. “My family and I are thankful for this home that God called us to.” Oglesby has been a role model to many members of the church and Mount Pleasant locals, but of course, he has some role models of his own. “As to role models there have been many pastors and evangelists that have encouraged and instructed me; I am very grateful for the blessing they have been to me,” said Oglesby. “However, the role model I think of most often was the great English preacher Charles Spurgeon. I read his autobiography the year after high school and learned two things that encouraged me greatly. One is that he, too, began preaching at an early age and was pastoring at age 17. The other, is that he could not afford to attend college and never had the formal education of most pastors. I never had the opportunity for the education that I felt I needed but I learned from Spurgeon and others that if you study diligently knowledge can be acquired.” NOVEMBER 2018

1968 Tigers

earned their stripes on the field and in the community

TONI WALKER

Daingerfield lore and Tiger pride. It is something that everyone has heard about at some point. Coaches accept jobs here because of the pride and lore that is Daingerfield Tiger football. The 1968 team had to overcome many things before they won the schoolâ€™s first state championship, laying the foundation for the tradition that would follow. Although the Tigers had a tradition for winning (they had been deep into the playoffs each of the previous two seasons), the path to the 1968 state championship was not easy, and had several factors that could have broken the team before they even started. 26

NOVEMBER 2018

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

Prior to the 1968 school year, the Daingerfield-Lone Star integrated with Rhoads High School. Although a handful of Rhodes players made the choice to transfer earlier, that season marked the first time that all athletes from the two schools were on the field together. In an era known for its hostility between races, many in Daingerfield had said that they saw none of that here. “I think there was some apprehension at the beginning, just because it was something new,” said Daingerfield-Lone Star Superintendent Sandra Quarles. “A major factor unifying the student body of the newly combined schools was the 1968 football team.” Quarles was a senior and member or the pep squad during that year. Marc McDaniel was the quarterback of the 1968 team, and reinforced Quarles’ position that integration in Daingerfield was not a divisive factor in the school or on the field. “Our experience with integration was very good,” said McDaniel. “Rhodes had some tremendous leaders, and everyone meshed together really well. We were one student body, one football team, and I think that had a lot to do with the leadership of some of the athletes from Rhodes High School, like Arthur Moore and Eddie White.” Also in 1968, Lone Star Steel workers went on strike that fall. According to Superintendent Quarles, the strike affected every family and every student in some way. Workers were either choosing to cross the picket line and work, or walking the picket line, causing animosity between the two groups. “Although there was some hostility in the community that could have easily spilled over into the schools, causing problems between students, just the opposite happened,” said Quarles. “The unity of the students, and especially the 1968 team, spilled out to the community and on Friday night people put aside their differences and came together to support the Tigers.” The 1968 season started with an unexpected setback as the highly touted Tiger team was defeated in the season opener, 2914, by the Paul Pewitt Brahmas. According to McDaniel, the team’s next game was a turning point in the Tiger’s season. That loss to Pewitt would be the only blemish on the team’s record, as they won the next game for 14 weeks following. “The first game, we lost to a very good Paul Pewitt team. We might have gone into the Pewitt game a little over confident,” said McDaniel. “The win against Atlanta (in the next game) set the pace for the rest of the season.” The team posted 359 points during the regular season, while allowing only 139. In the playoffs, they added another 125 while allowing playoff opponents only 31 total points. But none were bigger than an extra point against Lufkin Dunbar that proved to be the game winner. According to McDaniel, the rain began falling in Nacogdoches at 5 p.m. on Dec. 20, 1968, and continued throughout the game. Mud and water pooled inside both 20 yard lines, making for a “muddy, slippery mess,” said McDaniel. With Lufkin Dunbar leading, 6-0, Daingerfield’s Randy Hood intercepted a pass, giving Daingerfield the ball at the six yard line. Eddie White finished the drive with a touchdown, followed by Larry Duncan’s extra point through the raindrops to give the Blue Tigers the lead, 7-6. NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

PHOTO BY TONI WALKER Ribbons marking each of Daingerfield’s postseason wins in 1968. Much like the ribbon sold prior to the championship game, no win was larger than the one-point win over Lufkin Dunbar to clinch the school’s first state title.

PITTSBURG INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

District Champions

Pittsburg Lady Pirates pose with their District trophy, pictured left to right, Savannah Klobucar, Emily Calderon, Haley Efurd, Jeanay Miles, Sadie Waldrep, Audrey Olmos, Emily Bamburg, and Jayda Miles.

www.PittsburgISD.com NOVEMBER 2018

“I would have to say that Larry Duncan’s extra point was the biggest play of the game,” said McDaniel, “that was the game winner.” McDaniel spoke of how the thrill of the championship stayed with the players, and this past weekend they had an opportunity to rekindle old friendships and camaraderie as the school and community gathered to recognize that historic team. Players, cheerleaders, pep squad members, bandsmen, and the community came out to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of that first Tiger State Championship on Sept. 8, prior to the Daingerfield-Tatum game. Those in attendance at the reunion looked over scrapbook, newspaper clippings, and mementos from that championship season while the championship game played on screen. Organizers of the event honored those teammates who had passed away with a jersey for each displayed on the wall around the video screen showing the game. Mitch Cox introduced each member of the team, and those members in attendance received a 1968 Championship team cap, photo, and disc of pictures made from various scrapbooks. Scheduled to speak was Arthur Moore, who was unable to attend due to health reasons. He did, however send a message to his teammates through McDaniel. “Please let everyone know that I am there in spirit. It is because of all of you, my teammates that doors opened up for me that wasn’t opened to me before we won the state championship” said Moore’s message. “I am eternally grateful to you, Marc, Coach Lane, and all of the guys that were on the team.” Coach Bill Lane, the only surviving coach from the 1968 staff, was also in attendance and spoke to the crowd, as well. Coach Lane became Daingerfield’s head coach in 1964, promising a state championship. After going 1-9 in that first season, Lane’s teams showed progressive improvement, delivering on his promise of a state championship in ’68. After his time at Daingerfield, Lane went on to coach at Angelo State before heading to Baylor in 1972. He retired in 1993. Coach Lane was instrumental in Baylor’s recruiting of numerous Tiger players during the 1980s, including cousins Willie and Thomas Everett. “The only thing that would have kept me from being here is a funeral-mine,” said Lane. “Who says you can’t go home. This is my football home. I sold dreams, dreams of a state championship. These guys bought into it. They did something that had never been done before. Tonight is the best of times and the worst of times, because of those who aren’t here. It is hard to be 85 years old and know that so many of those guys didn’t get anywhere near my age.” The weather forecast called for rain on Sept. 8, and much like that December day in 1968, the rain came hard and heavy midway through the second quarter of the Daingerfield-Tatum tilt. Though the weather stopped the team from being introduced at halftime as planned, the camaraderie that was exhibited during the get-together earlier in the day was evident. Some say the 1983 Tiger team is one of the best ever. But for the past fifty years, Daingerfield has continued to build on the legacy started by Coach Lane, Marc McDaniel, and the rest of the 1968 Championship team, a team that truly earned their stripes, both on and off the field. 28

NOVEMBER 2018

PHOTOS BY TONI WALKER A letterman’s jacket shows the 1968 State Champion patch. The patch signifies the State Title in Class 2A for the Tigers.

The 1968 state Championship trophy took center stage at a reception and reunion honoring the 1968 team on Sept. 8. The trophy was flanked by the words to the school song on the left and a team photo on the right, as the game played on the screen in the background. NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

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Mt. Pleasant ISD NOVEMBER 2018

Artist brings a big

Splash of Color

to downtown Center square

Masterson, w ho has traveled the world, is quic k to stop and visit with guests to his DAVMAR Ga llery in downtown C enter to share storie s ab o u t his adventure s an d his art.

The structure at 132 Nacogdoches Street in Center which served as a bank location for years has been transformed into an art gallery featuring the work of artist David Masterson and others.

World travels, exposure to variety of mediums have shaped award winning artist David Mastersonâ€™s perspective Story & photos by

MIKE ELSWICK

Center artist David Masterson may be a little eccentric, but thatâ€™s fine with him. He also likes his art on a big canvas, as in taking on the task of transforming a drab, long abandoned bank building in downtown Center into an art gallery complete with an example of his talent covering 900 square feet of space on the front of the structure. His DAVMAR Gallery also serves as studio. 30

NOVEMBER 2018

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

The commercial artist has been painting and working in the mediums of sculpture and mixed media along with dabbling in pottery, photography, videography and other art forms all his life. “Painting to me is very personal,” Masterson said. He embraces the challenges of taking on unique projects like the building transformation. “Live painting, or location painting, pushes me to try new things,” he said. Over the summer he renovated an old, long abandoned bank building on the square in downtown Center at the corner of Austin and Nacogdoches Streets into his art gallery. “I wanted to open a gallery here, I used to have a workMasterson addressed the Center City Council late this summer to share his vision of murals and ing space out at an old artwork on more of the city’s buildings to help draw more visitors to the Shelby County seat.

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David Masterson has won numerous honors for his work, including taking the Best in Show Fine Arts Award at the annual Turtle Creek Arts Festival in Dallas earlier in 2018.

church here in town,” Masterson said. “I outgrew the space and a patron approached me to think about joining in to take over the old bank building as a new workspace and gallery.” While he is established at the gallery and studio, the hours can vary widely, from the wee hours of early morning until late at night. “Anytime you see that the lights are on here at the studio, that is when we are open,” he said. “I keep different hours when I am working so sometimes you may see the gallery open late at night.” Davmar Gallery is more than a location for displaying his large canvases, the gallery exterior itself, front and back, offers an expression of Masterson’s artistic vision. With paint brush in hand and scaffolding in place he went to work transforming the front facade of the building into a colorful work of art with a floral motif covering about 900 square feet. The work is reminiscent of the impressionist style of Claude Monet. At Stephen F. Austin State University in nearby Nacogdoches he was an art major while minoring studies in interior design. “I never start out with a plan, but as I go I may think ‘someone may want that for a bathroom’ or other specific area,” he said. Masterson said he likes to keep two or three works in process at all times. “That helps my mind stay free to stop and change gears as necessary.,” he said. “I have a need, a drive, an impulse to paint, to create, to explore color, shade, tint, line and form.” While his gallery and studio is located in his hometown of Center, Masterson in recent months has been invited to participate in shows in Dallas, Frisco and Austin. Shows like Dallas’ Turtle Creek, New Braunfels’ “Fall Into Art” and a juried show at The Domain in Austin.

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Masterson is the recipient of many art awards and accolades including receiving the Best in Show Fine Arts Award at the annual Turtle Creek Arts Festival in Dallas. “I have days when the work continuously pours out of me and it will not stop,” he said. “I come home tired and spent. I paint until I have no more to give the canvas.” But like an author with writer’s block, sometimes the artistic fluid just does not flow. “Other days, I stand in front of a blank canvas, uninspired, only to leave and return another day.” Masterson said. And then, sometimes when he least expects it, inspiration hits him hard. “Bonfires erupt in my imagination, and the urge and drive to have the brush in my hand and a pallet full of paint is overwhelming,” he said. “When I create, I feel great joy and happiness. When I share it with others, and see my paintings bring them joy as well, this is, in part, what it is all about,” he said of his creative process. Masterson said he refuses to be locked into any one style or subject matter. Instead his works may reflect a an outdoor abstract with flowers, a streetscape, a forest setting with sunlight sneaking through the trees and just plain abstracts. Masterson plans to offer both art classes and offer private lessons. The gallery also be the location for local and regional art shows on a quarterly basis as his plans materialize. For more information on artist David Masterson, please visit davidwmasterson.com; or call him at (936) 591-2971. His gallery has irregular hours. “If I’m here and the light is on, I’m open,” he says. NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

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NOVEMBER 2018

A CUT ABOVE THE REST Clint Amox showing a couple of cuts of quality meat in front of the meat market at Crump’s Food Center in Linden, Texas.

Story & photo by

n Sept. 16 this year Amox turned 81 years old and is still working four days a week at Crump’s Food Center. For twenty years Amox lived in Southeast Alaska and was a butcher in the town of Haines. “The meat market in Alaska was old fashioned where you would get waited on over the counter and we would wrap the meat in white paper other than that the meat was brought in from Seattle,” explained Amox. After moving back to Texas after living in Alaska he came to work for Crump’s Food Center in Linden. Being a butcher and serving the customers is a passion for Amox. He enjoys helping the customers choose the right cut of meat. “This has never been work for me, I like to wait on people. I have been lucky I have always had a job I liked all my life,” said Amox. His favorite cut of meat is ribeye and he has his own special recipes for the sausage he creates. “I learned under five old men when I was around 18 years old,” 34

NOVEMBER 2018

BEN WOODS said Clint, talking of how he got his start. The sausages are his creation are marked Clint’s at Crump’s. Clint’s sausages come in several varieties such as hot links, polish sausage, Italian sausage, beef sausage, jalapeno ham sausage and breakfast sausage. Clint reminisced about the good ol’ days when he first worked in a meat market. “We had sauerkraut that came in barrels and we sold it by the pint. Also all the cheese we had which was cut in the market, as well as our hams in the meat market too – ham was 39 cents a pound and bacon was 19 cents a pound then,” said Amox. Chris Spencer , owner of Crump’s Food Center, spoke about what Amox working with him means to him. “Clint has been a tremendous asset to the store but to the community and the surrounding areas as well,” said Spencer. “We are fortunate to have five meat cutters. We were really fortunate to be able to hire Butch Yates and then follow up a year later with Clint Amox,” said Spencer. NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

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Cutting a legacy out of the trees You won’t find anything fancy at the sawmill, just the signs of hard work, dedication and a history that has served the people of Northeast Texas for generations.

Northeast Texas sawmill makes history Story & photos by

HEATHER RUSSELL WILSON

own a meandering farm to market road just west of DeKalb sits one of the oldest established businesses in Northeast Texas. Phillips Saw Mill sits on a few dusty, unassuming acres, with a handmade sign that simply says “sawmill” marking the driveway and is one of only a handful of businesses in this area to receive the prestigious Texas Treasure Business Award, and one of only about 400 in the entire state. The Texas Treasure Business Award is a program that pays tribute to the state’s well-established businesses and their historical contributions toward economic growth and prosperity. Well-established definitely describes Phillips Saw Mill. In 1952, Phillips Sawmill owner Chuck Phillips’ parents, Cecil and Jean Phillips, moved with their older children Reggie and Dana, from their home in Atoka, Oklahoma to the Northern California sawmill town of Arcata, California. There they worked in the sawmill cutting redwood trees and lived in a house furnished by the company. Chuck was born shortly after their arrival in California. In 1958, Chuck was just five years old, and Cecil’s uncle found a sawmill for sale just north of DeKalb on Old Highway 26. With a little money he had saved, Cecil purchased the mill

NOVEMBER 2018

and moved his family to DeKalb. They soon relocated to their current location in the Oak Grove community in 1961, to a little house on mill property with no running water, where Chuck has spent most of his life learning the ins and outs of running a sawmill. “I was born from here to that mill over there from a sawmill,” he said, indicating a distance of about 50 yards. “And I’ve been in one ever since. It’s just in my blood.” Chuck graduated from DeKalb High School in 1971 and joined the Marines. Upon his discharge, he returned to DeKalb and went to work at the sawmill for his father as a sawyer - a job he would keep for twenty years. He married, and he and his wife Paige had three children. In the late 80’s, Chuck became interested in drying lumber, so he went to school in Memphis, Tennessee, came home and began building his own kiln. “I came back from Memphis and did it kinda like ol’ Johnny Cash did with that Cadillac,” he remembered with a smirk. “I bought one piece at a time.” This soon morphed into expansion for Phillips Sawmill. Now Phillips Lumber and Forest Products, Chuck owns a lumberyard in DeKalb run by his son Cole, and where his son Allen, a degreed NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

architect, heads up the wood shop. Another location in Hooks, Texas is run by his son-in-law Dustin Hearron, and his wife Paige has done books for the business for over 40 years. In his blood indeed. These locations offer a full selection of lumber, as well as exotic woods, and flooring, moulding, and cabinetry material from any type wood you can imagine. They also design, build and sell rustic furniture, artwork, and odds and ends. With three generations already having made Phillips Lumber and Forest Products their lives work, Chuck says it’s very well in the cards for a fourth and fifth generation as well. “You know what they say,” he says. “We’ll have to see if the harness fits the horse, but if they want to do this for a living, I’m sure there will be something for them to do!” After all these years of working in the sawmill, then taking over when his father died, you would expect Chuck to spend his days behind a desk, dreaming of retirement. But that could not be further from the truth. Chuck still personally unloads and marks each log that comes into the mill. He says it’s key to knowing his inventory when a customer calls for an order. “If I take it off the truck, and mark it myself, then I always know what’s out there,” he says, gesturing to the endless stacks of logs in the mill yard. “Then when a customer calls I can tell them exactly what we’ve got and what we don’t.” And though he and Paige love to travel, and do so frequently, he says he doesn’t see retirement anywhere in his near future. When asked about the longevity and success of his business, Chuck Phillips’ reply was nothing less than what you would ex-

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

Chuck Phillips has lived and breathed sawmill life since he was a small boy, and now he says, “It’s just in my blood.”

pect, much like the man himself - simple and true. “Working hard, being honest, loyal employees, and God’s blessing is the key to success. All I know is work hard and be honest.” A simple concept that has made Phillips Lumber and Forest Products a success for sixty years. For more information about Phillips Lumber and Forest Products, check out their website at www.phillipsforestproducts.net

NOVEMBER 2018

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Local man brings honor to hometown and country By

CHRISTY GREEN

From the â€˜Friday night lightsâ€™ of the Atlanta football field to the remote bush of Africa, Drew Smithers carries with him wherever he goes a winning attitude and a pride, not only for his hometown and his family, but to his country in which he now serves.

With a long family histor y of militar y ser vice, Drew Smith ers joined the United States Air Force in 2009, wh ere he is now a militar y do ctor. COURTESY PHOTO

Smithers was only a few months old when he and his family moved to Atlanta in 1985, where his father, Mark Smithers, planted roots and has practiced veterinary medicine for the last 35 years. Smithers was home schooled by father and mother, Carol, until him and his younger brother, Bridger, had a longing to play sports. Their father made them a deal and said they could go to public school and play sports only if they made the A-honor roll. 40

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Smithers joined the Atlanta “Rabbit” family his sophomore year. Even though the transition might have posted a challenge at first, he grabbed life by the reigns and ran with it. Not only did he keep his promise to his father, but he graduated with a 4.0 grade-point average, was voted Mr. Atlanta High School and graduated in the top 10 percentile of his class. He began his senior year as starting quarterback for the Rabbits, then was transitioned into playing tight end, the year the team won the state championship. He was also catcher on the Rabbits baseball team and was a huge part of the success in which they reached the Class 3A Area level. When Smithers graduated from Atlanta High School in 2004, he had to ask himself what he wanted to do with his future. Although he didn’t go into the same avenue of medicine as his father, his instinct to help and to heal must have been instilled in him as a child. In 2008, he enrolled in medical school at DeBusk College of Osteopathis Medicine in Harrogate, Tenn., and then joined the United States Air Force in 2009. “I decided it was a very unique opportunity to join the military,” said Smithers. “A lot of people in my family were in the military, my grandparents and uncles fought in World War II and Vietnam, so it’s always been something that was part of my family

COURTESY PHOTO Drew Smithers always longed to play sports and in 2013, his senior year, the Atlanta Rabbits won the state championship in football.

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heritage, and where I was in life, I just thought it made sense.” Smithers finished medical school in 2012, finished his residency in 2016 and has been a Military Air Force Doctor for two years. For the past two years, he has been stationed at Vanderburg Air Force Base in California, one of the space, missile bases, and said he has really enjoyed his time there. “Our main mission in California is to launch satellites and missiles,” he said. “We are a nuclear attack base. If there was ever a nuclear attack, ‘nukes’ would be at our base within hours and would be on our missiles and be launched.” According to Smithers, last spring every major news station was there to witness a drill where they shot a shot a de-armed missile out of the sky head on. Smithers said he is in the middle of wine country and the weather is perfect there. In his down time in California he remains adventurous and said he enjoys fishing from a kayak in waters he said are swarming with great white sharks. “Shark Week is actually filmed at this beach,” he said. “The water is really murky and cold and you can only see about five feet below the surface. It is kind of nerve racking, but the fishing is great. I’ve never seen a great white, but there has probably been one underneath me while I was fishing. It is definitely not a place to go swimming.” His adventures don’t stop at fishing in shark infested waters. He was recently deployed to Africa, where he will spend the next six months in the bush and in the middle of nowhere, is the way he described it. “It is going to be a really good experience to be a part of this,” he said. “Where I’m flying in, the runway has to be cleared of giraffes, hyenas and water buffalo before leaving or landing. This place is nowhere near a city. “I will be living with no running water and I’ll be eating MRE’s,” he said with a smile on his face. To go on this mission, he had to weapons qualify with the M-4 and the M-9, even though he is a medic and non-combative. He also said his contract ends in a year, and he is unsure what his next step will be. “I either want to be an ER doctor or stay in the military, it’s hard to say,” he said. “There’s so much that changes with the military, different presidents, administrators, policies and it’s always something new coming out or what terrorist organization will pop up anywhere in the world,” he added. “You have to be braced for whatever they want to do. There is little control over what you

are doing. That will be a big factor in if I stay in the military from that perspective. It’s been a great two years for sure being in the military and serving with people who do the hard jobs every day and who are on the front lines.” He doesn’t have a wife and children yet, but said maybe when he gets out of the military. When asked, as a soldier, how he felt on 9-11, and he remembered being in tenth grade algebra class with Mrs. Chris then in English class with Mrs. Rinehart when tragedy struck. “It’s one of those things that you never forget seeing and experiencing at the moment, he said. “ Then every year, it takes you back to the moment that we actually saw it happen and those memories and those emotions when it happened. Being in the military, I am definitely reminded a lot more of it and it hits closer to home being around people who are all there for the same reason.” “Drew is my middle child and he has always been good at everything he does, because he works very hard, whether in sports or his talent for music and the piano,” said his mother Carol. “He has always been an outstanding person and friend. He brings a lot of joy and entertainment to our family. I’m most proud of Drew for all his accomplishments and for the Godly man he is and his outstanding work ethic. Drew, in his recent visit home, got to reunite with his older brother, Joel, who is a doctor in North Carolina and his younger brother, Bridger, a veterinarian from Arkansas. “It was a great reunion and they had a blast,” added Carol. “This was the first time they have been together in two years. According to his father, Mark, whatever life has dealt Drew, he has always walked it out and handled it. “He was a great kid growing up, and has been a great man” said Mark. “His sincerity, genuineness, honesty and thoughtfulness to other people are very admirable. His consistent approach to life and his humbleness is to also be admired. He has always been faithful to God, to honor Him in the things that he does. He’s just a really good guy.” Mark also said that he can speak for the whole family in saying they are all very proud of his service to our country. “I want to thank so many of the wonderful people of Atlanta that have been mentors to Drew at different points in his life. It’s great to live in an area where there are so many fine people who can set good examples for children,” he added.

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