Kaufman County Life

FREE ISSUE

Rock

Artist They may be just rocks to many, but Kathy Yoes sees the potential beauty in her stones.

Sharing Support Sherrie Taylor has taken on supporting caregivers for dementia patients in a big way.

Cook’s Corner Barbara Donahue puts her magic touch on home cooking.

***********ECRWSSEDDM***

Local Postal Customer

PRSRT STD TERRELL, TEXAS U.S.POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 8

Fall 2015/Vol. 5 Issue 3 www.kaufmancountylife.com

RockArtist

Kathy Yoes has taken her love of rocks to a new level. From finding raw stones in mines to polishing them and making jewelry, her love of rocks has taken a fashionable turn.

3.

10. Shopping Around Town Fall is a great time to spend shopping around the area.

14. Cook’s Corner Read about the down-home touch on recipes from Barbara Donahue and the crew at Blessings On Brin Street.

16. Character Counts

7.

13.

Sharing Support

Fall Gardening

Sherrie Taylor has taken her own family’s struggles of dealing with a mother suffering from dementia to helping dozens of others coping with the same struggles.

The heat of another Texas summer is behind us and that means opportunities for fall gardening.

This feature provides tips from Kaufman County Master Gardeners.

From the Publisher

Life

a slice of

Of rocks, dementia and helping hands Kathy Yoes is a rock star in her own right. Actually a rock artist is more like it. Writer Steve Dickerson provides some insight into Kathy’s genesis of turning her passion of rocks and stones into a

profession.

Check out his story and photographs beginning on page 4.

Jenice Johnson returns this month with our Kaufman County Life Charm

feature on Sherrie Taylor, a woman who turned a very close and very personal tragedy into a passion to help others.

As the founder and operator of Blessings On Brin Street, Barbara Donahue keeps most of

Deb Helm and Dorman Williamson are shining examples of putting service above themselves for the Terrell Chamber.

18. Scene & Heard Check out information from the Terrell Chamber, Heather Lane/Tiffany Square Townhomes and Life Pointe Church.

19. Health & Wellness Find some solid advice when looking for dental care or assisted living.

her recipes and cooking tips close to her apron. But she has offered to share both with our readers. Check out Barbara’s suggestions for making the perfect pie crust and savory taco soup on page 14.

Terrell Chamber of Commerce volunteers Deb Helm and Dorman Williamson serve as a shining example of putting service above selves. They are featured in our Character Counts article this month.

Have a great fall!

— Mike Elswick, Publisher www.kaufmancountylife.com

3

Kaufman County Life | Feature Volume 5 Issue 3 | Fall 2015

RockArtist

For the past five years Kathy Yoes has turned her passion into a profession.

N

ot many people would expect to find Kathy Yoes in a mine, but the Texas native loves to make her way to some of the dingiest destinations imaginable so she can find items that are anything but dingy.

Yoes is a collector and allaround lover of stones. She describes herself as a “rock head” because she has always loved collecting stones.

“I’ve always collected rocks,” she said. “I just love them.”

Kathy Yoes with a variety of necklaces and bracelets.

4

KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | FALL 2015

Samples of finished pieces of jewelry by Kathy Yoes.

Story and Photos by

But Yoes has always been a fan of the outdoors. When she was a child her parents were scuba divers and she spent many weekends camping near bodies of water, and as an adult her primary job is as a rancher.

Yoes said she enjoys finding beauty where most would not expect to find it.

“You can look at a patch of dirt and think ‘That’s just dirt,’” she said. “Who would think that this was stuck down in a piece of brown dirt somewhere? It’s just a natural gorgeous color.”

For the past five years Yoes has turned her passion for rocks and stones into a profession. She began using some of her rare

Steve Dickerson

stones to make jewelry after she fixed her daughter’s charm bracelet. When she had some supplies left over she decided to make herself a bracelet.

“I could use a new bracelet,” she remembered thinking at the time.

After receiving a tutorial from a friend on how to crimp wire at one end and build the bracelet up from there, Yoes was off to the races.

“I was wearing it and another friend said she really liked it.

They said ‘You know you ought to do this and sell it,’” Yoes recalled. “I never thought anyone would like to do that, but I said you know I love messing with

Kaufman’s RL Western Wear and Rustic Furniture displays Yoes’ work.

the rocks anyway. So I did it and it’s just kept building from there.

“I started out just making it for families and close friends and it just keeps growing.”

Ever since Yoes has taken her collecting to a new level. She goes to mines and looks for rare gems and stones. Her favorite stone — turquoise — is what she has the most of. Yoes even has what is known as Sleeping Beauty turquoise from Arizona.

“It’s the purest and bluest form you can find turquoise in.”

Sleeping Beauty is so rare, it can sell for up to $2,500 a pound. “The more robins egg blue (turquoise) is the more collectable it is and the more expensive it will get.”

Yoes has several forms of American turquoise as well as Chinese turquoise.

But Yoes does not deal exclusively in the bright blue stone. She loves all stones and enjoys working with anything she can get her hands on. “I can see stones and just see that they would absolutely be gorgeous made like this. It just comes to me naturally I guess. Sometimes I’ve made pieces and thought it would look good and have to change it up. The good thing with stones is it’s not something that’s going to rot away. They’re always going to be there.”

Being able to buy turquoise and other rare stones at a mine is a relatively recent ability. In the past mines would toss the stones to the side as they continued to dig for metals like tin and copper — unaware that there was a market for the stones.

“It’s a by-product of the mining process,” Yoes said.

When she traveled to her first mine several years ago, Yoes was so impressed with the

had thousands upon thousands of stands of all different things.

There were different boxes of this and barrels of that all around.”

Now that her supply of bracelets, necklaces, earrings and all other types of jewelry has increased, Yoes wanted a place to sell some of her products.

She started selling them at RL Western Wear and Rustic Furniture in Kaufman near the Hwy. 34 and Hwy. 243 split.

Between selling her jewelry and ranching, Yoes is pretty busy. “In my spare time I clean house,” she joked.

But her passion for jewelry is always in the back of her mind.

“I can be doing anything, working with cattle or whatever, and all of a sudden this design

Designs for finished pieces “pop” into Yoes’ head — often at unexpected times.

selection that she said it almost completely took her breath away.

“I had always wanted to visit that mine, and we were about 45 minutes away from it, so we rented a car and went into it.

The place wasn’t very big, but it

will pop in my head and I can’t wait to get to the truck so I can sketch it out. I’ve got stacks of sketches I just haven’t gotten to yet. I plan to some day, but I haven’t been able to yet. I just love the stones.” www.kaufmancountylife.com

5

Publisher & Editor Mike Elswick Contributing Writers Steve Dickerson Jenice Johnson Mike Elswick Photography Patrick Brown Steve Dickerson Mike Elswick Jenice Johnson

Contact publisher@terrelltribune.com 150 Ninth Street, Terrell, TX 75160 972-563-6476 Kaufman County Life assumes no responsibility for the content of articles or advertisements, in that the views expressed therein may not reflect the views of the publisher, employees or contributors. This publication and all of its contents are copyrighted.

Creative Editor & Layout Erika Dorsey Ad Design Patrick Brown Advertising Sales Patty Barringer Monica Lewis Vanessa McCool Cover photo by Steve Dickerson.

Spot the CharGmif, t Card!

Win a $50

Readers can participate in our Spot the Charm contest. Here’s how the contest works: 1. Look for the charm graphic hidden somewhere in the magazine.

2. Once you find the charm graphic, please email Monica Lewis at mlewis@terrelltribune.com with the answer as well as your name and contact information.

3. If your answer is correct it will be put into a drawing for a $50 gift card from any business advertising in this issue’s “Shop Around Town” pages.

4. Monica will notify the winner by phone.

5. The winner will receive a gift card from the “Shop Around Town” business of their choice.

6. KCL Charm will take a photo of the winner with their gift card. The photo will be in the next issue of Kaufman County Life.

Please note: The charm graphic is hidden in the magazine. It is not the charm graphic within the KCL Charm logo.

Our Spot the Charm contest winner is: Shelley Koman Smith from Poetry, Texas.

Shelley chose a gift certificate from enVogue. Congratulations!

6

KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | FALL 2015

Sherrie Taylor has turned her personal experiences of dealing with dementia into a mission and passion to help others deal with it.

Sharing Support Sherrie Taylor contributes to the community — a

S

safe place for love, laughter and tears.

Story and Photos by

herrie Taylor never thought that one day her mother’s Spanish beans, which were her favorite, would be a distant memory.

Her mother passed away a little over two years ago after living the last eight years of her life with vascular dementia.

Undeniably, it was a challenging time for Mrs. Taylor and her family. One of many things she wished she had done differently was documenting even the simplest of things.

“I just thought, ‘Gosh. Why didn’t I write some things down that I didn’t realize would disappear?’ My mom’s wonderful Spanish beans — I took them for granted,” she said. “One day I asked, ‘Mom? Why don’t you make your Spanish beans for supper?’ She was like, ‘What’s that?’ I was devastated.”

Over the course of eight years from the diagnosis to her

death, Mrs. Taylor and her family moved their mother 11 times to appease her as well as give her the best possible care.

In addition, they simply didn’t have a support group to help them through it all.

“I didn’t know what I didn’t know,” Mrs. Taylor said.

But what resulted from her experience was a strong desire to contribute to her community.

She said she had secluded herself trying to be there for

Jenice Johnson

her mother, which she said is something all caregivers end up doing being that it’s a 24-hour a day job. After being a caregiver, Mrs. Taylor said she knew what she so desperately needed but didn’t have at the time and she wanted to give that to others.

The springboard for her inspiration came from an article she read in AARP about a dementia-friendly community in Watertown, WI. The businesses there were educated on

“To me this is about more than just providing a support group — to me it’s a ministry. I love, love, love what I do.

I have a passion for what I do.”

— Sherrie Taylor www.kaufmancountylife.com

7

Kaufman County Life | KCL Charm Volume 5 Issue 3 | Fall 2015

“To me this is about more than and no one will judge you for it how to assist people that walk just providing a support group because we all get it,” she said. through their doors every day — to me it’s a ministry,” she said.

“The emotional toll is huge. There who have the disease.

“I love, love, love what I do. I have are many caregivers that go “Seventy percent of people a passion for what I do.” through bouts of depression and living with dementia are still It is that passion that inguilt. Sharing side by side makes living independently. They are spired Mrs. Taylor to increase going to the bank and the store the burden easier to bear.” by themselves,” Mrs. Taylor said. her education on dementia, which includes some schooling Watertown motivated her to from Johns Hopkins School of look to do the same in her own Nursing. She even received her community in Terrell and she dementia care certificate from sought training from the Dallas SUPPORT GROUPS the University of Tasmania in chapter of the Alzheimer’s Australia. She said Europe and Association to learn more about Forney Layden Senior Center Australia have a unique way of what to do. She admitted that 101 East Main St approaching the disease — they her thoughts were very small.

Forney, TX 75126 almost embrace it by making it She was just going to focus First Monday of every month 6:00 p.m. a part of the community. on Terrell, making sure she “At the age of 65, one in five did everything correctly.

Kaufman Senior Citizens Center people have some kind of She created a board and was 112 S. Jackson St dementia. And by the time you running a support group.

Kaufman, TX 75142 But as she collected resources, hit the age of 85, almost 50 Second Tuesday of every month 2:00 p.m. percent of those people have the demand grew. Kaufman some type of dementia,” she said.

County Senior Services The Senior Center at the Ballpark contracted her to run dementia- “It’s going to continue to grow 405 West Walnut and we need this knowledge.” friendly communities for their Mabank, TX 75147 Above everything else, senior centers throughout the Second Friday of every month 2:00 p.m. running the support groups are county. Since last year when at the heart of everything Mrs. she started, the support groups Silver Leaf – Club House Taylor does. She said it “feeds have grown to eight locations 400 Church Street her soul” to help people make across the county. There is even Gun Barrel City, TX 75156 things better in this situation. a monthly newsletter that “We laugh together, we cry provides not only information Second Friday of every month 10:00 a.m. together, we share each other’s but also an outlet for storyThe Gardens of Mabank – feelings. We call it a safe place. telling individual journeys Club House You can spill your guts and vent and trials.

120 Gardendale Mabank, TX 75147 Second Friday of every month 3:30 p.m.

Terrell Senior Citizens Center 115 N Adelaide Terrell, TX 75160 First Thursday of every month 2:00 p.m.

Terrell Senior Terraces Recreation Center 350 Windsor Ave Terrell, TX 75160 First Thursday of every month 6:00 p.m.

Wills Point Church of Christ 302 Corky Boyd Wills Point, TX 75169 Among the groups Taylor has partnered with is the Terrell Senior Citizens Center to help provide support groups.

8

KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | FALL 2015

First Tuesday of every month 3:00 p.m.

g n i p p Sho round A Stashed away in the communities of Northeast Texas lie charming establishments that are overflowing with unique and wonderful offerings.

Try to take some time this fall to visit a few of these locations. Small businesses offer BIG shopping experiences!

t n i o P s Will Y LIMIT CIT 14 POP 35

Find hidden treasures at Julie's Junque One step through Julie’s front door will take you back into a time when the world was a simpler place. Antiques will greet you at the front porch while vintage collectibles and western home decor surprise you at every turn. Julie is always shopping at estate sales.

Every visit to her store also brings handmade candles, and new items that include Bath & Body Works.

Julie’s Junque 848 Houston (Hwy 80) | Wills Point, Texas 214-232-6551 | Like us on Facebook!

Fall is in the air!

Delivering smiles since 1955, The Green House transforms any celebration with fresh flowers and plants. They also carry a wide variety of gift and home decor items such as yard flags, fragrances by Tyler Candle Co. and Circle E, plus collectibles of all kinds. There is also a registered wedding and event planner to help turn your dream day into an everlasting memory.

A staff photographer is available as well as tuxedo rentals.

The Green House 201 N. 4th St. | Wills Point, Texas 903-873-3331 | www.thegreenhousewillspoint.com Like us on Facebook!

Unique treasures around every nook and cranny!

The holidays are just around the corner! Whether you need that perfect, unique gift, something to brighten your home or an ornament to don the Christmas tree, this adorable boutique is peddling an amazing array of choices. From gift staples like the full line of Yankee Candles to one-of-a-kind, handmade finds lovingly created by local artisans, it can be found at Sweethearts Giftery.

Sweethearts Giftery 110 N. 4th St. | Wills Point, Texas 903-873-4546 | Like us on Facebook!

Shopping d Aroun

Te r r e l l CIT Y LIM IT POP 163 47

Fall has arrived at The Front Porch!

Come shop the home decor, gifts and antiques that reflect the colorful season. Pumpkin cobbler and dessert mixes available, as well as, Cinnamon Cider decorative fragrance, room spray, candles and melts. Celebrate the season with us!

Exceptional gifts for exceptional people!

The Front Porch 304 N. Catherine St. | Terrell, Texas 469-474-7888 | Like us on Facebook!

Barrels, baskets, flowers and gifts.

Come in and find your happy place!

• Full service florist • Personalized gifts • Amazing Wine Barrel Furniture • Gifts for all occasions!

Hours: Mon.–Fri. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Poor Me Sweets

g n i p p o h S d n u o r A

CITY LIMIT

FORNEY POP. 16650

Enrolling for drawing classes & mobile painting parties

106 W. High St. | Terrell, Texas 214-902-2560 | 469-474-7375

• After school Drawing Classes, 5-14 yrs, Terrell, Forney, Crandall • Homeschool Drawing Classes, Thursdays, Studio & available at your location • Painting Parties — Mobile or at Studio • Weekend Workshops • Pottery for Adults & Children

Artworks Texas Carrie Stevens, M.Ed. | 214-675-9447 carrie@artworkstexas.com | www.artworkstexas.com facebook: Artworks Texas

Fall in Love~Whimsy Boutique Fall in love with this quaint little shop. We offer today’s latest fashion trends and accessories at an affordable price. We also carry unique trendy clothes from Ivy Jane, Uncle Frank and Kut Denim as well as gift lines such as Thymes and gourmet foods for the upcoming holiday. Whimsy Boutique was established in November of 2014, and is located at 406 Pinson Road, Suite B (On the back side of the Allstate building, across the street from American National Bank, in Forney.)

Whimsy Boutique 406 Pinson Road, Suite B | Forney, Texas | 972-400-7095 www.whimsyboutiqueforney.com | Instagram: @whimsyboutiqueforney Facebook: Whimsy Boutique Forney

www.kaufmancountylife.com

11

12

KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | FALL 2015

Kaufman County Life | KCL Charm Volume 5 Issue 3 | Fall 2015

Fall

Gardening

With autumn winds just around the corner, the time to think about your fall gardening projects is right now.

R

ebecca Morrow, Kaufman County Master Gardener, said growing a garden for the fall is easy enough if you know what you’re doing.

First, you have to take action by pulling out some of the plants from your spring garden.

“It is recommend that all plants, weeds included, be removed except okra, cherry tomatoes and pole beans if the foliage is healthy.”

Next, you have to determine where to place the garden. If you’re an older gardener you might need to think about a garden relocation. The major

consideration for garden placement is sunlight. You should not place your garden within six feet of hedges, shrubs or trees that will compete for light and nutrients.

“All vegetables require some sunlight. The most popular vegetables require full sun,” Morrow said. Full sun means at least 8 hours of direct sunlight each day. If that is not received by plants like tomatoes, peppers and squash the plants will “grow spindly.”

Crops that can grow with a little shade include greens, broccoli, cauliflower and root crops like carrots and turnips.

While some believe shade is beneficial for some crops, Morrow said that commercial vegetable producers never shade crops.

stock photo Story by

Steve Dickerson

The addition of fertilizer is the next step. You have two options, Morrow said. You can add only one pound of ammonium sulfate per 100 square feet and use ammonium sulfate every three weeks at the rate of one tablespoon sprinkled around each plant. The second fertilization choice, and probably the one which will result in a more abundant harvest, is to use two to three pounds of a slow release fertilizer per 100 square feet of garden area.

The most important factor in successful fall gardening is proper trimming, Morrow said.

“Regardless of variety selected or cultural practices used, if a gardener does not do the right thing at the right time, any chances of success are diminished.”

www.kaufmancountylife.com

13

Cook’s Barbara Donahue with a soup pot in the kitchen of Blessings On Brin Street.

Mike Elswick Photos by Patrick Brown Story by

Barbara Donahue got an early start on cooking basics.

B

arbara Donahue has been turning out delectable sweets, treats, soups, salads and main dishes since before she was a teenager. Those years of perfecting recipes and putting her own customized touch on everything from chicken salad to corn soup have kept people coming back to the family-operated Blessings On Brin Street eatery in Terrell.

“Growing up, I cooked a lot of family dinners because my mother worked nights at Montgomery Wards at Big Town” shopping center. One of her first successes in the kitchen was a chocolate sheet cake recipe provided by an aunt.

“I catered my first function when I was 16,” Barbara says.

It was a church dinner that her mother had committed to

14

KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | FALL 2015

prepare. But when her mother got called into work the duty fell to Barbara to prepare a spaghetti dinner complete with bread and salad.

She did not get paid in money for that church function but Barbara did receive enough positive feedback that it whetted her appetite to continue cooking for people who appreciated her touch. But instead of heading down the culinary pathway initially she entered the business world for a few years while also raising her own family.

In 1986 she and a partner opened the Times Star restaurant in downtown Terrell.

While the partner moved away, Barbara continued operating the restaurant until 2000 when she sold the location.

She kept getting requests for her cooking and had an opportunity to get back into the business when a location with adequate parking and access came available. That was when Blessings On Brin Street opened at 107 East Brin Street.

“This came up as the right place at the right time,” she says.

The quaint older home with a covered front porch serves as

Corner an appropriate setting for the home-style cooking she and the staff — including sons Bryan and David — cook up.

One of the main keys to Barbara’s success that keeps folks coming back and keeps catering requests for groups from two up to 600 is the fact every thing is prepared in the Blessings’ kitchen from scratch.

“We do things the oldfashioned way,” Barbara says.

“All our soups are homemade” as are the pies, chicken salad and other entrees.

Among the top selling menu items are Blessings’ chicken salad and the corn soup.

Above: Barbara Donahue on the porch of Blessings On Brin Street.

Below: Soups are a popular item on Barbara Donahue’s menu.

See COOK’S, Continued on pg.19

www.kaufmancountylife.com

15

Kaufman County Life | Character Counts Volume 5 Issue 3 | Fall 2015

CharacterCounts

Dorman Williamson and Deb Helm

Story and Photos by

W

hen the largest chamber of commerce civic auction fundraiser in the state of Texas is held in Terrell in mid-October the success of the event will rest squarely on the shoulders of a couple of key volunteers and a small army of others.

Deb Helm and Dorman Williamson have taken on the volunteer role of serving as cochairmen of the 34th Annual Terrell Chamber of Commerce Civic Auction.

Carleton Tidwell, chamber vice president, said the dedication of Deb and Dorman is

“I feel like we should help our community grow.” — Deb Helm 16

KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | FALL 2015

vital to the chamber and the year-round efforts it has in promoting Terrell as a good place to do business and in helping individual member businesses thrive.

“Their experience in setting up this event is critical to its success,” Carleton said. The Civic Auction takes more than 100 volunteers to make it a success. We appreciate all of their time and efforts, especially of those in a leadership role like Dorman and Deb.” She has been active in the chamber since becoming a member in 1985. “God gave me the gift of service,” Deb says.

“I feel like we should help our community grow.”

Dorman got involved soon after arriving in Terrell. He calls the work of the volunteers an investment in the community.

Mike Elswick

“Without the support of donations and attendance we could not do what we do,” he says. “This money goes back to support our Chamber here in Terrell. We also give back to our schools and other community projects in this town.”

Dorman says he sees his time as a good investment.

“We have awesome volunteers and staff and I couldn’t be happier to be with this family we have at the chamber and the volunteers that are so gracious to donate their time and efforts,” he says.

Enjoying the networking benefits of working with other volunteers, Deb says she gets joy out of serving.

She says community support is vital to the chamber and the See CHARACTER, Continued on pg. 18

Scene & Heard The Terrell Chamber of Commerce “God Bless America” is the year-long theme of the Terrell Chamber of Commerce for 2015 events and programs.

That patriotic theme will be very evident on July 4 when the chamber’s staff and corps of volunteers host one of the largest Independence Day events in the region.

The public is invited to participate in a bang-up event with a family focus, including a patriotic children’s parade, entertainment and a free fireworks display after dusk — all at Ben Gill Park

The following weekend, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 11, local merchants will be offering a variety of specials and a chance to win hundreds of dollars worth of prizes that will be given away during the Christmas In July shopping event.

Christmas In July features open houses at a number of Terrell boutiques, shops and businesses.

To register for the drawings shoppers need to stop by any or all of the participating merchants.

For more information visit www.terrelltexas.com; or call 972-563-5703.

Heather Lane – Tiffany Square Townhomes Heather Lane – Tiffany Square Townhomes offers Kaufman County a relaxing country living space with the convenience of the big city. This Pace property has an award winning Management & Maintenance Team who function at the highest level of competency and professionalism. Our success we attribute to the unsurpassed customer service we provide our residents.

The spacious two and three bedroom townhomes are reasonably priced while offering a wide

array of services and activities for all ages.

We have not forgotten our residents they too get a chance in win prizes or get upgrades when they renew their lease with us. This is fun and can be very lucrative!

We look forward to showing you around your new home, please come see us at Heather Lane – Tiffany Square today! A community designed with your needs in mind. You are at home with us!

Life Pointe Church Pastor Rusty Hathcock’s Life Pointe Church congregation is growing, but he says he can’t take the credit for that growth.

Hathcock ended up in the ministry in Louisiana and served as pastor of a congregation there for 16 years and expected to stay there.

When the pastor’s position came open in Terrell about four years ago he prayed about what God wanted. The message he got back was that the Lord wanted Hathcock to make a move and “seek out people no one else wanted

CHARACTER, Continued from pg. 16

18

KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | FALL 2015

community. “Since this is the only fundraiser the Chamber does, the donations and support help provide many activities we have for our community such as the Heritage Jubilee, Fourth of July celebration, scholarships for seniors, etc.”

Deb says heading up the auction as co-chair is relatively easy thanks to everyone’s willingness to pitch in.

“The Chamber staff does so

(in their churches) — those with no money, people who had drug problems” and others that society may consider to be castoffs.

“We had about 38 members when we arrived here,” he said. That number grew to 200 members by the second year and continues to grow.

Life Pointe will be moving from its current location at 1600 Griffith Avenue to an 11-acre tract adjacent to Tanger Outlets. Construction could start on the new 24,880-square-foot facility this year.

much of the work that they make our lives so easy,” she says. While last year’s civic auction took in a record of more than $211,000, both head volunteers said they feel confident it can be topped.

“There is always room for improvement,” Deb says.

“With the volunteers we have there is every chance of setting new records every year.”

Health & Wellness Bright Smiles Terrell’s Bright Smiles Dental Clinic has announced the addition of Dr. Bethany Joseph, D.D.S., to the staff. She is a recent graduate of the school of dentistry at Louisiana State University New Orleans.

Dr. Joseph says becoming a dentist fulfills her desire to both help people and to build upon her love and passion for science.

She grew up in New Iberia, La., and did her undergraduate studies at Centenary College in Shreveport, where she majored in biology and minored in business.

“One of the things I want to do is help educate people on oral health and help them prevent problems down the road,” Joseph said.

At Bright Smiles she is an associate of Dr. Gwendolyn Kines McLeod.

The Bright Smiles offices are located at 401 N. Ann St., in Terrell. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays. For more information or to make an appointment, call 972-524-1048.

Hickory Square Hickory Square Assisted Living Inn located in historic Kaufman offers community and quality focused living at a cost well below the national average.

Owned and operated by Ray and Wendy Manning, Hickory Square has more than two decades of experience serving the needs of elderly, disabled and veterans. The Mannings say one of the big differences between Hickory Square and other assisted living centers is the caring staff with deep Kaufman County roots. “Our quality of care is as good as anybody’s,” Ray says. State officials are

highly involved in regulating all assisted living facilities to ensure they meet quality standards and Hickory Square has always exceeded those standards. “We’re very proud of the quality of care we give,” he says. “Our facilities are neat as a pin and provide a lot of value.”

Ray said some staff members have been with the family operation for more than 20 years.

“We’re Kaufman County residents serving other Kaufman County residents,” he says. “We’re a home grown operation and are proud of the bargain and value we provide.”

Dr. Nix The dental offices of Dr. Alan L. Nix are ready to put years of experience and the latest in techniques to work for residents of Kaufman County and the surrounding area.

Dr. Nix strongly believes in giving back to the community and one way he has done that is by becoming a dentist. He grew up in Dallas and graduated from the University of Texas Dental School in San Antonio in 1979.

Dr. Nix continues to give back to his community and is actively involved with Boy Scout Troops 390 and 391. Being an Eagle Scout

COOK’S, Continued from pg. 14 Barbara said one of the secrets for her popular chicken salad is that she only uses chicken breasts that she cooks herself and then prepares the salad herself.

Barbara’s pie crust tip: Be gentle when working the pie crust dough. If the crust gets overworked it becomes tough instead of light and flaky.

himself, he knows the value of Scouting, which teaches youngsters how to survive, be leaders and stresses the importance of honesty.

Honesty is very much a part of Nix’s dental practice. He treats every patient as if he or she were a member of his family. “I always address the three things that keep people from coming to the dentist,” Nix said. They are money, fear, and time. The office has flexible hours and provides simple, affordable financing.

For more information visit: dralannix.com; or call 972-563-7633.

Recipe www.kaufmancountylife.com

19

IN IS STA SU NT E!