Kaufman County Life

FREE ISSUE

Hometown Thespians These vagabonds have a home. . . and a family.

Holiday Hoopla

Traditional Texas

Twang

Traditions abound for families at Christmas time.

Hope from a Box Angela Foster found that there is indeed no place like home.

Larry Farris has made it his mission to keep traditional country music alive, and it’s starting to pay dividends.

Winter 2015/Vol. 5 Issue 4 www.kaufmancountylife.com

From the Publisher

Life

a slice of

It can be the most wonderful time of the year As Kaufman County prepares for the Christmas holiday season 2015, sit back and enjoy a look at some family traditions gathered by roving writer Gary Lindsley.

And glean the Shopping Around section for some great gift ideas. You never have to leave the area and fight the crowds to fill your Christmas list with unique gifts. Plus it benefits your community rather than paying taxes in other towns.

Our featured article tracks local musician Larry Farris’ win at the Road to Nashville contest.

This rising star carries the banner of traditional country and western music back to the place most readily associated with that musical style — one he says has taken a back seat but seems to be experiencing a revival. He’s doing his part to show that the traditions are still alive and well, even penning a song by that name.

Speaking of traditional country music, be sure to check out the benefit performance by Jason Coleman, grandson of Floyd Kramer, who will be in a concert Feb. 16 benefiting the Excellence Foundation of Terrell ISD. From a young age Angela Foster was always trying to get away from Terrell. But after years of poor choices and lifechanging experiences, Foster is back home.

This time around she's determined to focus on others and help as many people avoid the problems that she never

could. Read Steve Dickerson’s account of her encouraging story and message. It will inspire you to do your part this holiday season.

Another inspiring place is the A. Fern Norville Center, Kaufman County’s emergency children’s shelter. Read about the challenges faced by longtime directors LaReta and Rich Williams, then take this opportunity to lend a hand with the shelter’s many needs.

A treat all year ’round is the Vagabond Players, a community theater in downtown Terrell. But this happy band of wanderers is much more. They are as much a close-knit family as a troupe of actors. Watch for their upcoming performances, held in the former Iris Theater on Moore Ave. Want to know how to grill a great steak? Learn tips from a pro, Dustin Sanders, who has taken his love of good beef to the highest competitive level, as he shares a few things he’s learned along the way. My chief taster said the first bite, cut from the end of the steak that the judges use, just melted in her mouth.

It might change your mind about what to serve for Christmas dinner.

Hope you enjoy our gifts to you and in turn share with those in need.

— Phil Major, Publisher

Shweiki

www.kaufmancountylife.com

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Table of Contents

Traditional Texas

Volume 5 Issue 4 | Winter 2015

Publisher & Editor Phil Major

Contributing Writers Steve Dickerson Gary E. Lindsley Phil Major

Photography Austin Balaz Patrick Brown Gary E. Lindsley Phil Major

Creative Editor & Layout Erika Dorsey

Ad Design Patrick Brown

Advertising Sales Patty Barringer Vanessa McCool Monica Lewis

Cook’s Corner He’s a world champion steak cook, and he lives right here in Kaufman County.

Contact publisher@terrelltribune.com 150 Ninth Street, Terrell, TX 75160 972-563-6476

30.

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.

Cover photo by Austin Balaz 4

KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | WINTER 2015

6.

15.

Hometown Thespians

Hope from a Box

Sit back and enjoy the acting talents of this local troupe of vagabonds.

Angela Foster had to look no farther than her own back yard to find inspiration.

T

s

Twang Larry Farris is hitting the road to show that the traditions of country and western music still have a place among today’s pop-fueled tunes.

10.

Shopping A ROUND T OWN

21.

24.

18.

Holiday Hoopla

Character Counts

35. Scene & Heard

Enjoy the holiday traditions of local families while making some of your own.

Children’s shelter faces many challenges in addition to its clientele.

Shop local this holiday season by visiting these local retailers in Kaufman County.

Find out more about Star Transit, Mission Church, Kemp Care Center and Bright Smiles.

www.kaufmancountylife.com

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Hometown

Thespians

The Vagabond Players rehearse a scene from one of their productions.

Story and Photos by

Gary E. Lindsley

The Vagabonds troupe plays like family

T

he year 2007 marked the beginning of a journey that has seen many people — such as vagabonds — move in and out of the lives of Gayle and Ron Harris.

The Harrises formed a team that morphed into a family of vagabonds that has been making people laugh — and cry — for the past eight years.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes a vagabond as someone who moves from place-to-place — a wanderer.

Another example from the dictionary says a vagabond is part of a group of entertainers that performs in rough-andtumble mining towns.

Terrell may not be a roughand-tumble mining town, but it

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KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | WINTER 2015

does have its very own group of vagabonds — The Vagabond Players.

The theatrical troupe is more like a tight-knit group of friends rather than a bunch of wanderers.

In fact, it is more like family. The Vagabonds celebrate the holidays together, vacation together and just enjoy one another’s company.

The Harrises, who own Books and Crannies in the former Iris Theater building, started the family about eight years ago. Since then, Ron has directed about 25 productions.

The troupe’s first production in 2007 was “Exploding Love,” and 89 people attended.

Ron said it was about a lovelorn

gentleman distraught about his fiancée marrying someone else.

The play takes place in a men’s room at a courthouse.

Ron and Gayle Harris, who own Books and Crannies and founded the Vagabond Players troupe at the Iris Theater, sit with one of their actresses, Maddie.

Kaufman County Life | Feature Volume 5 Issue 4 | Winter 2015

The Vagabond Players’ charter members are, of course, the Harrises, Sarah Smith, Tom Marquez, Mark Reynolds, Michael and Angela Hipp, George Guillot Jr. and Margaret Briggs.

“We started because of our love of the arts and theater,” Ron said. “Having a black box theater was a great bonus. We put it in after the bookstore opened.”

The seats in the theater are from the Iris Theater as well.

“It’s the thrill of being able to collectively take people out of their lives into our fantasy world,” Ron said. It is a world in which there are no worries, Gayle said.

When Ron first mentioned starting a theater group, Gayle said, “What in the world is he thinking? So I kind of went with it.”

“It’s a chance to step out of our mundane lives, a chance to be someone else,” Ron said. “We are a close-knit family. The Vagabonds travel together, do cruises together and wilderness trips together.

It’s a great group that gets along. We have put together a professional road show.”

Ron said the Vagabond Players almost always sell out their shows.

“Honestly, I do it for the friendship,” Gayle said. “These people are like family. And the audience’s laughter is definitely a bonus. I really enjoy making people laugh.”

Sara Smith’s first production was “A Christmas Cactus.” “I had all along loved the art of performing, and I did not have a chance in school,” she said. It was when she moved to Terrell that she auditioned.

“I got up on the stage and Ron asked me to read some lines and sing,” Smith said. “I love doing this because it is so much fun. It is not work. It is like a party. The thing I get out of it is the friendship and getting people to laugh.”

Elizabeth Smith has been with the troupe since the third production, “Christmas Bells,” her first play in which to act.

“It was my stage debut,” Smith said. “I was really excited but nervous. [The Vagabond Players] are my family now.”

Lisa Sudbury’s first play was in 2013 and it was “Mama Won’t Fly.” She played an elderly aunt and an aging showgirl. “I have pretty extensive experience with the stage,” Sudbury said. “I wet my pants trying out in sixth grade.

“I very much enjoy this group,” she said.

Sudbury was both excited and nervous about

The Iris Theater is home to the Vagabond Players troupe.

her first performance with the Vagabonds — but she did not wet her pants.

Marquez got his acting start in a church in the 1990s, performing in “A Child is Born.”

He said there is nothing like acting. A Hurricane Katrina evacuee, Marquez was given a chance to perform — courtesy of the Harrises — when he moved to Terrell. “Ron and Gayle took a chance on a newbie,” he said.

With every production, Marquez said, the troupe tries to move people and bring laughter into their lives. “We are all family,” he said.

Of the original group, there are four remaining. “Ron and I are so grateful for the amazing group of talented actors who make up The Vagabond Players,” Gayle said. “Their dedication and willingness to do whatever it takes to make the plays on our stage entertaining to our audiences is why the Vagabonds are successful.

“We know that performing is not about what we get out of it or how it makes us feel — it is all

“It’s a chance to step out of our mundane lives, a chance to be someone else. We are a close-knit family.”

— Ron Harris about entertaining the people who come to see us — and what we can give to them,” Gayle said.

“We strive to give them the opportunity to forget about worries and problems and just enjoy themselves for that brief time that they are in our presence,” she said.

The Harrises miss and are proud of one of www.kaufmancountylife.com

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Kaufman County Life | Feature Volume 5 Issue 4 | Winter 2015

the former vagabonds, Jorge Rodas. They needed someone for one of the parts in “A Christmas Cactus,” according to Rodas. Ron talked with Rodas about performing in the play and he went for it.

“He came up here and he was scared to death,” Ron said. “But he had a good presence and aura. He did the play and was really good at it. He got hooked.” After taking the part of an on-the-run prisoner with a golden heart with the Vagabond Players, Rodas realized his life long dream of acting was an attainable reality.

He had fun acting in the play.

“They like to work with people that are a lot of fun,” Rodas said. “Ron and Gayle are really sweet folks. [The Vagabond Players] is a group of good people. They took a chance on me.”

Rodas grew up wanting to be an actor. And his first night on the stage as a Vagabond is something he will never forget because the people in the audience were laughing.

“It was immediate gratification from the crowd’s response,” Rodas said. “I was hooked.”

Rodas became so good at acting that he quit his job and moved to Los Angeles for a year in 2012 and now stars in films and commercials.

He moved back to Texas in 2013 after securing an agent and makes his home base in Plano where he does freelance graphic design work, has a leather craft company and still acts.

The most recent film he worked in was “Queen of the South” that was filmed in Texas. The movie is about Teresa Mendoza (Braga) and has a drug cartel theme.

Erin Green, who has been going to the Vagabond Players productions since they started, also had an urge to act. “I enjoyed watching them from the audience,” Green said. “I thought it would be a lot of fun [acting in a play]. But I had stage fright. “Ron talked me into it,” she said. “I am real glad I joined them because I have enjoyed every minute of it.” Her first bit was a small part in “A Funny Thing Called Love” in 2014.

“I realized how much I had been missing out on,” Green said. “It is about being on stage and hearing people laugh, feeding off of the audience.”

Being part of the Vagabond Players troupe, Green said, is being part of a family. “There are the inside jokes and stories about previous plays,” she said. “There is a family bond.”

The “family” tried something different this 8

KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | WINTER 2015

Top, Todd Cato, and his son, Daniel, rehearse a scene.

Bottom, sisters Sarah and Elizabeth Smith rehearse the Vagabond Players next play, “Mama Won’t Fly.”

year. During the summer, they put on “The Little Shop of Horrors.” It was not at the theater, though. They turned it into dinner theater at Joe Smith’s The Garden Event Center. All of the performances were sold out with two nights of dinner theater instead of only one that was planned.

“It did well for us and Joe Smith because of the joint venture,” Ron said. “It is a lot more involved than what we do [at the Iris Theater]. I doubt we will do it again in 2016, but you never know.”

And the Vagabonds who were not acting helped serve the dinners. “I don’t think I have ever been so tired in my entire life,” Gayle said.

The Harrises prefer the intimate feel of the Iris Theater, though. “We are comfortable here,” Ron said. “It is our thing.”

The response to the dinner theater production also resulted in a woman getting 40 of her friends together to see the Vagabond Players’ recent production of “Steel Magnolias.” Gayle said they brought food and drinks and rented out the theater. “They had an amazing time,” she said.

The Vagabonds begin rehearsals in January for the Jones, Wooten and Hope play, “The Last Roundup of the Guacamole Queens.” It reprises See THESPIANS, Continued on pg. 34

Music of Floyd Cramer featured at Benefit Concert

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he Terrell ISD Excellence Foundation is pleased to present The Magic of Floyd Cramer at the TISD Performing Arts Center on Feb. 16, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. Floyd Cramer’s grandson, Jason Coleman, is featured playing iconic music from his granddad’s gold record repertoire. Coleman was voted “Entertainer of the Decade” by E! Terrell Entertainment Series patrons in 2012.

The concert is being held as a benefit to the Excellence Foundation, established in 2008 to encourage excellence in education by promoting and funding effective programs and ideas in the Terrell Independent School District. To date the Excellence Foundation has awarded 72 grants

totaling more than $770,000.

Most recently the foundation’s focus has been to support career tech initiatives for students that provide training and real-world work experiences focusing on industry recognized certifications in areas of health care, engineering, welding, manufacturing, auto tech, computer technology, audio visual, and agriculture science.

Funding categories include college and career readiness, student enrichment, advanced learning, and technology integration.

The benefit concert will also be an opportunity to learn about the foundation from some of the grant recipients as well as enjoy an evening of magnificent music by Coleman, who currently tours the

USA paying tribute to his grandfather‘s signature slip-note piano style. He began playing the piano at age five and touring at 18. The program will include all-time favorite hits such as “Last Date,” “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and “Only the Lonely.”

Tickets, priced at $20 in advance, $25 at the door and $50 for reserved seating, are available at American National Bank, Terrell Chamber of Commerce/CVB and Re/Max Landmark as well as from Excellence Foundation board members. For more information on the Excellence Foundation, visit www.terrell excellencefoundation. org. Additional information on Jason Coleman can be found at www.jasoncolemanmusic.com. www.kaufmancountylife.com

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Traditional Texas

Twang

Winning the Road to Nashville contest singing traditional country songs has given Larry Farris’ musical career a boost — one that he plans to take advantage of while returning to his roots.

Larry Farris belts out traditional country tunes during a recent performance in Terrell.

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Story by

Phil Major and Photos by Austin Balaz

ng

Kaufman County Life | Feature Volume 5 Issue 4 | Winter 2015

L

arry Farris is on a mission — to preserve country and western music as it was meant to be.

He’s even penned a song, “Alive and Well,” which pulls no punches when it comes to commenting on what passes for country music today.

“Traditional country music seems to be a thing of the past,” Farris said.

But he managed to win a music competition and a trip to Nashville — the town country music calls home — by sticking to his roots — and his guns.

“Alive and Well’ was one of the songs he performed during the Road to Nashville contest, and he sang it again when he had the chance to play the famed Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge when he got to Music City.

It was received well enough that he was invited to come back and perform.

Though Farris has been around music performance much of his life, he admits getting discouraged and walking

Above, Farris likes to have his fans and supporters sign his guitar, and there are not many spots left.

Right, Farris takes the mic to perform at the Garden Event Center in Terrell.

“Be real about what you do. Stay true to the voice inside you. Don’t let the ‘business’ change what it is you love because the people, the fans, respond to what is heartfelt. They can always tell when a singer is faking it.” — George Jones away from it for awhile after country music underwent dramatic changes in recent years.

A so-called country hit today can sound like pop or rap, Farris said. And that’s typically the style most “country” venues want when booking acts.

There are plenty of traditional

country singers, Farris explained, but they have been struggling to find venues.

But this former bull rider has been riding high again for about a year and a half, and he’s sensing a change, and acceptance of traditional country seems to be on the upswing.

He admits that he became

frustrated when he walked away from his love, but now he’s making up for lost time, and working as hard as he can to perfect his craft and share it with a wider audience.

“It was the weirdest thing to go to Nashville and to think I could make it,” he said of the more accepting feeling he got.

“There’s plenty of room for all kinds of singers.”

The whole Nashville experience was amazing, Farris said, www.kaufmancountylife.com

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Kaufman County Life | Feature Volume 5 Issue 4 | Winter 2015

extend to the western side of the Metroplex. And with the contests being held on Thursdays, it was difficult for his local followers to make the journey.

But he prevailed, winning the Nashville trip, 20 hours of studio time and many other prizes.

He plans to use that studio time to create demos of his songs and then go on the road in Texas and take to next step toward making a name for himself.

He is playing some acoustic shows — he can often be seen at open mic night at the Garden Event Center in Terrell — and plans to put a band together.

He’s also working on some new songs and will put together a new CD.

“I’m working harder than I ever have. The sky’s the limit.” — Larry Farris

Farris is ready to make the leap from local performer, carrying on the traditions of “real” country and western music. His win in the Road to Nashville competition has opened some doors that he’s poised to come through like gang busters. .

and he knows he is fortunate to get to live that dream.

The Road to Nashville contest was sponsored by radio station Hank FM at the Longhorn Saloon in Fort Worth.

It was a grueling 10 weeks of tryouts. Farris won the second round and attended every week to see what he would be up against in the finals.

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KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | WINTER 2015

When the winners for four straight weeks were from the “red dirt” style, Farris admits he was a little worried that a traditionalist might not have much of a chance.

And since 25 percent of the vote was audience participation, Farris had to rely on the 75 percent from the three judges, since his following doesn’t

In the mean time Farris can be viewed on Facebook where many of his songs are available.

Farris is a native of the area, growing up in the Poetry area — at the end of a road that dead-ends into the Sabine River. He attended schools in Quinlan and Terrell and got his musical start playing in local venues. His first band was called High Noon.

He lists among his influences George Jones, Keith Whitley, Merle Haggard and Lefty Frizzell.

He’s also investigating competing on The Voice, a See TWANG, Continued on pg. 34

www.kaufmancountylife.com

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Angela Foster at the new Boxes of Love in Terrell.

Hope from a Box Terrell resident Angela Foster gives back to the community, one box at a time.

S

ome people were not always happy to see Angela Foster at church on Sunday mornings.

Foster — who grew up in Terrell — did not have a good reputation around town.

“People used to cringe when they saw me coming in,” she said.

But times have changed, and so too has Foster. After years of admittedly bad decision making Foster is back on the right path, and she’s hoping to help others join her.

Story by

Steve Dickerson and Photos by Patrick Brown

On Nov. 10 she opened Boxes of Love in Terrell. The shop offers clothing, shoes, cleaning and hygiene products for people in need.

On her opening day she helped 11 families. The day after, just remembering her first customers is enough to bring tears to her eyes.

“We’re supposed to give to each other. That’s all I want to do in life,” she said.

Foster said Boxes of Love allows people to take between

three and five outfits once a week and cleaning supplies once a month.

When she first had the idea, Foster would give people old shoeboxes filled with things she knew the recipient needed.

“We’re supposed to give to each other. That’s all I want to do in life.”

— Angela Foster www.kaufmancountylife.com

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Kaufman County Life | KCL Charm Volume 5 Issue 4 | Winter 2015

It’s a service she could have used just a few years prior.

Before Foster opened her new shop, she was homeless.

For many years she lived under bridges and slept at bus stations.

“I made a lot of wrong choices in life,” she admitted. “My parents were addicts and that’s what I thought I was supposed to be, too.”

In 2010 Foster caught a break. She was in front of a judge and she knew she needed to turn her life around.

“I told myself, ‘This is the last time I’m getting arrested’,” Foster said.

She told the judge to send her to prison for her wrong doings. Foster was surprised by the judge’s response.

“The judge said ‘I see potential in you’.”

Instead of prison, Foster was sent to rehab. Besides a onetime lapse, she made gains and took the early steps toward the life she has now.

Some of the items offered at Boxes of Love.

Foster said, and she felt like she needed to do the same.

“I wanted to give people hope and I wanted to do something that made a difference.”

“I want to lift people up in the same way I was.”

That was where Boxes of Love began, Foster said. It started with a few boxes here

“I wanted to do something that made a difference. I want to lift people up in the — Angela Foster same way I was.”

When she finished her rehab, and there. Then she was asked her brother took her to church. to talk to people who were Instead of seeing cringing faces, going through struggles like Foster found something else. she had.

Forgiveness.

Every time she saw an She started attending Life opportunity to spread her Point Church regularly. She message, Foster took it. “It just even spoke about her past life. kept blowing up,” she said.

“I was so welcomed and Soon she was invited to loved,” she said. “They encourspeak to congregations. From aged me so much.” there she appeared on a web She began to feel inspired by show called “Zoe on the Go” and her minister. He was helping so “Le Femme Focus On Air.” “Doors many people in the community, just kept opening up,” she said.

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KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | WINTER 2015

Last February she had the idea of opening a storefront in Terrell, the place she had always tried to escape, but she did not have the means.

She began cleaning homes for a living and, once again, when a door was shown to her, she charged through.

One of Foster’s clients owned a strip mall in Terrell and offered Foster a space at a reduced price.

She took her offer and began taking donations. All of the clothing and supplies offered by Boxes of Love is donated.

She opens her doors every Tuesday at noon until 5 p.m.

People come in, two at a time, to browse and visit.

“It makes it a really relaxed experience,” Foster said.

After years of planning her exodus, Foster is now setting down roots where she never thought she would: the city where she grew up.

“This is my home. I used to always try to run from this town. Now I never want to leave.”

www.kaufmancountylife.com

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Shopping Around Find something old, something new Beautiful Antiques from Charleston, SC. These Antiques are over the top, full of elegance and charm. Hours are Tue.–Fri. 10–5, Sat. 10–3, closed Sun. and Mon. Offering Funky Junk Painting Classes once a month, Sat. at 12 p.m. Bring a piece of furniture and the staff will help you bring it to life.

We sell Junk Gypsy Chalk and Clay Paint. Private Parties are available at your location with a minimum of 5 guests.

Mobile Painting Parties~ We bring the party to you!

Looking for a fun activity for the holidays? Our mobile unit brings the painting experience to your location. You provide the tables & chairs, we bring all supplies, $35 per person.

Minimum of 10 required & we can handle large groups.

You choose the time & choose a painting or ask about a custom painting. Perfect for church groups, businesses, sororities, schools, organizations, etc. Book now, dates are filling up!

Antiques & Collectibles 1739 N. Frances St. | Terrell, Texas | 843-460-0420 Follow us on Facebook and Pinterest!

Artworks Texas Carrie Stevens, M.Ed. | 214-675-9447 carriestevens111@gmail.com | www.artworkstexas.com facebook: Artworks Texas

Celebrate the Season!!

Barrels, baskets, flowers and gifts. ifts.

Come in and find your happy place!

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

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

Poor Me Sweets 106 W. High St. Terrell, Texas 214-902-2560 469-474-7375

Holiday shopping begins here!

Let us help you with your Shopping Around Town for the Holidays. With LOANS up to $1,340, we have one to fit your needs. Call us TODAY!

Toledo Finance 120 E. Moore Ave. Terrell, Texas 972-210-2990 18

KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | WINTER 2015

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Get your holly jolly at The Front Porch!

We’ll help you check off your gift list with one of a kind gifts for all ages. There are memorable and unique items in every corner. From Christmas decorations, seasonal Aromatique candles and potpourri, fashions to teacher and baby gifts, you will find something for everyone on your list.

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

Have a Merry Brighton Christmas at Risingers!

Risingers Country Store carries an extraordinary selection of Brighton collectibles. Accessorize your list and fill Christmas stockings from a selection of ornaments, purses, charms, necklaces, bracelets and rings. A visit to our store will BRIGHTON up your holiday season.

Risingers Country Store 210 W. Moore Ave. | Terrell, Texas 972-563-3813

Shopping d Aroun

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In the air, there's a feeling of Christmas…

And we hope that wonderful feeling stays with you all year!

As we look around us, we’re filled with gratitude and joy for all the blessings we’ve been so fortunate to receive. Family, friends, neighbors and customers like you remind us of what’s important at Christmastime and all year. The Green House offers a variety of Christmas ornaments, home decor, fragrances, collectibles and gifts of all kinds that will be sure to put a smile on anyone on your Christmas list. Stop by and see our unique Christmas items and enjoy the feeling of Christmastime.

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

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Shopping Around

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Gifts and more, just for you Located on the square in downtown Kaufman in the historic First National Bank Building, this charming tea room offers an array of soups, salads, sandwiches, desserts, and Nancy Murphy’s famous lemonade tea. The Tea Room serves lunch from 11–2 and is perfect for special events!

And don’t forget to go shopping while you’re there! Exquisite seasonal décor, candles, baby items, jewelry and accessories make this shop a MUST SEE!

Tis the season for holiday fashions!

Especially for You Gift Shop & Tea Room 100 West Grove | Kaufman, Texas 972-932-4274 www.especiallyforyoutearoom.com

ShoppingAround

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All of your fashion dreams can come true at Daisy’s. Consuela bags with Brighton or Mariana jewelry coupled with fashionable clothing in trendy colors are on every woman’s Christmas list! Don’t forget to choose some sweaters or coats to keep warm throughout the season.

Daisy’s 105 W. Mulberry St. | Kaufman, Texas 972-962-3810 | daisysdressshoppe.com

Your favorite Country Store Located in Southeastern Kaufman County near Cedar Creek Lake, come by and pick up a sandwich, snack, or sweet treat! Then look around at the variety of goods we have!

Including: Deli Meats ~ Breads ~ Muffins ~ Cookies ~ Pies ~ Baking Supplies ~ Sandwiches ~ Jams ~ Fruit Butter ~ Pickles ~ Cheeses ~ No-Sugar Added Items We also have a Variety Corner that includes: Christian Literature & Music ~ Leanin’ Tree Greeting Cards ~ Fabric & Notions ~ Texas Souvenirs ~ Cookbooks ~ Hand made soaps and lotions

Heritage Market & Bakery 109A State Hwy 274 | Kemp, Texas | 903-498-3366

The hottest tan in town!

Hotties Tan & More supplies the Cedar Creek Lake and surrounding areas with the most technologically advanced, state of the art equipment available. We have 6 different levels of tanning and a knowledgeable staff that understands that everyone has unique qualities in their skin. Our offers include spray tanning with top-of-the line sunless airbrush solutions from Norvell. Including the new Venetian spray to give you that just off the beach tan every time! We also have a new line of candles and car air fresheners, spirit mums and much more! Call to ask about our Dec/Jan specials to jumpstart a new year, new you!

Hotties Tanning Salon & More 101 State Hwy 274 Ste. 1 | Kemp, Texas | 903-498-8990 20

KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | WINTER 2015

Holiday

Hoopla Story and Photos by

Gary E. Lindsley

Stoc St o k ph phot oto o

Cassi Carter

KCL’s Man on the Streets for Christmas

C

hristmas is about family, being together at a special time of year. Families have traditions, and even create new ones with each passing generation. Kaufman County Life hit the streets to find out what people do to celebrate.

Samantha Roberts It is all about family gatherings for Samantha Roberts, who lives in Elmo.

Since she was a child — she is now 28 — her family uses the former train station in Wills Point every year on Christmas Eve for a big Christmas Samantha Roberts, Elmo celebration.

She expects about 30 people this year.

“We have a family dinner and the kids open their presents,” Roberts said. “The adults play white elephant.”

the first gift, then the first person must choose and open a wrapped gift. The game continues until everyone has had a turn for a gift.

Roberts was fortunate last year. She was able to go home with baking accessories.

“On Christmas Day, we get together at my parents’ house,” she said. “We watch Christmas movies and visit.

It is family time.”

White elephant is a gift exchange game that is very similar in style to Yankee Swap, although the emphasis is to ‘steal’ gifts rather than swap them, according to www.secretsanta.com.

The game got its name from the term white elephant, being something of limited value.

In a white elephant gift exchange each participant brings a wrapped, unmarked gift and places it in a designated area. Guests are given numbers as they arrive or their names are randomly drawn.

The person with the first choice picks a gift and opens it, letting everyone see it.

The second person has the choice of “stealing” the first unwrapped gift or choosing a wrapped one from the pile.

If the second person steals

Christmas is a big holiday for Cassi Carter and her family, especially with her children Brody, 4, and Caden, 8.

It is a traditional family Christmas with the opening of gifts Christmas morning. Then it is off to her mom’s and her husband James’ mother’s home to continue the celebration.

Of course, Elf on the Shelf is huge with her children.

Cassi Carter, Kaufman If the children are good, the Elf does something surprising.

“He has hung underwear from the fans,” Carter said.

“And he [toilet papered] the tree.”

But it is not just a family celebration. “We always do treats for families and friends

“I wish it would be something every family would do. Every night we put an ornament on the tree after reading scripture.”

— Pam Corder www.kaufmancountylife.com

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Kaufman County Life | Feature Volume 5 Issue 4 | Winter 2015

— cookies and candy,” Carter said.

Her family also participates in The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program that provides clothing or toys for children of needy families through the support of donors.

Angel trees are decorated with numbered paper angel tags with the first name, age and gender of a child in need of presents.

Donors then remove one or more tags from the tree and purchase gifts for the child or children on the tags.

“It is about giving back to the community,” Carter said.

Pam Corder Christmas is more public and community-oriented for Rosser’s Pam Corder.

“We kick off with a Christmas tree in the downtown park,” Corder said. “Then we sing Christmas carols.”

And her family reads scripture every night until Christmas — the 25 days of Christmas scripture program.

“I wish it would be Pam Corder, Rosser something every family would do,” Corder said. “Every night we put an ornament on the tree after reading scripture.”

Corder said her family goes to the Christmas Eve service at Rosser United Methodist Church where preachers from other churches are invited as well.

“Everybody comes,” she said.

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KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | WINTER 2015

S oc St ock kp ph ho otto

White Elephant is a traditional exchange game many families take part in during the holidays.

“It is not Christmas until you have Christmas Eve service.”

Then, on Christmas Day, her family has a traditional turkey dinner.

Carlton Tidwell Low-key is the watchword for Carlton Tidwell’s annual Christmas celebration.

It is all about family being together, Tidwell said.

“We spend a low-key, nonstressful Christmas at home,” he said.

That involves his wife, Shawn, and their children Annie and Britton with his wife, Holly.

“We do have Christmas dinner — turkey, dressing and great desserts,” Tidwell said.

“Food is out all day.”

The family has one tradition that may be different from those of others. Christmas decorations are not allowed in the home until the Friday after Thanksgiving.

“That’s because Thanksgiving is just as important a holiday as Christmas,” Tidwell said. It is about being thankful.

But once that Friday arrives, the family shifts into high gear with the decorations, preparations and spirit. “[Christmas] is about family, reflections, blessings we have as a family,” he said. “As the kids got older, it was not about gifts. It [now] is about being together.”

Tidwell fondly recalls the big family get-togethers at his parents’ home for 42 dominoes tournaments.

According to the Dominoes Rules website, 42, also known as Texas Forty-Two, Four-Hand Texas, and Domino Carlton Tidwell, Terrell Rounce,

Forty-Two is an adaptation of Auction Pitch.

It was invented by W. A. Thomas during his boyhood in Garner in Parker County about 1885.

The game reportedly spread throughout the Southwest. It involves two-player teams’ attempts to win all seven tricks.

It is one point per trick and each of the fivecount dominoes — two tiles worth 10 points each and three tiles worth five points each for a total of 35 points in the course of one hand, giving the team a total of 42 points — 7 + 35 = 42. Thus, it is the name of the game.

The object of the game is to be the first team to reach 250 points or win seven hands.

The Tidwell clan used to have as many as 10 tables going at once. Tidwell said today, because the family is so spread out, there is one table.

“It was the favorite game of our family,” he said.

“My grandmother, who passed away five years ago at 99 [years old], played every year until her last Christmas,” Tidwell said.

He said when it came to 42, his grandmother was like most of her generation when it involved

S oc St ock k ph ho otto Dominoes are fancied by families.

42. “She was ruthless,” he said. “Her great-grandkids learned from her.”

So the family tradition lives on at Christmas.

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LaRita and Rich Williams are there for the children every day, making this facility feel more like a home.

Character Counts Stoc St o k ph p ot oto o Story by

M

ore than 200 children go through LaReta and Rich Williams’ home every year.

Together the couple is the driving force of the A. Fern Norville Center, Kaufman County’s emergency children’s shelter.

The Williamses live at the shelter. Their constant presence, Rich Williams said, helps the home have a feeling of continuity and structure like a normal home would.

It is something the part-time residents of the shelter are not at all used to. “This is the only shelter in the state of Texas with a consistent parental unit,” he said.

The emergency shelter houses children who have come from abusive environments that often include drug use or sexual assault. The homes these children have come from, LaReta Williams said, have

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KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | WINTER 2015

never had what most people would consider consistency or normalcy.

“One of the first questions they ask when they get here is ‘Will we have breakfast tomorrow’,” she said.

Because of the way the Williamses have set up the shelter, it allows them and their staff to ready the children for life at school and life at a foster care facility when they leave the shelter.

A stay at the shelter lasts 90 days unless otherwise ordered by a judge. The 7,000 squarefoot facility is licensed to house up to 20 children at a time. It is the only facility in the state that will accept infants and children up to the age of 18.

While living at the facility, children are taken for dental and physical check-ups and also receive psychological care with a mental health professional.

Steve Dickerson

They are also given new shoes and clothing for school.

Doing that, Rich Williams said, has a two-fold effect.

First, it gives the children something that belongs only to them — which many have never experienced before. Secondly, it helps the children transition.

“This is the only shelter in the state of Texas with a consistent parental unit.”

— Rich Williams “I call it camouflage,” he said. Giving the children clothing that helps them look like they have come from a normal, loving home can help the children fit in and it makes the transition to the school a little easier.

See CHILDREN, Continued on pg. 26

CHILDREN, Continued from pg. 24

LaReta Williams said that every day at the shelter is scheduled. “You have to be flexible,” she said. “But the kids here always know what’s coming next. And that helps.”

The Williamses began at the shelter nearly 20 years ago. In December of 1996 they were asked to spend two weeks helping out. “We’ve been here ever since,” Rich Williams said.

Those two weeks were exhausting. The Williamses were the only staff members around at the time because two others decided to leave unexpectedly. At the time the facility took mostly teenagers and middle school-aged students. Some of the programs used at the facility at the time, combined with the age of the children, made for some high-tension situations.

“There were 22 holes in the wall,” from children punching them Rich Williams said. “We haven’t had any more since.”

The Williamses stuck around and eventually became directors. They began imple-

Facilities at the Kaufman County emergency children’s shelter.

(Courtesy photo, A. Fern Norville Center)

menting programs that empower the children in their care. If they are in good standing at school, and have the support and supervision of a staff mem-

“I want to help them learn to expect better.

I want them to know when they leave that they deserve to be fed. They deserve to be clean. They deserve to be loved.”

— LaReta Williams ber, they can make money by doing chores around the house.

“That’s what I did with my children,” Rich Williams said.

“I’m giving them the same

Terrell Rotary Club President DJ Ory, left, presented Rick Williams of the Kaufman County Children's Shelter a check for $8,000 as proceeds from the annual club’s Chili Supper.

For several years the Terrell Rotary Club has been an advocate for and supported them in their annual fundraising campaign. (Courtesy photo, Rotary Club of Terrell) 26

KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | WINTER 2015

opportunity.”

The Williamses near twodecade run with the shelter is the longest running in Texas.

An above-average employment

is around 18 months because of how emotionally draining the job is.

Relationships are built over the 90-day stay. When that stay is over and a new child comes in, it’s starting over from square one. “It’s draining. It’s emotionally draining,” LaReta said.

Rich Williams said what has helped him and his wife stick around is that they do not think of their work as a job. It is a mission, he said. “We see this as our mission. We have to.

If you look at it as a job, you won’t make it.”

For LaReta Williams, it’s about making sure the children who pass through the shelter have higher expectations.

“They’ve come from hell,” she said about the abusive See CHILDREN, Continued on pg. 34

Local, Flexible, Personal Funeral Services are a Ministry to the Community

M

ax Slayton recently opened the doors of his new funeral home in Terrell, and he wants the community to know that Max Slayton Funerals and Cremation is ready to serve the community.

Slayton spent 26 years in the local funeral business, and he is well-known throughout the area.

“I’ve been here my whole life,” Slayton said. “I know the people.”

One of the driving motivations for Slayton to start his own business was to continue the personalized service he believes local families want. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to do that in the corporate culture that has become a part of the funeral industry.

“It’s more about serving (the people) and giving them what they want,” Slayton said, not about what he can sell them.

So Slayton began looking for property to build a new funeral home. But he eventually settled on the location of the former Terrell Pharmacy at 624 N. Rockwall.

Slayton said that having a funeral home location within a business center is becoming more common, and with a lot of work the former pharmacy space has been transformed.

Visitors will see a beautiful chapel and a family room with a private entrance. In the rear are the offices and visitation room.

And though the entrance was still under going renovations the

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KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | WINTER 2015

The family room

week before Thanksgiving, Slayton has been open for business since receiving his state licensing earlier in the month.

“This is a business,” Slayton explained, “but it is more of a ministry to the community.”

Slayton also wants to be able

The Chapel

to offer services that are in line with a changing funeral industry.

For example, when Slayton started in the business, requests for cremations were rare. Now, he said, they are 35 percent of the business, and he knows of other locations where the percentage is even higher.

Another area that is changing funerals is technology.

Slayton said live streaming of services will be offered, which will allow family and friends from a distance who would be unable to attend to view the services.

And he plans to offer that capability at local venues, such as nursing homes, where friends might not be able to travel to a service.

And requests for various services are also changing and growing, and by having a locallyowned, family-owned company, he and his staff can be more responsive to requests.

As an example, if someone wants their ashes scattered offshore in a coral reef, Slayton will work to make that happen.

“We have greater latitude to do exactly what they want,” said funeral director Veronica Wilkerson, also well-known in the area.

Slayton also plans to use local businesses to provide ancillary services, such as catering or videography. “We want to keep the business here,” he said.

Slayton summed up his philosophy: “We’re here to listen.”

Visit maxslaytonfunerals.com for more information or call 972-524-0881.

Kaufman County Life | Cook’s Corner Volume 5 Issue 4 | Winter 2015

Cook’s Corner From deer camp to U.S. Steak Cook Champion, Dustin Sanders started right here.

T

he best steak cook in the world grills his wares in Terrell.

But with apologies to local restaurants, beef aficionados won’t be able to order one.

Dustin Sanders earned his stripes as the world’s best steak cook through competitions around the country.

It’s clear he loves what he’s doing. His face lights up as he recounts tales of winning first one and then many steak-cooking championships.

And it’s not just Dustin, but wife Ashley and daughter Catie.

Steak cookoffs are family affairs for the Sanderses, along with his cooking partner, Joe Stump of Boyd and his wife and son, Keri and Ethan.

Ashley talks animatedly about the fun and adventure of spending time on the road, while Catie, 6, just beams about her own trophies earned in kids’ championships.

“If you love good food, you should know how to make it.”

— Dustin Sanders 30

KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | WINTER 2015

With the seasonings just right and the grill at the right temperature, Dustin prepares a ribeye as he would for competition.

Story and Photos by

Dustin has always loved to cook, a talent he learned growing up in Chico from his mother and grandmother.

His philosophy is that if you love good food, you should know how to make it.

That love extends to his marriage, as both Ashley and his mother-in-law are also great cooks. And Catie seems to be picking up the trait.

Dustin traces his “pro” talent with steaks to a hunting trip with Stump. Joe, Dustin explained, is a picky eater.

So when Dustin picked up some steaks at Hard Eight in Stephenville to cook on an old barrel cooker at the deer camp

Phil Major

near Ireland, Texas, he was not prepared for Joe’s enthusiastic response.

Joe cleaned his plate and said it was the best steak he’d ever eaten.

So from that point on, the best rating a steak could earn is a “deer camp” steak.

Roll forward to 2011. A group of educators in Decatur — not far from where Dustin grew up — started a steak cookoff to raise funds for field trips for their students. Joe, living just a few miles away, entered Dustin in the contest.

Dustin showed up with his basic $100 grill to find the other contestants (including a former

world champ) had expensive, and extensive, cooking setups, banners and team t-shirts.

Ashley and Joe had not yet arrived, so Dustin called them to say he was dropping out — he had no chance against such seasoned cooks.

“I was intimidated,” he said. But Ashley encouraged him to go ahead and enter, for the experience and to have a good time.

When the 10 finalists were announced, Dustin was shocked, and considered the weekend a success when he made the finals.

Back he went to that inexpensive grill to cook another steak for the finals.

As the results were announced and he watched the entry numbers roll by, he knew he’d won when the runnerup was announced. His team went crazy when the announcement was made, he said.

Dustin was hooked, and the Smokehouse Rats were born. The team of Dustin and Joe has managed to win the 2014 U.S. championship and back-to-back world championships.

During a 36-week span that ended in October, Dustin managed to enter 26 competitions throughout the country, racking up 13,000 miles.

Dustin (left) and Joe (right) have their entries ready to turn in at a recent competition. (Courtesy photo, the Sanders Family)

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Kaufman County Life | Cook’s Corner Volume 5 Issue 4 | Winter 2015

Sanders slices open a finished steak to show it’s cooked to a perfect medium.

He has managed to take on several corporate sponsors — through Ashley’s persistence — and has upgraded his equipment to the best.

Naturally, Dustin won’t reveal his secret to success.

As he notes, steak cookout participants are a big family and will share most of what they know. But not everything.

Dustin seasons his steak with equal parts salt, pepper and garlic powder. He precisely times and gauges the steak’s temperature as it is grilled.

His cast aluminum PK grill is stoked with charcoal and some mesquite for that “Texas” flavor.

Timing of the seasoning as the chilled steak warms is also key. (The expanding steak draws in the seasonings, he explains.)

But what Dustin will not reveal is the source of his seasonings.

How serious is he about that?

They have left labels lying around of brands of seasonings they don’t use to throw other cooks off the trail.

And once when Ashley had posted to her Facebook page that she was expecting an order, she realized she couldn’t take the chance of leaving the package on 32

KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | WINTER 2015

the porch where someone might see the label.

Dustin backed up his success at Decatur by winning again in 2012. And Joe won that one last year.

But the greatest wins of the Smokehouse Rats came at Magnolia Ark. — home of the largest and oldest championship (29 years) — with successive wins in the world championship.

Competitors travel there from all over the world.

When Dustin’s not cooking steaks, he can be found at his day job with Culberson Construction Inc.’s Decatur yard.

But even then he might be found in the kitchen.

The oilfield company has provided him with a kitchen trailer that would make any chef proud. And he tows it around the state, serving meals for various company functions once or twice a month.

The largest such meal, a safety meeting for 300, took a week of preparations. Sanders does all his cooking from scratch.

The shelves of the trailer are lined with various seasonings.

And he likes to experiment.

Some steak cookoffs have separate categories for appetizers, and that’s where Dustin gets creative. Among his items was a Swiss mushroom bacon cheeseburger eggroll. “Can we not watch a cooking show?” Ashley chimes in.

But the piece de resistance remains the steak. In competition, the steak is a 16-ounce, one-inch cut ribeye. Competitors are issued their steaks so that each starts with a level playing field. Dustin explains any heat source is acceptable, and competitors may use different ones — wood, propane, charcoal or pellets. “Everybody has their own method,” he says.

Dustin and Catie display their winnings in the trophy room of their home.

Top left, The Smokehouse Rats’ set up for competition with their PK grills.

(Courtesy photo, the Sanders Family) Top right, Dustin shows off the large ring he won as the U.S. champion steak cook in 2014.

Bottom left, Dustin and Joe with their families show off their winning checks and trophies at the world championship in May. (Courtesy photo, the Sanders Family)

Once the steak is in hand, a time window is set for the meat to be turned into the judges, normally 30 minutes.

Judging panels are usually six members per 20 teams, and they go to work as soon as the entries start to arrive.

Contests are judged equally on taste, texture, appearance and doneness.

The standard is medium.

“Doneness and taste are the hardest to nail,” Sanders said.

He works meticulously to get all four right and takes particular care with the appearance, dabbing a little butter to get a good seared mark from his

grill grates and then carefully turning to leave a perfect crosshatch pattern.

He wants its flavor to give a little back burn, but not overpowering, with just a hint of smokiness.

“The salt carries the flavor,” he said. “That’s the most important.” His goal is for that flavor to stand out for the judges when they are reviewing many entries.

He’s experimented with several combinations of seasonings and determined that his simple formula works best. Each judge gets one bite of the steak to judge, so it’s got to be right.

Dustin admits the 26 competitions proved to be a little much, and they will scale back some when the 2016 contest season rolls around. But he describes the thrill of winning as addicting; expect his trophy room to be a little more crowded next year.

So what does the world champion cook order when he visits a good steakhouse?

“Fish,” Dustin says. After all that steak, he wants something different.

For More Info: To learn more about steak cook-offs, visit the Steak Cookoff Association’s website, www.steakcookoffs.com or Dustin Sander’s website, www.smokehouserats.com.

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Kaufman County Life | Continued

THESPIANS , Continued from pg. 8

Volume 5 Issue 4 | Winter 2015

TWANG, Continued from pg. 12

the characters, the Verdeen cousins of Sweetgum, Texas — Gaynell, Peaches and Jimmy Wyvette.

They are up against the clock as they frantically attempt to produce the ultimate high school reunion before the old building is demolished. But each is facing a bunch of obstacles to overcome.

Gayle made sure to shed light on one of the more laid back Vagabonds, Maddie, the resident cat at Books and Crannies. “Maddie is an honorary Vagabond,” Gayle said.

“She has made appearances on stage — all in her own time and her own schedule of course.”

When the troupe makes up its playbills, Maddie is usually listed as well. She also doubles as greeter at the plays. “We want to keep this stage rocking and people laughing for many, many years,” Ron said. “It is part of our lives — what we do. This is it.”

Check out the troupe’s Facebook page at Vagabond Players Fan Page.

CHILDREN, Continued from pg. 26 environment the children have experienced. Foster care, she said, sometimes is not all that much better. “I want to help them learn to expect better. I want them to know when they leave that they deserve to be fed. They deserve to be clean. They deserve to be loved,” she said. “That’s what we’re trying to do here.”

Farris in a recent performance at the Garden Event Center in Terrell.

national music contest broadcast on NBC. With country singer Blake Shelton on the panel, Farris thinks he can make a connection.

“I’m working harder than I ever have,” Farris said, practicing several hours a day. “The sky’s the limit.”

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KAUFMAN COUNTY LIFE | WINTER 2015

Scene & Heard Star Transit, Public Transportation Provider In 2014, STAR Transit provided over 80,000 rides in Kaufman County; 5,741 of those rides took place on the Kaufman Trolley, Kaufman County’s only fixed route. Destinations included medical appointments, shopping facilities, jobs, senior centers, educational facilities, libraries, city and county buildings, salons, individual homes plus many more.

While we have historically served the transportation dependent populations in our service areas, the demand for our dependable bus and shuttle services continues to grow.

People of all ages and socio-economic groups are seeking mobility options. It is our responsibility to expand our existing routes and to establish new services in neighboring communities, goals we share with our partnering cities and counties.

STAR Transit is stable, in good financial standing and in a position to grow. We plan on being around for future generations who will rely on public transportation for their daily activities. For more information regarding STAR Transit’s services, call 877-631-5278 or visit www.STARtransit.org.

Mission Church Real People. Real Purpose. Our vision is simple: we exist to glorify God & make disciples by building an authentic community on the foundation of Gospel-centered homes. We want to glorify God in all that we do by being a place where you’ll find real people – those who aren’t afraid to share how life hurts – united for a real purpose: lives transformed through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

A former Marine major, F/A-18 “Hornet” pilot and graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary,

Lead Pastor Eric Creekmore is passionate about challenging Christians to live out the Gospel in their lives. Mission Church is a non-denominational church plant of Fellowship Bible/Dallas and a member of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network.

Join us Sundays at 10 a.m. at Criswell Elementary (FM 740 & Pinson Road, Forney). We promise you a warm greeting, genuine people, and solid, understandable, down-to-earth teaching that will apply to your daily life. Visit our website for more information www.missionchurchforney.com.

Kemp Care Center The Kemp Care Center is committed to excellence. Whether you are interested in our shortterm rehab to home program or in making our facility your home, our commitment is the same.

Kemp Care Center will provide the highest quality nursing and therapy services in a state of the art environment, ensuring that you or your loved one receives second-to-none attention and care. We are proud to offer: - Progressive rehabilitation techniques - Advanced medical technology - Superior outcomes

- Plush amenities in a luxurious living environment - A professional service team Kemp Care Center proudly serves Kemp and surrounding communities including Mabank, Crandall, Gun Barrel City, Seagoville, Tool, Malakoff, Murchison, Trinidad, Scurry, Kerens, Seven Points, Pinnacle, Eustace, Wills Point, Kaufman, and Lively.

Please Contact Connie Duwe for a tour.

1351 South Elm, Kemp, TX 75143 Ph: 903-498-8073 Fax: 903-498-6894 www.KempCare.com

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.

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