NETX Crossroads August 2020

C NETX

ROSSROADS MAGAZINE

Tim Buzbee Tooting his own horn

page 6

Alex Hammonds

A golf phenom in the making page 10

Dejah Arnold proves cancer is a word, not a sentence page 12

Titus County roots tied to Morris County Cabin page 30

... and more!

About the Cover

AUGUST 2020

Weston Runnels tries to outrun a deluge of water launched at him by Michelle Hurst. Runnels and Hurst are both from New Boston.

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S D A O R S ROS

Photo by SON HUYNH

CONTENTS

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MAGAZIN

4

E

Futbol Phenomenon

e Tim Buzbe is h Tooting rn own ho

page 6

The bloom of a lifetime

Alex nds o the making Halfmphm enom in A go

page 10

rnolda DejaprhovesA cancer is t a se word, no

ntence

tied nty roots Titus Cou County Cabin to Morris

page 12

re! ... and mo

page 30

Home is where happiness lives freely

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Lori Potts

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Di Duncan Tim Emmons Allison Haley Jamie Jeans Shawn Larson Caleb Moseley Miranda Oglesby Jillian Smith Kate Stow Toni Walker PHOTOGRAPHERS Di Duncan Miranda Oglesby Toni Walker GRAPHIC DESIGNER Joni Guess

Jimenez (left) maintains control of the ball during a match at Barca Academy. Jimenez scored later in the match.

N O N E ENOM

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By DI DU

Mount Pleasant boy excels at Barcelona’s Barca Academy

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hose who know Jonathan Jimenez say that he is a quiet, wellmannered child. In his everyday life, he is an ordinary young boy. He attends elementary school; he has friends, favorite toys, and games he loves to play. However, on the field, Jimenez is anything but ordinary. He speaks volumes with a soccer ball.

Jimenez began playing soccer in Mount Pleasant when he was three years old. Mount Pleasant Youth Soccer Association (MPYSA) coaches Esau Garcia and William Cruz recognized early on that Jimenez was special. Today, he plays for the MPYSA on the Lobos team, as well as for the MPFC11. He is referred to as a team leader, always there to help his teammates. Heidi Garcia, wife of 4

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coach Esau Garcia, said, “Jonathan is a talented young boy, who at such a young age, has accomplished many great things in the sport. Not only does he dominate in his age division, but in an upper division as well.”

Jimenez is regarded as a player with a mentality far beyond his years, who has a keen ability to turn any deficit around for the good of his team. At just nine years old, he has now become an international soccer player. Last summer, he was invited to attend a camp in Barcelona, Spain, at the world-renowned Barca Academy.

The Barca Academy trains some of the top athletes in the world.

FC Barcelona’s star right-winger Lionel Messi attended the academy NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

in his youth, along with right-back Hector Bellerin and many others who have become professional soccer players. Barca Academy states that their purpose is to provide young athletes with the skills and training needed to become professionals. With the resources available to him there, Jimenez could one day follow in the footsteps of his idols.

In March, Jimenez traveled across the Atlantic with his aunt and cousin to attend the camp. During his time there, he was instructed by professionally trained FC Barcelona coaches twice per day, he experienced a variety of cultural activities, and he was able to play and score in matches with other camp teams. He also had the opportunity to see an FC Barcelona professional match.

Unfortunately, while Jimenez was in Spain, the state of the world took a turn for the worse. President Trump called for a closure of borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the camp was forced to close. Jimenez’s family feared he would be unable to return for weeks. “His mother was devastated. She tried to call the airports to get him a flight, but we told her there was nothing the airports could do,” said Garcia.

Three days after the order to close borders, Jimenez, his aunt, and his cousin had a flight booked to return home. Now home in Mount Pleasant, he can look back at this incredible opportunity he was able to experience and continue to improve his skills before returning to Barca Academy next year. Garcia said of Jimenez’s potential in the sport, “We really feel that he will eventually play professionally. He is a talented kid with a great future ahead of him.”

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

Jimenez (bottom right) was on the Griezmann team at the Barca Academy. The team was named for French professional soccer player Antoine Griezmann, who plays for FC Barcelona.

AUGUST 2020

5

Tooting his own horn From the football field in Queen City to the Symphony Hall in Melbourne, Australia, Tim Buzbee’s musical career has shown him the world.

By TONI WALKER

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usic has always been a key part of Tim Buzbee’s life. From growing up in Northeast Texas listening to his grandfather play the country fiddle, to being Principal Tuba of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Buzbee’s music has spanned not only his lifetime, but the globe, as well.

Buzbee grew up in Queen City, where his mother worked for the school district as a bus driver and in one of the cafeterias. Buzbee’s first instrument was the violin, which he learned from his grandfather.

“Music has always been something I was drawn to even as a very young child,” Buzbee said. “I fell in love with country fiddle as a young kid because of my grandfather who played fiddle also. I started playing violin and stayed with that until I found the bass guitar. Who doesn’t won’t to be a rock star as a teenager?”

Buzbee’s love followed him into his school years, and soon he was introduced to the director who jumpstarted his musical career almost 30 years ago.

“In middle school I took the music test in sixth grade and scored a 100 percent,” Buzbee said, “so when (they) asked what instrument I wanted to play I said drums! (Drummers get all the girls, I thought.) Anyways, Mrs. Margie Manning said no and that I was 6

AUGUST 2020

much too smart to play drums. I had to play the euphonium!! Then I switched to tuba the next year which is the instrument I still play today, but for a living.”

Buzbee credits Manning, who was the junior high band director at the time as being instrumental in his career. According to Buzbee, Manning, who became the high school band director prior to Buzbee’s sophomore year, always pushed him to continue moving in the right direction.

“Margie Manning helped me so much I can never tell her thank you enough. Margie tried her best to keep me moving the right direction in music and showed me that it is possible to make a career in music. I think she thought it would be as a band director but once I got to college,” I had bigger plans,” Buzbee said, who also credited his parents for their understanding. “My mom and Dad also helped me so much with a tremendous amount of support and even more understanding. They also showed me what hard work is and that when you think/say you are going to do something, then get it done.”

Buzbee’s school band years also gave him a wealth of knowledge and insight into the competitiveness of the music industry. From NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

Tim Buzbee, far right, is shown on a family trip with his wife, Jessica (second from left) and three of their children (l-r): William, Melba, and Elias.

tuba and bass guitar solos on the football field, to competing in solo and ensemble contest, Buzbee saw just how competitive music could be, and that helped prepare him for his career.

“The High/Middle School scene in Texas is very strong,” Buzbee explained. “So, all the marching/solo/ensemble competitions helped me prepare for a very competitive career which is something that you need to know. It’s very competitive, everything you do is being judged. From standing on the sideline playing a solo, to AllArea competition, to going to hear Maynard Ferguson, who I had no clue who he was at the time, all made huge impressions on me.”

Buzbee has continued moving in the right direction, having held positions in eight countries over the past 20 years. He has played in the Louisville Orchestra, Chicago Civic Symphony, Iceland Symphony, Malmo Symphony and Gavle Symphony, both in Sweden, Singapore Symphony, and the Acapulco Symphony in addition to his current position with the Melbourne Symphony, where he is the Principal Tuba. In the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Buzbee plays tubas in the key of CC and F. In addition to his time spent in the symphony halls, he also is a Professor of Tuba/Euphonium University of Melbourne. In addition to his other accomplishments, Buzbee was also a part of the soundtrack for the movie “Babe,” which was released in 1995.

Like professional athletes, a professional musician can be chosen to represent a certain company through their career. Currently, Buzbee serves as Eastman Tuba Artist for the Eastman Brass Company, although Eastman is not the first company he has represented.

“Over the years many companies approached me to sponsor me if I play their instruments,” Buzbee explained. “This support usually consists of playing for travel, hotels, discounts, etc. I’ve been an artist for several companies but about two years ago I was approached

by Eastman about the possibility of a partnership. I love their instruments and the people behind the instruments so I jumped at the opportunity. It’s been great and also a very rewarding partnership for both sides.”

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Buzbee’s love of music has certainly offered him many experiences that others may only dream about, but he stresses that a career in music must be done for the right reasons. When asked what he would tell those dreaming of a life in music, he reminds themit can be a rewarding profession if done for the right reasons.

“The chances of winning a job in a major orchestra somewhere in the world is smaller than being drafted in the NFL,” Buzbee says. “But like anything in life, hard work, determination, persistence, focus, and a lot of luck is all you need. Find a mentor to help you make good decisions about career moves, etc. And the music world is actually quite small, everyone knows everyone, so be nice, respectful, thoughtful.

Just be a good person no matter how great/big you become. It’s a very rewarding profession were if you love it then you will never have to work a day in your life, or at least it doesn’t feel like work.”

Buzbee and his wife Jessica live in Melbourne, Australia with their 5 kids: Jacob, Elias, Cole, William and Melba and 2 dogs: Gus the Bassett hound and Murphy the pug. They enjoy traveling, camping, 4x4 driving, fishing, sports, skiing, and wine testing. Buzbee normally makes a few trips to the states every year for solo concert tours and to visit family, who still live in East Texas.

Tim Buzbee has played on numerous movie and video game soundtracks, and has shared the stage with other world-renowned artists, such as Wynton Marsalis.

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AUGUST 2020

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

UNDER CONSTRUCTION MPHS renovations begin

MPISD held a groundbreaking ceremony June 16.

Story & photos by

MIRANDA OGLESBY

T

ake a drive down Edwards Avenue, and you may notice that Mount Pleasant High School is looking a little bit different these days.

The front of the building, where a once-paved circle drive and parking lot sat, is currently being prepared for a new building - a part of a construction project that broke ground in June.

A $55 million bond was passed in 2019, some of which will be used for the renovations.

“Construction is underway at the high school with the removal of the driveway and sidewalks in front of the school. A new building will be constructed across the front that will contain offices and classrooms,” said Mount Pleasant ISD Director of Communication, Kelly Cowan.

Along with the new buildNETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

ing, existing buildings at the high school will also have work done.

“The current academic building at the front of the campus will receive heavy renovations.

Work will also be done to the band hall and a new entrance to Willie Williams Gym will be constructed for guests to enter from the parking lot,”

Cowan said. “Next summer, work will move to the back of the campus with renovations to the courtyard area, Career and Technology building and upgrades for Fine Arts.”

The current facility was built Construction is set to be completed by August 2022.

“Safety and security upgrades have already been made on the

other campuses this spring,” Cowan said. “Each elementary and the Junior High now has a secure vestibule at the front of the campus to control access to the main parts of those campuses.”

MPISD is updating the construction progress on their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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ALEX HAMMONDS A golf phenom in the making By

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Atlanta’s Alex Hammonds has accomplished much in his eight years of life including taking the golf world by storm and sinking a hole-in-one at just four years of age.

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TIM EMMONS

ove over, Phil. There’s a new lefty in town. A southpaw golfer, who is a potential future legend when you consider how much time he has to catch up to Mr. Mickelson’s legacy.

Alex Hammonds, the 8-year-old son of Derek and Rae Hammonds of Atlanta, was all but born on the golf course with a club in his hands.

The young prodigy was groomed for the sport by his father Derek and it shows.

“He’s had a golf club in his hands since he was 13 months old, and at 1 year and nine months he could line the ball up and solidly hit it,” Derek remarked.

Just this year alone the golf phenom won 11 consecutive events on the East Texas Junior Golf Tour and has advanced to his third straight U.S. Kids World Championships.

At the championship event of the tour, Alex shot a record-low score of 29 on day one and 36 on day two for a total of 65, which was 18 strokes better than the second-place finisher.

After the championship, he had tallied 200 points on the tour which was 80 points better than his second-place opponent.

For each first-place finish the golfer receives 20 points, second place is 15 points and third place is 10 points. From there every place hits single-digit points.

Of the 10, 11U course records set in 2020 Alex owns nine of them.

He had previously tied the record-low score of 33 in his first event of the tour but topped that with his score of 29 in the championship match.

As of the 2020 top 25 record holders Hammonds holds 13 of those.

This is no surprise of course.

When Alex was 4-years-old he accomplished one of golf ’s rarest feats.

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

The memorable day started out as just another normal outing with his father on the links at the Texarkana Golf Ranch until Alex nailed an ace, or hole-in-one, from 68 yards out.

Shortly after the impressive feat, Derek called his wife Rae and recounted the euphoric moment.

“Derek called me and was very excited that Alex had just hit his first hole-in-one,” Rae said.

While Derek let the moment fully sink in, Alex simply said, “‘that’s a good shot, Daddy.”

“It went in the hole,” Derek said. “He wasn’t as excited as I was because he didn’t know any better at that time.”

To clarify, Alex didn’t hit the shot from a regulation tee box on the course. Derek routinely sets up tee shots in the fairway based on average yardage for Alex’s age since the golf course is not designed for youth golf. Hence, the distance of 68 yards for a par 3 hole.

“I set up the shot from a level spot on the fairway at the distance it would be for his age,” Derek said. “The initial tee shot carried 50 yards, hit downslope kicked forward and rolled 15 yards into the cup.”

After his emphatic phone call to his wife, the overjoyed dad began to Google the youngest person on record to have hit a hole-in-one.

His search revealed that the “Guinness Book of World Records” logged in a child of 4 years and 195 days old hit an ace in 1999. Alex was exactly 4 years and 67 days old when he hit his amazing shot.

“Tiger Woods was recorded hitting his first ace at age 6. The “Guinness Book of World Records has a child who hit a hole-in-

one at 4 years, 195 days old in the late ‘90s so, of course, I’m thinking this will put Alex in the book,” Derek said. “Unfortunately, the Guinness Book of World Records representative told us it had to be witnessed by others, and for it to count it had to be off of a tee box.”

Something else that could be considered by any book of records would be the fact that a father-son duo hit their first ace on the same hole.

“I’ve hit two aces in an 11-month-span in my lifetime but the cool thing is my first hole-in-one was on the same hole Alex hit his,” Derek said. “The Texarkana Golf Ranch is considered one of the toughest courses to play in the state of Texas and is a national regulation course.”

Feats like that are very hard to replicate.

Another amazing stat about the young man is that he hits the ball from the left side but is naturally right-handed.

“He’s naturally right-handed but he used to mirror his dad when he was starting out so he hits left-handed because of that,” Rae said.

“Derek doesn’t push golf on him or force him to learn it he makes it fun for him and Alex has picked up on it really well.”

“We want him to love it, breathe it and live it if that is what he wants to do,” Derek said.

No matter the outcome of the events he plays or shots he’s taken in practice the proud parents are still happy for the young golfer and his amazing accomplishments, and with the way he keeps his head down, follows through smoothly and makes contact with the ball gives me a sense of excitement to fast forward a few years and see exactly where his love for the game will take him.

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Rising above

ALL

Dejah Arnold proves cancer is a word, not a sentence.

By

D

DI DUNCAN

ejah Arnold was just five years old when she was given news that would change her life. Her mother, Beth Anderson, noticed that she had seemed weak and that she had some bruising, so she took her to a pediatrician, assuming it was anemia.

“Cancer was not even a thought in my head. I thought she was anemic, and her legs were hurting, so I thought it was growing pains,” Anderson said. “I took her to the pediatric clinic. Dr. Bradshaw ran some tests, and when he came back in, he just looked at me and said, ‘Well, I’ve spoken to my friends in Dallas and she has leukemia.’ It was a huge shock.”

Arnold, being such a young child, did not have understanding of the situation. “It was a new thing and I didn’t really understand. I went with it and just did whatever they told me to do, and I didn’t really know what was going on,” she said.

Immediately upon her acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) diagnosis, Arnold and Anderson left for Dallas to begin treatment.

Oncologists at Medical City in Dallas told them that the treatment would go on for 2.5 years. Before chemotherapy could begin, surgeons placed a port in her body to receive the treatments. During the surgery, Arnold aspirated, leaving her in the intensive care 12

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unit. This hospital stay lasted 23 days.

When Arnold was ready for chemotherapy, doctors told her that she would lose her hair during the treatment, and Anderson called this one of the easier challenges. “At that time, Hannah Montana was big, and she had wigs, so that was easy… What’s crazy is that kindergarteners are actually already thinking about things like that.”

Towards the end of Arnold’s treatment, Anderson gained the gumption to ask a question she had feared the answer to: what would have happened if she hadn’t taken her daughter in to see a doctor when she did? The answer she was given was, “She might have had a week; she might have had a month.”

Fortunately, Arnold went into remission quickly. The family started having normalcy again; Arnold was taken off of some of the medications, and she went back to playing softball. “From what you hear, you’re in remission and you just think you’re good…” Anderson reflected.

She continued, “At dinner one night, I noticed some marks and I looked, and I saw petechiae again, and I just took a deep breath. I said, ‘Okay, we’re going to go to the hospital now.’ The doctor from ER came in and he said NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

that she was slipping back. From there, we got in an ambulance and went back up to the hospital. They did all kinds of tests. They said she’d relapsed.”

Not only had Arnold relapsed with ALL, the doctors now found markers for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The cancer was also found in her spinal fluid. This meant a much more intensive treatment for Arnold. Now 12 years old, she began to understand the challenges before her. “I knew what was going on, so it hit me harder. I knew that I could die. I didn’t really understand that before because I was so little,” Arnold said.

Arnold said with this second treatment plan, she underwent more chemotherapy, radiation to her brain and her full body, and a bone marrow transplant. “The second time it was hard, especially deciding whether I wanted to go through with the transplant, because there was not a very good chance that I would live...” she said.

When her doctors realized that she was going to have to have the transplant, Anderson and Arnold were forced to stay close by the hospital, and Arnold was given intense chemotherapy. “From the moment we were admitted for transplant through that whole process to the end was 82 days straight,” Anderson stated.

Anderson revealed that the day they were driving to check into the transplant, Arnold told her that she felt okay either way the transplant went. She said, “Well, either I’m going to die and I’m going to get to go to heaven, or it’s going to work and I’m going to be better.” The bone marrow transplant surgery was a success, but there were many more obstacles to overcome.

“During that time, you can’t have anyone in there. Anytime I hear

Arnold poses with her physicians before undergoing surgery to remove her chemotherapy port.

some say that they’re going to have a transplant, I cringe, because it was the worst imaginable scenario - watching her go through that and just being completely helpless,” she continued.

Anderson said that with the transplant, all of the native cells to the body are “wiped out” and new stem cells are put in. After this is done, the stem cells have to grow. “In the time you’re waiting for them to grow, you don’t have white cells. Basically, she was

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alive on machines. She had all kinds of pumps, all kinds of tubes going in different ways. She was fed through tubes. She got medications through tubes. She got her white cells and platelets... She’s had 300 units of blood and white cells.”

Anderson said that while this was happening, Arnold’s room was sealed off. “For me to go in and out of her room, I’d have to wear mask. I would have to wear gloves. I’d have to wash my hands before I went in and before I got out, because I could give her something,” she said.

Though viruses and bacteria were a major concern, there was also a possibility of rejection. Arnold said, “There’s a chance that your body could reject it - graft versus host. There’s a possibility of death… I stayed in my room for around three months. I couldn’t really see anybody. It was lonely. I was homeschooled during that time, so I just did my schoolwork in my room. I still texted some of my friends and they wrote me letters.”

Arnold went through major depression during her treatment.

Anderson said, “She just looked at me and said, ‘Mom, you think I’m going to die?’ Of course, when you’re a mom, you tell them they’re going to be fine – that they’ve got so much more life to live.

She said, ‘Mom, I’m tired. I’m tired. I’m tired of fighting. I’m tired of doing this.”

At children’s hospitals, staff members commonly play games with children to keep up morale. Anderson says her goal was the same.

“I’m goofy and just trying to make her laugh all the time. We’re just trying to keep it fun and try to keep her mind off of things. For Valentine’s, the kids at school sent tons of valentines, so we strung them

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up from the ceiling… It snowed one day, so I went outside and got a tub and put some snow in it. I took it up to her so she could touch it.”

Arnold said that one Easter was spent at the hospital, so they held an Easter egg hunt on the floor. “Her whole life has been adjusting to things and changing things up and trying to make the best out of bad situations,” Anderson said.

Arnold said that her healing took a long time the second time.

Some of her medications were tapering off, but a complication requiring more medication would soon follow. During this time, Arnold was diagnosed with autoimmune hemolytic anemia. She was given another chemo-like medication and high dose steroids.

“The steroids were so bad. She got stretch marks and you could barely see her little nose in her face for a long time, about a year,” Anderson said.

Anderson continued, “Her immune system was foreign to her body, so it could attack anywhere. She would have skin rashes. She would have digestional issues. It would flare up in different place, so they would go back up on the steroids to try to start to handle that.”

Arnold was also diagnosed with osteoporosis because of all the chemotherapy and the havoc it wreaked on her body. Throughout both cancer diagnoses, she underwent 19 chemotherapy treatments. She has ovarian failure and optometrical issues, as well.

Anderson said there is extensive follow-up with other specialists due to the damage done to her.

Arnold remained in homeschool until her sophomore year of high school. She said that returning to public school was a difficult transition after so many years of being by herself. “There are good

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

things and bad things about it. I like being alone and just having my personal space, but it’s also very lonely. Since I didn’t get to socialize with people that much, I was glad to go back and I see all my friends again,” she said.

Today, Arnold is a high school graduate and is in remission.

Through years of radiation treatments, surgeries, hospital stays, and 19 rounds of chemotherapy, Arnold maintained her schoolwork and graduated on time. Her future plans are to attend Northeast Texas Community College for her basics, and later transfer to a university to complete a master’s degree in psychology.

“Originally, I was in a bunch of medical classes because I wanted to be a pediatric hematology oncologist, but then I changed that.

I knew I didn’t want to be a nurse because I didn’t want to bring kids any pain. I decided I’ll just to be a child life specialist, because it brings joy to children… I’ve been through that, so I can like help them. I know what it feels like, so I can relate to them more than my doctors who haven’t been through it before. They went to school and Arnold was given a bone density test after complaining of back pain for learned about it, but they haven’t had the experience,” Arnold said. an extended period. Osteoporosis due to cancer treatments was the Anderson is very supportive of her daughter’s chosen career path. diagnosis.

“At one point, Dejah told me that every night during the transplant day basis. “You just kind of keep an eye on everything. Last month, process, she was just praying, ‘God, please take me. I can’t do this they gave us a guide called passport for care so we could get all that anymore.’ The child life specialists are awesome because they come together. It gave us a plan of what she should be doing, what scans in and talk with them. They do a lot of counseling with them and help them from that perspective. I think she’d be really good at that, she should get regularly and how often she should be evaluated.

We’ve been dealing with this by reacting to whatever happens,” because she’s been there.”

Anderson said. “Now we can be proactive for her future.”

Arnold’s prognosis from this point forward is done on a day-to-

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THE BLOOM OF A LIFETIME Local resident growing unique blossom

Daingerfield resident Martha Pricer’s Agave americana has recently begun to bloom.

The plant, also known as the Century Plant, blooms once in its lifetime.

This photo was taken in July.

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Story & photos by

TONI WALKER

T

hey say good things come to those that wait, and that some things are once in a lifetime events. In Daingerfield, at the home of Pat and Martha Pricer, one of those “once in a lifetime events” is coming, after about 30 years.

In 1990, Mrs. Pricer, and avid gardener, added an Agave americana to her collection of yucca plants. The plant, also known as a “Century Plant,” is known for the fact that it blooms once in its lifespan, which is between five and 30 years. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica website, the name is commonly applied to A. americana, which is grown as an ornamental in many places and is a source of the fibre maguey and of “agave nectar” used as a sweetener. Despite their common name, most century plants do not live longer than 30 years; each rosette usually dies after flowering. The century plant’s flowers are quite impressive, not least because of their infrequency. The flowers appear on a tall, upright stalk that can be anywhere from 5 to 30 feet tall, depending on the species. The flowers typically range from yellow to greenish-yellow. However, the plant is known to produce clonal pups at its base that may persist, even after the death of the parent plant.

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

Pricer estimates that she has given away around 100 of the unique plant’s offshoots.

“A man stopped when we lived in Pittsburg,” Pricer says, “and wanted to buy one of the babies. I told him that God provided them and I would not sell it, but give him one.”

The Pricers, who regularly spent time handing out Angel Food boxes at their church, organized a time for the gentleman to come get the plant, and everyone went on their way. After Pricer and her husband returned from church the following Wednesday, they found a check in the mailbox, enough to provide three Angel Food boxes to needy families. From then on, the Pricer’s have referred to it as their “missionary plant.”

In the 30 years since its addition, the Pricers have moved their unique plant each time they have moved. According to Pricer, when they moved to their current home in Daingerfield, there was concern that the plant may not make it.

“The last time we moved, all the roots were pulled off,” Pricer said.

“But I told my husband that the hole was already dug, and we were going to plant it anyway, and pray God would restore it.” That was seven years ago, and now, Pricer is anxiously waiting for the once in a lifetime blossoms.

Pricer invites anyone to drive by and take a peek as the plant continues towards its crowning achievement.

“People will drive by and slow way down, I have even seen some stop to take pictures,” Pricer said of the unique plant.

The unmistakable flora can be found on Dale Street in Daingerfield, but could take some time before the plant fully blooms.

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HOME is where

HAPPINESS lives

FREELY Cass C ou Journa nty Courth ouse i l-Sun P n Lind hoto en at

By

T

JAMIE JEANS

he world as seen from the International Space Station is a large blue globe, dotted with the beige loneliness of the deserts and the lush greens of forests and rolling pastures. At night, the cities paint a luminous pathway of humanity’s impact on the place we call home. The International Space Station is only a mere 248 miles above Earth. For reference, a trip from Linden, Texas, the county seat of Cass County to Houston is 251 miles.

For most native Texans and even longtime residents, that doesn’t seem like a long distance. There is one North Texas resident, though, who has traveled much further and indeed, can certainly appreciate the beauty of the world around her.

Upon first meeting her, one notices the genuine warmth she has for those around her. Her young years are reflected in her outlook on life. Aliya, not the name she grew up with or the name people know her by here, but a name we have given her to protect her.

Aliya someday wants to be a dentist and help people smile again and feel good about themselves. Indeed, that is her one true goal in life, to give back to the world. To pour out happiness and positivity into those around her. What one fails to realize, what she

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dusk.

keeps from the world, is this youthful optimism was not always a part of her life.

Born and raised in the war-torn country of Iraq, this bright and bubbly girl faced a life of unspeakable terror. The ancient country has been terrorized for decades not only by insurgents but also by their own leaders. Kidnappings for ransom are common and families are forced to sell their possessions in hopes to free their loved ones. As of May 2007, between 151,000 and 1.2 million Iraqis have been killed during the Iraq War alone which began in 2003.

Her smile shows nothing of this life. It shows nothing of the hardships she has endured.

It was in 2014 that she and her family were able to come to America. It is now those famous words at the base of the Statue of Liberty should be remembered, “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.” These words have greeted hundreds of thousands of huddled masses, looking for freedom from oppression, freedom from daily terror. Fourteen is a hard age and as someone new to this country with those words of promise ringing NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

in your ear, it is hard when you find that not all are welcoming to those who yearn to breathe free. She was constantly harassed as a freshman. Though 9/11 happened 13 years before she arrived here and while she was only still a baby, kids constantly made comments about terrorists and knives. They asked about her hijab, a veil traditionally worn by Muslim women when in the presence of any males outside of their immediate family.

A year and a half later, she found herself at a new school and that is when life changed. Those at her new school accepted her for who she is. She made friends and found the life she dreamed of.

There is one last unhappy part of this journey. For some Muslims, it is looked down upon to marry outside of your faith or people.

When she met and fell in love with her now-husband, her brothers forbid her from being with him. They threatened to send her back to Iraq and force her to marry someone from their country. Leaving everything behind, they moved to North Texas to start over.

The kindness the community they now call home still amazes her. They were given clothes, furniture, and help in finding jobs.

Upon arriving, those in the community gave them a place to stay until they were able to get on their feet. It is this outpouring of kindness that inspires her smile every day.

Aliya was not born here and she was not raised here. For having only moved here a mere six years ago, she has boldly chosen to let go of a past that is full of unspoken horrors and lives for today.

The official Texas slogan is “The Friendly State� and indeed Texans are well known far and wide for being friendly, but this nonnative A nation ravaged by war has brought people out to destruction into a new place of opportunity. Photo by Joao Leitao, www.joaoleitao.com Texan is proof that Texas surely lives up to its reputation.

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Resurrecting Our Heritage The mission to bring our grade school back to life

By

I

SHAWN LARSON AND KATE STOW

t was a hot summer day in 2017 when Kevin Stingley decided to swing by his old grade school on Miller Street in Atlanta after visiting his mother. The tall trees and bushes in front of the building were overgrown and Kevin took care of some downed limbs during that stop.

On the 125-mile drive back home to Rusk, Texas, Kevin called fellow alumni Jane Cook Barnhill of “Atlanta Grade School Friends, Inc.” to discuss the state of the building. The conversation ended with Kevin volunteering to do what he could to save the historical school during his frequent trips home.

“It broke my heart to see it in ruins like that. There was so much water damage on the roof, and the floor was rotting from the standing water,” Kevin recalled. “The crawlspaces under the floors were filled with stray animals, raccoons, rats and snakes.”

Donning a Hazmat suit and respirator, he did all he could – clocking 230 hours by himself – until he reached the point when he knew it was a bigger project than he could handle alone.

But he had laid the groundwork for the roof to be replaced. The roof was paid for out of funds from the $65,000 they had raised with their capital campaign.

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As the Regional Director of the Texas Archeological Society, Kevin – a 1976 Atlanta graduate, and retired teacher and coach from Rusk ISD - travels throughout East Texas consulting and working to preserve historical sites. It’s that experience and knowledge that made him realize it was time to call in reinforcements.

The building had been purchased by A group of former students established the Atlanta Grade School Friends as a 501c3 organization to purchase the school building to preserve the building together in hopes of saving the old school. Later, a Capital campaign was started to secure funds to restore the school in 2006. They were able to raise approximately $65,000.00, which was placed in a CD when the group went inactive.

The school was built in 1936 by a federal Works Progress Administration program. The Hardy Brothers of Texarkana built the school out of brick made here in at the Atlanta brick foundry. It took 120 days to complete the project and the cost was $19,455.00. It originally consisted of 6 classrooms housing first through eighth grades. Within a few years of operation, NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

four additional rooms were added to the northwest side. In the late 1950’s the name was officially changed from Atlanta Grade School to Miller Grade.

In 1963, two additional rooms were added to allow three classrooms per grades first through fourth. The school did not have a cafeteria, so students were bused to the Atlanta High School for lunch, or students ate at the Briar Patch which was located next to the school. There was an auditorium with a stage in the center of the building.

The Miller Grade school was closed in 1974, once the new primary school was built. Between 1975-1990, the school was used as an all-purpose center housing Head Start, the Senior Citizen Center and other offices. It was used as storage for the Atlanta ISD. In 2006, the school was awarded a Texas Historical Commission Medallion. Due to various reasons, the original Board members were not able to continue beyond 2008. The building sat unmaintained until the day that Kevin stopped by on a whim.

A new group of board members took over the project, with Jane as President, and hired Bob Grabarschick of RWG Construction Management, Inc., in Brenham, Texas as project manager. John Volz, a preservation architect from Austin, is serving as a consultant. Andre Moore Construction in Texarkana is handling most of the labor – currently replacing window panes in the antique frames.

Improvements so far have included asbestos abatement; removal of tree stumps and brush from the property; replacement of Cyndy Chamblee, board member; Bob Grabarshick, project manager; and roof; removal of drop ceiling tiles/insulation, old sheetrock, John Volz, architect, tour Miller Grade School.

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old carpet; window and brick repair; drainage improvement to prevent water infiltration; power washing the front of the building; repair and painting of the eaves; new gutters were added; demolition of the first-grade wing - this has been done by Construction Management Company utilizing local contractors.

According to Board member Cyndy Chamblee, they have raised approximately $260,000.00 from donations, fundraisers, brick sales, tee-shirt sales, private donations and memorials.

“This was raised to do the pressing work of the demolition of the west wing, abatement, structural repairs and water drainage. We do not have an overall goal. We are focusing on smaller projects at a time,” Cyndy said. “We currently are hoping to raise funds to restore the hardwood floors for which we are hoping to raise at least $50,000.00.”

The Board is comprised of former students: President Jane Barnhill; Vice President Kevin Stingley; Treasurer Danny Stanley; Secretary Cyndy Chamblee; Parliamentarian Jeanie Jackson; and members Lee Ellen Benjamin, Gina Clements, Camille Dawn, Margaret Fitts, Paula Harp, George Jackson, Judy Lanier, John Price, Leigh Stanley James Joslin, Donna and Phil Rice, Brooke Allen, Brook Mays Geisler and Ted Brabham and Mary Nell Tyson.

The board meets every few months, and the fundraising The west wing had fallen into such disrepair it had to be demolished. committee meets monthly. In August the group will hold a meeting at a local location (yet to be decided) to discuss new However, the contractor was careful to leave the first grade doorway arch intact. Photo by Kate Stow ideas and add more “friends.”

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The group had planned a “Blast from the Past Bash” fundraiser before the COVID-19 pandemic. The event, which will be rescheduled as soon as they are able, will include a meal, games, oldies music, prizes and school items for sale. Other plans include the creation of a cookbook using former teacher and student recipes.

Once restored, the building will be offered to non-profit organizations as well as provide a unique, historical and affordable location to host events such as class reunions, receptions, weddings, seminars and stage productions. There are also plans to rent space in the school for a local business or organization.

Future fundraising efforts and monthly meetings will be reported in the Cass County Citizen’s Journal-Sun. Editor’s Note: What makes a project like this so special is the connection to the people who experienced it. Schools can be especially important because it embodies the memories of childhood. For this reason, there is nothing more wrenching than to come home to see a part of your childhood broken and withering. Miller Grade School is such a place. It is filled with memories of children playing and learning. Esthetically, it has pleasant architecture. It is a place a community like ours needs to hold on to. Additionally, preserving the legacy for our children, and children’s children is equally important so generations to come can experience the history of their ancestors; those that cannot merely be lost in a shoebox full of photos. Preserving that legacy through a functional piece of architecture is a winwin for the community and one worth investing in.

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Lori Potts TEXARKANA COLLEGE STUDENT PROFILE:

Time at TC offers opportunities, connections, and plans for the future

By

L

ALLISON HALEY, Texarkana College

ori Potts is a Spring 2020 TC graduate preparing to transfer to Texas A&M University at College Station to complete her bachelor’s degree. She graduated from Redwater High School with 30 dual credit hours of work towards her college degree. Her future is definitely bright because of her hard work and dedication to academic success. However, her path to arrive at this point in her life has been rocky.

At the age of 16, Lori moved out of her parents’ home to live with her grandparents. Lori worked two part time jobs to provide for herself. Lori’s grandmother suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, so much of her grandfather’s income goes towards taking care of her.

Although Lori has worked two part time jobs, she believes it has helped her grow as a person. Lori is grateful for her grandparents’ and Mamaw’s kindness and willingness to welcome her into their home with loving arms.

“Balancing two jobs and keeping up with schoolwork is tough,” said Lori. “But staying focused on academics has been my goal since high school. My parents do not have college degrees, and while growing up, my brothers and I watched our parents struggle to hold down steady jobs. Seeing how hard it was for them to find good jobs has motivated us to do better by working incredibly hard to earn college degrees.”

Lori graduated from high school with a 3.92 GPA and applied for the Texarkana College Presidential Scholarship which provides high achieving high school students the opportunity to earn their associate degree tuition-free.

Lori said that watching her older brother start his college degree at TC played a big role in her decision to attend TC herself.

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“My brother accomplished his goals by starting off at TC and his success helped me choose this path, too,” said Lori. “He is currently working on his second master’s degree and has a good job.

He is 100% my role model!”

During high school, Lori thought she would go straight off to a university right after graduation. But when it came time to make the actual decision, she was not financially prepared to do it.

“I wasn’t ready to take on the financial burden of going straight to a university,” Lori said. “I also wasn’t sure what degree I wanted to pursue. I had the hardest time trying to figure that out.”

After discussing it with her older brother, Lori decided that attending TC first and claiming the Presidential Scholarship would help her save money and allow her to take all her basic college courses at no cost before transferring to a university. Her decision to major in General Studies at TC allowed her the time she needed to decide on a career path.

“I just figured a General Studies would probably be the best degree for me because it wasn’t too focused on one thing,” Lori said. “All of the classes from my dual credit work in high school and my time at TC transfer to whatever degree I want to pursue at the university, and I am so thankful.”

Lori said TC’s Learning Frameworks class for first year college students along with her advisors, faculty, and staff mentors, helped her find a career path.

“I originally believed I would end up in the medical field because of my interest in taking these types of classes in high school,” Lori said. “But Idecided to take my time at TC and not limit my options. I took a step back and realized that I’m really NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

just now getting started in finding my passion and that I have time to choose a path that I think would be good for me.”

Upon starting classes at TC, Lori got a work-study job in administration helping Stephanie Stokes in the Dual Credit department.

“She was the best boss that I’ve ever had,” Lori said. “I was able to gain my first experience in an office career setting as a workstudy student, learning administrative tasks. Mrs. Stokes was more than a work supervisor to me, she was a mentor and helped me through many things. She always had my back, and when it came time for me to start the transfer journey to Texas A&M University, she helped me a lot.”

Lori said Stokes helped her connect with TC’s Educational Opportunity Center (EOC), a federally-funded TRIO program through TC designed to help first generation college students earn higher education credentials at the institution of their choice.

“I started worrying about having the money, resources and support I needed to transfer to Texas A&M University in College Station,” said Lori. “The EOC staff helped me every step of the way. They gave me so many lists of scholarship opportunities and even helped proofread all my scholarship essays! Knowing that you have someone to turn to who can help you complete your college application, find financial aid resources, and steer you in the right direction no matter where you are headed, is so helpful and reassuring. The EOC program is awesome and I am so glad to have been a part of it!”

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Lori said there were many other opportunities at TC that helped her along the way.

“I really got to make a lot of good connections, especially working in the administration building,” Lori said. “I developed bonds with the TC family and the connections I have now go way beyond my job and the classroom. Every teacher I had at TC really wanted to help me and wanted to see each student succeed.

It really feels like family.”

Lori’s academic success also earned her a spot in TC’s Honor College and membership in Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), an international honors society for community college students that provides opportunities to develop professional and leadership skills, earn scholarships, and explore career paths.

Lori served as the Vice President of Scholarship for TC’s Zeta Sigma Chapter of PTK and led the chapter’s Honors In Action project that was recognized on both state, national, and international levels.

“We had a big award ceremony and our project was recognized all the way up to the international level, so I think that was awesome,” Lori said. “The media picked up on our success, too, and I was interviewed for a news article that made it into the Texarkana Gazette- that was fun! We also made it onto the TXK Today online news site.”

Lori recognized TC’s PTK advisors for playing a role in making the experience so meaningful.

“TC’s PTK advisors, Dr. Mary Ellen Young, Valerie Shirley, and Alonza Mitchell, are all so awesome,” Lori said. “They helped me

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a lot. At first, I was hesitant to join PTK, but I am so grateful I did.

I met new friends and the group was really welcoming. It really helped shape my experience at TC and build confidence in my leadership ability. I’m proud of myself for going the extra mile to actually try to be a part of the TC community.”

Lori said there are so many incredible people who work at TC who want the very best for every student.

“Dr. Mary Ellen Young, my faculty advisor and instructor for the Learning Frameworks course, was a wonderful role model and a supportive leader on campus,” Lori said. “But there are so many others who helped me, too, especially my online biology instructor- Mr. Mark Storey, my speech teacher- Mrs. Shanna Cheney, and my math instructor- Mr. Tony Hartman who played a crucial role in helping me prepare academically to transfer into the Human Resource Development program at Texas A&M by teaching me how to apply math principles in a business setting.”

Lori also expressed gratitude to TC’s financial aid staff member, Becky Fant.

“Mrs. Fant helped me with the difficult aspects of the financial aid process and declaring my independency status from my parents to get the financial assistance I needed. She really helped me out a lot!”

Lori is grateful for the opportunities she’s had to start her college career at TC. “At the end of the day, if you get a college degree and use it to the most of its capacity, you can have a better chance at a steady career with higher income. This is something I want for myself and I rec-

ognize that being educated is a good quality to have.”

Lori said her time at TC has helped her decide on a logical and realistic career path.

“I’ve decided to pursue a degree in Human Resource Development at Texas A&M University,” Lori said. “The driving force behind my interest in this program is the stability and the job opportunities that come from it. Every company has an HR representative and there’s a need for it and the field is not really oversaturated.”

Lori’s advice for students just starting the college process is to start at a community college and get involved on campus.

“I was wary of the price tag on a major university right out of high school,” Lori said. “As it turns out, after taking courses at TC, the transfer process was a relatively easy and it was a more realistic way for me to earn my bachelor’s degree. I felt like it was just better for me personally to transfer into a huge university rather than go straight out of my high school senior year because you kind of know a little bit more about college life then. I have made friends through involvement in organizations, and my connections with faculty members have made a huge difference in my experience.”

As Lori prepares to transfer to Texas A&M University at College station, she is keeping an open mindset.

“I’m going to get involved on campus by joining organizations within my specific degree,” Lori said, “I really want to take time to fully soak in campus life at TAMU and try to meet new friends by joining as many different groups as possible. Although COVID-19 is limiting some of the time I will have to explore College Station, I am going to take it all in day by day.”

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