Paris Life May 2022

May 2022 $4.95

Hosea Spencer

A LIFE FULL OF LOVE

RENO KIWANIS RECREATION PARK

A GREAT PLACE TO ENJOY SUMMER FUN

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PARIS PARIS CARDIOLOGY CARDIOLOGY CENTER CENTER CATH LAB

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Dr. Khalid Shafiq M.D. also offers latest Venous ablation for venous insufficiency and Angioplasty, Atherectomy, and stenting for PAD at Paris Cardiology Center Cath Lab.

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Paris Life 3

EDITOR’S letter

H On the Cover Hosea Spencer Photo submitted by the Spencer Family

Paris Life STAFF PUBLISHER CLAY CARSNER

i, Paris Life readers! I know that many of you don’t know me, so let me take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Tommy Culkin. I’ve worked for The Paris News for four years — two as a news reporter and two as sports editor — and I now serve as the managing editor of the paper and the Paris Life magazine.

In my time with The Paris News, I like to think that I’ve done a pretty good job shining a light on some of the Red River Valley’s best and brightest, and given a voice to those who otherwise might not have their story told. Now that my job encompasses this magazine, I hope to do the same in these pages as well.

The previous managing editor, Klark Byrd, helped elevate the quality of Paris Life into one of the best publications in the region, and as his successor I plan on maintaining the high level of excellence that he set forth.

In this month’s pages you will find several heartwarming pieces, including an uplifting story about Higgins Elementary School student Hosea Spencer, a story on three extremely talented local artists, an article on the Reno Kiwanis Park and the benefit it provides to the community and much more.

This magazine holds a special place in my heart, as it is the first Paris Life I have officially helmed, and I hope you all enjoy the content inside these pages.

I can’t wait to continue bringing you the types of local stories y’all want to read moving forward, and am excited to produce many more stories like these in the future.

So without any further ado, here is the May edition of Paris Life.

Until next time,

EDITOR TOMMY CULKIN DESIGN HOLLY NOWELL MEGAN PEDERSEN

TOMMY CULKIN tommy.culkin@theparisnews.com 903-785-6960

ADVERTISING CLAY CARSNER ADAM CAWTHON HOLLY NOWELL COMPOSITION MEGAN PEDERSEN HOLLY NOWELL

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Paris Life 5

contents

12

18 40 30

26 EDITOR'S LETTER

FEATURES

4

IN EVERY ISSUE HEALTH

CONTRIBUTORS

Hosea Spencer 12 A Life Full of Love

8

UPCOMING EVENTS

10

Local events you don't want to miss

LIFESTYLE WISE WORDS

32

by Shannon McGuire

Story by Mary Madewell Photos submitted

Leisure, Reno Style 18 Reno park is the place to relax, play, party and exercise Story by David Money Photos submitted

Painting on a Parisian Canvas 26 3 of the many local artists in Paris' vibrant fine arts scene Story and photos by Tommy Culkin

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34

by Ayesha Shafiq

ENTERTAINMENT CHECKPOINT

30

by Klark Byrd DEJA VIEW

38

by Toni Clem

FOOD + DRINK 40

Vietnamese Shrimp & Broccolini Bowl Recipe & photo by TasteFood

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Paris Life 7

CONTRIBUTORS

SHANNON MCGUIRE

TONI CLEM Toni Clem has written the Deja View column since 1984. She has been married 51 years to Paris attorney A.W. “Plug” Clem of the Moore Law Firm, and has two grown sons, Chivas and Bachman. She had a Public Relations/Marketing firm, T.Clem & Associates, from 1986 to 2016. She is a graduate of the University of Texas/Austin, where she started graduate school. She continued that at Texas A&M Commerce, where she was a graduate instructor in political science. When she and Plug moved to Paris in 1969, her first job was ‘Society Editor’ for The Paris News. She left that to be press secretary for Jim Farris’ congressional campaign. She is an active member of the Northeast Texas community.

Shannon McGuire is a graduate of Roxton ISD, after which he played collegiate basketball for four years and graduated from both Grayson County College and Wayland Baptist University. He also graduated from Dallas Bible Theological Institute. He has been employed for the last 22 years at Collin County Juvenile Probation Department serving as the Court/Legal Liaison for Juvenile Detention and Probation in the 417th District Court Collin County, Texas. He has been pastoring for 11 years and currently serves as Senior Pastor at Paris New Generation Church, 1513 Lamar Ave. in Paris. He is married with two children.

AYESHA SHAFIQ

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Ayesha Shafiq lives in Paris with her husband, Dr. Khalid Shafiq, who owns Paris Cardiology Center. She has three kids, Sayekm, Layla and Maya. Ayesha has been writing a heath column for Paris Life magazine for the past few years.

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l a c Lo Events

you don't want to miss

May 6 & 7

Slade Baker Crawfish Cookoff

@ South Main Iron, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

This year, the event will feature a crawfish cook-off competition, a cornhole tournament, live music, kids corner, mobile bar and MORE! Slade Baker, former Paris Firefighter, was killed in an automobile accident in 2019. His legacy of laughter, loyalty and heart lives on through the Slade Baker Memorial Fund.

For tickets and more information visit: sladebakermemorial.com

May 7 Farmers & Artisan Market Opens

@ Market Square, starting at 8 a.m.

Local producers & vendors coming together to enrich, enliven and entertain while providing local products to the community.

May 7 34th Annual Uncle Jesse’s Big Bass Classic Fishing Tournament

@ Pat Mayse Lake Cash prize of $5,000 for 1st Place. All money raised through entry fees and sponsorships is directly awarded to organizations benefiting children of Lamar County.

May 13 & 14 "Eiffel in Love with Quilts" Quilt Show @ Love Civic Center Beautiful quilts on display as well as vendors with all the up to date machines and merchandise for quilting. For more information visit: parisquiltshow.com

May 20-22 Western Division ASA Archery Tournament

@ Love Civic Center Archers will be aiming at 3-dimensional wild animal targets out in the woods next to Love Civic Center. Cash prizes and the famous sought after Paris, Texas Belt Buckle will be awarded to the winners of each class. Vendors and Food Trucks will be at the tournament.

10 Paris Life

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Paris Life 11

FEATURE

HOSEA SPENCER A Life Full Of Love Story by Mary Madewell, photos submitted

H

osea Spencer is a happy 4-year-old, full of energy and lots of love to share.

“He makes our day better,” North Lamar special education teacher Kaelyn Keeley said about the little boy seated before a floor mirror in her classroom at Higgins Elementary School. “He senses our emotions, and he’ll look at us with that big smile. What’s amazing about him is he knows when you need hugs, and he gives them to you.”

12 Paris Life

From his wheelchair out in the hall, Hosea welcomes the other nine students in his class.

“He sits out in the mornings when the kids come in, and they all just love him,” Keeley said. “And it’s just so beautiful to see different kids with different disabilities helping each other.”

At one year of age, Hosea was diagnosed with Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome, a rare condition caused by a gene mutation. Roughly 1,000 people in the world have been diagnosed with this neurodevelopmental disorder, often described as having Epilepsy, Autism, Parkinson’s and Cerebral Palsy all in one.

Hosea’s parents became concerned about his development when he was about six months old and could not sit on his own. It would not be until he was a little over a year old that a doctor made the Pitt-Hopkins diagnosis.

“He couldn’t sit up, didn’t crawl and started losing weight when the natural reflexes he was born with left and he was left without the proper skills to feed properly, ” Sarah Spencer said about her son. “Now he feeds himself; can’t use utensils yet, but he can hold his own drink.”

With physical and occupational therapy, Hosea is gaining strength in his muscles and his mom is encouraged that someday he will walk. He can say a few words now but communicates mostly with signs.

o t t e G know ! a e s o H

A Note From Hosea’s Mom:

Hosea is just like most children, he loves to play with friends. He will let them know, in his own way, what he can or can’t handle, but he craves the same kind of play as most children.

We love to answer questions about Hosea’s condition and especially his sweet ride! If you or your children have any questions about Hosea, feel free to ask. We want to raise awareness and it blesses our hearts to know you care enough to learn.

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Likes

Lights & music Eye Contact Hugs Animals Balls Silly Sounds Friends Happy Faces Being Outside Deep Pressure Teething Toys Technology

My Goals

I have learned to crawl, but it hurts my knees!

Mom helps me stand up!

I want to walk one day! I know I can do it!

I’m working with an AAC app and an iPad which is helping me be a better communicator!

I’ve learned so many words and signs with more to come.

I want to learn to use utensils, brush my own teeth, get dressed on my own, and use the potty!

Hosea's mother said he has made great progress so far this first full year at school, having attended just a month at the end of the 2021 school year so mom could “test out the waters.”

“Before we started in school, we’d let him color but he would get frustrated and throw the craola because he had a hard time holding it,” mom said. “Now he’s making lines across the page, and I mean, he’s coloring all over the page and pickout the colors he wants. He is showing a lot more independence and awareness.”

With only 1,000 diagnosed cases in the world, Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome is a rarity that medical professionals often are not aware of. Outside of the physician that first diagnosed Hosea, mom said only one other caregiver had heard of the condition before.

“We’ve actually walked in to appointments where they’re like, ‘Wait, what is this condition?’ And then they leave for about 30 minutes and come back and say, ‘I’m gonna be honest with you, I had to google that.’

“We’ve only had one person that had heard of it before, and that’s Hosea’s current caregiver, nurse practitioner Tracy Craig at Kids Clinic in Paris,” the mom said. “She and her nursing staff are fantastic, and I don’t know what we would do without them.”

The Spencers rely on a social media group to gain first hand knowledge of the disorder, and future expectations for their son.

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“There’s one woman in her 40s with the disorder and she’s pretty independent,” Sarah Spencer said about information the woman’s mother shares with the group. “I feel like we in the group are the ones at the forefront of the research because we’re the ones figuring it out.”

Although Hosea is Dylan and Sarah Spencer’s first born, the family has grown since the couple became foster parents and shortly thereafter adopted daughter Christina, 13, in December 2019 and reunited her with her two brothers, Jeremiah, 14, and Nathaniel, 16, in June 2020. The couple is expecting a fifth child later this year.

“I was driving down the road one day when God spoke to me, and said, ‘foster,’” Sarah Spencer said. “Our first placement ended up being an adoptive placement who had two older brothers, and we fell in love with all of them.

“God has really blessed us, and you know, from the time Christina stepped foot in our home and started being a

part of Hosea’s life, his development just took off. And now that Hosea has two brothers, he is learning how to wrestle.”

Sarah Spencer says she is sharing the story about Hosea so that others will be more understanding of children with disabilities - about their hopes and dreams.

Paris Life 15

“Not just about Pitt Hopkins, I mean, but there’s so many others that are like Hosea, so many other genetic disorders out there that are like his,” the mother said. “I just hope to raise a little awareness that these kids are normal. They have the same desires as other kids. They’re not able to express it the same way because they’re limited because of their condition, but they want the same things.

“Raising awareness and having people feel comfortable to ask questions, it’ll change the future for our kids - all of them - both typical and those with disabilities.” u 16 Paris Life

Paris Life 17

FEATURE

Leisure, Reno style

Reno park is the place to relax, play, party and exercise Story by David Money, photos submitted

O

n a warm but breezy spring Sunday evening at the park in Reno, children squealed as they ran toward the tower with slides in the playground area while others chatted as they swung over the tiny pebbles beneath the swing set.

Nearby on the other side of the fenced in playground, a lone fellow exercised his calves on one of the outdoor fitness machines.

A few yards away on the basketball court, a man was teaching two boys some of the finer points of basketball as they dribbled, shot the ball and defended the goal.

Out on the trail that runs around the pavilion, the playground and volleyball court, a woman walked with her dog.

It was a regular evening in Reno Kiwanis Recreation Park that is a popular place for area residents to play, gather and exercise.

“I think it is due to our public works and police departments,” said Amanda Willows, Reno city councilwoman and chairwoman of the Reno Parks and Trails Committee. “It is clean, safe and people can see that. It is a well-maintained environment for families.”

“The baseball field draws a lot of people. The playground draws. There are always people out there practicing,” said Jerry Reavis, Reno Public Works supervisor. “It has easy access and lots of parking.”

Easy access and sports are big draws to the park.

Youth leagues in baseball, football and soccer practice at the park regularly.

On Saturday afternoons the baseball diamond is filled with youngsters learning the rules of America’s pastime and running drills under the watchful eyes of volunteer coaches.

18 Paris Life

Some parents sit in the stands and talk while the kids practice.

While others head for the playground with younger children.

“My sons play baseball and my husband, John, coaches,” said Reno resident Candace Watson, who was pushing her 2-year-old daughter on a swing. “So we can play at the park. I like it because we can come out here as a family. There is a lot to do here.”

There is also a volleyball court with a net suitable for friendly games between teams of family and friends.

Soccer practice and play is underway on weekdays on the field designed for that sport.

There is also football, American style, with the Next Step Athlete program under the direction of Keon Furtch, who played high school football at Paris and went to Texas A&M where he was on the team.

“We give kids pre-K to high school the opportunity to learn the fundamentals and skills of football,” Furtch said.

Paris Life 19

The trail always has walkers, power walkers and joggers.

That is what draws Reno resident Sherry Scallions to the park.

“I like the fact that it is accessible in the evening,” she said while out on the trail. “I come out here three or four times a week.

There is always someone else here. It feels safe.”

Park and Trail Committee member Cindy Whatley agreed.

“We love the trail because it is family oriented. I know it is a safe environment because it is bounded by trees and church property,” Whatley said.

She said she has a way of getting her kids to exercise without telling them it’s exercise.

“If we ask the children if they want to go exercise, they say no, not interested,” she said.

But if she just asks the kids to go to the park with the adults so they can walk along the trail, the kids go and end up playing and getting exercise, she said.

“The park has places for them to play. You can walk and watch the kids play. Going to the park encourages kids to get out and be active,” Whatley said. “The trail has a sandy gravel mix that is easy to walk on,” Whatley said.

Across the trail from the baseball diamond and the soccer field and near the main parking lot is an area where many walk their dogs.

MyKyla Lane of Paris was out doing that one sunny day while her younger cousin practiced baseball.

“This is my first time here actually. I like it. It is a good spot to bring my dog to roam around.

I like the area, too. I might come back,” she said.

To keep the area clean, the city has installed doggie poo-poo pouches at the parking lot so that people can grab one on the way to walking the dog.

20 Paris Life

“We have worked hard for that,” she said.

“We have a swing that is made for children with mobility difficulties.

“There is a hippo they can crawl into its mouth and children that are visually impared can use the braille to read about the hippo’s anatomy.”

- Amanda Willows

Willows said she is proud of the effort the city has made in making the playground equipment accessible to all children.

“We have worked hard for that,” she said. “We have a swing that is made for children with mobility difficulties.

“There is a hippo they can crawl into its mouth and children that are visually impared can use the braille to read about the hippo’s anatomy.”

While the City of Reno now owns and maintains the park, it was created by the original Kiwanis Club in the 1990s.

The creation of the park in Reno was a community effort, said Cherry Harper who along with Cleve Fendley and Richard Reemes was instrumental in getting the park started “It was a dream and we made it happen,”Harper said.

It all started when Paris Kiwanis Club member Roy ReWelch got in touch with Harper, Fendley and Re emes about forming the first Kiwanis Club in Reno.

“We chartered as a club March 3, 1994,” Harper said.

She said the original park was two and a half acres of land that Moss Scoggins loaned to the Kiwanis.

The club then found the property which the current park now occupies and agreed to purchase the 6.7 acres on Pine Mill Road for $10,000 in 1996.

They got the warranty deed with a lien on Dec. 5, 1996.

Then after almost a year of fundraising through auctions and other events, the club got the lien released on Dec. 4, 1997.

“The Reno business community was supportive.

They were either Kiwanis members or they helped out with auctions to help us raise money to buy the land for the park,” Harper said. “It took a lot of community effort and support to build the park.”

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In the early days of the park, Kiwanis members donated items for the park and worked to keep it in good shape.

“Gene Stockton kept that park cleaned and mowed for some time,” Harper said.

The Reno Kiwanis Club donated the park to the city June 8, 2005 and has since disbanded.

“Reno has done wonders with it. They made it nicer. They are bringing our Reno community together. They are always doing something out there with events for everyone in the community.” Harper said. “There is something for everyone.”

The Reno Parks and Trail Committee has set the schedule for the annual Movies in the Park.

The movies will be shown each Friday in May with “Encanto” on May 6, “Maleficent - Mistress of Evil” on May 13, “Ghostbusters, Afterlife” on May 20 and “Sing 2” on May 27.

An upcoming big draw is the 2022 Summer Celebration that is set for late June.

“Gellyball is coming back,” Willows said of the event that was a hit at last year’s Christmas in Park, which is another big draw to the park annually.

The Summer Celebration is currently scheduled for June 25 at the park.

Paris Life 23

“There is a barbecue cook-off, there will be food and craft vendors and live music,” she said.

There will also be fireworks that night, Willows added.

“We always have ours put on by Reno Fireworks on that night because neighboring cities have theirs on July 4 and we want everyone to be able to enjoy our event and others.”

The park is also the site of the annual citywide Halloween party the last weekend of October.

“We have a pretty awesome park,” Willows said. u

24 Paris Life

Paris Life 25

FEATURE

Painting on a Parisian Canvas Story & Photos By Tommy Culkin

From left, Andrea Doss, Mary West and Deborah Lightfoot are three of the many artists in Paris’ vibrant fine arts scene.

W

hen someone hears about the vibrant art scene of Paris, they might be inclined to think of Paris, France long before they think of Paris, Texas.

But right here in the Red River Valley is a vibrant fine arts scene, and one needs just to take a trip to the Plaza Art Gallery in the downtown Paris Square to get a taste of the skill in this Northeast Texas community.

Among the artists on display in the gallery are Mary West, Andrea Doss and Deborah Lightfoot.

Mary West One wouldn’t realize it when looking at her expressively beautiful paintings, but West, a native of Kansas who has lived in Paris for the past several years, is an entirely selftaught artist.

“I’ve always loved creating art, even from a very young age,” West said. “When I was 14 I was inspired to try painting because I loved the colors of the sunset.

From then on, West has channeled her love of nature to hone her creative talents. As a teenager, she would take trips down to the wooded areas and rivers near her home and spend hours studying the way light and shadows reflected and refracted, and working to mirror those effects with her 26 Paris Life

brush.

“I just loved the feel of the paint brush and how versatile it was,” West said with a warm smile. “The way Bob Ross described things as ‘happy little accidents’ were always such a treat when you’d stumble on a discovery when I was painting.”

While still a teenager, around the age of 16, people began approaching West and asking her if she would do commissions. The attention not only provided a boost to her confidence as an artist, but opened her eyes to the possibility of turning her artwork into a career.

West said her artistic stylings have evolved over the years. Early on in her growth as an artist, she aimed to be as close to photorealistic as she could, but the more she found herself as an artist, the more she drifted away from the pursuit of utmost realism and began inhabiting a space of fuzzy, almost-pastel softness in her works.

“What really guides me when I start a painting is just a feeling,” West said. “It’s about how I want a piece to feel and what the focal point is going to be.”

West has branched out and explored other styles, though, such as the time she painted a family of cartoonish lions into a mural in a pediatric hospital room.

West likes to take her time on projects, and will often spend several months working on a single painting. However, she added that she’s always working on something, and usually has multiple paintings on her plate at any given time.

“I have done a painting in eight hours before,” West said with a laugh. “But it’s been a while since I’ve worked that quickly. Most of the time it takes several months.”

When talking about her current projects, West said she’s been very interested in painting fairies lately, and has found herself inserting the mystical beings into several paintings of nature, including one with mushrooms and butterflies, and another will incorporate fairies into a depiction of a blooming blueberry bush.

Lately, West has also begun to teach herself how to do digital art, and she said lately she’s been spending more time per week on that than on her more traditional paintings.

“I’m always looking to grow as an artist and try new things, so I’ve been putting some time working on that lately, '' she said.

For West, the most rewarding part of the creative process is seeing the work and effort come together, coalescing into a piece she’s truly proud of.

“When you can step back and look at something you’ve created and love it, that’s a really great feeling,” she said.

Andrea Doss One of local painter Andrea Doss’s earliest childhood memories involves her pasting her artwork to her home’s walls, much to the chagrin of her parents. And while Doss has certainly grown as an artist since then, she hasn’t lost that childlike enthusiasm for painting in the intervening decades.

Doss describes her art style as ‘storybook whimsy’ and it’s easy for anyone who looks at her works to realize the descriptor is an apt one. Cute and cartoonish animals and people are plentiful in Doss’s works.

“Everything I paint comes from my imagination,” Doss said. “I try to make everything I do put a smile on someone’s face.”

Local painter Mary West has a knack for crafting vibrant works of art. Pictured, she stands with one of her many pieces that currently hangs in the Plaza Art Gallery.

Paris Life 27

Growing up, Doss loved creating art and even decided to minor in art when she went to college, but she spent most of her early years considering it nothing more than a hobby. It wasn’t until she discovered online arts and crafts marketplace Etsy — and with it people who were eager to purchase her creations.

“After I found Etsy, I put one of my paintings on there and kind of forgot about it — but then it sold,” Doss said. “It sold to someone in Italy, which was super exciting. So I put another painting onto Etsy to test the waters a bit more and it sold just like that, within the day.”

Before long, Doss was spending more time than ever on her creations, and seeing it pay off on sites such as Etsy. Over the intervening years, Doss has only grown in popularity, and she now has many collectors of her works.

“That’s a really cool feeling,” she said with a smile.

Doss’s talents have opened up several other avenues for her, and numerous movies and TV shows have used her artworks in their sets, such as Modern Family, the Netflix original movie Bright, and one of the reality shows centering on the Kardashian family, just to name a few.

“Set directors or legal people from these shows and movies will reach out to me and say they want to use my art in their creation,” Doss explained.

“Every time it happens, it’s super cool and honestly kind of surreal.”

And Doss’s self-described ‘storybook’ style isn’t just a way of describing her visual flair, but also a literal description of her work, as she’s worked with authors to create several children’s books over the years too.

When it comes time to put brush to canvas, Doss said she likes to creLocal artist Andrea Doss describes her style of painting ate little backstories for every character she draws, and several characters as “storybook whimsy,” and has in fact served as the illustrator for many an actual storybook. are “recurring,” cropping up in multiple pieces. She chalks her tendency to do that up to her background as a writer, as she originally went to college to pursue a degree in English creative writing.

“I think it really touches people seeing the art alongside the story and the insight of what it’s about,” she said. “For example, I just finished this painting of a woman, and she looks very fierce with lots of red hair, and I named her Agatha and said she was the patron saint of fierce and powerful women. That hit home for so many people and I had a bunch of people asking to buy it right away.”

Doss said she always has some piece she’s working on, 4207 Lamar Ave Paris, TX and spends several hours each at the corner of 42nd & Lamar week dedicated to her art. For 903.706.5200 • Mon-Fri 9:30-6 • Sat 9:30-3 her, though, it’s all worth it when Instagram & Twitter @dhousejewelry she sees people’s reactions to her Facebook @DavidHouseJewelry works.

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28 Paris Life

moms

dads

grads

Deborah Lightfoot A native of Paris who has spent most of her life living in the Red River Valley, Deborah Lightfoot has a well of memories and personal connections to the local area and community. And in her photography, Lightfoot captures those moments and the feelings they evoke.

Lightfoot said her knack for art comes from her time at Rivercrest and North Lamar high schools, where she competed in UIL art history competitions.

“You would need to be able to memorize and identify works of art, the artist and his or her nationality,” Lightfoot said. “I really think that doing that gave me a good sense of composition and color and the way to frame things, which of course carried over into my photography.

“When I started to take photos later and take it seriously, I could tell that I had the sense of composition and people would tell me that I did.”

Lightfoot’s first experience with photography came when she oversaw the yearbook at Crockett Middle School, as she worked with a trusty 35mm camera to highlight the school’s students.

“I enjoyed that, and it made me realize right away that I wanted to be a photographer,” she said.

Upon retiring from teaching, Lightfoot’s husband gifted her with a Canon Rebel camera, and she leapt into her passion fully.

In working on honing her craft, Lightfoot took to highlighting the area she knew so well: Paris and the rest of the Red River Valley.

One of her photos depicts the facade of the now-closed Grand Theater in downtown Paris, and Lightfoot said it serves to remind her of her trips to the cinema as a teen she would take with friends and dates.

Other Paris and Northeast Texas landmarks are aplenty in her work, which Lightfoot said serves to make each more personal to her. And beyond recognizable landmarks, the natural beauty of the area’s scenery makes for some beautiful photos too.

“I get lots of photos of buildings throughout Paris, but also nature,” she said. “We live on a prairie and the sky can be absolutely beautiful.”

That isn’t to say that local scenery is all Lightfoot knows, either. She said she likes to take trips throughout the state and beyond with her camera, looking for photography opportunities along the way.

“For me it’s all about capturing a moment that nobody will ever see again,” she said. “I think that’s what gives me the most joy “ Relatively recently, Lightfoot has also started being a bit more experimental in the ways she touches up her work digitally, altering lighting, contrast, coloration and more to give different shots an even more unique flair.

“There are some things you can do that can make a photo really go from good to something special,” she commented. “Sometimes it can be as simple as turning it to black and white to give it that extra poignancy.”

That’s part of the beauty of photography, Lightfoot said: that every moment is an opportunity to experiment with the artform and continue to grow.

“I’d say the most rewarding part is seeing the moment that I or no one else will ever see again, and preserving it,” Lightfoot said. “Then when I can take that and edit it into something really special and moving, that’s a pretty great feeling.” u

Deborah Lightfoot loves to photograph the landmarks and scenery of the Red River Valley, and then use digital means to turn them into something truly unique.

One of Deborah Lightfoot’s photos of downtown Paris is a shot of the now-closed Grand Theater, that she touched up afterward to bathe it in neon colors, which Lightfoot said harkens back to how she remembers it from her youth.

Paris Life 29

CHECKPOINT

By Klark Byrd

Developer: Bandai Namco Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch Rating: E for Everyone

W

hile we're on the nostalgia train, Bandai Namco has decided that since gamers love Pac-Man so much, they're going to release a sequel to 2014's Pac-Man Museum compilation game — this time with more Pac-Man! Set to release May 27 on consoles, Pac-Man Museum+ will feature 14 Pac-Man games curated from the 40-plus year his-

tory of the iconic character's history. The company says players can unlock cabinets, figures, decorations, wallpapers and custom flooring to design their own arcade, which even comes with a jukebox. Players who pick up the game within the first 30 days of launch also will get five silver or gold figures to be displayed in their virtual arcade.

The 14 titles included in Pac-Man Museum+ are: • • • • • • • •

Pac-Man Super Pac-Man Pac & Pal Pac-Land Pac-Mania Pac-Attack Pac-In-Time Pac-Man Arrangement (Arcade version)

• Pac-Man Arrangement (Console version) • Pac-Man Championship Edition • Pac Motos • Pac'N Roll Remix • Pac-Man Battle Royale • Pac-Man 256

The game will offer online global scoreboards so players can register their top scores to see how they stack up against the best Pac-Man players in the world.

Any gamer worth their joystick knows Pac-Man and its history. The game was created by Toru Iwatani, and it was released in arcades in 1980 by Namco. Pac-Man didn't just devour pellets and ghosts — the maze chaser ate so many quarters that

sequels became inevitable. Over the years, Pac-Man has delved into other genres, like platform and racing, but none have been as popular as the original design.

As of print deadline, a price hasn't been announced for Pac-Man Museum+, but the 2014 Pac-Man Museum still retails for $29.99, so I would expect to see a launch price tag of at least $49.99. For many Pac-fans, it'll be worth it.

Developer: Thomas K. Young Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, Xbox X|S, PlayStation 4, PS5, Mobile.

Price: $9.99 console; free to play mobile Rating: E for Everyone

O

ne of the best parts of growing up in the 1980s and 1990s was playing Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. The plot was simple: Bowser stole the princess and is keeping her in a castle. Mario visits eight different lands in his search for the princess, and along the way he defeats enemies and sub-bosses. The gameplay was simple: There's a lot of jumping both over and on things and a few power-ups to help along the way. The graphics were simple: 8-bits of colorful Mushroom Kingdom.

Dadish and Dadish 2, both developed

by Thomas K. Young, captures the Mario spirit, and they put that spirit into a radish who's also a dad. Dadish is tasked in both games with finding his 50 children (40 in the mobile versions), who have run off from the vegetable patch. Along the way, Dadish will have to leap out of harm's way, avoid enemies and take on fast food-

themed sub-bosses like Burgurgular, Hot Dog (who is actually a slice of pizza) and The Foreman, a burger riding a mustard bottle.

If the sub-bosses aren't a dead giveaway, Dadish in no way takes itself seriously. The dialogue between Dadish, his children and the bosses is quite funny.

Oh, and there's a screeching possum. I can't forget to mention the possum.

Dadish is set up with five worlds that each contain 10 levels. The levels are short, which makes this a great game to tackle bit by bit as time allows. That doesn't mean the levels aren't challenging. Dadish has his work cut out for him and players will learn that very early on in the game. Dadish can interact with the environment to solve puzzles as levels require him to access a key in order to reach his children. Each level also features an optional star, upbeat music and world building.

Like with many 8-bit platformers of a now bygone age, Dadish and Dadish 2 require planning and practice to complete levels. You'll need to get the timing down on various death traps — which does not go unnoticed by Dadish.

I played Dadish with my daughter on her Nintendo Switch Lite in late March after it went on sale for $1.99 — a pretty hefty discount from its regular $9.99 price tag on consoles — and we had so much fun together. I'd help her out on the tougher levels and she marveled at the skill, which I told her came from years of practice on games like Super Mario Bros. and Mega Man. Both games are free to play on Android and iPhone, but the mobile version has only 40 levels and 40 children to find.

Would I buy it for $9.99 to get 10 more levels? Probably not, but Dadish and Dadish 2 go on sale often, and it is definitely worth it then. u

Paris Life 31

WISE WORDS Shannon McGuire has been pastoring for 11 years and currently serves as Senior Pastor at Paris New Generation Church.

I

Pursue the Peace that Passes All Understanding

hesitated at first in writing about my topic of choice for this month’s article. For weeks, this incident has been talked about from every known media platform to the kitchen table. The subject even made it into one of my sermons a few weeks. Everyone has an opinion regarding this matter so here is mine. Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. The infamous slap that Will Smith delivered to the jaw of comedian Chris Rock, live at the Oscars. This was done in front of millions of people because of comments that the comedian made towards Will’s wife, Jada.

My personal opinion: Will was plain wrong.

I believe this is something that should have been handled after the show, in private, man to man. The Bible clearly says in Ephesians 4:26, “Be angry and sin not: let not sin go down upon your wrath.”

This is some really good advice that Will could have used and should have used. Did he know? Had he heard? James 1:22 tells us, “But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

I promise being a doer of the word of God would have eliminated this altercation completely.

The Oscars were supposed to be a night of celebration that became suddenly overshadowed by one man’s emotional outburst. Will Smith, talented entertainer and gifted actor, is now better known and will be remembered for generations as the man that slapped Chris Rock on “Live Television.”

One YouTube video showing the incident has at least 97 million views. Can you imagine?

As an Officer of the Court “professionally,” it is hard for me to witness something like this and not want justice for the victim. The actor assaulted another person in front of millions of witnesses.

He committed a criminal act.

Each day, I see individuals come through the court system, for committing the same offense.

Many serve jail time and participate in probationary programs for long periods of time. This quite often has an impact on the offender for the rest of their lives.

At this time, Will Smith’s net worth is approximately $350 million dollars and will probably never be made to do either of these things. There as some consequences for his actions, like being removed from the Academy for 10 years and of course a drop in his popularity, and maybe a drop in his income, that will more than likely not be enough to notice.

As a pastor I’d like to make another point. I often preach about the differences between the natural man, the carnal man, and the spiritual man.

The man that you feed is the man that grows. I believe, based upon his actions, that Will acted out as the carnal man or even worse the natural man.

He did exactly what he wanted to do in that moment, slapping Chris, and seemingly not giving it a second thought. I see a man that has no peace.

What he does have is elite social status, money to buy anything he wants, the ability to eat the finest foods, travel the world, yet all that cannot buy him peace.

Romans 8:5-6 says, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

We cannot change the night’s events for Will Smith or its outcome, but we can change ours by learning from not only the example of what not to do, but what to do according to the word of God. We can learn from it and be better for it. I mentioned that I saw a man that has no peace. Is he searching for it?

If I had a chance to talk to Will Smith, I’d give him some words of wisdom like I’m giving you, I'd tell him that you cannot find peace in worldly things whether it be money or accolades, but only through Jesus. I’d tell him what the Bible says in Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” u

Disclaimer: This article is the opinion of the writer only and does not reflect the position of Collin County Juvenile Probation Department or Paris New Generation Church.

32 Paris Life

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Paris Life 33

HEALTH

By Ayesha Shafiq, the director of Paris Cardiology Center

Understanding the myth behind weight loss

T

he statistics are scary; health expects predict that by 2030 half of the Americans will be obese!

How did this happen? Obesity is a very complex situation. Obesity is defined as 120% more of ideal body weight. It is a problem, which is much too complex to be solved by fad diets, reality television programs or will power!

Figuring out how much to eat, what to eat, when to eat, how our bodies control weight and how to change people and orient them towards healthy diet habits is not easy.

The myth is now being busted by credible research. It is a fact that exercise, though vital, is not the most important thing to focus on when you want to lose weight.

Although exercise has numerous other health benefits, like maintaining a healthy weight, warding off depression, regulating good cardiac function,

34 Paris Life/Health

etc. However, weight loss involves other factors such as; what you eat and how much you eat plays a substantial role in whether you gain or lose weight.

Moreover, it is proven through research now that different people lose weight more effectively with different foods. This realization has led to the formulation of customized weight loss plans that work better than any one-size-fits- all advice.

Research shows that excessive weight interferes with our body’s ability to fight off infections, sleep deeply, increases the risk for heart disease, stroke, several types of cancers and obesity is enough to cause a decrease in a person’s life span by 14 years.

So what is the simplest formula to lose weight? The mathematical formula to losing weight equals to: burn more calories than you consume!

However, this calculation does not take into account the complexities of human physiology and psychology and falls apart when tested against

real life experiences. There are factors like metabolic activity and the brain’s response to stimulants alerting us to food that leads to weight gain.

How does metabolic activity cause weight gain?

In a real life weight loss program, your metabolic process runs at different levels of efficiency in different stages of your life, which is quite different from any other person.

Metabolic rate differs in different individuals. Therefore when it comes to metabolic rate and your ability to lose weight –parentage or genetics plays a vital role.

Moreover any one who has hit middle age understands too well that metabolic activity declines or slows down with age.

Thus older people need fewer calories to keep their bodies running than they did when they were young.

As a result, it is interesting to note that though the most common advice that people get when they want to lose weight is to exercise more, yet the fact is that although exercise is important for the proper well being of a body, however, in reality exercise only increases basal metabolism modestly to burn one third of total energy consumption.

The remaining two thirds of the energy consumption happens during rest or sleep when the body's basal metabolism consumes the most energy to maintain itself while at rest. During Basal metabolism the organs that consume most of the energy are brain, heart and kidneys and surprisingly not the skeletal muscles, which come into play during exercise So then, how can one prevent hunger urges and inhibit the brain's response to stimulants to prevent weight gain?

The role of hunger has been to keep us alive. Therefore it is useless to fight it.

However you can prevent sudden hunger attacks by choosing foods that do not cause a sudden spike in blood sugar level. You can reduce hunger urges by selecting the right foods that will eventually help you in weight loss. Foods that are high in protein, fiber and low in glycemic index — such as fish, apples, beans, grilled chicken, wheat, berries — can cause a decline in hunger urges that can contribute to weight loss. u Health/Paris Life 35

36 Paris Life/Health

Paris Life 37

DEJA VIEW Toni Clem is a Paris resident and has been writing Deja View for more than 30 years.

P

Bullock, Tatum and Pitt worth the ticket

reviews for Sandra Bullock’s latest film, “The Lost City,” have been running for weeks on TV, and I am happy to report that they didn’t include all the really funny scenes — several, but not all. For one thing, Brad Pitt does make a brief appearance. And yes, she does ask him why he’s so good-looking.

And he does say, “My father was the weatherman.”

So funny enough, yeah. Channing Tatum gets short-changed in previews that make his character out to be nothing but a pretty face. Tatum has that in spades, but he’s way more of a central character in this romantic comedy romp.

In “The Lost City,” Bullock’s character,

38 Paris Life

Loretta Sage, is a tired, ill-humored, middle-aged writer of romance novels, who’s having a bit of a mid-life “I’m tired, why can’t I just quit” moment. Sage’s publisher, Beth (played by Da’Vine Joy Randolph), isn’t going to let her most prolific author rest, she’s planned a book tour for her to overcome her reclusive image.

But she’s kidnaped on the first day, which wasn’t going well anyway, because she shared the stage with her book’s hero, Dash McMahon, played by cover model Alan Caprison. He was wearing his wig (long flowing blond locks), and a muscle shirt, and all the questions from the mainly young female audience were for Dash.

When Sage steps away, she’s kidnaped by a

Paramount Pictures

crazy Brit, who thinks she knows where a singular treasure has been buried in the lost city, a place she created in her last book. He’s not persuaded that the mission needs to be scuttled. Au contraire, he is flying them there in his private jet. It’s an island somewhere in the Atlantic. But on closer inspection, we know the filming took place in the Dominican Republic.

And it is a gorgeous place, even when they added the threatening volcano.

Daniel Radcliffe (“Harry Potter”) plays the crazy Brit. But things don’t really start to be fun until Channing Tatum’s Dash decides to rescue Sage. He’s been nursing a full-on crush for Loretta for years, so when they discover she really has been kidnaped, it’s Dash, er Alan, who takes off to find her.

Though Beth isn’t far behind. She needs her golden goose back and she knows how to find her. Sage is wearing a homing device.

This isn’t “Miss Congeniality” or “The Heat,” but it’s worth the price of admission to relax and laugh for a change.

Besides, everyone needs a Brad Pitt fix occasionally. Directed by the Nees, brothers Adam and Aaron.

See you at the movies.u Paramount Pictures

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Paris Life 39

FOOD & DRINKS

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Vietnamese Shrimp and Broccolini Bowl Ingredients: Salad: • 1 pound large (18/20) shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact optional • Salt • 3/4 pound broccolini • 8 ounces stir-fry rice noodles • 1 medium carrot, cut in matchsticks • 1/2 English cucumber, seeded, cut in matchsticks • 3 scallions, ends trimmed, white and green parts sliced on the diagonal • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender sprigs, coarsely chopped • 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped • 1 to 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds Instructions: Whisk all of the dressing ingredients in a bowl.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the shrimp and immediately remove the pan from the heat. Let the shrimp poach until bright in color and opaque through the centers, about 4 minutes.

Drain and blot the shrimp dry with a paper towel.

Lightly season with salt and set aside.

Cut the florets from the broccolini, 1 1/2 to 2 inches in length. Reserve the stalks for another use.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Add the rice noodles and cook until al dente, per

Dressing: • 1/4 cup grapeseed or canola oil • 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice • 2 tablespoons soy sauce • 1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger • 1 garlic clove, minced • 1 tablespoon runny honey • 1 teaspoon Sriracha

package instructions. Add the broccolini florets to the cooking water and stir until brightened in color, about 15 seconds more. Drain the noodles and broccolini at once and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain thoroughly.

Combine the rice noodles, broccolini, carrot, cucumber and scallions in a large bowl. Add half of the dressing and toss to thoroughly coat. Add the shrimp, cilantro, mint and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and stir again to coat, adding more dressing to your taste. (The salad made be prepared 1 day in advance of serving and refrigerated in an airtight container.) Serve garnished with additional cilantro and sesame seeds.

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Peoples Bank would like to thank Lamar County and the Paris News readers for, once again, voting us as the best bank to get a mortgage. Your community bank has proudly won in 2020, 2021 and 2022. We are humbled and honored to serve this great community we call home. Only located in Paris, TX, we are your “Parisian” bank. When you are looking for real estate financing — whether you’re building a dream home, purchasing land, constructing duplexes or anything in between — let Peoples Bank be your first call.

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Paris Life 43