C NETX
ROSSROADS
1940’s Texarkana IS SETTING FOR FICTIONAL SERIES
MAGAZINE
NE Texas sports is alive and well By QUINTEN BOYD, page 32
By KATE STOW, page 4
... and more!
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About the Cover
MAY 2022
The Mount Pleasant Lady Tigers celebrate Karina Torres’ goal during their 2-0 bi-district win at Jacksonville. Photo by Quinten Boyd
C
S D A O R S S RO
CONTENTS
NETX
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E MAGAZIN
Checkmate!
’s 0 19Te4 an k r a x a
G FOR IS SETTIN SERIES L A N FICTIO By KATE
ge 4
STOW, pa
22
NE Texas live sports is a and well By QUINT
, page 32 EN BOYD
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North Elm
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ROSSROADS Published and distributed by
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Local man spends lifetime donating time to local sports
Parchman speaks up
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tony Basso Quinten Boyd Di Ana Fitzgerald Elizabeth Lanning Allyson Pebsworth Kenny Mitchell Kate Stow Toni Walker PHOTOGRAPHERS Quinten Boyd Captured by Kelsi Tony Basso Toni Walker GRAPHIC DESIGNER Joni Guess
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MAY 2022
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1940’s Texarkana IS SETTING FOR FICTIONAL SERIES By KATE STOW
W
hen Janet Brantley decided to take up writing again for fun, she did so with a vengeance – finishing her first book of 50,000 words in just 20 days. Since then she has completed a murder mystery and a trilogy. The trilogy is set in 1940’s Texarkana, against the backdrop of World War II. The main character, young Mae Johnson, is a true “Rosie the Riveter” who takes a job at an ammunition plant. There she builds bombs that are shipped to Europe – where her soldier boyfriend is stationed. Her workplace is based on both the Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant and Red River Army Depot.
“When I was doing the research for these books, I interviewed several people that worked in the plants during the 40s,” said Janet. “I met a couple that met at a plant and got married. They helped inspire my storyline.” The first book of the series, Dixon’s Crossing, came out in November 2021 and follows Mae from her small Arkansas hometown to Texarkana where the new high school grad takes a job as a rollerskating waitress. The second book, Beneath Familiar Stars, is set in 1941 when her boyfriend is shipped overseas and the ammunition plants open. A native of Fouke, Arkansas, Janet received her Masters of Special Education Degree from the University of North Texas. She then taught Spec Ed. at Hosston, 4
MAY 2022
Louisiana; social studies and Spec Ed in McLeod; and in Atlanta ISD she taught the community classes for pregnant girls before taking a position at Texarkana College. She had been at the college for 14 years before her fibromyalgia became too bad for her, in 2009, to manage working daily. When her husband, Bill, passed away after working 27 years at International Paper Company – Janet decided to join her daughter in Mississippi. It was in Mississippi that Janet found her calling and developed the trilogy storyline. The first book she published, in 2015, was a murder mystery entitled Murder By Any Other Name. It and the first two books of the trilogy are available on Amazon.com. The third book of the series will be published later this year. NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE
NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE
MAY 2022
5
Jeff Dungan Pastor and world hiker
A distance marker along the Camino de Santiago.
Croagh Patrick, the Holy Mountain of Ireland, where pilgrimages are made in honor of St. Patrick. By ELIZABETH LANNING
A
world traveler, Pastor Jeff Dungan was appointed to serve the First United Methodist Church in 2020. Living in College Station for 14 years and in Bryan for another nine years, he has always been involved in ministry, serving in youth ministries and many other programs. Over the course of several years however, he felt called into full-time ministry, and started seminary training in 2005, become a pastor in 2008. Rather than an “aha moment”, his was a “progressive revelation”. But being a natural teacher, he enjoys his work and feels that his business training and experience is serving him well now. Active in the community, Pastor Jeff is a member of the Pittsburg Rotary Club and has participated in some local productions including the Pittsburg Camp County Arts Council production of “It’s a Wonderful Life” during the last Christmas season when he played the part of George Bailey. He also played the disciple John in the recent portrayal of the Living Last Supper at FUMC. But in his spare time, Pastor Jeff enjoys hiking and has traveled in faraway places such as Italy, Ireland, Israel, and Spain to name a few. Pastor Jeff has spent time in the Arches National Park, Estes Park, the Grand Tetons, and on the trails of the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina and northern Georgia. But it was in the Smoky Mountains that he attempted a 24 mile hike without a flashlight and was caught in the dark beneath the canopy of trees. Having already passed a campsite that was closed because of bear 6
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activity, he had also seen signs of this rather large animal’s presence in the woods. But 10 p.m. rolled around and he was still four miles from his trail’s end. So putting his food up on the bear wire, he attempted to make the best of an uncomfortable and rather chilly situation and get a little sleep. His wife, however, called the park service who rescued him at about 11:30 p.m. They informed him that bear were making nightly visits to the campsites, and his night would probably not have been a peaceful one. Pike’s Peak, with a vertical gain of two miles in its 13-mile length to reach a height of over 14,000 feet above sea level, has also been one of Pastor Jeff ’s hiking accomplishments, as well as another loop hike in Colorado taking in the four peaks of Democrat, Lincoln, Bross, and Cameron. But Pastor Jeff has not limited himself to U.S. mountains. Banff, west of Calgary and situated in the Canadian Rockies, the Alps of Austria, and Cinque Terre, five terraced villages along the coastline of the Italian Riviera, have also made his list of completed hikes. But the longest route he has ever attempted was the Camino de Santiago, or Way of St. James, in Spain. Initially a pilgrimage dating to 814 AD, the Camino is actually composed of routes from across Europe that converge at Santiago de Compastela, believed to be the burial place of St. James, the brother of John and son of Zebedee. The Camino has its own unique symbol: a shell from the beaches three miles beyond Santiago. This shell is an accurate representaNETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE
into a point, just as many trails across that region of Europe converge at Santiago, marking the end of the pilgrimage. Those wearing this shell on their packs are identified to be hikers along the Camino. This symbol is also used to mark the path as it traverses hundreds of miles. Pastor Jeff hiked 500 miles of the Camino in 31 days, making friends from “all over the world” along the way. Pastor Jeff said that the Cliffs of Moher in County Kerry, Ireland were nearly windy enough to blow one over the edge which is 800 feet above the sea. Mount Arbel near the Sea of Galilea and Masada above the Dead Sea in Israel have also made his list of accomplishments, as has the Montserrat in Barcelona. When asked about the most beautiful hike, Pastor Jeff recalled the fields of flowers in the Alps. “It looks like the Sound of Music,” he said. He explained that when summiting a mountain in the Appalachians, one is still within the trees and there is not the wonderful view one gets when summiting a peak in the Rockies. The most fulfilling day hike Pastor Jeff described as being Pike’s Peak. But the Camino takes the cake as the most fulfilling multi-day hike. Pastor Jeff still has several hikes he hopes to accomplish including different routes of the Camino de Santiago, Guadeloupe Peak and El Capitan in the Panhandle of Texas, Scotland, Ireland, and a historic pilgrimage in the south of England. Plans for this year include a cruise to the Baltic Sea, and a trip to Jordan. But it is while hiking that he will often get inspiration for a sermon, such as how easily one can end up where one did not intend, aka bear country in the middle of the night.
Topping Mt. Democrat in Colorado.
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MAY 2022
7
Checkmate!
Davises help Daingerfield make a name in UIL Chess Puzzle World Story & photos by TONI WALKER
Jay Davis (center) and his wife Mary (far right), have spent ten years volunteering at Daingerfield ISD, teaching children UIL Chess. Superintendent Sandra Quarles (left), and her granddaughter Mattie Phillips recently presented the pair with a plaque in recognition of their time and effort.
2nd grade
3rd grade 8
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Schools are full of volunteers who help with things that the district may not have funding for. One such volunteer at Daingerfield ISD is Jay Dee Davis and his wife, Mary. Davis began coaching the district’s UIL Chess teams in 2012, after his wife Mary, who was a teacher in the district at the time, was approached about the role. “The principal asked my wife, ‘Would you coach the chess team?” Davis said. “She said, ‘No, but my husband will.” What Davis believed would be a handful of students has turned into approximately 18 students per grade level. The program consists of first through eighth grade students. “I thought it was going to be three weeks with eight little kids in second grade,” Davis recalls. “At the end of those three weeks, that team won the gold medal, but more importantly, everyone of them captured my heart so I continued.” Each fall, Davis coaches that year’s crop of chess students, all with hopes of winning the gold medal. IN November and December of last year, he did the same, for the tenth time. Of Davis’ seven teams, six placed first, with all but sixth grade sweeping first, second and third individual honors. The benefits of chess are well documented for players of all ages, and especially for young people. Chess teaches problem solving, hones concentration and encourages analytical and strategic thinking. Chess can be a lifelong pursuit. Chess puzzle competition is very different from tournament chess play. Contestants in a chess puzzle contest receive a paper-and-pencil test that includes a series of chess boards with pieces in particular positions. Questions are based on analysis of material or possible moves in each given diagram. A chess puzzle event provides an avenue for chess participation that does not require the time and resources of actual tournament play. The fixed time limit makes it practical to include in a district meet schedule, and the availability of free resources allows any school
4th grade NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE
(including those that do not currently have chess programs) to include chess puzzle in their slate of A+ events at minimal cost. During competition, students have thirty minutes to solve varying amounts of chess puzzles depending on their grade level, all while competing against bigger schools. According to Davis, many students who did not place would have won the district championship, had it not been for their peers. “This year, it was so special because the margin of victory was so unusually high,” Davis said. Over the past two years, Daingerfield teams under Davis’ tutelage have won a total of 13 gold medals. In 2020, Daingerfield teams brought home a gold medal in each age division, while in 2021 they brought home gold medals in all divisions but one.
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MAY 2022
11
RHOADES Nursery
Story & photos by
TONY BASSO
After more than four decades of business and at 93 years old, Thomas Rhoades, owner of Rhoades Nursery, has no plans to retire any time soon. “My wife and I started this nursery as our retirement project after she retired from her career as a nurse in the late 1970’s,” said Rhoades. “I started working here full time after I retired from Red River Arsenal (Red River Army Depot) in 1984.” When we got ready to retire, “we knew we had to do something to keep us going, and running a nursery just seemed to fit,” said Rhoades. “ I am 93 years old and still in good enough health to take care of this nursery and I do not plan on fully retiring anytime soon.” “The best part about it all is the wonderful people I have come to know through selling these flowers.” “I have people come from all over the area just to buy my plants”, said Rhoades. “Right now I have got two
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ladies coming in from Oklahoma to buy their plants from me, and that means a lot.” “I really enjoy the work people that buy flowers tend to be like-minded and are always friendly and grateful, that makes this business a lot of fun”, said Rhoades. “I have been in this area since the early 1960’s, when I got out of the military”, said Rhoades. “I was born, raised and picked cotton on Lake Cypress between Mount Vernon and Winnsboro,” said Rhoades. In 1947 “I was drafted into the United States Army and worked with the medical staff and spent three years stationed in Hawaii and a few months in Michigan before my final destination of El Paso, Texas.” “I met my wife there and
NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE
not too long after we ran off to New Mexico and were married,” said Rhoades. A couple of years later “I requested to be sent to Red River Arsenal and I worked there until I retired,” said Rhoades. A longtime customer of
Rhoades Nursery, Scarlett Bray, said, “Mr. Rhoades and his nursery are a staple of our community.” “Not only does Mr. Rhoades have a great selection of flowers and plants, but he is very knowledgeable and eager to
help and answer any questions I have.”, Rhoades Nursery is located right off of Highway 82 at 2855 County Road 4008 in New Boston, Texas. For any questions you may have you can reach the nursery at 903-628-2366.
MAY 2022
13
S
Local man spends lifetime donating time to local sports
By JAMES HARGETT AND RICHARD GREER teady, committed, Hargett completed his loyal, unfaltering; tour of duty and returned these words all have to Fort Sill, Oklahoma similar meanings in that where he was stationed they describe a devotion to until he completed his something that endures over military service and was time. Those words aptly apply Honorably Discharged in to James Hargett and sports 1968. officiating. After returning to northHargett graduated from east Texas, Hargett worked Linden High School in 1958. for the Cass County He had played both football Highway Department and baseball during his four and resumed his sports years of high school. Hargett officiating career officiating football, baseball and was the starting running back basketball. for the varsity football team In those days, football from his sophomore year unofficiating crews worked til he graduated as a senior. four men crews with the Upon graduation, he earned a scholarship to play running exclusion of a Back Judge. back for the Texarkana Junior He principally worked College Bulldogs. Hargett as a Line Judge whose played two years as a running primary responsibility was for passes and punts back from 1959 to 1960. downfield beyond the line While attending Texarkana of scrimmage. College, Hargett was first In 1970, Hargett joined introduced to sports officiatthe Texarkana sports ofing. Coach Thompson, who ficial’s association officiatwas his football coach at ing football and baseball in Texarkana College, sent him both Texas and Arkansas. and another player to supOver the next 40 years, port junior high school teams he worked on crews for in the Texarkana area who referee Tommy Tubbs in needed basketball officials. Linden’s James Hargett has been giving back to his community by supportArkansas and in Texas on He officiated basketball ing the kids in it as a sports official for nearly 60 years. The 81-year-old refcrews under referees Cary games during both seasons eree/umpire hasn’t let time slow him down as he has officiated thousands of Rochelle, Jeff Norwood, before leaving the area to atgames between football, baseball and basketball in six decades. Rick Meyers, Ted Glazener tend college. Hargett returned and Ronnie Kulak. to Cass County in 1962 and Hargett continued officiating baseball until retiring in 2015 resumed officiating by joining the Mt. Pleasant Chapter of sports and continued officiating on a Friday night football crew until officials where he officiated football, baseball and basketball. He continued officiating all three sports until 1966 when he was 2019. He has continued officiating football on Thursday nights doing drafted into the U.S. Army. Hargett reported to Fort Polk in Louisiana for boot camp and was later trained an assigned to a 105 mm both junior high and junior varsity games, and this year will continue to support northeast Texas kids by continuing to officiate howitzer artillery unit. His unit was deployed to Tan An, a small city located in the Me- on Thursday nights. If there is another word to describe Hargett it would be dedikong Delta some thirty miles from Saigon. He was in Tan An from 1966 to 1967 and during that time, his unit was called upon to fire cated. The dictionary defines dedication as the quality of being devoted to a task or more importantly, a purpose. on enemy forces.
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Since 1959, with the exception of a year away at other colleges and two years in military service, Hargett has given back to his community in northeast Texas through service to its school kids. If you do the math, Hargett has supported kids for 59 years. You read correctly, 59 years. During that time the U.S. has fought four overseas wars, including the one in which Hargett fought, has had 13 presidents spanning from President Eisenhower to President Biden, gone from rotary land line telephones to cellular telephones and internet service, from black and white cathode ray tube televisions to OLED and LCD flat screens and curved screen televisions. Football officiating crews have gone from four officials to five and seven man crews now standard. The one thing that has remained constant in those 59 years however, is the desire to give back to the children. To pay forward the service that others before gave to us when we were children playing sports. From the time that Hargett began officiating football as part of an organization in 1962 through this past year, a general calculation would show that he has officiated close to 1,800 football games and no telling how many baseball and basketball games. At a time when there is a shortage of officials and in particular, young officials, or when we have to have two men officiate games on Thursday night because we have a shortage of personnel, last year at the age of 81, James Hargett was on the field each Thursday night in Linden, Texas supporting the kids of his local school. That ladies and gentlemen is dedicated personified.
Hometown Newspapers
Still covering what’s important to you! Atlanta Citizens Journal casscountynow.com
Bowie County Citizens Tribune
bowiecountynow.com
Mount Pleasant Tribune
The Pittsburg Gazette
campcountynow.com
The Steel Country Bee steelcountrybee.com
tribnow.com
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MAY 2022
15
Alexander to be inducted into THSCA Hall of Fame
T
he Daingerfield Tigers football teams of the 1980s has long been revered as some of the best. Now, the man who led Tigers through those glory years is being honored. Coach Dennis Alexander has been named to the Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) Hall of Fame. Alexander took over as head coach of the Tigers in 1976, spending 13 years in Daingerfield after beginning his career in 1973 as head coach at Hughes Springs. During Alexander’s tenure at Daingerfield, he amassed 129 wins and appeared in three consecutive state championship games from 1983 through 1985. In 1983, during Alexander’s eighth year leading the Tigers, Daingerfield fielded one of the most prolific high school football teams in the country. The team outscored their opponents, 631-8. That team handed out 14 shutouts on the season, including 13 in a row at one point. All with Alexander at the helm. Alexander’s eighth season in Daingerfield culminated in a 42-0 win over Sweeny in the state championship game. It was the school’s second State Championship. Alexander led the Tigers to two more consecutive championship game appearances, falling in 1984 to Castroville Medina Valley, 21-13. Alexander was able to lead the Tigers back for a third year in a row in 1985, adding the school’s third state championship after a 47-22 win over Cuero that season. Alexander left Daingerfield in 1988. He went on to coach 13 seasons at Henderson and 10 at Harleton. Alexander finished his career with 340 wins, the fifth highest in Texas history at the time of his retirement. Alexander, along with fellow inductees Brian Brazil, Todd Dodge, Andy Griffin, and Tom Kimbrough will be honored at the 62nd annual Hall of Honor Induction Banquet on July 16 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. The event will kick off the THSCA Coaching School Convention. “We commend our inductees for their outstanding contributions as a Texas high school coach whose life
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and actions have provided a positive role model for our athletes and coaches across the state of Texas,” said Joe Martin, Executive Director of THSCA. Anyone considered for the Hall of Honor shall have been an active member of the THSCA in the following brackets: -1930-35 - must have been a member for any one year. -1936-45 - must have been a member for any five years -1946-present - must have been a member for a minimum of 15 years. -Should have contributed to the association. -Should have contributed to the coaching profession. Any coach may submit a coach for consideration by sending a letter to the Texas High School Coaches Association. Once an individual is nominated, his name will remain on the list with the committee for consideration. The committee meets each April so all letters should be sent to the THSCA by Feb. 1 of each year. About the Texas High School Coaches Association The Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) is the principal advocate and leadership organization for Texas high school coaches. The THSCA provides the highest quality representation, education, and services to Texas High School coaches and affiliate members by enhancing the professionalism of coaches and the schools they represent. The mission statement is simply this: To help and serve Texas high school coaches as they work to help and serve student - athletes. “HELPING COACHES TO HELP KIDS.” For more information on THSCA visit www.thsca.com
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MAY 2022
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TITUS COUNTY CARES
A helping hand for the community
By DI ANA FITZGERALD
T
itus County Cares has been a pinnacle of the community for almost 20 years, offering help to all local citizens in need. Titus County Cares was formed in May of 2005 as a result of the Ministerial Alliance, a group of pastors who met monthly, founded in 1971, seeking a new way to increase the help given to residents of Mount Pleasant and Titus County. At that time, the Alliance voted to form a new 10-person board made up of community leaders and pastors, and change the name to Titus County Cares. TCC serves people in emergency situations by giving food to help them make it through the month with its food pantry, by sending home backpacks of food every weekend to local children in need during the school year in its Food4Kids program, through child sponsorship with Cares4kids, and by through partnering identified
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at-risk students with adults to spend time reading and engaging with literature with the Titus County Reads program. “We consider these programs as preventative measures against homelessness, hunger, and poverty. Local businesses, agencies, and organizations have joined forces with TCC to assist in these needs,” says Titus County Cares. The TCC Food Pantry is available for those who are in emergency situations and need
access to nutritious foods. A family in need may visit the Food Pantry once every 30 days until they no longer need the assistance. On the first Friday of every month, TCC offers “Senior Boxes,” which are boxes filled with non-perishable food items for qualifying seniors. Food4kids delivers sacks of kid-friendly food for identified needy children every Friday to area schools, specifically to extremely low-income families or latch key children. The program
is designed to prevent childhood hunger and provide each child the opportunity to succeed in school and life. During the 2020-21 school year, over 1,400 bags were distributed each week. The program also incorporated two food closets at Chapel Junior High and High School and Mt.Pleasant Junior High. Volunteers meet every Tuesday during the school year to form assembly lines to pack the sacks of food. Another
NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE
team delivers these sacks to the schools each Thursday to be sent home with the children in their backpacks. Cares4kids gives the opportunity for adults to sponsor a local elementary student. This began as a dream to imitate agencies whose main focus is helping a child overseas and brings this idea home to our community where the need may be just as great. Children enrolled in Cares4kids receive a set of new school clothes, a coat, and shoes, a gift and book about the birth of Jesus at Christmas, an Easter basket full of candy and a book about the resurrection of Jesus at Easter, a weekend food bag as part of Food4kids, a birthday party with a cupcake, gift, and book. Cares4kids also provides school supplies for every child in the program. “School supplies can cost anywhere from $40.00 to $65.00 a child. This is a huge blessing to the parents because of the financial burden that these supplies can be,” says Titus County Cares. “As a sponsor, you have the opportunity to pack backpacks full of school supplies for the Cares4kids participants!”
Each year, Titus County Cares also makes it their mission to provide books to Titus County elementary school students to promote reading and intellectual growth during the school year and in the off months with the Titus County Reads program. The program was started in the fall of 2013 and currently has about 115 local adult volunteers who read one-on-one with a 1st grader at one of six Titus County Elementary schools for 30 minutes a week. The extra reading practice, personal attention, and special relationship formed between each adult and their reading buddy offer countless benefits to these students. Last year, 5,200 books were distributed to the area’s students, from kindergarten through fourth grade, through donations to the Titus County Reads program for summer reading. Volunteers come from local schools, churches, and businesses, as well as retirees. The Titus County Cares staff and Board of Directors is made up of community leaders and pastors who have a heart for the poor and needy in our community and the desire to do something about it.
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Colton Allen, Cierra Atchley, Jayden Baird, Mia Balette, Kailei Batts, Alden Beard, Anna Beggs, Erin Birdwell, Savannah Bowers, Bethany Briggs, Christina Brown,Lindra Burchette, Aubrey Butler, Parker Campbell, Elijah Cannon, Zander Capps, Tristan Carathers, Logan Clements, Isabella Daniels, James DeAnda, Joely Diamond, Makayla Duhon, Malorie Eastburn, Kielon Estell, Kirstin Flowers, Ash Franklin, Lane Garrett,Taylor Groves, Savanna Harvey, Robert Haywood, Jamar Henderson, Monterrian Henderson, Yasmina Herrera, Ashton Hickey, Alexander Hill, Lydia House, Macy Huddle, Xzavier Huey, Brandt Jewell, David Johnson Jr., Baylee Jones Cameron Jones, Glenda Jones, Traveon Jones, Elijah Kinnaird, Brooklyn Lewis, Victor Luna, Alex Martinez, Kyharin Matlock, Madison McCall, Kevin McFaul, Lane McMillan, Larson Murray, Kaclyn Nelson, Gracie Owens, Be’anna Parker, Kelsie Patterson, Hallie Reno, Tiara Rigsby, Maggie Ritchie, Tyreon Sanders, William Short, Chance Smith, Dillen Smith, Kashlyn Smith, Tyler Smith, Amari Stewart, Ty Thomerson, Cesar Vazquez, Gavin White, John Whitlock, Jalen Woodside, Lennon Worley, & Koda Wrinkle.
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Trendy with a down home feel at
Photos: CAPTURED BY KELSI
By KENNY MITCHELL AND ALLYSON PEBSWORTH
F
or those who might say high fashion is only for the big city, they just might want to go see the newest shop in Northeast Texas where you can find the latest styles and smalltown customer service all at the same location. Fashion, fun, and farm fresh eggs - North Elm Boutique has officially opened its doors in downtown New Boston, with an official grand opening that saw shoppers lined up down the sidewalk to see the hottest new shop around. Owners Shelby Stephens and Ashlyn Yates are excited and eager to bring their business to the community. While these ladies are both country girls that know their way around a farm, they also have a keen eye for fashion and work hard to make sure they have the latest styles 22
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and what is “trending” in their new storefront. North Elm was originally started as an online boutique in 2021. The idea came to be while their husbands, Caleb Stephens and Kenny Yates, were in the process of a downtown business remodel on North Elm Street. The ladies were “obsessed with the building,” and as the pair were admiring the work being done, they decided to start their own online boutique - hence the name. While the clothing boutique was online, the goal was to eventually open a storefront on their namesake street down the road. However, an opportunity presented itself, and they jumped at the chance to open their dream storefront in the same building where their idea originally came to fruition. NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE
Both Shelby and Ashlyn have strong local ties to the area and opening the store in New Boston was like adding icing on the cake. The early reviews for the boutique are five stars across the board, as shoppers rave about the trendy clothes, affordable prices and the top of the line customer service. North Elm Boutique currently offers clothing for all sizes, jewelry, and home decor. There is also a men’s section, courtesy of Caleb and Kenny, that includes beard oil, socks, watches, and more. Ashlyn also owns chickens that produce farm fresh eggs, that can be purchased in the store. Ashlyn spoke of future plans for the business that include carrying, “shoes, baby items, and a bridal section for wedding showers and bachelorette parties.” There are also extra rooms in the back of the building that they would “love to fill for lash extension, hair and makeup, or spray tans. So, if anyone is interested, message us on Facebook!” When speaking to the owners, they believe the goal for North Elm Boutique is to, “have a storefront for anyone to come in and find something they love. Whether it be clothing, Ashlyn’s farm fresh eggs, or a cup of coffee!” Their grand opening held April 15 saw a large number of community members and shoppers that were greeted with a warm welcome, flower cart, coffee bar, photo booth, mimosas, and the latest styles. The store even has an area utilized as a design center where savvy customers can design an outfit, one piece at a time. Ashlyn stated, “We would NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE
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like to thank the community for coming to the Grand Opening and supporting us. We were honestly blown away by the turnout. We are so excited to start this journey and cannot wait to see where it goes.” North Elm is conveniently located at 105 North Elm Street in downtown New Boston, a business district that is seeing a revitalization of sorts and is home to restaurants, antique stores, the 3 Bostons Museum, and several other specialty stores. Northeast Texas residents and visitors can literally spend the day and save themselves a drive to the big city. North Elm is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., and on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. For more information, look up North Elm on Facebook.
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Parchman speaks up and out against the atrocities of human trafficking By ELIZABETH LANNING
D
ual credit student and Chapel Hill Senior Jessie Parchman is currently finishing up her high school and initial college years and plans to graduate with an AA under her belt. Parchman is a Northeast Texas Presidential Scholar and recently attended the PTK International conference at Denver, Colo. where she presented a campaign booth focused on a subject that touches her deeply—human trafficking and the results. Parchman described how this became a focus in her life. Her mother was a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer who aided a teen mother and her child in a case involving trafficking and incest. This exposed Jessie to such situations and she decided that she wanted to learn more in order to help the victims. Human trafficking may be done for many purposes including slavery and organ harvesting. Unfortunately, the numbers of children trafficked for organ harvesting are rising. It is estimated there are roughly 27 million trafficked people in the world. “It could happen to us,” Parchman said. “There’s a lot of bad in the world.” Slavery has become a serious issue in many areas of the world, though today China receives much of the attention. Parchman mentioned many commercial industries that utilize slave labor to accomplish their quota of product including technology, clothing, poultry, and fishing. There are several corporations in China that are known to exploit children and force them 26
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Jessie Parchman campaigned for the position of international officer during the 2022 PTK International Conference where she presented information concerning human trafficking, modern-day slavery, and organ harvesting in an effort to bring awareness to these atrocities. to work in the factories. Though it is said the children are able to attend school, this is often not the case Parchman explained, adding that many people, both children and adults, are also refused pay. Apple, Nike, Shein, and H&M are among the companies who have been suspected of slavery activities. Another atrocity perpetrated upon the helpless around the world, both adults and children, is organ harvesting. Parchman explained that sometimes the victim is shot in the chest, then, while still alive and without the use of anesthetics, the vital organs such as heart, liver, and both kidneys are harvested and then sold. Dr. Enver Tohti, a young Chinese surgeon in the 1990’s, experienced this first-hand when he and his team was required to perform such surgeries on several prisoners in the Chinese countryside one morning. Dr.
Tohti escaped the Chinese Communist Party regime, and is now an Uber driver in London. “I want to take this further,” Parchman said. Bringing awareness at the PTK International conference was an important step, but she plans to start a nonprofit organization that can further the fight against these crimes. She is also planning to get into politics to further awareness and help to stop these activities. Eventually, she hopes to be in a position to rescue victims and offer them rehabilitation services. While attending the PTK International convention whose purpose is to promote equity and equality for all, Parchman was told that while her information was important, she couldn’t present her original speech because it was too sad. So she spoke instead of legend Carroll Shelby and how he exemplified the American spirit through
self-reliance, perseverance, and ingenuity. Parchman’s original speech is given here: How can the experience of play serve as a catalyst for epiphanies, innovations, or inventions? “My chief surgeons ordered and guided me to extract the liver and the two kidneys, the man was alive.” This is a direct quote from Dr. Enver Tohti who was a Chinese doctor who performed organ harvesting operations in the 1990’s. Dr. Tohti experienced an epiphany that changed the course of history. Regardless, if he found this epiphany through the experience of play, he found it through psychological changes that can be inducted through play. The demand for human organs for not only adults but children has grown faster than the supply of organs. Every thirty seconds a child is being trafficked for sex, slaving, or organ NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE
harvesting. Organizations that aid in the fight against human trafficking is making it a priority to inspire the youth. So, the question is, why the youth? Youth-age children resort to playing and are able to create new ideas for diverse problems and experience epiphanies that are life-long lasting. Through the experience of the catalyst play, society can undergo psychological changes through epiphanies to create a healthier world. When we think of play, we think of growth, and while growth is promoted, there’s a deeper psychological change that appears in the form of epiphanies. Play promotes creativity and function as well as factors that help emotional and cognitive capacities. Human trafficking is such a vast and changing industry, if advocates want to make a change, they must be thinking of new ways to combat these atrocities and promote epiphanies. Play is a universal stimulant that serves as a catalyst for epiphanies. Through play, society can experience cognitive change and undergo epiphanies. One person’s epiphany can change the reality of human trafficking. “I don’t think this is brought up enough,”
Jessie Parchman stated, “Staying true to my convictions is more important than a campaign. I am grateful for PTK giving me this opportunity to educate people from all over the United States on modern-day slavery and trafficking. My campaign was called depressing, but it is more painful to face the fact that we live in a society where it is more important to have cheap products than to stop slavery.”
she said, believing that more advocates need to make their voices heard. Parchman said she has met a lot of naysayers who believe that slavery ended with the Emancipation Proclamation, but “there is more slavery now than there ever was.” She explained that because of the convergence of highways and railroads in northeast Texas, the region has seen a lot of human trafficking occurring behind the scenes. Parchman believes that each person can make a difference in the world around them by making conscientious decisions, even if they are small. Refusing to buy from companies that are believed to use slaves to produce a product, learning more about these subjects, and giving donations, even small ones, to nonprofit organizations are all important.
Currently majoring in Biomedical Science and earning a degree in Psychology at NTCC, Jessie Parchman plans to further her education and receive a doctorate, though she hasn’t made up her mind which college to attend. “There are a lot of good offers out there,” she smiled.
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ATLANTA PLANS
150th Birthday Celebration FOR SEPTEMBER
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By KATE STOW
efore the Civil War, people were migrating westward from the East Coast. Some were taking the well beaten path of horse smugglers coming north from Mexican territory – land that would eventually be Texas. That path, later called Trammel’s Trace, led them over the Sulphur River via ferry into the Cusseta Mountains between Naples and Douglassville – close to the area now known as Bryan’s Mill. That area was thriving until the Texas and Pacific Railroad chose to lay track between Jefferson and Texarkana. It was in 1872 that Captain Preston Rose Scott donated 111 acres of farmland to the T&P in exchange for the privilege of naming the streets around the new depot. He chose the names of his four oldest sons – Buckner, Hiram, William and Thomas – and the new town of Atlanta was born. Sawmills sprang up all along the rail line and businesses were built on those four streets to cater to the men bringing the 28
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timber and cotton to the depot for loading. Mercantiles, boarding houses, blacksmiths and saloons made up the small town in the beginning. Those who made their home up the road in Cusetta and Douglassville heard about the bustling new city and travelled there to stake a claim. By 1876 Atlanta had more than 300 residents who elected their first mayor, J.F. Christian. People kept coming and staying, and before 1900 Atlanta was a good-size town with plenty of industry and jobs for everyone. This year, to mark the sesquicentennial (150 years) since the building of the T&P Depot and naming of the first streets, Atlanta is planning a Founder’s Day Festival. The celebration will take place in September, with several related events. On September 3 a slow-pitch softball game will take place at the Lady Rabbits Softball field in the city ballpark. Two teams – the Lumberjacks and NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE
the Engineers - will be made up of residents who have paid an entry fee. Tickets will be sold online and at the gate. Concessions will be provided by the Atlanta Lions Club. Also on September 3, a Founder’s Day Pageant will be held at the Mattie Lanier Richey Center, also at the city ballpark. It will be a “natural” pageant for girls, baby – 16. Ages 16-18 will compete for the title of Miss Atlanta 2022 and a scholarship prize. To compete in this category, each girl should be either enrolled in dual-credit high school courses, or already enrolled at college; she will also have to write an essay on “Why Atlanta is a Great Hometown.” On Friday, September 9, the Chamber of Commerce and Hanner Funeral Service will exhume the time capsule that was buried during the Centennial celebration on September 9, 1972. The items will be on display at the Miller Grade School building during the festival on Saturday, September 10. New items will be collected until the week prior and be placed into the vault, which will then be reburied in the same spot at the corner of Allday and Louise Streets beside the police station. Starting early on Saturday, September 10, the Atlanta Area Rotary Club “5K for the 150” run will take place. An old fashioned motorless parade will start at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday at the Texas Highway Department and travel up Hiram Street to the main stage, which will be located in front of Luigi’s Restaurant on East Street. As the parade comes to a halt, the mayor will cut a giant birthday cake. Founder’s Day Committee Co-Chairs Kate Stow and Lisa Irvin will introduce the Grand Marshal and Special Guest for the day – UFC Flyweight Andrea KGB Lee, an Atlanta native. Throughout the day, residents and visitors can enjoy old-time games
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like dominoes, washers, horseshoes, cornhole, sack race, frog-jumping contest, arm wrestling, pet contest, axe throwing, log splitting contest, costume content, liars contest, beard contest, and many more. There will be a kids play area, adult game area and an exotic petting zoo provided by Tony Buzbee’s Antioch Ranch. A market will be set up in Wood’s Plaza with vendors selling only homemade items. An Art exhibit and contest will take place in the vacant building on Main Street. Art Committee Chair Nancy Coe and the 903 Artisans Club will set categories and judge entries. A needlecraft contest will also take place in the building. A food contest will be centered at Veteran’s Plaza on the corner of Main and East Streets. Food Committee Chair Beth Tyson Boyd will set the categories and her judges will be local chefs Keith Reece and Raegan Stanley Rice. A cake walk and bake sale will also be set up in the plaza. The main stage will be the center of the action with local talent performing throughout the day. The museum, located in the historic depot, will be open and manned by the Cass County Genealogical Society. Capping off the day’s festivities will be the announcement of winners in all the contests, a chili cook-off, homemade ice cream contest and a street dance with a band on the main stage. Everyone is invited to help Atlanta celebrate this special day. However, it should be noted that men without facial hair and women in pants will be fined $1.50 for not complying with the 1872 dress code. The fee will be waived for those who purchase a special permit in advance.
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NE Texas sports is alive and well By QUINTEN BOYD
T
hough the school year still has a few weeks left in it, there’s been a lot to be proud of on the athletic fields in and around Mount Pleasant and the upper Northeast Texas area. During football season, the Tigers returned to the playoffs for the first time in six years after rolling past Jacksonville, 51-14. While the Tigers’ playoff run ended at the hands of A&M Consolidated, Mount Pleasant will benefit from the addition of players from a JV squad that went undefeated last season. New head coach Joe Cluley will take over as the Tigers’ head coach next season. Mount Pleasant will meet Pittsburg, Sulphur Springs, Liberty-Eylau and Frisco Emerson outside of district play. Tiger football players signing national letters of intent include Tre Emory (Baylor), Miller McCrumby (Arkansas State), Ervin Mickens (Hendrix College), Nic Chappell III (Louisiana Christian) and Anthony Jeffery (Louisiana Christian). At the younger levels, the Mount Pleasant Youth Football League returned to serve the city after a five-year hiatus. League commissioner Zameyon Lewis said organizers were happy to resume the league for the good of the kids of the community. Pewitt advanced to the UIL football playoffs for the 36th time this past season. Pittsburg also advanced to the playoffs, reaching the area round and nearly upsetting undefeated Quinlan Ford. In volleyball, Pewitt and Rivercrest volleyball both made the playoffs this year. On the basketball court, Mount Pleasant’s boys and girls varsity teams both made the playoffs. Coach Tina Carrillo’s Lady Tigers 32
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finished the regular season undefeated in district play and won the district championship. Coach Joey Chism’s Tigers finished second in the district. Both teams had guards who passed the 1,000 point threshold last season – Paris Beard for the Lady Tigers and Payton Chism for the Tigers. The Lady Tigers defeated Tyler High in the bi-district round and fell in a tight game against North Forney in the area round and graduated only two seniors from this year’s team. The future of girls’ basketball in and around Mount Pleasant is growing with the establishment of the Lady Tiger Uproar program, a year-round basketball program for girls in the surrounding area. The Tigers defeated Tyler High in the bi-district round, 17thranked Red Oak in the area round and 13th-ranked Highland Park in the regional quarterfinals to return to the regional tournament for the fourth time in five years and the third consecutive year. The Tigers fell to fifth-ranked Frisco Memorial in the regional semifinals. Chapel Hill’s boys and girls varsity teams both made the playoffs this past season. The Red Devils fell in the area round to fifth-ranked Tatum. Red Devil guard Vincent Rodriguez also crossed the 1,000 point threshold for his career. Rivercrest boys and girls basketball made the playoffs, with the boys advancing to the area round before falling in a tight game against Lindsay. Pittsburg boys basketball also reached the playoffs this year for the first time in five years. Mount Pleasant guard Paris Beard was named to the Texas Girls NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE
Coaches Association All-State team and was selected to play in July’s TGCA All-Star Game. Pittsburg Lady Pirate basketball team members Sanaa Hollins, Natalie Styles and Adrilanie Gutierrez were all named to the Texas High School Coaches Association’s Academic All-State team. Rivercrest’s Kamryn English and Mount Pleasant’s Paris Beard and Payton Chism were named to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches All-Region Team. Current and former Mount Pleasant athletes signing letters of intent include Genesis Roberson (volleyball, Southwestern Christian College), Ladi Guereca (volleyball, Southwestern Christian College), Evan Grissom (baseball, National Park College), Layne Pinckard (baseball, South Arkansas CC), Daniel Robles (track and cross country, Southern Arkansas) and alum Zaveion Chism-Okoh (basketball, Evansville). Signing letters of intent from around the area were Pewitt’s Deiontray Hill ( football, Texas College), Chapel Hill’s Vincent Rodriguez (basketball, Ottawa University - Kansas) and Presley Applegate (softball, Henderson State), Pittsburg’s Christian Bates ( football, Southeastern Oklahoma State) and Jaxson Ramsey (baseball, ArkansasRich Mountain) and Rivercrest’s Hudson Gentry ( fishing, East Texas Baptist University). Over in Harts Bluff, the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs completed their first official varsity seasons in preparation for playing in their first UIL district next year. The Bulldog boys finished 22-10 overall and 16-8 against varsity competition. Harts Bluff also held its first ever Homecoming this basketball sea-
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son, crowning Perla Solorio and Jose Garcia the school’s first Homecoming Princess and Prince and naming Anay Solorio and Christian de Santiago as the first-ever Homecoming Queen and King. The Mount Pleasant boys and girls’ soccer teams both made the postseason, with the Lady Tigers reaching the area round after upsetting district champion Jacksonville on the road. The Tigers lived up to their motto of “set the record straight” by reaching a high ranking of fourth in the state this year and defeating Lufkin, Midlothian and Whitehouse to punch a trip to the regional tournament. The Tigers fell to eventual state champions Frisco Wakeland. Pittsburg’s boys and girls soccer teams also made the playoffs. As teams hit the diamonds, Harts Bluff again made history when the Lady Bulldogs softball team picked up the team’s first-ever victory with a win over Yantis. The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs will have their own friendly confines in the near future as construction is underway on Harts Bluff ’s baseball/softball complex. Local baseball/softball teams are in the midst of their seasons with most of them nearing the start of the playoffs. In softball, Mount Pleasant, Chapel Hill, Pittsburg and Rivercrest will all advance to the playoffs. Pittsburg baseball has officially clinched a playoff spot, and Mount Pleasant, Rivercrest and Pewitt are all in contention as of printing for playoff spots. Regional golf qualifiers included Mount Pleasant’s Matthew Peterson and Grelyn Goolsby; Chapel Hill’s Katherine Shrader, Tristan Davis, Holden Hester, Lucas Thomas, Trent Milam, Landon Weaver, Ephram Vaseleck and Tristan Holbrook; Pittsburg’s Hogan Spearman, Lanna Wilkes and Drew Marshall and Rivercrest’s boys and girls teams.
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Rivercrest had three students advance to the state rodeo competition -- Caitlin Williams, Beck Perkins and Aaron Raulston. Pittsburg’s Mason Knight advanced to the state wrestling championships this year as a freshman. Mount Pleasant’s Nayeli Jaimes claimed the Lady Tigers’ first-ever powerlifting state title in March. Also advancing to state in powerlifting were Lady Tigers Arlette DeJesus and Alexandra Martinez; Tiger Micah Shepherd and Pittsburg’s Kyla Griffin. Chapel Hill will have three athletes competing in upcoming state championship tournaments -- golfer Katie Hart and doubles tennis players Braden Buchanan and Vincent Rodriguez. Area schools will be represented at the upcoming regional track meet -- 11 athletes from Pewitt, 11 from Rivercrest, 12 from Mount Pleasant, three from Chapel Hill and 11 from Pittsburg. In February, Mount Pleasant, Chapel Hill, Pittsburg, Pewitt, Rivercrest and – for the first time – Harts Bluff all received their district classifications for the next two years. Lady Bulldog volleyball will be in a district with Rivercrest, Clarksville and Detroit. The HB basketball programs are grouped with Clarksville, Rivercrest, Detroit, James Bowie and Maud. Because four teams advance to the playoffs per district, the Lady Bulldog volleyball team will be the school’s first playoff team. Mount Pleasant’s football district now consists of the Tigers, Hallsville, Marshall, Nacogdoches, Pine Tree, Texas High and Whitehouse. The district remains the same with the exception of Jacksonville, who dropped to 4A.
The Tiger basketball and volleyball teams will have new district mates since Sulphur Springs is also dropping to 4A. The Tigers will remain with Hallsville, Longview, Marshall, Pine Tree and Texas High with Tyler High (the former John Tyler) and Whitehouse creating the new 15-5A. Chapel Hill saw their district go through no change, as the Red Devils and Lady Devils remained in basketball district 13-3A with Harmony, Mineola, Mount Vernon, Quitman, Winnsboro and Winona. The Lady Devil volleyball team is in the same district, minus Winnsboro, who does not field a volleyball team. The Brahmas will be part of the new District 10-3A Div. II with former district mates DeKalb, Hooks, Chisum, Prairiland and Redwater and new addition New Boston, who dropped from Division I. Pewitt’s basketball, volleyball and likely spring sports districts saw no changes as the Brahmas and Lady Brahmas remain with Atlanta, DeKalb, Hooks, New Boston, Queen City and Redwater as part of District 14-3A. Pittsburg’s football district did not change -- Gilmer, Liberty-Eylau, North Lamar, Pleasant Grove and Spring Hill -- and its basketball and volleyball district stayed the same aside from one addition and one subtraction. The Pirates remained with Paris, North Lamar, Liberty-Eylau and Pleasant Grove and saw Gilmer replaced with new 4A Sulphur Springs. The area’s teams look to ensure that the road to state championships will have to go through upper Northeast Texas going into the new school year.
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