NOV 2017 • VOL. 1, ISSUE 1
QUEENS MEDAL OF HONOR • KILGORE THINGS & ETC. • CHRISTMAS IN KILGORE
Christmas
GIFTS F
R
O
M
$24.94-$105.95
Prices range from $170-$395
Hat – $23 T-Shirts– $23-$27
$34.95
Hours of Operation Tuesday-Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Closed Sunday and Monday
Bookends – $37.95
CLOSED: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Christmas Holiday Schedule is Subject to Change
1301 S. Henderson Blvd. Kilgore, Texas Please call today for a guided tour or for more information
Lazy Susan – $189
$22 - $37.95
(903) 983-8295
Ornaments – $5.99-$17.99
$150
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Reel East Texas Film Festival
November/December 2017
inside 4 Welcome 6 Taco Wednesday 7 Spotlight: John Bolton 14 Just Leave it There 16 United Fund Sale 17 Chamber Star Gala 27 Medal of Honor
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cover Ella Brooks (ETB Model) Photo by Nathan Gardner
The Ultimate Pin-Up Experience
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EAST TEXAS TREATMENT CENTER
PHYSICAL THERAPY SPEECH THERAPY OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY CARDIAC REHAB
1200 Dudley Road - Kilgore, Texas 75662 903-984-5571
Now Offering Pediatric Occupational Therapy in Kilgore
East Texas Treatment Center is offering Occupational and Speech Therapy services for children with sensory processing difficulties and orthopedic needs by working on ..... • Activities of daily living including play and social skills for home and school environments • Motor Planning • Fine Motor Skills • Strengthening, Endurance and ROM • Handwriting Skills • Parent Training • Auditory Processing • Speech Apraxia • Pragmatic Language • Stuttering/Fluency • Articulation Disorders
Phone: (903) 984-5571 Fax: (903) 984-1913 Email: info@ettctx.org www.easttexastreatmentcenter.org
ETcetera and thank you for picking up a copy of the inaugural issue. As publishers we sometimes feel constrained by our newspaper background – we adhere to “AP Style,” we avoid first person narratives, we omit a ton of adjectives and Oxford commas. In other words, sometimes we feel a bit like the 14-year-old at evening church service when all our pals are at a dance. And, doggone it, we like to dance every now and then. This magazine gives us a chance to dance a little – even if we’re more waltz than charleston. ETcetera is written and produced by Kilgore people and, as a result, we claim the right to claim a little more context than writers, reporters, publishers who live and work elsewhere and occasionally slip into our neighborhood to write a story. We have some institutional memory, friends who have more, and we know who to ask. If you think we missed a step, please let us know; we want you to at least tap your toes along with us. We hope you enjoy ETcetera. -Bill Woodall
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By JAMES DRAPER
TACOS
Every Wednesday at Las Tejanitas
Any given Wednesday could see hundreds – the record is about 2,000 – tacos passing through the kitchen of Las Tejanitas in Kilgore. “Sometimes we can see over 500 people. Sometimes it’s 300 people,” says Diana Rodriguez. “It’s really hard to say an average.” Per the kitchen, the number one street taco is always corn, but flour tortillas are always available. The eatery offers eight different kinds of meat: barbacoa, guisada, chicken, carne asada, beef fajita, ground beef, brisket and carnitas. That said, carne asada is the most popular, according to Diana, and most customers ask for shredded cheese over the queso fresco. As toppings go, “You can never go wrong with the cilantro and onions.” On National Taco Day, Oct. 4, the family-run restaurant moved 2,000 over the course of the day – $1 per is hard to beat, but “It’s the great cooks that we have, the seasoning that we put in the tacos, the taste.”
come up with a new special, renew our style of cooking,” Diana explained. “So we can have our customers happy with what they get.” The menu evolves every six months or so. Daily specome withevery a newquarter. special, cials up change renew our stylethey of cooking,” Granted, won’t be Diana explained. “So Wedneswe can dropping $1 Taco have our customers day anytime soon. happy with“The whatother they get.” day, someone The menu evolves every called it, ‘The Crazy Day in six months or so. Daily speKilgore,’” cials changeRosy everylaughed. quarter. True enough, the midGranted, they won’t be week lunch rushWednesstretches dropping $1 Taco over several hours, tables day anytime soon. packed, customers waiting, “The other day, someone and the restaurant called it, ‘The Crazystaff Dayisinall Kilgore,’” laughed. hands onRosy deck: the RodriTrue core enough, guez of fourthe andmidthree week lunch rush others besides. stretches
“Mostly it’s family. The other ones are just close friends,” Diana explained. “(Wednesday’s) the only day that we need that many, and it’s still not enough.” It makes for a big line at “Mostly it’s family. the cash register, RosyThe addother ones her are head. just They’ll close ed, shaking friends,” Diana explained. have to add another soon. “(Wednesday’s) onlythat. day I That said, “Ithelike that many, likewetoneed keepthat busy. The and only it’s still not enough.” thing I don’t like is when It makes for a big line at thecash people have Rosy to wait too the register, addmuch.” ed, shaking her head. They’ll not another her first rodeo: haveIt’sto add soon. Las Tejanitas in July That said, “Iopened like that. I 2014, but there like to keep busy.were The several only other,I smaller operations and thing don’t like is when the people waitbefore, too taco standshave that to came much.” focusing on “home-cooked” It’s not food her first rodeo: Mexican – home beLas opened July ingTejanitas the region of theinborder2014, but there were several city of Reynosa. The family other, smaller operations and moved to Texas and Kilgore taco stands that came before, in 1993. focusing on “home-cooked” In the food past, –thehome mainbefare Mexican wasthetacos quesadillas ing regionand of the borderbefore the familyThe considered city of Reynosa. family opening a full-fledged resmoved to Texas and Kilgore intaurant. 1993. In“My the past, the maininfare dad worked the was tacos Diana and quesadillas oilfield,” said. “We before the family considered were thinking of opening opening a full-fledged up so he could retireresand taurant. work here. “My dad worked in the “We wanted to just be like oilfield,” Diana said. “We a taco stand. We didn’t exwere thinking of opening a fullretire menu.” uppect so tohehave could and Ashere. the customers came – work and “Wesurged wanted–toLas justTejanitas be like a adapted. taco stand. We didn’t exlearned lot,” Rosy pect“We to have a fullamenu.” As the customers came like – said. “We tried to cook and surged Las Tejanitas home,” but– even rice needs adapted. to be prepared differently “We learned when trying toa lot,” appealRosy to a said. “We tried tobase. cook“We’d like broad customer home,” but even rice needs never eat cheese enchiladas” to be prepared differently at home, “but we learned! So when trying to appeal to a we worked on base. the cheese,” broad customer “We’d perfecting the recipe. never eat cheese enchiladas” U l t i m a t e l y, D i aSon a at home, “but we learned! “We to make weagreed, worked on tried the cheese,” it our own.” perfecting the recipe. UThe l t i mKilgore a t e l y, HighDSchool iana agreed, “Weand tried make graduate herto mother itdrive our own.” the venture, going The Kilgore HighinSchool back-and-forth differgraduate ent roles.and her mother
Las Tejanitas offer news1@kilgorenewsherald.com
Cheese enchiladas weren’t on the menu when Tacos las Tejanitas opened for business. As cheese goes, the Rodriguez women were acBy JAMES DRAPER news1@kilgorenewsherald.com customed to light, crumbly queso fresco and the melted Cheese weren’t chili conenchiladas queso their paontrons the menu whentook Tacossome las preferred Tejanitas opened for busigetting used to. ness. As cheese goes, the For Diana Rodriguez womenRodriguez were acand her mother, – the customed to light,Rosy crumbly “Texas Girls” of melted Las Tequeso fresco and the janitas the clients chili con– queso their come pafirst, preferred and cheesetook enchiladas trons some soon became getting used to.a staple at the For E.Diana 314 NorthRodriguez St. eatery. and her mother, “We learn fromRosy them–sothewe “Texas Girls” of Te-or can make a new Las menu janitas – the clients come first, and cheese enchiladas soon became a staple at the 314 E. North St. eatery. “We learn from them so we can make a new menu or
over several hours, tables packed, customers waiting, and the restaurant staff is all hands on deck: the Rodriguez core of four and three others besides.
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WHEN YOU GO:
Las Tejanitas 314 E. North St. Kilgore, TX 903-985-1103 Facebook: “Las Tejanitas”
Studio Name Longview Mall Address 903-753-0041 Phone Number Studio Name Longview MallRd. Business Hours 3500 McCann Address
903-753-0041 Business Hours Rd. 3500 McCann
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© 2016 Merle Norman Cosmetics, Inc. M E R L E N O R M A N . C O M
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Words & Photo CHELSEA KATZ
J
ohn Bolton was on a flight out of Tampa, Florida when the plane flying at 10,000 feet suddenly lost altitude. In that moment Bolton watched the contents of his coffee cup float in the air. This was nothing too unusual, though, for Bolton who spent four years of his life as a Hurricane Hunter. Before working for Texas Instruments and later becoming president of the Kilgore Community Concerts Association, Bolton was a member of the United States Navy Hurricane Hunters’ Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VW-4). Ultimately, the training plane they were flying stabilized and regained altitude, but not before leaving a lasting memory for Bolton. “I had just gotten me a cup of coffee and was sitting down and we dropped,” Bolton, 80, said. “And when we dropped that coffee came out of my cup, literally; it held its shape. It held its shape and the plane veered over to a point and it went right on the back of the flight engineer. All of the liquid went right on the back of the flight engineer. Little things like that happen all the time… I can see it now. Literally it looked like it rose from my cup, but it just stayed in place; I was the thing that was moving.” For six months of the year for three years in the 1950s, Bolton spent his time as a radioman in the Hurricane Hunters, chasing storms across the sky. Each year from June 1 to Nov. 30, Bolton and the
other 27 members of the crew spent their time flying through hurricanes – through the outer bands and the eyewall and into the calm eye – to collect data to relay back to The Weather Bureau in Miami. During the other half of the year, Bolton and the Jacksonville-based Hurricane Hunters served as a marketing and good-will squadron for the United States Navy, especially in Europe. “We would fly different dignitaries and things like that in England and Germany and different countries over there,” he said. “It was a lot of fun. We also flew for the shots out at Cape Canaveral. We flew platform, meaning we were in the air when they made the shots, like the old Jupiter shots, the Mercury shots, the early-on shots.” During those launches, which were unmanned many times, Bolton’s squadron would have instruments to perform electronic detection. “We’d fly different people from NASA; we’d have them in the plane with us and they’d watch the radar and we could do it a little bit more than just the visual effects,” he said. See BOLTON, Page 28
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th
5 2 s ’ e
In Th e
ds oo
Fo re
W
m o ts H
Christmas
Drive-Through Nativity Thurs-Sat December 7-9, 2017 6-9 p.m.
Candlelight & Carols, Dec. 24, 2017
Worship Services -Sunday: 9:15 a.m. Sunday School, 10:30 a.m. Worship Service 6:00 p.m. Evening Worship Wednesday - 5:00 p.m. Family Dinner - 6:00 p.m. Bible Study
15746 CR 173 North , Kilgore (off the loop - Danville Rd) | 903-984-2117
The ultimate
EXPERIENCE
Words CHELSEA KATZ
Photos CHELSEA KATZ & NATHAN GARDNER
Pg. 9 photo: Everything That Blings owner Jaque Henly models a pinup dress. (Below) Stylist Mindy Danielle poses in a muscle car during an ETB Pin-up Experience photoshoot. (Right) Posing coordinator Ella Brooks models an Everything That Blings dress next to a classic car and a Kilgore derrick.
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1955 Harley Davidson rests near an exposed brick wall across from a vintage kitchen and a stack of records. It may not be what you’d expect to find in a downtown Kilgore shop, but the set-up makes perfect sense to Jacque Henly. This is the ETB Pin-up Experience. What started as a home project in 2014 grew into its own downtown store as Everything That Blings came to Kilgore in July 2016, showcasing vintage clothes that recall a style direct from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. It is from that store that an opportunity unlike others in East Texas grew. The ETB Pinup Experience allows women to transform into people they may have seen only in a sitcom or movie from decades gone by. With a store full of retro fashion choices, Henly assembled a team that could
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bring out the beauty in women and capture those moments on camera. Women step into Henly’s store at 104 N Kilgore Street in downtown Kilgore as mothers, grandmothers, students, single and married, and see themselves in the mirror a few hours later as pin-up models. “These women who come in all have their own stories and reasons behind doing it, but no matter what that story is, our goal remains the same,” wardrobe assistant Brooklynn Miller said. “For every single smile that grows on these women’s faces it’s as good as 10 smiles on my heart.” This is one modeling experience where size and style do not matter except to find what makes each women look classy, sexy and comfortable. “The pinup experience to me is an opportunity for us as a team to get together and provide a service to these
ladies that will show them how beautiful they really are,” Miller said. “It’s my favorite thing to do; there is nothing in this world more empowering, beneficial or heartwarming than to take everyday women and show them their true potential.” Sometimes people will see the professional models’ pictures and think they could never do something like that and it becomes unattainable, Ella Brooks said. Brooks, who is a professional pin-up model and Drag Diva, serves as the posing coordinator for the Pin-up Experience and helps the women become comfortable with being in front of the camera. “I jump around, I talk silly stuff, I get down on the floor so they can see me in their peripheral so they can follow me,” she said. “I really hold their hand all the way through the process, that way when they get to look at their pictures, they
can look at theirs next to mine and they say, ‘I can do that. It’s not something out of my reach.’ That’s what we love about this because it’s the entire experience – the makeup, the clothes, the posing. We teach them something about themselves that they didn’t even know they didn’t know.” Chills is how Henly describes the feeling of seeing the women transform from when they sit in the makeup chair to their final pictures. “Everybody has an amazing story… There is nothing that feels better to me than making other women that don’t see their true inner beauty see it,” Henly said. “It’s just going back to the basics, this stuff that our mom’s moms did every day.” One of Henly’s favorite moments is when the women first see themselves after stylist– and pin-up model – Mindy Danielle completes her work on their hair and makeup. Henly compared the reveal to those seen on TV makeover shows. “The faces of these women, it’s like watching those makeover (shows). We get that every time,” Henly said. Once they see the finished product, Miller said, their face changes and they carry themselves differently. “I talk about the experience all the time because it is my favorite thing to do. It’s so important to provide confidence and compliments in a world of harsh words and even worse standards,” she said. “Beauty has zero rules, and I truly believe the Pin-up Experience exists to show women that these words are true. The only thing a woman needs to be beautiful is themselves.” It is more than just another photo shoot, though. It gives the ETB team a chance to spend multiple hours with each woman,
“It is a personal experience. It’s not just simply thrown together.”
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talking about their story, what they want out of the experience – getting to know them. “We don’t create customers, we create friendships and I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to be a part of this,” Miller said. The ultimate goal, though, remains the same. It is not to make the women more beautiful, but instead to show them they already are beautiful, photographer Nathan Gardner said. “It’s about putting them into an environment where they feel good, and it’s such a cool experience getting to watch that,” he said. “Somebody coming in and being so nervous and then they get their hair and makeup done, and then they finally see that first picture and
they’re just like, ‘That’s me.’ And we’re all just like, ‘Of course it’s you; it’s always been you.’ It is so much fun, and it’s really rewarding getting to see all these smiles and these ladies just kind of feeling really good about themselves. It’s really good, especially with today’s body image issues. It’s super rewarding to have these women feel good about themselves.” Although the presence of a male photographer might throw off some women, Henly said, Gardner makes them feel comfortable and works with Brooks to find what poses and lighting look best with each model. “I’ve heard I’m good at making the ladies feel comfortable and at ease, which is a huge compliment because that’s exactly what I’m
trying to do at those shoots is just have everybody have a good time because that’s really what it comes down to,” he said. While being in front of the camera does not always feel the most natural for some women, Brooks works with each woman to physically show her what to do. “She personally shows these women how to pose, which you don’t even know how much that makes people feel so much better,” Henly said. “They automatically turn into divas, but to have somebody that’s a professional go in there and show you the real professional poses. She’s there to guide our ladies through it.” With a knack of finding outfits that most flatter women’s frames, Henly and Miller make sure each woman has an opportunity to survey the entire store and try multiple outfits to find just the right ones. “Unless they’re just really into getting dolled up and already into this kind of lifestyle, Jacque and them will find out what they should have been wearing or the sizes that will flatter them most. It’s like me wearing the right suit,” Gardner said. “It’s just a really good environment. The girls I work with are super friendly, and it’s a very safe place because, again, you feel very vulnerable getting your picture taken unless you’re super used to that. If it’s your first time experiencing it, it can be a little daunting and unnerving.” Gardner said the difference he sees in the women from when they start their photo shoot to when they take their final picture is like “night and day.” “It’s incredible to watch.” That safe, fun space is intrinsic to the experience, Henly said, because Left: Stylist Mindy Danielle does Brooklynn Miller’s makeup before her ETB Pin-up Experience photoshoot. Everything That Blings owner Jaque Henly takes pictures of client Christy Wheeler during a Pin-up Experience session. Right: Miller, ETB Pin-up Experience wardrobe assistant, puts her earrings on before posing for pictures witth a classic Dodge.
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of how much the women come to trust Henly and her team. “They really share [themselves] with us,” she said. “It is a personal experience. It’s not just simply thrown together.” The creativity granted to clients means they can bring in family members or spouses for photos and, in some cases, four-legged friends. “We do pretty much whatever they want, as long as it’s within reason,” Henly said. The photo shoot means something different for each woman. Some may be celebrating beating cancer, while others may be celebrating a new life or love. Whether the women want to be in a classic dress or in leather, the photo shoot is developed for each person. “It’s unique,” Henly said. “It can be classy and sexy at the same time… With the pinup, we can do couples. We can do families.” When Henly and Brooks first talked about starting the Pin-up Experience, Henly said, she was certain someone had already done something similar. But what she found was a niche that had not really been filled. “There are pinup pictures done, but it’s not like what we do,” she said. The closest thing she could find to the ETB Pin-up Experience is by a company in England. When Henly posted the first Pinup Experience event on Facebook over the summer, she said, 280 people expressed an interest in one of the four available spots. Although Henly did not expect See PIN-UP, Page 28
“ETB Pin-up Experience”
Everything That Blings 104 N. Kilgore St. Kilgore, Texas 903.218.0405 www.everythingthatblings.com
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“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” Albert Camus was undoubtedly a bright fellow. He won the Nobel prize for literature for his body of work and he pretty much established a school of existentialism philosophy known as “absurdism.” But Camus completely missed the mark when he analogized the leaves of autumn to the flowers of spring. It is true Americans with disposable income will drive to the airport, park their automobile in an expensive parking lot, board a commercial aircraft and fly half-way across the continent to admire fall foliage. I’d wager few of those vacationing leafpeepers, and certainly never Camus, have trudged to the garage, pulled the leaf rake from the rack and spent a blustery autumn Saturday raking and bagging leaves. I’ve never flown to New England for the leaves, but I have wielded and cursed a leaf rake. If one could but devote that single Saturday to leaves and then be done, perhaps my attitude toward leaves would be as sanguine as Camus’. But that’s not the case. Spend your day raking and bagging leaves and, at dusk, go directly into the house – don’t look over your shoulder at the new carpet of dead leaves behind you. It’s far too depressing. Like the oft-cited woman’s work, leaf-raking is never done. An enduring image of my dad is of him leaning on a rake, a smoldering pipe or cigarette in hand and water hose at the ready, standing guard over a pile of burning leaves. For Dad, leaf season represented an opportunity to be outside, communing with nature and tobacco… and maybe an excuse not to be
Words BILL WOODALL doing something more strenuous. A pile of burning leaves or brush was, for my dad, a mental vacation. It’s where he went for his “Calgon, take me away” moment – a moment we moderns have been denied. In civilized, incorporated America we don’t burn leaves – the smoke irritates neighbors with respiratory ailments and an errant gust might ignite the neighborhood. Instead, frustrated and irritable, we rake leaves or chase them with a leaf blower and we bag them to be hauled away. As law-abiding Kilgoreos, we rake and – depending on our mood – we blow, we squeeze our seasonal detritus into industrial-size bags and pile them at the curb. The guys from Republic Services eventually haul them away and add them to what must be an awesome compost pile. Every leaf, dear Albert, is not a flower. We don’t pluck them and fashion them into a bouquet to be carried at weddings or pinned to our lapels at homecoming. No poet every wrote “a dead leaf is a dead leaf is a dead leaf.” No romantic ever posited that “a dead leaf by any other name would smell as sweet.” In fact, Camus, a dead leaf by any other name smells like sweat.
Avalon Faire Saturdays 10 am to 7 pm Sundays 10 am to 6 pm
Join us for the
Spring Medieval Faire Every weekend in April from March 31st – April 29th, 2018 1076 FM 1252 W | Kilgore, Texas | (903) 985-0165
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www.avalonfaire.com email: info@avalonfaire.com
ï‚«
My Brewing
Solutions New LocatioN Beer & Wine Hobbyists
302 E Main, Suite 100 • Kilgore, Tx | 903.576.1876
Main StrEEt Flowers & More
212 E Main St. • Kilgore, Tx 75662 | 903.983.2320
Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m. -5:00 p.m.
“Flowers say what words can not” Engraving SErvicES * FEdEx & UPS droP-oFF 16
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Proceeds benefit United Fund HQ Kilgore United Fund is steadily closing in on a 2017 fundraising goal of $80,000 (and then some) to help 11 local nonprofits continue to help people in need in the community. As the campaign’s volunteers reach out to donors willing to commit a portion of their paychecks to the annual charity drive, AMBUCS of East Texas has scheduled a garage sale to help United Fund cover its costs in the renovation of a new nonprofit headquarters on South Martin Street. The garage sale is set for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 11 at 109 S. Martin St. The Rudman Foundation MARK YOUR granted the building to Kilgore CALENDAR: United Fund in October 2016, Kilgore United and the local group has been Fund putting sweat equity into the GARAGE SALE property ever-since, angling Hosted by to turn the 1,700 square-foot AMBUCS of East structure into a public meeting Texas space for United Fund, for its 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. nonprofit beneficiaries and for Saturday, Nov. 11 other charities at work in the city. 109 S. Martin St. No campaign collections are being used in the renovations, so AMBUCS will be putting the garage sale proceeds and other contributions toward the project. “It goes to the building fund,” says United Fund CoPresident Merlyn Holmes. “It needs a lot of TLC. That’s an understatement. We’re hoping that we can make it something worthwhile, not only for the United Fund but for Kilgore.” In their 2017 campaign, the volunteer-fundraisers are aiming for total collections in excess of $80,000 to allocate to 11 charities at work in Kilgore including Because I Care, Boys & Girls Club of Rusk County – Kilgore Unit, East Texas Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, East Texas Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, East Texas Court Appointed Special Advocates, East Texas Literacy Council, East Texas Treatment Center, Habitat for Humanity, Helping Hands of Kilgore, Friends of Partners in Prevention and Parenting Resource Center. The campaign held its kick-off Pacesetters Luncheon in September and followed it with a wine-and-shopping See SALE, Page 25
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GAL A The Kilgore Chamber of Commerce added five new honorees to it’s list of recipients during its annual 2017 Star Gala held Oct. 16 in Kilgore College’s Devall Student Center Ball Room.
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(1) 2017 Citizens of the Year sisters Carrie Jackson and Julie Beck. (2) 2017 Small Business of the Year Alan and Debbie VanDoren of Downtown D’Lites. (3) General Manager Joe Stephens accepts the 2017 Large Business of the Year Award for his Brookshire’s store. (4) Skeeter Boat staffers accept an award fhe Inudstrial Business of the Year Award. (5) 2017 Chamber Ambassador of the Year Award, Melissa Azzam
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Have your next event at Meadowbrook Golf & Event Center! Now Booking for the Holiday Season
The Meadowbrook Golf & Event Center is a 9-hole golf course located in the heart of Kilgore (1306 Houston St.). The course is open year-round to the public, with additional benefits being offered to club members. Meadowbrook Golf & Events Center is open year-round to the public.
Course & Facility Amenities:
The Pump House Restaurant Free public wi-fi Swimming pool Ballroom with large televisions Meeting facilities Pro shop Putting green Driving range
(Baskets: Small - $3.50+tax, Medium - $5.50+tax, Large - $7.50+tax)
Golf Course/Pro-Shop (903) 984-3155
To book your event call 903.988.4128
Words CHELSEA KATZ
E
ast Texas native Chip Hale has attended film festivals across Texas and all over the United States – from Sundance in Utah to Provincetown, Massachussetts – and as far as Madrid, Spain. Come Nov. 16 he’ll officially open his own Reel East Texas Film Festival. With the creation of the festival, Hale will bring directors, actors and producers from across the country and the world to Kilgore, Texas. “Let people who aren’t from here see that this is a really charming town,” he
said. “I do think with the aesthetics, with the way Kilgore works, I can see a lot of filmmakers wanting to come here to make movies.” It’s more than just the movies, though. For Hale, it’s about revitalizing downtown Kilgore and specifically the historic theaters – the Texan Theater and the Crim Theater that have been vacant for decades – as well as the old U.S. Post Office. Opening night of the Reel East Texas Film Festival will pause for the annual Derrick Lighting, a tradition Hale called “uniquely Kilgore” that officially kicks off the holiday season Nov. 16. RETFF will then continue through the evening of Saturday, Nov. 18. The two events are intrinsically linked: it was during last year’s Derrick Lighting ceremony that Hale
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Independent filmmaker Chip Hale of Overton Films is counting down to mid-November and the first Reel East Texas Film Festival, set Nov. 16-18 in the Texan Theater and the Old U.S. Post Office. photo by james draper (On Page 19, top) Hale, his festival board and sponsors aim to help fuel renovation efforts in Kilgore’s historic theaters, the Crim and the Texan, as well as Kilgore Historical Preservation Foundation’s post office project. photo by clark langley (Page 19, bottom) The facade of the Texan Theater, includes its signature star, received a facelift this spring from the City of Kilgore. (Opposite) Reel East Texas Film Festival hosted a Movie in the Park showing of “Wonder Woman” Sept. 30, introducing the community to the new event. photo by chelsea katz
first had the idea for Reel East Texas Film Festival. As he watched people mill around downtown before, during and after the celebration, he wondered what the city could add to the event. “I just looked down the street and saw the Crim, the Texan and Post Office, and said ‘We can put people in there,’” the festival director recalled during a visit to
FILM
the Kilgore Lion’s Club this summer. “That’s pretty much how the idea came about. It was really just kind of simple. In doing so, I’ve found that everyone is so passionate
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about those three buildings.” If Megan DeHoyos, festival administrator, had any superpower, she said, it would be to travel back in time to see the theaters when they were in their prime, noting the architecture, opulence and art deco displayed in both theaters – especially the Crim. “I just want to see those buildings come alive again,” she said. “They are just as much a part of this town as the derricks and everything else downtown. I just want to see them have that life brought back into them… I just want to see that energy
and that people enjoy them.” When Hale presented the idea to DeHoyos, their broad goal was to renovate the downtown theaters. From its inception to becoming a fully realized film festival with 57 programmed pieces, she said, it is surreal that everything has fallen into place for its first year. Although there is the risk that the original idea will have to be reformed and adjusted to fit the reality, DeHoyos said, that was not the case with RETFF. “It’s just something that we pursued and hoped that people would get behind, and they did,” she said. “We’re extremely thankful.” The Crim Theater cannot be used for events right now. Movies will be shown in the Texan and the Reel Lounge is set up in the Old Post Office (a.k.a. the Kilgore History and Art Center), featuring artwork by Kilgore native Bill Phinnie. Hale described the buildings as a kind of entertainment trinity that forms a “geographic synergy.”
“I think everyone’s like me, and they drive by these theaters and think ‘What if?’” Hale said. “Whether or not it works, there’s a shot at getting into those two facilities.” The creation of the festival means movies will return to the Texan Theater and with time hopefully the Crim Theater, both of which have renovated facades and neon lights, Hale said. “I believe it’s an exciting opportunity for East Texans to become familiar
with something we really have not had access to… I’m very excited for everyone to come to downtown Kilgore and be a part of the film festival and soak up the atmosphere and the ambiance of the theaters,” RETFF committee member and fundraising leader Steve Shirey said. All proceeds from the non-profit film festival will then help contribute to the renovation of the buildings through the Theater and Post Office Renovation Fund. “We will be continuing to seek donations and be giving 100 percent of those donations to the Kilgore Historic Preservation Foundation and the City of Kilgore so we can continue our efforts to make these buildings viable and actually be able to use them again and have folks be able to have weddings and activities of all kinds in those buildings,” Shirey said. “We had a meeting in the Texan, and I really couldn’t believe I was making it past the front door. I had wanted to go in the theater all my life.”
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In addition to the revitalization of the three buildings RETFF will be using, the festival will bring people from across the country and the world to Kilgore with entries from nine foreign countries and across United States include in the festival’s inaugural year. “We have nine foreign films, which makes us technically an international film festival,” Hale said. Even with the international entries, Hale said, he is excited about the submissions that have ties to East Texas, including Henderson, Canton and Kilgore. Hale said he was shocked to find they had 85 submissions for the first year. Of those, nearly 60 films will be shown throughout the three days of programming between Nov. 16 and 18. “I am thrilled that we have 57 films… I really thought we’d be screening maybe 40 movies and we would have started on Thursday night and not Thursday day like we’re starting now,” he said. Since the submission window closed last month, Hale said, more than 30 people have said they will be attending the festival, representing 17 of the 57 programmed movies. DeHoyos said she is excited to see visitors experience Kilgore from the
people and community to the scenery and history. After moving to Kilgore from Houston at 18 to become a Kilgore College Rangerette, DeHoyos spent seven years in Dallas before moving back to Kilgore. “Kilgore has just always felt like home,” she said. “I’m thrilled that people want to come and experience a place that I fell in love with immediately… I’m just excited to share Kilgore with other people because I think they’ll love it just as much as I do, as much as we do.” There is an excitement, he said, when filmmakers get to watch their projects in a theater. “One thing we all have to come to terms with is the chances of your movie being screened in a multiplex theater are not good,” Hale said. Some independent filmmakers have gotten lucky and have had blockbuster movies. “We’re able to give our directors an opportunity that thousands of independent filmmakers don’t get – we’re going to feature their films on the big screen in a theater, and it’s all in Kilgore, Texas.” The world of independent filmmakers, he added, shares a bond with the wildcatters who following their instinct that they would find oil in
Reel East Texas Film Festival Director Chip Hale (right) meets with festival staffers Megan DeHoyos and Steve Shirey in the Texasn Theater. Learn more about the coming event at ReelEastTexas.com. photo by james draper
Kilgore in the 1930s. “There’s that wildcatter spirit that independent filmmakers embody too,” Hale said. The filmmakers who attend the festival will get to learn more about the history of Kilgore through a tour of the town by Kilgore Mayor Ronnie Spradlin and Kilgore Chamber of Commerce Tourism Director Ryan Polk. Both Hale and DeHoyos want to show filmmakers what Kilgore can provide as a Film-Friendly City. People unfamiliar with any locations in Texas outside of Austin, Dallas and Houston can not only visit but explore the filming opportunities that exist in Kilgore through the tour. “I’m interested to see what becomes of that; I truly am,” DeHoyos said. “I’m interested to see how that inspires young filmmakers to see Kilgore as a place where they can come to film and to not only make their films but to also utilize the community again. I’m thrilled to see where that portion of our weekend takes them.” In addition to the tour of Kilgore and the 57 projects that will be screened in the Texan Theater, Reel East Texas will include brunches Friday through Sunday, an awards ceremony, at least one guest speaker – producer Lee Supercinski has been confirmed to participate – and the Reel Lounge in the Old Post Office. When Hale first dreamt up his vision for the festival, that dream included having so much to offer people they had to pick and choose which activities to do. “On Saturday we’re making them choose something to do and that includes filmmakers too. I want them to have to choose something tangible to do while they’re at our film festival,” he said, whether their choice is watching a block of movies, going on a tour of Kilgore or attending a guest speaker session. Although Reel East Texas will not have live music like South by Southwest or Boomtown in Beaumont, Hale said, See FESTIVAL, Pg. 25
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FESTIVAL CONT. FROM PG. 23 his festival will incorporate an art exhibition through Phinnie’s work in the Reel Lounge. “It adds another artistic element to the film festival,” Hale said, an extra feature the festival is able to provide. Hale’s goal is to make the movies accessible to anyone who wants to see them. Most of the movie blocks will cost $10 and be two hours long including multiple short and feature length films. An hour-long lunch block will be available for $5 to allow people who work in Kilgore to attend the festival on their lunch break. “We’re trying to think of ways to encourage people to come down and watch movies, even if they only want to see one movie,” he said, noting the price is comparable to going to a new release at a contemporary movie theater. Every block will include movies from multiple genres, so even if someone can only attend one hour-long or two-hour block, “you can walk away knowing you saw
SALE CONT. FROM PG. 16 multiple genres.” The most important thing about the festival for DeHoyos, she said, is to bring people to Kilgore and show off the “charming” city she first discovered as a Rangerette and vowed to return to. “To really show how this community bands together and just the passion that’s here. Being able to help show that to people that have never known that Kilgore was on the map,” she said. “I’m very excited for East Texans young and old to participate in the festival,” Shirey said. “It will be something different that they’ve never experienced, and I promise they will not be disappointed. Having 57 films there are going to be a wide variety of subjects and themes that I think people all over East Texas can relate to.” VIP, all-day, per-movie block and lounge tickets are available at reeleasttexas. com, ranging from $5 for a lunch block of movies to $120 for VIP all-access passes.
fundraiser in late-October, Nightmare on Main Street. The volunteers are distributing commitment cards throughout the community to bring other donors on board. Individuals, businesses and corporations can make cash or check pledges, request to be billed or agree to a monthly payroll deduction through Sept. 30, 2018. Pick up an orange 2017 pledge card from any Kilgore United Fund volunteer or at the Kilgore News Herald, 610 E. Main St. For more information or to make a donation, call Holmes at 903-736-4265. -Words JAMES DRAPER
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Twice a year, John Edney and his comrades-in-arms call on the people of Kilgore to devote an hour of their time to honoring the men and women who serve in the United States Armed Forces. Months after celebrating Kilgore as ‘The Most Patriotic Town in Texas’ and, soon after, bidding farewell to local National Guardsmen heading overseas, the community has the opportunity to say ‘Thank You’ again on the second Saturday of November. While May’s Memorial Day remembrance honors those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, Veterans Day remembers all who have served and continue to serve their fellow Americans on the frontlines. This year’s ceremony begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, at the U.S. Veterans Monument at Harris Street Park. The event will once again feature the Kilgore Fire Department Honor Guard posting the colors as well as patriotic music, including the haunting melody of “Taps.” Edney, president of the Kilgore Veterans Association, is eager for a high turnout at this year’s program, featuring a local veteran for the keynote address. Sandra Kay Self was born and raised in Kilgore, he said, before she moved away and joined the service. Visiting from Salado, “She’s a military veteran, and we’re proud to have her,” Edney added. “It’s been a while since we’ve had one of our own, home-folk ladies come back and speak to us.” Anyone who would like to add a veteran’s name to the monument at 100 Harris St. should contact Edney at 903987-0289. – Words JAMES DRAPER
Kilgore Medal of Honor winner lauded for bravery in WWII James M. Logan’s Medal of Honor citation from the United States Army reads like a scene from a World War II action movie: bullets from a Nazi machine gun nest explode in the sand as an intrepid young officer braves a storm of gunfire to capture the enemy’s weapon and turn it against them. It was his first action above and beyond the call of duty that day in Salerno, Italy, and it reserved a place in the history books for a man who would one day call Kilgore home. Logan was born Dec. 19, 1920 in Travis County, the son of C.M. Logan and Maggie Mae Williams Logan. He was married to Agnes Pauline Burke from 1917 until her death in 1968. Four years after joining the Texas National Guard at 15, “he was mustered in Federal service,” the Texas State Historical Association reports, and ultimately mobilized as a rifleman. Logan and his comrades reached Algeria in 1943 and were tapped for the first action in Italy later that year. According to the U.S. Army’s archive of Medal of Honor recipients, the native Texan was cited for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action involving conflict” on Sept. 9, 1943, near Salerno. “As a rifleman of an infantry company, Sgt. Logan landed with the first wave of the assault echelon on the beaches of the Gulf of Salerno, and after his company had advanced (Clockwise from above) James Marion Logan, as a rifleman in the United States Army, earned the Medal of Honor – and numerous other awards – during World War II. He was honored again by the Texas Legislature in 1997 before his death in October 1999. courtesy images from u.s. military sources
800 yards inland and taken positions along the forward bank of an irrigation canal, the enemy began a serious counterattack from positions along a rock wall which ran parallel with the canal about 200 yards further inland.” Logan voluntarily exposed himself to machine gun fire from the rock wall. He was splattered with dirt and rock splinters as bullets hit the ground near him. He killed the first three German soldiers who came through a gap in the wall, then Logan attacked the machine gun nest. “As he dashed across the 200 yards of exposed terrain a withering stream of fire followed his advance,” Army records report: “Reaching the wall, he crawled along the base, within easy reach of the enemy crouched along the opposite side, until he reached the gun. Jumping up, he shot the 2 gunners down, hurdled the wall, and seized the gun.” Logan swung the gun around and opened fire on the enemy, using the remaining ammunition as they fled. He smashed the weapon over the rocks and captured an enemy officer and a private attempting to sneak away. “Later in the morning, Sgt. Logan went after a sniper hidden in a house about 150 yards from the company,” once more running a gauntlet of fire to reach the enemy: “Shooting the lock off the door, Sgt. Logan kicked it in and shot the sniper who had just reached the bottom of the stairs.” Promoted to sergeant after Salerno, Logan continued to serve with distinction. For example, “On June 1, 1944, Sergeant Logan captured 15 Germans and killed 25 in an assault on a German unit trying to escape Velletri during the short and chaotic battle,” according to TSHA. “Logan was injured by shrapnel
from artillery shells while he carried a wounded soldier to a medical aid station.” That day earned him both the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Service Cross. Days later, he received his Medal of Honor for the action in Salerno (after being nominated twice in addition to two Bronze Stars and numerous other accolades. According to the historical association, after leaving the Army in March 1945, Logan spent another two months in the Texas National Guard then left the service to months later and worked three decades for Exxon before retiring to Kilgore. He was honored again in May 1997, this time by the Texas Legislature as the first recipient of the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor, and later in the dedication of a wing of the National Guard Armory in Kilgore. Logan died Oct. 9, 1999, in Longview and was buried in the Texas State Cemetery in Austin. According to his citation, “The conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity which characterized Sgt. Logan’s exploits proved a constant inspiration to all the men of his company, and aided materially in insuring the success of the beachhead at Salerno.” – Words JAMES DRAPER
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BOLTON CONTINUED FROM PG. 7 “It was a pretty loaded aircraft at that time; the science was good. We were the leading edge, but we still had tubes. All of the equipment was run with vacuum tubes, not semiconductors.” Many make the military their career, but Bolton left the Navy after three years to work at Texas Instruments and to study electronic engineering. It was during this time that Bolton helped facilitate the transition to semiconductors from vacuum tubes. “I got the opportunity to be involved in all of that redesign and reengineering, so it was kind of a continuity that worked out very well… We moved from the room full of electronics to the shoebox,” he said. “It’s that sort of philosophy.” One thing has not changed, though. Bolton still tracks the storms that develop in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean and in the Gulf of Mexico. “I like to do that. Generally, if you use the Weather Channel, you always get the coordinates,” he said, noting they did not have or know what GPS was when he was tracking them from the air. Although he ended his military career on his terms, he said, he still sometimes wishes he was out with the Hurricane Hunters – now part of the United States Air Force, instead of the Navy – as they collect the data on each storm. “I enjoyed doing it, I really did. It wasn’t like going to war or anything like that, but it was adventurous. Many times my wife, Carol, would say, ‘I bet you wished you were out there.’ I say, ‘Well, yes and no, only for the adventure of it.’”
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the pin-up experience idea to take off like it has, she always thought about seeing women in the retro clothing and being able to get their pictures taken in the classic designs that developed during World War Two and continued into the 1970s. “I wanted it to be an experience. Even with everything in my store, my priority is about getting stuff that make people feel good,” Henly said about the ETB Pin-up Experience origins. Gardner, who grew up watching “I Love Lucy” reruns, said he enjoys seeing women wear the vintage styles. “It’s really fun seeing these ladies in something that they saw their grandma wearing back in the day, like Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. They see these iconic images that were really classic, and they get to duplicate that,” he said. A welcome influence of ETB and the experience is the resurgence of more classically styled dresses in East Texas, even among young women and girls.
Tony Pace lists 80-plus songs in his on-stage repertoire, filling his shows with an array of musical genres and channeling their biggest names – there will be many musicians in his spotlight in Kilgore come Jan. 22. Kilgore Community Concerts is bringing the Las Vegas headliner to the stage of Dodson Auditorium through its partnership with Nashville-based Live on Stage. Pace is set for a 7 p.m. Monday night show, the third in KCCA’s 2017-2018 season. “When energy, music, and comedy collide, it’s a guarantee Tony Pace is on the stage,” according to Live on Stage, promising a combination of “hilarious musical comedy, crazy characters, dead-on impressions, versatile musicianship, an endless supply of explosive raw energy all wrapped around one of the most incredible serious voices.” It’s a show that’s constantly changing, the musical impressionist says, a whirlwind homage to performers from Louis Armstrong to Frank Sinatra, Enrique Iglesias or international popstar Psy and his “Gangnam Style.” “As we move through the decades, audience reaction will determine how much (or how little) I do for that decade,” he adds. “Whether you’re a Millennial, Generation X, Baby Boomer or from the Silent Generation, this show will have something for you. Cheer for your generation loud and proud as we move through musical history.” Earlier this season, Kilgore Community Concerts featured a tribute to the ‘70s and ‘80s in ABBA Fab and followed it with the operatic comedy stylings of the 3 Redneck Tenors. With Pace as the season’s penultimate concert, the local concert association will close their series with the Kilgore Chamber Orchestra at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24. It’ll be a stark contrast to the Las Vegas showman’s poppeppered performance. Tickets are available in advance at KilgoreConcerts.com – season tickets are $45 and help KCCA keep live entertainment on stage in Kilgore while giving audience members reciprocal admission at numerous shows through the region. At-the-door tickets are $30. Students attend the concert free-of-charge. For Pace, “I believe that in order to move forward you need to know where you came from. For this reason, my last segment is to pay homage to those who were instrumental and influenced my career and performance style,” he says. “The show is fast paced and I welcome your energy and enthusiasm throughout the entire journey. Enjoy the music, the laughs and the memories.” For more information, log on to KilgoreConcerts.com. -Words JAMES DRAPER
Find a preview of Tony Pace’s show at tinyurl.com/KCCA-TonyPace PROMOTIONAL PHOTO
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Christmas is fast-approaching, and downtown Kilgore’s elves are hard at work to ensure it’s the most wonderful time of year on Main Street. “I am so excited,” says Julie Beck of J&Co., once again spearheading the grassroots events in the city’s shopping core. “We’ve got a lot of fun things in the works. As usual, downtown Kilgore will be the place to be to have a good time.” While Kilgore Historical Preservation Foundation officially launches the holidays with its annual Very Derrick Christmas lighting ceremony from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 16, the post-Thanksgiving ‘Mingle & Jingle’ shopping soiree is the first (and longest-running) event in the downtown merchants’ ‘Christmas in Kilgore’ line-up: “It kicks off the season,” Julie says,
beginning at 6 p.m. Nov. 25. Throughout December’s Saturdays, the Christmas activities line-up includes ‘Deck the Halls’ on Dec. 2 – “People can come and get their houses all decked out for Christmas.” – then ‘Christmas Cookies with Santa’ follows on Dec. 9 with a progressive cookie hunt through downtown. It was a big hit with the younger crowd in 2016, Julie added, and “We’ll have Santa Claus reading to the kids.” The third Saturday of the month Nov. 16 Very Derrick Christmas Nov. 25 Mingle & Jingle Dec. 2 Deck the Halls Dec. 9 Cookies with Santa Dec. 16 Jingle All the way Dec. 23 Stuff the Stocking (Christmas Eve Eve)
features ‘Jingle All the Way’ on Dec. 16, including a wintertime petting zoo. Amid the various events, “We’re working on some new games and races downtown,” Julie said. Finally, the series closes Dec. 23 as the clock ticks down to Christmas Eve. “We’ll have that for those lastminute shoppers,” with gift cards aplenty: “In case you’re afraid Santa can’t fit it all in his sleigh, J&Co. and the rest of the downtown merchants will have you covered. The overall plan is still in the works as the downtown merchants association works with the City of Kilgore’s Main Street Program to make the seasonal celebration swing. Better watch out for updates, Julie says: “There will be more to come for sure.” – Words JAMES DRAPER
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East Texas Pipe Organ Festival Nov. 5-9 First Presbyterian Church (and other locations) EastTexasPipeOrganFestival.com
KISD Veterans Day Ceremony Friday, Nov. 10 9 a.m. Kilgore Middle School 455 Baughman Rd. Kilgore Veterans Day Ceremony Saturday, Nov. 11 9 a.m. U.S. Veterans Monument 100 Harris St. Kilgore United Fund Garage Sale Saturday, Nov. 11 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. 109 S. Martin St. Overton-New London Chamber of Commerce GIT BizzY Chitchat Monday, Nov. 12 5:30 p.m. Insurance One 202 E. Henderson St. in Overton A Very Derrick Christmas Thursday, Nov. 16 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. World’s Richest Acre & Downtown Kilgore Reel East Texas Film Festival Nov. 16-18 9 a.m. to midnight daily Texan Theater 225 S. Kilgore St. ReelEastTexas.com Christmas in the Park at Liberty City Thursday, Nov. 23 through Jan. 1 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Nightly Hugh Camp Memorial Park 5716 Old Hwy. 135 in Liberty City
Mingle & Jingle Saturday, Nov. 25 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Downtown Kilgore KilgoreMainStreet.com Overton Christmas Parade “Texas Strong” Grand Marshal: West Rusk State Baseball Team Monday, Nov. 27 6:30 p.m. Downtown Overton 87th Annual Kilgore Christmas Parade Theme: “Stories of Christmas” Tuesday, Nov. 28 Kick-off at 6:30 p.m. Downtown Kilgore VisitKilgore.com Deck the Halls Saturday, Dec. 2 Downtown Kilgore KilgoreMainStreet.com Kilgore College Rangerettes Christmas Show Sunday, Dec. 3 5 p.m. Dodson Auditorium 817 Nolen St. Rangerettes.com 30th Annual Liberty City Christmas Parade “Christmas Around the World” Sunday, Dec. 3 (Rain date: Dec. 10) 2:30 p.m. Old Hwy. 135 south of I-20 LibertyCityGoodNews.com Drive Thru Nativity Dec. 7-9 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Forest Home Baptist Church 15746 CR 173 N in Kilgore
Texas Shakespeare Festival Live Radio Play “It’s a Wonderful Life” Dec. 8-10 UpStairs Space, TSF Center 815 Houston St. TexasShakespeare.com Christmas Cookies with Santa Saturday, Dec. 9 Downtown Kilgore KilgoreMainStreet.com Wreaths Across America in Kilgore Cemeteries Saturday, Dec. 16 • 11 a.m. Host: Gregg Co. Ace of Spades Composite Squadron Learn More: www.tinyurl. com/WreathsInKilgore Jingle All the Way Saturday, Dec. 16 Downtown Kilgore KilgoreMainStreet.com Stuff the Stocking Saturday, Dec. 23 Downtown Kilgore KilgoreMainStreet.com Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade Monday, Jan. 15 10 a.m. MLK Boulevard Relay for Life 2018 Kick-off Cook-off Monday, Jan. 15 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Forest Home Baptist Church Texas Two-Step of Kilgore Theme: Monte Carlo Saturday, Jan. 20 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. National Guard Armory 1807 Stone Rd. KCCA Tony Pace Monday, Jan. 22 7 p.m. Dodson Auditorium KilgoreConcerts.com Have an event coming up? Email it to news1@kilgorenewsherald.com
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PRESORT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #8 KILGORE, TX Kilgore News Herald P.O. 1210 Kilgore, TX 75663