Orange Living Magazine Volume 1 2023

INSIDE

Volume

1 of 2023

PUBLISHER’S COLUMN

LCM band surprises 80-year-old on his birthday......................... ....4

MAGAZINE REACTION

Orange County quilting group celebrated magazine story.........9

MARCH OF TIME

Orange NAACP leads community event in January................10

EASTER SUNDAY

This Roasted Lamb is YOUR next holiday classic...................16

O range L iving

TIGER TALES

Childhood memories inspire sports manuscript........18

SERVICE FOR OCSO

Sheriff’s Office recognized for service to community........22

THE SCENE

Mardi Gras fun.........................24

ON THE COVER — The cover features our spotlight story features covered in this edition. (Design by Candace Hemelt)

Publisher: STEPHEN HEMELT

Contributors: RANDY STRONG

SHARI HARDIN

SIERRA KONDOS

Photography: RANDY STRONG SIERRA KONDOS

orangeleader.com

Designer: STEPHEN HEMELT

Contact Information: ORANGE NEWSMEDIA, LLC PO BOX 1089 ORANGE, TX 77631

Advertising Inquiries: BARBARA BIENVENU 409-883-3573

CANDACE HEMELT 409-721-2400

Subscriptions: 409-883-3571

When THE BAND begins to play

Israel Castaneda began working as associate band director for Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD in 2019 and then took over as director during the summer of 2022.

One of the first things that motived him during his time in Orange County was seeing firsthand the community involvement.

“Of course, you go to the football games and those stands are packed,” he said. “Everyone is always at everything that the school does. It’s great to see that community involvement, so it was great to give something back to them. We get a lot of support for our marching band and concerts in the spring, so it was great to do something for them.”

Castaneda shared that with Orange Newsmedia when discussing a unique outreach performed by the high school band on Christmas Eve.

What unfolded was a special birthday performance that took place in the cold. The joy that followed, Castaneda said, warmed everyone’s hearts.

“It gets the kids more involved in the community and lets them know something they do during school can mean a lot for someone who

Courtesy of Joe Bob Edwards Roland Guillot reacts in joy during his Christmas Eve birthday surprise, where the Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School band helped him celebrate turning 80 years old.

is outside of school,” he said. “It is also something they can take forward into their lives once they graduated. I wanted to jump on that opportunity because it provides something for the community, means a lot for some body, and gives the kids an opportunity to perform music for someone else’s enjoyment.”

THE FUN

Roland Guillot turned 80 years old on Christmas Eve and ended up getting the surprise of his life.

The Little Cypress resident had been facing the prospect of spending his birthday (and holiday) alone, so his children cooked up a plan to remind him how special he is.

Roland always joked with his family that being a Dec. 24 baby cost him growing up be cause his birthday is overshadowed by holiday festivities.

That was not the case this time thanks to the LCM band and some long-range plan ning from Joe Bob Edwards.

“He is my step-dad, but he raised me,” Edwards said of Guillot. “That’s import ant because he had three sons from a prior marriage. They split time growing up between Orange and California, and we’re like the Brady Bunch, one big happy family.”

There is also a daughter in the mixed family raised by Roland and his wife Grace, who passed away in 2020.

Now the children are spread across the United States, with two in California, one in Indiana, one in Colorado and Edwards in Houston.

“He is all alone and getting up there in age,” Edwards said. “He just went through a couple of knee surgeries and is not getting around as well. My brothers, sister and I were talking one day and were feeling so bad for the guy. It’s a big round birthday; 80 is a big deal and no one is there. We asked, ‘how can we make his day?’”

As the siblings began to brainstorm on what to

MIDDLE:

BOTTOM: Guillot’s children watch his surprise birthday celebration via FaceTime from across the country.

TOP: Roland Guillot’s cake celebrates his 80th birthday.

The Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School band plays for Guillot in front of his Little Cypress home.

Courtesy of Joe Bob Edwards

do, Edwards (LCM graduate of 1991) and sister Rachael Edwards Mino (LCM graduate of 1986) turned back to their roots.

They connected with Castaneda.

“He was so helpful with pulling together a group of students to pull off what we did, which was great,” Edwards said of Castaneda.

“I asked if we could pull together some students and get them out on the front yard as a surprise. I said if you could play Happy Birthday and a couple of Christmas carols, you would really make his day. He immediately agreed, and said, ‘this is a great idea.’ (Castaneda) is a great guy. He is fantastic.”

THE PERFORMANCE

“We had never done anything like that before, and I thought it would be great to do,” Castaneda said, adding he was concerned about rounding up enough student volunteers.

“That is what I was worried about, and I was glad it was in the morning. Of course, I was concerned parents would choose for the students to spend Christmas Eve with them, but I assured them it wouldn’t take up too much of their time. They came in that morning and we put it together.”

So on the morning of Dec. 24, a group of LCM band members made their way to Guillot’s front door for a birthday and

Courtesy photo

Israel Castaneda began working as associate band director for Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD in 2019 and took over as director before the summer of 2022. He graduated from Lamar University in 2019.

Christmas surprise.

“He has a caretaker there, so we got her in on the surprise,” Edwards said. “Her name is Kendra Buxton. She took care of my mom as she was sadly in her last days. She is very tight with the family and is an incredibly big-hearted, wonderful woman who has helped us out tremendously.

“She says (to Guillot), ‘I need to get you cleaned up and out to the front yard because you have a visitor.’ We set the time and logistics up. Kendra ended up FaceTiming all the kids with her phone secretly looping us in as he was using his walker heading out the front door to see the band in the front yard.

“He was so surprised, blown away. He was tearing up and so happy we made a big deal about his birthday. After the fact,

he said this was his best birthday ever. He was very appreciative.”

Castaneda said it meant a lot to him that his students gave up their time in the morning.

He said teenagers go to sleep really late during the Christmas break, so he was worried but thankful everyone put time in that morning.

“I was happier with how (Guillot) received us,” Castaneda said. “I’ve never met him before and was glad he was happy we were there. That meant a lot to the kids to be appreciated. Back in the band hall afterwards, they had a lot of different things to say about it. During the holidays it was a great thing to see.”

Following the special performance, Edwards acknowledged the challenges of getting together with their spread out, mixed family, but “we were, all as kids, happy to acknowledge the guy who raised us and tell him we are thinking about him, miss him, care about him and love him. It means a lot to us. This has brought my brothers, sister and I closer together. We need to pause from time to time to remember these special occasions and honor them.”

When announcing Castaneda’s hiring last year, Superintendent Stacey Brister said school leaders believed he was the best person to carry on the tradition of excellence cultivated at LCM.

“Israel has proven his dedication to preparing our students for success, and we trust that under his leadership, our band program will continue to be one of the finest in the state.”

Castaneda graduated from Lamar University in 2019, where he served as section leader for the LU Marching Band and as Drum Major in 2017.

Stephen Hemelt is the publisher at Orange Newsmedia, which produces Orange Living Magazine, the Orange Leader and orangeleader.com. He can be reached at stephen.hemelt@orangeleader.com.

MAGAZINE REACTION

IT’S THE BUCKNER GROUP HOLDING UP MAGAZINES: The ladies LOVED their article featured in the final 2022 issue of Orange Living Magazine.

Courtesy photo

In the photo’s backdrop is one of the Buckner Group’s quilts.

The LSCPA SBDC is a business advising and training center of the University of Houston Texas Gulf Coast SBDC Network serving 32 counties in Southeast Texas. The SBDC program is funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Shari Hardin/Special to Orange Living Jordan Lister and Ryan Baham-Heisser were last in the line. They marched on horseback during an event led by the Orange NAACP chapter dubbed the Stop the Violence march on Jan. 16, 2023, in Orange.

Shari Hardin/Special to Orange Living Martin Luther King Jr. said “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” as a rallying cry to get more involved in the Unites States civil rights movement.

MARCH of TIME Orange NAACP organizes community in appreciation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, focus on today’s racial climate

The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom brought a quarter-million people to the nation’s capital.

Held 100 years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the goal of the march was to secure civil rights and equal economic opportunity for African American citizens.

In the words of Dr. King, marchers traveled to Washington to “cash a check,” from “the bank of justice.”

To commemorate the 1963 March on Washington and celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the Orange NAACP chapter held a Stop the Violence march Jan. 16, 2023.

The one-mile march began at Mt. Sinai Baptist Church and ended at the Riverfront Pavilion in Orange. Orange City Councilwoman and Orange NAACP VP Terrie T. Salter was among those who met at Mt. Sinai Baptist Church to commemorate Dr. King.

“It was a great turnout of almost 100 people; however, I believe that we can do better,” she said. “It is my hope to see more people in attendance next year. It is my hope that more people who believe in what the march stands for come out next year.”

Marchers began at 9:30 a.m. to prepare for the 10 a.m. mile walk. At commencement, the marching crowd was estimated to be 60. By the time the marchers reached the pavilion, the crowd had increased to an estimated 200 in attendance to enjoy the program.

Rusty Lanicek, who was present at the march, said the event marked a “very important” occasion.

“It should matter to every American, unfortunately it doesn’t, but I’m glad to see that people are coming out and showing support for the incredible wisdom that the man showed and hopefully we will fight continue to fight to make his dream alive,” Lanicek said.

“It was a great turnout of almost 100 people; however, I believe that we can do better.”

— councilwoman Terrie T. Salter

Marchers included representatives of several fraternities and sororities of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Those included Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Sigma Gamma Rho and Zeta Phi Beta.

Representatives from the East Texas Hub of DOW Chemical’s Global African Affinity Network, or GAAN, walked with marchers and stayed for the program at the pavilion.

DOW, a global chemical corporation, is a local job provider and frequently seeks to “strengthen communities where we live, work, and do business.” In Orange, this has come in the form of grants for the city and sponsorships of programs like “Together Thursdays.”

Jeremy and Tracie Parzen traveled from Houston with protest signs to participate in the march and enjoy the program at the pavilion. Since 2018, they have been organizing protests of a Confederate memorial located off I-10 in Orange.

Parzen commented on their decision to spend MLK day in Orange and their opposition to the monument to the confederacy in the town.

“I went to elementary, middle school and high school here, and I’m still tied to this community,” she said. “My family still lives here. I bring my daughters here often, and they spend time with their grandparents. It’s meaningful to me to speak up and say this [monument to the Confederacy] is not OK.”

As marchers proceeded down 2nd street, West Green and North 5th streets, congregational hymns like “I am on the Battlefield for My Lord,” “This Little Light of Mine” and “I Will Trust in the Lord” echoed through the streets.

During the Civil Rights Movement, songs of faith like these provided encouragement to marchers, served to bolster their resolve toward nonviolence and were a connection to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s faith-based political activism that sought to secure equality for every American.

While marching, Pastor Larry Anderson recited excerpts from two of Dr. King’s speeches, “How Long, Not Long” and “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.”

The mile-long journey ended on a triumphant note with a final congregational, “Victory is Mine.”

The program of events at the pavilion began with the singing of The Star Spangled Banner and included selections from a men’s choir, speeches and a Keynote Address by Elaine Powell, a self-described “thought disrupter,” who created the Think Methodology.

Powell’s message was of self-empowerment, and it encouraged listeners to transition their thinking from that of “doing” to “being.”

During the ceremony, Reverend Joe Roberson, a local minister, transported the crowd back through time with a powerful rendition of King’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.

For some in attendance, Dr. King’s dream of equality has yet to be fully realized, Grover Roberts III’s opinion: “My thoughts about the MLK MARCH is that we are still fighting for equal rights here in Orange County for Blacks to be treated fairly with the court system.”

In his closing remarks, NAACP Orange

Shari Hardin/Special to Orange Living NAACP Orange President John Jefferson, in Orange shirt, leads a march through Orange on Martin Lutcher King Jr. Day.

Shari Hardin/Special to Orange Living West Orange-Stark teacher Rusty Lanicek attended the Martin Luther King Jr. march in Orange with members of the school’s student council.

President John Jefferson closed with comments that echoed the march theme, which was stop the violence. Noting that the City of Orange is among those American cities experiencing an uptick in violence, he encouraged young people to seek positive role models.

Mayor Larry Spears’ comments were forward-looking and expressed support for the City of Orange.

“Today it’s truly wonderful to see how all those involved have brought this together,” he said. “It’s a blessing to our community. COVID knocked us back for several years. Now to see the NAACP, under the leadership of John Jefferson, is getting their feet back under them and getting out and making a difference, I’m very excited. People say, what’s it like in Orange? What’s going on in Orange? What’s the change? People are coming together, people are working together and when we do that, and we put God first, the rest is all up to him. So we are going in a positive direction, and I’m excited to see this.”

— Written by Shari Hardin

Shari Hardin/Special to Orange Living

Pictured are scenes from January’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day march in the City of Orange and hosted by the Orange branch of the NAACP.

This Roasted Lamb is YOUR next Easter Sunday classic

Easter commemorates and celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is full of symbolism, but it’s also steeped in traditions, including family meals.

Lamb is a popular Easter Sunday meal, and this recipe for “Roasted Lamb with Roasted Asparagus” from “Feast of the Seven Fishes: A Brooklyn Italian’s Recipes Celebrating Food & Family” (Powerhouse Books) by Daniel Paterna can make for the perfect Easter entrée.

Lamb is most tender in spring and mild in flavor, and it pairs well with the earthiness of asparagus.

Roasted Lamb with Roasted Asparagus (Serves 8 to 10)

Lamb:

1 — leg of lamb or loin of lamb, about 4 to 5 pounds

5 — garlic cloves, sliced

2 — tablespoons olive oil

4 — cups dry white wine

1 — fresh bay leaf

4 — sprigs fresh rosemary

4 — to 5 sprigs fresh thyme

Cut small slits in the meat of the lamb with a sharp paring knife. Insert a slice of the garlic into each slit. Place the lamb in a large sealable

plastic bag and add the olive oil, 2 cups white wine, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Seal the bag tightly and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 12 hours.

Remove the lamb from the fridge the next day, at least 4 hours before roasting. Keep the lamb sealed in the marinade bag and allow it to come to room temperature.

Heat the oven to 400 F.

Remove the lamb from the bag with marinade. Place it on a rack in a roasting pan. Add 2 cups of wine. Roast for 1.5 hours or until the thermometer reads 150 to 160 F. Baste with drippings while roasting. Serve warm.

Asparagus:

4 — pounds of asparagus, remove woody ends

2 — cups coarse bread crumbs

1 — cup grated Romano cheese

2 — tablespoons garlic powder

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 — large eggs

Sea salt, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Place the bread crumbs, cheese, garlic powder, and black pepper in a dish or bowl wide enough to hold the asparagus. Mix well to combine thoroughly.

Put the eggs in another dish or bowl of similar size and beat well. Working in batches, dip the spears into the egg, making sure they are coated well. Immediately place them in the bread crumb mixture and toss until each spear is fully coated. Transfer the breaded asparagus to a large baking sheet.

Place the asparagus in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the breading is browned and crispy. Serve with wedges of fresh lemon.

Childhood memories inspire “Tiger Tales,” an Orange history manuscript

Sierra Kondos/Special to Orange Living Joel Robins, 74, sits with his manuscript “Tiger Tales,” at Tyrrell Historical Library Jan. 26.

Life is a collection of moments. For Joel Robins, he has collected lifetimes of moments that has evolved into an Orange, Texas, history manuscript titled, “Tiger Tales.”

The research spans from 1909 to 1977, chronicling high school sports in this part of Southeast Texas.

“This journey began in early 2016 during preparation for the 50th reunion of my graduating class from Orange Lutcher Stark High School,” said Robins, a retired chemical engineer. “I was reminiscing with my classmates about our times in school and realized my memory was

not what it once was. So I decided to conduct research on certain events.”

Robins said what began as a curiosity about how accurate his hazy memories were ultimately led to publishing 50 to 60 articles in a local periodical.

“I began to share my writings with about 100 people, mostly old friends from Orange,” he said. “The encouragement I received from my friends kept me going on with the research and led to several stories over the last few years in “Las Sabinas,” a journal published by the Orange Historical Society. I began routinely traveling

100 miles from my home in Friendswood to Orange to continue my research.”

Robins said he then fell into a “rabbit hole” of information that spanned from World War II and the shipbuilding expansion to Philanthropist Lutcher Stark’s financial contribution to the schools and how that impacted the growth of sports.

“Over the decades, Orange faced challenges due to wars, depressions, variations in population and demographics, and alterations in societal norms leading to new laws and regulations,” he said. “The result was often economic pressures, which forced school boards to find solutions to the new realities. Ultimately, Orange resorted to mergers and consolidation to cope.

“The story begins with the first football and basketball games documented in the Orange Leader archives and ends with the merger of Stark with West Orange High School and the adoption of the Mustangs as the mascot of the new school. I had discovered that a large part of the micro-

film collection of old Orange Leaders had been digitized and included in the ‘Portal to Texas History.’”

Robins said his research halted due to an old microfilm machine, but a local librarian applied her skills as a curator and kept his research on track.

“I had asked the Orange Public Library if I could borrow the microfilm to attempt to use elsewhere,” he said.

“They said that even though the machine was no good, material was not allowed to be checked out. When I went to the Port Arthur Public Library, Jennifer Connelly, said that I could use inner library loan to request the microfilm to be sent from one library to another. Her help allowed me to succeed in my research.”

In addition to the microfilm, Robins used yearbooks, local history books and Southeast Texas newspaper publications to complete his work.

“Orange Peels,” the yearbook of Stark High School, provided many photographs.

“I’ve also used a few other local area newspapers to fill in blanks where The Orange Leader microfilm collection at the Orange Public Library had gaps,” he said. “Finally, I also used some great books like “Pigskin Pulpit,” that has a wealth of information about the history of high school football in Texas.”

Robins said his goal is for his research to become preserved for the use of others.

“I have reached out to the Orange Public Library, Heritage House Museum, Stark Museum and the Orange County Historic Society to see if they would be interested in either obtaining a published version or keep a binder manuscript so that future researchers can add their findings to the work,” he said.

Robin’s manuscript is a work-in-progress and in need of a final editing and self-publishing.

Those interested in learning more about the project can email Robins at joelrobins@yahoo.com.

— Written by Sierra Kondos

Sheriff’s Office recognized for service to the community

In early 2023, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office had the honor of being presented with a certificate from The State of Texas House of Representatives and a state flag that was flown over the state capital on Veterans Day.

The presentation was in honor of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office service to the community.

Councilmen David Bailey and Cole Michalk, from Speaker Dade Phelan’s office, presented Sheriff Jimmy Lane Mooney, Chief Deputy Mark Dubose and Captain Joey Jacobs with these amazing awards.

“I accepted this flag on behalf of every employee here at the Sheriff’s Office. I want to thank the team here for a job well done. Thank you Mr. Speaker of the House, we are HONORED!” Mooney said.

Orange THE SCENE Living Magazine

Mardi Gras Fun

Planning for next year’s Mardi Gras is ongoing following a successful February parade in Orange that included 20 entries of big floats and vehicles.

Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce President Ida Schossow said there are almost 500 people in the krewe, which helped make it a success.

“The city did the motor parade last year on Friday night, so we are going to incorporate that into the big parade going forward,” she said. “We had a few this year, but next year we will incorporate gas-powered golf carts and side-by-sides as we combine those parades together to make it bigger.

“The kids are kind of what makes this parade so good. Ours is more of a family event, where people bring out their small children. Seeing them on the route really makes it enjoyable and worthwhile for everything.”

1. Cameron Righter, 2, is bundled up but having fun at the parade.

(Randy Strong/Orange Living Magazine)

2. Deddrick Turner, 4

3. Elijah Jarvis, 6

4. Ava Zumual, 9

5. Wilder Rogillio, 1

6. Delanie Deets, 4

7. Zadar Diaz-Crawford, 11, and Ava Youngblood, 9

Rodney brings 23 years of experience helping the people of Orange County with their legal issues. Whether its civil, criminal, domestic, or probate, he brings a discipline approach to working through clients issues. Rodney is a lifelong resident of Orange County.