Yearly Archives: 2011


Having a Ball

RED OAK, TX — Destiny LaRue and Paige McMillan recently marked a milestone together: signing college letters of intent in soccer. But this is not the first achievement the girls have shared. Their friendship dates back to childhood and, of course, a soccer field. The Red Oak High School (ROHS) 2011 graduates met at […]


Painted Postcards

MIDLOTHIAN, TX — The beautiful bass fish looked out at the world through long luxurious lashes. She was only one of many gaily decorated fish in a collection painted by Helen Lundberg. Helen explained the bass, “My friend and I were planning a trip to South America, and we were going to go down […]


Busy as a Bee

MANSFIELD, TX — Rex Wenger likes to hang the American flag over the Mansfield Farmers Market. “To me, that’s the most important banner we can put up,” Rex said. One of five on the board who oversees the farmers market, the 79-year-old gentleman wakes at 5:00 a.m. every Saturday during the season to help […]


Living in the Moment

ENNIS, TX — Last year around this same time, Sam and Kathy Harrell and Steve and Suzie Betik had just returned from from their first trip to Hospital Punta Pacifica, a John Hopkins’ affiliate, in Panama City, Panama. While there, Sam and Steve underwent their first round of stem cell treatments to help slow […]


The Cowboy Who Wasn’t

CORSICANA, TX — Leon Tates strides confidently into the room dressed like a true cowboy in boots and a white hat. Humbly, he admits, “I’m not a real cowboy at all, but I know how that story got started.” He related that one day he was at the Corsicana ranch of a good friend […]


Red Dirt Rhythym

BURLESON, TX — Phillip Baker played six-string and electric guitar as a teenager. It was in the early ’80s and, not surprisingly, he and his friends lived only to play rock ’n’ roll. “We practiced in the corner of my garage every night and, around 10:00 p.m., my dad would come in to tell […]


Serving Up a Mother’s Heart

WEATHERFORD, TX — Luann Robinson Hammet helps feed over 200 children breakfast and between 420-500 children lunch in the Bose Ikard Elementary school cafeteria. But she is doing more than making sure they key in their ID numbers correctly and get their trays. She also watches to make sure they eat well and eat all they […]


A Thousand Flags Unfurled

WAXAHACHIE, TX — Cruising down Main Street in late May as summer begins to make its debut, conjures a brief flashback to a 1950’s town filled with bicycles and children fresh out of school. Both sides of the road are flanked with American flags guiding passersby as if they were on a parade route. The […]


Peace through Business

CEDAR HILL, TX — Our own Cedar Hill is making an international impact. Local businesswomen and Northwood University have partnered with Dr. Terry Neese of The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW) and businesswomen nationwide to “pay it forward” by mentoring women from Rwanda and Afghanistan, as a means of improving their lives […]


Hitting Her Mark

RED OAK, TX — It had been a long time since there was a musical production at Red Oak High School (ROHS), and Choir Director Mechelle Foster set out to change that. Mechelle, along with several other teachers, administrators and community members, successfully staged a production of the hit musical Grease this year, bringing […]