BelkGives on the Go Mobile Mammography Center Makes First-Ever Texas Visit

Belk, the nation’s largest family owned and operated department store

Mobile Mammography Center

company, announced that its BelkGives on the Go Mobile Mammography Center will make its first visit to Belk stores in Texas beginning in April. The 39-foot state-of-the-art screening center offers mammograms to women over 40 in communities throughout Belk’s corporate footprint. The Center is a result of the retailer’s commitment to make breast cancer screening and awareness more available in local communities.

“It gives us great pride to bring Belk’s fight against breast cancer to the Texas communities where our associates and customers live and work,” said Jessica Graham, Belk's vice president of communications and community relations. “Our hope is that the BelkGives on the Go Mobile Mammography Center creates more awareness about breast cancer screenings and the importance of early detection.”

The BelkGives on the Go Mobile Mammography Center will make stops in the following Belk Texas locations:
·       Sherman, April 29 – Sherman Town Center, 3606 Town Center Street

·       Paris, May 1 – Mirabeau Square Shopping Center, 3580 Lamar Avenue

·       McKinney, May 13 – Eldorado Plaza, 2750 S. Central Expressway

·       Greenville, May 15 – Crossroads Mall, 6834 Wesley Street Crossroads ML

·       Waco, May 20 – Central Texas Marketplace, 2700 West Loop 340

·       Waxahachie, May 22 – Waxahachie Towne Center, 1540 Highway 77N

·       Dallas, June 3 – Galleria Dallas, 13550 Dallas Parkway

·       Rockwall, June 5 – The Plaza at Rockwall, 1027 East I-30

·       Kerrville, June 10 – River Hills Mall, 200 Sidney Baker South

·       New Braunfels, June 11 – New Braunfels Town Center at Creekside, 240 Creekside Way

The BelkGives on the Go Mobile Mammography Center offers free, convenient mammogram screenings for women age 40 and over with no breast concerns and who have not had a mammogram in the last 12 months. Participants must register in advance and can make appointments by calling 855-655-BMMC.

All screening exams are performed by Charlotte Radiology's licensed, female mammography-certified technologists.  A board-certified radiologist, specialized in breast imaging will interpret the mammogram. Participating patients and their primary care physicians will receive confidential results.
The Belk Mobile Mammography Center has screened more than 7,400 since the program launched in 2013. The Center has detected 36 cases of cancer over the two years of the program. To view a video about the first year of this program, click here.

About Belk, Inc.
Charlotte, N.C.-based Belk, Inc. (www.belk.com) is the nation's largest family owned and operated department store company with 297 Belk stores located in 16 Southern states and a growing digital presence.  Its belk.com website offers a wide assortment of national brands and private label fashion apparel, shoes and accessories for the entire family along with top name cosmetics, a wedding registry and a large selection of quality merchandise for the home. Founded in 1888 by William Henry Belk in Monroe, N.C., the company is in the third generation of Belk family leadership and has been committed to community involvement since its inception. In the fiscal year ended January 31, 2015, the company and its associates, customers and vendors donated more than $21.5 million to communities within Belk market areas.

Belk offers many ways to connect via digital and social media, including Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, Google Plus and Belk Blog, and provides exclusive offers, fashion updates, sales notifications and coupons via email or mobile phone text messages. Customers can also download the latest Belk mobile apps for the iPad, iPhone or Android.

About Charlotte Radiology
Established in Charlotte, N.C. in 1967, Charlotte Radiology is one of the largest and most progressive radiology groups in the country with approximately 90 radiologists specialized in areas ranging from breast imaging to pediatric radiology. In addition to offering 24/7 coverage for more than 11 hospitals,  the practice operates 13 breast centers, two vascular and interventional clinics and jointly owns and reads for Carolinas Imaging Services. In February 2011, Charlotte Radiology launched its mobile breast services across five counties in the greater Charlotte region. Today, two mobile units travel some 2,000 miles each month to bring early breast cancer screenings and detection closer to where women live and work.  Accredited by the American College of Radiology, certified by the FDA and recognized as a Breast Center of Excellence, Charlotte Radiology is a national advocate for breast health awareness, collaborating with community partners and foundations to educate women about the importance of early breast cancer detection.  Serving more than 100,000 women per year, Charlotte Radiology provides compassionate care, state-of-the-art care including digital mammography, breast MRI and computer-aided detection. Learn more online at www.charlotteradiology.com. To connect with Charlotte Radiology via Facebook, go to: www.facebook.com/CharlotteRadiology.

Texoma music hall of fame exhibit now open

(SHERMAN, Texas) January 25, 2014

The Sherman Museum announced today that a new exhibit entitled, “Texoma Music Hall of Fame” is now open. The exhibition will run from January 16 through May 30 and highlights the lives and careers of several famous musicians that have ties to the Texoma region. Vintage records, instruments and other music related artifacts are also on display.

Sherman Museum

Seven artists are featured in the “Texoma Music Hall of Fame”, including: Bomar Cramer, Buddy Tate, Reba McEntire, Gene Autry, Miranda Lambert, Buck Owens and
Blake Shelton. Musicians such as, Randy Travis and Johnny Perry are also included in the exhibit. “It’s exciting to have so many important musicians with roots in this area and we wanted this exhibit to celebrate their lives and honor their accomplishments,” said Executive Director Dan Steelman.

Museum visitors will find an acoustic guitar that once belonged to Sherman native and Country Music Hall of Fame recipient, Buck Owens, on display during the exhibit.

Owens donated the guitar to the City of Sherman in 1996 and it is part of the permanent collection on display in the upstairs lobby at Kidd-Key Auditorium. The city has generously loaned it to the museum for the exhibit, along with two large scale paintings, one of Buck Owens and another of saxophonist Buddy Tate.

The Sherman Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Admission is: $5.00 for adults; $3.00 for seniors (Ages 60+); $2.00 for students (age 6-18) and for those with a college ID; FREE for children 5 and under and FREE for museum members.

About The Sherman Museum
The Sherman Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization devoted to collecting, preserving and interpreting objects of historical significance to Grayson County and the Greater North Texas Region. The museum was previously known as The Red River Historical Museum prior to a name change in March 2011.  The Sherman Museum is located at 301 S Walnut St, Sherman, TX 75090.

For more information about The Sherman Museum, visit us on the web at
www.theshermanmuseum.org.

Austin College hosts MLK Day Celebrations in 2015

The eleventh annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Breakfast

will be held at 7:15 a.m. Monday, January 19 in Mabee Hall of the Robert J. and Mary Wright Campus Center at Austin College. Sherman and Grayson County Rotary clubs, Wilson N. Jones Regional Medical Center, and Austin College are sponsoring the event. Members of the community may attend the breakfast at a cost of $15 per person, payable at the door.

The keynote speaker for the breakfast is the Honorable Angela Tucker, Collin County Judge. In 2012, Tucker became the first African-American judge to be elected in Collin County. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin and attended law school at Southern Methodist University. Prior to becoming a judge, Tucker became a private attorney after working as an assistant district attorney in the Collin County District Attorney’s Office.

Dr. Marjorie Hass, president of Austin College, will welcome guests and senior Tre Stewart, of Dallas, Texas, will present a student address. The Sherman Federated Choir, directed by Ella Childs, will provide special music.

The Grayson County MLK Celebration Parade will be held on Saturday, January 17 at 12:00 noon in downtown Sherman. The parade route will begin at 400 S. Travis at the First Baptist Church and end at the Austin College campus. A community service will follow the parade in Wynne Chapel. The parade is free and open to the public.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.

Austin College Hosts Art Exhibit

Austin College | Sherman, Texas | December 5, 2014

The Austin College Department of Art and History hosts an exhibition by artist Nestor Topchy now through January 23, 2015, in Dennis Gallery of the College’s Forster Art Complex. The Forster Art Complex is located on the north side of campus at 1315 E. Richards Street. The gallery is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, call 903.813.2048. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

A native of Somerville, New Jersey, Nestor earned a bachelor’s degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 1985 and then a master’s degree in fine arts at the University of Houston. He also has studied Buddhism, Taoism and Gnosticism as he developed his belief system.

His work, he said, is influenced by his history as a first-generation Ukrainian-American raised Greek Orthodox. He said his work interweaves paradoxical strands of thought, incongruous painting techniques, disparate artistic traditions, and antithetical pictorial attitudes to express a coherent and pantheistic vision of reality.

His work has been exhibited and performed at the Museo de Nacion in Lima, Peru; the Evergreen Museum at John Hopkins University in Baltimore; Arlington Museum of Art in Arlington, Texas; The Art Museum of South East Texas in Beaumont, Texas; and in Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts, Contemporary Art Museum, Hiram Butler Gallery, and Project Row Houses, among many others.

Topchy said that in his early years, he started studying the art of Pysanky, Ukranian Easter egg decoration based on ancient geometric and non-discursive symbolic designs. Then in the 1980s, he began working collaboratively with artists, architects, entrepreneurs, writers, and scientists, and came up with the idea of “inhabitable art.” He is the founder and creative director of HIVE, located in Houston, which he describes as a “living space and an art form that can encourage social and cultural interaction between people.”

“We propose to create a dynamic village for thriving cultural exchange and enterprise, Topchy said of HIVE. “Inspired by artists, creative professionals, and environmentalists, we will work in partnerships with individuals and organizations to experiment and discover the next generation of responsible building and living practices.”

“This idea is based on a physical structure to build a social structure of collaboration and interaction,” Topchy said. “The principles of geometry inherent to cultures become the basis of their habitats. Civilizations and cultures in the post-modernist era are evolving into virtual social hierarchies while physical interaction seems to be becoming less of a real thing. This unique phenomenon is global, spreading across the Americas and Western cultures.”

“My work in part is an attempt to understand the fundamental aspects of such social structures and initiate improvement by changing physically the environment in which such an interaction could take place,” the artist said. “In one of three concurrent mutually supportive ideas I have conceived, I aim to change and advance social/cultural interaction by creating a habitable hemispherical – helicoidal structure, similar to a truncated Pysanka, and made from ramped, stacked, steel shipping containers, set within a community context.”

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,350 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.

Austin College Host Free Basketball Clinic for Grades 3-8

The Austin College women’s basketball program will host its fourth annual Free Basketball Clinic benefiting for boys and girls, grades 3 through 8, on Sunday December 14, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the College’s Robert Mason Complex. The event benefits Toys for Tots, and clinic participants are encouraged to bring a small, unwrapped holiday toy to donate.

The boys and girls, led by the women’s basketball players and Coach Michelle Filander and staff, will be taught the fundamentals of basketball, including dribbling, passing, shooting, defense, and teamwork.

To register, email the basketball office at eriley10@austincollege.edu. Pre-registration is not required, but will help with planning. Parents may register their children the day of the event and are invited to observe the clinic.

Participants should wear comfortable clothes and gym shoes. Water fountains are available but children are welcome to bring water bottles. Names should be put on basketballs or any other items participants do not want to lose.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.

Acclaimed Author Carmen Tafolla to Speak at Austin College

Austin College will host renowned author Dr. Carmen Tafolla,

Dr. Carmen Tafolla

presenting the lecture “The Border Crossed Us: Latino Voices in The U.S.” on Friday, December 5, at 4:30 p.m. in Hoxie Thompson Auditorium of Sherman Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Acclaimed author of more than 20 books for adults and children, Tafolla, a 1972 graduate of Austin College, is an advocate for Latino voices and cultures, as well as a recipient of many awards. In 2012, she was named the first Poet Laureate of the City of San Antonio by Mayor Julian Castro. She now teaches at the University of Texas-San Antonio as associate professor for transformative children’s literature, and lives in San Antonio, where she is at work on the biography of noted 1930s civil rights organizer Emma Tenayuca.

Tafolla has held numerous faculty and administrative positions at universities throughout the Southwest, including associate professor of women’s studies at California State University Fresno and special assistant to the president for Cultural Diversity Programming at Northern Arizona University. She was the first Chicana to head a Mexican-American Studies Center and the first Latina to be awarded a Charlotte Zolotow Award for Best Children’s Picture Book.

Her awards include the prestigious Americas Award presented to her in 2010 at the Library of Congress, two Tomas Rivera Book Awards, and the Zolotow Award in 2010. She was selected by the President’s Peace Commission of St. Mary’s University to receive the Art of Peace Award for writing that promotes peace, justice, and human understanding.

She has authored five books of poetry, eight children’s picture books, seven television screenplays, several non-fiction volumes, and a collection of short stories, The Holy Tortilla and a Pot of Beans. In addition, she co-authored with filmmaker Sylvia Morales a feature-length comedy, REAL MEN ... and other miracles. Her works are archived at the University of Texas Benson Latin American Collection.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.

Austin College Concert Celebrates Fall of Berlin Wall Anniversary

 Austin College | Sherman, Texas | October 16, 2014

Austin College students and faculty will perform an anniversary

concert, “Twenty-Five Years of Freedom,” at Wynne Chapel on November 19 at 5 p.m. Presented by the Austin College German program and members of the Music Department, the concert and a reception following are free and open to the public.

Faculty Cathy Richardson, violin, and Ricky Duhaime, cello, will join Austin College senior Rizwan Jagani, on viola, to perform a string trio in G major (op. 16/6) by German composer Karl Friedrich Abel (1723-1787). Faculty John McGinn and Wolfgang Lueckel will perform piano duo pieces by Franz Shubert (1797-1828), including the famous “Fantasy in F minor” (op. 103 D940) that he wrote toward the end of his life and a cycle of three marches “Trios Marches Militaires” (op. 51). Austin College senior Allison Lloveras will perform a piano solo piece by Franz Liszt.

This is the last event in a series of events presented by the German program after Austin College’s selection by the German Embassy in Washington, D.C, to be a project partner for presentations on 25 Years Since Fall of the Berlin Wall. The wall came down on November 9, 1989, and marked a new era in German history. As a former symbol of repression, the fall of the Berlin Wall has become an icon of freedom and peaceful revolution, according to the embassy materials.

The German Embassy’s 25 Years Fall of the Berlin Wall website describes the campaign as an attempt not only to celebrate the fall of the wall but also to reflect on a formerly divided Germany. The anniversary was marked by several events on campus, headed by faculty and students from various disciplines, including art, music, and theatre, and included a campus essay contest and photo contest, a celebration of German food, a bilingual reading, and more.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.

Austin College Choirs to Present Concert

Austin College | Sherman, TX
November 15, 2014

The choirs at Austin College will present a concert on Sunday,

Photo courtesy of  Austin College 

November 16, at 3 p.m. in Wynne Chapel on the Austin College campus. The concert is free and open to the public.

Four vocal ensembles will perform a wide variety of music including traditional a cappella choral music, music for women's choir, vocal jazz, and a cappella pop. The 45-voice Austin College A Cappella Choir will sing a range of traditional pieces from the Romantic and 20th century literature, as well as a selection of spirituals. The Quartette, Descant, and Consort also will perform. These small ensembles specialize in a cappella vocal jazz and pop arrangements.
Local members of the choirs are senior Sarah Davis, junior Clarice Davidchik, and sophomore Libby Jennings, all of Sherman, plus senior Phillip Peterman and sophomore Hunter Sartor of Denison.

The groups are led by Dr. Wayne Crannell, who became director of choral/vocal music at Austin College in 1995 when he assumed the leadership of the A Cappella Choir. During his tenure, the Choir has developed from an ensemble comfortable with standard unaccompanied choral literature to an extremely versatile choir modeled after the vocal styles of the ensembles at schools such as St. Olaf, Luther College, and Westminster Choir College.

Austin College has a long tradition in choral music, beginning with serenading clubs and the glee club in the 1890s and early 1900s.The Austin College A Cappella Choir officially was formed in 1947 and has earned a reputation for music excellence and performance around the world. The choir has performed in international tours throughout Europe and Australia.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.

Find more Austin College concerts and Special Events in the Lake Texoma area, visit www.texomaconnect.com.

Austin College Fall Chamber Music and Jazz Concert Austin

Austin College | Sherman, Texas

The Austin College Music Department will present the annual

Fall Chamber Music and Jazz Concert on November 17 at 7:30 p.m. in Wynne Chapel on the Austin College campus. Under the direction of Austin College Mosher Professor of Music Dr. Ricky Duhaime, the concert is free and open to the public.

This fall’s concert will consist of a first half devoted to the Austin College Chamber Orchestra performing two pieces for strings: An Overture by the German-American composer Jean Berger and a Viola Concerto in G Major by the German Baroque composer Geog Phillip Telemann. Featured soloist in the second work will be Austin College senior music major Rizwan Jagani. The second half of the concert will consist of a variety of big band jazz in traditional and contemporary styles, from swing to Latin to rock, as performed by the Greater Texoma Jazz Ensemble.

The Chamber Orchestra is comprised of Austin College students representing a wide diversity of academic majors and professional interests, who will be joined by Austin College music faculty members Cathy Richardson and John McGinn, Austin College Admissions staff professional Amanda Kisselle, and community member Greg Hendrix.

The Greater Texoma Jazz Ensemble consists of students, faculty, and community members from across Northeastern Texas and Southeastern Oklahoma. Performance venues for the Jazz Ensemble this year have included Bells, Denison, and Durant, in addition to Austin College and Sherman High School. The November 17 concert will feature soloists Chris Dickson and Paul Onspaugh (saxophones), Jesse Speer (trombone), Eric Brentzel and John Vietta (trumpets), David Moore (guitar), Phil Pitts (piano), and Richard Burleson (drums).

For additional information, contact the Austin College Music Department at 903.813.2251.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.

Be sure to check out other special events in the Texoma area on www.TexomaConnect.com.  If you love live music, the Entertainment Calendar is a great resource for finding dates, times and locations where local bands and nationally recognized recording artist are performing live.

Austin College ’Roo Boo Comes Early This Halloween

SHERMAN, TEXAS  | October 26, 2014

The 15th annual ’Roo Boo at Austin College, hosted by the local chapter of Alpha Phi Omega national service fraternity, will be held Wednesday, October 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. in Sid Richardson Center of the Robert T. Mason Athletic-Recreation Complex, off Brockett Street and just east of the football stadium. The event is held earlier than usual this fall due to Homecoming activities on the campus October 30 and 31.

Children 12 and younger are invited to wear their costumes to this free event. Parental supervision is required. Austin College Police will be on patrol during the event.

The event is a safe alternative to traditional trick-or-treating and will include many tables set up by campus organizations offering various games, booths, and prizes. Plenty of free candy is available for participants. Austin College student volunteers will be dressed in costume for the Halloween celebration.

Local businesses are asked to make donations of gift certificates for the Austin College event by contacting Alpha Phi Omega event organizers Victoria “Tory”  Gary at vgary13@austincollege.edu and Karisma Sheth at ksheth13@austincollege.edu, or call the Office of Public Affairs at 903.813.2891.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.

For more Halloween Events in the Texoma area, visit TexomaConnect. 

Austin College fall symposium: “Mesoamerica and Beyond: A Look at Origins and Lifeworlds”

The Austin College Center for Southwestern andMexican Studies is hosting two lectures this week for its annual fall symposium, focusing this year on “Mesoamerica and Beyond: A Look at Origins and Lifeworlds” and examining ancient México, the Caribbean, and South America. Both lectures are free and open to the public.

Austin College Wright Center

Dr. Robert Kruger will present “Seeds of a Civilization: Mesoamerica and the Mighty Corn Plant at its Heart” on Wednesday, October 22, at 4:30 p.m. in Wright Campus Center, Room 231.

Dr. Iván Márquez will speak Thursday, October 23, at 11 a.m. in Wright Campus Center, Room 231, sharing “Philosophical Reflections on Indigenous Mesoamerican, South American, and Afro-Caribbean Lifeworlds.”

Kruger holds a Ph.D. in anthropology, specializing in Mesoamerican archaeology, from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a specialist in Olmec culture, with research interests in the socioeconomic organization of the household and how they integrate into larger sociopolitical structures, as well as early uses of domesticated plants, especially Zea mays (corn) among the Olmec. He teaches archaeology at the Universidad Veracruzana in Veracruz, Mexico, and is the resident director of BCA Study Abroad Mexico – Xalapa, Veracruz, where he has developed interactive experiences in social justice for BCA students through cooperative efforts with Matraca A.C., an organization working with child workers on the streets of Xalapa.

Márquez is a member of the faculty at Texas State University where he teaches a wide range of philosophy courses. He received his doctorate from Indiana University. His recent research focuses on contemporary Latin American social and political thought, hybridization, postoccidentalism, postdevelopment, and transmodernity.

Julie Hempel, associate professor of Spanish at Austin College, is director of the College’s Center for Southwestern and Mexican Studies.

The Austin College Center for Southwestern and Mexican Studies promotes collaborative learning between students of the College and faculty members, with special emphasis on the historical, cultural, social, economic, and political issues facing Texas and Mexico. The Center seeks to prepare its students, and the College community at large, to meet challenges and opportunities focusing on the relationship between Mexico and the southwestern United States.

About Austin College

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.

For more events in the Lake Texoma area, visit www.texomaconnect.com

Austin College Lecture Will Examine Johnny Appleseed

Austin College will host 1985 alumnus and history professor William Kerrigan presenting the address, “Johnny Appleseed: St. Francis or Steve Jobs?,” Friday, October 24, at 1:30 p.m. in Hoxie Thompson Auditorium of Sherman Hall. The lecture, sponsored by the ‘Roos Who Write Conference and the Austin College History Department, is free and open to the public.

Kerrigan, the Cole Distinguished Professor of American History at Muskingum College in Ohio, wrote the book Johnny Appleseed and the American Orchard: A Cultural History, published in 2012. The book tells the story of Johnny "Appleseed" Chapman’s life, as discovered during Kerrigan’s 15 years of research that included following by boat, on foot, and by kayak several portions of Appleseed’s path.

The Amazon.com review of the book includes, “Creating a startling new portrait of the eccentric apple tree planter, William Kerrigan carefully dissects the oral tradition of the Appleseed myth and draws upon material from archives and local historical societies across New England and the Midwest. The character of Johnny Appleseed stands apart from other frontier heroes like Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, who employed violence against Native Americans and nature to remake the West. His apple trees, nonetheless, were a central part of the agro-ecological revolution at the heart of that transformation. Yet men like Chapman, who planted trees from seed rather than grafting, ultimately came under assault from agricultural reformers who promoted commercial fruit stock and were determined to extend national markets into the West. Over the course of his life, John Chapman was transformed from a colporteur of a new ecological world to a curious relic of a pre-market one. Weaving together the stories of the Old World apple in America and the life and myth of John Chapman, Johnny Appleseed and the American Orchard casts new light on both.”

Kerrigan is visiting Austin College in connection with the ’Roos Who Write Conference that will continue during Homecoming Weekend on the campus and involve numerous alumni engaged in writing—from novelists to song writers to academics. Austin College Professor of English Carol Daeley is coordinating the event. For more information on the conference, see www.austincollege.edu/rooswhowrite.

At Muskingum, Kerrigan teaches courses in American history and his research interests are in the antebellum and Civil War eras, as well as American cultural and environmental history. He is the author of numerous articles and oral history projects. The teacher, who has won several Muskingum teaching and service awards, participated in a five-week National Endowment for the Humanities Seminar on American Maritime History in Mystic, Connecticut, in 2012. He also serves a Muskingum archivist and, with students, has completed several archive projects and exhibitions, including “Muskingum: The First 175 Years” during the 2011-2012 academic year.

After completing his Austin College degree, Kerrigan earned a master’s degree at Texas Christian University and a Ph.D. at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter

Kris Rutherford to give “Baseball On The Prairie” lecture Oct. 17

(SHERMAN, Texas) October 14, 2014

Kris Rutherford, author of Baseball on the Prairie, will give a FREE

lecture on Friday,October 17, at 12:00 p.m. at the Sherman Museum, in the community room downstairs. Guests are welcome to bring a brown bag lunch and eat during the lecture. Seating is limited so the public is encouraged to arrive early. The author will be autographing copies of his book, which will be available to purchase at the event.

Mr. Rutherford’s book documents the early days of Texas League Baseball. The League was centered around seven small-town teams, including, Sherman, Denison,Paris, Corsicana, Cleburne, Greenville and Temple. Rutherford pieces together a recordof the people and towns that shaped the Texas League history. “Baseball is the classicAmerican game, and we are excited to have Kris speak to us about the Texas League’srole in the history of the game,” noted Executive Director, Dan Steelman.

My Dad played in the Texas League and my childhood memories are full of ball parks (and swimming pools) in small towns all across North Texas.  These players didn't earn the huge salaries that baseball players earn today, they barely made expenses.  These men played for the love of the game.

Team members, with families in tow, would meet and travel to the game locations in a caravan of cars.  In fact, that is how I came to be born in Sherman.  As they tell the story, just as Dad rounded third base, the announcer called out "Bob Wooten, you are the father of a baby girl!"

The Sherman Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is: $5.00 for adults; $3.00 for seniors (Ages 60+); $2.00 for students (ages6-18) and for those with a college ID; FREE for children 5 and under and FREE for museum members.

About The Sherman Museum
The Sherman Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization devoted tocollecting, preserving and interpreting objects of historical significance to Grayson County and the Greater North Texas Region. The museum was previously known as The Red River Historical Museum prior to a name change in March 2011.

For more information about The Sherman Museum, visit us on the web at www.theshermanmuseum.org.  If you would like to learn more about the Lake Texoma area and area events, visit my website, http://www.texomaconnect.com.

 SHERMAN, TEXAS | Austin College

Austin College will offer free grant-research training Tuesday, October 14, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. and Thursday, October 16, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.. Both sessions, open to the general public with advance registration, will be held in the SISD Training Classroom on the first floor of Jackson Technology Center at Austin College. To register, email Brittany Derebery, session leader and Austin College director of foundation relations, at bderebery@austincollege.edu or call her at  903-813-2423.

Jackson Technology Center at Austin College

In the sessions, “Introduction to Finding Funders,” participants will learn how to use the Foundation Directory Online (www.fdo.foundationcenter.org) to find potential funders for nonprofit organizations. At the end of the session, attendees will have opportunity to try the resources, ask questions, and network with other attendees.

Austin College is now a Funding Information Network partner with the Foundation Center of New York, making a collection of resources available to grant seekers in the region. Announcing the partnership, Austin College President Marjorie Hass said that providing this resource is an additional way in which Austin College seeks to be a good partner with the larger community.

Find directions to campus and a campus map: www.austincollege.edu/about/campus-info/.

Two computers in Abell Library Center on the campus are dedicated exclusively to the Funding Information Network. Staff at the Circulation Desk can direct individuals to the computer stations. No logins are necessary to access the information database.

Funding Information Network partners provide under-resourced and underserved populations in need of vital information and training with tools they can use to become successful grant seekers. Located throughout the country and around the world, Funding Information Network partners offer free access to the Foundation Center’s detailed information on grant makers and applying for grants. The Center’s core collection of resources includes Foundation Directory Online, profiling more than 110,000 U.S. grant makers; Foundation Grants to Individuals Online; Philanthropy In/Sight; print directories; and proposal writing guides. Funding Information Network locations also hold training sessions on how to effectively use these resources and identify potential funders. Find more information:http://www.austincollege.edu/library/funding-information-network/

The partnership with the Foundation Center of New York is part of the newly developing Austin College Center for Community and Regional Development.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.

Sherman Police Department needs volunteers for the annual Fright Fest

The Sherman Police Department is seeking groups to participate in its

annual Fright Fest trick-or-treat event scheduled for Thursday, October 30, 2014, from 6:00 to 8:30 pm, on the Sherman Municipal Grounds (400 block N Rusk).

Each participating group is asked to set up a booth and bring enough candy to hand out to anywhere from 1,500 to 3,000 trick-or-treaters. Groups are not charged a fee to participate and advertisements are allowed at the event.

Booths may be as simple as a card table and chair, or as elaborate as an on-site haunted house! The "Spooky Booth" trophy will be awarded to the group with the best display. Set-up begins at 12:00 pm (Noon) the day of the event. Booths MUST be set-up no later than 5:00 pm. Vendors will not be able to sell items during this free event.

The group Willy Kickit will perform live music during the event.

The Sherman Police Department presents Fright Fest to provide kids and parents with a safe, controlled environment in which to trick-or-treat. It was started after the attacks on 9-11 to give parents a feeling of security.

Groups interested in participating should contact Sgt DM Hampton (dmh@ci.sherman.tx.us) at 

903-892-7365. The deadline to sign up is 12:00 pm (Noon), October 27, 2014.

Looking for fun things to do during the Halloween season?  Find Haunted Houses, hayrides, carnivals, community trick or treat events and more on TexomaConnect.com.  Watch the Hatch and Kraven's Slaughterhouse video if you dare!

DINO DAYS 2014 EXTENDED

(SHERMAN, Texas) September 25, 2014

The Sherman Museum announced today that their popular dinosaur

exhibition, DINO DAYS, will be extended through October 4. The one-week extension will give visitors a last-minute chance to see the exhibit before it moves on.

“We’ve had an outstanding summer with the dinos. I hope that anyone wanting to see them before they leave will take advantage of this extension,” noted Museum Director, Dan Steelman. “Thousands have visited the dinosaurs this summer, but it not too late for anyone who hasn’t.”

This year’s exhibition includes four complete skeletons – the most ever displayed during DINO DAYS – as well as casts from various other dinosaurs. DINO DAYS 2014 features two Jurassic heavyweights, Allosaurus (25-feet long) and Stegosaurus (about 20-feet long). Returning for a second visit will be Velociraptor and Protoceratops. New to DINO DAYS will be two footprint casts donated to the museum earlier this year, both from individual animals believed to be Acrocanthosaurus atokensis. The original footprints from which the museum casts were made are estimated to be 113 million years old, dating back to the early Cretaceous period, and were discovered in Hamilton County, Texas.

Other popular DINO DAYS attractions are the DINO DIG and the 3-D Dino Theater. The dig allows children to search for fossils using paleontological techniques. The theater displays dinosaur documentaries and feature-length movies like Walking with Dinosaurs in 3-D.

Museum hours for DINO DAYS will be 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. Cost for the exhibition is $5.00 for persons 6 years and up. Museum members and children 5 and under get in for free.  The Sherman Museum is located at 301 South Walnut St Sherman, Texas 75090

About The Sherman Museum
The Sherman Museum is a non-profit 501(c) (3) educational organization devoted to collecting, preserving and interpreting objects of historical significance to Grayson County and the Greater North Texas Region. For more information about The Sherman Museum, visit us on the web at www.theshermanmuseum.org.

For more information on special events in the Sherman-Dension area, visit www.texomaconnect.com.

Sherman Community Players present Wyatt Earp: Life on the Frontier

September 24, 2014 | Sherman, Texas

“The story Hollywood didn't tell!”

The contemporary Wyatt Earp is a descendant of the

historic lawman Wyatt Earp and has toured the one-man play throughout the Southwest, as well as performed in Alaska, England, Ireland, Budapest, Hungary, and Scotland.  The Scotsman, a major Edinburgh Newspaper, gave this one-man play a four star review calling it an “authoritative cultural phenomenon.” 

Written by award-winning Arizona playwright, Terry Earp (the contemporary Mrs. Wyatt Earp), the play is set in the mid-1920s, where an elderly Wyatt Earp tells of his adventures during the final days of the American Frontier from Arizona to Alaska.  The play premiered in 1996 in Scottsdale, Arizona and won the 1997 AriZoni Award for Best Original production.

The performance is being held in conjunction with the Sherman Autumn and Arts Festival on September 20, 2014 at the Finley Theatre, 500 N. Elm, Sherman, TX 75090.  Ticket prices are $12 per person, cash or check at the door.  Season members will receive a 25% discount.  Doors open at 6:30 pm and the performance will begin at 7 PM.

Mr. Earp will also be the featured speaker at the Lunch Lecture Series, on Friday, September 19^th.at the Sherman Museum, 301 S. Walnut, Sherman, TX 7090.   Mr. Earp will be discussing his other one-man play, Doc Holiday. 

For more information about the Sherman Autumn and Arts Festival visit http://www.texomaconnect.com/Sherman-Fall-Festival.html

SHERMAN, Texas | September 12, 2014

The Sherman Museum announced today that the actor Wyatt Earp will give a free public lecture entitled “Wyatt Earp: Stories of Life on the Frontier,” on Friday, September 19 starting at high noon, 12:00 p.m. Mr. Earp will speak in the downstairs community room. Seating is limited and guests are encouraged to arrive early for best seat selection. Lecture guests are invited to bring a brown bag lunch and eat during the event. Guests wishing to attend the lecture are asked to go directly to the basement level.

Mr. Earp is the first cousin twice removed from the famous Old West lawman. An actor, he is in town to perform his one-man show about his famous namesake on Saturday night. The Saturday night performance is presented by the Sherman Community Players and sponsored by Austin College. “We are pleased to have Mr. Earp speak at The Sherman Museum,” said Dan Steelman, Museum Director. The original Wyatt Earp was a Pima County, Arizona Deputy Sheriff, and Deputy Town Marshal in Tombstone, Arizona. He took part in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral during which lawmen killed three outlaw Cowboys. After this famous shootout, Earp’s name became synonymous with the stereotypical image of an Old West lawman, and a symbol of American frontier justice.

The Sherman Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. DINO DAYS continues upstairs through September 27. The lecture is free, but persons wishing to view DINO DAYS will be charged an admission fee: $5.00 for ages 6 and up and FREE for children 5 and under and museum members.

About The Sherman Museum

The Sherman Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization devoted to collecting, preserving and interpreting objects of historical significance to Grayson County and the Greater North Texas Region.

The Sherman Museum is located at 301 South Walnut, Sherman, TX 75090.  For more information about The Sherman Museum, visit them on the web at www.theshermanmuseum.org.

The Texas and Oklahoma counties that border the Red River, and what is now Lake Texoma, have a rich history dating back to the Wild West.  Find historical sites, more museums and cultural centers on TexomaConnect.com.  

The Sherman Museum Sponsors Second Annual History Comes Alive Tour

The Sherman Museum
Sherman Texas | Auugust 24, 2014

For the second year in a row, The Sherman Museum will sponsor

Photo courtesy of This is Texoma

“History Comes Alive at West Hill Cemetery,” a historical tour of Sherman’s West Hill Cemetery. The event will take place on September 27, 2014 and consists of timed tours through the cemetery with stops at specific locations.

Costumed actors will share informative and entertaining stories about individuals interned in the cemetery or about that section of the cemetery. Tours begin at 9:30 a.m. and continue at staggered times until 3:30 p.m. Tours are suitable for all ages. One tour will offer handicapped accessibility.

The event will serve as The Sherman Museum’s major fundraising event for 2014. Tickets are $20 for adults; $15 for museum members; $10 for students with ID; and children under 12 are free. Tours are limited to groups of 25, so advanced ticket purchase is encouraged. Tickets can be purchased online at the museum’s website www.theshermanmuseum.org or in person at either the Touch of Class Antique Mall (118 W. Lamar Street, Sherman) or at The Sherman Museum (301 S. Walnut Street, Sherman). Any tickets remaining on the day of the event can be purchased at the event.

Museum volunteers carefully selected the grave sites in hopes of offering something for everyone. “The tour will feature eight stops in a relatively small area of the cemetery making the walk easy, but focusing on cultural diversity and some really unique individuals,” said event planner Shelly Morgan.

Among the notables in this year’s tour include Andrew Lawrence Randell, a world-famous Mason; Thomas Jefferson Shannon, “The Father of Sherman;” and John Brooke, a businessman from England, known for his descriptive letters relating life in his adopted country. Also featured is Elisha Baker, a soldier who served for both North and the South during the Civil War. Other stops include the grave of Texas Ranger Francis Marshalk, and the headstone of Electra Waggoner Biggs, famed Texas sculptor and oil-and-ranching heiress.

Early Sherman culture is the focus of a stop in the Jewish Cemetery, as well as at the headstone of Dr. Anthony Prince, a Black physician whose home was burned in the riot of 1930. Njoki McElroy, author of a book on the life in Sherman during this era, will be the presenter, and her books will be available for purchase.

West Hill Cemetery is located at 1304 W Lamar St, Sherman, TX 75092.  Parking and check-in for all tours will be at Texas Health-Wilson N. Jones Hospital parking lot on Houston Street between Bryant and Highland streets with TAPS bus transportation to the tour’s starting location inside West Hill Cemetery. Tour participants should arrive 15 minutes prior to the tour time departure.

For more information, contact the Museum at 903-893-7623.
For more information about Historical Sites and area Museums visit Texomaconnect.com

About The Sherman Museum
The Sherman Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization devoted to collecting, preserving and interpreting objects of historical significance to Grayson County and the Greater North Texas Region.

Memories of Elvis Tribute with Kraig Parker

Enjoy an afternoon with Elvis at Kidd-Key Auditorium in Sherman on

August 24, 2014.

Wold renown tribute artist Kraig Parker has it all - the looks, voice, moves and charisma of Elvis.  Kraig performs at sold out audiences in Las Vegas, London, and Paris and he is a  local favorite at Winstar Casino.

Kraig and his Royal Tribute band hit the stage rockin' and it's a non-stop, world class electric two hour show. For millions of Presley fans who know there will never be another like him, Parker has left packed audiences around the world stunned, thrilled and hungry for more. MEMORIES OF ELVIS delivers the absolute best of Elvis Presley, the golden years of Vegas and the music Elvis loved most, his gospel favorites.

Premiere seats are $25 and all other reserved seats are $20. The Kidd-Key Auditorium is located at 400 N. Elm Street in Sherman, Texas. Audio and video clips are available online at www.thekinglives.com.

Kidd-Key Auditorium has been a part of the Sherman community since the late 1930s, when it began as a stage for Kidd-Key Women’s College. The college closed in 1935 and a few years later, the City of Sherman purchased the current property. In 1938, it was designated as a municipal auditorium. Some 75 years later, it continues to be a beacon of cultural and performing arts in Sherman. Today, Kidd-Key Auditorium hosts cultural performances, such as the Sherman Symphony Orchestra and Nutcracker ballet, as well as concerts, plays and other events throughout the year. www.shermantx.org

For ticket information, call 1-800-838-3006 or purchase online at www.BrownPaperTickets.com and search on "Kraig Parker."

It seems there is always live music in the north Texas area known as Texomaland.  The communities that surround Lake Texoma are home to national recording artist, as well as local musicians who have won awards from the music industry and have raving fans.  Find out where you favorite musician is playing on http://www.texomaconnect.com.