Encounter greatness in music, dance and thought · You’re Smiling,” the song made famous by ......

Encounter greatness — in music, dance and thought�is spring, experience an intriguing world of great works, captivating performances and thought-provoking lectures at UNT.

Equity and Diversity ConferenceCuc Vu, chief diversity officer for Human Rights Campaign

3:30 p.m. Feb. 1Silver Eagle Suite — University Union

edo.unt.edu

Leoš Janáček: Life, Work and Contribution, an International Festival and ConferenceThe greatest Czech composer of the early 20th centuryFeb. 6-9Murchison Performing Arts Center and Paul Voertman Concert Halljanacek.unt.edu

Orissa Dance Academy�e oldest and most lyrical of all Indian classical dance forms8 p.m. March 28Lyceum — University Unionunt.edu/fas

AA/EOE/ADA ©2012 UNT

Denton Arts & Jazz Festival: UNT Showcase Stage

�ree days of world-class performances from UNT’s talented student musicians5-11 p.m. April 26

10 a.m.-11 p.m. April 2711 a.m.-9 p.m. April 28

Quakertown Park dentonjazzfest.com

www.dentonlive.com 1

12 Thin Line from small time to big screen

16 Fashion university houses a couture collection

26 GhosT Tours a scare on the square

28 BLack MusTanG ranch saddle up and grab the reins

30 sTained-GLass opera a cutting-edge project

YOUREVENTSOURCE

3 FroM The Mayor

18 caLendar

32 Gardens

34 Map and LisTinGs

36 uniqueLy denTon

2013 January - June

WHAT’SINSIDE

denTon airshow looking up for thrills ausTin Jackson from denton to the world series23

10

74

20

14JuLy 4Th a new flare on tradition 35 denTon launching pad for local musicians

arTs & Jazz denton’s biggest party of the year doG days ceLeBraTion pups with purpose

3www.dentonlive.com

elcome to Denton Live, our official guide to everything entertainment in our city.

Spring in Denton is beau-tiful! The brief encounter

with cold weather that passes for winter in Texas quickly fades into memory with help from our many music and art festivals. Haven’t you heard? Denton was voted one of America’s “most fun” towns in the Rand McNally/USA Today “Best of the Road” competition. Our downtown is always vibrant with local musicians and artists (with 25 live music venues within two blocks of our Square downtown), but our most celebrated regional events – the Denton Arts & Jazz Festival, the Thin Line Film Fest and 35 Denton music festival – spotlight the city’s raw creativity at its best.

The Cinco de Mayo and Juneteenth celebrations offer food and fun around important cultural and historical commem-orations of our nation’s diversity, reflecting Denton’s own rich heritage. Dog Days of Denton honors man’s best friend in two days of doggone good times. The Denton Airshow boasts aerial daredevils, Air Force sorties and stunt pilots at Denton Airport, the state’s eighth busiest general aviation facility.

Try the A-train, our new commuter rail connecting visitors between Denton and the DFW Metroplex. We’ve got big-city musical shows, theater and dining opportunities, all clustered together within blocks of each other thanks to the recently created Hickory and Industrial Street arts and entertainment corridors. Our galleries offer world-class art of every medium, and our international award-winning live theater productions are far beyond that of other cities our size.

At the heart of our vibrancy and extraordinary talent pool in Denton are our two great universities. The University of North Texas and Texas Woman’s University fuel Denton with a perpetual stream of new talent while Denton itself is an asset in attracting students. We are currently the seventh fastest-growing city in the U.S. We cherish our small-town character that says “we’re still small enough to be people-

friendly with a ‘care-about-your-neighbor’ attitude.” Our safe and conveniently located entertainment venues, parks and public facilities make Denton a truly walkable city.

While other cities try to replicate old-town charm, Denton’s famous 150-year-old Courthouse-on-the-Square is like a Norman Rockwell painting, but one set to jazz and indie music! It has character. And it has characters. But it’s not as much the personalities of this place as it is the personality of Denton that hooks you. This is a wonderful place. I love it here. We all do. And I believe you will too.

Now, relax and kick back. Then come on out and find out for yourself why it’s hip to be right here in Denton.

W

puBLisher Roy Busby, Ph.D.

Director, Frank W. Mayborn

Graduate Institute of Journalism,

and Graduate Associate Dean

University of North Texas

EDITOR Cathy Booth Thomas

DESIGN DIRECTOR Wendy Moore

EMAIL [email protected]

Students in the Frank W. and Sue Mayborn

School of Journalism and Graduate Institute

of Journalism wrote the articles and designed

the layout of Denton Live: Alex Byrd, Lori

Dann, Sean Gorman, Nicole Jordan, Sharon

Lynn, Mike Mezeul II, Allison Miller, Aimee

Pass, Lauren Peek, Caren Rodriguez, Tiffany

Sanders, Daisy Silos, Julia Tsai.

ediToriaL adVisory Board

MAYOR Mark Burroughs

DENTON CITY COUNCIL Kevin Roden

DENTON CITY COUNCIL James King

DENTON CITY COUNCIL Jim Englebrecht

PRESIDENT, DENTON CHAMBER

OF COMMERCE Chuck Carpenter

VICE PRESIDENT, DENTON

CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU Kim Phillips

convention & Visitors Bureau

414 parkway

denton, TX 76201

(940) 382-7895

(888) 381-1818

escapetodenton.com

Denton Live is published by the Frank W. Mayborn

Graduate Institute of Journalism at the

University of North Texas in partnership with

the Denton Convention & Visitors Bureau

© 2013 by Mayborn • 1155 Union Circle, #311460 •

Denton, TX 76203-5017 • (940) 565-4564.

All rights reserved.

Comments on stories go to UNT’s Mayborn School

while distribution queries go to the Denton CVB.

printed by eagle & wheeler, denton, Texas

For additional information, visit our website

www.dentonlive.com.

Convention & Visitor Bureauescapetodenton.com

“our downtown is always vibrant with local musicians and artists ... ”

Mark Burroughs, Mayor of denton

Mark Burroughs, Mayor of Denton

Photo by Samantha Guzman

4 www.dentonlive.com

art: Juried art show, 300 artists & vendors

headliners: The Original Blues Brothers

headliner: Jazz great David Sanborn

Big acts roll in each spring for denton arts & Jazz Festival

enry Paine distinctly remembers the N’Awlins Gumbo Kings performing at the Denton Arts & Jazz Festival. One minute he

and wife Debbie were in their booth near center stage, grilling up fajitas, squeezing fresh lemons and enjoying the music, when suddenly they looked up to see festival-goers ditching their lawn chairs and blankets. The crowd was on its feet, says Henry, getting into the Gumbo Kings’ rendition of “When You’re Smiling,” the song made famous by Louis Armstrong.

It’s like that every spring at Denton’s biggest party of the year. Henry’s favorites at the Arts & Jazz Festival include big names such as jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour and R&B singer Aaron Neville, but then he keeps discovering new favorites. “Every year I see performances that blow me away,” he says. He and Debbie always run into family friends at the festival as well as visitors from almost every state and even Europe. “Everyone I know is already looking forward to this next festival, too,” says Henry.

For Denton, the festival is a giant family reunion, with 250,000 gathering in Quakertown Park – the city’s central park – on the last weekend of April for three days of continuous jazz, R&B and the city’s own alternative sound as well as a juried art show, a crafts fair, children’s activities and food booths. With 2,700 performers on seven stages and 300 artists and vendors, the show is the city’s premiere spring fling – put on for free by the Denton Festival Foundation. Headliners for the 33rd annual show in 2013 are jazz great David Sanborn and The Original Blues Brothers Band. Local band Brave Combo closes out the festival with its own whacked-out mix of musical styles from salsa to polka. Every

year, parents introduce new generations to Brave Combo’s rendition of the “Chicken Dance,” the percussion “petting zoo” for kids and classics like fried dough and cotton candy. “We have people that grew up with us, and they’re now bringing their children,” says Carol Short, the festival director.

In her office, Carol can barely stay seated as she talks about the headliners for 2013. This year for opening night on Friday, she snagged veteran alto saxophonist Sanborn, whose résumé includes six Grammy awards, eight gold albums and a platinum album. The Missouri native has worked with Eric Clapton, Elton John, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Paul Simon and the Eagles. Jazz critic Scott Yannow, who has written 10 books on jazz, calls Sanborn the most influential saxophonist of pop, R&B and crossover players in the past 20 years.

Saturday’s headliner is The Original Blues Brothers Band. Members Tom “Bones” Malone and “Blue Lou” Marini brought their brand of funk to Denton two years ago as headliners in the Official Texas Jazz Orchestra. This year, the whole Blues Brothers gang comes to Little D, no doubt displaying the same onstage antics as the Blues Brothers on film.

It wouldn’t be the Denton Arts & Jazz Festival, however, without Denton band Brave Combo, whose music offers a laundry list of genres: salsa, merengue, rock, cumbia, conjunto, polka, zydeco, classical, cha cha, the blues and more. The quintet, which has played at Arts & Jazz for more than two decades, concludes the festival with a polka love fest.

Carol can’t decide on her favorite all-time jazz performance because there are so many: Joe Zawinul, Branford Marsalis, Arturo Sandoval, Chick Corea and Buddy Guy, to name a few. With seven stages in all, as well as

JAzzYreunion

H

[ By sean GorMan ]

5www.dentonlive.com


what: Denton Arts & Jazz Festival

who: More than 250,000 music lovers watching 2,700 artists perform, including headliners David Sanborn, The Original Blues Brothers Band and Denton’s own Brave Combo

where: Quakertown Park, 321 E. McKinney St., northeast of Denton’s Square downtown

when: April 26-28, 2013

parking: Anywhere near the festival

admission: Free

For the 12-and-under set: Children’s Art Tent, Children’s Wood Tent, Percussion Petting zoo, games and activities

website: dentonjazzfest.com

on the seven stages:wells Fargo/Budweiser Jazz stage: David Sanborn 9 p.m. Friday, The Original Blues Brothers Band 9 p.m. Saturday, and Brave Combo 7 p.m. SundayBudweiser courtyard stage: Professional R&B musiciansknTu-FM 88.1 radio roving stage: Professional musicians perform culturally diverse and acoustic musicwells Fargo celebration stage: Community, school and university bands/orchestrasDenton Record-Chronicle Festival stage: Dance by community, school, university and other performance groupsunT showcase stage: UNT College of Music performance groupscenter stage: Community and school choral groups and bands

All photos courtesy of Denton Arts & Jazz Fest, except performers. Sanborn by Lynn Goldsmith and Blues Brothers courtesy of the band

roving musicians, the music never stops, offering nationally known groups and community performances from schools, universities, choirs and dance groups. Performers come from all generations, with the ages of artists ranging from 3 to 85. The Grammy-nominated One O’Clock Lab Band offers up music by the best students in the famed jazz program at the University of North Texas.

Carrell Ann Simmons, a festival board member, has no problem deciding her favorite: Trout Fishing in America, a folk rock and children’s music group that she heard for the first time while walking around the festival. Carrell Ann chairs “Top Hands,” the committee that provides 600-plus festival volunteers – families like the Paines, who come back year after year, not just for the music, but also to volunteer on the 20-acre park grounds or in the food booths.

Debbie Paine’s daughter, son-in-law, grandchildren, sister and niece all pitch in to help. “I really love the volunteer aspect of it,” says Debbie. “It’s become kind of a competitive thing. You want your booth to serve the most people and be the most successful.” Carrell Ann’s daughter and son-in-law come to help, too, as do her co-workers at Meridian Bank. “It’s the atmosphere that usually gets them,” she says.

The Denton Festival Foundation works with the City of Denton and the Dallas/Fort Worth American Federation of Musicians to ensure that the festival, which generates about $19 million in tourism dollars for the city, is free. That’s why 57 percent of the budget comes from sponsors, whose donations range from $50 to

$50,000. No sponsors, no Arts & Jazz Fest. While the music is free, bring money for the

300 art and vendor booths. The main attraction is the juried fine arts show, featuring artists from Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Iowa, Maine, Colorado, Oregon and more. Last year’s show included work from more than 175 juried artists and crafters. Fine arts are inside the Civic Center while other fine arts and crafts are outdoors. Handcrafted jewelry, pottery and wood as well as watercolor paintings, mosaics and photography wow fans as they move from booth to booth.

On the north side of Quakertown Park, the Children’s Art Tent offers kids a chance to tap into their creative side at 15 stations with clay and flower sculpture, Tangram puzzle art, stamp art, collage, drawing and more. At the Children’s Wood Tent next door, volunteers help kids pick wood for projects. The loudest tent is undoubtedly the Percussion Tent, with children shaking maracas and tambourines and laughing as they bang on inflatable bongos and hand drums. Steve Gryb, the “Pied Piper of Percussion,” runs the tent, introducing kids to percussion instruments and holding two interactive shows. Kids can also enjoy face painting, rock climbing and the park’s playground.

Carol smiles when thinking back to one of her favorite festival memories just last year at an artist’s booth. She and her 2-year-old granddaughter, Lyric, made a ceramic mold of their intertwined hands. “It’s the sweetest thing … her little hand is on mine,” Carol

says. Carol has done this with each generation of her family, introducing them to the festival that she founded in 1990. Middle son Ryan started going to the festival when it was still known as Spring Fling. Carol remembers him tugging at her shorts and vowing: “One day I’m going to play on one of these stages.” More than a decade later, he did, playing with his band Mushroom Groovy at the festival in 2000 and 2001. Carol’s youngest son, Lyric’s dad Tyler, is still working the festival for his mom. He’s a cameraman, shooting videos for the Jazz Stage LED screen every year as well as producing festival commercials.

For the Short family, the Denton Arts & Jazz Festival has been – and will always be – a family affair. “I don’t think my family liked it because I did. They loved it,” she says, sitting in her office, surrounded by more than two decades of memories as festival director. Her late husband, Arvin, a surgeon, would turn up every year, too. “He was out there in the trenches like everyone else, cooking fajitas and having a great time.”

The Arts & Jazz Festival takes 18 months of planning, hundreds of volunteers and an active 35-member Board of Trustees, along with Carol’s efforts. Sitting in an office crammed with posters from festivals past and endless stacks of paperwork, she rolls up her sleeves and puts the finishing touches on the 2013 festival while making the first steps for 2014. After all, it’s up to Carol and the trustees to provide the best festival they can to the thousands who attend Denton’s family reunion every year.

[ just the facts ]

7www.dentonlive.com

[ By nicoLe Jordan]

ammy Freeman doesn’t go anywhere without her black Labrador, Vince. He goes with her to work. He accompanies her to her son’s school. He

coasts down the aisles of the grocery store with her. He even sits next to her during the Sunday sermon. When Tammy wakes, Vince is there. Even when she uses the restroom, Vince is there. “Find the elevator, Vince,” she’ll say, and he will take her directly to the elevator. “Find the chair,” and he marches her right to her favorite chair. Vince is Tammy’s perpetual sidekick, her protector and her best friend. He is her leader dog.

Ten years ago, Tammy, a young mother with a soft voice, was in a motorcycle accident. Her face smashed into a concrete wall, crushing her nasal cavity and destroying her optic nerves. She was left completely blind. For

three years, she focused on learning to live life in the dark. She learned how to use a cane and relied heavily on help from family and friends. But as she thoughtfully reflects on the time following her accident, Tammy admits that she never quite mastered walking with her cane. “I had issues with walking a straight line across the street,” she says. “I couldn’t walk a straight line for some reason.” That’s when the people around Tammy, including her cane trainer, began urging her to look into a guide dog. “Everybody kept saying, Tammy, get a dog. Tammy, get a dog,” she says. After three years of navigating life on her own, Vince came to her through a Lions Club program called Leader Dogs for the Blind.

Last year, organizers of the Dog Days of Denton Celebration stepped in to help create awareness for the Leader Dogs program by

inviting Tammy to share her story with other dog lovers. This June, Tammy and the Leader Dog organization are returning for the 20th anniversary of Dog Days at Quakertown Park, with 8,000 to 10,000 people expected to attend over the weekend with their furry companions. The event, which began as a fun day out for hounds and their humans, offers unique dog-centric activities, from dog singing contests and pet tricks to demonstrations by groups such as the Dallas Dog & Disc Club. “It really has become a popular trend, and I like to think that Denton started that trend because it really was, as far as we know, the first one in Texas,” says Christine Gossett, one of the Dog Days directors and the owner of a loveable, but mischievous, dachshund.

Where else can mutts indulge their inner diva with “Glamfur Shots?” Or compete for longest tongue, shortest legs, fluffiest hair?

T

do-good dogs wag their way to denton for annual

event celebrating man and his best friend

DOG DAYS of denton

Bendito, 2012 spokesdog


Purebreds need not apply for the “Heinz 57” Dog Show, a competition designed with the everyday mutt in mind, with winners in 11 categories. Dog Days is more than pets in drag and fancy Frisbee tricks, however. Since Dog Days received nonprofit status in 2009, the celebration’s been evolving from a fun event to a fun event with a purpose – educating

pet owners and the community. Vendors provide information on microchipping, heartworm care, flea control and responsible pet ownership. A special demonstration shows children how to safely approach new dogs. “Our goal has evolved to the point where we feel that it is very important not only to entertain, but also to slip a little message

in,” says Kevin Lechler, co-director of Dog Days – and a self-described “sucker” for rescue dogs. “We want to make sure we are entertaining and educating.”

Every year, a panel of Dog Days judges selects an official face – a Spokesdog – of the event. This year, organizers are even honoring past Spokesdogs in a “Howl of Fame,” giving winners another chance to strut down the stage. The current pageant winner is Bendito Sustantivo Ambler, a longhaired Chihuahua who answers to both English and Spanish and has his own Facebook page. Judges picked Bendito last year because, like past Spokesdogs, there is more to him than meets the eye. He is a registered therapy dog. “Recently, we’ve seen more rescue dogs entering the Spokesdog pageant and they seem to have a story to tell,” Christine says. “I think our judges became really interested in that.”

Bendito is active in community hospitals and nursing homes. He passed a 22-point test showing he could function in complex environments without flinching or running away. His owner, Karen Ambler, admits she used to be a cat person so she understands the value of a relationship with an animal and wants to share that with people in need. She says having a pet helped her through an abusive first marriage. “Having been the beneficiary of that unconditional love and that healing touch and bond, I thought, ‘Wow, it would just be so wonderful to be able to bring that to people who are lonely and hurting,’” Karen says.

She’s a full-fledged dog person now. Her eyes mist over as she describes the way faces light up when Bendito enters the room. His name is Spanish for blessed and Karen has fondly dubbed him “The Blessing Bearer.” He accepts everyone, whatever his or her condition. At nursing homes, she says the elderly patients come to life, their faces lighting up, when they see Bendito come in. “His love is limitless,” she says. “He’s taught me so much about love.”

Tammy feels the same way about Vince, her leader dog. Six years ago, she says, she was at a Chili’s restaurant when an out-of-town kennel manager noticed her struggling to navigate the restaurant. He suggested a training program in Michigan with Leader Dogs for the Blind. The program pairs blind, visually impaired and deaf individuals as young as 16 with guide dogs – usually Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers or German Shepherds. Tammy applied for the program and was soon off to Michigan for 26 days of exhaustive training.On her 31st birthday, Vince was hers.

Sitting in her living room, Tammy bends down and scratches Vince’s head as she talks

“if you are a more mild person, they have calmer dogs. i got Vince. he is a rambunctious dog.”

Tammy Freeman

Photo by Nicole Jordan

9www.dentonlive.com

about the program and remembers those 26 days. First, she says, “they get a feel for how you walk.” What your personality is. “They know the dogs’ personalities. So if you are a more mild person, they have calmer dogs. I got Vince,” she says, smiling. “He is a rambunctious dog.”

Out of the harness, Vince is like any other excitable pup eager for a pet on the head or a scratch behind the ears. He runs circles at the sound of the doorbell and throws himself at new people, begging for belly scratches. But when he puts on his harness with the words, “Do Not Pet Me I Am Working,” printed in bold letters on bright yellow plastic, he’s all business.

Tammy says Vince has given her the independence she needs. He has a specific job, and he does it well, which comes as no surprise considering the money and time that goes into training these dogs.

At $38,000, leader dogs cost more than many cars and nearly as much as a college education. The dogs begin their guide training at birth. “For 12 months, they give them to puppy raisers to raise them,” Tammy says. After 12 months, trainers put the dogs through an additional five months of leader dog training. Because of the cost, the Lions Club program relies on donations to match

approximately 200 people a year with a dog. As part of Dog Days, “puppy raiser” Sandy

Griffin plans to talk about the yearlong training that turns an average pup into a leader dog. Tammy will share stories about Vince’s impact on her life. Last year, the Dallas Agility Working Group (also known by its clever acronym – DAWG) created a canine agility course and encouraged dog lovers to donate to the Leader Dog program after sending their limber pups through the ringer. The group will be back at the festival in 2013, raising money for leader dogs for a second year in a row. “We really did create a lot of awareness last year,” says Christine. “It takes a lot for those leader dogs to be trained. For the people that train them, it’s a full-time job. They really have to make sure that dog is prepared.”

Christine says that Dog Days of Denton is a great opportunity for all dog owners to showcase their pets’ unique skills and talents while celebrating man and his best friend. Thanks to Vince, Tammy Freeman says she no longer needs a cane. Thanks to Bendito, Karen gets to give back to her community. “That’s what really makes it so fun and special,” says Christine. “It really does emphasize the importance of that relationship and that we all have a purpose.”

what: Dog Days of Denton Celebration

when: May 31-June 1, 2013, rain or shine

hours: Friday 5-8:30 p.m. and Saturday 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

where: Quakertown Park, two blocks northeast of the Square downtown

cost: Free, as is parking within walking distance of the park and at the Denton Civic Center

check out: Dancing with the Dog demon-strations, Dallas Dog & Disc demonstrations. Pet tricks and dog singing contests are favorites.

special attraction in 2013: 20th anniversary Dog Days of Denton Howl of Fame exhibit, featuring past Spokesdog winners, Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum, May 23

The 2013 spokesdog pageant: Owners must submit an essay and photo by May 23. See web link (right) for more info.

on the serious side: Vendors offer info on pet care and pet rescue groups. Donate and run your dog through the DAWG agility course

what to bring: Friendly dogs on leashes, proof of current vaccinations, portable water bowls, creative pet outfits, dog food to donate and baggies for messes

Leave at home: Aggressive dogs and dogs in season

For the people: Handcrafted treasures for sale, including dog collars, neckerchiefs, dog bowls, jewelry, clothing and bags (for both pooches and people). Hot dogs, hamburgers, snow cones and cool beverages, too

Beat the heat: Chill out in the Cool zone outfitted with “puppy pools” for them and misters for you.

For more info: Visit dentondogdays.com

Lead photo by Maegan Puetz

[ just the facts ]

a fresh look for spring

Discover the latest fashions and so much

more at a fabulous collection of stores.

A stunning trAnsformAtion

• New food court • New restrooms • New stores • New mall entrances • Interior upgrades • Free Wi-Fi hotspots

Present this ad FOr a Free giFt.

Exit 463 off I-35E @ Loop 288 Denton, Texas

www.shopgoldentriangle.com


t a Fourth of July parade, you expect to see American flags. You expect red, white and blue as far as the eye can see. Patriotic-themed top hats.

Cut-off blue jeans. Girls riding in convertibles, girls on floats. Fireworks lighting up the night sky. But a marching band with an army of guitars, banjos, mandolins and ukuleles? Not so much. A band led by a guy playing a clarinet, dressed up like Uncle Sam and a medieval fool? A bandleader who faces mutiny from the rear guard, the string section, which tries to push past the brassy horns and explosive

drums up front in formation.“Dress that line, Mister!” yells the bandleader, performing his best John Wayne imitation over the bullhorn. They’re loud. They’re proud. They’re out of tune and out of key. And they do not care. The only rule of the Denton Institute of Phrenology Half-Fast Marching Band is that there are no rules.

Every Fourth of July, the Half-Fast Marching Band assembles in downtown Denton for the Yankee Doodle Parade. They never rehearse and they have no sheet music. Jeffrey Barnes, their leader, calls out the keys in which they will play while the band lines up for

the parade. Hats are strongly encouraged. (Phrenologists know that one must protect the cranium from gamma rays from Outer Space.) Instruments not required. “We are a high-spirited, cacophonous entity,” says Jeffrey. “Most people love us, and we love them. Some people don’t, and we love them anyway.”

The Half-Fast Marching Band has been a staple of Denton’s Fourth of July festivities for almost 20 years, its motley players marching along with dogs on bicycles, dogs in silly dress, patriotic characters, bikes displaying the nation’s colors, antique cars and people on horseback — 150 entries in all, and anyone

A

READY, SET

celebrate!denton’s quirky take on the Fourth of July

www.dentonlive.com

[ By Lauren peek ]can join. Decked-out wheelchairs and fire engines make their way down the historic route downtown. People in red, white and blue cheer them on as the parade winds past the Courthouse-on-the-Square and ends at City Hall.

For more than a century — nobody seems to be sure — Dentonites have turned out in force to celebrate the nation’s birthday, no matter the scorching Texas weather. Some events, like the morning Liberty Run: 5K Run and One-Mile Fun Walk, are fairly new, but really, the day is all about tradition. There are always decorated floats and dozens of automobiles in the parade, an outdoor community picnic, and the entire day is topped off by fireworks in the night sky. This past year, the City of Denton didn’t miss a nostalgic trick at the picnic, offering three-legged races, sack races, a whipped-cream-eating contest, carnival games, a horseshoe tournament and live music. “Our Fourth of July celebrations are one reason that Denton made the list for ‘Top 5 Most Fun Small Cities in America’ by Rand McNally and USA Today,” says Mayor Mark Burroughs. “It is a full day that goes on well into the evening, full of sights, sounds, colors, and great tastes and smells. This is fun that fits anyone’s definition.”

Some things never change. The parade has always passed around the historic Courthouse-on-the-Square built in 1896. Back in 1913, when a Ford Model T didn’t look so antique and carriages and Shetland ponies paraded, the winners of the annual parade competition took home a princely $25. Denton was just a tiny country town back then, but it was already dreaming up big events for the Fourth of July, trying parachute jumps from a balloon (a bust) and a three-hour rodeo (a huge success).

This year, there’s a new tradition. The big pyrotechnics are moving from the old Fouts Field at the University of North Texas to the fancy new Apogee Stadium – “the new couch rather than the old couch,” jokes UNT’s deputy athletic director Hank Dickenson, who oversees the modern-day pyro show. Put on free by the Kiwanis Club, the fireworks attract more than 30,000, with the additional draw of bounce houses for the kids and treats from vendors such as Beth Marie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream. “A lot of people have grown up going to Fouts Field to watch the fireworks show,” says Hank. “Moving it over to Apogee will be a neat move. We’ll start a whole new tradition.”

The Vietnam Veterans of America have marched in the parade for more than 10 years, rolling up to the parade grounds in a jeep and 3 ¼-ton and 2 ½-ton trucks painted a military-issue olive drab. The veterans and

family members ride in the trucks, waving American flags and enjoying the cheers of the crowd. But the vets get a particular kick out of the other parade entries. “You name it, they’ve got a float there,” says Vietnam vet Dennis Boots, who participates every year. He especially loves the Denton Institute of Phrenology Half-Fast Marching Band. “The band is hilarious,” he says.

The band is unique to Denton – an idea concocted for the Yankee Doodle Parade when a UNT student realized there were no marching bands because school was out in July. So they set up a fake school, based on an archaic pseudo-science, called all their friends and marched. Brave Combo musician Jeffrey Barnes now leads the band, which is sometimes the only marching band in the parade. They do double duty as comedic relief, which is why they’ve won the Best Unit award, the highly coveted Best Overall as well as Best Clown. Their motto? “Sounding good? Not so important. Looking good? More important. Feeling good? Most important,” says Jeffrey.

The band’s twirler, Cyndi Woodham, leads the parade, followed by band bearers and the Trepanettes (synchronized motion with drills – as in “boring devices,” Jeffrey explains). Flanking them are the “Dark Horse” and Bearers of Heads, who carry Styrofoam phrenologist heads on poles in a style reminiscent of the French Revolution. (If you have to ask what a Dark Horse is, you’re not into the spirit of the band, obviously.) The music ranges from “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy” to “Louie Louie” and “When the Saints Go Marching In.”

“Once, we played ‘Stars and Stripes Forever’ and, after a particularly cacophonous dogfight strain, we actually wound up in the right key and a piccolo player jumped in from the audience and played the famous solo beautifully!” Jeffrey says. “I swear I’m not making this up!”

After the parade and the flag-raising ceremony, parade-goers scoot on over to Quakertown Park and the Civic Center for family-friendly activities planned by the City of Denton Parks and Recreation Department. In addition to the more traditional races and contests and carnival games, there are outdoor bounce houses, a children’s arts and crafts show and cheap admission to the Civic Center Pool. Hot dogs and snow cones are a must. “This [past] year’s inspiration for the Jubilee was a ‘throwback’ to traditional family activities,” says Maria Denison, marketing manager for Parks and Recreation. “Our goal was to engage more families and have events that anyone at any age could participate in or have fun watching.”

Fireworks, the quintessential Fourth of July symbol, top the day. The gates to UNT’s Apogee Stadium open for the fireworks crowd as soon as the events at Quakertown Park and the Civic Center wind down. “We’ve always made it a goal to go fairly early once it gets dark because it’s so heavily family-oriented. Many just don’t want it to be a late night,” says Hank Dickenson.

With few exceptions, the Kiwanis Club has kept this show free to the public for more than 40 years, and that is definitely the goal moving forward. As the crowd gathers, the club’s Bucket Brigade circulates, asking everyone to put in just one dollar. All the money goes straight to the Denton Noon Kiwanis Club Children’s Clinic, providing medical and dental services to community children who otherwise wouldn’t have access to them.

The day, from dawn to dusk, has a bit of a hometown feel to it, bringing the community together. “It’s very patriotic,” veteran Dennis Boots says. “You go away feeling like you’ve really celebrated the Fourth of July.”

[ just the facts ]

what: Fourth of July Celebrations, July 4, 2013

15th annual Liberty run: 5K Run and One-Mile Fun Walk at North Lakes Recreation Center. Check-in at 6:30 a.m. Race begins at 7:30 a.m. Register at the Civic Center or call (940) 349-PARK.

yankee doodle parade on the square downtown: Begins at 9 a.m. and snakes around the Courthouse-on-the-Square.

Flag ceremony: 9:30 a.m. at City Hall

Fourth of July Jubilee: Live entertainment at the Civic Center, 321 E. McKinney St., starting at 9:30 a.m. Free Children’s Carnival from 10 a.m. to noon with good ol’ fashioned family fun beginning at 11 a.m.

Fireworks at apogee stadium: At the junction of Interstate 35 East and West on the University of North Texas campus. Free admission. Gates open at 6 p.m. Bring a dollar for the Kiwanis Club Bucket Brigade to help disadvantaged Denton children get medical and dental care.

Photo courtesy of Denton Convention & Visitors Bureau

11


ndy plants his foot and leans into the camera with one eye shut for focus, adjusting his lens to film the delicate hands of a player plucking the strings

of a 6-foot-tall double bass. The low pitch of the instrument’s bom bom bom underscores the symphony orchestra. From behind the lens, Andy’s lip curls upward like rocker Billy Idol, a sure sign that he’s nailed the shot. He points, cuing his crew. “Roll film.”

Andy calculates each shot. As a new student of film, he knows the importance of capturing the perfect scene for his story. As a life-long jazz guitarist, he also knows the feeling pumping through each musician on stage. Through his lens, he can see the sweat beading on their faces. His camera follows as each player commandeers the stage at the University of North Texas, handling their bulky basses with the ease of a violin. He’s there, too, when the bassists go

offstage, capturing the candid moments of an international music competition with high stakes: a cash prize, concerts around the world and a record deal.

Andy’s film, “Bass: Beyond Limitation,” chronicles the human experience behind the scenes of the International Double Bass Solo Competition hosted by UNT. He had just finished the film – his second – in 2011 when he came across the website of Denton’s annual Thin Line Film Fest, with a call for submissions from filmmakers. Oh yeah, Thin Line. I make films now! he thought to himself. He paid the registration, dropped the film in the mail as instructed – and forgot about it. A month later, as he read his email inbox, a pink flush rose on his cheeks. He had been accepted to screen at the 2012 Thin Line Film Fest. Two months later, he stood on stage accepting the award for Thin Line’s Best Short Documentary with a connection to Denton County, making

him the winner of the first-ever Denton Doc Award. He was so blindsided he didn’t even realize the prize came with its own $1,000 check and a bit of notoriety. “I’ve never won anything, so it was just like a real shock,” says Andy. “Strange, but awesome.”

Thin Line, now in its sixth year, gains momentum each year, with attendance more than doubling in 2012 thanks to film offerings such as the Oscar-shortlisted “Buck,” the Cannes Film Festival selection “Nostalgia for the Light,” and the festival’s feature winner, “Brilliant Life,” the story of a plumber blinded by a chemical explosion. Thin Line, with its lineup of more than 80 films screened over 11 days, is the only all-documentary festival in Texas, inviting audiences to explore the “thin line” between fact and fiction in documentary film: Does a filmmaker cross the line when he puts his own stamp on a documentary by deciding which frames to include or which

Athe plot thickens

THIN LINE

13www.dentonlive.com

[ By TiFFany sanders ]

to delete? “I’ve really opened my eyes to how wide the documentary genre can be and how much flexibility there is for the filmmaker,” says documentary maker Josh Butler, Thin Line’s director and founder. The 2013 festival, set for Feb. 8-18, is shaping up to attract even more attendees than the 3,000 who showed up last year, turning 2012 into the most profitable year in the festival’s history.

Josh and a few other film enthusiasts started Texas Filmmakers in 2004 as a student organization on UNT’s campus with one goal in mind – to host a film festival within three years. It was a daunting task. In 2007, Thin Line made its debut, screening nothing but documentary films. In the past five years, it has screened such documentaries as Academy Award-nominee “The Most Dangerous Man in America,” the story of Pentagon official and Vietnam War strategist Daniel Ellsberg, and “Troubadours,” a journey tracing the lives of singer/songwriters Carole King and James Taylor in the late ’60s – a film that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. By 2012, in fact,Thin Line was screening more documentary films than South by Southwest (SXSW), often snagging films fresh from premieres at Sundance.

Josh spends hours sending emails to every filmmaker accepted to Sundance – a tactic that paid off when he attracted Emmy Award-winning “Gasland.” Arriving straight from its Sundance premiere, the film by Josh Fox focuses on natural gas drilling and “fracking” (hydraulic fracturing) technology. Oil industry execs and landowners, as well as the regional director of the Environmental Protection Agency, arrived for the showing, the first in Texas. “It was that film and that premiere that all of the sudden made everyone pay attention,” Butler says.

The biggest challenge in creating documentaries is fitting all the pieces of the story together like a puzzle while making it appear seamless and real. But Josh’s concept for Thin Line challenges the very idea of truth in fact-based films. “There is no such thing as a real film, and that’s gonna rub a lot of people the wrong way,” Josh says. For Thin Line, he accepts documentaries that range from docu-drama and docu-fiction to mockumentary (all considered hybrid docs). “With hybrid docs, you’ve got real people, real places, real dialogue, but the filmmaker is affecting the situation in a very fictional way. The combination of the two produces a film that is a lot more entertaining and engaging.”

Just to shake things up, Thin Line screens a docu-fiction (or fake) film each year in hopes that the audience will recognize it. It’s not advertised, but it’s the festival’s way of encouraging an open-minded approach to viewing. Although newbie filmmaker Andy had no idea of the fake documentary, “I love that,” he says. “It’s a beautiful idea. You can completely control how the film is perceived, how you want the audience to feel and who you want them to root for.” Audiences walking out of Thin Line come to understand they’re viewing a contrived work of art.

New to the lineup in 2012 was the Thin Line Fall Series, part of the Texas Filmmakers’ goal to provide year-round programming, showcasing five themed documentaries from August to December (one per month). Last year’s theme was music, with titles such as “Music from the Big House,” which followed blues singer Rita Chiarelli to a performance at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, and “Wish Me Away,” an intimate look at Chely Wright, the first country music singer to come out as gay.

Thin Line reflects Denton’s artistic sensibilities, winning the city – and its documentary-only film festival – attention as far away as Sweden and India. The New York Times gave a nod of approval to Thin Line in 2011. The two large universities in the area, UNT and Texas

Woman’s University, attract new talent each year, creating a hotbed of future filmmakers, musicians and artists. The talent, like Andy, is slowly becoming homegrown.

Andy has a strong connection to Denton. He attended college here, married his wife here and had his first child here. “There’s something really awesome and special about Denton,” he says. Many would-be filmmakers go broke trying to achieve their dream projects. “I hate to sound like I’m not a dreamer, but it’s hard to gamble when your 5-year-old looks up at you and says, ‘Daddy, I’m hungry.’ I can’t say, ‘Daddy’s trying to achieve his dreams right now,’” Andy says. Providing for those big bluish-green eyes has inspired him to submit his third film, about jazz band Snarky Puppy, to this year’s festival (fingers crossed).

Andy leans back in his chair with a toothy smile as he remembers how it felt to see his film on the big screen. Thin Line was his first screening. He shakes his head in disbelief. Sitting in a dark room editing scenes for hours, he develops an emotional attachment to his work, laughing out loud at the parts he thinks are funny. When he sat in the Thin Line audience that night, a funny thing happened: The audience laughed, too. They laughed at the same parts that made him laugh. And then they clapped. “It was weird and surreal, a buzz,” Andy says.

Each night as the festival draws to an end, the Square downtown comes alive with after- parties and networking. “I think we’ve got a pretty good formula now. I think we’ve found our groove. At this point, it’s about growing,” says Josh. Bigger budgets will bring more filmmakers. More filmmakers will bring bigger audiences, and that means a better experience for everyone. The line may be thin, but the festival lineup for 2013 will surely be fat with new films.

[ just the facts ]

what: 6th Annual Thin Line Film Festival, the only all-documentary screening in Texas

when: Feb. 8-18, 2013

where: The Campus Theatre, Fine Arts Theater & Downtown Denton Square

admission: $8 with a $2 discount for students/military/seniors with ID. Festival & VIP passes available online

parking: Street parking & perimeter lots

For more info: 2013.thinlinefilmfest.com

Photo by Mike Mezeul IIJosh Butler (left) sorts through Thin LIne Film Fest submissions.


35 denton DIVE INTOOUR MUSIC SCENEFans far and wide come to north Texas for city’s unique sounds

nstage at Hailey’s Club, the lead singer of Austin’s folk-rock band, Cowboy and Indian, floats around in a dainty white maxi-dress.

The soft vocals of Jazz Mills complement the soulful voice of her “cowboy” partner, guitarist Daniel James. The audience is a typically diverse Denton crowd: 20-somethings mixed with people in their 30s and 40s, tight denim, military boots, camo jackets, neon-colored head wraps … and a newborn in the front row. Jazz’s mother and her baby girl, Ava, gaze up through the bright lighting as the set begins. Little Ava, her concert wristband glowing in the dark, clings to her grandmother. Three of the band members seem to be missing, but then, at the last moment, Peder Gilham, Dorian Colbert and Jesse Plemons rush into Hailey’s and join Jazz and Daniel for the set onstage. Mix Bob Dylan with The Doors, add some vintage pop and folk and maybe a dash of Disney – and that’s Cowboy and Indian.

Just another crazy night at 35 Denton, the music festival that celebrates Denton’s unique musical tastes and its growing reputation as the indie opening act to Austin’s South by Southwest Festival (SXSW) each spring. (It’s just a quick zip down Interstate 35, after all.) Denton’s upstart music fest, founded by Chris Flemmons of The Baptist Generals in 2009, grew out of a one-day showcase of Denton talent at SXSW. It now offers four days of eclectic performers ranging from The Jesus and Mary Chain of Scotland to homegrown

talent like Sarah Jaffe as well as soul-searching industry panels open to artists and the public. “It’s a good festival for people who aren’t festival people,” says Jazz, who likes the “whole vibe” of Denton – the appreciative audiences, the mix of artists, the hassle-free environment.

Already signed up for this year’s 35 Denton on March 7-10 are San Francisco’s Thee Oh Sees, whose mix of pop, folk and psychedelia defies easy labels; Sleep, the innovators of stoner rock from California; psychedelic pioneer Roky Erickson of Texas; garage punk heroes Reigning Sound from Tennessee; hip-hop artist Astronautalis from Minnesota; and Berlin-based psych-soul guru King Khan and the Shrines. “I love how eclectic our lineup is,” says creative director Kyle LaValley, who runs the festival in tandem with programming maven Natalie Davila. “Denton is a weird town that has very diverse tastes, and we use that as our motivation to book certain bands,” says Natalie. “The purpose is to showcase what an incredible city this is, how interesting the music scene is.”

Despite rainy weather, the 2012 festival drew an estimated 20,000 to hear 188 bands at 11 local clubs such as Hailey’s, Dan’s Silver Leaf and Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios as well as unconventional places like Denton Square Donuts and Mellow Mushroom. Everything, including the two outdoor stages, is within walking distance of the city’s famed Courthouse-on-the-Square downtown and the new entertainment district around Hickory and Industrial streets.

At 35 Denton, strangers stand shoulder-to-shoulder, one drink and one icebreaker away from becoming lifelong friends while listening to global touring bands like The Raincoats, a British post-punk band, or gritty local groups like Dust Congress. Natalie loves creating these pairings of North Texas bands with the out-of-town musicians. The festival is like your favorite meal mom used to make, whether you’re into a meaty forkful of guitar riffs and floating confetti from The Flaming Lips, the Oklahoma-based psychedelic rock band, or prefer the chopped and screwed beats of Houston hip-hop legends like Devin the Dude and Bun B.

Natalie is 35 Denton’s go-to gal for the festival’s distinctive music tastes. She and Kyle attend national festivals to seek out talent and hunker down at home, searching through weblogs for promising new bands. “A lot of what we do is pair up local artists with national artists that are touring and really give them the opportunity to be on the bill together,” she says.

Last year, she paired the prolific singer-songwriter Wooden Wand with Denton’s Dust Congress, resulting in a packed show at Dan’s Silver Leaf. “Denton is still accessible to local musicians and out-of-town attendees, which is something larger festivals like SXSW or CMJ (the music festival in New York City) can’t say,” says Nick Foreman, lead singer of Dust Congress.

For Natalie, the highlight in 2012 was bringing in the all-girl English band, The

O


Raincoats, a group that normally doesn’t play in the States. “Just getting to hang out with them at Fuzzy’s [Taco Shop] – these older women that I have so much respect for and have been listening to since I was a teenager – was really positive. They love Denton. They really liked it. They loved the festival,” she says. Hooking up local musicians with touring groups is important to 35 Denton.She introduced The Raincoats to singer Jenny Seman, who plays in the Denton band Shiny Around the Edges. “That’s what it’s about, connecting people,” says Natalie.

Jenny’s husband, Michael, 35 Denton’s daytime programmer responsible for industry panels, hails from California and says Denton combines the charm of a small town with the excitement of a fast-growing city – a city where everyone plays in a band and is more than happy to give you directions to the party. “Performers are drawn to Denton because our audiences are both rabidly into music and having a good time at shows,” he says.

The New York Times, Paste Magazine and the British press have all taken note of the city’s unique musical scene. “The festival, like the city, is rapidly growing,” says Michael. “The festival is now a double-sided lens through which Denton can see the world of music and the world can see Denton.” As a doctoral student working on a dissertation about the wider economic implications of Denton’s music scene, he says 35 Denton is part of a growing creative movement in the city working to raise Denton’s profile as a place where skilled, creative people enjoy a quality of life usually associated with places like Austin; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and Portland, Oregon.

35 Denton does not try to be something it’s not, and that’s what guests like the most. “We’re not trying to be other festivals in the world,” says Kyle. “We’re our own thing. We’re small, run by creatives and musicians, and we care about keeping things intimate and the experience as honest as possible.”

[ just the facts ]

what: 35 Denton music fest

when: March 7-10, 2013

Featuring: Bands and musical acts playing nonstop on two outdoor stages and multiple indoor venues, plus daytime panel discussions, gourmet food trucks and more

where:

Andy’s Basement, 122 N. Locust St.

Banter, 219 W. Oak St.

Dan’s Silver Leaf, 103 N. Industrial St.

Denton Square Donuts, 208 W. Oak St.

Hailey’s Club, 122 W. Mulberry St.

J&J’s Pizza, 118 W. Oak St.

Mellow Mushroom, 217 E. Hickory St.

Rubber Gloves Studios, 411 E. Sycamore St.

Sweetwater Grill & Tavern, 115 S. Elm St.

The Labb, 218 W. Oak St.

For more info: 35denton.com

Photo by James Coreas

[ By aLeX Byrd ]


COUTURE THROUGH the centuries

From silk and sequins to velvet and feathers,

unT Texas Fashion collection houses high-end clothes of the ages

tep into a closet, a very large closet, a closet bigger than the average home in the United States. A closet with 18,000 pieces of designer clothing.

Delicate dresses in soft, romantic shades of pink. Whimsical summery dresses in loud shades of orange and fuchsia. Warm wool jackets in deep navy blue hues. Hats with big cream-colored bows, small clutches made of metallic beads the shade of baby blue, sky-high glam designer pumps. It’s every girl’s dream – clothes floor to ceiling,

on hangers, on mannequins, on shelves and racks: designs by Balenciaga, Oscar de la Renta, Chanel and Diane von Furstenberg, dresses from Panama, Mexico and Brazil as well as Hong Kong and the Far East.

Dawn Figueroa walks down an aisle of clothes in the 4,500-square-foot “closet” of the Texas Fashion Collection, pointing out clothing but careful not to touch anything. Inside this temperature-controlled room on the University of North Texas campus, there’s designer wear from Neiman Marcus, ready-to-wear togs that tell a story about

history, exotic dresses picked up by a flight attendant during her world travels – clothes from 13 countries, spanning five centuries of fashion. Ivory leather German gloves, rich mahogany Spanish fans, gold brocade Italian tunics, gray felt French fedoras. “You may have noticed that Mariachi jacket at the end, the brightly colored pheasant one right over there,” says Dawn, the collection’s assistant curator. Feathers of bold indigo, hunter green and lush orange peek out from the rack, begging for attention.

The Texas Fashion Collection, stored in

S

Photo by Sharon Lynn


[ By sharon Lynn ]

UNT’s Scoular Hall, collects, preserves and documents historically significant fashion as an educational resource for researchers, students and the public. It began 74 years ago with Stanley and Edward Marcus at the very first Neiman Marcus department store in downtown Dallas. “They saw pieces that were coming through the store that they thought were really outstanding,” says Dawn. The two brothers began setting aside pieces and in 1938 founded a collection in honor of their aunt, Carrie Marcus Neiman. By the time of her death in 1953, there were 400 pieces of designer wear.

In the ’60s, the Dallas Fashion Group started its own collection with a similar idea of documenting history through fashion and, in 1972, the Dallas Museum of Fashion brought the accumulated collections, with more than 3,000 items, to UNT. Today, it’s being inventoried for the first time. “We mainly collect garments, but we also have shoes, and hats and handbags,” says Dawn, “hatpins, parasols, a little bit of jewelry, you know, just different accessories like that.”

UNT professor Myra Walker, director of the collection since 1987, established the collection’s only exhibition space – Fashion on Main at UNT’s downtown Dallas campus – in 2006, but it is undergoing renovation this spring. That won’t stop special exhibits and private tours on the UNT campus. The mannequins in the closet are dressed for a special exhibit in January 2013 featuring multicultural outfits collected by Joy Losee during her world travels. Joy, a Georgia resident and former flight attendant for Pan American Airlines, collected entire outfits from the countries she visited – Thai temple dancer costumes, Turkish festival costumes,

Afghani burqas. “It has always been my wish that the collection be used for cultural and educational purposes,” Joy says.

Usually when travelers pick up clothing as a memento from a trip, they’ll buy one piece of clothing – a native skirt or top. But Joy collected outfits in full, head-to-toe, to complete the look and better represent the fashion of different cultures. She chose to donate her collection to UNT because it is one of the largest fashion collections in the country, lending some of its signature designer pieces out to other exhibitions.

Dawn ducks off to fetch a pair of simple white gloves to handle the delicate clothing, careful not to leave behind any smudges or oils from her bare fingers. “These are all pieces that are artifacts, and so we treat them as such,” she says, smoothing out the soft white gloves on her hands. “We follow the guidelines of the Costume Society of America. We try to follow the guidelines for preservation of artifacts.”

Air conditioning hums in the distance, ensuring the room’s temperature does not waiver from 65-68 degrees Fahrenheit to keep the clothes at their best. Quickly, Dawn passes the first couple of racks and heads straight to the back where she explains how they arrange the collection, which is often used by students in UNT’s College of Visual Arts and Design as well as designers from Dallas.

Dawn skims the racks, looking for a dress to pull out and display. Ever wonder what a dashing dame wore during World War II in the U.S.? Dawn pulls out a deep burnt-orange dress featuring a ration stamp print. The dress buttons up and cinches just above the hips, resulting in a flouncy, flirty silhouette perfect for spinning around. More interested

in the accessories of the ’60s? Dawn notes a pillbox hat like those that First Lady Jackie Kennedy turned into a fashion statement while in the White House. The collection’s pillbox hat, created by Spanish designer Cristobal Balenciaga, is unlike Jackie’s ladylike hat, however. Balenciaga covered his in fuchsia flowers with bright yellow centers. Wandering the archives is a lesson in how styles transform over the ages as well as how today’s styles have origins in the dresses of yesteryear, says Dawn.

With her back to the collection, Dawn extends her right arm to show off a section that displays clothes by the decade, from the late 1700s through the 1900s. These pieces are so old their designers are unknown. Somewhere near the middle are a bunch of lightweight, neutral-toned dresses lined up on the rack.

Dawn pulls out a designer swimsuit from the 1890s and hangs it carefully on a cabinet for better viewing. “We did this so when students come in to look at the collection, they can see how fashion changed throughout the decades,” she says. The one-piece swimsuit is navy blue and made from wool. With its sleeves and skirt bottom, it looks more like a sailor dress than a bathing suit. The wool material seems like an itchy choice for swimming, but for its time, Dawn says laughing, it was probably as racy as a Victoria’s Secret teddy today.

Want to see the Texas Fashion Collection in storage or view the latest exhibit? Call (940) 565-2732 to make an appointment for an hourlong tour or check online at tfc.unt.edu. View the collection online at digital.library.unt.edu/explore/collections/TXFC/.

Photo of Joy Losee courtesy of the Texas Fashion Collection


Feb. 8-april 5: Greater Denton Arts Council 26th Annual Materials: Hard & Soft at Meadows Gallery

Feb. 21-March 20: 12th annual Joyce Elaine Grant Juried Photography Exhibition, TWU Galleries

March 22-23: Collage 2013: Denton Dance Festival, Campus Theatre

March 28: Orissa Dance Academy at UNT University Union

april 2-17: Voertman’s Juried Student Exhibition , TWU Galleries

april 11-May 6: Austin Kleon: Steal Like an Artist at UNT on the Square

June 29: Festival Ballet of North Central Texas Spring Recital at Margo Jones Performance Hall

FesTiVaLs

on sTaGe

Jan. 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Parade and Concert at MLK Jr. Recreation Center

Jan. 21: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Rally and March at UNT Union Building

Feb. 8-18: Thin Line Film Festival, various locations downtown. story on page 12.

Feb. 23: 18th Annual Black History Month Celebration at MLK Jr. Recreation Center

March 7-10: Texas Storytelling Festival, Denton Civic Center

March 7-10: 35 Denton music fest, downtown Denton venues. story on page 14.

april 20: Denton Redbud

Festival, Denton Civic Center

april 26-28: Denton Arts & Jazz Festival, Quakertown Park. story on page 4.

May 4: Cinco de Mayo Celebration, Quakertown Park and Denton Civic Center

May 31-June 1: Dog Days of Denton Celebration, Quakertown Park. story on page 7.

J u n e 1 5 : J u n e t e e n t h Celebration, Fred Moore Park

June 15: Denton Airshow, Denton Airport. story on page 20.

July 4: Four th of July Celebrations, various locations around Denton. story on page 10.

CALENDAR

Jan. 8: Reading of “The Emancipation Proclamation” at Courthouse-on-the-Square

Feb. 1: Equity in Diversity Conference at UNT University Union

Feb. 7: Visiting Writers Series: Dana Levin at UNT University Union

Feb. 21: Bare Feet to Iron Rims: Tracing Denton’s Transportation Development through Black History, Courthouse-on-the-Square

Feb. 26: UNT Great Conversations at UNT Apogee Clubroom

Feb. 28: Visiting Writers Series:

Tiphanie Yanique at UNT University Union

March 21: Denton on Parade: 1905-1913, Courthouse-on-the-Square

March 21: Women’s History Month: Sasha Kramer at UNT University Union

april 16: Distinguished Speaker Series at UNT Gateway Center

april 6: Denton County Birthday Celebration, Courthouse-on-the-Square

May 16: Cattle Trails and Denton County, Courthouse-on-the-Square

every First Friday: Music, art and fun around the Courthouse

every saturday: Acoustic Lawn Jam at the Courthouse

every saturday: Community Market, food and crafts at corner of Mulberry St. and Carroll Blvd.

May-June on Thursday night: Twilight Tunes at Courthouse

May-June on wednesdays at lunch hour: Free Concerts on the Square

June-sept. on Tues., Thurs. & sat: Denton Farmers’ Market, corner of Mulberry St. and Carroll Blvd.

Jan. 1-april 6: It’s About Space, It’s About Time at UNT Sky Theater

March 2: The Great American Cleanup

March 2, april 13 & May 4: North Texas Horse Country Guided Tours

March 23 & april 27: Dinner in the Gardens at Earthwise Gardens

March 30: Easter Eggs-travaganza at Denton Civic Center

May 10 & 11: TWU Graduation, Kitty Magee Arena

May 10 & 11: UNT Graduation, UNT Coliseum

June 10, 17, 20 & 27: Free Movies in the Park, Quakertown Park

Fine arTs

MarkeTs & oTher eVenTs

speakers

Black Box Theatre

Jan. 18-20: Last Summer at Bluefish Cove

March 29-31: Last Five Years

The campus Theatre

Jan. 24-Feb. 3: Cheaper by the Dozen

april 5-14: The King and I

June 7-16: Sly Fox

Music Theatre of denton, at The campus Theatre

March 1-10: Gypsy

May 3-12: All Shook Up

Twu redbud Theatre

Jan. 24-26: Dissonance

Feb. 20-24: Well

March 7-9: The Last Five Years

april 17-21: The Cherry Orchard

university of north Texas

Feb. 28-March 3 & 7-9: Picasso at the Lapin Agile at University Theater

april 11-14: The Lady Revealed at Studio Theater


sporTsunT Men’s Basketball, super pit

Jan. 2-3: Troy University

Jan. 12: University of South Alabama

Jan. 24: Middle Tennessee State University

Jan. 26: University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Feb. 7: Western Kentucky University

Feb. 9: Florida International University

Feb. 20-21: Florida Atlantic University

Feb. 27-28: Arkansas State University

Twu women’s Basketball, kitty Magee arena

Jan. 9: Abilene Christian University

Jan. 16: Midwestern State University

Jan. 30: Texas A&M-Commerce

Feb. 9: Texas A&M-Kingsville

Feb. 13: West Texas A&M

Feb. 16: Eastern New Mexico

Feb. 23: Angelo State

March 2: Cameron University

Twu Gymnastics, kitty Magee arena

Jan. 19: Arizona, Brigham Young University, Wisconsin-Whitewater

Feb. 2: Lindenwood University

Feb. 24: Air Force, Centenary, Illinois-Chicago

March 1: University of Oklahoma

Texas Motor speedway

april 11-13: NASCAR Texas 500

June 6-8: NASCAR Firestone 550

Lone star indoor sports center

Jan. 26-27: SCHL Hockey Tournament

March 2-3: SCHL Hockey Tournament

March 20-21: Echo Hockey Tournament

prestonwood polo club

March 31: Easter on the Lawn & Exhibition

april 28: National Junior Outdoor Championship

May 4: 12th Annual Polo on the Lawn/Kentucky Derby Day benefit

May 11: 3rd annual Child Brain Foundation Soiree

June 15: Father’s Day Cup

June 26-29: Polo Camp and Exhibition Game

other sports events

March 23: 3P Challenge: Paddle, Pound, Pedal at Denton Greenbelt

May 18: North Lakes Mud Volleyball Tournament at North Lakes Recreational Center

every Tuesday night year-round: 4D Jackpot Barrel Racing at Hopper Ranch, Aubrey

Music

CALENDAR JANUARY- JUNE 2013

unT Murchison performing arts center

winspear performance hall

Jan. 25 & March 29: Concert Orchestra: Students Conductors

Feb. 6: Symphony Orchestra: An Evening of Czech Works

Feb. 28: One O’Clock Lab Band Gomez Endowment Concert

March 5: Concert Choir

March 28: Symphonic Band

april 4: Kurt Elling Quartet

april 7: Dallas Symphony Orchestra

april 9: A Cappella Choir

June 12, 15, 18 & 21: North Texas Conductors Collegium Concert

Lyric Theater at unT Murchison

Feb. 22 & 24: UNT Opera/Concert Orchestra: Pirates of Penzance

March 1 & 3: UNT Opera/Concert Orchestra: Pirates of Penzance

april 19 & 21: UNT Opera with the UNT Baroque Orchestra

unT Voertman hall

Feb. 6-9: Leos Janacek Music Festival & Conference, Voertman and Recital Hall

March 7-8: Chamber Music Studies Concert

april 2: Afro-Cuban/Brazilian/Latin Jazz Ensembles

april 23: Global Rhythms

clubs

Jan. 23: Carrie Rodriguez at Dan’s Silver Leaf

Feb. 22: The Forever Fabulous Chicken Hawks at Dan’s Silver Leaf

Banter: Open mic night Thursdays, jazz Fridays & Saturdays

Greenhouse: Live bands every Monday

hailey’s: Tuesday ’90s night, Thursday ’80s night, Sunday dance night

public house: Karaoke every Tuesday

other Venues

april 24: World Premiere: Ahab’s Symphony at UNT University Union

June 7-July 19: StarRise concert every Friday at Denton Civic Center

For other music venues

dentonlive.comdentonradio.commydentonmusic.comdentonlivemusic.comdiscoverdenton.com


DAREDEVILS in the skyBarrel rolls and heart-stopping loops at denton’s annual airshow

he morning sun rises above the horizon, bathing the planes on the tarmac in a golden light, slowly warming their cool steel frames. Each plane

is unique. An antique propeller-driven P-40 Warhawk sits wing-to-wing with a modern-day jump jet, the AV-8B Harrier II. Parked behind the P-40 is a civilian Pitts S2B biplane. Each has a story to tell. The old Warhawk, a relic of World War II, needs runway room to take off. The Harrier isn’t so fussy. It’s got an engine with enough thrust to take off vertically in combat situations. The biplane, by comparison, looks like a toy with its red, white and blue wings, but wait until Julia Wood climbs into the cockpit. When she flips her Pitts biplane upside down and pushes it into a screaming nosedive, “ooohs” and “ahhhs” are sure to follow.

Every summer, on the Saturday of Father’s Day weekend, the Denton Airport comes to life with the smell of fresh coffee, summertime

barbecue and jet fuel. Military and civilian pilots chat about past airshows as thousands of visitors stream in, carrying everything from cameras and binoculars to folding chairs and blankets. Children walk past the military tankers, the specialty ’copters and the old warplanes and stare, mouths open. Spectators sprawl out on blankets and gaze expectantly up at the sky. At 11 a.m., a voice booms over the crowd, “Ladies and gentlemen, please rise and remove your hats.” The crowd goes silent. The national anthem officially opens the Denton Airshow.

It’s a day of tradition, mixing nostalgia with aviation power and often heart-stopping amazement. The 2013 annual Denton Airshow offers a grab bag of the best talent in the sky: Civilian daredevils Tony and Julia Wood, Denton Airshow veterans, promise to thrill with their aerobatics. Military pilots will throttle their supersonic jets into full afterburner, shaking the very atmosphere above Denton Airport as they approach the speed of sound.

The Texas Twisters, a precision formation flying team, will create dazzling formations with aircraft wingtips wiggling only inches apart. Not all the excitement will be up in the sky, however. Every year, there’s a history lesson on the tarmac, giving adults and children the chance to explore every nook and cranny of the planes. The mammoth U.S. Marine Corps KC-130 Hercules tanker with its 132-foot wingspan is a fan favorite as is the Army’s heavy-lift helicopter, the CH-47D Chinook, a workhorse in Afghanistan and Iraq. “We’re not just putting on entertainment here. We’re also trying to bring in a little bit of history,” says Amanda Addington, marketing director for the Denton Airshow.

A group of aviation enthusiasts organized the first Denton Airshow in 1984. Over the past three decades, attendance has grown from a few thousand to 15,000 last year. The Denton Airshow, a nonprofit, organizes the event with the help of professional airshow boss, David Schultz Airshows, LLC, who

T


[ By Mike MezeuL ii ]

was hired in 2007 to coordinate and recruit big-name performers from around the nation. Part of the airshow’s success is the growth of the Denton Airport, which added a control tower in 2004 and expanded its runway to 7,000 feet in 2011, allowing more appearances by supersonic military jets. “The fact that we have the 7,000-foot runway means that we can have the F-16s,” says Quentin Hix, director of aviation for the City of Denton. Since 2004, more than $27 million has gone into public infrastructure improvements at the airport, with tens of millions more in private investment. The most current project – 90,000 square feet of paved ramp to better serve larger aircraft and charter service – will allow for an even larger show in 2013. Spectators and performers keep coming back because of the improvements.

The husband and wife aerobatic duo of Tony and Julia Wood are four-year veterans of the Denton Airshow, competing against each other in separate planes. “Instead of two people on the same race course, it’s actually two people on two different race courses very close together,” says Tony. As he climbs into

his blue-and-silver Sukhoi Su-26 aircraft, he glances over to see Julia strapping into her red, white and blue biplane, a Pitts S-2B, the top of the wings are decorated with stars. “We work together so much, we fly together so much together as a team, I would rather not be flying with anyone else but him,” says Julia.

As their canopies close, the world around them fades. They taxi out to the runway, the smell of smoke, oil and exhaust seeping into the aircraft. The Texas sun sears down on them. With nothing but fresh air vents to keep them cool, their cockpits quickly become saunas. When the temperatures soar over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, opening the air vents is “like turning the hair dryer on,” Tony jokes.

Flying side-by-side, the couple pulls the same maneuvers (almost in unison because, yes, they are that good), challenging each other to perform the maneuver better than the other. Flying just a few hundred feet above the ground, Tony and Julia perform barrel rolls, torque rolls, avalanches and hammerheads – a maneuver that begins with a quarter loop, then a vertical climb, then a 180-degree flip. At this point, the nose points straight back

to Earth and the maneuver is finished with the last quarter of a loop to horizontal flight. The list of gut-tightening maneuvers goes on and on. “My favorite would probably have to be the torque roll. Because I can climb, I can go up, I can roll all the way up really as far as I want to fly, and I can roll all the way back down as far as I want to go, simply, easily, gracefully. It’s beautiful,” Julia says. “The looping, tight maneuvers, the avalanche, the tumbling maneuvers, they’re fun.” Tony chuckles as Julia talks because as every aerobatic pilot knows, the maneuvers put stress on the planes. He will end up having to fix whatever goes wrong with her plane. “Julia gets to have a little more fun because she doesn’t have to fix it,” Tony says, clearly amused.

While the Woods turn their world upside down, another veteran performer is watching his peers twist and turn across the sky. Pilot Mike Gallaway is no stranger to the Denton Airshow, performing his show-stopping aerobatics in an Extra 300SX, an aircraft built to withstand the most strenuous maneuvers. A North Texas native, Mike has performed on some of the biggest stages in the aerobatics world, but

Photo by Lynn Cromer Photo by Mike Mezeul II

Photo by Mike Mezeul II


likes to return to the Denton Airshow for the fans. “The smaller shows like Denton allow us [performers] to truly interact with the fans, especially the kids. My goal is to inspire a young person to pursue their dreams, aviation or otherwise,” says Mike.

The Woods were both destined from a young age to take to the sky. At age 16, Julia flew her first solo flight. She obtained her pilot’s license the same day she received her driver’s license – at 17. Tony grew up as an Air Force brat so, he says, “I had no chance from the start.” Tony can’t recall a precise age at when he knew he was going to be a pilot, but he cites the influence in 1976 of an Air Force Thunderbird pilot, Chris Patterakis. A commander at the time, Patterakis responded to a letter written by the young Tony – a letter Tony still has today.

The couple first met when Julia decided to take a course at an aerobatic training school near Houston. “I found this instructor named Tony Wood. We ended up being good friends,” Julia says with a giggle. “The joke I always tell is … as he was putting me in the front of the Pitts S2A and he was trying to work my seat belts, it took an awfully long time.” They got married nearly a year later and became proud parents nine months afterwards, purchasing their first aircraft together, a Pitts S2B properly named “Baby B.”

Just as the words in Chris Patterakis’ letter inspired Tony to take to the skies, Julia and Tony both strive to deliver their own message to young children with their performance at the Denton Airshow. Julia wants to expand the sport of aerobatics. “If we don’t get new people interested in aviation, in aerobatics, and maybe some competition or airshows, then what’s it all about really?” she wonders. The promotion of amateur aerobatic competition is part of what J.T. Airshows (Julia & Tony’s official business name) strives to accomplish. “I don’t do this so people will pat me on the back,”

says Tony. “I do this for that one little kid, as I was, at 7 years old on the ropes, watching the Thunderbirds and actually having one [pilot] write me a letter back.”

Denton locals get to meet the pilots even before the gates open for the Denton Airshow during a fundraising taco breakfast. “It allows spectators to have that up-close-and-personal moment or two with some of our aviators out here, especially the military demonstration teams that come in,” says Amanda. All profits for the breakfast go to the Cumberland Presbyterian Children’s Home, which helped protect more than 900 children, teens and families in 2011 by placing them in homes and providing life training skills. At last year’s show, Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q felt so strongly for the cause that they also donated 10 percent of their entire revenue from show sales to Cumberland.

The Friday before the airshow is not just a day of prepping, but a day of inspiration and celebration as well, with the airport hosting a reception by Congressman Michael Burgess to announce new appointees to the United States Military Academy at West Point; the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland; the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York, and the U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado. The City of Denton brings children from its summer day camp program to talk to pilots from the military performance team about their planes and serving the country. It’s a history lesson in a bottle for the children. After a brief PowerPoint, the children get to see the aircraft. “These guys are really hands on and they love to talk to the kids,” says Amanda.

The Denton Airport is striving to accommodate the growing airshow audience, especially with the 2013 show expected to lure the largest crowd ever. The Denton Police Department is taking over traffic duties to prevent backups, and organizers promise

multiple entrances to the grounds to speed up access in and out on airshow day.

Back on the ground after their performance each year, Tony and Julia share a big wave and fist pump with the cheering crowd. “The reason we are there is to demonstrate the airplanes, what flying is all about and to entertain,” says Julia. Tony, like Mike Gallaway, says he really wants to share his passion with a new generation of potential pilots. “If we can inspire,” he says, “that’s really the core.”

[ just the facts ]

when: June 15, 2013

where: Denton Airport, 5000 Airport Road

admission: $10 at the gate. Children under 6 are free. $5 advance tickets at Denton Airport Terminal office, Business Air or US Aviation. Groupon tickets also available

hours: Gates open at 8:30 a.m. for the breakfast with the pilots. Show from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

parking: Free

Take the bus: For the first time, the Denton County Transportation Authority is providing transportation to and from Denton Airport to local DCTA stops.

concessions: Barbecue, corn dogs, and turkey legs with beer garden provided by North Texas State Fair and Rodeo

what to bring: Cameras, folding chairs, blankets, umbrellas for some shade, sunscreen and earplugs for the kids

what not to bring: Pets, coolers, large backpacks, alcohol, firearms, knives and walkie-talkies. Bags are subject to search.

Beat the heat: For a great view while staying out of the sun, reserve a “chalet” by calling Julie (940) 349-7736. For $35, organizers will erect your shade tent in a prime viewing spot and ice down your cooler if delivered the day before. Only chalet guests may bring coolers and their food and drink. Space is limited.

For the children: Kid zone, all-day play area

For tickets and info: (940) 484-1603 or denton.schultzairshows.com

Photo by Daniel Warschum/Denton Airport


[ By Lori dann ]

J a c k s o n

Fame hasn’t spoiled denton’s humble hometown hero

detroit Tigersoutfield


he skinny 12-year-old with the confident Ken Griffey batting stance didn’t look like much. But to New York Yankees scout Mark Batchko,

the sound emanating from the kid’s bat was unmistakable. It was the spring of 1999, and Batchko was watching a group of older kids play at a ballpark in Fort Worth when the distant ping of Austin Jackson’s first home run caught his attention. Soon there was another, followed by a loud roar. When Jackson smacked a third ball over the fence at the adjacent field, Batchko decided to head over and see what the fuss was all about. “Who’s that kid?” he asked.

Alice Jackson, sitting in a lawn chair along the third-base line, told Batchko her son was

two years younger than any other player on the field, but his performance was nothing new. During one season, Austin ripped 53 home runs. His father, Albert, kept every single ball, storing them in a box in their Denton home. Batchko pulled out his business card and made Alice a promise. “I’ll be back,” he said.

That same year, Baseball America magazine named Austin the top 12-year-old player in the nation. Three years later, while he was playing at Billy Ryan High School in Denton, he was the top 15-year-old. None of it fazed Austin. He never even told his friends. “That’s why you’ve got to love him as a player even now,” former high school teammate Curt Sprabeary says. “He doesn’t talk about himself, ever.”

Batchko, however, did plenty of talking about Austin: “A can’t-miss kid,” he wrote in his first scouting report. He kept coming back to Denton throughout Austin’s high school years, too. When Austin was a senior, he convinced Yankees ownership to draft him, even though most professional scouts were certain Austin was headed to Georgia Tech on a basketball scholarship. Austin was, in fact, just as good in basketball as baseball – maybe even better – and he made no secret of his love for the sport. But baseball won out. On June 22, 2005, six years after their chance encounter at the ballpark, Batchko sat in the Jacksons’ living room smiling and posing for photographs as 18-year-old Austin signed an $800,000 contract with the Yankees, a record at the time for an eighth-round draft pick.

Today, Austin is a center fielder for the Detroit

Tigers, and he’s every bit the player Batchko expected him to be. The 25-year-old helped propel them to the World Series in 2012, hitting .300 in the regular season, collecting another 14 hits in the postseason and playing near-perfect defense. Although his power-hitting teammates, Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera, received most of the headlines, Austin’s steady play as a leadoff hitter was critical to the Tigers’ season. Fellow outfielder Torii Hunter, who has won nine Gold Gloves for his defense, called him “one of the best center fielders in the game.”

Austin returned home to Denton disappointed in the outcome — Detroit was swept by San Francisco — but proud of how far he has come. Did he have butterflies playing in the World Series? Nope. “I was more amped up and more

just … adrenaline pumping,” he says. “Just knowing that you’ve got a 162-game season, that you did your part and took care of your business ... to be able to make it to the World Series was a great feeling and a great honor.”

The reason for Austin’s success is simple. His manager, Jim Leyland, says he has “a perfect disposition” for a sport where even the best hitters fail three times as often as they succeed. Nothing sticks to him, Leyland says. Everything – success, failure and even those huge early expectations – rolls right off his back.

That wasn’t always the case. In 2006, while his friends were enjoying college life, Austin was toiling in the depths of the Yankees’ farm system – low Class A ball in Charleston, South Carolina – where he would strike out 151 times in 134 games. Suddenly, baseball wasn’t fun anymore. It was a job, and not an easy one. Tired and frustrated, the doubts began to creep in. “You’re struggling. It’s hot. You’re not getting that home-cooked meal,” Austin says. “You’re striking out. You’re making errors. You’re thinking, ‘Man, I don’t think this is working. I should have played basketball. I should have gone to school or something. I’m out here embarrassing myself.’”

Austin’s struggles meant another season in Charleston in 2007. Still striking out too much, he assumed the worst when his coach called him off the team bus just before another long road trip to another small Southern town. It’s probably a demotion, he thought. Surprisingly, the news was good: He was being promoted to high Class A in Tampa. Austin says the

change of scenery was just what he needed. “I got my mind off of that – just struggling so much – and I kind of turned the corner.” His batting average shot up 85 points, as did his power numbers, and he struck out less.

By the end of the 2008 season, Austin was considered the top prospect in the Yankees organization, but he was still waiting for a chance to break into the team’s crowded big-league outfield. In 2009, the Yankees made their move, but it wasn’t what he expected. Austin was traded to Detroit for all-star Curtis Granderson, resulting in an instant promotion to the major leagues as well as major expectations. Tigers fans, hungry for another trip to the World Series, were skeptical at first, but the rookie quickly impressed teammates such as Johnny Damon, who proclaimed, “Everything about him screams future All-Star, future superstar.”

Folks in Denton had been saying that all along. Ryan High baseball coach Bret Warnack, who first witnessed Austin’s advanced skills at age 7, saved a spot for him on the varsity team during his freshman season. Austin broke into the starting lineup immediately after basketball season ended, despite getting in only one day of batting practice. After he struck out in his first three at bats, Warnack became worried about the young player’s mental outlook. “I didn’t want to ruin him,” Warnack says, knowing how fragile some talented players can be when they suddenly have to deal with failure after so much success. “I didn’t want to throw him to the wolves too soon. I remember pulling him over in the dugout and saying, ‘Hey, man, it’s going to be all right. You’re going to be fine.’” Austin simply smiled. “Coach, that doesn’t bother me,” he said. “I’ll get ’em.”

Austin struck out just two more times the rest of the season and finished with a .454 batting average. “His first year, I didn’t think anybody could get him out,” his buddy Curt recalls. “That was an incredible year. He was a freshman, and the seniors would give him a hard time, but his batting average was about 100 points higher than everybody’s. Every time he walked on the field, he was the best player.”

The next year, Austin’s legend grew even more when he blasted a three-run, game-winning home run in the final inning to help Ryan beat Corpus Christi Calallen in the state semifinals. He repeated the feat during his junior season, hitting another last-inning, game-winning homer in a 5-4 state semifinal victory over Cleburne. His mom, Alice, missed both home runs, so nervous that she left the stadium to pace the parking lot until she heard the cheers ring out. His dad, though, soaked it all in. “The whole stadium was just screaming and hollering,” Albert says, smiling proudly. “Man, it was just one of those moments you never forget. When Austin came around the bases,

T

“i fully believe ... he would be in the nBa if he had chosen basketball.”

Bryce overstreet


they all just clobbered him.”Sports bonded father and son from the

beginning. Austin started gymnastics at age 3 and Tee-ball at 4. Basketball, football, swimming, soccer and track weren’t far behind. No one ever had to persuade Austin to work at it. He begged to play every day. So when Albert came home from building 18-wheelers at Peterbilt Motors, he would pick up Austin and head to a local park with five large yellow buckets of baseballs. Austin would spray them all over the field while working on his swing. “He used to wear me out,” says Albert, who played basketball at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Eventually, he decided to install a batting cage, pitching machine and pitching mound in the back yard. The cage stretched 70 feet and included lighting, which came in handy since Austin’s personal workouts often continued past sundown. “I was really worried about the neighbors,” Alice says, “but we never had any complaints.”

When Austin wasn’t in the cage, he was on the basketball court, and he always seemed to draw a crowd, even during warm-ups. Though he was a point guard and stood just 6-foot-1, his 37-inch vertical leap allowed him to soar for slam dunks – including a 360-degree jam against Denton High School – that became legendary. “We have a highlight video of him catching the ball off the rim and jumping over a 6-7 kid to dunk it,” Ryan basketball coach Bryce Overstreet says. “In 20-plus years of playing and coaching, I’ve never experienced someone with his athleticism. I never got used to it.”

The recruiting letters from college basketball coaches began arriving when Austin was a freshman. Eventually, there were so many letters that Alice had to meet the mailman outside because they wouldn’t all fit in the mailbox. She opened and saved every one of them, stuffing them into four large plastic tubs. Eventually, Austin signed a scholarship with Georgia Tech, where he planned to play baseball and basketball – until the Yankees intervened. Ultimately, Austin decided he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to start his professional baseball career immediately. “I think he made a smart decision,” Overstreet says. “On the flip side of that, I fully believe — and this is a huge statement and speaks volumes of Austin — he would be in the NBA if he had chosen basketball.”

Despite all the attention, Austin never changed, say those closest to him. He was an A student and extremely popular at Ryan, not only because of his athletic ability, but also because of his sense of humor. He kept everyone laughing with his impersonations of his teammates and coaches — something he has quickly become known for in Detroit, as well — and surrounded himself with a large group of diverse friends. “Teachers loved him,” Warnack says. “He was just a very upstanding kid and always very humble and soft-spoken.”

That approach has made him extremely popular in the professional ranks as well. Because most of his minor league teammates were Hispanic, Austin learned to speak Spanish so he could bond with them better. When he

played winter ball in Hawaii, he found ways to communicate with a variety of ethnic groups there, too. “One of the coaches actually told me Austin was the only player that would talk to them and try to make them feel like they were a part of the team,” Alice says. “He’s got a good heart.”

That may be the biggest reason why Denton still embraces Austin. The first time he played against the Rangers in Arlington, two busloads of fans made the trip to cheer him on. “You couldn’t ask for a better kid, a better role model for younger kids, a better son to his parents,” Curt says. They’ve continued to follow the ups and downs of his major-league career, including the breakout 2012 performance, which Austin credits to his offseason work with hitting coach Lloyd McClendon. After eliminating his high leg kick, his batting average improved 51 points, his on-base percentage soared 60 points, and he showed increased power with 16 home runs. The real payoff, though, was the Tigers’ postseason run.

When Alice, Albert and Austin’s older brother Jamaal returned from the American League Championship Series, they found a sign planted in their front yard: “Austin Jackson, The Pride of Denton.” After the World Series loss to the Giants, Austin returned home to an enthusiastic welcome. People were already predicting an all-star season and a championship this year.

“They’re excited,” Austin says with a laugh. “I think they’re more excited than me about next year. They’re all pumped up already, so maybe I need to start getting that way too.”

[ just the facts ]

Full name: Austin Jarriel Jackson

Born: Feb. 1, 1987, in Denton

position: Center field

Teams: Drafted in 8th round (259th overall) by the New York Yankees in 2005, traded in 2009 to the Detroit Tigers

awards/honors: MLB Players Choice Outstanding Rookie in 2010; International League Rookie of the Year in 2009; Eastern Playoffs MVP in 2008; minor league all-star from 2006-09.

notable: Hit .300 and led the American League with 10 triples in 2012.

Photos courtesy of Mark Cunningham/Detroit Tigers


who haunts denton’s downtown square?

s the clock strikes 9, a group emerges from the shadows around Denton’s century-old courthouse and forms a circle around Shelly Tucker. The

group whispers until Shelly points to a row of shop windows above the Square downtown. During the 1960s, people used to live above the shops, but tonight, the windows are dark. Shelly’s voice is quiet as she begins the tale of the woman who moved into a loft space facing the Courthouse-on-the-Square. The tourists around her lean in, eager to catch the story.

Every night when the woman went to bed, she felt a presence, like someone was standing over her while she slept. One night, says Shelly, the woman grew restless. She couldn’t sleep. Then she noticed a man walking around the courthouse. He was dressed in clothes dating back to another era. Suddenly, the woman’s cat started acting strangely, so for a split second, she took her eyes off the man. When she turned back, he was gone.

Shelly says the woman tried to make up excuses for what she saw. Maybe the man was wearing a costume for a play. Maybe he was going to be in a historical re-enactment. Or maybe he just felt like dressing up in the middle of the night because, of course, “It’s Denton,” Shelly says. Everyone laughs, knowing exactly what she means. Denton is different.

“The next day, there was no play, no historical re-enactment,” Shelly tells the crowd around her. The woman ended up moving out of Denton, but two years later, she returned to the city to handle some business at the courthouse. There, right in front of the building, was something she had never noticed before – a tombstone belonging to John B. Denton, the preacher, lawyer and community leader who died in an Indian battle in 1841. The tiny hairs on the back of the woman’s neck stood

up as if she had seen a ghost, says Shelly. That restless night above the Square, she had seen a ghost – the ghost of the man who still haunts the city named for him. As Shelly finishes the tale, the tourists look at Denton’s grave again, this time with a different perspective. If you happen to see Denton tonight, Shelly warns them with a smile, be careful – because he carries a gun.

When Shelly gives the Denton Haunts and Ghost Tour, she always starts next to John B. Denton’s grave and waits for paranormal enthusiasts like herself to gather. Shaun Treat, a communication studies professor from the University of North Texas, began the tours in 2011, hoping to pass along stories of others like John Denton who have lingered in the city long past their deaths. Shelly, a professional storyteller, began filling in for Shaun last summer. Between them, they’ve managed to keep the stories coming year round – stories about the girl in the blue dress that haunts Andy’s Bar or the mischievous prankster at the Campus Theatre.

Shelly keeps adding new stories about people like Miss Maynie, the ghost who haunts the old Denton County National Bank on the Square. “It’s really not about finding a ghost. It’s all about hearing the stories,” Shelly says. “You don’t want the stories to die.” She and Shaun never run out, with easily more than 50 stories memorized.

For Shelly, it’s important that the history of Denton and the lives of the little-known survive. Today, we all have the Internet and Facebook timelines to keep our memories alive, but there is little record left of those from the early generations of Denton. All Shelly knows about Maynie, for instance, is that she worked at the bank and owned the very first goldfish in Denton. Even her real name is unknown. Shelly wouldn’t have

known about Maynie if a woman working at the bank hadn’t told her that employees kept hearing doors closing and footsteps. “I don’t want any of these folks to be gone,” she says. “It’s important to me that the audiences feel the connection and be able to remember these stories and tell somebody.”

Shelly starts off her two-hour tour with a cup of coffee in hand, leading the group to Hooligans Bar & Grill to share the tale of Stuart, the ghost who apparently can’t resist rubbing or pinching the ladies at the bar. From Hooligans, she moves to the Jupiter House Coffee shop, then Beth Marie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream and around the corner, to Andy’s Bar. Walking from one building to the other, Shelly says she doesn’t know which story to tell until she gets a feel for the crowd – something she has picked up during her 27 years as a storyteller. “I look the audience in the eye, and then I know what story will fly,” she says. “I have to see if you’ll laugh at certain places. It’s just an audience sense you build after years and years.”

Both Shelly and Shaun love history, and the many nights of research spent at Denton’s

PARANORMAL

activity

A

photo by Mike Mezeul ii


[ By haLey shapLey ]

Emily Fowler Library prove that. Librarian Laura Douglas, who helps with research for the tour, says Shelly surrounds herself with stacks and stacks of books and newspapers to get her stories as factual as possible. “She is so enthusiastic. She’s willing to dig, and that’s nice because you feel she’s going to find that missing link,” says Laura.

Even out-of-town visitors get a kick out of the stories, says Laura, who sends friends on the tour in hopes they learn more about Denton. The city is known today mostly for its two universities, the University of North Texas and Texas Woman’s University. “They loved the tour. They just wanted to know more and more about Denton,” says Laura. “Everyone feels engaged on the tour because of the way Shelly tells her stories. She does a good job mixing in the history with the legends.”

The legend of Sam Bass and his best friend, Jim Murphy, is well known around Denton, but no one tells it better than Shelly. Sam is known as the Robin Hood of Texas, an outlaw who stole from the rich to give to the poor. He was the mastermind behind the biggest robbery of the Union Pacific Railroad,

stealing $60,000 with the help of his gang. It was enough to put a target on Sam’s head: $10,000, dead or alive. “People would sell their momma for that,” jokes Shelly. The tour group laughs.

After the heist, Sam returned to Denton, where he thought he was safe and would never be caught, says Shelly, but Jim turned on him and set up a plan with the police to catch him. The police killed Sam Bass on his 27th birthday. Jim became one of the most hated men in Denton, known as Judas Jim Murphy, Shelly says quietly. He ended up committing suicide because he couldn’t handle the guilt. Shelly says that now Sam Bass and Jim Murphy haunt the Square downtown together.

As the tour comes to an end, Shelly gathers the audience for one last ghost story across from The Abbey Underground, an English tavern where the bartenders actually welcome a ghost named Sheamus. The tourists give Shelly a confused look. Shelly says the bartenders know that when Sheamus pulls a prank on them, it’s going to be a good night.

Before sending everyone into the night, Shelly asks the audience to humor her: Please thank

the ghosts so they don’t follow you home. The tour group laughs, but on the count of three, they all shout, “Thank you!” As the group scatters, Shelly stays behind on the Square. “It’s a quirky place,” she says solemnly, a place where people want to stay – even in death.

[ just the facts ]

what: Denton Haunts and Ghost Tour

when: Every Friday and Saturday, 9 p.m., starting on the Ides of March, March 15, 2013

where: Tours usually start at 110 W. Hickory St., on the Courthouse-on-the-Square lawn by the grave of John B. Denton

price: $10 admission for adults, not recommended for children 10 and under

private tours: Year-round for groups of 10 or more, email [email protected]

[ By daisy siLos ]


one woman, 20 horses, an adventure for all.

runo’s shoes clack through the hard dirt as he follows a trail between blooming wild plum trees and persimmons. Dis t racted by the ta l l

goldenrods growing along the trail, he lowers his head for a quick bite. Near the rocky shore of Ray Roberts Lake, he picks up his pace, jostling the lady in the saddle. For Bruno, the 9-year-old black mustang, this is just a nice long lope through the trails of Ray Roberts Lake State Park. But for Monica Millan-Barbera, this morning trail ride is all business. She is conditioning Bruno.

He still has a bit to learn. As Bruno and Monica approach a street near the lake, a shadow waits in the distance. It is simply a small, dark blue car parked along the side of the road, but to Bruno it is a dangerous

foreign object. He begins to rear back, tossing his rider from side to side. Refusing to forge ahead, he tries to turn back from the road, but Monica pushes her heels into Bruno’s flanks, maintaining her control by pulling back on the worn leather reins. Still, the frightened beast fights her and circles again.

“No. You’re not going to do this, Bruno. It’s OK, Bruno. It’s OK.”

Again and again, Monica tries to calm the horse. Finally, she dismounts and slowly walks him to the street and the worrisome object. Once there, he calms down. Threat removed, Bruno sets off contentedly.

Bruno is one of 20 horses (and one donkey) living on Monica’s land, the Black Mustang Ranch in Pilot Point, north of Denton, part of North Texas Horse Country. The area boasts more than 350 farms and ranches with an

estimated 40,000 horses. Because of its many world-champion horses and riders, North Texas is known as Horse Country USA – a draw for visitors from the U.S. as well as overseas. Monica occasionally boards a horse or two, but she is not solely a boarding facility. Black Mustang Ranch is a riding facility for trail rides as well as longer endurance rides of 20, 30 or even 50 miles. “This area has changed very quickly in just a few years,” says Monica, who moved here from Florida more than a decade ago. “Six or seven years ago, who would drive up to Pilot Point to go horseback riding for an hour, or two hours, or half a day?”

Many of Monica’s riders are beginners content to trot along the trails near Ray Roberts Lake for an hour or two, but advanced riders also use her facilities, some hoping to increase their endurance for competitions. Out-of-towners –

B

ALONGfor the ride


[ By aLLison MiLLer ]especially international riders – tend to come in hopes of experiencing a Texas pasttime. For young campers, Monica offers wilderness and trail riding camps as well as trips to Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch, a 126-acre park with exotic animals. Many stay at Lantana Lodge on the nearby lake.

The ranch is the product of Monica’s passion for horses and her desire to share that experience. She grew up around horses in Spain and has been riding for more than four decades. Before moving to the United States, she helped a friend organize weeklong horse rides through the Pyrenees in northern Spain. In 2001, she moved to Texas from Sarasota, Florida, where she did marketing and sales to Latin America. She brought one horse with her and boarded it. But having a desk job was no longer fulfilling. She moved to Pilot Point, built a house on enough land to provide space for her horse and began her adventure.

The name, Black Mustang Ranch, is no coincidence. Bruno, a mustang, was the inspiration. When Monica first saw him, he was malnourished and untrained. For six months, a friend helped her feed and train him until he was strong enough to ride. Today, all of the horses on the ranch are Monica’s. Most were already “under saddle” or trained to be ridden, but Monica prepares them for the trails. “Sometimes I’ll ride the horses that my customers ride to make sure they’re putting their head right and don’t get any bad habits,” she says. “I will put them on the trail and make mileage with them. They’re trail-savvy.”

Tonya Bosquez, a returning customer at the ranch, stumbled upon the Black Mustang Ranch while searching online for a horse rental or trail ride facility. She says her own horse died 20 years ago and it was time to ride again. Monica wanted to know everything about Tonya before she rode: What are your riding abilities? How tall are you? How much do you weigh? Tonya was a bit anxious, especially after all of her years out of the saddle, but she found Monica cared about her horses. “Many trail ride places I have seen, the horses are tied and have to stand still when not being ridden. But Monica’s horses are in pens where they can move about and be comfortable,” Tonya says.

Monica and her partner, Nikki Bridwell, a competitive rider, are starting the first endurance academy in the area, the North Texas Endurance Academy. The academy helps train horses and riders for endurance competitions, which require that a horse and its rider be able to safely ride 50 miles. That’s 200 laps around a high school track or 880 football fields lined up end to end. Horses must be well trained and conditioned. Imagine throwing a saddle and a 140-pound rider on a horse and setting off to ride that distance.

Just as a runner prepares for a marathon by building up strength and stamina, horses and riders start training with a few miles and slowly build … 25 miles … 30 miles … 40 miles … until the goal of 50 miles is within reach.

Nestled between Highway 380, FM 428 and FM 455 are quiet, tree-lined trails for bikers, hikers and equestrians alike. In the afternoons, Highway 380 can be a stretch of angry horn-honking drivers, but just a few miles north are quiet trails in the state park. It is on these trails, totaling approximately 29 miles in length, that the endurance riders train.

Tonya’s first visit had her hooked. “I was so happy to smell the horses, hear the creaking of the saddle,” she says. “It’s what a horse lover lives for.” Tonya returns to the ranch for rides as often as she can and sometimes brings her 8-year-old son along. Monica has helped teach him the correct way to sit, hold the reins and communicate with horses. Tonya says she always asks for Bruno because he’s “well-behaved, spunky and incredibly beautiful.”

Monica, finishing her morning ride with Bruno, swings down and secures his reins to her horse trailer. From the truck, she pulls out the broom and begins to sweep up the mounds the horses have left behind. She tosses everything into the back and loads Bruno up for home. He climbs in and positions himself next to his fellow steeds without complaint. After a rest back at the ranch, Bruno will be ready for a new adventure.

[ just the facts ]

what: Black Mustang Ranch in Pilot Point. Trail rides in Ray Roberts Lake State Park as well as endurance rides of up to 50 miles and summer camps for children. Horse boarding, too

Trail ride prices: $25 to $95, depending on the ride chosen

For more info: Go to blackmustangranch.com or northtexasendurance.com. Email [email protected] or call (817) 915-8455.

what: North Texas Horse Country Tours, behind-the-scenes guided tours of area horse breeding and training facilities

when: March 2, April 13 & May 4. Tours depart at 9 a.m. from the Historical Park of Denton County, 317 W. Mulberry, and return by 3 p.m.

Tickets: $40 in advance or $45 day of tour (includes snacks, lunch and drinks). Private tours can be arranged for groups of 20 people or more. Call (888) 381-1818 or go to horsecountrytours.com.

Photos courtesy of Black Mustang Ranch


CARMENat the operaFamous operas light up performance nights at unT’s Lyric Theater.

im King shuffles into the pitch black of the Lyric Theater and fumbles for a light switch. Finally, he finds one and with a “Viola!” the lights blink on

one by one, leading down the hallway to the main stage. Tim walks center stage to a baby grand piano and does a supermodel spin with his hands raised above his head. He’s got the smile of a proud father on his face. This, Tim says, is where the magic happens.

The Lyric, home to the University of North Texas opera program, is one of the smaller performing centers in the Murchison Performing Arts Center on campus. A few nights each year, the room transforms from a classroom into a world-class opera theater, with upwards of 400 seats, elaborate sets, velvet curtains draped from floor to ceiling and stained-glass sconces casting a warm light over the opera lovers. The sconces – 25 in all – depict famous operas, including Italian classics such as “Madame Butterfly,” “Carmen” and “Pagliacci.” Tim points up from the stage at the rows of bare light bulbs lining the balconies in the empty theater. “Everywhere you see those little white lights,” he says, “that’s where they go.” For each opera, the delicate stained-glass sconces – just 8 inches by 17 inches – must be installed over the bare bulbs.

Tim raves about the light glistening through Madame Butterfly’s intricate blue wings and the carefully crafted clown from “Pagliacci” holding a big bass drum. Denton resident

Christie Wood created the sconces as part of the Lyric Theater Stained Glass Opera Project, a multi-year project to benefit the school and enhance the theater. The sconces, Tim says, are as much a part of the Lyric’s opera performance ritual as the months of rehearsals, set building and costume designing. Preparation for an opera takes so long, he says, that UNT only puts on two or three per year. With three performances of each opera, the room comes alive with the sconces just six to nine nights a year.

As the Murchison’s building manager, Tim knows every detail of the center and its largest space, the Bill and Margot Winspear Performance Hall – whether it’s the wood stain or the acoustics. The Stained Glass Opera Project is his baby, his way of turning the never-quite-finished Lyric into an evolving work of art. Due to a limited budget, the lights in the Lyric were originally adorned with “temporary” stainless steel fixtures. “Temporary turned into five years. Five years turned into six years. And then somewhere inside the seventh year,” Tim says with a chuckle, “I … looked up at them and said, ‘You know, these things are really tacky.’”

One morning, Tim was looking up at the stained glass at the back of Winspear when an idea began to click. Stained-glass sconces would not only look beautiful in the Lyric,

but they would also carry a theme through the Murchison’s two venues. He toiled over his idea at lunch, honing the idea: Instead of regular stained-glass sconces, why not decorative pieces, perhaps with the UNT logo? Or even better, pieces that would depict the scenes from different, favorite operas? But how to pay for it? By the time Tim left work that day, he’d come up with a solution. For the Opera Project, donors would choose an opera and the artist would capture the heart of that opera in one scene on stained glass. Leftover money could be put into a scholarship fund

T

Tim King came up with the idea for the Lyric Opera Project.


[ By aiMee pass ]

for future UNT opera students. Brilliant, Tim thought. Luckily, the dean from the UNT College of Music thought so too.

Christie Wood brings the operas to life in her studio, Art Glass Ensembles, just north of Denton’s Square downtown. She points out panes of stained glass lining walls in every direction: a willow weeping behind a stained-glass sunset, a pair of cockatoos tilting their heads in the window. Though she does stained-glass work now, Christie is one of 17 family members who went through the UNT music program. Her mother and father both went to school there, as did her aunt and uncle, her brothers and sisters, too. It’s where she met her husband, George. Christie plays the piccolo, the sax and the flute as well as singing in an a cappella choir group. Naturally, she liked the idea. “I finally found what I was supposed to do with my life,” Christie says. “Be not afraid of change. Change is fine.”

She remembers Tim stopping by her studio months before the project began. She was repairing a piece of stained glass from the Winspear Performance Hall. He told her he’d be back one day, but she didn’t believe him. A year later, Tim surprised her by proposing a business plan for the sconces. Christie offered to make the sconces at cost.

“Carmen” was the first opera they tackled together – and it’s still their favorite. Tim brought his construction-paper design to Christie’s studio. His idea was crude, Christie remembers, but Tim had captured the heart and soul of the project, and Christie agreed to take care of the technicalities.

Each sconce starts with a donor picking a favorite opera. Christie clicks through several pages of project ideas on her computer to an email request for one honoring “Pagliacci.” First, she researches the opera, both online and through video. Though each stained glass is barely bigger than a sheet of notebook paper, she must capture the heart of an opera in one scene and make it easily recognizable to theater guests.

The work is so technical that Christie uses a specialized computer program. As she clicks different corners of the design on the screen, colors change and numbers pop up inside the shapes. It looks like the color-by-number pages of a child’s drawing book. She confers with donors to make sure they are happy, then she starts cutting. With all that glass floating around, Christie gets cut regularly. She holds up her hands and inspects her fingers. All but one little cut

has healed from last week, she laughs. She would never be to able handle the glass as precisely if she wore gloves.

With each piece of glass cut, numbered and meticulously placed, she wraps each piece in a thin strip of copper and solders them together with lead. To polish, she uses steel wool to softly grind away the rough spots along the seams. Then, she flips the piece and does the same on the other side. Almost finished. She fills the edges between the lead seam and the glass pieces with a special paste that she makes in her studio. This paste is important, she says, because it seals off the glass from wind and water. She sets the paste by dusting it with a special powder. “It’s ground rock,” Christie says. “Calcium carbonate. Or … chalk!” For the final step, she conditions the piece with orange oil.

Today, when operagoers step into the Lyric on performance nights, they can see the entire collection of 25 sconces in place on the balconies: “Romeo and Juliet,” “Faust,” “Moby-Dick.” There’s space, however, for 40. “We’d like to have a plethora, an overflow, so we can rotate them in and out,” Tim says. During the 20-minute gap between the pre-show and the actual opera, opera buffs often study the glass sconces, he says. “They make little games of trying to figure them out.”

He pulls out a sconce depicting “The Barber of Seville” and gently sets it on top of the piano to look at. Each piece stands alone as a work of art, he notes. If conditioned properly, a piece of stained glass can last more than 100

years. He hopes patrons will return year after year to see the opera sconce they championed and applaud the students they helped put on the Lyric stage. “It’s a little bit of history,” he says proudly, “and a lot of immortality.”

Artist Christie Wood creates and repairs

the stained-glass sconces.

[ just the facts ]

what: Opera at the Lyric Theater, Murchison Performing Arts Center, 2100 N. I -35, on the University of North Texas campus

performances in 2013: —LeoŠ Janácek’s “The Diary of One Who Disappeared,” Feb. 9, 8 p.m.—Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance,” Feb. 22 and March 1 at 8 p.m., and Feb. 24 and March 3 at 3 p.m.—Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s “The Village Soothsayer,” April 19 at 8 p.m. and April 21 at 3 p.m.

cost: Opera seats $15-35

The sconces: 25 stained-glass sconces depicting famous operas, each picked by a Denton opera lover with designs by artist Christie Wood. Opera lovers may commission 15 more sconces.

For more info: music.unt.edu/mpac/

Photos by Aimee Pass


s night falls and raindrops nourish his gardens, Ryan Crocker’s guests take shelter in a tent and sit atop bales of hay, munching on rosemary

focaccia bread topped with cream cheese, onion and arugula plucked from the garden nearby. The host eyes some of his radishes in water-filled jars on the tables. He picks up one by its leaves, dries off the water and bites into the spicy orb, savoring his first night of pulling off the Dinner in the Gardens series. In the garden shed, cook and co-host Alyssa Jarrell and volunteers plate the main course – sweet potato gnocchi in brown butter sage cream sauce – and finally, honey cheesecakes with spicy candied pecans. Even the brews are local: Clawfoot Ginger Cream Ale from Armadillo Ale Works and Bookish Coffee. Everyone has forgotten the rain as they

feast on local ingredients and sample the taste of sustainability.

Ryan Crocker grew up in Texas, eating store-bought frozen and canned food, but these days he’s embracing food grown and distributed by locals – whether it’s his own or specialty items found close to Denton. By 8 a.m., Ryan is out working in one of his two urban gardens where he grows Easter Egg radishes, summer squash, carrots, cherry tomatoes, watermelons and arugula. He’s been doing this for more than a year, part of a desire to get back to the earth, grow local and share the fruits of his labor with fellow Dentonites. Every Saturday morning, from May to October, he trucks his goods to the Denton Community Market in downtown Denton, where he joins about 20 other vendors selling everything from fresh produce and cooked meals to arts and crafts – all made

within 100 miles of Denton. To supplement his own Earthwise Gardens veggies and fruits, Ryan and his wife Christina drive hundreds of miles to pick up items such as Grapevine Grains granola, Hudspeth Farm eggs, Gainesville honey and Full Quiver Farm cheese.

At the heart of the Denton Community Market is Community Supported Agriculture, food grown by locals like Ryan’s Earthwise Gardens, Cardo’s Farm Project or Denton’s Backyard Farms. Ever since the city market branched out from the Denton County Farmers’ Market in 2010, more vendors are setting up stands, such as Andrea Buxton and Matt Gorham of Denton’s Backyard Farms, which sells salad greens, okra and tomatillos. “It’s about being connected to what we eat and being connected to the earth,” says Andrea. “My new goal is to heal the earth with what I can do.”

ALocal farmers showcase their produce to denton residents.

FARM TO MARKET

going local


[ By haLey shapLey ]Farm-grown food isn’t the only draw at the

market, however. Next to Ryan’s fresh produce, shoppers might find dolls made from children’s socks or a piece of artwork dotted with seashells and glass shards. “I saw a real need for Denton to have a community event,” says Kati Trice, the market’s founder and coordinator, “a place that really brings neighbors together and showcases everything local.” Because of low start-up costs, the market is an incubator for businesses. Sitting next to Kati, Vicki Oppenheimer, a steering committee member, points out the Pickled Carrot trailer selling Vietnamese sandwiches called banh mi. “They started here,” she says. “And I think it would’ve been much harder for them to start if we hadn’t been here.”

As he parks his truck by the garden, Ryan talks about his own journey from supermarket fare growing up in Dallas to organic farming in Denton. Ryan didn’t start growing crops until Vicki offered to lease him a quarter-acre plot beside her house in northern Denton in the summer of 2011. One of Vicki’s neighbors rented him a tiller. Ryan set to work. “What got me interested was wanting to grow my own food, wanting to be more productive and self-reliant,” he says. “I got really inspired by books I was reading on homesteading and a lot of traditional skills that have been lost, by and large, among our generation certainly and even in our parents’ generation.”

A tall, muscled farmer in his early 30s, Ryan started cultivating his gardening skills in England, where he lived with Christina and their baby after they graduated from the University of North Texas in 2006. There, Ryan’s love for agriculture took root as the strawberries and salad crops bloomed in his first garden. He didn’t eat much farm-fresh food as a kid growing up in the White Rock Lake neighborhood of Dallas. His diet consisted mostly of pre-cooked, store-bought food. “It’s fast and both my parents were working, and that’s what they had time to do,” he says. “I think that’s a pretty common experience in our generation.” Ryan recalls the first time he went to Whole Foods Market and tasted an organic fruit salad. “It just looked so fresh and it was so good, so much better than what I was used to eating.”

Ryan identifies with all three foodie movements – organic, local and Slow Food (the “anything-but-fast food” group) – and loves philosophical discussions about the benefits. He ticks them off: conserving resources and ecological diversity, growing quality food, supporting local economies and building community. That’s what got Christina interested, she says. Once she started tasting organic, local produce, she was hooked. “When [Ryan] got into it, it was barely a movement, and he was already seeing the potential of it,” she says. Unlike Ryan,

she doesn’t do the fieldwork – she is a social worker – but she helps with the food pickup and sales at the Denton Community Market.

After England, an organic farming internship drew Ryan and Christina to the mountaintop community of La Madera, New Mexico, where they lived in a tent for 10 months. At first, they had to rely on a wood-burning cook stove for warmth from the 20-below-freezing temperatures. The serenity attracted them. “You can literally hear every root snapping as you plowed,” says Ryan. But the adventure wore off. “It’s not efficient. You can’t make a living plowing with donkeys.” He also had to drive an hour to the Santa Fe market. “When people lived that way, they had community around them, where other families were doing the same,” says Christina. “We had none of that. So it started becoming really isolating and lonely.” It was also time for their two boys to attend school so the family headed back to Denton, where Ryan created Earthwise Gardens.

The easy access to customers in Denton appealed to the couple, though they knew it would be hard work. Ryan’s first garden in Denton is still sprouting Bermuda grass, so he’s continually trying to stamp out the invaders with cardboard and hay laid on top of the grass to block out the sun. No herbicides taint the clay soil. He’s all for organic methods, but they take a while. He’s got to mow the grass, dig up the weeds, rake them off, water the ground, add manure and till some more, again and again. Until it’s perfect. He grabs a handful of dirt from a bed. “It’s loose and nice and soft. That’s what the seeds will take root in really easily. I mean, we started off – I’ll show you how hard.” The heel of his boot thumps the ground. “See that? See how hard that is? That’s what it was like all over this whole thing,” he says.

Stubborn soil isn’t the only hurdle. Dogs whimper and bark from behind a neighboring fence. Sometimes Ryan has to deal with the Chihuahuas running around the open space. “They’re always yappin’ at me,” he says. “They don’t dig up my crops, but they just trample stuff really bad.” He runs off the dogs, but lets ladybugs and frogs handle the scaly pests. “I never use pesticides. They might hurt my frogs. And hurt my ladybugs.”

Space in the city is an issue. With Ryan’s fields almost a mile apart, he juggles between the two. After checking on the soil at one, he hauls out his tiller from a fenced side-yard, puts two planks up the back of his silver Chevrolet and pushes the 100-pound machine up onto the bed for the two-minute drive to a half-acre plot he rents from another owner. Waist-high pigweed and some withered watermelon vines used to cover the area. Now vegetables grow in their place. Ryan’s tiller roars across a strip of dirt, leaving the machine’s groove marks,

Ryan’s shoe prints and the smell of gas in his wake. Before long, the noise cedes to the distant screaming of blue jays, buzzing lawn mowers and shouting school kids nearby.

It’s too much work for one person. Younger sister Katy Crocker and a volunteer finish plucking weeds among the beets in overcast, drizzly, 65-degree weather. “Katy’s gotten into organic farming now too,” Ryan says. “Yeah, because of you,” Katy replies and laughs with him. As she rakes the bed ready for planting, she says, “I actually don’t think gardening is an activity that was meant to be done alone. I think it’s a group thing, and that’s what makes it good.” The two siblings high-five each other. “Yeah!” They do rest on Sundays. “For my own sanity,” Ryan says. After lunch, he relaxes with family and chats with customers, or shifts focus to other projects, like construction on his home with its new produce shop.

With his Earthwise Produce Store open, Ryan plans to offer eggs from his own chickens and accept food stamps. For a more intimate setting, residents can get a close-up look at the foods they’ll eat and get to know the farmers who grew them at his Dinner in the Gardens. Pass the focaccia with arugula and the sweet potato gnocchi, please.

[ just the facts ]

what: Denton Community Market, corner of Carroll Blvd. and Mulberry St.

when: Saturdays, May to October, 9 a.m. until sell-out

admission and parking: Free, but bring cash. Not all vendors take credit cards.

Features: Meals from Denton Vegan Coop, organic smoothies from Denton Juice Co. Live music every first and third Saturday. For more info, visit dentonmarket.org.

To order: For food from local Community Supported Agriculture farms, visit earthwise-gardens.com, cardosfarmproject.com and dentonsbackyard.com.

what: Dinner in the Gardens, 2906 N. Locust St.

when: March 23 & April 27, 2013 at 7 p.m.

Features: Garden tour, three-course meal, talk on sustainability. $25/plate, $20 for CSA members

Photo at Earthwise Gardens by Julia Tsai

[ By JuLia Tsai ]

37

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS

RESEARCH PARK

EversPark

Denton CrossingShopping Center

North LakesPark

PresbyterianHospital of

Denton

LO

OP

28

8

LOOP 288

FM 4

28

FM 1515

SAN JACINTO

MERITT RANCH(Located at I-35

and Ganzer Road)

20

21

37

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS

RESEARCH PARK

BO

NN

IE B

RA

E S

T

BO

NN

IE B

RA

E S

T

ROSELAWN DR

FOR

T W

OR

TH D

R

WO

OD

RO

W L

N

DALLAS

DR

EL

M

ST

EAGLE DR

HOBSON LN

WILLOWOOD ST

BE

RN

AR

DS

TFO

RT

WO

RT

HD

R

South LakesPark

LILL

IAN

MIL

LER

PK

WY

DeniaPark

RoselawnMemorialCemetery

UNIVERSITY OFNORTH TEXAS

FoutsField

PhoenixPark

MLKPark

FredMoorePark

TE

AS

LE

Y L

N

GoldenTriangle

Mall

IOOFCemetery

OakwoodCmtry

CORBIN

VINTAGE

South Hickory Creek

DentonRegionalMedicalCenter

PRAIRIE

SPENCER

COLORADO BLVD

BR

INK

ER

MORSE

77

377

377

35W

UNIVERSITY

DR

AU

DR

A

MA

CK

UNIVERSITY DR

MCKINNEY ST MCKINNEY ST

BO

NN

IE B

RA

E S

T

BE

LL

AV

EB

EL

L A

VE

EL

M

ST

SCRIPTURE ST

LINDEN

HICKORY STOAK ST

CONGRESS ST

RINEY RD

WESTGATE

LO

CU

ST

ST

ST

UA

RT

LO

CU

ST

ST

SH

ERM

AN

DR

CA

RO

LL

BLV

D

WINDSOR DR

WINDSOR DR

WINDSOR

DR

McKENNAPARK

MackPark

TWUGolf

CourseTEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY

North TexasState

Fairgrounds NO

TIN

GH

AM

DR

MINGO

QuakertownPark

OA

K

HERCULES LN

Pecan

Creek

SchultzPark

AvondalePark

KINGS

ROW

HARTLEE FIELD

77

377

377380

380380

77

N

ToAirport

EversPark

Denton CrossingShopping Center

North LakesPark

PresbyterianHospital of

Denton

LO

OP

28

8

LOOP 288

FM 4

28

FM 1515

SAN JACINTO

BUFFALO VALLEY EVENT CENTER

AND HOTEL(Located at I-35 and Ganzer Road)

Sta

te S

cho

ol R

d.

Unicorn Lake

WIND RIVER LN

T

State

School R

d.

1

2

5

7

8

20

9

10

11

12

15

3

17

18

19

22

6

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

13

32 33

34

35

36

37 38

39

40

42

14

16

41

4

21

cent

re

plac

e dr

43

44 45

46

47

48

49

34

GENERALinformation

www.dentonlive.com

mesa d

r

42


accoMModaTions 1 aMericas BesT VaLue inn & suiTes

820 S. I-35E

(940) 387-0591

americasbestvalueinn.com

2 BesT wesTern inn & suiTes

2910 W. University Drive

(940) 591-7726

bestwesterntexas.com/denton

3 BesT wesTern preMier

2450 Brinker Road

(940) 387-1000

bestwesterntexas.com/premiercrownchase

4 BuFFaLo VaLLey eVenT cenTer and hoTeL

2946 Ganzer Road W.

(940) 482-3409

buffalovalleyeventcenter.com

5 coMForT inn

4050 Mesa Drive

(940) 320-5150

comfortinndenton.com

6 coMForT suiTes

1100 N. I-35E

(940) 898-8510

csdentontx.com

7 courTyard By MarrioTT

2800 Colorado Blvd.

(940) 382-4600

mariott.com/dfwde

8 days inn

4211 N. I-35

(940) 383-1471

daysinn.com/23887

9 FairFieLd inn & suiTes

2900 W. University Drive

(940) 384-1700

marriott.com/DFWDN

10 haMpTon inn & suiTes

1513 Centre Place Drive

(940) 891-4900

dentonsuites.hamptoninn.com

11 The heriTaGe inns

(bed and breakfast cluster)

815 N. Locust St.

(940) 565-6414

theheritageinns.com

12 hiLTon Garden inn

3110 Colorado Blvd.

(940) 891-4700

denton.hgi.com

13 hoLiday inn eXpress & suiTes

4485 N. I-35

(940) 808-0600

hiedenton.com

14 hoLiday inn & conFerence cenTer

1434 Centre Place Drive

(940) 383-4100

holidayinn.com/dentontx

15 hoMewood suiTes By hiLTon

2907 Shoreline Drive

(940) 382-0420

denton.homewoodsuites.com

16 howard Johnson eXpress inn

3116 Bandera St.

(940) 383-1681

hojo.com

17 kniGhTs inn

601 N. I-35E

(940) 566-1990

knightsinn.com

18 La quinTa inn

700 Fort Worth Drive

(940) 387-5840

laquintadentontx.com

19 La quinTa inn & suiTes

4465 N. I-35

(940) 808-0444

laquinta.com

20 MoTeL 6

4125 N. I-35E

(940) 566-4798

motel6.com

21 quaLiTy inn and suiTes

1500 Dallas Drive

(940) 387-3511

choicehotels.com/hotel/tx836

22 royaL inn & suiTes

1210 N. I-35E

(940) 383-2007

royalinnsuitesdenton.com

23 super 8 MoTeL

620 S. I-35E

(940) 380-8888

super8.com

24 VaLue pLace

4505 N. I-35

(940) 387-3400

valueplace.com

25 The wiLdwood inn

2602 Lillian Miller Parkway

(940) 243-4919

denton-wildwoodinn.com

iMporTanT conTacTs

26 denTon chaMBer oF coMMerce

denTon conVenTion & VisiTors Bureau

414 Parkway

(940) 382-7895 (888) 381-1818

discoverdenton.com

27 eMiLy FowLer cenTraL LiBrary

502 Oakland St.

(940) 349-8752

28 norTh Branch

cenTraL LiBrary

3020 N. Locust St.

(940) 349-8752

29 souTh Branch LiBrary

3228 Teasley Lane

(940) 349-8752

30 ciTy haLL

215 E. McKinney St.

(940) 349-8200

cityofdenton.com

MuseuMs & aTTracTions

31 apoGee sTadiuM1251 S. Bonnie Brae(940) 565-2527stadium.meangreensports.com

32 cenTer For The VisuaL arTs 400 E. Hickory St.(940) 382-2787dentonarts.com

33 courThouse-on-The-square MuseuM110 W. Hickory St.(940) 349-2850dentoncounty.com/chos

34 denTon FireFiGhTers MuseuM 332 E. Hickory St. (940) 349-8840

35 GreenBeLT TraiLLocated off US 380 and FM 428(940) 349-8202

36 hanGar 10 FLyinG MuseuMDenton Airport1945 Matt Wright Lane(940) 565-1945

37 hisToricaL park oF denTon counTy: aFrican aMerican MuseuM and BayLess-seLBy house MuseuM317 W. Mulberry St.(940) 349-2865dentoncounty.com

38 oXide GaLLery211 N. Cedar St.(940) 483-8900oxidegallery.com

39 skaTe works park2400 Long Road(940) 349-8523cityofdenton.com (skate works)

40 TeXas FirsT Ladies hisToric cosTuMe coLLecTionTexas Woman’s University(940) 898-3644twu.edu/gown-collection

41 unT on The square109 N. Elm St.(940) 369 8257untonthesquare.unt.edu

42 unT sky TheaTer pLaneTariuM UNT Campus, EESAT Building1704 W. Mulberry St. (940) 369-8213skytheater.unt.edu

43 waTer works parkLoop 288 at Sherman Drive(940) 349-8810

cityofdenton.com (aquatics)

perForMinG arTs

44 The caMpus TheaTre 214 W. Hickory St.(940) 382-1915campustheatre.com

45 denTon BLack BoX TheaTre318 E. Hickory St.(940) 383-1356dentoncommunitytheatre.com 46 MarGo Jones perForMance haLL Texas Woman’s University(940) 898-2500twu.edu/music/margo-jones-hall.asp

47 Murchison perForMinG arTs cenTerUniversity of North Texas(940) 369-7802music.unt.edu/mpac

48 redBud TheaTerTexas Woman’s University(940) 898-2020twu.edu/redbud-theater

49 unT deparTMenT oF dance & TheaTreUniversity of North Texas(940) 565-2211danceandtheatre.unt.edu


t’s Friday, about 4:30 p.m., and the locals are packing into a 126-year-old home east of downtown for a cold microbrew. With more than

100 beers on tap or by the bottle, the beer-waiting line spills beyond the bar area into the parlor with its mismatched cushioned chairs and cozy down-home feel. Music by indie artists mixes with barks of laughter from a group of women clearly enjoying the start of the weekend. Bartender Michael “Mikey” Russell, off duty, lounges on a vintage white couch, enjoying the scene while sipping on a Rocktober beer by Deep Ellum Brewing Company.

Oak St. Drafthouse and Cocktail Parlor, which settled into the city’s third-oldest home last year, is bringing the craft brew scene to Denton. The bar still looks like a turn-of-the-century charmer with its wraparound porch, but the owner’s eccentric touch is evident out front, with an empty bathtub and a rainbow-colored row of plastic seats on a wooden bench. A vintage DuMont TV and a George Washington painting adorn the entrance while a red barber’s chair and ’80s-style cocktail gaming table share the living room. Oak St. takes its beer seriously, however, with about 100 beers by the can and nearly 70 brews on tap, including such hard-to-find brews as Duchesse de Bourgogne, Brother Thelonious and Monk’s Sour Ale. The cocktail list includes classics like an old-fashioned Manhattan and bartender-invented libations. Cucumber Margarita, anyone?

Everything is the brainchild of 31-year-old John Williams, right down to the specially made beer taps with shorter glass-blown handles so customers can interact with the bartenders. The boss reflects the bar’s easy vibe with his

strikingly large beard, shorts, sandals and trucker hat. He sits in a tattered leather swivel chair on the front porch of Oak St. while Mikey (ditto on the large beard) sets up the bar for the day. The bar’s customers will change over the day – retired guys first, then business types at happy hour and finally, around nine at night, locals in their mid-20s and mid-30s join the crowd. John knows them all. As he talks, a retired Southwest Airlines pilot drives up on a scooter – helmetless. “Where’s your helmet at?” John asks him. “I forgot again,” confesses the rider. John chuckles. “As you can see, it’s got an eclectic crowd.”

John came up with the idea for Oak St. after visiting Austin’s Rainey Street Historic District where homes were transformed into bars. Back in Denton, he found an old home with plenty of parking, a big backyard patio and it was close to the Square downtown and popular Denton hangouts like Dan’s Silver Leaf. It had a colorful history, too.

People often drop in and share their stories about the house built in 1886 when Denton was acquiring railroads and increasing acreage on cotton and wheat. Soldiers returning from World War II bunked at the house. In the psychedelic ’60s, it was a party house. A murder attempt in the ’70s ended with a shotgun hole in the wall. The ground floor collapsed during a Brave Combo show in the ’80s. And where the bar is, a Denton woman once gave birth.

At Oak St., microbrews steal the show. Both men fondly remember the beers that sparked their thirst for craft brews: for John, the Belgian golden ale Delirium Tremens, and for Mikey, the German dark-wheat Dunkelweizen. At Oak St., however, John likes to keep things local with Texas beer, Texas wine and Texas

vodka. John reels off stats about the growth of craft breweries, with a dozen or more in the Denton and DFW area alone. Since opening in early 2012, the bar has been busy catering to the burgeoning brew scene, which Mikey credits to the sheer variety of tastes compared to mass-produced beers with their “standardized taste.” Mikey recalls an old cowboy coming in one afternoon and questioning the bar’s mix of brews. “Y’all got anything besides this hippie beer?” he asked. Mikey’s reply: “Yeah, but why would you want it?” Mikey says he got the cowboy to drink a local brew called the Bombshell Blonde.

Denton’s first brewery, Armadillo Ale Works, plans to open in early 2013. Local Bobby Mullins and his Greek-born friend, Yianni Arestis, started experimenting with craft brews in 2010 in Bobby’s parents’ garage. Their first brew, Quakertown Stout, is named after the city’s early African-American settlement, now Denton’s central park. The brewery’s Saison, a wheat-based farmhouse ale spiced with green cardamom, may well be their second brew. Also in the works: a double IPA, brown ale, blonde ale, black ale and a Hefeweizen wheat beer. “It’s a good, high-quality product that you could be proud of,” says Yianni. Armadillo is already selling its homemade sodas, Bee’s Knees Lemonade Soda Pop and Clawfoot Ginger Cream Ale, both featured – naturally enough – in cocktails at Oak St. Drafthouse.

The Oak St. Drafthouse and Cocktail Bar is at 308 E. Oak St., near the Square and the new DCTA A-train station downtown. Open noon to 2 a.m. For news on Armadillo Ale Works, go to armadilloaleworks.com.Photo by Caren Rodriguez

Identon Brew city: guaranteed to quench your thirst.

UNIQUELY denton

[ By caren rodriGuez ]

TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY DENTON DALLAS HOUSTON

A Destination for Entertainment, Ideas and More

EDUCATIONthatWORKS

EDUCATIONthatWORKS

EDUCATIONthatWORKSEDUCATIONthat

WORKS

EDUCATIONthatWORKS

EDUCATIONthatWORKS

EDUCATIONTHAT WORKS

EDUCATIONthatWORKS

TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY

EDUCATIONTHAT WORKS

www.twu.edu 940-898-2000

School of the Arts: www.twu.edu/arts 940-898-2086

Athletics: www.twuathletics.com 940-898-2378

Library Exhibits: www.twu.edu/library 940-898-3751

AD INFORMATIONJob No. : A12-10-24-207 Subject: Arts CalendarPublication: Denton LiveSize: 8.25 x11.125 4color CR: 11/15/12 Publish: Jan-June 2013City of publication: Client: M&CDr. Stuart OK req’d: NODr. Stuart OK rec’d: Y_____ TK_____ N/A_____Include FORBES LOGO? Y N

X

Denton

Around the block,around the clock...

Denton Firefighters’ Museum

332 E. Hickory St.Hours: Monday - Friday

8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Admission is free. For more information visit

www.dentonfirefightermuseum.comor call (940) 349-8840

Denton Main Street Association

Museums. Galleries. Shopping. Dining. Festivals. Live Music. Performing Arts.

That’s Entertainment!

Denton County African American MuseumBayless-Selby House Museum317 W. MulberryHours: Tues - Fri, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.Closed Sundays and on Saturdays on holiday weekends.

Denton CountyCourthouse-on-the-Square Museum110 W. Hickory St.Hours: Mon - Fri 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.Closed Sundays and on Saturdays on holiday weekends.(940) 349-2850

It’s happening in Historic Downtown Denton.

Denton County Office of History and CultureFor special exhibits and programs,

visit www.dentonmuseums.com

For information on events and promotions,visit www.dentonmainstreet.org or call (940) 349-8529

Historical Park of Denton County

Date post:	30-Apr-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	trandieu
View:	214 times
Download:	2 times

Encounter greatness in music, dance and thought · You’re Smiling,” the song made famous by ......

Documents