2015 Your Connection magazine by Johnny Longlegs

COMPLIMENTARY ISSUE

2 0 1 5 edition

connection Your

a publication of the MOUNT PLEASANT / TITUS COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Community Book & Buyers Guide

Agriculture. It’s in our roots. PAGE 16

TILLING THE SOIL

A unique agricultural landscape.

LIFE IS BETTER AT THE LAKE

Enjoy and explore the many lakes near Mount Pleasant.

HISTORY LIVES IN MOUNT PLEASANT Explore the bygone days of Titus County’s past.

GEOCACHING

A family friendly digital treasure hunt.

UNIQUE LODGING

Sharing our “Everything Texas” hideaways with the rest of world.

mtpleasanttx.com

CONTENTS 14

Tilling the Soil A unique agricultural landscape.

Life is Better at the Lake Enjoy and explore the many lakes near Mount Pleasant.

EVENTS GUIDE

History Lives in Mount Pleasant Explore the bygone days of Titus County’s past.

Geocaching A family friendly digital treasure hunt.

Unique Everything Texas Lodging Sharing our “Everything Texas” hideaways with the rest of world.

CHAMBER PARTNERS LISTING

BUYERS GUIDE LISTING

NUMBERS TO KNOW

YOUR CONNECTION 2015 Community Book and Buyers Guide An official publication of the Mount Pleasant / Titus County Chamber of Commerce 1604 North Jefferson Mount Pleasant, Texas 75455 903.572.8567 www.mtpleasanttx.com CHAMBER STAFF FAUSTINE CURRY Chief Executive Officer MANDY STRINGER Online Community Manager KIARA NUNEZ Marketing Assistant CARLA BONARRICO Director of First Impressions

PUBLISHER Mount Pleasant/Titus County Chamber EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faustine Curry ADVERTISING SALES Rex Allen ADVERTISING DESIGN Elaine Mullins CONTRIBUTING WRITER Lynda Stringer PHOTOGRAPHERS Lynda Stringer Hudson Old EDITORIAL LAYOUT GRAPHIC DESIGN CREATIVE DIRECTION Forbes & Butler Visual Communications, Inc. PRINTING Echo Publishing Company

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, the Mount Pleasant/Titus County Chamber of Commerce, and its affiliates assume no liability for its errors or omissions. Copyright 2015-2016 by Mount Pleasant/Titus County Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or means without written permission from the Chamber.

YO U R C O N N E C T I O N 2 0 1 5

mtpleasanttx.com

CHAMBER AMBASSADORS

2015 EXECUTIVE BOARD CHAIRMAN Richard Witherspoon Herschel’s Restaurant CHAIRMAN-ELECT Rob Hedges Republic Services VICE-CHAIRMAN David Hooper Echo Publishing TREASURER Brad Lowry Pilgrim Bank PAST CHAIRMAN Shannon Norfleet Titus Regional Medical Center 2015 DIRECTORS Trent Abbott Guaranty Bank & Trust Beverly Austin Northeast Texas Small Business Development Center Glen Calvert Priefert Complex Designs Vikki Goates American National Bank Barry Hamilton Hamilton Jewelers Matt Klump Expert Computing Tony Mize Brookshire’s Dennis Newman Newman Electronics Mitchell Walker Dekoron Wire & Cable Jey Yancey Offenhauser Insurance 2015 EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS Rhonda Burchinal Winfield Independent School District Lyle Dubus Harts Bluff Independent School District Brad Johnson Northeast Texas Community College Marc Levesque Chapel Hill Independent School District Judd Marshall Mount Pleasant Independent School District Charlie Smith Mount Pleasant Economic Development Corporation

YO U R C O N N E C T I O N 2 0 1 5

Trent Abbott ................... Guaranty Bank & Trust Mark Alexander ...................Superior Mortgage Chuck Barkow ...................................Individual Martin Bell ..................... Guaranty Bank & Trust Jacob Butler .................................. Pilgrim Bank Steve Capps ............................ Capps Insurance Sheila Donnelly...........American National Bank Gordon Hall ........................................Individual Jacob Hatfield................ City of Mount Pleasant Edd Hess......................... Cypress Basin Hospice Rob Hedges............................Republic Services Amy Hinton..................... City of Mount Pleasant Diana Kennedy ................Century 21 Landmark Ernie McAnally............American National Bank Jonathan McCullough ............................. NTCC Karen Neeley ......................... Elliott Auto Group

Brian Niblett ................American National Bank Shannon Norfleet .....................................TRMC Linda Norris ......................................Kasseigh’s Cappy Payne .................. Guaranty Bank & Trust Sandra Pirkey..................State Farm Insurance Bill Price ............................................Individual Renae Rutledge................Heritage Park Village Troy Sellers.........................................Luminant Robin Sharp ................... Guaranty Bank & Trust Lonnie Smith......................................Individual Jason Snodgrass ..........Stansell’s City Cleaners Beth Thompson ........................................ NTCC Wes Welch ........................................ Welch Gas Willie Williams .................................Individual Jey Yancey .....................Offenhauser Insurance

ADVERTISERS Index 1st Federal Community Bank .....................................12 8 TWENTYONE.............................................................39 Allstate - Moler...........................................................59 American National Bank.............................................11 Ark Ministries .............................................................27 Bates Cooper Sloan Funeral Home..............................65 Beane’s Hallmark .......................................................59 Big Tex Trailers ............................................. Back Cover Candlewood Suites .......................................................7 Cannaday Financial Services .....................................64 Capps Insurance Agency ............................................28 Century 21 - Crandall.................................................52 Century 21- Kennedy ..................................................11 Century 21 Landmark .................................................12 Chapel Hill ISD ...........................................................39 Chapman Transfer & Storage, Inc. .............................13 Cliff’s Paint & Body ....................................................39 Creative Catering .......................................................65 Cypress Bank .............................................................36 Cypress Basin Hospice ...............................................11 Diamond C Trailers .....................................................27 Diamond T Outfitters ..................................................52 EDH Electric ...............................................................59 Efurd Orchards ...........................................................65 Elliott Auto Group .......................................................50 Everybody’s Furniture .................................................58 First Baptist Church ...................................................13 First Presbyterian Church ...........................................51 Forbes & Butler Visual Communications, Inc. ............10 Greenhill Villas ...........................................................28 Guaranty Bank & Trust ................................Inside Cover Hampton Inn & Suites ..................................................1 Hansen’s Collison Specialists.....................................27 Harts Bluff ISD ...........................................................29 Heritage Park Village..................................................64 Herschel’s Restaurant ................................................52 Holiday Inn Express & Suites ........................................9 Homeland Title Company ............................................13 Hoover’s Jewelry..........................................................59 Jordan Health Services ...............................................27 Kasseigh’s ..................................................................39 LaQuinta Inn & Suites ..................................................9 Luigi’s Italian Cafe .....................................................13 Luminant....................................................................26 Mason True Value Hardware .......................................13

Mayben Realty ............................................................37 McGuire - Dyke Investment Group ..............................27 McKelvey Enterprises..................................................52 Medical & Surgical Center..........................................64 Minadeo Eye Center ....................................................65 Mount Pleasant Burgers & Fries .................................39 Mount Pleasant Cinema 6 ..........................................59 Mount Pleasant Eye Care Center ................................28 Mount Pleasant Family Practice .................................27 Mount Pleasant ISD ....................................................52 Mount Pleasant Lions Club.........................................39 Mount Pleasant Rodeo Association.............................59 Mount Pleasant Toyota ...............................................36 North East Texas Credit Union ....................................50 North Jefferson Church of Christ ................................58 NTCC ..........................................................................29 Offenhauser & Co. .....................................................27 Open Imaging of TRMC...............................................26 Outlaw’s Bar-B-Que....................................................13 Pilgrim Bank ......................................Inside Back Cover Pilot Club of Mount Pleasant ......................................59 Priefert Fence .............................................................27 Quality Inn..................................................................29 Redfearn Real Estate .................................................51 Region 8 Education Service Center.............................53 Rotary Club of Mount Pleasant ...................................52 Rychlik’s Auto & Wrecker Service ................................29 Scott E. Redfearn, Inc. ...............................................51 Sears ..........................................................................58 Shumate Flooring .......................................................64 South Jefferson Baptist Church ..................................53 Stansell’s City Cleaners & Laundry, Inc. ....................59 State Farm Insurance - Pirkey ....................................39 Stephenson Dirt Contracting, LLC ..............................28 Suddenlink .................................................................25 Superior Mortgage ......................................................58 Tabor Sanitation .........................................................25 Tennison Memorial United Methodist Church .............53 Texas A&M University - Texarkana ..............................65 Texas Helping Hands ..................................................37 The Pediatric Clinic ....................................................53 Trinity Baptist Church ................................................12 TRMC............................................................................3 Walmart .....................................................................39

A MESSAGE FROM THE CEO FAUSTINE CURRY Chief Executive Officer Mount Pleasant / Titus County Chamber of Commerce

Welcome to the Mount Pleasant/Titus County Chamber of Commerce 2015 Your Connection, Business and Visitor Guide. We hope you will use it to discover the wonderful businesses and people who make Mount Pleasant “Everything Texas”. One of the top chambers in Northeast Texas, the Mount Pleasant/Titus County Chamber is proud to be a leader and advocate for businesses and the community. Due to diligent, business-friendly efforts, through the recent recession, our state and local economies outperformed the rest of the nation – and are leading the pack to recovery. The Chamber’s mission continues to be to build economic prosperity by engaging businesses and the community. While every word in the Chamber’s mission statement is carefully chosen, perhaps the most important words are “economic prosperity”. Why? Because while the answer to “what” we offer includes programs, services and other offerings, the “why” is because they serve as a catalyst to help strengthen the local economy which in turn means JOBS. Mount Pleasant needs to ensure the next wave of economic progress. We recognize that our local economy will need to rely on helping existing businesses and attracting new businesses to fuel growth. Businesses of all sizes will need to be bold and entrepreneurial to seize growth opportunities. The Mount Pleasant Chamber is committed to being a driving force to engage businesses in moving forward. The Chamber also is committed to bringing visitors to Mount Pleasant and the surrounding areas. To ensure this, the Mount Pleasant Chamber will continue to develop the “Everything Texas” marketing and branding campaign. Mount Pleasant. Everything Texas. While exploring what makes Mount Pleasant unique, there was a unifying and resounding focus that kept appearing. With Mount Pleasant’s diverse economic, recreational and agricultural culture, it became very clear that you can find a wide variety of similarities in Mount Pleasant that can be found across the state of Texas. With this concept in mind, the idea of Mount Pleasant being “Everything Texas” rose to the top of the concepts. On the following pages you can see just a few of the many, many things that make Mount Pleasant what it is today. From manufacturing and a great location to lakes and agri-tourism, the opportunities in Mount Pleasant are limitless. Our lifestyle is a large draw for residents and visitors alike. Mount Pleasant is rich in history, culture and recreation. We are home to many lakes and scenery. Mount Pleasant has long epitomized the laid-back style of Texas country living. Whether you seek a quiet weekend getaway, a family adventure or a charming locale, you can find it in Mount Pleasant. Come and see for yourself why people love the friendly, relaxed atmosphere of Mount Pleasant and why we have become known as being Mount Pleasant, “Everything Texas”! mtpleasanttx.com

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN RICHARD WITHERSPOON Chairman of the Board Herschel’s Restaurant

Mount Pleasant, The Good Life! As you come into downtown Mount Pleasant, you will notice there is a beautiful scene on the southwest corner building of the square, that reads, Mount Pleasant, The Good Life. We, in Titus County, enjoy the decades of work by individuals, groups and organizations that have worked hard to make Mount Pleasant an incredible place to live, work, raise a family and visit. We hope that you will join us by visiting for a moment, a while or a lifetime to enjoy – the Good Life. The Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to build economic prosperity by engaging businesses and the community. The Chamber works to be the catalyst in growing businesses and promoting Titus County. Education, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Ranching to Retail, Farming to Finance. The Chamber works to continue the thriving, growing, business community that leads to a better quality of life for all – the Good Life. Through our strong partnerships with community organizations, we will continue to support business development and retention activities. Our unique relationship with our school superintendents and community college continues to be the foundation of support for strong, local education. Our legislative ties ensure that our voice is heard in Austin. Strength in numbers and steadfast partnerships illustrate – the Good Life. We know that Titus County is a great place to live, work and visit. Texas Highways recently ranked Mount Pleasant as the #11 tourist destination in Texas. Please join us in exploring all of the pieces of Titus County that exemplify – the Good Life!

your link to business The Mount Pleasant/Titus County Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1939, is the area’s leading, membership driven organization. The Chamber’s goals are simple – enhance business and improve the area’s quality of life. Our 400-plus member base ensures strong partnerships with the City of Mount Pleasant and area communities, the Mount Pleasant Economic Development Corporation and the Mount Pleasant/Titus County Visitors Council. Chamber committees and task forces actively improve the economic welfare of the community through study, recommendations and actions related to business retention and expansion, education, government affairs and tourism. Chambers are only as strong as their membership support. Please take a moment to browse our partnership directory on page 66. We invite you to join the Mount Pleasant/Titus County Chamber as a business or individual. Enjoy the partnership that is your link to good business.

YO U R C O N N E C T I O N 2 0 1 5

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at a glance ABOUT THE AREA

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Titus County - 426 square miles Mount Pleasant - 10.2 square miles

MOUNT PLEASANT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION s 2ECRUITS BUSINESSES ASSISTS lRMS WITH expansion needs s !DDRESSES ISSUES RELATED TO ECONOMIC development

POPULATION Titus County - 32,334 Mount Pleasant - 15,960 Talco - 516 Winfield - 524

$ SDUWQHUVKLS ZLWK WKH 0RXQW 3OHDVDQW 7LWXV &RXQW\ &KDPEHU SXWV \RX LQ FRQWDFW ZLWK EXVLQHVV RZQHUV DQG HPSOR\HHV LQ WKH UHJLRQ s 3UPPORT OF MORE THAN BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL #HAMBER MEMBERS s 0ARTNERSHIP WITH THE 4EXAS !SSOCIATION OF "USINESS s 0ARTNERSHIP WITH THE 4EXAS #HAMBER OF #OMMERCE %XECUTIVES !SSOCIATION s %NHANCED BUSINESS CREDIBILITY THROUGH #HAMBER PARTNERSHIP s )NmUENCE IN LEGISLATION AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT THAT AFFECTS YOUR BUSINESS s )NCREASED MARKET SHARE AND PRESENCE VIA THE #HAMBER S EXTENSIVE ADVERTISING SERVICES s !VAILABILITY OF CUTTING EDGE BUSINESS EDUCATION AND WORKSHOPS s 4HE #HAMBER S NETWORKING

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND BUSINESS TRAINING PROGRAMS ARE THE BEST DEAL IN THE AREA

3DUWQHU ZLWK WKH &KDPEHU 6HH \RXU FRPSDQ\ FRQQHFW JURZ DQG VXFFHHG &OR MORE INFORMATION ON 4HE #HAMBER PLEASE CALL OR VISIT WWW MTPLEASANTTX COM

YO U R C O N N E C T I O N 2 0 1 5

2014 TAX RATES Titus County - 0.4182 City of Mount Pleasant - 0.3437 Mount Pleasant ISD - 1.2123 Chapel Hill ISD - 1.1459 Harts Bluff ISD - 1.04 Winfield ISD - 0.3525 Northeast Texas Community College - 0.0995 Titus Regional Medical Center - 0.0159 UNEMPLOYMENT RATE December 2014 Titus County - 5.0% Texas - 4.1% United States - 5.5%

EDUCATION MOUNT PLEASANT ISD Enrollment: 5,200 Class 4A mpisd.org 903-575-2000 CHAPEL HILL ISD Enrollment: 900 Class 2A chisddevils.com 903-572-8096 HARTS BLUFF ISD Enrollment: 500 K5 - Grade 8 hbisd.schoolwebpages.com 903-577-1146 WINFIELD ISD Enrollment: 145 K5 - Grade 8 winfieldisd.net 903-524-2221 HIGHER EDUCATION Northeast Texas Community College Enrollment: 3,300 ntcc.edu 903-434-8100

TRANSPORTATION By Land TITUS COUNTY s ,OCATED IN .ORTHEAST 4EXAS EAST OF $ALLAS AND west of Texarkana, on Interstate 30 s 3ERVED BY )NTERSTATE 53 (IGHWAY

US Highway 271 and State Highway 49 s 2AIL LINKS TO -EXICO AND 53 COASTS By Air MOUNT PLEASANT REGIONAL AIRPORT s 'ENERAL AND INDUSTRIAL AVIATION SERVICES s X RUNWAY s -ORE THAN TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS each year s #ONCRETE LIGHTED HELIPAD s *ET FUEL SALES '03 APPROACH AND AN automated weather observation system DALLAS/FORT WORTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT s 2ANKED THIRD WORLDWIDE IN OPERATIONS s 2ANKED EIGHTH WORLDWIDE IN TERMS OF passengers s /NLY A SHORT DRIVE FROM -OUNT 0LEASANT

MEDICAL TITUS REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER s ,EVEL ))) 4RAUMA #ENTER s (OUR %MERGENCY $EPARTMENT s %MERGENCY -EDICAL 3ERVICES 0ROVIDER of the Year s "O AND 0ATTY 0ILGRIM #ANCER #ENTER

ECONOMIC BASE s -ANUFACTURING HUB FOR .ORTHEAST 4EXAS s 2ETAIL DRAW OF PEOPLE s !GRICULTURE PRODUCTS AND NATURAL RESOURCES

CLIMATE Average high temperature: 76Â°F Average low temperature: 50Â°F Annual precipitation: 46 inches Elevation: 415 feet

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YO U R C O N N E C T I O N 2 0 1 5

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Homeland Title Company Homeland Title provides Red Carpet Service that our customers and your clients deserve. (903) 577-0333 • Fax: (903) 577-1666 1312 S. Jefferson • Mt. Pleasant, TX 75455 www.homelandtco.com

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Sunday Worship Services - 9:30 a.m. • 10:45 • 6:30 p.m. Sunday School - 8:15 a.m. • 9:30 • 10:45 a.m. Wednesday Prayer & Bible Study 6:00 p.m.

Lawn & Garden Supplies

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Dine-in • Carry-out • Private Meeting Room for 55-60 people www.luigisitaliancafe.us

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2213 W. FERGUSON ROAD MOUNT PLEASANT, TEXAS 903-577-9701•903-577-9711 903-575-1553 (Fax) Monday - Thursday and Sunday 10:00 am - 10:00 pm Fri. & Sat. 10:00 am - 10:30 pm

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210 A NORTH EAST STREET ATLANTA, TX 75551 903-796-7020 • 903-796-7025 903-796-7030 (Fax) Fri. & Sat. 11 am - 10 pm Tues. - Thurs. and Sunday 11 am - 9 pm Closed Mondays mtpleasanttx.com

Tilling the Soil

A unique agricultural landscape.

ith a brand like “Everything Texas,” you’d expect expansive farm and ranch land, cattle, poultry, fresh produce stands, weathered working hands and Texas-sized smiles. And you’d be absolutely right. All the traditions and rich legacies of farming and ranching can be found right here on our back 40... or 400. But, the agriculture landscape of Northeast Texas is as uniquely modern as its traditional roots run deep. Right beside large scale traditional farming and ranching operations using innovation, modern technology and state-of-the-art science, are smaller family farms that are just as innovative, yet are taking a slower, more organic approach to sustain the food supply. “Agriculture as a whole is definitely at the top of the chain here as far as technology, but farmers are also constantly looking for ways to improve production whether it’s a small family farm using organic methods or farming operations using more traditional large production methods,” said Mount Pleasant-Titus County Chamber CEO Faustine Curry. In the midst of the agriculture world are buzzwords like agritourism and agvocacy. Many of the smaller farms and agribusinesses in the area are not only operating based on a philosophy of using natural methods to raise animals and grow crops, but fully embracing the online world to reach out to their consumers and draw them to their porches and patios... to “set a spell.”

Connecting with customers locally, regionally, and around the world through dynamic websites and vibrant social media channels is becoming more and more common.

attention of the high-end shutterbugs

“In the past, everyone knew someone who was raised on a farm or ranch, but we’re two or three and sometimes four generations removed from the farming world and people are not in touch with where their food comes from. Those people are all online and that’s where farmers need to be to make sure they’re connecting,” Curry said.

two snacks each day for the eclectic

When it comes to agritourism, plugging in valuable search engine keywords can bring someone to your door that you’d never expect. Greer Farm, which rents out rustic, cozy cabins and gives guests a complete farm and ranch life experience, hosted

looking for a unique farm backdrop for their photos. His wife, Eva Greer, donned her Chef coat for the occasion, serving up three gourmet meals and bunch that rented out all of the cabins on the Greer spread.

THE “EVERYTHING TEXAS” BRAND FITS PERFECTLY HERE “In the big cities, you only see the farmer’s markets. When people think of Texas, they think of cows and farms and gardens. We have all of that here,” Curry said. Many of the smaller farms, like Greer Farm, Comeback Creek, Efurd Orchards and Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards, not only

“The agritourism possibilities are huge here. You can experience the farm life by picking your own berries or picking peaches or going on a vineyard tour,” Curry said. “All of the things that people think of about Texas are right here in Titus County. They just need to come and see it.”

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profit just like their larger counterparts,

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COMEBACK CREEK FARM

Living off the land. John Kilburn could be called a comeback kid. The Pittsburg native went off to college, earned his business degree and worked in sales in Dallas and then on the East Coast. He was living well, far from his East Texas roots, until 1998 when he faced the life-threatening news that he had Stage 4 Lymphoma. “The first few doctors I saw didn’t give me much hope of living beyond six months,” Kilburn said. But, he was accepted into an experimental program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan, one of the best cancer hospitals in the world. “I went through different chemotherapies for six to eight months and then every month for five years for follow up,” Kilburn said. “The cancer went away after eight months. My doctor pretty much guaranteed me that it was going to come back and it just never did.” During that time of uncertainty and fear, he decided he needed to start eating healthier and eat more vegetables, recalling his childhood tending to his family’s half-acre garden. He also promised himself that if he beat cancer, he would slow the pace of his hectic corporate life. Buying organic vegetables near his home in New Jersey proved way too expensive, so he planted a garden in his back yard. “I went to see a nutritionist who talked to me about organic this and organic that and I hadn’t really thought about that before,” he said. Tending to his backyard garden rekindled his interest in growing vegetables and allowed him to change his eating habits. Thankfully, in 2003, with no recurrences of the cancer, his doctor gave him a clean bill of health. He moved back to Dallas and saved

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money for a year. Then, in 2005, with his new lease on life and keeping a promise to himself, he quit corporate America, bought some land back home in Pittsburg and began farming. “I planted a bunch of tomatoes and took them to the farmer’s market that first summer. I started with tomatoes because that’s what I was familiar with,” he said. Today, Kilburn runs the 100-acre Comeback Creek Farm with his wife, Aliza, whom he met at the Dallas Farmer’s Market in 2009. She’d been working for Consilient Restaurants, where she did desserts for Fireside Pies and Hibiscus. She’d gone to the market for blackberries and they became friends, then started dating long distance for three years and were married in 2012. She handles the business and marketing, while he tends the land with a commitment to doing things nature’s way. Philosophy & Growing Practices “We steward the land with care and believe in treading lightly. While the farm is not certified organic, we hold

ourselves to sustainability standards that we believe well exceed organic standards. We farm using only low impact, sustainable methods: no synthetic pesticides or herbicides and no harmful chemical fertilizers. Every transplant we put in the ground comes from seed we’ve started ourselves, purchased from seed companies with the highest reputation. We do not use genetically modified (GMO) seed. These ecologically sound practices are safe for us as growers, for you as consumers, and for the land around us. Our main means of weed control are tractor cultivation, hand weeding and hoeing, and black plastic mulch. Our main means of pest control are to just plain squish ‘em and – when absolutely necessary – pest control methods approved for organic use.” The Kilburn’s have based their business model on the alternative method of community supported agriculture (CSA) which is a network of people and/or businesses that support local

farms. The growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production. Comeback Creek Farm has a CSA for its Dallas area customers and 15 independently-owned, chef-driven restaurants, including Nonna, Hibiscus, CBD Provisions, LARK on the Park and Gemma in Dallas. They also provide produce to Los Pinos Winery in Pittsburg. Their customers join the CSA, paying up front for an 8-week growing season, with a spring, summer and fall seasons. The farm then delivers a box each week to its customers filled with whatever they harvest. “Instead of picking and choosing what they want, they truly get what’s in season and what we’re growing at the time,” Kilburn said. “While the trend isn’t new, it’s something that has caught on in Dallas in just the last 3-4 years.” “For a small family farm, it’s the best way to do it. Farmer’s markets are typically one day a week and you really need to pick for more than just one day a week,” he said. “We offer drops two days of the week, so we’re picking more often. We’re picking everything and people are taking everything, so it’s a more consistent market for us.” They don’t offer a CSA in the Northeast Texas area. Local customers receive an email with a list of what is available and they can choose what they want from the list. “We meet them at a central location to deliver it. That’s easier to do here because we are so close by,” he said. “It would be impossible to coordinate that in Dallas.” The local email list, which they just started in the summer of 2014, is only around 100, but continues to grow. “We were quite surprised with the response we got locally. We are trying to build on that because we want to do as much as we can locally,” Kilburn said. The only Farmer’s Markets they plan to attend

are the Mount Pleasant and Winnsboro Chamber of Commerce markets. With Aliza Kilburn’s cooking background, their services also include offering recipes and tips on cooking their farm fresh vegetables. Kilburn said the rise in farmer’s markets and the trend toward growing and eating organic food has helped local farmers find a larger outlet for their produce. “If anything, the awareness of trying to support local farmers and buying locally as much as you can, encourages more people to start family farms or continue family farms,” he said. “The more we get back to that as a country, the better off we’ll be.” Visit the Comeback Creek Farm website at ComebackCreek.com. Pittsburg, Mount Pleasant and Longview-area customers can request to be added to a local email list by contacting them by email at comebackcreek@gmail.com.

EFURD ORCHARDS

Family Legacy. Legendary Peaches. When you think of peaches, the perfect place to find the juicy and sweet I-think-I’m-in-Heaven fruit is

Efurd Orchards. Just a few miles south of Pittsburg on Highway 271, the quaint roadside stand has been a staple of East Texas fresh produce fans and travelers alike for more than four decades. And, it’s a down-home all-in-the-family operation. “Greg’s parents, Sandra and John Hart Efurd, started it in 1972 selling peaches out of the back of a truck,” said Amy Efurd, who married into the family in 1990 and now co-owns the business with her husband, Greg. “The new highway came in and they bought a little bit of property and just a little dirt floor shed.” Today, Dalhart Efurd, 85, is still involved on the farm a little. They’ve added on to that small shed and expanded to cover 180 acres with peach and plum trees, strawberry, blackberry and blueberry patches and a variety of vegetables. They’ve also expanded their customer base nationwide through their Web store offering their canned goods. Located right along the highway, the fruit and produce stand catches your eye immediately as antique tractors protrude out of the middle of the pond. Droplets from a sparkling fountain shoot into the air and glint in the sunlight of lazy Camp County afternoons. A wooden walking bridge and an expanse of green grass surrounding the pond invite travelers and locals alike to dust off the highway and wander for a bit. They can sample the Efurd’s specialty ice creams, including their signature peach ice cream and in the fall, sweet potato ice cream and green apple with caramel drizzle. “The sweet potato ice cream has been a big hit. We also make ice cream from the persimmons and the apples we grow,” Amy Efurd said. There’s also mouth-watering cobblers, canned jams, jellies, and preserves, including sugar free options, syrups, salsas, honey and other fresh produce mtpleasanttx.com

from neighboring local farms and of course, their farm fresh fruits and vegetables in season. “Starting in April we have strawberries. We have those picked and ready to buy here at the store or you can pick them with your family out in the patch,” Amy Efurd said. Efurd’s customers call well in advance asking when the peaches will be ready. “The first week in May, the early peaches start getting ready. Then about the end of June, the blackberries are ready and when the blackberries are done, the blueberries come in around July,” she said. “That’s also when the freestyle peaches are ready.” The Efurd team picks the peaches and has them ready for customers at the orchard stand, although customers have the option to make it a fun day by heading out to the fruit patches to pick their own strawberries, blackberries and blueberries. The produce stand is a favorite summer job for many area students as well. “We hire mostly high school kids from

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Pittsburg, Gilmer and Mount Pleasant,” Amy Efurd said. “We hire 20-25 students when we’re really busy. When they come to work here, they know they’ve got to work.” The stand closes down for about a month in October and then opens with its fall produce, including a pumpkin patch, where customers can pick their own pumpkins. “We close down in November through March to work on the trees and on the farm getting everything ready for the next year,” she said. When the doors are open, they welcome everyone inside with a big smile and lots of Southern hospitality. “We’ll peel a peach for everyone who walks through our door, carry your items out to your car for you, and do all we can to make you feel right at home,” promises the Efurd’s Website. “Step back in time and taste premium quality, fresh produce the way it was meant to be enjoyed.” The roadside stand is filled with lots of varieties of produce besides their famous fruits, including figs, plums,

pecans, potatoes, okra, onions, cucumbers, fresh eggs, squash, tomatoes, sweet corn, watermelons, fresh peas and beans and peppers. They also carry Texas-shaped gift baskets, peach, strawberry, blueberry and Muscadine cider, pickles with garlic and jalapenos, plus a rare find, Dr. Pepper cake and frosting. On their website, you can also find their signature family recipes for Peach Preserves, Peach Jam, Peach Ice Cream, Southern Pickled Peaches, Peach Cobbler, Peach Butter, Peach Salsa and Peach Cookies. Items on the online store can be shipped anywhere in the Continental U.S. Greg and Amy’s three children, Brantly, Reagan and Courtlyn, are all attending Texas A&M University in College Station and may follow their parents into the family business. “They’ve been working on the farm since they were little bitty. Ever since they could walk, they knew how to peel peas. They understand hard work and they seem interested in it, so maybe they’ll carry on a third generation,” Amy Efurd said.

GREER FARM Stepping through the gate at the entrance to The Greer Farm invokes a sense of yearning for this simple, quiet life reminiscent of its 1850s heritage. The broad expanses of farm land filled with all manner of animals and plants surround you as you step onto the inviting porch of the lovingly remodeled and whitewashed homestead. The genuine smiles of Sid and Eva Greer holding wide the screen door let you know immediately that you’re welcome. As you enter, a formal dining room with period décor is to the left of a long hallway fit for a long trot by the family dog. The spacious updated chef’s kitchen is just to the right where Chef Eva Greer executes her fresh from the farm culinary masterpieces and the echoes of the laughter of friends and guests are imagined. The old farmhouse suits the needs of the retired, but busier-than-ever couple. The Greers moved to the farm near Daingerfield in Morris County from Houston in 1998. They started out with 250 acres of farmland and added nearly

150 acres for cattle at Rocky Branch in 2005. “We have almost 400 acres. It’s a combination of a traditional ranch and a non-traditional farm focused on agritourism, culinary tourism and a purveyor of pasture, grass-fed beef, lamb, chicken and pork,” Sid Greer said. They also keep honeybees that produce Texas Wildflower honey the old fashioned way. The beehives are natural, rather than man-made structures. “There’s nothing artificial. The bees have to make their own frames. That’s the 2,000-year-old way,” Sid Greer said. “The bees are healthier that way,” Eva Greer added. With everything they raise and grow, from the animals to berries and vegetables and the exotic varieties of plants that fill the landscape, they are committed to using organic practices, although they are not certified. “We’re not certified organic because it’s extremely expensive. If we were to certify organic, it would cost $1,000 a year. In 2015, under a new law passed in the Texas legislature, it will cost $6,500 a year. That’s terrible.” So, in order to remain profitable and remain

true to their farming philosophy, the Greers farm using organic methods termed sustainable. “That means you use the least amount of artificial substances to accomplish your goals,” he said. When they planted peas in the fall, whiteflies infested the leaves, so they turned to a natural remedy rather than use a chemical herbicide. “We made pepper spray from habanero peppers and it worked,” Eva Greer said. However, one year dog fennel, an invasive weed that grows to six feet and can take over a field, infiltrated the farmland. “Dog fennel is very invasive so we used an herbicide. That’s the only way to get rid of it, but we sprayed each individual plant rather than the whole field,” Sid Greer said. Eva Greer earned her degree in culinary arts from the Art Institute of Houston. “I knew that we were going to retire here, so I went back to my passion, which is cooking,” she said. “At the time I was going to the culinary school, I didn’t know what I would do with it, but I knew it was a medium to meet people.” Once they settled into their new lives on the farm, Eva began hosting fine dining in her home and doing catering. “I started the cooking school here when we started the cabins. That was a means for people to come and stay in the cabins and learn to cook,” she said. Greer Farm does not run a restaurant. The cabins are self-catered. However, private dining is available for groups of 8 or more for dinner. Eva Greer also keeps busy canning jams from the fruits they grow on the farm or from friends who have gardens and fruit trees. “I started making jams as a byproduct of the berries. I only do jams from fruits in season, so when the blackberry jam is gone, that’s all I’ve got,” she said. mtpleasanttx.com

Greer Farm Products Vegetables Berries Jams, Jellies and Sauces Grass-Fed Beef Grass-Fed Lamb Pastured Pork Free Range Eggs Pastured Chicken Bulk Beef Sales Greer farm raises Maine-Anjou cattle both for beef sales and for breeding purposes. They raise their beef strictly on forages with no grain inputs, which creates a truly grass finished product. Pick-Your-Own Fruit & Berry Orchard Greer Farm orchards include blackberries, blueberries, figs and plums. The blackberries ripen first in late May and the blueberries begin ripening in early June. Dining and Catering Greer Farm offers a selection of menus for lunches, receptions and special occasions. Chef Eva Greer can offer menus appropriate for outdoors dining during daylight on the verandas, on the lawn under the shade of the great Pecan tree or by the lake. There are also catering options at your location. Farm-to-Fork Cooking Classes Greer Farm offers some of the most unique cooking classes available in North Texas. The techniques Chef Eva teaches come from the “farm-to-fork” concept of creating a fresh culinary experience by using only locally grown food purchased directly from the source. Many of her students have scheduled private classes to bring together family or friends. Some rent all the cabins and make it a weekend event. Lakeside Log Cabins Greer Farm features four log cabins nestled along an 11-acre private lake. Families and groups of friends can rent paddle boats, kayaks, jon boats, paddle boards and canoes, angle for catfish or trophy bass.

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LOS PINOS RANCH VINEYARDS & WINERY

Wine. Food. Jazz. The three components of the winery experience. You’ll find all of the above at Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards & Winery. But, to get to that romantic, relaxing ambience, it all starts with lush, Texas-planted grapes. Los Pinos has 11 acres of vineyards on their estate south of Pittsburg and 65 additional acres of vineyards in West Texas in the Texas High Plains region. The grapes respond to the cool nights, hot days and low moisture and humidity of the area that has been found to provide the perfect growing conditions for Italian wine grape varietals. At the East Texas vineyards, the three varietals that grow most abundantly are Blanc Du Bois, Cynthiana, and Black Spanish. According to Los Pinos’ Website, “These three varieties grow well in east Texas, as they are resistant to disease pressures that are inherent in our region, and are primarily made into our semi-sweet and sweet wines.” “We encourage folks to grow grapes here. You obviously have weather to be concerned about. The late freezes we get in April determine whether you’ll have a high yield or no yield at all, but hail and wind can also be a factor,” said Gerald Jones, Los Pinos vice president. “There are all kinds of things that can affect your yield.” Los Pinos is producing around 10,000 cases a year from the seven sweet varietals and nine dry varietals. Following the fall 2014 harvest, they crushed 150 tons of grapes. It’s a fast-growing agriculture industry in the state and in Northeast Texas and one that Los Pinos has been leading the way for a long time.

“In the year 2000, there were around 40 wineries in Texas. Now there are almost 340,” said Dana Pool, president and executive chef of the winery and vineyards located four miles south of Pittsburg in Camp County. Pool serves on the board of the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association and Los Pinos is one of 40 members of the East Texas Grape Growers Association. Their Website offers a good list of resources for other farmers interested in growing grapes. “Texas as a whole is coming on to the agricultural scene for grapes. There are thousands of acres being planted this year in Texas and people coming on board more and more,” Jones said. “The wineries have created a demand for the grapes. We’ve actually seen a lot of cotton farmland turned into grape land and that’s pretty neat for us.” “Demand for grapes is at an all-time high,” Pool said. “There’s no way to track vineyards because they don’t have to have permits, but it’s phenomenal the amount of acreage that’s going in to Texas.” There’s a lot happening at the winery to keep tourists coming in from all over, too. The winery experience at Los Pinos includes a gourmet restaurant, winery and vineyard tours, wine tastings, live jazz and cottages for a weekend getaway. “We also have a lot of events. We’ve started a wine and cheese pairing every other week, we have cooking classes, yoga and dance classes, themed events and we have a wine club that we are taking to Italy this year,” Pool said. The live jazz performances every Friday and Saturday night add a cool, cultured element to rural Northeast Texas. “We like to provide quiet ambience where you can bring a date or your family out and sit and enjoy your

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meal and enjoy your visit,” said Pool. Your meal could include a delectable gourmet entrée from the weekly Chef’s Special, such as the “Knife and Fork” Mixed Grill: New York Strip, Brochette of Prawn, Chicken Satay, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Creamed Spinach, and Gremolata. However, their specialty is the Tapas menu, featuring fresh baked baguettes, amazing wood fired pizzas, panatellas, artisanal cured meats, specially sourced cheeses and hand-crafted desserts. “Tapas are meant to be shared. We want people to come and sit down and enjoy small plates of food family style, so they are enjoying one another’s company, not rushing through a meal,” Pool said. “We encourage people to just come and hang out with us.” In addition to their regular weekend hours, the Winery and Fork and Spoon Dining Room are open every Thursday evening from 5-9 p.m. “One of the things that we really want to promote is the hospitality of our business, which we obviously love and adore. It’s a gift from God to us,” Pool said. Los Pinos partners, Diane and Perry Wilson believe in the business so much that they relocated from the Dallas area to Pittsburg. The owners recently added a new signature staff member, too. Enam Chowdhury is the new restaurant operations manager, working with Pool to run the top-notch gourmet venue. “He joins us from Dallas with some pretty amazing credentials. He’s a chef in his own right as well as experienced in the management end, so we’re really excited to have him on board,” Pool said. Visitors can also rent one of the two cottages on the estate. The Tuscan Cottage is a 2-person cottage designed

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as a romantic getaway overlooking one of the vineyards. The Vintner’s Cottage is a three bedroom-2 bath cottage with a full kitchen that can accommodate a family or host a girl’s night. During their stay they can enjoy the vineyards and the winery’s offerings, including tours and wine-tastings. The vineyard tour is self-guided. Visitors are welcome to enjoy them at any time, while the winery tour is a guided tour. “We have lots of people who love to just walk in the vineyard,” Pool said. “On the winery tour, it’s Wine 101. We take you through the production area and show you how the wines are made and bottled.” Tours are typically held on Friday and Saturday and sometimes on Sunday. The wine tastings are done a little differently than at some other wineries. Customers order a wine block that includes dry, sweet, red, white or blush wines. “You’re not standing at a tasting bar. You get six mini carafes on a wooden block and you sit down at

your table and go through them at your own pace,” Jones said. “They are 1.5 ounce pours, so you can enjoy each one and if you find one you like, you can get a glass or a bottle or however you want to do it.” The wines are gold, silver and bronze award winners, too. “We’ve won awards at just about every one of the largest international wine competitions in the U.S.,” Jones said.” Included in those accolades are awards from the San Francisco International Wine Competition, the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition in New York and the Dallas Morning News Lone Star International Wine Competition.” With 16 different varieties of wines, Los Pinos is able to please the palates of wine lovers in all stages of their wine journey. “The idea is you capture the more advanced wine palate with the dry wines and folks just getting started with the sweet wines,” Jones said. “We like to say those new to drinking wine

are fun-loving folks, so why not give them the fun, whimsical labels to get them going on the wine experience.” That marketing strategy has worked well. “We have folks coming in from all over Texas, from every bordering state and even internationally. We cover a lot of ground by participating in wine festivals and events throughout the year,” Jones said. “That drives traffic back to the winery where they can sample the wines and they’re intrigued by where it comes from.” Los Pinos wines are not just a product of a “sleepy little winery.” They are available in more than 500 stores as well as at the winery. “That really helps a lot. People taste our wines and say, ‘Where does that wine come from?’ That ‘sleepy little winery’ in Pittsburg isn’t so sleepy,” Jones said. But, it’s not just about the quality of the wine, either. Visitors get a full-fledged winery experience with the destination-style amenities Los Pinos offers in one big travel or staycation package. “It’s that whole wine escapism and romance idea. They come to us seeking that out,” he said.

NORTHEAST TEXAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Sustainable Education. It started with a handshake on a farmer’s front porch. Before the Northeast Texas Community College campus was built, the farmer who owned the land had a specific request that there would always be a working farm associated with the college. That was in May of 1984. “In a sense, the college was born out of the farm, not the other way around,” said NTCC agriculture Director Rene McCracken, proudly touting the uniqueness of a 2-year college having a 300-acre working farm to give students real life experiences as the work toward their agriculture degrees. For that reason, McCracken said, the farm and agriculture department has always been an integral part of the campus. “Within the last few years, with the construction of the new ag complex, this administration has really pushed agriculture to the forefront. They want the ag program to be one of the stars in

the crown of the different programs we have here.” With a resurgence of interest in small-scale and alternative farming, the campus made an investment in expanding its agriculture department by building the Elizabeth Hoggatt Whatley Agriculture Complex in 2011. “This facility is really the icing on the cake. We’re 100 percent solar-powered. We have rainwater harvesting capabilities. That’s just the start of what we’re involved in,” McCracken said. They also collaborate with other departments, including the Shelby Automotive program and the Business Department on projects, including the NTCC Farmer’s Market. “Our first mission, though, is to educate students and prepare them for the world of agriculture,” she said. The Agriculture Department is fully staffed with McCracken, Chad Henry, Agriculture Instructor; and Doug Beason, Farm Manager. The program offers degrees in both conventional and sustainable agriculture.

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According to the NTCC website, on the conventional side, NTCC’s Associate of Science degree transfers to 4-year university programs and the Associate of Applied Science and Farm and Ranch Management Certificate prepares students to enter directly into the workforce. The college also offers an Associate of Applied Science in Sustainable Agriculture and two Sustainable Agriculture Certificates. The Sustainable Agriculture courses “teach students techniques for adding value to agricultural products, business and management concepts as applied to small farms, marketing approaches to increase sales for sustainable small farms, and other tools for economically and sustainably operating a small farm,” according to the degree descriptions on the NTCC website.

NTCC’s Transition to Sustainable Agriculture. “In spring of 2011 the Eagle Eye Demonstration Garden and greenhouse were established and they continue to evolve into a viable part of farm operations. Additionally, the overall mission of the farm has changed to demonstrate and promote more sustainable agriculture practices including organic vegetable production, management of soil health utilizing cover cropping, no-till techniques, and rainwater harvesting all with a primary focus on conserving and renewing natural resources on the farm. In the spring of 2012, the installation of compost tea production equipment and initial start-up of Serengeti-style grazing using our NTCC mix of compost tea injected into an irrigation system began one of the farm’s primary, long term research projects. The main objective of this project is to utilize pasture irrigation system (K-Line) and management of soil health to intensively manage small acres and dramatically increase the unit per acre production rate for cattle with a target goal of 40 head on 5 acres of Bermuda grass pasture. This same equipment will also be used to inject compost tea into the irrigation system which flows to the Eagle Eye Demonstration Garden. – NTCC Agriculture Department

McCracken explained the term “sustainable agriculture” has three core principles: 1. People. Working with people to build it up and strengthen it. 2. The Planet. Having concern for the stewardship of the land and the natural resources, such as soil and water. 3. Profit. You do all of this in such a way to keep something sustainable because it is profitable. “Those three principles are sometimes hard to balance and it takes a little bit of finesse,” she said. “Each of the classes we teach on the sustainable agriculture side is designed to function within those principles.” The scope of the farm has expanded from its initial cow-calf and hay operations to include a greenhouse, a Muscadine vineyard, a traditional row crop garden, a raised garden and

compost tea production equipment. The program’s mission expanded at the time the new ag complex was built. “One of our most unique factors as an agriculture teaching school – and as a junior college – is our working farm,” said McCracken, who came on board as director in 2012. She said the installation of the composting equipment is helping to sustain all of the other projects on the farm. The college’s commitment to its sustainable agriculture offerings is also setting a trend in the education community. “Our Sustainable Agriculture degree is one of only a few of its kind in the state,” McCracken said. “Right now there is not a school within a four-hour drive from here where you can get a bachelor’s or master’s degree in

sustainable agriculture.” Sam Houston State University in Huntsville and Texas A&M Commerce are planning to start programs in sustainable agriculture. With the addition of a seasonal monthly Farmer’s Market, the agriculture program is furthering its reach into the local community. “We’re more than just a place to come and take some classes. We’re seeking to be a partner with agriculture businesses so that we can strengthen them and make them more sustainable,” she said. The partnerships they’ve made with the agriculture community, the Mount Pleasant Titus County Chamber Agriculture Committee and the business community in general has helped the college make an even stronger impact into the local community and beyond.

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Wesley Rychlik

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903-572-3376

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1410 Industrial, Mount Pleasant, TX 75455 mtpleasanttx.com

LIFE IS

BETTER

Lake at the

ENJOY & EXPLORE

THE MANY LAKES NEAR

MOUNT PLEASANT

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“GONE FISHING” SCRIBBLED ON A NOTE IS A COMMON SIGHT AROUND NORTHEAST TEXAS. IT COULD ALSO READ, “GONE CAMPING” OR “TAKIN’ THE BOAT OUT.”

ith an abundance of lakes nestled in the piney woods, there are lots of opportunities for folks around here to close up shop, post a note on the door and head for the lakeshores and campgrounds for a day or weekend of family fun and tall fish tales.

LAKE BOB SANDLIN Lake Bob Sandlin is located on Big Cypress Creek five miles southwest of

a record largemouth bass or reel in a nice big catfish. The state park features a lighted fishing

Mount Pleasant with 9,000 surface acres

pier. “The lighted pier attracts a lot of

over Titus, Camp and Franklin counties.

visitors and locals. They come out just

Three free public boat ramps, a county

for that and fish all night long a lot of

park, a 640-acre state park and the

times,” Posey said.

privately-owned Barefoot Bay Marina offer boat access, camping and a wide range of recreational activities.

Lake Bob Sandlin is known as a bass fishing lake. “We host a lot of bass fishing tournaments here. The record

“There are 4.5 miles of hiking trails,

bass was actually caught off the fishing

lots of fishing piers and boat ramps

pier here inside the park,” Posey said.

inside the park, swimming facilities and picnic areas,” said Tammie Posey,

“There are lots of good boat ramps for

Lake Bob Sandlin State Park interim

boaters to access the lake and the most

park manager.

popular fish there are largemouth bass, catfish, channel catfish and blue catfish,”

You’ll see jet skis speeding across the

said Tim Bister, district fisheries biologist

waves and plenty of avid fishermen

with the Texas Parks and Wildlife

hoping to max out on crappie, hook

Department’s Marshall District office.

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ther recreational activities include picnicking, hiking, swimming and mountain biking. Eagles can also be spotted during winter months and a variety of birds and wildlife can be viewed year-round.

“I’ve been making efforts in that lake for several years to establish a blue catfish population and those fish can get bigger than channel catfish and might be a good way to attract some people to the area that are looking to catch trophy size blue catfish,” Bister said. Darrell Grubbs, director of the Titus County Fresh Water District, said while every fisherman has his or her favorite lake, Lake Bob Sandlin is a great lake to fish in. It even competes with the warm water power plant lakes with some diehard anglers. “It was 32-34 degrees the other day and I ran into a guy who was going crappie fishing. He said the last two opening mornings of deer season he had maxed out on crappie,” Grubbs said. “He likes to fish more than he likes to hunt and you always think about

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fishing in the spring and summer, maybe early fall, but he was out there in 30 degree weather.” In addition to campsites for tents and RVs, the park also has screened shelters with and without airconditioning, and a group pavilion. The cabins are a step up from a tent on the ground, but you’re still “roughing it” in the woods. “The cabins are limited use with bunk beds. You bring your linens and there’s no indoor plumbing or kitchens set up in the shelters,” Posey said. She said those sites stay booked most weekends depending on the time of year. “In the fall and spring it stays busy. Sometimes it gets too hot in the summer, but it stays pretty steady year round,” she said. While you won’t have sand to dig your toes into, the swimming area includes a grassy area to lay out and work on

your tan, picnic tables and a swimming platform to jump in and cool off with sturdy steps to climb back out of the lake.

The State Park also hosts community events throughout the year that are not all geared toward summer fun. The park hosts a Kids Fishing Day the last Saturday in January. The park has a stock pond they fill with catfish and bluefish year-round and rainbow trout in the winter months. “That’s one of the big things people come out for in the winter. We invite all the kids to fish for free for rainbow trout,” Posey said.

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water, electricity and RV hookups. The park is also the site of a popular week-long acoustic music festival. The Titus County Twin Lakes Music Festival, held in mid-October each year for the past five years, features a mix of folk, bluegrass and country music. “Folks come in from all over and play their instruments. They just sit around picking and grinning,” Grubbs said.

The changing of the leaves in the fall also draws people from all over. “We get a lot of Dallas area tourists that make the two-hour drive just to come look at the fall foliage. We get a lot of beautiful fall colors on the trees,” Posey said. The park hosts a Christmas event every year. “We have Christmas in the Park in December. We invite people to come out and camp and if they decorate their campsite, they get to stay for free. Then we invite the general public to come through and check out all the lights. There are activities for kids going on and a visit from Santa,” Posey said. The County Park, located off of FM 127 and managed by Titus County, offers boat access to both Lake Bob Sandlin and Lake Monticello. The park offers campsites with picnic areas and grills as well as a bathhouse,

The TCFWD, which manages Lake Bob Sandlin, is a wholesale water supplier to Mount Pleasant and Luminant, which owns Lake Monticello, a warm water power plant lake adjacent to Lake Bob Sandlin. Grubbs said the water quality in the lake is top notch. “If you drink water that’s been treated out of Lake Bob Sandlin, you’d testify that you can’t drink bottled water that tastes any better than our water,” he said. “That’s something that a lot of people at the state level comment on, how great our water quality is in this lake.” He said that’s attributed to rules put in place by the district’s board and enforcement by Lake Patrol staff.

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“We receive more rainfall on a more regular basis. So, even when we’ve been five to six feet low or as much as 10 feet low in the last 10 years, you talk to other people in the state and their lakes are 20, 30 and 40 feet low and they’re starting to ration water,” Grubbs said. Bister said the consistent lake levels on Lake Bob Sandlin are one of the reasons fishing is so good and dependable in the area lakes.

“The steady levels help provide consistent access for boaters but also provides a stable fish habitat for their reproduction and growth to be able to maintain a quality population. People know that and come to these area lakes to have fun and fish.” – Tim Bister

District Fisheries Biologist Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Marshall District

“We take care of our water quality. We like for the fishing to be good, we like for folks to come out and enjoy the lake and we’re here to make sure people using the lake and its facilities are abiding by the rules,” he said.

Even avid fishermen from across the country know the benefits of Lake Bob Sandlin and other Northeast Texas lakes.

As for a signature draw for tourists, Grubbs said lake levels are a huge plus for not only Lake Bob Sandlin, but all the lakes in the Northeast Texas area.“We’re much better than others. Even when we’re down, we haven’t been down like other lakes in the state of Texas,” he said.

“I get a lot of calls from people up north in Minnesota or Ohio who want to come down and fish,” Bister said. “Some of our spots are certainly well known and when it’s cold up north and people start getting that itch to go fishing, they want to come to Texas.”

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LAKE MONTICELLO and LAKE WELSH Some of the heartiest of fishermen give up the sport during the bitter chill of winter. But around here, anglers are familiar with the welcoming call of two area lakes that beckon, “Come on out. The water is fine.” Lake Monticello, owned by Luminant and Lake Welsh, owned by AEPSWEPCO, are both warm water power plant lakes. The reservoirs are used by the power companies to provide cooling water for their plants. Lake Monticello has 2,001 surface acres. It is adjacent to Lake Bob Sandlin about 10 miles southwest of Mount Pleasant with boat access at the Titus County Park, which offers campsites with picnic areas, grills, a bathhouse, water, electricity and RV hookups. The two lakes are separated by a dam.

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“Monticello has a long history of being a great place to catch largemouth bass, especially in the winter when the water is warmer than at other lakes,” said Tim Bister. “It’s very popular for bass anglers to go there to fish. It also has a lot of channel catfish, so people can go there and have a really great time catching some good sized fish.” Lake Monticello is one of the most popular largemouth bass lakes in the state, according to the TPWD.

“The fishing is good year-round and the fish do well in warmer water. We have some record size fish that are caught out of the warm water lakes.” – Troy Sellers

Community Relations Director Luminant

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Lake Welsh is located about 10 miles southeast of Mount Pleasant, south of Northeast Texas Community College. It features one public boat ramp, accessed off of FM 1735, but no campsites or other facilities. “Lake Welsh is only about 1,300 acres in size, but it has a really good largemouth bass population,” Bister said. “We manage that lake with a special regulation where largemouth bass have to be 18 inches before you can keep one. So, it allows the fish to get to bigger sizes before they can be harvested from the lake. The warm water draws people from all over to fish the lakes, not just in the cooler months. We have a lot of tournaments, particularly bass tournaments in this whole Northeast Texas area. Everything north and east of Dallas has some of the best fishing and a lot of those are warm water lakes,” Sellers said. “Sometimes it’s a well-kept secret.”

HIKING

Better

LIFE IS

Lake

KING

Town Lake, also known as New City Lake, is an 89-acre lake located on Business 271 in Mount Pleasant just west of the

at the

Tankersley Lake is a 260 acre lake just north of Interstate 30 and west of Highway 271 North. “It’s a nice little lake with boat ramp access, so it’s a great place to go, especially on a windy day when you just have to get out and fish, but you don’t want to deal with rough water on a big reservoir,” said Bister.

Bister said the lake at Heritage Park, also referred to as Old City Lake, is a “nice place for folks to go and catch some small bass.”

Mount Pleasant offers three lakes for boating, water sports or a leisurely day of fishing. Lake Tankersley, Heritage Park Lake and Town Lake are owned by the City of Mount Pleasant.

SWIM

The lake has a good population of fish, with the most prominent species being largemouth bass and spotted bass. “For folks looking to catch spotted bass, it’s a good place to go,” said Tim Bister, “They won’t be as big as the largemouth bass, but they are fun to catch.” Bister said the lake is also a good spot for crappie fishing. Other fish species include catfish, bluegill and sunfish.

MOUNT PLEASANT CITY LAKES

“Lake Bob Sandlin is more of a fishing reservoir than Cypress Springs is. We have recreational boats, park facilities and residential developments,” said David Wideman, general manager of the Franklin County Water District. “So, we have a lot of wakeboarding, jet skis and other recreational watercraft out here on the lake.”

Heritage Park Lake is a small three acre lake at Heritage Park on North Edwards Road near I-30 and U.S. Highway 67. The 60-acre park features a large pavilion that seats 144, six picnic stations, a playground, restrooms/concessions, a half-mile lighted walking trail as well as fields and courts for softball, soccer, football, volleyball and tennis. The City of Mount Pleasant’s annual Lil’ Fishers event is held in September at the lake, which also features handicap accessible fishing piers.

Primarily a recreational lake, visitors and residents enjoy skiing, swimming and fishing the 3,461 surface acre lake. It’s located on Cypress Creek in the Cypress River Basin 15 miles northwest of Pittsburg in Franklin County.

Lake Cypress Springs features six parks with boats ramps. The parks vary in type from primitive camping to full amenities, including RV pads, water and electrical hookups, shelters, restrooms, showers, picnic tables, pavilion, grills, swim beach, playground, tennis court, baseball field, volleyball area and basketball court. “We’ve done some extensive upgrading and remodeling of our parks and we encourage people to come out and see what we’ve got,” Wideman said.

Country Club of Mount Pleasant. The lake is the home of “Quake on Town Lake,” an annual one-quarter mile drag boat racing competition benefitting Cypress Basin Hospice. The lake is surrounded by a 12 acre city park with restrooms, a lighted pavilion, benches, picnic tables and grills and two boat ramps.

Lake Cypress Springs is known as “one of the best kept secrets” in Northeast Texas. With about 2,000 waterfront residences with private boat access and several parks with public boat ramps, the lake is a draw for campers, boaters and those looking for a more permanent getaway from the city life.

Franklin County Water District built the lake and maintains the lake and facilities. They also provide water to cities in the area.

LAKE CYPRESS SPRINGS

LAXING

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Mt. Pleasant A big

Thank You”

“

to our hardworking

Ladies!

L-R: Carmen Casteneda, Melissa Dyer, Maggie Sanchez, Miranda Freeman, Cathy Sena, Rita Humphrey 8-6 M - F • 8-3 Saturday • 102 Tankersley Rd. (Next to Two Señoritas)

(903) 577-7770 • 1-888-557-7770

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Making Dreams Reality 103 West 17th Street 903-572-2400 www.MaybenRealty.com

TEXAS HELPING HANDS, INC. “A Hometown Health Service Offering Quality Home Health Care.”

116 East Third Street Mt. Pleasant, TX (903) 572-4280 1-800-323-4280

Fax (903) 572-6133

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Events June 6 & 7 Dawg Fest July 11 & 12 DSRA Outdoor Drag Racing Quake on Town Lake September 30 - October 3 Titus County Fair October 10 Everything Texas Uncorked Ranch Run & Wine Festival October 17 $5,000 Diamond Dash October 1 - 31 Fright-tober November 13 & 14 Deck the Halls December 5 & 6 Christmas on the Square

MARC H Northeast Texas Hereford Association Sale Mount Pleasant Livestock Pavilion APRIL Highway 271 Car Cruise Downtown Mount Pleasant Real Cowboys Association Rodeo MPRA Priefert Arena World Youth Rodeo MPRA Priefert Arena MAY Cinco de Mayo Celebration Mount Pleasant Civic Center & Livestock Pavilion Carroll Shelby Car Cruise Northeast Texas Community College Mount Pleasant UPRA Rodeo MPRA Priefert Arena

Downtown Market (Saturday mornings) Downtown Mount Pleasant NTCC Farmers Market (First Friday each month) Northeast Texas Community College JUNE Dawg Fest Bike Rally Mount Pleasant Civic Center Farm to Fork Farm Tour and Dinner Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce

OCTOBER $5000 Diamond Dash Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce Everything Texas Uncorked Ranch Run and Wine Festival Priefert Ranch Northeast Texas Community College Junior College Rodeo MPRA Priefert Arena

J U LY

Historic Cemetery Tours Masonic Cemetery

Happy Birthday USA Fireworks Show Trinity Baptist Church

Halloween Carnival Mount Pleasant Livestock Pavilion

Talco Fireworks Show Talco

NOVEMBER

Quake on Town Lake Town Lake

Downtown Open House Downtown Mount Pleasant

S E P T E MBER

Deck the Halls Mount Pleasant Civic Center

JUNE- S E P T E M B E R FARM E R S M A R K E T S

4-States Limousine Association Sale Mount Pleasant Livestock Pavilion

DECEMBER

Everything Texas Fresh (Thursday evenings) Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce

Titus County Fair and Livestock Show Mount Pleasant Civic Center & Livestock Pavilion

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Christmas on the Square (First weekend) Christmas Parade (First Saturday) Downtown Mount Pleasant

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David Hoover bought his first phonograph about 30 years ago, and now has 70-80 machines on display at the museum. 40

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History lives in mount pleasant Explore the bygone days of Titus County’s past. History buffs have some cool venues to lose themselves in right here in Mount Pleasant. Whether it’s taking a selfie with the Tallest Man in the Confederacy, experiencing the valor of a World War II pilot, or hearing the turn-of-the-century come to life through music, your time machine awaits.

The Edison Phonograph Museum

ake a stroll through Downtown Mount Pleasant and step into the old library building on Madison Avenue. David Hoover, the owner of its new co-occupant, Hoover’s Jewelry, will gladly break away from his jeweler’s eye loupe to share his other passion: phonograph machines. Behind one of the store’s jewelry cases sits the first version of the jukebox, a 1903 Multi-Phone. Built by the MultiPhonograph Company, it’s one of the rarest machines in the phonograph collection. The numbered cylindershaped records that pre-date the more familiar flat disc record and still spin for just a penny are a far cry from your iPod playlist or even the coin-operated machine at a throwback 50s diner. Down the well-loved spiral staircase in the historic 1925 building phonograph machines take up space along each level of the stairway, throughout the basement floor and fill up what used to be the children’s library and reading room. The 70-80 machines on display at Hoover’s, part of a private collection

between Hoover and fellow collectors, was recently launched as the Edison Phonograph Museum. In the museum, intricately-adorned wood cabinets, solid cast iron mechanisms, diamond tip styluses and brilliantly-painted, megaphonestyle speakers inspire awe in the masterpiece of Thomas Edison’s invention and the innovation of those, like Victor, who rode the phonograph bandwagon into the future of the recording industry. Edison invented the phonograph in 1877, but it wasn’t until the mid1890s that they were first sold to the public for use in their homes. They really took off in 1900. Hoover said by then, everybody was getting into the phonograph business with more than 500 companies building them. Not many were going at the magnitude of the top companies, though. “Edison was the premier machine manufacturer, followed by Victor, Brunswick, Columbia and Silvertone. But they all went by the wayside and by 1915 there

were only a handful left. The stock market crash killed the business and even Edison went out of business in 1930. Interestingly, and maybe a testament to how tenacious business sense and innovation change and evolve an industry, when Eldridge Johnson, the owner of Victor died, the company was sold to the Radio Corporation of America, which was established in the late 1920s and now known as RCA Records. “They wanted to make a combination phonograph and radio. They did that and that was a big hit in the 30s to have a radio and a phonograph all in one cabinet.” Hoover said. While Edison was the genius behind the phonograph, he was also stubborn and didn’t want to change his design, but he was pressured by the public’s demand for phonograph machines that played the newfangled flat disc record. “Edison thought the flat disc records were silly,” Hoover said. “He thought the way it was invented was the way it should be done and he didn’t like anyone telling him how it should be done.” When he finally relented in 1909, his was still the most expensive of the phonograph machines, with Edison insisting on the best quality materials. “There were people who still wanted the cylinder records because they had the machines that played them at home, so companies still made them into the 1920s,” he said.

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For Edison, though, his resistance to change with the times and his penchant for socking all his money back into his inventions, eventually led him to a financial abyss. “Edison had over 1,000 patents at his death, but most of them weren’t worth anything. He was an extremely intelligent person, but his downfall was that he wasn’t a good money manager. In the end, he went bankrupt,” Hoover said. The marvelous machines and the pioneers of the recording industry is a subject Hoover has been fascinated by for most of his life. “I was kid when I first saw one and was just intrigued by it,” Hoover said, pointing out all the intricacies of each machine in the collection. “I always thought I’d like to have one.” Hoover bought his first phonograph from a friend about 30 years ago and recently found kindred spirits in fellow phonograph collectors Dustin Ellis, a Mount Pleasant Police Department officer who is just in his 20s, and Scott Glover, curator of the Mid America Flight Museum, who started collecting phonographs when he was in his early 20s. Ellis has made collecting and restoring phonographs a full-blown hobby since he was in high school, first learning about the inner workings of the machines from Mount Pleasant businessman Edward Florey. Florey has a collection of Victrola phonographs in his real estate office. He invited Ellis to look at his collection after meeting him as he was “drooling over” a machine at the former Jo’s Antiques. Yearning to dig into its guts to figure out how it worked, he spent long hours after school studying the pieces in Florey’s collection and later gleaned knowledge from Hoover, Ellis told the East Texas

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Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877, but it wasn’t until the mid-1890s that they were first sold to the public. Journal. The three men collaborated on acquiring a sizable collection from the estate of a man in Oregon who had been collecting pieces for 40 years. “When that man passed away, David knew the collection was for sale, so he went up and looked at it and I gave him a blank check,” said Glover, who admits he’s not an avid collector like his partners, calling Hoover the brainchild behind the idea of turning their private collections into a public museum.

“The three of us have contributed to it and I’m really proud of that. It’s definitely something for our community to see,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun and I’m very proud to be a part of it.” Hoover is undoubtedly partial to the Edison machines. “The technology by Edison was pretty amazing,” he said. Edison’s phonograph was the first machine that not only recorded sound,

but also played it back. “He used a cylinder lined with a sheet of tinfoil – and later wax – to cut the records into,” Hoover said. “In 1906 they started using shellac, a plastic-type material, because it was more durable.” Hoover said many of the wax cylinders would become scratched, melt or develop mold. A section of the museum pays tribute to some of the recording artists of the period, including Vernon Dalhart, born Marion Try Slaughter in Jefferson, TX. Slaughter bombed in his first tries as a musician, but after creating his stage name – a combination of the Texas

towns of Vernon and Dalhart – he went back to New York City, auditioned for Edison and was given a recording contract. He rocketed to fame in the country music world with songs like “Oh, Susana” and “She’ll Be Comin’ Around the Mountain.” “But, that all has to do with the way it’s cared for. They should be kept in a controlled environment. A lot of these cylinders here are 115 years old and still play perfectly,” he said. Hoover said the curators have plans to add more signage to the pieces in the museum and add video commentaries

to allow visitors to take a self-guided tour and learn about the history of the machines and their inventors. Like Glover’s vintage collection of aircraft that actually fly, 95 percent of the machines in the phonograph collection are operational. He said from a sound and production perspective, the quality of the machines is impressive. “Most of these songs were recorded in a primitive setting and there’s no electrical amplification. It’s all acoustic, so the fact that they play the way they do today, to me, is pretty neat,” Hoover said.

Titus County Historical Museum

rtifacts and reproductions of bygone days of Titus County’s distant past give its residents in the 21st Century a sense of belonging to something more significant. As local school children see the names and faces of the Mount Pleasant High School Senior Class of 1926 on the wall and recognize the names E.C. Brice and P.E. Wallace as namesakes of their schools, the past is not so dusty and mysterious anymore. And, to see a vintage manual typewriter, most for the first time, and hear it described as “an early iPad” gives them a connection to now defunct technologies and a better understanding of how far we’ve come. “I tell the kids I learned to type on a manual typewriter. They’re pretty impressed with that,” said Helen Thompson, head librarian at the Mount Pleasant Library where the Titus County History Museum is housed.

The museum was curated from pieces brought over from the old library, and designed by a Dallas firm when the new library opened two years ago. The signature structures in the museum include reproductions of a Caddo Indian grass hut, a Civil War tent and a rural log cabin with a chicken coop. The focus on the Caddo Indian tribe takes visitors back 400-500 years to before the first white settlers came to this area of the country around 1830. “Everything they used they had to make themselves, so we have some pottery and other artifacts of those everyday items, said Youth Services Librarian Jeanette McCoy. As you step inside the Indian tent, a soft female voice tells stories of brave warriors and life among the Caddo tribes. The mummified snake, which is said to have gotten stuck between two rocks during a drought, is a big hit with kids and elicits squeals of delight.

“Tallest Man in the Confederacy.” mtpleasanttx.com

As you circle the room, the tell-tale signs of one of the biggest tall tales in Mount Pleasant’s history come into view. A mural portrays guests of the lavish Dellwood Hotel at Dellwood Park in boats on the park’s lake in the early 1900s. The mural sets the scene for a time of “snake-oil” salesmen and ladies and gentleman dabbling in the latest heal-all cures. But, the first thing the kids notice is the water. Thompson asks them if they’ve ever taken a canoe out on the lake at Dellwood Park. “They look at me and say, ‘Are you crazy?’” Thompson says with a laugh. Of course, the lake is no longer there and all that remains of the once-grand 70-room resort hotel is the steps. The waters of the lake were

promoted as having healing properties by the original landowner, entrepreneur Jessie Reed, and later by the hotel owner. They called the mineral-tinged waters “Iridescent Springs.” “They tried to market Mount Pleasant as a spa. Three different types of water were sold. One had a blue tint, one had a red tint and one was a milky color. It was all just snake oil,” Thompson said. McCoy said people from all over the area would come to the resort to partake of the water’s “healing” powers. “They would ride the train and get on a mule-drawn trolley that would take them out to Dellwood Park. They would stay in the huge hotel on the top of the hill and they believed if they bathed in

The reproduction log cabin shows how families lived 100 years ago in a one-room house with sparse belongings and the whole family sleeping in the same room.

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the water or drank it, that would cure whatever ailed them,” she said. “There were promotional booklets with doctors testifying about how great it was.” If you couldn’t afford to stay at the spa and you came through on the train, people would bring water from Dellwood to the train in bottles. A few of the bottles are on display at the museum. One was donated by Mrs. Vivian Fowler, who also has a school named after her. As the public’s confidence in the waters waned, the hotel and the mineral water business went under. The hotel changed hands and met its fate in a fire around 1925. The museum also tells the story of Titus County’s farming history when “cotton was king.” “Before the Civil War there were a lot of cotton farmers. There weren’t huge plantations as much as there were small family farms,” McCoy said. A primitive cotton scale used to weigh the fiber in the cotton is on display in the museum, along with other instruments used by the farmers. At the Civil War tent, a soldier the librarians have dubbed “Lt. Dan” sits behind a writing desk and tells stories of the Army camp at Mount Pleasant and introduces kids to Henry Clay Thruston, who was known as the “Tallest Man in the Confederacy.” Although his actual height is debated among historical accounts, he was estimated to be between 7’2 and 7’7. The soldier tells visitors, “Folks around here call him the “Texas Giant.” Go take a photo with him.” A full-sized photo cutout of Thruston stands behind the tent. “The kids love to go over and see how high they come up on him,” McCoy said. Thruston, originally from South Carolina, settled in this area after the Civil War and toured with the Barnum and Bailey Circus. His historic home is in Mount Vernon, although he is buried at Edwards Cemetery in Mount

Pleasant. Mount Pleasant was mainly an outpost for supplies during the Civil War. “Many people who lived in Mount Pleasant fought on the side of the South, but Mount Pleasant was mainly where troops came to pick up supplies. We kept them fed and clothed, Thompson said.” Handmade tools on display demonstrate how people had to first form the tools to make everything else they needed. “A Mr. Elder made a lot of these tools,” McCoy said. Elder used those tools to make a rocking chair that is also on display. Railroad artifacts, including a lantern, adorn another mural-covered wall in

the museum, showing its importance in supporting the growth of Mount Pleasant. “We have a surveyor’s compass that was used by the Riddle family. A lot of the land in Titus County was surveyed for the first time by the Riddles. We even have some of their field notes,” McCoy said. Another unique item is a book of poetry written by freed slave John P. Williams. “We have part of that book on display. He actually wrote about Mount Pleasant in a poem called ‘Lovely Dellwood,’ ” McCoy said. Thompson said the library has acquired a few new pieces, too. “We just received a bell from the turn of the century, the late 1800s, that was from

this area. It was in West Texas and a library there got hold of me. The couple who owned it just delivered it a few months ago,” she said. The museum isn’t very large, encompassing one room in the library, but Thompson said it does a very good job of capturing Mount Pleasant’s past. “Without that, we don’t have a sense of history, especially for kids. They can read about things, but it’s not real to them until they lay their eyes on it,” said Thompson, who is a retired teacher. “I think a culture is lost if you don’t have a sense of history, of where you came from.

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The Mid America Flight Museum

he star of the Mid America Flight Museum, the DC-3 “Sky King,” has some new wingmen this year as the museum soars into new territory. The aviation museum has added several new aircraft to its already impressive collection of vintage military and civilian planes. It will also soon have a new home at the Mount Pleasant Regional Airport. The organization broke ground in October 2014 on a new hangar that will be 160 feet wide and at least 150 feet deep, three times larger than Pilgrim’s corporate hangar. It could also be built 200 feet deep if there is enough funding for the estimated $1.3 million project. The aircraft are currently scattered among seven smaller hangars at the airport. “We’re hopeful that we’ll have the museum hangar finished by April 1,” said its curator, Mount Pleasant

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business owner and antique aircraft enthusiast Scott Glover. The new larger hangar will be located on the far north end of the airport rather than on the airport property along U.S. Highway 271 as originally planned, although Glover said the change in plans will work out better. “It actually wouldn’t be as conducive for the museum to be out by the highway like we planned. I have four full-time guys and the hangar will be right by them, so technically, it will always be open,” Glover said. “If it was near the highway, I wouldn’t have the people to staff it to welcome the public.” The museum board – made up of Glover, John Cortelyou and Brian Dyke - will also be able to take its mission to new heights with its recentlygranted status as a 501(c) (3) nonprofit

organization by having the ability to accept tax-deductible donations from businesses and individuals. That mission is to honor veterans, mentor kids, provide community involvement and preserve aviation history. The majority of the museums 20 planes fly on a regular basis, while all others are being restored to fly, one of the most unique aspects of its mission. The museum does not display static aircraft. The most notable of the museum’s newly-acquired planes is the Ford Trimotor, an American three-engine transport aircraft first produced in 1925 by Henry Ford’s companies. It was nicknamed the “Tin Goose.” “This Ford Trimotor is one of seven flyable Trimotors in the world. That’s by

far our most valuable aircraft,” Glover said. “It’s probably worth as much as all the others put together. It’s an incredible aircraft.” Another new plane is the rare Douglas A-26 Bomber, the fastest bomber in World War II. There are only 12 that are flyable in the world. They also added a Torpedo Bomber, the type of aircraft that Former President George H.W. Bush was shot down in during WWII. There’s another Lockheed Lodestar L-18 in the collection as well. “There are only seven or eight that are flyable in the world and we have three of them here,” Glover said. “We’re becoming known as the Lockheed capital of the United States.” They also now have a Piper Cub among the granddads of the aviation world. “Everybody should have a Piper Cub. It’s like the Model A to the car collector. It’s a really neat one. It’s not expensive to fly so we’re going to be able to use that one to mentor kids,” Glover said. Honoring veterans is the part of the museum’s mission that Glover is most passionate about. “We first want to honor veterans. That’s my heart,” he said. He was thrilled recently to be able to take a World War II B-24 pilot. “I got a call from a lady looking for a museum to give her Dad a ride. None

of the museums in Dallas could do it. They were charging $400. She heard about our museum and I told her we’d do it absolutely free and she couldn’t believe it,” Glover said. “To those veterans, those World War II guys, we’ll fly them anytime for free.” The museum’s activity has picked up significantly; recently hosting political, civic and veterans group meetings and a military reunion. The organization has also flown across the country for events, including a trip to Minneapolis, MN where they flew 130 WWII veterans. They also participated in a Fly Day event in Tyler in October 2014 for Dallas-based Challenge Air, which helps children and youth with special needs through the experience of flight. Mid America was able to fly 142 children at the event. “The museum has been busier in the last three months than it has in the last four years,” Glover said. While offering rides to fulfill its mission is costly, Glover is confident that the community will embrace the museum and help support it financially. Once the museum’s permanent home is constructed, the organization will host a community fundraiser. “We’re not all about the money. The money will come if they see you doing good things for the right reasons,” he said.

J Honoring Veterans

Recognizing and providing aviation experiences to veterans and their families is the museum’s way of showing its appreciation for their sacrifices. Money cannot buy the joy you see in their eyes when flying in one of these historic planes. Mid America Flight Museum gives more than 600 free rides to veterans and their families each year.

J Mentoring Kids

Aviation provides young people an opportunity to be a part of something that will stay with them for life. Some may do nothing with it, while others may learn to fly and use it to pursue aviation careers in the military, for corporations or commercial airlines. Mid America Flight Museum can be a positive influence in the lives of a few young aviators each year.

J Community Involvement

Mid America Flight Museum offers people an opportunity to expand their knowledge base in aviation and serve the community at the same time. Through aircraft restoration projects, volunteers have opportunities to make friends, help preserve aviation history and mentor others. As a benefit, all volunteers will get to participate in flying events.

J Preserving Aviation History Taking an old airplane that most everyone else has given up on and restoring it back to flying condition is extremely rewarding. Mid America Flight Museum’s goal is to be good stewards of the resources it has to keep these aircraft flying.

mtpleasanttx.com

2 DEALERSHIPS, 1 LOCATION

903 - 572 - 3486

903 - 572 - 4371 I-30 SOUTH ACCESS RD

2055 West Burton Road Mount Pleasant, Tx 75455

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Scott E. Redfearn Inc.

First Presbyterian Church Loving God and neighbor with our lives

903 563 1098

Sunday School @ 9:45am â&#x20AC;˘ Worship @ 11:00am Ministerio Agape alabanza @ 2pm

401 N. Madison Ave. Mt. Pleasant, TX 75455 Church Phone: 903-572-8832 http://www.fpcmptx.org/ Rev. Shane K. Webb, Pastor

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A t radition of t rust and honesty

       

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Mount Pleasant Independent School District An Award-Winning, Fully Accredited K-12 School District Active Early Head Start, Head Start and Pre-K Programs • Modern Facilities

Serving over 5500 Students on 8 campuses • Pre-AP and AP classes in English, French, Math, Science, Social Studies, Spanish and Studio Art • Dual Credit College Classes & Tech Prep Classes Full Range of Career and Technical Education Classes including Health Science Marketing, Criminal Justice, AgriScience, Building Trades, and Ready, Set, Teach Art & Music Classes on All Campuses • Award-Winning Dance and Drama Programs Wide Range of Athletic Offerings

EVERY CHILD HAS EVERY CHANCE TO LEARN

Mt. Pleasant ISD is an equal opportunity employer. Mount Pleasant ISD P.O. Box 1117 • Mount Pleasant, TX 75456-1117 • 903.575.2000 Visit us on the web at www.mpisd.net • Twitter: @mpisdtigers • Facebook: Mount Pleasant ISD

900 Industrial Road • Mount Pleasant, Texas 75455-3338 903/572-1811 • FAX: 903/572-5252

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McKelvey Trailer Parts

Tennison Memorial United Methodist Church Corner of Church St. and 3rd St., Mt. Pleasant Church Office (903)572-5341 www.tennisonumc.org

Pastor, Reverend Mike Cline

Sunday Worship Schedule The Gathering

8:45 am

Sunday School

9:45 am

Casual Service with Contemporary Music and coffee in a relaxed setting Small group studies for all ages

Traditional Worship

Traditional service with the Chancel Choir in our beautiful sanctuary

10:45 am

Wednesday Activities Men’s Prayer Breakfast

6:30 am

Open to all men in the community.

Gerald A. Stagg, MD, FAAP Gerald A. Stagg, MD, Joel D. Chapman, MD,FAAP FAAP D. Chapman, MD, FAAP J.Joel Colton Bradshaw, MD, FAAP J. Colton Bradshaw, MD, FAAP Marc E. Kimball, MD, FAAP Marc E. Kimball, MD, FAAP Michael D. Henry, MD, FAAP Linda M. McDermott, RN, PNP Sue Droske, RN, CPNP Sue Droske, RN, CPNP Kathy Sanders,RN, RN,CPNP CPNP Kathy Sanders, Rebecca Calvert, RN, CPNP 2001 North Jeﬀerson Medical Oﬃce Building, Suite 300 Mount Pleasant, Texas (903) 572-9823

Choir Practice

6:00 pm

Bible Studies for all ages

Meeting thechildren childrenand and Meetingthe thehealthcare healthcare needs of the teenagers Texasfor for31 33years. years. teenagersofof Northeast Northeast Texas

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Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors

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Monday-Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm Saturday 8:00am to Noon

We are pleased to offer the following features on our secure patient portal Online Billpay, Ask a Staff, Prescription Refills and Online Appointment Requests. Please visit our website at www.pediclinic.com.

South Jefferson Baptist Church

“Serving the school districts

that serve your children since 1967.”

Named Community Partner of the Year by Northeast Texas Workforce Solutions www.reg8.net

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GEOCACHINg A F A M I LY F R I E N D LY D I G I T A L T R E A S U R E H U N T

re you a travel bug? Then the

on a hot spot tour of all the neat things

growing trend of geocaching

that the city and the county has to offer.

is right up your alley. It combines the

Follow all the clues and uncover all the

outdoors with fun, good times with

secret caches and you’ve experienced

friends, and the thrill of the hunt.

“Everything Texas” in a cool new way.

If you really want to take it on the road,

The Chamber plans to model its

according to geocaching.com, there are

Everything Texas GeoTour after

2,526,311 active geocaches and over 6

the tour in the city known as “The

million geocachers worldwide.

Birthplace of Texas.” The Birthplace

Sound fun so far? Your curiosity is up, isn’t it?

The explosion in popularity of smartphones has opened geocaching to a greater population of adventure seeking travelers.

of Texas GeoTour features 38 caches hidden throughout historic Brenham and Washington County, Texas. There

“It’s like huge scavenger hunt,” said

are a total of 200 caches in the county,

Kiara Nunez, marketing assistant

but the official tour includes specific

for the Mount Pleasant Titus County

Chamber-designated spots. It’s the

Chamber of Commerce. “A lot of

first official Geo Tour in the state and

people do it when they retire because they can travel, but there are also a lot of families because it’s kid-friendly. It’s fun for them to get the hints online and go out and try to find the location of the cache.” But it can also be a day or a weekend

“A lot of people do it when they retire because they can travel, but there are also a lot of families because it’s kid-friendly. It’s fun for them to get the hints online and go out and try to find the location of the cache.”

trip, too, if you just want something fun to do as a group in a short amount of time. Within 25 miles of Mount Pleasant, you can find 341 caches. Within 50 miles, there are 1,799 caches and within 100 miles, you can find 10,481 of the sneaky hidden treasures.

the Chamber there has set it up so geocachers can win prizes based on a point system as they find the caches, eat in restaurants, shop locally and spend the night in hotels. If you collect 25 points or more, you win a

Throughout Texas, there’s a whopping

collectible geocoin and its trackable

63,271 caches. Nunez is researching

twin travel bug to send abroad into

the game to begin setting up a GeoTour

the world.

for Mount Pleasant and Titus County.

An actual travel bug discovered in Mount

The Mount Pleasant Chamber hopes

Pleasant that originated in Germany. Travel

The idea is to create a local GeoTour

to have its GeoTour up and running in

bugs can cross thousands of miles while

that takes visitors and local residents

early 2015.

being tracked via their unique code.

mtpleasanttx.com

“I tasked Kiara with making Mount

Bug Outhouse, pays homage to the

“All of my friends do it and I had lost my

Pleasant the geocaching capital of Texas,”

heyday of Mount Pleasant’s Moonlight

phone, so I actually bought an iPhone

said Chamber CEO Faustine Curry.

Jubilee Outhouse Races. The description

just for geocaching, so I could use the

on the Geocaching site gives this hint:

app,” he said.

YOUR FIRST ADVENTURE

“Travel Bug Rest Stop…Outhouse

variety, but this outhouse is inside!” As

hen you set up an account on the Geocaching website or on

the app, you can search for caches by

you get closer to the cache, the app gives you a second hint: “Just walk in

Ireland is married with two boys, ages nine and twelve. “It’s something for us to get out and do together,” he said.

ZIP code or by your current location.

the door. You’re always welcome here.”

The Geo map pops up with cache

Geocacher 4vrSprout discovered

icons that are color-coded by difficulty.

the Travel Bug Outhouse cache

Click a cache icon and a window opens

(somewhere in Mount Pleasant) and

“I like to find them and then go back

showing the name of the cache, when it

logged this comment on the official

and take my boys back so they can find

was hidden, the level of difficulty to find,

website: “Found this and was surprised

them before I log them in,” Ireland said.

the size of the cache and the terrain

by people selling jelly, honey and a lot

difficulty. Then you get the coordinates

of other stuff. Great find.”

of the cache and send it to your phone and the app’s GPS system points you in the direction of the cache. Once you find the general area, you can use the clues, hints or riddles to pinpoint its

Geocacher ceeotto also found it, logging, “This is the first time I have discovered a cache in this kind of environment. I did my paperwork, then,

exact spot.

smiled and waved at the lady behind

Then you get to brag about finding it by

smiled and waved back.”

submitting a log for that cache online. One of the caches in Mount Pleasant was set up in April of 2009 by Chuck Hinton, known in the geocaching world as Buffalo Scout. The cache, named Travel

the desk. She was on the phone, but

In just four days after he started his geocaching quest, Ireland had found 10 caches and logged four of them.

Curry is excited about the tourism opportunities that a GeoTour can bring. “I am so fired up. I think that it can really drive some people to Mount Pleasant that normally wouldn’t come to this area. It has the potential to pull in an entirely different audience that we may or may not be connecting with,” she said. “With a tour set up, we have an

Sid Ireland, who works for ETMC’s Air

entirely different outlet to gain exposure

One, based at Titus Regional Medical

for Mount Pleasant and Titus County

Center, also got a kick out of finding the

and the unique spots here.”

Travel Bug Outhouse cache.

Geocaching 101: Geocaching is a high-tech worldwide hunt for treasure hidden in secret caches. Geocachers tend to be tech savvy, adventurous, riddle-solving, challenge seekers who go in search of the cache and its loot. The caches are boxes, or other creatively hidden spaces that vary in size, housing an official Geocaching log and interesting mementos – or travel bugs – that geocachers have left for others to find. Game etiquette requires that if you take one, then you must leave one. Some of the travel bugs are official geocaching tokens, tags or coins called trackables. These travel bugs have tracking codes on them that can be entered into the official Geocaching.com website to track their progress. A trackable travel bug can be left in Mount Pleasant by an international traveler, and then picked up and moved to a new cache by the next geocacher. When etiquette is followed, a trackable’s journey can be traced across states and countries far and wide.

YO U R C O N N E C T I O N 2 0 1 5

Geocaching can take participants to far away places, but can also help them find hidden gems in the cities and parks near their homes. All someone needs to get started is a GPS enabled device (like your average smartphone) and enough curiosity to step out the front door.

mtpleasanttx.com

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1125 North Jefferson Ave. Mount Pleasant, TX 75455 903-572-3635 • www.EverybodysFurniture.net Join us for Sunday Classes for all ages - 9:00 AM Worship Services - 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM Wednesday Classes and Devotional - 7:00 PM Ladies’ Classes Tuesday - 10:00 AM during school months Youth Activities - Bible Bowl during school months and Summer Youth Series during summer months

YO U R C O N N E C T I O N 2 0 1 5

BEANE’S HALLMARK SHOP STEVEN E. BEANE (903) 572-7373

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614 S. JEFFERSON, MT. PLEASANT, TEXAS 75455

Historic Downtown Library Building 213 N. Madison Ave. • Mt. Pleasant, TX 75455 P 903-577-8183 • F 903-856-5569 Email hooverwd@gmail.com Owners: David & Wyn Hoover & Heath Hoover

500 N. Washington Mt. Pleasant, TX 903-572-8406

131 Jefferson Pittsburg, TX 903-856-2521

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Open Seven Days a Week Six Shows - Twice Nightly Matinees Daily Big Snack Bar

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Unique Everything Texas Lodging We love the word staycation around here. It fits for the folks who live here and know the cool spots to hole up away from home. But, we also like to share our “Everything Texas” hideaways with the rest of world. There’s everything from fun lakeside cabins, a cozy carriage house B&B and a working farm experience to a unique wine country getaway, a lavender-scented luxury B&B and huge vacation “cabins” on a rambling rural ranch. Take your pick. You won’t be disappointed. You’ll make some new friends; experience the slower pace of life in our neck of the woods and you’ll definitely come back to see us again. 58

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Lamb’s Farm Bed & Breakfast This quiet escape in Cookville, just 10 minutes from Mount Pleasant, looks nothing like its rustic neighbors in rural Titus County. The B&B, owned by Rex and Patsy Lamb, is on a working cattle ranch, but has New England Cape Cod-style flair. The private two-story Carriage House was built in 1998 and is furnished with

many of the Lamb’s antique collections. It was actually home to the Lamb’s for two years while the large main house was being built after they retired from their jobs in Rockwall and decided to move back to their farm. The cottage features an apartment with a full kitchen stocked with dishes and utensils on the second floor that accommodates up to five guests. The lower floor is a finished garage, remodeled into a nice large space for gatherings, games or

Breakfast at Lavender Mermaid B&B is a full array of gourmet dishes, including homemade scones with homemade jams made from local produce, homemade granola and fresh fruit salad tossed with lavender syrup.

meetings. There’s also a large deck to sit outside and enjoy a Northeast Texas night under the stars.

friends, or for larger groups to have a wedding or baby shower or a women’s retreat.

“We have a scrapbooking group that comes. They do scrapbooking downstairs and stay upstairs,” said Patsy Lamb.

The choice to enjoy your privacy or socialize with your hosts is a nice touch, affording guests a relaxing private getaway and a romantic breakfast in bed or a comfortable, lively chat with new friends, even if there’s a bit of an accent barrier between East Texas and the Land Down Under. “We’ve met a lot of wonderful people. Just last year, a couple from Australia found us on the Internet and they were coming to the United States for a 15-day trip,” Lamb said. “They stayed with us their first night and came over and had breakfast with us. We just sat and talked. It was just so wonderful. Of course, there were some things that we said that they couldn’t understand and we couldn’t understand some of the things they said.” The couple wrote the Lamb’s more than once after the trip, they said. “We just can’t tell you how much we enjoyed staying with you. It was more fun staying at your place than staying anywhere else in the United States,’ ” she said.

The Main House, which has a large porch that covers the back of the home, also offers two cozy guest bedrooms with a separate entrance and bathroom. The B&B sits on the Lamb’s 250-acre farm where they raise grass-fed Angus cattle and plant hay, so there’s plenty of room to roam the property. Guests can enjoy fishing in the creeks, exploring the property on a four-wheeler, feeding donkeys or hiking through the woods filled with red and white oaks. Breakfast is a home-cooked, country-style affair with Rex’s famous Mile High Biscuits & Gravy, eggs, bacon or sausage and mouthwatering syrup and homemade jellies. There’s also competition on the menu from Patsy’s Prizewinning Scones with Fresh Berries and Cream and Country Quiche. You can enjoy breakfast at the cottage or in the dining room of the Main House. “We’ll take breakfast over to the Carriage House or they can come eat with us, or eat out on the porch or at the picnic tables,” Lamb said. Of course, there’s more than one meal in a day, but not to worry. The Lamb’s offer a lunch and dinner menu and homemade refreshments with iced tea and coffee as you while away the afternoon. And Patsy’s guests never leave empty-handed. She’ll bake a fresh fruit cobbler for them to take home or a cake to celebrate a special occasion. It’s the perfect stop for a business traveler who prefers the comforts of home or ideal for honeymooners, a family vacation, a weekend away with

Lavender Mermaid Bed & Breakfast Lavender Mermaid is not your typical bed and breakfast. There are several reasons for that, but if you like privacy, luxury, lavender and wine country, this is the B&B for you. The bed and breakfast has been in business for five years. Since opening, co-owners Michelle Smith and Tanya Byrd have enjoyed a steady stream of guests visiting the off-the-beaten-path haven on 30 acres in Camp County. Their neighbors, Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards & Winery, have been very hospitable, sharing a bottle of wine and sending many a guest their way. Smith, a Dallas transplant, spent 25 years in the mortgage industry

traveling from coast to coast. She was ready to settle down to a slower pace of life, on a quiet slice of real estate, and the Piney Woods of East Texas had always been the place she escaped to. “I had a lake house on Cypress Springs and many years ago had heard about this little winery Los Pinos. I got to know the original winemaker and started every weekend having a bottle of wine with him and then go back to our lake house,” Smith said. “I knew if I didn’t get out of that business, I’d have a heart attack or stroke and I had always wanted to do a bed and breakfast.” Her newfound friend at the winery suggested that she look for some land near Los Pinos and the two businesses could benefit each other. “One day we were driving down County Road 1332 toward the winery and we saw a ‘For Sale’ sign on this property, so I bit the bullet, bought the property, sold everything in Dallas and came out to Pittsburg, Texas,” Smith said. She brought her passion for lavender with her. While they don’t have lavender fields, the purple-hued flora and its fragrant aroma are infused throughout the property, adorning the cottages, the mtpleasanttx.com

main house and in the gourmet dishes and truffles that she prepares. “I cook with lavender and I make chocolate lavender truffles that are waiting at your bedside so that you have sweet dreams,” she said. The lavender is also the signature ingredient in the organic toiletries provided in the guest cottages. “We also sell our lavender products, lotions, soaps, shampoos, body spray and air freshener made with organic lavender essential oil at our little gift shop,” Smith said. The luxurious accommodations, warm hospitality, personal service and private space are among the things that sets this unique refuge apart. “We have top-of-the-line beds, high-count Turkish robes and towels, we furnish fresh ground organic coffee and cream and chilled waters in the rooms,” Smith said. Breakfast is a full array of gourmet dishes, including homemade scones with homemade jams made from local produce, homemade granola and fresh fruit salad tossed with lavender syrup. “We deliver breakfast to your door in vintage coolers,” Smith said. Each of the four cottages has a private covered porch with ceiling fans that face out into the countryside. “That gives you your own individual escape because you never have to leave your room unless you want to,” she said. The backs of the cottages face a courtyard that features a lovely mermaid fountain that delights guests as they listen to the waters cascading down the stones. The common courtyard and pergola allows guests to gather and enjoy each other’s company.” “I do have a lot of groups that travel together and they rent all of the cottages,” Smith said. “If they want, I can serve their breakfast family-style under the pavilion.” Guests can also light a fire in the chiminea, a Spanish clay fireplace that burns pine wood and dried lavender kindling, relax in the two-person

YO U R C O N N E C T I O N 2 0 1 5

hammock and watch the starlit night sky or retreat to their private porches for a glass of wine, quiet conversation and reflection. The B&B has continued to thrive mainly by word of mouth. “That’s been our best advertisement. We have many repeat customers and referrals from Los Pinos,” she said. “The neat thing is that we are just one mile from the winery, but also we’re in the center of the Piney Woods Wine Trail, so you can actually go to five different wineries all within a 35-minute drive from here.” It’s a dream spot for a wine tourist, for those following the trail to take in the beauty of the fall colors or those just out exploring the Piney Woods of Texas. “It’s an escape from your normal everyday life,” Smith said. “At Lavender Mermaid, you are pampered with luxurious things, a wonderful breakfast is brought to your door in the morning and that allows you to have a wonderful escape from reality for a night or two.”

Deer Lake Cabins Ranch Resort Deer Lake Cabins Ranch Resort is where luxury, comfort and style meet tradition, nature and serenity. If you’re looking for a getaway that takes you far away from the noise, bumper-to-bumper traffic and corporate ladders of big city life, experience the wide open spaces, peaceful starlit skies and the leather and chaps of ranchers working something with true horsepower. The resort sits on the 950-acre Double S Ranch located adjacent to Lake Cypress Springs near Mount Vernon.

The guests of Deer Lake Cabins Ranch Resort not only come for the unique, luxury accommodations, but also to experience life on a real Texas ranch. The Double S Ranch is a family-owned working Cutting Horse ranch, which is home to two World Champion stallions, Double S Dually and Sting N Starlight. But, don’t be fooled by the word cabins. These aren’t your typical small cozy cabin rentals. They are beautifully designed, luxurious rental cabins, built to host families and groups of all sizes. “There are 13 cabins ranging in sizes to sleep from two persons to up to 16 people,” said Rochelle White, who manages the resort with her husband, Randy White. “We call them cabins, but they’re really elaborate houses.” Each of the fully-furnished and stocked cabins has its own unique theme and style of architecture and decor. Eight of the cabins are on the banks of a 26-acre lake; the other five are dispersed throughout the property. They range in style from the largest, the Rambling Rose, a three-story home with six bedrooms, a loft, four bathrooms, a dining room with glass walls and a game room to the Honeymoon Hill, a one bedroom, one bath rustic log cabin that is secluded on 40 acres and features a wraparound porch, a deck and private pond. The cabins feature open concept kitchens, fireplaces, fire pits and outdoor grills. The themes of the other cabins are Texas Star, Kangaroo Corner. Allen House, Sunshine Cabin, Buffalo Bunkhouse, Blue House, Nature’s Nest, Saw Mill House, Log Cabin, Cedar Loft and Wild West. “They vary widely. Some are traditional log cabins, others

are western style or traditional homes and some are nature themed, while others are very modern,” White said. “They’re all unique and fun to stay in.” The cabins themselves are not the only fun to be found on the rambling ranch, though. There are plenty of cows and horses to see and ranch life to experience. “On the lake, there’s fishing, paddle boats, paddle boarding, jon boats and kayaks,” White said. “We also have 12 miles of hiking and biking trails and we offer trail rides and Gators and Mules that they take out and drive the trails.” Mountain bikes, two large playgrounds, sand volleyball courts and basketball courts are also available. It’s the perfect escape for families, honeymooners, family reunions and corporate retreats. “It’s very family-friendly. We have lots of family reunions. They’ll rent three cabins close to each other. People come for Thanksgiving and Christmas all the time. They’ll spend their whole Thanksgiving here,” White said. “Businesses frequently rent out all the cabins for a corporate retreat,” she said. ”They’ll go from the boardroom to the horse pen and enjoy an authentic ranch experience as they learn horsemanship skills under the direction of the ranch’s professional horse men and women, learn to work with cattle and horses and handle a rope.”

to immerse themselves in ranching, roping and riding, they still want to be pampered and enjoy the comforts of home. “We want to add a spa to offer massages. Our goal is to have that ready by summer 2015,” White said. “We really want to appeal to high-end clients who want to get away, relax and enjoy nature, but also enjoy a luxury spa experience.” But all that is not just for tourists from Dallas and Houston. “We have quite a few people from the Mount Pleasant, Winnsboro and Mount Vernon areas that come and stay with us, so it’s definitely also a staycation destination,” White said.

Greer Farm Cabins Guests of Greer Farm experience life on the farm in rich living color. With four rustic log cabins set along an 11-acre lake with a sand beach, guests not only have a water oasis nestled among the trees to play on watercraft and fish, they can feed and watch the animals on the 250-acre farm and ranch in Daingerfield, about 20 minutes east of Mount Pleasant.

quarter horses and Pepper, the Zebra. It’s the sort of thing that caught the artistic eye of Jinky Art, a photography studio in Australia, who recently visited the farm for a photography retreat and photo shoot for two dozen photographers from Down Under. “They go on retreats to exotic places all over the world and they picked us out of the blue,” said Sid Greer, who owns the farm with his wife Eva, a chef who shares her culinary talents with the large groups who rent out the cabins. “We don’t do a restaurant here, but I cook for guests when they rent out all of the cabins. Eight to ten people is the minimum, but we’ll serve up to 30, three meals a day,” Eva Greer said. Jinky Art specializes in photographing children with animals and nature, making Greer Farm the perfect backdrop to the artist’s unique, somewhat quirky and ethereal style. Chef Eva will teach a private cooking class for guests, including kids, to introduce their palates to the world of not only her tantalizing gourmet dishes, but Farm-to-Table eating, a concept of cooking using only the fresh meats,

The ranch resort is also planning to add more amenities and activities in the near future. “We’re going to be hosting events like team sorting, team roping and barrel racing,” she said. The majority of their guests are from Dallas and Houston, folks White calls “city slickers.” “We want to do the ranch events to bring in the local community to watch the competitions and as another entertainment element for the guests,” she said. While the city-dwelling tourists will enjoy shedding the business suit, Bluetooth and briefcase

You can take in the view of the barnyard’s menagerie of ducks, pigs, geese, goats, sheep, lambs and roosters. Then stroll over to watch the chickens laying eggs in the henhouse or throw feed to the chickens or hand feed the

vegetables, fruits and herbs raised and grown on the local farm with organic methods. “Cooking is a passion of mine. The cooking class is a lot of fun. I can do classes from as small as eight up to 17. We do it right here in my mtpleasanttx.com

kitchen and we try to do as much hands on as we can,” she said. Along with the cultured cuisine, guests can get an up close view of where the food comes from as they tour the farm, pick berries from the blackberry and blueberry patches and vegetables from the gardens in summertime. Other fun activities include, hiking, riding the bike trails, volleyball, basketball, tether ball, or playing a game on the Bocce court, an ancient game that is a combination of skee-ball, bowling and shuffleboard. Back at the lake, guests can splash away the afternoon on kayaks, canoes, jon boats, paddleboards and paddleboats. Guests can enjoy the evening sitting around the fire pit on 1950’s vintage lawn chairs and cook out on the grill or just relax in the rocking chair on the cabin’s porch, taking in the sounds of a simpler life. When it’s time to hit the hay, the log cabins feature country decor with old fashioned wrought iron queen beds, comfy and inviting quilt-covered mattresses and gorgeous wood plank walls and ceilings. There’s also a queen-size sofa bed, ceiling fans, a luxury bathroom with an oversized shower, a kitchenette with all the basic necessities, a dining table and a writing desk. There are also the comforts of city life with satellite TV, wireless internet, if you just have to get some work in, and a land line phone, just in case the cell service gets spotty out in the back forty of Northeast Texas. But, if you can, just relax and play. The Greers, who left the city life behind in Houston to start a new life of farming and living off the land, say “There’s no better cure for city life than sitting on the porch sipping a cool drink as the sun sets behind the lake. Your worries stop the moment you enter the front gate.”

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Barefoot Bay Marina For a fun weekend by the lake, Barefoot Bay Marina & Resort offers something for everyone. Whether you want to rough it in a tent, hook up your RV, rent a cabin or even a lake house, fishermen, friends and families can find the perfect place to hang their hats. The Marina is located at the F.M. 1520 bridge on Lake Bob Sandlin within Barefoot Bay Cove. The natural shoreline of the 9,400-acre lake is surrounded by the beautiful trees of the Piney Woods region. The Marina offers six lakeside cabins, fully furnished with beds, sofas and kitchenettes with coffee makers. The cabins also include satellite TV. There are three different sizes of cabins; the largest is over 800 square feet. They can be rented by the day, weekend, weekly or monthly. The cabins feature front porches and decks on the back. “They are nice and roomy. You can go out and sit on the deck and enjoy the view,” said Tina Allen, the Marina manager. “It’s so nice and peaceful and the fishing is fantastic.” Barefoot Bay also offers a 4-bedroom, 2-bath brick lake house that sleeps up to nine people comfortably and includes a 2-car garage. The waterfront home is fully furnished and features a large wooden deck that faces the lake with over 360 feet of shoreline frontage. The home rents by the weekend, week or month. “It sits up on the hill by itself on the lakeshore,” Allen said. “The furnishings are very nice. It has a huge entertainment center with books, a flat screen TV, a big nice black leather couch and love seat and a fireplace.” The rooms include a king size bed in the master, two rooms with queen beds and the fourth bedroom has a twin bed and a bunk bed. “The lake house is booked three weekends out of the month, so you’re taking a chance if you don’t call ahead of time,” Allen said. She said the Marina is also considering adding five or six new cabins on two lots across the bridge from the Marina.

The Barefoot Bay Marina RV Park sits on ten acres of wooded trees and has beautiful views of the lake. It was named Best RV Park in the Upper Eastside of Texas by County Line Magazine. It features 80 RV hookups with electricity and sewer and clean, newly-remodeled bath houses. The Marina includes 40 wet boat slips that can be rented by the week, month or for the whole year. The Marina and the adjacent property offer plenty of space for primitive tent camping as well. Campers have access to the bath house amenities of the RV Park. The boat ramp is free for Marina customers to use to head out on the lake for fishing and water sports. The Marina also offers a fully-stocked convenience store and gas station. The Barefoot Bay Marina Sports Bar & Grill overlooks Lake Bob Sandlin with exceptional views. The sports bar serves beer, wine and daiquiris and features karaoke on Friday nights and live bands on Saturday nights. Guests can also play pool, darts or enter a friendly game of shuffleboard on Wednesday nights. The grill serves up a full menu of American fare, including BBQ beef and chicken sandwiches, burgers, fries, onion rings, grilled chicken sandwiches, hot wings and pizza. Friends and families can also enjoy outdoor games, including sand volleyball, horseshoes and washers, ride bikes on the trails and relax in the Jacuzzi. A designated swimming area is also available. “We’re a very family-oriented park. The kids have a lot of fun at the swimming area and they love to ride their bikes and come over here and play games,” Allen said.

She said the park has just completed a nature trail that runs through the woods behind the property. The trail features markers that identify the different varieties of trees. “We recently had a bird watcher come up and he said he saw 39 species of birds here and was very impressed,” she said.

Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards & Winery If a romantic Italian getaway or an excursion with friends to wine country is on your bucket list, you don’t have to fly thousands of miles to find it. Both are just down the road from Mount Pleasant at Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards & Winery in Camp County. Imagine looking out the window of your cozy cottage and seeing acres of grape vines with plump, juicy grapes bursting with color. As you settle in to your charming Tuscan Cottage made just for two, you can toast to romance with a bottle of Los Pinos wine made at the winery nearby. The one-bedroom, one-bath cottage overlooking the vineyard features an oversized Jacuzzi tub and luxurious robes, the perfect setup for couples seeking wine and romance. The

bedroom features an ornate wrought iron bedframe covered with a lovely flower-print quilt, wood beamed ceilings, elegant tiled flooring and a rustic wooden door. The cottage also has a mini-kitchen, so there’s no need for couples to venture outside, unless a leisurely stroll through the vineyards is on the agenda. The Old-World villa architecture and country elegance of the interior and furnishings give guests a sense of being transported to another time and place. But, the Vineyard is not just for romance. It’s a place for laughter and play as families and groups of friends toast a special occasion, a reunion or a girl’s night at the Vintner’s Cottage. The rustic chic-style cottage offers three bedrooms and two bathrooms with plenty of room to spread out and enjoy a weekend or a whole week of catching up and enjoying the good things in life. Located inside one of the Vineyards, it offers a view and an experience that will give its guests a glimpse into the heart of the winemaker who lovingly tends the vines and coaxes them into producing the delectable fruit. The spacious cottage has a full kitchen, hardwood floors, wood plank walls and ceilings and a large living area with a

rich brown leather couch and chair, rustic wood cabinets, track lighting and a fireplace along a stone accent wall. During their stay, guests can tour the Vineyards and Winery and learn how the grapes are harvested, crushed, fermented and bottled into the award-winning varieties of dry and sweet wines that have made the small winery known around the world. They can also enjoy the gourmet menu items at the Winery and the Fork and Spoon Dining Room, which feature a Chef’s Special lunch and dinner menu and a Tapas Menu meant to be shared, which features an assortment of meats, cheeses, breads, desserts and the Los Pinos specialty wood-fired pizzas. Friends love to gather for a unique wine-tasting experience as well, taking their time to sit and enjoy each other’s company and sample six mini carafes on a wine block to discover the perfect wine for their palates. The clink of glasses and the warm, friendly sounds of “Salute” cap a perfect evening before heading back to the cabins for a blissful night’s sleep in a place becoming known as a “not-so-sleepy” little vineyard.

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Mid America Flight Museum (903) 572-5900 Museums

Mount Pleasant Habitat for Humanity (903) 575-1225 Organizations

M P Insulation Co. (903) 572-8687 Contractors M.O.M Ministering Our Military (903) 466-1831 Organizations Mardi Gras Seafood (903) 572-9600 Restaurants Martin Marietta (903) 572-2060 Building Materials Mason True Value Hardware (903) 572-6737 Hardware Matkin Chiropractic, Inc. (903) 572-0212 Chiropractors Mayben Realty, LLC (903) 572-2400 Realtors/Brokers/Developers/Sales/ Rentals Mays Home Health, TX (903) 577-0748 Home Health Services McCollum’s Cleaners & Laundry (903) 575-9400 Dry Cleaning and Laundry Services McCoy’s Building Supply Center (903) 572-9281 Building Materials McDonald’s of Mount Pleasant (903) 572-5380 (office) Restaurants McGuire-Dyke Investment Group (903) 572-6661 Financial and Investment Services McGuire-Dyke CPAs (903) 572-6661 Accounting, Tax Preparation

Mid America Pet Food (903) 572-5900 Pet Food and Services Mill’s Flower Shop (903) 572-3951 Florists Minadeo Eye Center (903) 572-6655 Eye Care/Eye Wear Momentum Motorsports & RV (903) 572-3681 Motorcycle and Motorsport Morrison Supply Company (903) 575-9196 Plumbing Motel 6 (903) 572-6611 Lodging Mount Olive Baptist Church (903) 572-1052 Churches Mount Pleasant Animal Clinic (903) 572-3488 Veterinarians Mount Pleasant Burgers & Fries (903) 717-8917 Restaurants Mount Pleasant Cinema 6 (903) 572-6322 Entertaiment Mount Pleasant Country Club (903) 572-1804 Restaurants Mount Pleasant Daily Tribune (903) 572-1705 Media

McKelvey Enterprises, Inc. (903) 572-1811 Trailers

Mount Pleasant Economic Development Corporation (903) 572-6602 Government

Medical & Surgical Dermatology Center (903) 577-8878 Physicians Medical Center Family Pharmacy (903) 572-6418 Pharmacy

Mount Pleasant Healthcare Center (903) 572-3618 Assisted Living Centers Mount Pleasant Independent School District (903) 575-2000 Education Mount Pleasant Lions Club (903) 572-4366 Organizations Mount Pleasant Optimist Club (903) 577-8281 Organizations Mount Pleasant Quality Inn (903) 577-7553 Lodging Mount Pleasant Recycling & Scrap Inc. (903) 572-8510 Recycling Services Mount Pleasant Rodeo Association (903) 572-8406 Organizations Mount Pleasant Seventh-Day Adventist Church (903) 572-7556 Churches Mount Pleasant Tire and Brake, Inc. (903) 577-1819 Automobiles Mount Pleasant Toyota (903) 577-7770 Automobiles MP Pack-n-Mail (903) 577-0081 Mail Services N NAPA Auto Parts (903) 572-4368 Automobiles

Next Step Community Solutions (903) 939-9010 Organizations Niblett Rental Properties (903) 572-9827 Realtors/Brokers/Developers/Sales/ Rentals Nolan Smith Insurance (903) 831-3493 Insurance Noodle Grill (903) 577-8880 Restaurants North East Texas Credit Union (903) 577-3500 Banks and Credit Unions North Jefferson Church of Christ (903) 572-1136 Churches North Ridge Church of Christ (903) 572-3202 Churches Northeast Small Business Development Center (903) 434-8237 Government Northeast Texas Bikers Church (903) 563-0948 Churches Northeast Texas Community College (903) 434-8100 Education Northeast Texas Pump Services (903) 563-4652 Grocery and Convenience Stores Northeast Texas Women’s Health, P.A. (903) 572-4664 Medical Clinics O

National Wild Turkey Federation (903) 563-4748 Organizations

Oasis Liquor (903) 524-2224 Beer and Wine

Mount Pleasant Eye Associates (903) 572-4000 Eye Care/Eye Wear

Neeley, Karen (903) 572-3948 Individual Investors

Ochoa, Shae - DDS, M.S. (903) 572-8543 Dentists

Mount Pleasant Eye Care Center, PA (903) 572-1991 Eye Care/Eye Wear

NeTseO Trails Council (903) 784-2538 Organizations

Odd Fellows Lodge #66 (903) 305-4369 Organizations mtpleasanttx.com

Offenhauser & Company (903) 577-1951 Insurance

Port A Jon, Inc. (903) 572-9397 Portable Toilets

Republic Services (903) 577-3100 Trash and Waste Services

Servpro of Paris (903) 784-2700 Cleaning Services

Olympic Systems Metal Buildings (903) 342-3726 Contractors

Premier Home Care, Inc. (888) 763-3274 Home Health Services

Riddle, Al (903) 577-7878 Individual Investors

O’Neal, George - DDS (903) 572-5635 Dentists

Price, Bill (903) 572-7318 Individual Investors

Roberts Air Conditioning (903) 572-1857 Contractors

Shelter Agency for Families of East Texas (903) 572-0973 Organizations

Open Imaging of Titus Regional (903) 575-0325 Medical Clinics

Priefert Complex Design, LLC (903) 572-1741 Engineering

Rocky Road RV Park (903) 563-2232 Lodging

Outlaw’s Bar-B-Que (903) 572-7860 Restaurants

Priefert Logistics, LP (877) 527-8616 Logistics

Rolston, Robert 903-563-6484 Attorneys

Priefert Manufacturing Co., Inc. (903) 572-1741 Manufacturing

Ron’s Health Foods (903) 572-3379 Retailers

Print Works (903) 739-9757 Advertising/Promotional Products

Rotary Club (903) 466-6313 Organizations

Russell, Janet - Agent for Century 21 Landmark Assoc. (903) 572-1151 Realtors/Brokers/Developers/Sales/ Rentals

Paaco Automotive Group (903) 572-6000 Automobiles Pace Opportunity Centers, Inc. Mount Pleasant Dayhabilitation (903) 717-8951 Adult Health Care Services Party Time (903) 466-3403 Retailers Pate Transportation Partners (936) 441-9121 Engineering Payton Keystone Company, LLC (903) 645-3818 Realtors/Brokers/Developers/Sales/ Rentals PDI Plastics (903) 572-3101 Manufacturing Peoples Communication, Inc. (903) 763-2214 Telecommunications Performance Trailers by Parker (903) 572-0029 Trailers Pilgrim Bank (903) 575-2150 Banks and Credit Unions Pilgrim’s (903) 575-3654 Manufacturing Pilot Club of Mount Pleasant (903) 572-9881 Organizations

Quality Trailer Products (903) 572-7932 Trailers R R & R Marine (903) 855-8585 Marine R. K. Hall Construction, LTD (903) 784-7280 Contractors R/C Rentals & Sales, LLC (903) 575-7319 Trailers Randy’s Burgers (903) 572-2666 Restaurants Rapid Furniture & Appliance (903) 572-3400 Furniture RE/MAX Paramount (903) 577-1855 Realtors/Brokers/Developers/Sales/ Rentals Redfearn Property Management (903) 577-7007 Realtors/Brokers/Developers/Sales/ Rentals

Pizza Hut (903) 572-1871 Restaurants

Redfearn Real Estate (903) 572-4341 Realtors/Brokers/Developers/Sales/ Rentals

Pleasant Springs Healthcare (903) 572-5511 Assisted Living Centers

Region VIII ESC (903) 572-8551 Education

YO U R C O N N E C T I O N 2 0 1 5

Russell & Wootten, PC (903) 572-3653 Attorneys Rustic C Boutique (903) 572-0825 Retailers Rutledge, Craig & Renea (903) 717-4492 Individual Investors Rychlik Auto Wrecker Service (903) 572-3376 Wrecker Services S Sandlin Motors, Inc. (903) 572-3656 Automobiles Sassy J’s Salon (903) 572-7000 Beauty Salons and Day Spas Scott E Redfearn, Inc. (903) 577-7007 Contractors Scrubbies Wash USA, Inc. (903) 856-8489 Automobiles

Shumate Flooring (903) 572-3526 Flooring Simply Skin (903) 572-8686 Beauty Salons and Day Spas Sisk Motors, Inc. (903) 572-6696 Automobiles Smith, Lonnie (903) 577-0348 Individual Investors Sonic - Mount Pleasant (903) 575-0141 Restaurants South Jefferson Baptist Church (903) 572-2006 Churches Spruill Honda Kawasaki (903) 572-3647 Motorcycle and Motorsport St. Andrew United Methodist Church (903) 572-6457 Churches Stanley’s Landscape Management, LLC (903) 767-0911 Landscaping and Irrigation Stansell Construction (903) 285-7720 Metal Buildings Stansell’s City Cleaners & Laundry, Inc. (903) 572-8406 Dry Cleaning and Laundry Services Star Mart (903) 577-8823 Grocery and Convenience Stores State Farm Insurance Sandra Pirkey (903) 572-1867 Insurance

Sears Dealer Store (903) 577-3277 Appliances

State Farm Insurance Jeff Welborn (903) 572-1733 Insurance

Secure Computer Networks (832) 422-6349 Computer Services

Stephenson Dirt Contracting (903) 572-8172 Contractors

Suddenlink Communications (903) 572-6107 Telecommunications

Thai Lanna (903) 577-1500 Restaurants

Titus Regional Medical Center (903) 577-6000 Hospitals

Wal-Mart #0131 (903) 572-0018 Retailers

Super 1 Foods (903) 577-8020 Grocery and Convenience Stores

The 80 Acres (903) 572-8022 Event Services

Watkins, Herbert - MD, PA (903) 717-8960 Physicians

Super 8 Motel of Mount Pleasant (903) 572-9808 Lodging

The Ark Ministries (903) 466-1409 Churches

TLC Realty (903) 577-0400 Realtors/Brokers/Developers/Sales/ Rentals

Super Bueno (903) 575-9449 Grocery and Convenience Stores

The Coffee Man (903) 572-4146 Retailers

Superior Mortgage (903) 577-9969 Mortgage Company

The Design Factory (903) 639-2012 Advertising/Promotional Products

Sweet Shop USA (903) 575-5505 Retailers

The Landing (903) 573-5060 Event Services

The Pediatric Clinic, PA (903) 572-9823 Physicians

Tabor Sanitation Service (903) 572-2100 Trash and Waste Services Taco Bell #551 (903) 572-3366 Restaurants Taqueria Daysi’s y Mariscos (903) 524-2404 Restaurants Taylor Glass & Mirror (903) 572-3661 Automobiles Taylor, Tim - Attorney (903) 572-6604 Attorneys Templo Cristiano Fuente de Agua Viva A/G (903) 434-2319 Churches Tennison Learning Center (903) 577-0852 Education Tennison Memorial United Methodist Church (903) 572-5341 Churches Texas A & M University - Texarkana (903) 223-3030 Education Texas Country Farm Supply (903) 575-7514 Agricultural Products Texas Farm Bureau Insurance (903) 572-7941 Insurance Texas Helping Hands, Inc. (903) 572-4280 Home Health Services

The Sign Express (903) 577-7600 Advertising/Promotional Products The Space Place Storage Center (903) 466-6666 Moving and Storage The Tri-County Press (903) 855-2140 Media Thompson Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc. (903) 572-1234 Contractors Thurman’s Pro-Med Pharmacy (903) 572-6337 Pharmacy

Top Hat Industries, Inc. (903) 572-4961 Trailers

Welch Gas, Inc. (903) 577-1446 Propane Gas/Equipment and Supplies

Total Lawn and Fence (903) 285-4105 Landscaping and Irrigation

Wholesale Electric Supply Co., Inc. (903) 572-7946 Building Materials

Trade Management (903) 577-7575 Human Resources

Williams, Willie (903) 572-3325 Individual Investors

Travis McInroe Insurance (903) 577-1200 Insurance

Winfield Independent School District (903) 524-2221 Education

Tri Special Utility District (903) 572-3676 Utilities Trinity Baptist Church (903) 572-1959 Churches Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and Clinics (903) 593-8441 Hospitals Trucare Medical (903) 575-1305 Medical Rental and Supply Tumey Mortuary (903) 572-2526 Funeral Homes

Witt, Bradley (903) 572-8533 Individual Investors Wood Air Conditioning, Inc. (903) 572-8549 Contractors Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas (903) 794-9490 Government Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas-Mount Pleasant (903) 572-9841 Human Resources Y

Two Senoritas Restaurant (903) 572-5057 Restaurants

YGM LLC (918) 906-7846 Consultants

Title Max (903) 572-3282 Title Companies

Vaughan’s Catfish Restaurant (903) 572-3474 Restaurants

Zambrano, Edgar - DO, PA (903) 575-9408 Physicians

Titus County Cares (903) 575-9157 Organizations

Verizon Wireless (903) 577-1527 Telecommunications

Titus County Fair Association (903) 577-8117 Organizations

Visiting Angels (903) 784-3902 Adult Health Care Services

Titus County Fresh Water Supply District (903) 572-1844 Government

Timber Creek Designs (903) 563-9977 Retailer

Titus County Historical Preservation Society (903) 767-0914 Organizations

Walker, Bob & Delores (903) 572-8939 Individual Investors Wall, David K. (903) 717-8450 Individual Investors mtpleasanttx.com

BU Y E R S Guide ACCOUNTING, TAX PREPARATION Arnold Walker Arnold & Co. PC (903) 572-6606, fax (903) 572-3751 915 North Jefferson www.awacpa.com Baker and Johnson, PC CPA (903) 572-4384, fax (903) 577-8421 207 West 3rd Street Cannaday Business Services (903) 577-7086, fax (903) 577-7704 2001 West Ferguson, Suite 2000 Carter, Alan G. - CPA (903) 572-0542, fax (903) 577-8421 207 West 3rd Street H & R Block Business Services (903) 572-6626, fax (903) 572-8996 1311 South Jefferson McGuire-Dyke CPAs and Investment Group (903) 572-6661, fax (903) 577-1291 407 North Madison www.md-cpas.net ADULT HEALTH CARE SERVICES Pace Opportunity Centers, Inc. Mt Pleasant Dayhabilitation (903) 717-8951 107 East 11th Street www.pacetexas.com Visiting Angels (903) 784-3902 1849 Lamar, Suite 200 Paris www.visitingangelsnetx.com ADVERTISING/PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS Forbes & Butler Visual Communications, Inc. (903) 753-2098, fax (903) 753-2267 104 West Methvin Longview www.forbesbutler.com Print Works (903) 739-9757 6720 Lamar Avenue Paris www.parisprintworks.com The Design Factory (903) 639-2012, fax (903) 639-3517 900 West 1st Street Hughes Springs www.designfactorysigns.com The Sign Express (903) 577-7600, fax (206) 984-9669 1321 West Ferguson www.TheSignExpress.com

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS Ag-Power, Inc. (903) 572-7961, fax (903) 572-2269 2601 South Jefferson www.Ag-Power.com Bradfords, LLC (903) 577-7952 410 North Jefferson Conroy Tractor Co. (903) 572-2629, fax (903) 572-0323 2809 West Ferguson www.conroytractorinc.com Efurd Orchards (903) 856-2253 666 County Road 1230 Pittsburg www.efurdorchards.com

Cobern Law Firm (903) 466-3274 100 West First Street www.cobernlaw.com

Mount Pleasant Toyota (903) 577-7770, fax (903) 577-0032 102 Tankersley Road www.mtpleasanttoyota.com

Flanagan & Flanagan (903) 572-8539, fax (903) 572-9820 1406 South Shadywood Lane

NAPA Auto Parts (903) 572-4368, fax (903) 572-3599 1300 West Ferguson www.napaonline.com

Lesher & Associates (903) 572-2889 126 West 2nd Street www.lawyerlesher.com Rolston, Robert (903) 563-6484 P.O. Box 2224 Russell & Wootten, PC (903) 572-3653, fax (903) 572-7442 204 West 7th Street

Greer Farm (903) 645-3232, fax (903) 645-7752 1444 County Road 1125 Daingerfield www.greerfarm.com

Taylor, Tim (903) 572-6604, fax (903) 572-6309 P.O. Box 1212

Texas Country Farm Supply (903) 575-7514 1919 US Highway 67 West www.texascountyfarmsupply.com

ABC Auto Parts (903) 572-3394, fax (903) 572-3721 1315 South Jefferson www.ABCAuto.com

APPLIANCES Sears Dealer Store (903) 577-3277, fax (903) 572-6535 1203 West Ferguson ARCHITECTS Engage Concept Development Services (903) 572-4778 P.O. Box 352

AUTOMOBILES

Cliff’s Paint & Body Shop Inc (903) 572-5678, fax (903) 572-4200 607 North Washington Elliott Chrysler Dodge Jeep (903) 572-4371, fax (903) 575-2982 2045 Burton Drive www.elliottautogroup.com

ASSISTED LIVING CENTERS

Elliott Ford Lincoln Mercury (903) 572-3486, fax (903) 572-8902 2055 West Burton Road www.elliottautogroup.com

Greenhill Villas of Mount Pleasant (903) 572-0974, fax (903) 572-0376 2530 Greenhill Road

Esslinger Kwik Kar Oil & Lube LLC (903) 572-3395, fax (903) 572-4080 917 South Jefferson Avenue

Heritage Park Village (903) 577-0759, fax (903) 577-8777 1714 North Edwards www.heritageparksl.com

Eagle Auto Glass (903) 572-8010, fax (903) 572-8020 1107 West 1st Street www.eagleautoglass.com

Mount Pleasant Healthcare Center (903) 572-3618, fax (903) 572-8247 1606 Memorial Street

Hansen’s Collision Specialist (903) 577-3059, fax (903) 577-3061 928 West 16th Street www.hansenscollision.com

Pleasant Springs Healthcare (903) 572-5511, fax (903) 572-2274 2003 North Edwards ATTORNEYS

Little Giant Discount Center (903) 572-8859, fax (903) 572-6991 1219 West Ferguson www.littlegiantdiscounttire.com

Chism, Lori - Attorney At Law (903) 575-9005, fax (903) 575-9021 107 North Madison

Mount Pleasant Tire and Brake, Inc. (903) 577-1819 1811 West Ferguson

YO U R C O N N E C T I O N 2 0 1 5

Paaco Automotive Group (903) 572-6000, fax (903) 572-6002 200 West Ferguson www.paaco.com Sandlin Motors, Inc. (903) 572-3656, fax (903) 575-0519 204 East 16th Street www.chevyhouse.com Scrubbies Wash USA, Inc. (903) 572-4152 513 West Ferguson Sisk Motors, Inc. (903) 572-6696, fax (903) 572-5761 2739 West Ferguson www.siskmotors.com Taylor Glass & Mirror (903) 572-3661, fax (903) 572-3363 1210 North Jefferson BAIL BONDS AAA Bail Bonds (903) 572-7610, fax (903) 572-0770 207 South Van Buren BANKS AND CREDIT UNIONS American National Bank (903) 572-1776, fax (903) 577-8400 301 South Madison Avenue www.anbmp.com Cypress Bank (903) 572-9856, fax (903) 572-9859 801 N Jefferson www.cypressbanktx.com First Federal Community Bank (903) 577-1118, fax (903) 577-8511 805 North Madison www.1st-fed.com Guaranty Bank & Trust (903) 572-9881, fax (903) 434-4359 100 West Arkansas www.gnty.com North East Texas Credit Union (903) 577-3500, fax (903) 577-5580 105 West 18th Street 1405 South Jefferson www.thenetcu.com Pilgrim Bank (903) 575-2150, fax (903) 575-0383 2401 South Jefferson www.pilgrimbank.com

BEAUTY SALONS AND DAY SPAS Arci Salon 1 & 2 (903) 575-9979 418 North Madison Clip Zone (903) 572-3990 2306 South Jefferson, Suite F Divine Divas Hair Salon (903) 767-4005 2208 A West Ferguson Sassy J’s Salon (903) 572-7000 120 North Madison Simply Skin (903) 572-8686 207 West 8th Street BEER AND WINE Crazy 8’s (903) 524-2888 103 East 5th Street Winfield Oasis Liquor (903) 524-2224 502 Cleveland Street Winfield BLOOD CENTERS Carter Blood Care Stewart Center (903) 572-3629, fax (903) 577-0624 1401 South Jefferson, Unit 1A www.stewartblood.org BUILDING MATERIALS Brown’s Glass & Mirror (903) 572-7848, fax (903) 572-9688 408 West Ferguson www.brownglassandmirror.com Cox Concrete Products (903) 572-5902, fax (903) 572-4641 4474 Hwy. 67 East www.coxconcrete.com LMP Concrete (903) 572-2500, fax (903) 577-7184 775 East 16th Street www.lmpconcrete.com Lowe’s (903) 434-7910 1220 Lakewood Drive www.lowes.com Martin Marietta (903) 572-2060, fax (903) 572-7742 920 East 14th Street www.martinmarietta.com McCoy’s Building Supply Center (903) 572-9281, fax (903) 572-1091 1702 West 16th Street www.mccoys.com

Wholesale Electric Supply Co., Inc. (903) 572-7946, fax (903) 572-9429 2825 West Ferguson www.netwes.com BUSINESS SERVICES Better Business Bureau of Central East Texas (903) 581-5704, fax (903) 534-8644 3600 Old Bullard Road Tyler www.easttexas.bbb.org CAMPS Camp Langston (903) 572-5935 County Road 3227 www.camp-langston.net CATERERS Creative Catering (903) 563-4341 1612 South Jefferson Heav’nly Foods (903) 767-4005, fax (903) 686-9918 1410 West Ferguson Road www.heavnlyfoods.com CHIROPRACTORS Bynum-Durrum Chiropractic Clinic (903) 572-1128, fax (903) 572-1138 1318 South Jefferson www.durrumchiropractic.com Matkin Chiropractic, Inc. (903) 572-0212, fax (903) 572-5321 727 East Ferguson www.matkinchiropractic.com CHURCHES Calvary Chapel Mount Pleasant (903) 577-7787 411 North Van Buren www.calvarychapelmp.org First Baptist Church (903) 572-3605, fax (903) 572-1230 2201 Texas Hwy 49 www.fbcmp.org First Christian Church (903) 572-8114, fax (903) 572-8114 105 Redbud www.fcc-mptx.org First Presbyterian Church (903) 572-1332, fax (903) 572-4833 401 North Madison www.fpcmptx.org Gladewater Baptist Church (903) 563-3926 148 County Road 1750 Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (903) 572-4470 2820 West Ferguson Road

Grace Lutheran Church - Wels (903) 860-3749, fax (903) 860-3749 6788 FM 115 Scroggins www.gracelutherantxwels.org Greater Hope Church Of God In Christ (903) 575-9233 1398 Elsye Avenue Highland Park Baptist Church (903) 572-9362, fax (903) 572-3502 2801 South Jefferson www.hpbcmp.org Living Truth Fellowship (903) 577-1320 523 Dunn Avenue www.livingtruthfellowship.net

The Ark Ministries (903) 466-1409 4006 FM 3417 Trinity Baptist Church (903) 572-1959, fax (903) 572-3494 2830 West Ferguson www.trinitytx.org CLEANING SERVICES Jordan Enterprise (903) 575-7168 50 County Road 3314 Omaha Servpro of Paris (903) 784-2700 3808 Hwy 271 North Powderly COMPUTER SERVICES

Mount Olive Baptist Church (903) 572-1052 131 O’Tyson www.mtpleasantmobc.com

359 Solutions (903) 746-0547 P.O. Box 712 Winnsboro www.359solutions.com

Mount Pleasant Seventh-Day Adventist Church (903) 572-7556 302 Lakewood Drive www.mtpleasanttxsda.org

Expert Computing Solutions, Inc. (903) 757-7490, fax (903) 234-2374 140 E. Tyler St., Suite 500 Longview www.ecs2fix.com

North Jefferson Church of Christ (903) 572-1136 2311 North Jefferson www.njcofc.com

IT-oLogy (803) 543-8763 5611 FM 1000 www.it-ology.org

North Ridge Church of Christ (903) 572-3202, fax (903) 572-4065 212 Burton Road www.northridgecoc.com Northeast Texas Bikers Church (903) 563-0948 749 East 16th Street www.netxbc.com South Jefferson Baptist Church (903) 572-2006, fax (903) 572-4133 1701 South Jefferson www.southjefferson.org St. Andrew United Methodist Church (903) 572-6457, fax (903) 807-0317 2019 North Edwards Avenue www.standrewumc.us Templo Cristiano Fuente de Agua Viva A/G (903) 434-2319 P.O. Box 1591 Tennison Memorial United Methodist Church (903) 572-5341, 800-585-6497 www.tennisonumc.org

Secure Computer Networks (832) 422-6349 10924 Grand Road Houston CONSULTANTS Butler Consulting (903) 563-4323, fax (903) 572-4450 208 Turnberry Circle YGM, LLC (918) 906-7846 9308 Park Street Lenexa, KS www.ygmtrc.com CONTRACTORS ACH Construction (903) 563-1327, fax (903) 575-0544 214 North Madison Avenue www.achconstructionllc.com All NEEDZ Plumbing (903) 609-9776, fax (817) 364-0851 P.O. Box 269 Fort Worth Castletop Roofing & Construction (903) 434-3351, fax (903) 575-9596 206 County Road 2220 www.castletoproofs.com mtpleasanttx.com

EDH Electric, Inc. (903) 572-1825, fax (903) 577-0607 2402 South Jefferson www.edhauto.com

East Texas Children’s Dentistry, PA (903) 577-9900, fax (903) 577-9901 203 West 20th Street, Suite B

Hale Electric (903) 379-4281, fax (903) 379-5031 15716 Highway 271 North Talco

Greene, John L. - DDS (903) 572-7502, fax (903) 572-9242 515 North Van Buren

K & A Construction (903) 575-9887, fax (903) 575-9820 801 East 16th Street www.kandabuilds.com Larry Lawrence Construction (903) 563-0135 I-30 Service Road East www.larrylawrence.com M P Insulation Co. (903) 572-8687 1030 West 15th Street www.mpinsulation.net Olympic Systems Metal Buildings (903) 342-3726, fax (903) 342-3723 1207 East Coke Road Winnsboro www.olysysbuildings.com R. K. Hall Construction, LTD (903) 784-7280, fax (903) 784-7068 2810 NW Loop 286 Paris www.rkhallconstruction.com Roberts Air Conditioning (903) 572-1857 2650 North Ferguson

Ochoa, Shae - DDS, M.S. (903) 572-8543, fax (903) 572-0215 2015 West Ferguson www.smilesmadeforlife.com O’Neal, George - DDS (903) 572-5635, fax (903) 572-1183 820 North Van Buren DRY CLEANING AND LAUNDRY SERVICES McCollum’s Cleaners & Laundry (903) 575-9400, fax (903) 575-9415 113 East 4th Street Stansell’s City Cleaners & Laundry, Inc. (903) 572-8406, fax (903) 572-7687 500 North Washington EDUCATION AA’s Tree House Learning Center (903) 572-8009 1408 North Edwards Chapel Hill Independent School District (903) 572-8096, fax (903) 572-1086 1069 County Road 4660 www.chisddevils.com

Scott E Redfearn, Inc. (903) 577-7007, fax (903) 577-1767 1010 North Jefferson www.redfearnhomes.com

Communities In Schools of Northeast Texas (903) 434-8212, fax (903) 484-4416 2886 FM 1735, Chapel Hill Road www.ntcc.edu

Stephenson Dirt Contracting (903) 572-8172, fax (903) 572-8196 1024 Silver Lake Circle www.stephensondirtcontracting.com

Harts Bluff Independent School District (903) 577-1146, fax (903) 572-4699 3506 FM 1402 www.hbisd.net

Thompson Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc. (903) 572-1234, fax (903) 575-1234 1103 North Washington www.thompsonac.net

Kindle Light School (903) 577-8577 1304 East Ferguson

Wood Air Conditioning, Inc. (903) 572-8549, fax (903) 572-2146 1164 US Hwy 67 East www.woodac.com DENTISTS Bella Smiles (903) 572-1600, fax (903) 572-1608 1401 South Jefferson Crane, Rickey - DDS (903) 572-8653, fax (903) 572-5550 201 West 18th

Little Rascal’s Daycare and Learning Center (903) 575-9987, fax (903) 572-1213 302 South Florey Avenue www.littlerascalsmp.com Mount Pleasant Independent School District (903) 575-2000, fax (903) 575-2014 2230 North Edwards www.mpisd.net Northeast Texas Community College (903) 434-8100, fax (903)572-6712 2886 FM 1735 www.ntcc.edu

YO U R C O N N E C T I O N 2 0 1 5

Region VIII ESC (903) 572-8551, fax (903) 575-2609 4845 US Hwy. 271 North Pittsburg www.reg8.net Tennison Learning Center (903) 577-0852, fax (903) 572-0587 313 North Church Street www.tennisonlearningcenter.com Texas A & M University - Texarkana at NTCC (903) 223-3030, fax (903) 223-3120 2886 FM 1735 www.tamut.edu Winfield Independent School District (903) 524-2221, fax (903) 524-2410 113 School Street Winfield www.winfieldisd.net

The 80 Acres (903) 572-8022, fax (903) 577-1431 495 County Road 3150 Cookville www.the80acres.webs.com The Landing (903) 573-5060 1902 West Ferguson www.thelandingtx.org EYE CARE/EYE WEAR Decker Vision Group (903) 577-8946, fax (903) 577-8951 2311 South Jefferson Avenue, Ste. 20/20 www.deckervisiongroup.com Minadeo Eye Center (903) 572-6655, fax (903) 572-0213 2007 North Jefferson Avenue www.minadeoeyecenter.com

ELECTRONICS

Mount Pleasant Eye Associates (903) 572-4000 1606 South Jefferson www.mtpleasanteyeassociates.com

Newman Electronics, LLC (903) 572-4182, fax (903) 572-8444 1202 North Jefferson www.newmanelectronics.com

Mount Pleasant Eye Care Center, PA (903) 572-1991, fax (903) 572-4718 2001 West Ferguson, Ste. 2020 www.mpeyecare.com

EMBROIDERY

FINANCIAL AND INVESTMENT SERVICES

Designin’ Women (903) 563-4100 105 Diane Lane ENGINEERING KSA Engineers (903) 236-7700, fax (903) 236-7779 140 East Tyler Street, Ste. 600 Longview www.ksaeng.com Pate Transportation Partners (936) 441-9121, fax (936) 539-9176 P.O. Box 9389 The Woodlands Priefert Complex Design, LLC (903) 572-1741, fax (903) 572-3191 2630 South Jefferson www.priefertcomplexdesigns.com ENTERTAIMENT Mount Pleasant Cinema 6 (903) 572-6322, fax (903) 572-4111 1706 South Jefferson EVENT SERVICES Los Pinos (903) 577-0744 2046 Highway 67 West

1st Texas Financial Services, LLP (903) 572-3491, fax (903) 572-3751 915 North Jefferson www.awacpa.com Adkins United Finance Company Incorporated (903) 577-9300, fax (903) 577-9322 1008 North Van Buren www.adkinsunitedfinance.com Cannaday Financial Services, LPL (903) 577-7086, fax (903) 577-7704 2001 West Ferguson, Ste. 2000 www.cannadayfinancial.com Edward Jones- David Patterson (903) 575-1020 1606 Shadywood Lane www.edwardjones.com Edward Jones - Frank Durrum (903) 572-6684, 888-610-0986 808 North Jefferson www.edwardjones.com Hightower Financial (903) 572-6231, fax (903) 269-1357 301 North Madison Avenue, Ste. 200 Lone Star Ag Credit (903)628-3031, fax (903) 628-6680 516 James Bowie Drive New Boston www.lonestaragcredit.com

McGuire-Dyke Investment Group (903) 572-6661, fax (903) 577-1291 407 North Madison Avenue www.mcquiredyke.com

Tumey Mortuary (903) 572-2526, fax (903) 575-1144 611 North Gibson Street www.tumeymortuary.com

Northeast Texas Pump Services (903) 563-4652 410 North Jefferson #263

FITNESS CENTERS

FURNITURE

Anytime Fitness (903) 577-8877 668 South Jefferson www.anytimefitness.com

Everybody’s Furniture Company (903) 572-3635, fax (903) 572-7032 1125 North Jefferson www.everybodysfurniture.net

Ron’s Health Foods (903) 572-3379 604 North Jefferson Avenue

Core Athletics (903) 717-8812 2717 Greenhill Road www.coreathleticstraining.com

Hess Furniture (903) 572-9866, fax (903) 572-8601 314 West Ferguson Road www.hesshomefurnishings.com

Dynamics Health & Fitness (903) 572-7101 1407 North Jefferson www.dynamicshealthandfitness.com Jazzercise Mount Pleasant (903) 517-3640 313 North Church Street www.jazzercise.com FLOORING Shumate Flooring (903) 572-3526, fax (903) 572-4357 1216 North Jefferson www.shumatefloorcovering.com FLORISTS Country Cottage Florist (903) 577-1116, fax (903) 572-6234 202 North Jefferson www.acountrycottage.net Designs By Lisa (903) 572-7964, fax (903) 572-7965 1101 West 16th Street www.designsbylisatx.com Diverse Designs (903) 572-5673, fax (903) 572-1766 307 East 16th Street Mill’s Flower Shop (903) 572-3951 916 North Jefferson Avenue www.millsflowers.net FUNERAL HOMES Bates Cooper Sloan Funeral Home (903) 572-3621, fax (903) 572-3620 2805 South Jefferson www.batescoopersloanfuneralhome.com Curry-Welborn Funeral Home (903) 577-7500, fax (903) 577-1235 2256 North Edwards www.currywelborn.com J. C. White Funeral & Cremation Services (903) 572-3911, fax (903) 572-0577 410 East 16th Street www.jcwhitefd.com

Ivan Smith Furniture (903) 572-8528, fax (903) 572-2480 104 East 1st Street www.ivansmith.com Rapid Furniture & Appliance (903) 572-3400, fax (903) 572-3426 1219 South Jefferson www.rapidfurnituremp.com GOVERNMENT City of Mount Pleasant (903) 575-4000, fax (903) 577-1828 501 North Madison www.mpcity.net Housing Authority City of Mount Pleasant (903) 572-2829, fax (903) 572-5434 601 South Stark Drive www.mtpleasantha.com Mount Pleasant Economic Development Corporation (903) 572-6602, fax (903) 572-0613 1604 North Jefferson www.mpedc.org Northeast Small Business Development Center (903) 434-8237 105 North Riddle www.northeasttxsbdc.org Titus County Fresh Water Supply District (903) 572-1844, fax (903) 572-0164 352 Fort Sherman Dam Road www.tcfreshwater.com GROCERY AND CONVENIENCE STORES Brookshire’s Food Store (903) 572-1947, fax (903) 575-0567 308 West Ferguson www.brookshires.com

Star Mart (903) 577-8823 3446 Texas Highway 49 Super 1 Foods (903) 577-8020, fax (903) 577-8423 602 South Jefferson www.super1foods.com Super Bueno (903) 575-9449, fax (903) 575-9445 1210 West Ferguson HARDWARE Mason True Value Hardware (903) 572-6737, fax (903) 572-8410 1201 North Jefferson www.mytexastruevalue.com HOME HEALTH SERVICES Accolade Homecare (903) 575-9132, fax (903) 575-9154 119 West Arizona, Suite #3 www.accoladehomecare.com At Home Health Care (903) 577-9877, fax (903) 577-9796 806 North Jefferson www.athomehealth.org Chambers Home Health and Physical Therapy (903) 572-9700, fax (903) 572-2447 801 North Madison www.chambershomehealth Integra Care Home Health (903) 572-8751, fax (903) 577-0225 106 Morgan www.integracarehh.com Jordan Health Services - Pediatrics (903) 577-8822, fax (903) 537-8490 1605 West 16th Street www.jhsi.com Mays Home Health (903) 577-0748, fax (903) 577-0947 804 West 16th Street #1 www.mayshomecare.com

Day & Night Foods (903) 572-8092 100 South Miller

Premier Home Care, Inc. (888) 763-3274, fax (877) 667-0881 2605 West Ferguson www.texaspremiercare.com

La Carretta (903) 572-3036, fax (903) 572-2148 601 North Jefferson www.lamichoacanameatmarket.com

Texas Helping Hands Inc (903) 572-4280, fax (903) 572-6133 116 East 3rd Street

HOSPICE Cypress Basin Hospice, Inc. (903) 577-1510, fax (903) 577-9377 207 West Morgan www.cbhospice.org Heart to Heart Hospice (903) 575-9111, fax (903) 575-9117 201 West 20th Street www.hearttohearthospice.com HOSPITALS ETMC - Pittsburg (903) 946-5000, fax (903) 946-5598 2701 US Highway 271 North Pittsburg www.etmc.org Titus Regional Medical Center (903) 577-6000, fax (903) 577-6027 2001 North Jefferson www.titusregional.com Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and Clinics (903) 593-8441 800 East Dawson Tyler www.tmfhc.org HUMAN RESOURCES Hiring Partners, Inc. (903) 572-8891, fax (903) 572-1727 1803 West Ferguson, Suite A www.hiringpartners.com Trade Management (903) 577-7575, fax (903) 577-7576 105 West Pecan www.trade-mgmt.com Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas (903) 794-9490, x104 fax (903) 794-4884 911 North Bishop, Suite A100 www.netxworkforce.org Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas Mount Pleasant (903) 572-9841, fax (903) 572-0159 312 North Riddle Street www.workintexas.com INDIVIDUAL INVESTORS Hagey, Cecelia (903) 575-0263 413 South Gate Hall, Gordon (903) 577-1740 4503 Willow Bend Miche, Spencer (903) 563-6604 2756 West Ferguson mtpleasanttx.com

Barkow, Chuck (903) 572-0356 1017 County Road 4420 Rutledge, Craig & Renea (903) 717-4492 503 Rosewood Buck, Joyce (903) 572-2071 1805 Fairway Holt, Homer (903) 572-3548 500 Redfearn Court Neeley, Karen (903) 572-3948 3657 FM 1734 Price, Bill (903) 572-7318 3115 Fareway Riddle, Al (903) 577-7878 179 County Road 1690 Smith, Lonnie (903) 577-0348 P.O. Box 169 Walker, Bob & Delores (903) 572-8939 1100 County Road 3225 Wall, David K. (903) 717-8450 2300 Gale Drive Williams, Willie (903) 572-3325 P.O. Box 381 Witt, Bradley (903) 572-8533 703 Fleming INSURANCE Allstate Insurance - C. Bruce Moler (903) 572-3307 400 South Madison www.allstateagencies.com/brucemoler Buddy Marshall Insurance Agency, Inc. (903) 572-3438, fax (903) 572-8987 1111 North Washington www.buddymarshallinsurance.com Buford Redfearn Insurance Agency (903) 572-6631, fax (903) 572-4970 411 North Jefferson www.bockmoninsurance.com Capps Insurance Agency (903) 572-4366, fax (903) 577-1467 1610 Shadywood Lane www.cappsinsurance.com

Jones Insurance Agency, Inc. (903) 575-1551, fax (903) 575-1535 305 West 1st Street www.jonesinsuranceagencyinc.net

Best Western (903) 577-7377, fax (903) 577-0401 102 Burton Street www.bestwestern.com

Nolan Smith Insurance (903) 831-3493, fax (903) 831-3747 5131 Summerhill Road Texarkana www.barryinsurance.com

Candlewood Suites (903) 572-4600, fax (903) 572-4601 2407 South Jefferson www.candlewoodsuites.com

Offenhauser & Company Insurance (903) 577-1951, fax (903) 577-1957 1801 West Ferguson www.offenhauserinsurance.com State Farm Insurance - Pirkey (903) 572-1867, fax (903) 572-4729 1404 South Jefferson www.sandrapirkey.net State Farm Insurance - Welborn (903) 572-1733, fax (903) 577-8704 1235 North Jefferson www.statefarm.com Texas Farm Bureau Insurance (903) 572-7941, fax (903) 572-1920 1607 South Jefferson www.txfb-ins.com Travis McInroe Insurance (903) 577-1200 405 West 1st Street www.tm-ins.com JEWELERS Hamilton Jewelers, Inc. (903) 572-8361 110 West Second Street www.mtpleasantjewelry.com Hoover’s Jewelry (903) 577-8183 213 North Madison Avenue www.hooversjewelry.net LANDSCAPING AND IRRIGATION D & R Lawn & Landscaping (903) 573-0188 P.O. Box 901 Stanley’s Landscape Management, LLC (903) 767-0911 P.O. Box 1398 www.stanleyslandscaping.com Total Lawn and Fence (903) 285-4105 1062 County Road 1135 LODGING Barefoot Bay Marina (903) 856-3643, fax (903) 757-9725 5244 FM 1520 Pittsburg www.barefootbaymarina.com

YO U R C O N N E C T I O N 2 0 1 5

Deer Lake Cabins (903) 860-3898, fax (903) 860-3110 838 Kings Country Boulevard Scroggins www.deerlakecabins.com Hampton Inn & Suites (903) 572-7100, fax (903) 572-7107 2504 West Ferguson Road www.hamptoninn.hilton.com Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites (903) 577-3800, fax (903) 577-3803 2306 Greenhill Road www.hiexpress.com/mtpleasanttx La Quinta Inn & Suites (903) 572-5514 1620 Rotan Avenue www.LQ.com Lake Country RV Park (903) 572-6300 11 Private Rd 2352 www.lakecountryrvpark.com Lamb’s Farm B & B (903) 572-2264 770 County Road 3140 Cookville www.lambsfarmbandb.com Lavender Mermaid Farm (903) 855-1923 975 County Road 1332 Pittsburg www.lavendermermaid.com Motel 6 (903) 572-6611, fax (903) 572-6640 2502 West Ferguson Road www.motel6.com Mount Pleasant Quality Inn (903) 577-7553, fax (903) 577-0546 2515 West Ferguson www.qualityinnmtpleasant.com Rocky Road RV Park (903) 563-2232 1482 FM 3417 www.rockyroadrvpark.net Super 8 Motel of Mount Pleasant (903) 572-9808, fax (903) 572-1485 204 Lakewood Drive www.super8.com

MAIL SERVICES MP Pack-n-Mail (903) 577-0081, fax (903) 285-6218 410 North Jefferson www.mppacknmail.com MANUFACTURING Best Fender Products, Inc. (903) 577-0511, fax (903) 577-0514 2364 Highway 49 East www.bestfender.com Dekoron Wire and Cable (903) 572-3475, fax (903) 572-1331 1300 Industrial www.dekoroncable.com Golden Gals Candy Co. / The Bake Shop (903) 577-3434 210 West 2nd Street www.goldengalscandy.com Newly Weds Foods, Inc. (903) 577-3200 4125 FM 3417 www.newlywedsfoods.com PDI Plastics (903) 572-3101, fax (903) 577-8215 500 Commerce www.pdiproducts.com Pilgrim’s (903) 575-3654, fax (970) 290-8911 1107 Monticello Road www.pilgrims.com Priefert Manufacturing Co., Inc. (903) 572-1741, fax (903) 572-2798 2630 South Jefferson www.priefert.com Sweet Shop USA (903) 575-5505, fax (903) 575-0050 1316 Industrial Road www.sweetshopusa.com MARINE R & R Marine (903) 855-8585, fax (903) 855-1313 1081 Loop 179 Pittsburg www.rrmarinetx.com MEDIA East Texas Broadcasting (903) 572-8726, fax (903) 572-7232 1798 US Highway 67 West www.easttexasradio.com

LOGISTICS

East Texas Journal (903) 577-8245, fax (903) 572-0733 209 North Jefferson www.etjphoto.net

Priefert Logistics, LP (877) 527-8616, fax (866) 649-4624 2630 South Jefferson www.priefertlogistics.com

Mount Pleasant Daily Tribune (903) 572-1705, fax (903) 572-6026 210 South Van Buren www.dailytribune.net

The Tri-County Press (903) 855-2140 P.O Box 68 www.thetricountypress.com

Chapman Transfer & Storage, Inc. (903) 572-5251, fax (903) 572-0240 1306 West Ferguson www.chapmantransfer.com

Delta Waterfowl of Mount Pleasant (903) 577-1951 407 Park Drive www.deltawaterfowl.org

Titus County Cares (903) 575-9157, fax (903) 575-9767 301 North Edwards www.tituscountycares.org

MEDICAL CLINICS

The Space Place Storage Center (903) 466-6666 P.O. Box 1271 www.spaceplacetexas.com

F.A.C.E. Fine Arts Council Extraordinair (903) 278-4683 307 North Jefferson

Titus County Fair Association (903) 577-8117, fax (903) 577-0222 P.O. Box 1232 www.tituscountyfair.com

Goodwill Industries of Northeast Texas, Inc. (903) 572-0688 2507 West Ferguson Road www.goodwillnorthtexas.org

Titus County Historical Preservation Society (903) 767-0914, fax (903) 572-4193 P.O. Box 1024

Cardiovascular Associates of East Texas (903) 595-2283 2001 West Ferguson, Suite 1000 www.caet.net

MUSEUMS

Mount Pleasant Family Practice (903) 575-9500, fax (903) 575-9866 618 North Jefferson www.mpfamilypractice.com

Alamo Mission Museum (903) 588-2442 1714 County Road 4105 Southeast Mount Vernon www.thealamomission.com

Northeast Texas Women’s Health, P.A. (903) 572-4664, fax (903) 572-4647 2001 North Jefferson, Suite 220

Mid America Flight Museum (903) 572-5900 P.O. Box 532 www.midamericaflightmuseum.com

Open Imaging of Titus Regional (903) 575-0325, fax (903) 784-2810 1901 North Jefferson www.rrvr.net

OFFICE SUPPLIES/FURNITURE

MEDICAL RENTAL AND SUPPLY Trucare Medical (903) 575-1305, fax (903) 572-5222 1432 West 16th Street www.truecare.biz METAL BUILDINGS Homer Metal Buildings, Inc. (903) 572-5594 2192 FM 2348 Stansell Construction (903) 285-7720 802 County Road 1330 www.stansellconstructiontx.com MORTGAGE COMPANY Superior Mortgage (903) 577-9969, fax (903) 577-9975 217 North Jefferson #3 www.superiormortgagetx.com MOTORCYCLE AND MOTORSPORT Momentum Motorsports & RV (903) 572-3681, fax (903) 572-5288 2306 West Ferguson www.momentummotorsports.com Spruill Honda Kawasaki (903) 572-3647, fax (903) 577-9605 1806 West Ferguson www.spruillhonda.com MOVING AND STORAGE Area Wide Movers and Storage (903) 577-1983, fax (903) 572-1030 2427 West Ferguson www.areawidemoversmtpleasant.com

Advantage Copy Systems (903) 885-3375, fax (903) 885-3484 1321 Shannon Road East Sulphur Springs www.advantagecopy.com Complete Business Systems (800) 284-4270, fax (903) 323-7610 102 North Spur 63 Longview www.cbs-digital.com Document Solutions (903) 597-1366, fax (903) 597-2277 1540 Rice Road, Suite 100 Tyler www.getdsx.com Firmin’s Office Supply (903) 572-9871, fax (903) 572-5986 401 North Jefferson www.firmins.com OIL AND GAS DISTRIBUTERS Jackson Oil Co. (903) 572-1852, fax (903) 572-1855 310 West 15th Street www.jacksonoilcompany.net ORGANIZATIONS American Cancer Society (903) 399-5136, fax (903) 531-2350 118 Silver Alley Gilmer www.main.acsevents.org

M.O.M. Ministering Our Military (903) 466-1831 215 South Van Buren www.mommp2013.net Mount Pleasant Habitat for Humanity (903) 575-1225, fax (903) 575-1229 401 North Madison www.mphabitat.com Mount Pleasant Lions Club P.O. Box 1181 www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/mtpleasanttx Mount Pleasant Optimist Club (903) 577-8281 P.O. Box 96 Cookville www.optimistinternational.org Mount Pleasant Rodeo Association (903) 572-8406 P.O. Box 304 www.mtpleasanttxrodeo.com National Wild Turkey Federation (903) 563-4748 425 Tennison Road NeTseO Trails Council (903) 784-2538 P.O. Box 995 Paris www.boyscoutsparistx580.org Next Step Community Solutions (903) 939-9010 305 South Broadway Avenue Tyler www.nextstepcommunitysolutions.com Odd Fellows Lodge #66 (903) 305-4369 4283 FM 1402 Pilot Club of Mount Pleasant (903) 572-9881, fax (903) 572-6150 100 West Arkansas

PAWN SHOPS Gary’s Gun & Pawn Shop (903) 572-6442, fax (903) 572-3539 1428 North Jefferson Avenue www.garysgunandpawnshop.com PEST SERVICES Cowan Inspection (903) 577-0777 784 County Road 1123 www.cowaninspection.com PET FOOD AND SERVICES Angel Paws Pet Resort (903) 577-3647 901 County Road 3130 Cookville www.angelpawspetresort.com Hy-Marks Pet Services (903) 577-7387 83 County Road 1035 www.hy-marks.com Mid America Pet Food (903) 572-5900, fax (903) 572-3068 2024 North Frontage Road www.midamericapetfood.com PHARMACY Clinic Pharmacy (903) 572-8548, fax (903) 572-4588 412 North Jefferson Medical Center Family Pharmacy (903) 572-6418, fax (903) 572-6883 2001 North Jefferson, Suite 132 Thurman’s Pro-Med Pharmacy (903) 572-6337, fax (903) 572-7455 402 North Madison PHYSICIANS

Bustin’ Out Cancer (903) 572-7964 P.O. Box 2211

Rotary Club (903) 466-6313 P.O. Box 568 www.mprotaryclub.org

Cardiology Consultants of East Texas, PA (903) 577-7070, fax (903) 577-7072 2015 Mulberry Avenue, Suite 310 www.cardiologymp.com

CASA of Titus, Camp and Morris Counties (903) 717-8940 P.O. Box 2506 www.casatcm.org

Shelter Agency for Families of East Texas (903) 572-0973, fax (903) 572-0982 204 Patrick www.safe-tagency.com

Medical & Surgical Dermatology Center of NE Texas, PA (903) 577-8878, fax (903) 577-8936 108 West Pleasant Street www.dermatologycenteroftx.com mtpleasanttx.com

Meriwether, Paul - MD (903) 572-6616, fax (903) 572-9494 203 West 20th Street The Pediatric Clinic, PA (903) 572-9823, fax (903) 572-4812 2001 North Jefferson, Suite 300 www.pediclinic.com Watkins, Herbert - MD, PA (903) 717-8960, fax (903) 717-8703 2015 Mulberry Ave., Ste. 260 Zambrano, Edgar - DO, PA (903) 575-9408 2015 Mulberry Avenue, Suite 210 PLUMBING Morrison Supply Company (903) 575-9196, fax (903) 575-9013 715 North Washington www.morsco.com PORTABLE TOILETS Port A Jon, Inc. (903) 572-9397, fax (903) 572-3566 2006 West Ferguson www.port-a-jon.biz PRINTING SERVICES Echo Publishing Co., Inc. (903) 572-6673, fax (903) 572-5442 119 East 6th Street www.ssecho.com PROPANE GAS/EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES Welch Gas, Inc. (903) 577-1446, fax (903) 575-1446 2160 Hwy 67 West www.welchgas.com REALTORS/BROKERS/ DEVELOPERS/SALES/RENTALS Century 21 Landmark Associates (903) 572-1151, fax (903) 572-0671 1316 South Jefferson www.c21lm.com Crandall, Stan - Agent for Century 21 Landmark Associates (903) 572-1151 1316 South Jefferson www.c21lm.com Kennedy, Diana - Agent for Century 21 Landmark Associates (903) 572-1151, fax (903) 572-0671 1316 South Jefferson www.c21lm.com Mayben Realty, LLC (903) 572-2400 103 West 17th Street www.maybenrealty.com Niblett Rental Properties (903) 572-9827, fax (903) 572-3141 818 North Jefferson

Payton Keystone Company, LLC (903) 645-3818 197 County Road 1230 Pittsburg www.paytonkeystone.com RE/MAX Paramount (903) 577-1855, fax (903) 577-1860 817 North Jefferson www.netexashomes.com Redfearn Property Management (903) 577-7007 1010 North Jefferson www.redfearnpropertymanagement.com Redfearn Real Estate (903) 572-4341, fax (903) 572-1005 711 North Jefferson www.redfearnrealestate.com Russell, Janet - Agent for Century 21 Landmark Associates (903) 572-1151, fax (903) 572-0671 1316 South Jefferson www.c21lm.com TLC Realty (903) 577-0400, fax (903) 577-9197 900 County Road 4220 www.tlcrealty.net RECYCLING SERVICES Allen Scrap Metal (903) 572-1751, fax (903) 572-3690 1411 Industrial Boulevard Mount Pleasant Recycling & Scrap Inc. (903) 572-8510, fax (903) 572-1431 1000 Industrial Boulevard RESTAURANTS Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar (903) 577-7234, fax (903) 577-7333 2300 Greenhill Road www.applebees.com Arby’s (903) 717-8908, fax (902) 717-8906 1300 South Jefferson www.arbys.com

El Chico Restaurant (903) 572-1981, fax (903) 572-1982 2506 West Ferguson www.elchicomtpleasant.com Herschel’s Restaurant (903) 572-7801, fax (903) 572-7951 1612 South Jefferson www.herschels.com IHOP Restaurant #3232 (903) 572-7400, fax (903) 572-7403 2502 West Ferguson Road, Suite 200 www.ihop.com Laura’s Cheesecake (903) 577-8177, fax (903) 577-8179 109 North Madison www.laurascheesecakes.com Little Caesars (903) 717-8899 1401 South Jefferson, Suite 2 www.littlecaesars.com Luigi’s Italian Cafe (903) 577-9701, fax (903) 575-1553 2213 West Ferguson www.luigisitaliancafe.net Mardi Gras Seafood (903) 572-9600, fax (903) 572-4742 1350 Industrial Road www.mardigrasseafood.com McDonald’s of Mount Pleasant (903) 572-5380 (office) fax (903) 577-1208 2002 North Jefferson - Northside 102 Cedar Street - Southside www.mctexas.com Mount Pleasant Burgers & Fries (903) 717-8917, fax (903) 717-8938 100 East 14th Street Mount Pleasant Country Club (903) 572-1804, fax (903) 575-9081 1000 Country Club Drive www.countryclubmtpleasant.com Noodle Grill (903) 577-8880 1605 South Jefferson

Taqueria Daysi’s y Mariscos (903) 524-2404 401 South Cleveland Street Winfield Thai Lanna (903) 577-1500, fax (903) 577-1503 208 Lakewood Drive www.jeedcastle.wix.com/thailanna Two Senoritas Restaurant (903) 572-5057, fax (903) 572-3410 2601 West Ferguson www.twosenoritasrestaurant.com Vaughan’s Catfish Restaurant (903) 572-3474 542 County Road 2920 Pittsburg RETAILERS 8TwentyOne Boutique (903) 575-9066, fax (903) 575-9066 817 North Jefferson www.8twentyone.com Apples for the Teacher (903) 717-8757 2001 West Ferguson, Suite 3000 www.applesforteachersonline.com Beane’s Hallmark (903) 572-7373 614 South Jefferson www.beaneshallmark.com Diamond T Outfitters Mount Pleasant (903) 577-8190 213 North Madison www.diamondtoutfitters.com Diamond T Outfitters Pittsburg (903) 856-5367 234 Rusk Street Pittsburg www.diamondtoutfitters.com

Outlaw’s Bar-B-Que (903) 572-7860, fax (903) 572-6163 100 West Ferguson Road

Freedom Vapes (903) 575-7024 1603 South Jefferson www.freedom-vapes.com

Pizza Hut (903) 572-1871 1902 South Jefferson www.pizzahut.com

H & R Distributors (903) 572-7131, fax (903) 577-0411 1709 West Ferguson www.handrdistributors.com

Randy’s Burgers (903) 572-2666, fax (903) 572-1634 100 North Edwards Avenue

Homeboy Sportswear (903) 577-7000 1505 South Jefferson

Chili’s Tennison (903) 577-8778, fax (903) 577-8559 2403 South Jefferson www.chilis.com

Sonic - Mount Pleasant (903) 575-0141 1701 North Jefferson www.sonicdrivein.com

Church’s Chicken (903) 575-9211 901 South Jefferson www.churchs.com

It’s A Small World (903) 572-7091, fax (903) 572-7092 220 North Jefferson www.itsasmallworldmp.com

Taco Bell #551 (903) 572-3366, fax (903) 572-0927 905 South Jefferson www.tacobell.com

Blalock Bar-B-Que (903) 572-1561 2310 North Jefferson, Suite C Braum’s (903) 572-0772 1303 South Jefferson Avenue www.braums.com

YO U R C O N N E C T I O N 2 0 1 5

Just A $1.00 (903) 572-4498, fax (903) 572-5178 2302 South Jefferson

Kasseigh’s (903) 572-2239, fax (903) 575-0737 118 West 2nd Street www.kasseighs.com Lil Man’s Boutique (903) 573-0323 109 North Madison

TELECOMMUNICATIONS Peoples Communication, Inc. (903) 763-2214 102 North Stephens Quitman www.peoplescom.net

Rustic C Boutique (903) 572-0825 102 West 2nd Street

Suddenlink Communications (903) 572-6107, fax (903) 572-5669 1506 Shadywood Lane www.suddenlink.com

Wal-Mart #0131 (903) 572-0018, fax (903) 572-0186 2311 South Jefferson www.walmart.com

Verizon Wireless (903) 577-1527, fax (903) 577-1799 2400 South Jefferson www.verizonwireless.com

SALVAGE YARD

TITLE COMPANIES

Dennis Cameron Automotive Sales & Salvage, LLC (903) 572-4713, fax (903) 572-7497 1406 Industrial Road

Homeland Title (903) 577-0333, fax (903) 577-1666 1312 South Jefferson www.homelandtco.com

SECURITY SYSTEMS Electron Security Systems (903) 785-3352 1332 Lamar Avenue Paris SPECIALTY STORES Party Time (903) 466.3403 1500 West Ferguson The Coffee Man (903) 572-4146 P.O. Box 76 Cookville Timber Creek Designs (903) 563-9977 388 County Road 4650 SWIMMING POOL SALES/ SERVICES/SUPPLIES Currys Pools & Supplies (903) 572-5612, fax (903) 572-5186 1418 North Jefferson www.curryspools.com

Performance Trailers by Parker (903) 572-0029, fax (903) 572-0269 2703 South Jefferson www.performancetrailer.com

Tri Special Utility District (903) 572-3676 ext.15 fax (903) 572-4701 300 West 16th Street

Quality Trailer Products (903) 572-7932, fax (903) 572-7268 609 East 16th Street www.rockwallamerican.com

VETERINARIANS

R/C Rentals & Sales, LLC (903) 575-7319 1227 County Road 3327 Omaha

Mount Pleasant Animal Clinic (903) 572-3488 1901 West Ferguson www.mtpleasantac.com

Top Hat Industries, Inc. (903) 572-4961, fax (903) 577-8726 2175 US Highway 67 www.TopHatTrailers.com

WINERY

TRASH AND WASTE SERVICES Republic Services (903) 577-3100, fax (903) 983-0329 3031 FM 3417 www.republicservices.com

Title Max (903) 572-3282, fax (903) 572-3289 812 South Jefferson www.titlemax.com

Tabor Sanitation Service (903) 572-2100, fax (903) 588-2200 P.O. Box 498 Winnsboro

TRAILERS Big Tex Trailer Mfg., Inc. (903) 575-0300, fax (903) 575-5210 950 Interstate 30 www.bigtextrailers.com

UTILITIES

Dunn, Kathryn - DVM (903) 572-7171 1601 Industrial

Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards, LLC (903) 855-1769, fax (903) 855-1771 658 County Road 1334 Pittsburg www.LosPinosRanchVineyards.com WRECKER SERVICES Billy Craig’s Mobil (903) 572-3468 214 West 1st Street Rychlik Auto Wrecker Service (903) 572-3376, fax (903) 572-6811 1410 Industrial www.rychliks.com

AEP-Southwestern Electric Power Company (903) 223-5880 3708 West Seventh Street Texarkana www.aep.com

Diamond C Trailer, Mfg. (903) 572-2834, fax (903) 572-4859 4006 FM 3417 www.diamondc.com Lone Star Trailer Parts (903) 572-0288, fax (903) 572-7588 1495 County Road 3320 www.texasbraggtrailers.com

Bowie Cass Electric Cooperative (800) 794-2919, fax (903) 846-4602 P.O. Box 47 Douglasville www.bcec.com

Longhorn Trailer Sales, LLC (930) 575-1155, fax (903) 572-0703 1730 Interstate 30 Frontage Road www.longhorntrailersales.com

Luminant (903) 572-5028, fax (903) 577-0518 207 North Madison www.luminant.com

McKelvey Enterprises, Inc. (903) 572-1811, fax (903) 572-5252 900 Industrial

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903-575-4174 903-572-6888 903-572-8014 903-577-6710 903-572-9866 903-572-4182 903-577-3277 903-572-6107

903-645-2321

POST OFFICES Mount Pleasant Cookville Winfield

903-572-8311 800-275-8777 800-275-8777

Attorney Child Support Clerk Jury Passport

903-577-6726 903-577-6720 903-577-6720 903-577-6720 903-577-6723

SCHOOLS Chapel Hill ISD Harts Bluff ISD Mount Pleasant ISD N.E. Texas Community College Winfield ISD

903-572-8096 903-577-1146 903-575-2000 903-434-8100 903-524-2221

STATE OFFICES Health Human Resources Social Security

903-572-9877 903-572-3483 903-572-1785

ELECTED OFFICIALS – U.S. Senator John Cornyn Senator Ted Cruz Congressman John Ratcliffe

512-469-6034 512-916-5834 972-771-0100

ELECTED OFFICIALS – STATE Governor Greg Abbott Senator Kevin Eltife Representative Bryan Hughes

512-463-2000 903-223-7931 903-569-8880

DISTRICT OFFICES Judge Kerry Woodson,

903-577-6736

76th District Court

Judge Robert Rolston, 276th District Court

CITY OFFICES City Council Mayor Dr. Paul Meriwether Robert Nance, Councilman Place 1 Erman Hensel, Councilman Place 2 David Huffman, Councilman Place 3 Tim Dale, Councilman Place 4 Sue Hawkins, Councilman Place 5

903-575-4000 903-575-4000 903-575-4000 903-575-4000 903-575-4000 903-575-4000

Airport Building Inspection City Hall Civic Center Community Services Health Landfill Library Main Street Parks & Recreation Public Works Swimming Pool

903-575-4020 903-575-4044 903-575-4000 903-575-4190 903-575-4000 903-575-4000 903-577-3100 903-575-4180 903-575-4137 903-575-4135 903-575-4000 903-572-3512

COUNTY OFFICES Judge Brian P. Lee

903-577-6791

FIRE DEPARTMENTS (NON-EMERGENCY) North Jefferson 903-575-4012 East Ferguson 903-575-4144 Five Star Volunteer 903-572-0995 Cookville Volunteer 903-572-1391 Nortex Volunteer 903-572-0788 Sugar Hill Volunteer 903-379-2715 Talco 903-379-3331 Winfield 903-524-2705

903-717-1462 903-572-7172 903-575-0478 903-572-0402

GARBAGE COLLECTION/RECYCLING Republic Services City Trash Pickup Tabor Sanitation Allen Scrap Metal

Commissioners Pct. 1 Al Riddle Pct. 2 Mike Fields Pct. 3 Phillip Hinton Pct. 4 Jimmy Parker County Court at Law Attorney Clerk Crime Stoppers Extension Agent

903-572-0382 903-577-6796 903-572-2833 903-572-5201

Justice of the Peace Pct. 1, 3, 4 Pct. 2

903-577-6760 903-577-6756

Adult Probation Juvenile Probation Sheriff Treasurer Tax Assessor/Collector Veteran Services

903-577-6764 903-577-6737 903-572-6641 903-572-8723 903-577-6712 903-577-6763

YO U R C O N N E C T I O N 2 0 1 5

SERVICES & SUPPORT Meal a Day Center AA

903-572-9561 903-572-0798 903-572-2829 903-577-8508

SHELTERS SAFE-T

903-572-0973

TELEPHONE AT&T SuddenLink Verizon Peoples Communication

800-464-7928 903-572-6107 903-577-1527 903-763-2214

TEXAS MAPS

512-486-5927

TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE

903-572-7966

TEXAS TRAVEL & ROAD CONDITIONS 800-792-1112 TOURISM Mount Pleasant Tourism Center

903-572-8567

TRANSPORTATION City System County System Greyhound Bus Lines

903-572-3272 903-572-3272 903-572-8661

UTILITIES Electricity AEP SWEPCO Bowie Cass

888-216-3523 800-794-2919

HOSPITAL & EMERGENCY SERVICES Titus Regional Medical Center 903-577-6000

Gas Center Point Energy Welch Gas

800-259-5544 903-577-1446

INTERNET SERVICES SuddenLink Verizon Peoples Communication

Water City of Mount Pleasant Tri Special Utility

903-575-4000 903-572-3676

VOTER REGISTRATION

903-575-0902

HOUSING Housing Authority

LAKE BOB SANDLIN Titus Co. Fresh Water Sup. Dist.

903-577-3100 800-678-7274 903-572-2100 903-572-1751 903-572-2829

903-572-6107 903-577-1527 903-763-2214 903-572-1844

POLICE DEPARTMENT (NON-EMERGENCY) Mount Pleasant 903-575-4004

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