As finals approach, and before the anxiety kicks in, we paused from our diligent studying and happily assisted Ms. Debbie Charbonneau, Huntsville’s Main Street Director, and Yvana Kepnga, Main Street’s Intern, at the 7th annual Winter in the Park and Downtown Christmas Fair!
Holiday décor embellished Huntsville’s Historic Downtown for the fun-filled family event which annually attracts more than 2,000 locals and tourists. Without exception, this year’s mix of activities promised and delivered great entertainment for both adults and children. Activities which included: bounce houses, train rides…
…cookie and stocking decorations…
…Christmas karaoke, candle making….
…and even fun in the snow, all 45,000 pounds of it!
But of course, one of the favorite traditions is to take the annual picture with Santa.
However, sometimes the adults were much more excited than the kids, even at the selfie station!
Alongside Santa were dozens of local businesses and vendors selling a variety of goods enlivened the streets as visitors stocked up on holiday gifts and also enjoyed various contests.
The LEAP Ambassadors and Julia Norwood, a high school student at Huntsville High School who was also volunteering, enjoyed this community event while monitoring the snow area and handling the tickets.
Before concluding the event, Ms. Charbonneau announced the winners of the Lamp Post Decoration competition. Patio on the Square Café won first place and Buttercup Cottage won second place. Congratulations to the winners and everyone else for beautifying downtown with their creative lampposts!
In the midst of the holidays, assisting at this festivity definitely helped to put us in the Christmas spirit. Although Ryan Knesek didn’t seem to need too much more. Had there been an ugly Christmas sweater contest, he would have won!
And, of course, the Ambassador’s fun-filled Saturday could not have been complete without taking even more pictures with Santa Claus!
The problems of six people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world, so we put our problems aside and drove to Houston to watch “Casablanca,” the film that the American Film Institute identified as the third greatest movie in Hollywood history. But, first, we went to the restaurant that is one of Professor Yawn’s favorites: “Peli, Peli,” which offers African food with a Colonial twist.
Four of us ordered the Chicken Espetada, which was brought to our table on a hanging skewer dripping with garlic butter…
…while the other two (more adventurous) of us ordered the special for that evening, grilled and sliced beef tongue. Surprisingly, everyone was willing to try bits and pieces of the tongue, and it was deemed quite tasty by all. After a delicious dinner came a mouthwatering dessert of Chocolate Mousse Cake and Melktart Brulee. The experience was truly unique, but excitement was yet to come as we headed toward the cinema.
Released in 1943, Casablanca starred Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid. This work of Hollywood’s Golden Age is considered by nearly all to be a classic. On this 75th anniversary showing, the theater was packed with movie fans ready for the 102 minute adventure.
While watching the film, it was fun to notice the many different phrases that were made popular and are still in use today because of this movie. It was neat to learn that phrases such as, “Round up the usual suspects,” and “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” come from this timeless classic. The film masterfully blends drama, comedy, romance, and even a bit of action. Casablanca truly is a work of art, and if you haven’t seen it, take the time to do so. We did!
As our last full day at Caddo Lake has finally arrived. Although there was a hint of melancholy as our trip is drawing to an end, there was still much more adventures to dive into throughout the day.
Caddo Lake State Park, By Brian Aldaco
Throughout the trip we observed Mark Burns perform his photography with his digital Nikon cameras. However, on Saturday we witnessed his talents in the older art of photography when he used his 8×10 large format camera to capture the sylvan beauty of the Caddo Lake State Park.
Mr. Burns positioned himself at the end of the pier.
He framed his camera to photograph a water full of giant salvinia in the foreground and the towering cypress trees in the background. As he was setting up this grandfather of a camera, Mr. Burns gave Makayla and Ryan a chance to see through the camera’s window-like view finder. Due to the behavior of light when passing through an aperture, the image that appears on this glass surface is upside down and reversed. As Mr. Burns explained, “you’re not looking through the view finder, you’re looking at it.” Projected on this glass surface, Ryan and Makayla looked at this parallel photographic universe, where reality was reversed and upside down.
As part of the documentary, every action taken by Mr. Burns was videoed and photographed.
Whether he was setting up his camera, cleaning a lens, or looking for the perfect scenery, there was always a lens pointing his way.
With this entourage of cameras, we took an opportunity to get photos with Burns…
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
…and then we relocated from the peer to an amphitheater located across the roadway from lake.
Again, cameras were positioned, microphones were set, and the interview proctored by Professor Yawn began.
Topics included Mr. Burn’s photography preparation work, how he developed an interest for photography, and his overall experience in Caddo Lake. The interview will add an educational perspective to the documentary.
Canoeing at Caddo, By Ryan Knesek
In addition to the guided tours of Caddo Lake, LEAP Ambassadors braved the waters in a three-person canoe. This experience took place at Johnson’s Ranch Marina where Ambassadors were given a warm welcome and a crash course in the basics of water safety. These soon came in handy, but more on that momentarily. We were given a quick run-down of maritime law. For example, we now know that when meeting an incoming boat, the port side is where to meet from.
After we secured our life-vests, grabbed our paddles, and settled ourselves in the canoe, we headed off into the watery voyage of Caddo Lake.
Ducks, herons, and the occasional squirt greeted the sailors with every stroke of the paddle, all while the noon-time sun created ideal temperatures well complimented with a brisk breeze. New angles of filmography, as well as the proximity to water created a new environment for the lake that we appreciated.
But our appreciation for the lake’s waters became more personal. LEAP ambassadors took advantage of the situation by taking a swim in the lake, begrudgingly of course. After a brief miscalculation, Ryan, Makayla, and Christina capsized on the canoe. All three were launched off their boat and were rescued by fishermen moments later. The brisk water turned frigid, but luckily it did not take away from the experience, and, as a result, the event will be remembered by all members for some-time to come.
The Last Tour, By Makayla Mason
After I washed up at the hotel (and made sure I had not welcomed any uninvited lake creature) we grabbed a quick lunch at Central Perks before heading off to our last Caddo Lake tour.
As we made our way to our final boat tour of Caddo Lake, we were a little sad that it was coming to an end.
The weather was perfect and with just a few clouds in the sky, there was a sunset glow on the autumn leaves.
We were able to see parts of the lake we had not seen previously and took as many videos and pictures as we could.
Aaron even took us to see Don Henley’s house!
Legend has it, that this Eagles rock star wrote the lyrics to “The End of Innocence” along the banks of Caddo Lake.
As we pulled into the dock the cotton candy sky waved goodbye to us and we left Caddo Lake with an abundance of memories.
Third Time’s a Charm, By Christina Perez
Before heading back to the hotel, we stopped to have dinner at our now favorite Marshall pizza joint, Pazzeria by Pietro’s. This was our third time at Pietro’s pizzeria but we were not complaining.
Brian was excited to try another tasty pizza from the interesting menu! He had already tried the Philly Connection, a philly-cheese-steak-style pizza, the night before so today he decided on the Hawaiian Luau. Makayla on the other hand tried their meatballs with cheese sprinkled on top. After dinner, we each had dessert. Sarah and Sierra tried their famous cheesecake while I had the vanilla bean gelato.
With a satisfied sweet tooth, we left feeling sad that our Caddo Lake adventure was now over. Throughout the weekend we have learned much about photography from the experienced Mark Burns and are ready to use our skills in the future. Furthermore, we are closer at completing our documentary. Perhaps, as the autumn leaves of the Caddo cypress completely fall and give way to a green-filled swamp, our project will be complete and ready for viewing.
“A lake carries you into recesses of feeling otherwise impenetrable.” William Wordsworth may have never seen Caddo Lake, yet it is a perfect way to describe the effect of the lake’s beauty. On this second day at the lake we were now set out to capture this captivating grandeur through the lens of Mark Burns.
Daybreak Voyage, By Ryan Knesek
The LEAP Ambassadors met with photographer Mark Burns early in the morning to continue with our documentary process. As you may remember, Mr. Burns has been a part of the National Parks Project where he photographed all fifty-nine national parks in black and white.
On this expedition to Caddo Lake he focused mainly on the color scheme of the autumn cypress during the dawn hours while taking wildlife photos here and there.
Photo by Mark Burns
LEAP Ambassadors were able to converse with the accomplished photographer and expand their knowledge of composition, lighting, and color scheme in photography.
Being amateur photographers, we benefit from the knowledge he provides–even if it isn’t evident in our own photos!
And as we saw the beautiful landscapes of the lake and the graceful wildlife, we set these newly learned skills into practice.
Starr Home, By Ryan Knesek
After meeting with Mark Burns in Uncertain, Texas, Leap Ambassadors found themselves in the city of Marshall. There, Ambassadors toured the historic Starr Family House, a Victorian-style home that was built with the money from the Starr’s land possessions.
Dr. James Harper Starr was commissioned as president of the board of land commissioners and receiver of the land dues for Nacogdoches County by Sam Houston in 1837. The tour showcased refurbished wood flooring and antiques that were unique to the home. Art, woodworking, and portraits illustrated the family’s status when the Starrs had guests at home. Now, years after the owners’ lifetime, their elegant lifestyle is still admired as people visit and tour the home, which is operated by the Texas Historical Commission.
Among the most interesting aspects of the home were all its artifacts. Ambassador Makayla and I were even allowed to use one of these artifacts, the stereograph. This contraption functioned as early 3-dimensional glasses for photography and was the first time that Makayla and I had used one.
As one would imagine, the home showed portals into the past through its architecture and artifacts.
One interesting aspect of history while touring the home was Dr. Starr’s relationship with Sam Houston. Apparently, Dr. Starr owned land close to land owned by Sam Houston in Nacogdoches. However, land disputes arose while they were neighbors and Dr. Starr tried to sue the celebrated Texas war hero and politician. This tour helped highlight the fact that the more you learn about history and the present, the more connections you see, and this is the beginning of true understanding.
Lunch at R & R Bakery, by Christina Perez
After the LEAP Ambassadors finished their tour of the Starr Family Home tour, we headed to lunch. We arrived in historic downtown Marshall, Texas…
and pulled into R & R Bakery and Coffee Shop. As soon as we walked in we were greeted by friendly staff and sat down ready to enjoy our meal. As we waited on Sierra and Sarah to arrive we shared our favorite things about the sunrise tour. We discussed the birds, the colors of the trees, and our favorite part of the tour. Ryan got the South Western roast beef sandwich with jalapeño bread and a garden salad on the side and lets just say he enjoyed his meal, clearly evidenced by a clean plate a few minutes after his order arrived. After lunch we shared some desserts, apple cinnamon scones for some and choclate chip cookies for others. It was a sweet way to enjoy the afternoon.
Michelson Museum of Art, By Makayla Mason
With such a filling lunch, we decided to walk it off with a small shopping session through town. Our wallets turned to the various antique shops along N. Washington Ave. And even though we could have spent longer at the shops, we made our way to the Michelson Museum of Art.
Opened in May 1985, the museum houses hundreds of pieces of art by artist Leo Michelson. The museum was founded following a donation from Leo Michelson’s widow. The donation consisted of more than 1,000 of Michelson’s art pieces.
Today, the museum consists of Michelson’s work, as well as works from locally and nationally recognized artists. The traveling exhibit that was currently at the museum was of illustrator Marla Frazee.
Frazee has illustrated several well-known children’s books such as The Boss Baby, Clementine, Stars, A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever and even one of my favorite book series, The Borrowers.
The Ambassadors enjoyed looking through books they remembered reading when they were younger and appreciated the detailed illustrations.
The other exhibit at the museum was “Our Artists and their Selfies.”
This exhibit contained thirteen artists with pieces of their work paired with their self-portrait and a list of highly-recognized art museums that feature each artist.
One of the thirteen artists was Henri Matisse, a name familiar to the LEAP Ambassadors, so we decided to take a selfie!
But from indoor art…we went back to the natural art of Caddo Lake. Sunset and sunrise lighting conditions are far from the same. That is why it was important for Mark Burns to return to the lake during the late afternoon. Swaying in the tranquil waters of the lake, Mr. Burns continued to look for that perfect spot to photograph.
During his National Parks Project, he spent five years visiting and revisiting parks. This search, as you can tell, is continuous and ever changing. Even though we had been here over the summer, the lake is not under the same conditions as before.
“Water levels have fallen by three feet,” Wes, our captain and tour guide, told us.
This affects the composition of Mr. Burns’s photos since cypress roots are more visible. Of course the most prominent change is the fall colors in the foliage of the cypress trees. This is such an important trait of the lake since it changes the format in which Mr. Burns takes his photos.
Now that the fall colors are so rich, Burns sought the right light for the perfect color.
Photo by Mark Burns
Tomorrow will be our last chance, for now, to get the last few shots of the lake. As we returned to Marshall for dinner we reminisced on the day’s success. We even got to see a few of the photos that Mr. Burns had taken through out the day. With excitement in our step and a show of confidence…
…we returned to the hotel welcoming tomorrow’s adventures.
The LEAP Ambassadors are not tired of traveling. Just a week after returning from Washington, D.C., we have embarked on our next adventure, a revisit of Caddo Lake. As many of you may remember, we started this adventure in the summer when we came with Mark Burns to aid him in his photography project. Now we are here to finish the job on this Return to Caddo Lake trip.
Morning Tour
By Christina Perez
Our day began with a 5:00 AM start. We were in search of the perfect spot to witness a rising sun along an autumn-painted background. We walked the dock to greet Wes Holland, our captain and tour guide, while the chilly breeze began to hit our faces and wake us up. Some of us were veterans of the Caddo Lake experience and were already familiar with the lake’s overwhelming beauty. Others, like Ryan and Makayla, were first timers. They would soon get to meet this natural wonderland.
Caddo Lake would not be as much fun without our tour guide who always makes it a point to teach us something new. Today, he taught Ryan and Makayla about the history of the bald cypress tree. He also taught them that Spanish moss is related to pineapples and even let them feel the moss in its various incarnations.
The sun began to rise around 7:00 am and that’s when the real fun began.
We quickly noticed that the wild life was up and ready for another day. We saw Blue and White Herons, fishes, frogs, and many more birds. We used this tour to become more familiar with the cameras and film equipment that we brought along. Makayla, one of the newest members of LEAP, captured some great shots of Blue Herons.
The sun peaked over the trees as we headed back to the dock. As we sped through the winding river ways, Wes remembered a quote from Texas Monthly which described Caddo Lake, “In Caddo Lake, one can find beauty in its constant state of decay.” A better description would be hard to come across to define the lake’s beauty. But we soon discovered that amazing sights were not confined to Caddo Lake as we explored the surrounding community of Jefferson.
By Ryan Knesek and Brian Aldaco
This small town was in 1845 a major steamboat port which created a bustling community of over 30,000 people. Although the community has downsized to a little over 2,000 inhabitants, we were excited to return to this small-town treasure.
After an early morning we were all ready for a filling lunch. We then chose Austin Street Bistro to calm this craving. Located along E. Austin St. on the South part of town, the open-window seating gave us a great view of Jeffersonians going about their day and enjoying it just as much as we were. The assortments of lunch items were plentiful, but finally I (Brian) decided on a potato and broccoli soup, a very wise choice.
After tasting a little of Jefferson we went in search of treats at the Jefferson General Store, right next door.
Inside, the vintage-style shop was filled with candy, toys, amusing books, and other such delights that any 10 year old, I mean, that any LEAPster could enjoy. Quickly we grabbed our paper bags and flooded them with Laffy Taffy, Jolly Ranchers, bubble gum, and more sugary treats to soothe our sweet tooth.
As we continued to experience the town’s old-fashioned delights, we were captivated by one of the town’s abandoned railroad tracks.
The train formerly used a wooden bridge, that has been left to remind visitors and residents of the importance of the rail road in the town’s development. But now, as it stood conquered by nature with vines enveloping its tracks, it reminded us of Wes’s appreciation for beauty in constant decay.
However, not all of the town’s Victorian-era structures laid abandoned. On the contrary, many of these constructions are still in full function like the plethora of historic homes through out town.
A majority of the town’s homes are modeled after Greek and French style architecture. One house in particular, The House of Seasons, has visible square pillars and an overall symmetrical building construction; a design based on Greek revival architecture. Another popular housing construction is the Queen Anne style. LEAP Ambassadors learned to differentiate between a cupola, which creates symmetric housing, and a turret, which are usually built on a home’s periphery to create an asymmetric silhouette. We noticed this later structure when we passed by the Benefield House.
The town of Jefferson creates an insight into the trading routes of pre-road-construction commerce and illustrates the Americana theme in its stores and cuisine. While LEAP Ambassadors perused the trinkets, pictures, novelty items, and antiques from the Port Jefferson Outpost, we admired the unique history of the city.
The experience added onto the LEAP Ambassador’s appreciation for small cities, and the often-overlooked history of small town America.
Evening Tour
By Makayla Mason
After taking a quick 45-minute nap at the hotel, we packed into the car to head back to Caddo Lake. As the sun began to sink into the horizon we pulled out of the dock and into the beautiful waters of Caddo Lake.
We saw our familiar suspects: fish, Kingfishers, White Egrets, and Blue Herons.
We captured such beautiful pictures and videos with the setting sun hitting the autumn-colored leaves.
During the tour, Wes shared many stories and facts about the lake and even let me drive the boat!
As the almost full moon began to rise we took our final pictures for the day. Ryan and I truly enjoyed our first time at Caddo Lake, while Christina and Brian were experiencing its beauty in a new autumn light.
On our drive back to Marshall, we drove into downtown to catch a quick dinner at Pazzeria by Pietro’s. We treated our selves to a Philly Connection pizza pie, topped with grilled steak, caramelized onion, and calabrese sweet peppers, and a Nonno Pipino, topped with shrimp on top of a garlic alfredo sauce. When we finished our dinner, we noticed how the night was lively with a band performing rock classics on the side walk. The streets of Marshall were also adorned with christmas lights and other holiday adornments. But tomorrow we would see more of the town, so we boarded our van ready to get some rest. After a long and adventure-filled day, we were all eager to start before day break in the morning.
For the tenth time in ten years, the LEAP Ambassadors assisted with the annual HEARTS Veterans Gala. More than 300 community members gathered at the HEARTS Conference Center for dinner, reflection, and companionship on November 11, Veterans Day.
The event MC was Col. Don Beal…
…and the Huntsville Men’s Choir was featured throughout the evening. They performed six songs, including everyone’s favorite, “The Armed Forces Medley.”
The LEAP Ambassadors greeted guests, assisted guests with seating, sponsored a table, and assisted with the silent auction, which raises money for ROTC scholarships.
During the evening, the HEARTS Museum staff honored various community members and volunteers for their service, including Karen Murff…
…Norman Ward, Dr. Tommy Davis, Betty Higgins, and John Sicola…
reinforcing the community aspect of the gathering.
And, speaking of which, it was enjoyable for us to see old friends, such as County Judge Danny Pierce, Judge Hal Ridley, Thomas Leeper…
…Captain Steve Fisher, Charlotte Olienik, Liesa Hackett, Bette Nelson, and many others.
It was a nice reminder the sacrifice made by our veterans and the important role of volunteerism in our community.
For our second heART of Huntsville session, we were fortunate enough to have a picturesque October evening as the backdrop for our stroll around the downtown square.
As 6 o’clock approached, we congregated outside the Old Town Theater, which has been putting on shows for the enjoyment of the community since it was established as a non-profit in 1997.
On the outside theatre walls, everyone was drawn to the two Richard Haas murals. One features John Wayne in his movie Paradise Canyon, and the other features Dana Andrews, a Huntsville native, and Gene Tierney in the movie Laura.
Interestingly, we had two special guests for the evening. Dr. Carl Rollyson has written some 40 books, including a biography of Dana Andrews.
And Glenn Frankel, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author of a book on John Wayne and “The Searchers”, was also on hand for the evening.
We took the opportunity to photograph them with their biographical subjects, and then we embarked on a tour of the theater.
After finishing our tour of the theater, we began to walk the square of downtown where we learned of its history and enjoyed more of Richard Haas murals. Our historic town square is home to the largest collection of trompe l’oeil (trick of the eye) works he’s ever done. If you look closely at the facades of the buildings the next time you are in the area, you will notice that each building has different colors, brick patterns, and even painted on windows to set it apart from the rest. Haas’s art really adds to the small-town charm that is Huntsville’s downtown square.
After taking in the sights of the square we meandered over to First United Methodist Church where we were given a short tour of the sanctuary.
Reverend Willett told us the history behind the gorgeous floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows that are so old they were originally transported by train and wagon to be installed. After the breath-taking view of the glass as the sunlight faded, we were taken downstairs and led through the nursery and the children’s classrooms where local artist Lee Jamison was commissioned to do a series of murals depicting the six days of creation.
The early murals are done in a very abstract style, the first one is reminiscent of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” and then they slowly become much more figurative as Mr. Jamison interpreted that the universe and everything else would have a much clearer form.
After the tour of the church and the murals, we all thanked Mr. Jamison for taking us through his thought process as he created them, and Reverend Willett for graciously opening the church for us and taking the time to showcase the stain glass windows. As we left the church, we walked about one block over to The Wynne Home Arts Center where the Friends of the Wynne had a delicious spread of pork loin, roasted butternut squash and apples, wild rice, and a dessert of pumpkin cheesecake waiting for us to enjoy. After trekking around town all evening the food was a welcoming sight. Everyone got to know each other better over casual dinner conversation. When dinner was over we each said our goodbyes, and everyone parted ways until next week, when we would meet again for our last night of heART of Huntsville.
The LEAP Ambassadors were happy to host a booth with a spooky ghost bowling game and treats at Huntsville’s annual Scare on the Square. The Halloween event is sponsored by the Huntsville Main Street Program and brings different businesses, schools, and local organizations to host games, food, and treats for kids and families. The event is a safe atmosphere for families to enjoy themselves by celebrating a Halloween weekend!
Despite one of Texas’s first cold front and windy breeze, the LEAP Ambassadors managed to set up their bowling alley without it flying away. After celebrating our success in keeping everything in place, we reminisced on old school Halloween music like the “Monster Mash” and had a little fun ourselves before families arrived. As two o’clock came around we began to welcome princesses, scary ghosts, witches, and the occasional football player.
Our setup was simple and fun; a pyramid of toilet-paper ghosts and a mummy and pumpkin ball to knock them down.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Their treat after their three tries was of course, candy!
There were a variety of local organizations and school organizations with different activities like ring toss, pumpkin decoration, and even a Halloween costume contest! There was also variety of food such as hot dogs, turkey legs, and delicious funnel cakes.
During our time there, Professor Yawn, with the permission of Huntsville Fire Department, was able to climb the firefighters’ truck ladder…
….and get a shot from up high of us…
…and others enjoying their time at Scare on the Square.
Around 4:00 P.M. the Halloween costume contest began with three different age groups. Raising Cain and HEB came together to put prizes together for the kids that entered and won the contest. We all viewed the costumes with excitement, as all the kids’ costumes exhibited great creativity.
One of my favorites was Queen Elizabeth II and mashed potatoes with butter.
After the Halloween costume contest ended, the day started to unwind as tired kids filled with candy left University Ave. But overall it was a fun filled event. We enjoyed volunteering and having fun with the Huntsville community.
We quickly noticed that the wild life was up and ready for another day. We saw Blue and White Herons, fishes, frogs, and many more birds. We used this tour to become more familiar with the cameras and film equipment that we brought along. Makayla, one of the newest members of LEAP, captured some great shots of Blue Herons.
The experience added onto the LEAP Ambassador’s appreciation for small cities, and the often-overlooked history of small town America.
We saw our familiar suspects: fish, Kingfishers, White Egrets, and Blue Herons.
During our time there, Professor Yawn, with the permission of Huntsville Fire Department, was able to climb the firefighters’ truck ladder…
One of my favorites was Queen Elizabeth II and mashed potatoes with butter.
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 