Author: Adam Schrader

Review: Tyrant

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By ADAM SCHRADER
Published in The Lewisville Texan Journal on March 24, 2016

I recently wrote a couple stories on Lewisville native Anne Winters for The Dallas Morning News and The Lewisville Texan Journal but had still never actually seen any of her filmography until this weekend. When I asked her what I should watch as an introduction to her career, she told me that it had to start with season one of FX’s drama, Tyrant.

I binge watched the entire series in the course of two days and looked online to learn more about it. I didn’t intend to. I just couldn’t stop.

Generally, reviews for and articles about Tyrant have been split. Some have written about how showrunners should have cast a Middle Eastern man instead of British actor Adam Rayner for the role of the main character.

Variety said the show’s second season ultimately didn’t win it the title of the “most improved series” for its second season, pointing out the shows flaws. Entertainment Weekly called it “stellar” and only lamented that it doesn’t feature Winters more and that writers have given her the “Meg Griffin” treatment. However, Winters told me to expect bigger things from her character this season.

People have even argued the politics and foreign policies of the show. Though reviews are relatively split, media agrees that Tyrant has improved since its first season.

However, reviews have not often said how Tyrant is a refreshing take on the stereotypical Hollywood fantasy genre featuring white people in British accents in a power conflict. In fact, Tyrant, though still filled with mayhem and eye candy, is a more realistic and somehow mature version of Game of Thrones without wizards and nudity. The only purely “fantastical” thing about it is the fictional Middle Eastern nation called Abbudin.

Tyrant follows a Pasadena, Calif. family and the unexpected roles they play in the political movements of a turbulent Abbudin. The family is led by Barry Al-Fayeed, a pediatrician and Abbudin expatriate, and his wife Molly (Jennifer Finnigan)—an American woman he met in medical school after fleeing his home as a teenager. The Al Fayeed’s have two teenage children, Sammy (Noah Silver) and Emma (Winters).

Barry Al-Fayeed, born Bassam Al-Fayeed, is the younger son of the powerful Al-Fayeed family that has ruled the country for decades.

In the pilot, Barry’s father, Khalid Al-Fayeed (Nasser Faris), leads the country with the help of Barry’s brother, Jamal (Ashraf Barhom). The American family flies to Abbudin for the wedding of Jamal’s son Ahmed (Cameron Gharaee) to Nusrat Al-Fayeed (Sibylla Deen), the daughter of the man who runs the state controlled media. Barry is apprehensive and struggles with the thought of returning to the home he abandoned 20 years ago.

Khalid dies during the wedding celebrations, which puts Jamal, a man of much weaker constitution than his younger brother, in charge of the country. Barry, knowing Jamal’s true nature and out of love for his family and country, delays their return to the United States in an effort to help counsel his brother.

The show poses an interesting and unique question: can a westernized Abbudin national introduce an effective democracy in a bullet-ridden Middle Eastern nation?

Gunfire, war crimes, power struggles, betrayal, paranoia and a caliphate group reminiscent of the Islamic State pull the country apart. Barry, the Ned Stark before Ned Stark got killed, tries to keep the country together.

The main reason I couldn’t stop watching Tyrant was character development. Writers made sure not to depict characters as Eastern infidels with no moral compass.

Unlike with Cersei Lannister, I actually understood the manipulative actions Leila Al-Fayeed (Moran Atias) took as a leader, wife and mother. I could logically agree with many of Jamal’s decisions and was heartbroken by the love he felt for his brother, unlike with the terrible Joffrey. I shouted along with rebel leaders like Ihab Rashid (Alexander Karim) who sought to dethrone Jamal. I felt frustrations for the inaction of the U.S. government and Barry’s softness and loyalty to his family. I was annoyed, but ultimately understood, Molly’s apparent 180-degree switch in her opinion of the Al-Fayeed’s, her husband and the country of Abbudin. I mourned the death of characters I didn’t like but understood and rejoiced in the death of key characters I detested.

Every actor has rocked their roles, but none more so than Barhom and his infectious gap-toothed smile. The subtle nuances in Barhom’s facial expressions to his grandiose voice control and body movement gave viewers an understanding of humanity, morality, Middle Eastern conflict and the rise of dictators.

Tyrant is also a visually mesmerizing fantastical epic with brilliant set and costume design—even if there were no mythical creatures with magical powers to inspire creative design. The show is filmed in Turkey, Israel, Morocco and Hungary. As Jamal even points out, the tile work inside of the palace is superior to all others.

I also appreciated that many cast in the show looked ethnically Middle Eastern, most used Arabic accents and attention to Muslim beliefs and culture was not spared.

The Washington Post said Tyrant, which is produced by Howard Gordon (Homeland, 24), “is like a telenovela has suffered a head-on collision with Al Jazeera.” The author shouts claims of predictability. But what’s more predictable than conflict in the middle east? And what’s wrong if the show is predictable? Can’t we see it’s predictability as poignant commentary on human nature?

If you’re just looking to see the depth of Winters acting, don’t bother with Tyrant. She’s only minorly featured in 14 of the show’s 22 episodes to date. But if you’re looking to kick back for a heart-racing 22 hours next weekend, catch all episodes of Tyrant on Hulu Plus until the show returns to FX this summer.

 

Hayley Orrantia, who stars in ‘God’s Not Dead 2,’ to meet and greet at The Shops at Highland Village

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By ADAM SCHRADER
Published in The Lewisville Texan Journal on March 25, 2016

Highland Village native Hayley Orrantia, famous for her starring on the ABC comedy The Goldbergs, will do a hometown meet and greet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. March 30 in the new Central Park Courtyard between Patrizio and Chico’s at The Shops at Highland Village, 1701 Shoal Creek.

Orrantia will be available for photos and autographs and will accept donations on behalf of Christian Community Action (CCA). The event will be followed by a screening of her new film God’s Not Dead 2.

“I am so excited about the release of the movie,” Orrantia said. “It was a unique project that I was thrilled to be a part of.”

God’s Not Dead 2 follows beloved Martin Luther King Jr. High School teacher Grace Wesley (Melissa Joan Hart), a strong Christian who helps her students understand and enjoy history.

Brooke Thawley (Orrantia), a student grieving the loss of her brother, reaches out to Grace who shares with her the hope she finds in her faith. But when Brooke asks a question about Jesus in the classroom, Grace’s response lands her in an epic court case that could kill her career and expel God from schools forever.

It was easy for Orrantia to take the role, she said. Orrantia said she is a Christian and liked the character and the part she plays in telling the story.

“In a way, my character is the reason the conflict happens in the first place,” she said. “Over the course of the movie, Brooke changes a lot and I felt like this would be an awesome challenge for me as an actress.”

Orrantia said she easily relates to the struggles that her character endures in the movie but hopes viewers who might not will keep an open mind.

“Many people can relate to and enjoy the movie, but I know there will be just as many people who argue against it simply because it is not their belief system,” she said. “There’s a lot of information coming in through the story but I think the writers and director did an amazing job of telling it.”

This is Orrantia’s second full-length film after Cooper and the Castle Hills Gang, which she starred in with Lewisville native and friend Anne Winters. While Cooper was technically a feature, it was released purely as an advertisement for the Castle Hills neighborhood.

“God’s Not Dead 2 is a whole other ballgame,” Orrantia said. “Both are filmed in very different ways than The Goldbergs, seeing as that’s a TV show. It takes a lot less time to film the movies but all were awesome projects to work on.”

Orrantia has said in other interviews that singing is her “first love”. Acting entered her life by accident.

“Music was always something I just did, like other kids would have soccer or gymnastics,” she said. “Long story short, record labels thought that having an established fan base, such as from a TV show, would help them promote me as an artist. I love both so much and I will continue to both as long as I can.”

Orrantia’s father, Dan, said her career started by singing at small festivals around North Texas, along with performances put together by her music school. After discussions with record labels, she began taking acting classes at Cathy Sullivan Studios in Lewisville.

Orrantia eventually landed a spot as a competitor on X Factor with her band Lakoda Rayne. She said being on X Factor was both a positive and negative experience, and it didn’t help or hinder her career.

“As far as music goes, I’ve built my own business relationships outside of X Factor that had nothing to do with my participation in the show. Also, The Goldbergs had no idea I even sang when I got on the show,” she said. “X Factor is something I’m happy I did because I met some amazing people from it. But I’m happy that I was able to create a career outside of that.”

However, despite all of her success, Dan said his proudest moment as a father was the night Hayley’s band was voted out of X Factor.

“Riding back from the studio to the hotel, I said to the van driver ‘I guess this is our last ride, it was nice knowing you,’” Dan said. “He turned to me to say, ‘I just want you to know that in the two months I have been driving the talent to practice and to the studio, your daughter was the only person who said thank you to me every day. She is a very awesome person.’”

Dan said that Hayley has had a few auditions for the big screen and even more scripts sent to her that she decided just didn’t fit with her moral compass.

“When God’s Not Dead 2 was offered, we as parents were happy that she would be able to do a film that we had no concerns about her being in and has a positive impact for so many,” he said. “Perhaps someday as an actress she will be asked to do something on film that might make her uncomfortable but we will cross that bridge when and if it comes.”

Orrantia said she has written “so many songs of all different styles” that she can’t choose a favorite. But, her favorite acting role so far is Erica on The Goldbergs “mostly because this kind of comedy is my favorite and I get to incorporate music into my character on the show,” she said. Her favorite episode is an upcoming episode called “Big Orange”.

“I plan on continuing acting in The Goldbergs and hopefully any new projects that may come up,” Orrantia said. “I will also be working on my music over the upcoming summer. I plan to continue writing and recording as much as I can.”

Orrantia said she is happy to collect donations for CCA at the meet and greet.

“CCA is known for helping people with a variety of different things. I admire their dedication to support and help others in need,” she said. “Because they are a Christian organization, I felt it was appropriate to donate to them with the proceeds from the Gods Not Dead 2 premiere.”

Shoppers can enter to win one of three pairs of passes, six tickets, to the screening, which will take place at AMC Highland Village. Enter by “checking in” at The Shops at Highland Village on Facebook or Instagram though noon on March 29. The winners will be selected and announced later that day.

“As her parents we are proud of all she has accomplished and we hope that her talent and her goodness will bring her more,” Dan Orrantia said. “But more than anything we are proud of who she is as a person.”

For more information, visit theshopsathighlandvillage.com.

Kaylee Rutland talks about new EP release

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By ADAM SCHRADER
Published in The Lewisville Texan Journal on April 6, 2016

Kaylee Rutland, a Marcus High School graduate, announced she will release her third EP, “That Side of Me” by early summer.

Rutland, 20, said this EP will slightly differ in style from her others to make her music accessible to more people. The reason, she said, is so that her lyrics in the semi-autobiographical EP can have an impact on more lives.

“Especially in a time of rebellion and edginess, I want to be committed to keeping my music and image wholesome for young girls, as well as enjoyable for those my age and older,” she said. “It’s really important for me to do this as I perform and enjoy modern country while honoring traditional country.”

So, “That Side of Me” was written in a modern contemporary style of country but includes traditional elements like banjo and mandolin, she said.

The country singer debuted with her first EP, “Kaylee Rutland”, in 2012 and a single “Into The Circle”. The song featured Colt Ford and Grammy-nominated country star Jamie O’Neal. She released her second EP, “Good Day to Get Gone”, in 2014. Billboard magazine then named her a Country Artist to Watch and she was featured on CMT.com.

The newest EP will have six songs that, when listened to in the correct order, tell the story of the cycle of a relationship. It starts with the honeymoon phase.

“Then it hits the typical angry at your boyfriend song, the breakup song, the nostalgic song and the moving on song,” she said. “All that leads into the final song about finding love, which starts the cycle over.”

Rutland said that each song was inspired by different memories from her own relationships, or are drawn from stories of her friends’ experiences. So Rutland wanted the EP’s booklet to have lyrics printed on each page with open line so listeners can write their thoughts about their own relationships.

“People can use it as a diary entry or their own song lyrics they come up with,” she said. “Because the album does tell a story, I wanted people to be able to tell their own stories too.”

The nostalgic song, titled “Always Summer”, is one of her two favorites on the CD, she said.

“One of the lines talks about a box of mementos I keep from old relationships,” she said. “Everyone has a box like that and can relate to the powerful memories hidden away in the box.”

Her other favorite song, “U and the Universe”, appeals to her love of fairy tales, she said. It tells the story of a woman falling in love on a perfect night “when you can’t believe you’ve fallen for this person so hard.”

“As I’ve gotten older, as other girls, we’ve held onto the idea of a Prince Charming or knight in shining armor sweeping us off our feet,” she said. “You deserve that and that’s the message of the song.”

The EP’s narrative structure could leave the listener with ambivalent feelings, Rutland said.

“I could definitely see how people would hear a message of hopelessness in the sense that the cycle is starting over and is doomed to repeat itself,” Rutland said.

But her direction when writing was more hopeful, she said.

“The cycle may repeat itself a few times,” she said. “But the hope with having a song about falling in love again at the end of the EP is to leave listeners with the message that at some time you’re going to fall in love for the last time with the love of your life.”

Rutland wrote “That Side of Me” about a year ago with O’Neal, Lisa Drew, and Minnie and Jimmy Murphy.

It was originally set for release last year but Rutland wanted to compete in Nash Next, an online talent competition last fall. She saved the songs she had already written to release to her fans throughout the course of the competition, she said.

Nash Next, who produces the competition, is a record label under the Nash Country umbrella that has signed Reba McEntire and Martina McBride.

The final challenge in the Nash Next competition involved creating a music video. Rutland decided to make a video for “U and the Universe”, the last song on the EP. She finished the challenge in eighth place on Dec. 6.

“I was jumping around the room when I found that I made it into the top 10 and got to go on tour for the competition,” she said. The tour hit stages including the Gramercy Theater in New York and the House of Blues in Dallas.

Rutland said she will release a new music video this summer as well, but she hasn’t settled on which song yet. In the meantime, she continues to study music business as a junior at Belmont University in Nashville.

“My goal is to ultimately graduate with my music business degree but my main priority is and always has been music,” she said. “I haven’t released any LPs yet but that’s definitely something I intend to do. I’m always writing and in the recording studio, so new stuff is on the way soon too.”

In Double Oak, types of escaped animals can prompt a double take

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By ADAM SCHRADER
Published in The Dallas Morning News on Dec. 4, 2015

It’s common for livestock to escape in Double Oak, a town just west of Flower Mound that is often considered an urban farming community because of its large acreage properties.

But regardless of its regularity, escaped livestock still excites those who spot the missing mammal.

“There has been a longhorn going through the yards on South Forest Lane for the last couple of hours,” a Double Oak resident posted on Facebook this morning. “I tried to go over there to let them know but they have an electric gate. Only in Texas lol!”

Blake Ringberg, a Double Oaks police officer, said that by the time he responded to the call, the owner already had the longhorn put up.

Residents in the 200 block of Kings Road have three longhorns “that are basically pets of theirs,” Rinbgberg said. A creek on the backside of their property touches the fence line. Because of heavy rain last week, part of the fence washed way.

The owner was able to get the animal corralled and was repairing his fence.

About a third of the residents in Double Oak have some sort of livestock. You’re not quite sure what you’re going to see from day to day.

Ringberg said he’s seen everything from horses and longhorns to miniature donkeys and llamas. At one time, a zebra even called Double Oak home.

“You wouldn’t think you’d get livestock calls in a metropolitan area, but we do frequently and actually keep equipment in the car to wrangle them,” Ringberg said. “We keep horse halters, horse ropes, lead ropes, snake poles, pretty much anything for an animal we’d need to deal with.”

Review: Musical Theater of Denton’s ‘The Addams Family’ — a show to die for

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By ADAM SCHRADER
Published in The Dallas Morning News on Oct. 30, 2015

It was a dark and stormy night – the perfect setting for the Musical Theater of Denton’s performance of The Addams Family.

(Ironically, I almost died twice in the torrential monsoon on the way up from Dallas to see the show.)

I walked in to the Campus Theater off the square through a side door to witness the lobby, decorated spooktacularly as the inside of the Addams home.

But it wasn’t a somber event. The laughs of the lively audience started before the show even began.

“Remember: if you have small children with you, make sure to eat them,” the announcer said as the houselights dimmed.

The Addams Family musical seems to pick up years after the movies left off — filling the void we’ve all craved since the unfortunate Addams Family Reunion.

Morticia and Gomez want to continue living the way they always have. But Wednesday has fallen in love with a “normal” boy from Ohio, Lucas Beineke.  The Addams invite the Beinekes to their home for dinner. Secrets are kept and strain is put onto the family that relishes in pain and suffering.

It’s said the musical follows the characterizations of the animated TV show. But, the makeup, costumes and set design were stylized perfectly after the 1991 movie. In fact, the entire production mirrored the early ’90s films.

Alexis Romero, who portrayed Gomez, delivered each punch line of his dad-like one-liners and each song of his devotion to his wife Morticia, played by Anjelica Houston’s younger doppelganger Liz J Millea, in the style of Raul Julia down to the accent. Millea also gesturized like her predecessor in the role.

Paul Iwanicki played Uncle Fester with the mischievousness of Christopher Loyd, and taught us to love how only Fester can. Kristen Brasher played Grandma Addams, “who may or may not be in the family”. Her hilarious portrayal left me crying from laughter by intermission.

Jason Joos, who played Mal Beineke, made for a potent antagonist — but could have annunciated more as he was often unintelligible. Kristi Smith Johnson, who played Alice Beineke, Lucas’ mother, was surprisingly funny and showed some of the greatest character depth onstage.

The dynamic between Cameron Dinger (Pugsley) and Meagan Black (Wednesday) was perfect and I wish there were more scenes with just the two of them; but the chemistry between Black and Jacob Lewis, who played her love interest Lucas, was lacking.

Lewis had a brilliant improvised line that received thunderous laughter when Black accidentally calls him by his real name, yelling “It’s Lucas!”

However, most of the time Lewis was difficult to hear as his microphone seemed to be turned down.

Overall, it was a true ensemble cast — no actor outshining another. Though at times, even Lurch stole the show without saying a word.

Directors Bill Kirkley and Choreographer Rebecca McDonald made sure the entire stage was used effectively. Some of my favorite scenes, like Wednesday’s loving torture of Pugsley, were conducted on the sides of the stage.

There was not an opportunity missed, except maybe long drop for a mischievous boy from the second story of Addams mansion. The writers even made pointed social commentary in the liberal persuasion.

Of course, no Addams Family production is complete without a killer Dancing with the Stars-esque tango between a loving husband and wife.

Standing ovation after a killer dance and intoxicating musical numbers in second act left everyone snapping and humming out of theater.

The show has some language and sexual references and is inappropriate for children; but, it teaches the values of family and love. Cherish your families, folks.

Flower Mound approves stricter sex offender ordinance as safety measure

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By ADAM SCHRADER
Published in The Dallas Morning News on Nov. 6, 2015

Sex offenders have fewer options to reside in Flower Mound after changes were made to the town’s ordinance.

The changes collapsed pockets where offenders could live in eastern Flower Mound and created areas where they cannot live in the western part of town, which was previously open to them. The town unanimously approved the ordinance 5-0 at its Sept. 21 meeting.

Now, registered offenders must remain 2,000 feet from locations where children commonly gather. That distance was previously 1,500 feet. The changes also added trail systems and public or private youth centers to the previous list of prohibited areas of public parks, public and private schools, public and semi-public swimming pools, day care centers and video arcades.

“The first priority of any PTA is the safety and well-being of our children,” said Katherine Sells, president of the Lewisville Council of PTAs. “We support any ordinance or law that increases the safety of our children, whether that’s on the bus, on school grounds or at home.”

Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Itamar Gelbman championed the ordinance, hoping to keep Flower Mound one of the safest towns in the country, he said.

“I don’t see this as a second punishment for the sex offenders, I see it as a safety measure,” he said. “We have not banned them from Flower Mound, they can still live in the town — we just made it safer for the kids.”

The lives of sex offenders

All 18 registered sex offenders in Flower Mound will be grandfathered in under the old ordinance for their existing addresses, according to Flower Mound Police Capt. Wess Griffin. New or repeat offenders who already own or rent homes in town are also filed under the old ordinance.

Griffin supplied neighborsgo with a new map of the prohibited areas. Two offenders live outside the restricted areas, both in the western part of Flower Mound which is mostly undeveloped or with expensive estates that can be difficult to afford for sex offenders.

Gelbman said the town still has room for them to move in — even if not immediately. Much of western Flower Mound is under development into low- and medium-density residential neighborhoods. A large portion is zoned for agricultural use. Most of this land also lies in the Cross Timbers Conservation Development District where development and re-zoning are limited but still possible.

“The western part of Flower Mound is a little bit more expensive than the eastern part,” he said. “It’s harder for them to live there because market conditions dictate that the western part of Flower Mound is more expensive. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

Town council member Bryan Webb lives in the western part of town. He said he’s not concerned that the area will become a “sex offender haven.”

The land will develop along the same lines as Chimney Rock or High Meadow, “with 1- or 2-acre lots at a significant price point,” he said, but “it wasn’t intentional to block out the entire town.”

“There is a school being built at Canyon Falls. There is land being purchased for parks,” he said. “And in terms of the large landowners, I’d be surprised if they would be interested in cutting off a 2-acre plot for an individual house.”

The ordinance does not consider landscaped street medians as public parks or equestrian trails as multi-use trails, which is what makes west Flower Mound an option for sex offenders.

Although the Flower Mound ordinance might seem strict, it’s lighter than many area restrictions.

Richardson’s ordinance, passed in October 2006, also makes the buffer zone 2,000 feet, which causes 98 percent of the city to be off-limits to convicted child molesters.

Aubrey City Council passed a sex offender ordinance on July 21. The city made it unlawful for sex offenders to live within 1,000 feet of where children gather, and also made it illegal to loiter within 300 feet of a child safety zone. Violators can be fined $2,000 a day for each violation. In Flower Mound, violators are charged with a misdemeanor and upon conviction fined a sum not to exceed $500 for each offense.

Little Elm passed an ordinance in 2007 that also established a 1,000-foot buffer zone. It furthered restrictions by prohibiting sex offenders from visiting within that zone. It provides exemptions so offenders can attend school, transport their minor children to and from school, engage in business or visit friends and family. However, law enforcement might require proof.

Facing lawsuits

Lewisville restricts sex offenders from living within 1,500 feet of schools, playgrounds, day-care centers and pools. In 2012, The Dallas Morning News reported that Aurelio Duarte and his family sued the city in federal court for its restrictions after two years of living in a 780-square-foot room in an extended-stay motel. The city passed its sex-offender ordinance while Duarte was in jail.

The lawsuit failed and was appealed multiple times. On Aug. 21, a U.S. magistrate for the federal Eastern District of Texas in Sherman recommended to the U.S. District Court that the Duarte claims be dismissed.

In March, the Denton Record-Chronicle reported that Krum was hit with a lawsuit alleging its 2,000 feet restrictions are unconstitutional after a resident was ordered to leave his parents’ house. The lawsuit cites a March 2007 ruling from then-Attorney General Greg Abbott that general-law towns such as Krum cannot enact sex-offender residency restriction ordinances under the Texas Constitution unless authorized by the Legislature.

When the Flower Mound ordinance was before Town Council, Webb inquired about the status of the Lewisville litigation.

“It is a concern of mine,” he said. “My request to the town attorney when we passed the changes was that they monitor that Lewisville litigation closely and advise us of any changes very quickly.”

Gelbman said he is not concerned about the lawsuits and feels “very comfortable that the ordinance will sustain in court and be enforceable.”

508 Park Fiddle Contest picks up long tradition

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By ADAM SCHRADER
Published in The Dallas Morning News on Nov. 8, 2015

More than 30 musicians competed Saturday in the first 508 Park Fiddle Contest and Concert Series.

“I can’t even guess how much money is here right now, from the old Gibson guitars of the accompanists to the fiddles themselves,” said Ed Carnes, a board member of The Texas Old Time Fiddlers Association.

TOTFA helped organize the first Dallas fiddle contest in 50 years. Bluegrass Heritage Foundation founder and president Alan Tompkins was master of ceremonies for the first of a music series put on by the Museum of Street Culture.

Carnes, who placed second in the Adult Fiddle category for ages 40 to 64, hoped the event would preserve the art of Texas fiddling.

“More than 20 years ago, there were at least 50 fiddling contests in the state and people were passionate about it,” he said. “They grew up listening to that music. When those people aged and couldn’t play anymore or passed along, some of the contests stopped happening.”

So, this competition tried to attract a younger crowd with $4,000 in cash prizes.

Brayden Baird, 8, was the only contestant in the Small Fry category for ages 8 and younger.

“I’ve been playing for a year,” he said, proudly pointing out that his favorite radio station is Bluegrass Junction. “I don’t get nervous. It’s my third time performing in a contest. I just pretend it’s me and the guitar.”

He begged for a jacket, though, the second he got offstage. The cold was the only thing that did bother him, and he wasn’t the only one.

Christianna Nugent, 12, received first in the Junior-Junior Division for ages 9 through 12. She played 49 Hats in a Rain Barrel and Lovers’ Waltz.

“I hit a few bad notes today,” she said. “If it’s too hot, my hands get sweaty and it’s hard to hit the notes. If it’s cold, my fingers get cold and it’s hard to move them.”

Her sister, Noelle Nugent, received second place in the Junior Division for ages 13 to 17. Her sisters Karissa and Faith placed third and fourth respectively in the Young Adult fiddle category, for ages 18 to 39.

Christianna said she’s happy to win, but it’s really about family and not just her biological one.

“My sisters have been in this a long time, so we’ve been to many competitions and it has definitely become like family for us here with all our friends,” she said.

Organizers introduced a category called the Roots of Western Swing to pay homage to the playing styles of Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys, The Light Crust Doughboys, Roy Newman and others who recorded at the 508 Park building. Music executive Don Law produced 843 recordings, including ones from those groups, between 1935 and 1939.

“Normally, in a fiddle contest, a soloist with two or three guitar accompanists plays classic Texas fiddle tunes,” Carnes said. “In this category, we’ll hear singing and other stuff as well that you don’t normally hear at contests.”

Leah Sawyer, 14, won first place in the new category and third in the Junior Division.

“I’m really proud I get to place and get to be up there with other players,” she said. “This is a place where I can see what other people think of my playing and how I can improve.”

Simon Stipp, 26, placed first in the accompanist category. He played for several performers.

“I think this contest is important because it’s in the heart of Dallas,” he said. “These contests are generally out in the country, so this adds some diversity to both our audience and the city of Dallas.”

Alan Govenar, the founding director of the Museum of Street Culture, planned the event. Govenar also produced Texas Style, a 1985 documentary on Texas fiddling that featured Jim Chancellor and Valerie Ryals, two of the judges on Saturday. The third judge was fiddler Wes Westmoreland.

Westmoreland said he looks for the use of micro-improvisation on the distinctive Texas fiddling tunes, where “the point of the song is still there but it doesn’t sound like anyone else’s version.”

“But, you don’t want to jazz up the song too much because you can’t lose the melody,” he said. “Then you lose the history.”

Westmoreland said live competitions preserve history better than recordings.

“Fiddle music is not a building you can go see,” he said. “It’s an art form you need to go play and see and hear.”

Native English-speaking third-graders pass STAAR reading test in Spanish

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By ADAM SCHRADER
Published in The Dallas Morning News on Nov. 12, 2015

Arielle Silver, 9, said that Spanish often challenges her and stresses her out. But most of her family is trying to learn the language, which gives her an advantage over some of her peers, she said.

It also gave her confidence that she could pass an important state assessment test — in a language other than her native English.

Arielle is one of three third-graders at Hackberry Elementary School in Frisco who passed the STAAR reading test in Spanish. The trick is, they’re native English speakers enrolled in Little Elm ISD’s dual-language program.

“Sometimes I don’t even know the English word, but understand what the test means in Spanish,” Arielle said. “But sometimes I have to translate it into English before I can understand.”

Fourth-grade teacher Manuel Castillo said that out of the 35-student class, some native English-speaking students had developed significant Spanish-speaking abilities. So, he asked the parents of Caden Richardson, Mariam Jalloh and Arielle Silver if they could take the STAAR Spanish test, which is normally given to native Spanish speakers.

“We’re not throwing them into the water not knowing if they can swim,” Castillo said. “The test goes against district accountability ratings, so we have to make sure the kids will do well enough that they won’t hurt the reputation of the district.”

Ultimately, district officials were willing to take the risk.

“I wanted to see if they could perform in a stressful environment in their second language,” Castillo said. “They did really, really great. We’re proud of them.”

DeEtta Culbertson, information specialist with the Texas Education Agency, said native English speakers participating in dual-language programs can take the STAAR Spanish test if their school district’s Language Proficiency Assessment Committee determines that is the most appropriate test to see if they have mastered the grade-level content.

“Taking the Spanish STAAR would be a good measure of the non-ELL student’s ability to read and comprehend the Spanish language,” she said.

Culbertson also said there is no way to know whether the feat had been attempted elsewhere without contacting the Language Proficiency Assessment Committees at every school district in Texas.

“When school districts order the test, they don’t indicate if it was for a native Spanish speaker or not,” she said. “So it’s possible it’s been done before, because we have a ruling for it, but unlikely.”

Castillo said that, as far as Little Elm ISD knows, no other native English speakers have taken a state mandated test in their second language.

“To this day, I’m trying to find out of its been done before,” he said. “That way, we could compare data with those districts and have a conversation with them to see what they’re doing that’s working to get their results. We can help each other.”

The state already requires native Spanish speakers to take the math STAAR test in English, Castillo said. So, he hasn’t tried to encourage any of his native Spanish speaking students to take the STAAR reading test in English.

Each year, LEISD sends notice to parents of children entering kindergarten, asking them to enter their names into a lottery if they want their child to participate in the dual-language program. Parents are notified if their children are selected for the program.

Last year, the district had 340 students enrolled in the dual-language program offered at Hackberry and Oak Point elementary schools. The program, in its eighth year, aims to have all participants bilingual by the end of fifth grade. To do this, teachers pair a native Spanish speaker and a native English speaker to work on assignments together. The assigned partners change every six to nine weeks.

“If you see a partnership that’s not working properly, you want to change them so you can find better partners for everyone,” Castillo said. “They have to work a lot. It’s almost a gifted-and-talented program because they have to work in both languages in a day.”

During class, students receive half of their instruction in Spanish from one teacher and half in English from another.

Castillo teaches half the students science, social studies, reading and grammar in Spanish in the morning while Kimberly Northcutt teaches students reading, grammar and math in English. Students switch teachers halfway through the day.

“The main objective for them is to learn the material up to Texas standards,” Castillo said. “But I try to teach as much Spanish as I can because that’s why the kids are in the program.”

Castillo said that, until last year, teachers had no way of tracking how students were succeeding in their second language. Last year, dual-language teachers were required to grade every student in both languages for reading and grammar. Now, students essentially take the same tests twice, once in each language, giving teachers real data to see how much they are progressing.

“Hopefully, we can have more students, at least two more, take the test in Spanish this year,” Castillo said. “We’re tracking their progress throughout the year. If we see some alarms going off, we’ll pull them off the list. But the parents know we’re pushing them to take the test in Spanish.”

Mariam Jalloh, 9, said that she loves learning the language and studied every day to make sure she would pass the exam.

“I thought, ‘If I fail this, I don’t think I’m going to fourth grade,’” she said. “So, whenever I meet other kids outside of school that speak Spanish, I like to talk to them. If I get something wrong, it’s OK because I learn.”

Serving Denton County, Our Daily Bread aims to feed the working poor

Uncategorized
By ADAM SCHRADER
Published in The Dallas Morning News on Nov. 25, 2015

Denton soup kitchen Our Daily Bread has always catered to the homeless. Now, it’s six weeks into a Monday night dinner program that helps another group in need — the working poor.

“Monday night dinners are absolutely needed here,” said Myles Wood, 28, who started volunteering in 2013 and was hired by Our Daily Bread in April. “The only other place you can consistently get dinner is the Salvation Army, and they’re very limited on space.”

Dinners, which can accommodate at least 120 people at one time, start at 5:30 p.m. every Monday at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 300 W. Oak St. in Denton.

  

“It’s a big undertaking, especially since we’re already established for lunches,” Wood said. “But it’s a need and would help a whole lot of people in the community.”

Our Daily Bread is one of 23 agencies selected to receive funds from The Dallas Morning News Charities this year.

In 2004, everything Frank Hurst owned was stolen, including his clothes. Though Hurst, 79, is not homeless, he never fully recovered from the financial blow, he said.

“I had no place to go and no money, but I found out I could get a free meal from Our Daily Bread,” Hurst said. “They even helped me get cataract surgery. I’ve always been grateful for that.”

Hurst said he would like to see the program expanded to add Wednesday and Friday.

“It would make a real big difference for me if it was,” he said.

Rick Holliman, executive director of Our Daily Bread, said the program started with a popular picnic table for day laborers at the corner of Fort Worth and Eagle drives.

“A board member thought they might not eat at Our Daily Bread because they may lose an opportunity to make a living,” Holliman said. “We wanted to find a way to reach out to them without the large investment of a mobile food pantry.”

Our Daily Bread also wanted to further support The Wheeler House, a group home for single working mothers.

“They don’t have an opportunity to eat with us, either,” Holliman said. “So it would really help them if they didn’t have to pay for a meal for their families.”

Our Daily Bread serves about 355 meals on Monday nights, counting second helpings. Most people who attend also eat lunch there during the day, Holliman said.

The organization advertises the dinners through bilingual fliers distributed at schools, libraries, churches and other charitable organizations.

“The fliers don’t just say that we’re having a free dinner,” Holliman said. “They say, ‘Our family invites your family to have a meal with us.’ That way it sounds more like families getting together for a Sunday dinner than a need-based program.”

Our Daily Bread also partners with the Denton Community Food Center to deliver food to students in Denton ISD. The North Texas Food Bank delivers food to the Denton Target Distribution Center, where volunteers sort food before delivering it to children at local elementary schools.

“The food is in backpacks, so it’s not obvious that [the recipients are] in need,” Holliman said. “We also put a flier in the backpacks advertising our Monday night meals.”

Holliman said the dinners might not hit their intended demographic because of fear.

“Some of the working poor are too proud to get help because they don’t want to be affiliated with the stigma of the homeless, drug-addicted ex-convicts and the mentally ill that we also serve,” he said.

He tries to make it a comfortable environment by providing separate tables for families — crayons and coloring books included. Some play the standup piano tucked into the back corner or bluegrass tunes on the mandolin.

“It’s hectic and chaotic around here at lunch, but it’s a real relaxed and pleasant atmosphere in the evenings, almost like a social event,” Holliman said.

He said the volunteers almost act like waiters refilling drinks at their tables.

In the daytime, volunteers who prepare the food also serve it, working from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The dinner preparation crews volunteer from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. before dinner servers arrive at 5:15 p.m., working until 7 p.m.

“We have noticed an increase in new volunteers, particularly college students from both universities,” said Holliman, referring to UNT and TWU. “They’re ecstatic about being here, and some have signed up to volunteer through the end of the year.”

The dinners make Our Daily Bread unique because they feed a section of the community that doesn’t receive much assistance, Holliman said.

“Many people don’t know there’s this class of people who may have a home and job but still need help,” he said.

The organization is also unique because while many of the volunteers are students, so are many of the guests.

“We found out that there are 600 homeless students in Denton ISD and that Denton universities enroll a number of homeless students,” Holliman said. “We need to help those kids to eat, too, as they’re going through school. Just because you’re a student doesn’t mean you have a silver spoon in your mouth.”

The only people Holliman said he’ll turn away are previous guests who brought drugs, alcohol, weapons or violence on the premises.

“People have to come to us, but our door is closed to nobody,” Holliman said. “We don’t care if they’re from Dallas or Houston. We don’t care if they’re Christian, atheist or Muslim. We don’t care if they’re straight or gay. We don’t care if they’re transgender. We care if they’re hungry.”

On 52nd anniversary, Dealey Plaza visitors reflect on JFK assassination

Uncategorized
By ADAM SCHRADER
Published in The Dallas Morning News on Nov. 22, 2015

Dealey Plaza welcomed a small crowd of conspiracy theorists and tourists Sunday, as usual. Most visitors said they were unaware it was the 52nd anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

But many said the assassination profoundly affected their lives.

North of Elm Street, Beverly Oliver led a group in the national anthem, and a moment of silence marked the 12:30 p.m. shooting. Oliver, a controversial figure in the assassination research community, claims to be “The Babushka Lady” featured in several photos of the incident.

Clark Phillips, 60, was one of the conspiracy theorists attending the memorial ceremony. He was in third grade the day of the assassination.

“It made an impression on me,” Phillips said. “I remember the teacher being called out into the hallway. She came back in as white as a sheet and said we had to pray.”

Denver residents Katie and Brent Goebel said they coincidentally had a Dallas trip scheduled and wanted to walk the plaza. The Goebels drew comparisons between the assassination and 9/11, the major tragedy of their youth.

“Both the Kennedy assassination and 9/11 violated the American spirit,” Katie Goebel said. “They stand starkly against the things we take pride in, like being a welcoming place of equality and protection.”

Kenneth Zediker, 23, flew in from Titusville, Fla., a week ago. He first visited Dealey Plaza five years ago when he came to visit his fiancee. On Sunday, he sat on the south end of Elm Street with about a dozen old cameras — the exact models used by assassination witnesses.

“I really hate the ludicrous conspiracy theories that put into question the authenticity of the films and photos,” Zediker said. “If you question the authenticity of the film, then we truly don’t know what occurred.”

Zediker has made it his mission — “it’s kind of an obsession” — to prove the authenticity of each photo. He plans to debunk the theories in YouTube videos using the images he re-created.

Garland resident Billy Griffith, 66, lived in Okinawa, Japan, when Kennedy was killed.

“I didn’t realize how much hate there was around here,” he said. “People hated his guts, and some were even glad it happened. I don’t think the city is over the hate yet.”

Griffith said he took the assassination hard.

“At the time he was elected, I was going along with my father, being a good Republican and thought Kennedy would make the world fall apart,” he said. “By 1963, everybody loved him and I turned completely into a Democrat. I’ve stayed one.”

Griffith often mulls over the assassination that changed his youth and has even been “a bit of a conspiracy nut,” he said.

Pablo Ortiz Jr., 61, was attending a New York Catholic school in 1963. He said what stands out in his memory happened a week after the assassination.

On a spelling test, “we had to spell words like ‘president,’ ‘congress,’ ‘government’ and ‘legislative,’” he said. “That’s when the impact of the assassination really dawned on me.”

Also on Sunday, the Sixth Floor Museum held its first event on an anniversary of the assassination. Associate Curator Stephen Fagin presented “Moments & Memories,” walking guests in the packed museum through new additions.

“This event touches people of all ages from all over the world,” Fagin said. “Dealey Plaza is a necessary pilgrimage for many people, so it makes sense to have a sampling of our newest films, photos and oral histories available.”

Fagin said the newly discovered images allow guests to see history with more context.

“You find someone in an image, try to find the images they took and talk to them about their perspective,” he said. “That’s what today was all about.”

Figures like Fort Worth Press photographer Gene Gordon made guest appearances at the event.

Gordon told museum visitors that he had stashed an 8-foot stepladder to get better photos of the president as he spoke in Fort Worth. He had snapped only one image, shown in the presentation, before a Secret Service agent told him to step down.

“I said, ‘What’s the problem? I’m not going to shoot the president,’” he recalled. “Four hours later, he was shot.”