Lunch Break Special
Tuesday, March 2
Noon at the Museum
Speaker: Lori Stevens - Patriot Paws
Lori Stevens is the award-winning trainer and founder
of Patriot PAWS Service Dogs, a non-profit organization that trains
and donates service dogs for disabled veterans and others with mobile
disabilities. Lori has more than 15 years experience working with service
dogs, and she and her canine partner, Beau, have been seen on several
television programs including “The Late Show with David Letterman”
and Animal Planet’s “Pet Star.” As Beau is getting
a bit too old to do speaking engagements, Lori will be bringing a yellow
Lab named Patriot to help give her talk.
In February of 2005, a group of disabled veterans from
the Dallas VA hospital asked Lori to assist them in training their own
ser-vice dogs. As a result, the following year Patriot PAWS Service
Dogs was established. It takes 12-18 months and $20,000-$30,000 to care
for and properly train one service dog; once trained, these dogs are
able to assist physically disabled individuals to accomplish daily tasks
that would otherwise be difficult or impossible. Each dog is customized
to the individual needs of the owner. A few of the services these dogs
can do include opening and closing doors and cabinets, pulling a wheelchair,
taking off shoes and socks, helping with chores such as laundry, getting
help in emergencies, and picking up/retrieving items (including a prosthesis).
Patriot PAWS and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
(TDCJ) recently entered into partnership to have prisoners train ser-vice
dogs for Disabled American Veterans. Patriot PAWS has been working with
TDCJ to develop a partnership that provides an opportunity for prisoners
to volunteer to assist in training service dogs over the course of 12
to 18 months. This partnership provides opportunities for prisoners
to have a job while serving their sentences, to learn a career trade,
and to give back to the community; it provides Patriot PAWS a much needed
volunteer base to train quality service dogs.
If you would like to order a sandwich, please call
the Museum at 903-450-4502 by 10:00 on March 2. As always, you are welcome
to bring your own lunch.
Sponsors for February’s LBS are Bernie Herlt and
Mary Jean Hilton
Movie Night
Saturday, February 27
6 p.m. at the Museum
Free!
Ride Clear of Diablo starring Audie
Murphy
When his father and brother are killed by a murderous
gang of cattle rustlers, railroad surveyor Clay O'Mara (Murphy) heads
for the territories in search of vengeance. Along the way, he forges
an uneasy alliance with outlaw Whitey Kincaid (Dan Duryea), who seems
mainly interested in watching the inexperienced O'Mara battle the hardened
desperados. Proving hard to kill, the plucky O'Mara chases the gang
towards a bloody shootout.
Released in March 1954 by Universal International,
Ride Clear of Diablo was Audie’s 13th
film and 11th starring role. Universal had quickly determined that Audie
was best suited to play in westerns, and Ride Clear of Diablo is a definitive
Audie Murphy shoot-em-up. Directed by Jesse Hibbs, who also piloted
Audie’s To Hell and Back, Ride Clear of Diablo
moves quickly in its tight 81 minute running time.
Come cheer for our our hero in his 10th of 34 westerns,
Ride Clear of Diablo.
Admission is free. Popcorn and soft drinks will be served.
Saturday, March 13
6 p.m. at the Museum
Free!
Ma & Pa Kettle Go to Town
The second of Universal's "Ma and Pa Kettle"
series, Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town stars,
as ever, Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride. This time, the Kettles win
a letter-writing contest, which offers as first prize an all-expense-paid
trip to New York City.
Once in Manhattan, the huge Kettle brood gets in all kinds
of fixes, culminating in an episode involving stolen bank money. Somehow
this all ends with a riotous, slapstick-laden square dance. The film's
romantic subplot is handled by Richard Long as oldest son Tom Kettle
and Meg Randall as his high-society wife Kim. Also carried over from
the first Kettle entry are Ray Collins and Barbara Brown as the Kettle's
wealthy in-laws.
The next installment of “Tailspin Tommy”
will also be shown.
Popcorn and soft drinks will be served. Admission is free
(although we do accept donations!).
Easter After
Dark
Friday, March 26
7:30 p.m. at the Museum
$10 non-members, $8 members
Bring a flashlight and a basket for eggs
The Easter Bunny has been really busy this year gathering
all sorts of prizes to go into the 700 eggs that her
helpers, the “bunny-ettes,” will hide on Museum grounds
for the third annual EASTER AFTER DARK, an
adults-only Easter egg hunt set for Friday, March 26.
Tickets go on sale March 1st. Tickets are limited so
be sure to get yours early!!
Call the Museum at 903-450-4502 or come by for tickets.
Funding for Easter After Dark is provided
in part by the City of Greenville Hotel/Motel Occupancy Tax Revenue
Coming Events
Mark your calenders for these events and watch this space
for more information!
April 13 - Hall of Heroes Wing opens
April 17 - Cotton Conference
June 24-25 - Audie Murphy Days
Current Exhibits
Signatures of the Stars
on display through April
This new temporary exhibit is guaranteed to bring back
feelings of nostalgia. The collection is displayed courtesy of Larry
Winters and features more than 20 framed pictures and autographs of
TV show casts, from the 1950s-1980s.
Larry has been an avid collector for more than 25 years.
He has a variety of collections: movie posters, including all those
from Audie’s films; children’s series books; records; and
more than 2700 vintage films. (Larry provides the movies that we show
on Movie Night.)
Some of Larry’s autographs were acquired by sending
a 3 x 5 card to the person and requesting their signature. He has an
alleged autograph of Frank Sinatra’s that he is "99% sure
is not real. Sinatra was constantly travelling and I doubt he had time
to sign a bunch of autographs when he was home. He probably had his
secretary sign this.”
He also has a book with thousands of copies of autographs
from nearly every famous person --from A-Z. "Autographs change
over the years. For instance, when Ringo Starr of the Beatles first
started signing autographs, he signed 'Ringo Starr.' Now he just signs
'Ringo' with a star after it."
Come by the Museum and stroll down memory lane as you
view this unique display of autographs and pictures from television
history.
Meyer Pottery Tourist-Ware
on display through April
Examples of Meyer Pottery Tourist-Ware
is exhibited courtesy of Melva Geyer of Greenville.
Meyer
Potter of Texas was founded by German immigrants Franz Schultz and his
son-in-law William Meyer in 1887, in Atascosa, a community about 23
miles southwest of San Antonio. Meyer Pottery became known for their
use of a mustard yellow/green slip known as a Leon Slip glaze, but in
1920, sons Frank and Gus Meyer took over the business. Under their leadership,
Meyer Pottery expanded into tourist-ware and other decorative forms
as well as their standard utilitarian wares.
Nineteenth century potteries primarily produced functional
stoneware vessels for household and farm use. After 1915, demand for
such pieces as crocks and churns dropped, and many potteries closed.
A few stayed open by adapting to new markets, including tourists. Among
them, Meyer Pottery began making small vases, pots, baskets and sombreros
hand-painted with Texas landscapes.
