Texoma Talk Blog

A Grand Night for Singing

BJ Kirkpatrick Entertainment 07/24/201607/23/2025

Sherman Community Players presents A Grand Night for Singing

It’s that time of year again, where Sherman Community Players dazzles the audiences of Texoma with good ole’ Branson style entertainment. This year’s benefit performance promises to serve up just the right amount of pep and cheer to take patrons minds off all the negative stories in the news, and to replace the negativity with “A Grand Night for Singing”. A musical revue of all the hits which the musical team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein penned over their long musical careers; the evening will be filled with such favorite songs from shows like Oklahoma, the Sound of Music, and Allegra. Cast to bring these wonderful show tunes to life are featured performers, Amanda Pillow, David Lewis, Pamela Sanza, Jennifer Becherer, Les McConnell, Caroline Kellam, and Rafe McConnell, all who have performed in various shows for SCP and Theatricks during the past season. “With the benefit we don’t hold auditions” explains Sherman Community Players Artistic Director Anthony Nelson, “I hand-pick the talent after observing how people work over the course of the year or season, and if someone stands out to me, not just from the talent they have exemplified on stage, but their general attitude about being involved with Sherman Community Players, I ask them to be involved. In a way, it’s a way of thanking them for all the work they put in, both on stage and behind the scenes.”

This year’s performance opens August 5th and runs through the 14th on the weekends. Tickets can reserved by calling 903-893-7652. The evening is not only filled with the glorious music of R&H but a three-course meal is served during the act breaks, catered by “Feast on This!”. The price of admission is $45 per seat and sponsor tables are still available for $600.00. “It’s a great way to support live theatre in Texoma, as we round up our 67th season; it helps raise money for Sherman Community Players and helps up with the end of the term budget, so of course I encourage everyone to attend.” concludes Nelson.

Featured in photograph: (from left to right)
Amanda Pillow, Les McConnell, Jennifer Becherer, David Lewis, and Pamela Sanza
Photo Credit: John Spears

Article submitted by Anthony Nelson, Artistic Directory Sherman Community Players

Geology of the Texoma Area Presentation

BJ Kirkpatrick News 07/10/201607/23/2025

The Sherman Museum Geology of the Texoma Area Presentation

Sherman Texas | July 10, 2016

Rick Lynn, Professor of Geology at Grayson College, will present a special DINO DAYS lecture on Saturday, July 23 at 11:00 am in the downstairs community room at the museum. The topic for the lecture will be the Geology of the Texoma area. The event is free to attend.

Professor Lynn will discuss the geological forces that have made the Texoma we recognize today. He will examine the sediments found in this area, what fossils can be found within them, and their geological age. He will also talk about how the topography of Texoma has changed over the years.

“Nobody knows the geology of this area better than Rick and we are delighted that he will be sharing his knowledge with us,” stated Dan Steelman, Executive Director at the museum. The lecture is free but regular admission rates will apply to those attendees who wish to view the “DINO DAYS” exhibit upstairs. DINO DAYS 3-D movies which are normally held in the community room at that hour will be preempted. The movie schedule will resume after the lecture event.

For additional information about the event, please call the museum. The Sherman Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm every Thursday through August 11, 2016. Admission is $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors, $2.00 for students (ages 6 to17 and with college ID) and FREE for ages 5 and under and museum members. Discounts are available to groups of 10 or more.

About The Sherman Museum

The Sherman Museum is a non-profit 501(c) (3) educational organization devoted to collecting, preserving and interpreting objects of historical significance for visitors and residents of Grayson County and the Greater North Texas Region. The museum was previously known as The Red River Historical Museum prior to a name change in March 2011.

For more information about The Sherman Museum contact us at www.theshermanmuseum.org.

Boating Industry Magazine Report: “Ethanol Repair Issues Growing”

BJ Kirkpatrick Lake Texoma news 06/30/201607/23/2025

Boating Industry Magazine Report: “Ethanol Repair Issues Growing”

By Boat Owners Association of The United States | June 30, 2016

When it comes to recreational boating and the Federal Renewable Fuel Standard’s requirement to put more corn ethanol into gasoline, those that see its negative consequences the most are the industry workers that build, maintain, store or sell boats.

A newly released survey by Boating Industry magazine points to ethanol as playing an even “bigger role” in service issues than it was just a year ago, with a remarkable “87% of our respondents reporting seeing boat engine damage caused by ethanol,” said Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Sweet. The magazine reported that was up from 73 percent in the same survey in April 2015. BoatUS, a member of the Smarter Fuel Future coalition, hopes to share the survey’s findings to help change the broken federal ethanol mandate.

“Dealers, manufacturers and marinas are clearly very concerned about the increased use of ethanol,” added Sweet. “According to our readers, ethanol is playing an increasing role in causing engine damage and other repair issues.”

The survey, sent to a mix of readers from dealerships, marinas, engine and boat manufacturers around the country, was answered in April and May. Most notably, many respondents raised concerns of misfueling at roadside gas stations. The Boating Industry survey follows a Harris Poll study conducted for the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute earlier this year, with 64 percent of American adults reporting they weren’t sure or didn’t pay attention to the type of gas they used.

“Misfueling is our #1 concern,” said BoatUS Government Affairs Senior Program Manager David Kennedy. About 40% of over half a million BoatUS members report filling up the family boat at a gas station and another 35% use portable gas cans.

Continuing to make the connection between the Federal ethanol mandate and the negative consequences to recreational boat owners, survey respondents noted that while ethanol may be helping drive service department business, frequent issues run the risk of driving more people out of boating. As one boat manufacturer said in survey, “Ethanol is a boom for the service departments. Ethanol is a huge drag on our industry because it negatively affects the customers. It makes them hate boating. It ruins their day, their boat and their entire boating experience.”

According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the recreational boating industry in the United States has an annual economic impact of more than $121.5 billion, supporting 650,015 direct and indirect American jobs and nearly 35,000 businesses.

Signed into law in 2005, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requires an increasing amount of biofuels such as corn ethanol to be blended into the gasoline supply. When it was written, the RFS assumed that America’s use of gasoline would continue to grow.

Since 2005, however, gasoline usage has actually declined steadily which today forces more ethanol into each gallon of gas. To keep up with the RFS mandate, in 2010 the EPA permitted E15 (fuel containing up to 15% ethanol) into the marketplace. Even though E15 is prohibited for use in marine engines, snowmobiles, motorcycles, lawnmowers, and any vehicle made before 2001, it can now be found in 23 states, including: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.