High quality entertainment abounds in Garland this weekend, and in addition to drama and music, convenient and free parking is part of the package. Maestro Robert Carter Austin directs the Garland Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m., today, and Artistic Director Kyle McClaran directs Garland Civic Theatre's Man of La Mancha also at 8 p.m.

The symphony performs in the Brownlee Auditorium of Granville Center, State and Fifth Streets in downtown Garland. Garland Civic presents the ongoing offering in the same building at 8 p.m. Performances of the musical continue at 8 p.m., Nov. 20,26,27, Dec. 3 and 4, with matinees Nov. 21, 28 and Dec. 4 at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets for both events are available by calling 972-205-2790. The Garland Symphony website is www.garlandsymphony.org. The GCT website is www.garlandcivictgheatre.org.

GSO will perform Mozart's Symphony No. 36 in C Major ("Linz"), KV 425, Piazzolla's Buenos Aires Autumn from The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. Also on the program are Vivaldi's Autumn from The Four Seasons, Op. 8, No. 3 with violinist Andrew Wang as soloist; a trio of Wang, Oliver Schlaffer, cello, and Alex McDonald, piano, performing Beethoven's Concerto for Violin, Cello, Piano, and Orchestra in C Major, Op. 56.

The musical "Man of La Mancha" includes one of the world's favorite songs, "The Impossible Dream." The story is of the aging Cervantes as he plays out his novel, Don Quixote. While awaiting a hearing with the Inquisition, Cervantes presents a play as his defense in a mock trial for the prisoners. In it, he plays Alhonso Quiana, a man who has set his own reality aside and become Don Quixote de la Mancha. Assisted by his "squire" Sancho Panza, Quixote attempts to avoid his mortal enemy, the Enchanter, and woo the serving wench and prostitujte Aldonza, who he takes to be the Lady Dulcinea.

Cast members include Tim Cahill as Cervantes, Ryan Hinojosa as Sancho Panza, and Emily Hunt as Aldonza. Lindsey Schmeltzer is music director, and Larry Jansson is choreographer.

Chris B. Couch, superintendent of Scurry-Rosser ISD, is in Washington D.C. to receive a 2010 National Blue Ribbon Award for his district's Scurry-Rosser Middle School. Couch carries on the tradition in education established by his grandfather, the late Glenn B. couch, superintendent of Garland ISD for many years.

The award is for a five-year period, and the younger Couch was principal of that school for three of those five years before promotion to superintendent. Only 304 schools in the nation (25 in Texas) received this coveted award. Couch and other key staff members will receive the award Tuesday (Nov. 16).

Chris Couch is the son of Joan Oehlschlaeger of Garland and the late Hap Couch. His grandmother, Candis Couch, lives in Garland following a long career in public schools.

Garland Sue Watkins Oct. 13,2010

The Lakeshore Symphonic Winds will present a Spanish music concert at 7 p.m., Oct. 17 at the Plaza Theater in downtown Garland. The music of Joaquin Anoya, a composer of Madrid, will be presented.

Senor Anaya's music was given to George Jones, director of fine arts for the Garland Independent School District, and Hugo J. Martinez, assistant principal at Jackson Technology Center. Jones and his wife, Donna, organize summer trips for school personnel. Jones is conductor of the Richardson Community Band, and Martinez is the bass trombone-playing founder of the Lakeshore Symphonic Winds.

Anaya donated the music in hopes it would be heart in North America. The concert is free, with donations accepted.

Our Town 8-11-10 Raney writes history

            Some 600 relatives of Garland genealogist Don Raney must be grateful for his interest in family history leading to publication of a book steeped in Texas history. They have the book “Martin Varner: Texas Pioneer; 1788-1824.” When Raney decided to begin the book about 15 years ago, he assembled all his notes and proceeded to identify 1,834 descendants of the obscure Texas hero. “All I needed to do was contact one cousin in a family, and they provided the rest,” he said. Varner had six children, leading to many descendants. As Raney understates, “It was a fairly big project.” He contacted 400 of the living descendants.

            Raney discovered that his birthplace was about four miles southwest of Varner’s grave in WoodCounty. A graduate of Mt.VernonHigh School and a 1957 graduate of Southern Methodist University with honors in civil engineering, the author was an engineer for Lone Star Gas Co. He retired in 1997 as director of the engineering department after 43 years of service. He received an ROTC commission in the Air Force and served three years active duty as a radar controller. After 28 years in the Air Force, Texas Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, he retired at Sheppard Air Force Base in 1985 as a lieutenant colonel on the Base Civil Engineers Staff.

            Active in genealogy for more than 40 years, Raney has taught those subjects for eight years at RichlandCollege. When I first contacted him, he was completing classes for AngelinaCollege. He has lectured and conducted seminars in hundreds of locations.

            William Barr of Katy, Texas, a University of Texas and Yale educated writer himself, wrote a thorough review of the Varner book praising Raney for “an extensive array of detailed maps and primary and secondary sources in detailing Martin Varner’s story.” Varner left the family farm in Warren County, Ohio, in his late twenties, traveling on flatboats south during the War of 1812. He carved out a farm in present-day Choctaw County, Okla., after failed settlements along both sides of the Red River. Later Varner and his family went to Stephen F. Austin’s colony, “the seed colony of Texas.” In 1825 Varner established a farm down the Brazos

 which became the Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site. It was there he distilled the first “spirituous” liquor in Texas in 1829.

            Varner eventually joined the war against Mexico in 1836, securing the independence of the Lone Star republic. The Varners moved to present day LamarCounty, then WoodCounty. Varner was killed in an altercation with an unhappy associate.

            Katy proclaimed Raney’s book “worth reading by non-family members who appreciate not only Texas history but also the skillful telling a a family history which effectively draws on local and state history to make possible our understanding of lesser-known heroes.”

            Raney had 1,000 books printed, with 200 left. He has donated copies to several libraries including those in BrazoriaCounty, Heart of Texas and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. He and his wife, the former Geneva Nell Campbell, Garland High class of 1953, have been married 55 years and have three children and five grandchildren.

Former Mayor Honored

            Ruth Nicholson served two terms on Garland City Council before being elected Garland’s first female mayor. She served two terms. Her friends led by neighbor Natalie Darwin and Leslie Roberts honored Ruth with a birthday party recently. Among the friends and neighbors dropping were sister-in-law, Billie Nicholson; Dana Dunlap, Donna Vaughan, Doris Crews, Jean Holmes, Dr. Helen Harkness and Eva Schneeberg.

Ruth’s late husband, Luther, and Billie’s late husband Johnny Nicholson were sons of the Garland mayor who was killed during the May 1927 cyclone in Garland.  The mayor’s mother, Missouri, also died in the storm. Later the mayor’s brother, Walter Nicholson of Longview, dedicated a library and public hall in memory of his mother and brother.  Therefore we have Nicholson Memorial Library.

Our Town Garland June 25, 2010

Cutline: Cassie Franklin of Garland is representing Manhattan as "Miss Liberty" in Miss America competition. She's a 2009 graduate of Garland High School.

For a young woman just a year out of high school, Cassie Franklin set and achieved some lofty goals. As a student in LIM College in New York City she is learning merchandising while representing Manhattan in the Miss America system as Miss Liberty. Shelley Franklin of Garland is her mom, and Larry Franklin of Nashville is her dad.

"She started out with interest in music and went on to enjoy sketching," Cassie's mother said. Kimberlin and Austin Academies preceded her entry into Garland High, her mother's alma mater.

Her interest in fashion included a fashion camp sponsored by the Galleria in Dallas along with Seventeen magazine. As one of 50 girls selected from high school, she was introduced to many facets of the design world, including publishing. At Garland High she learned to create muslin patterns and sew. Cooking is a skill she is mastering in her first year away from home.

Beginning with a Labor Day pageant when she was 11, Cassie held titles five years in Miss Teen Dallas. Now her involvement in competitions has resulted in the New York title. Community involvement takes her to visit children's hospitals, Habitat for Humanity and other activities.

Cassie is moving into a new apartment on the Upper East Side in Manhattan and gaining a new roommate, her GHS friend Nika Diwa. By phone last week she says she is looking forward to returning to Garland for the summer.

As for the pageant, she says it will depend on when the director wants to resume and for how long. While at home she might share some of her new cooking talent.

Our Town column Garland neighborsgo 6-18-10

This is a bittersweet story about a visit not made. Several months ago I delivered a calendar from the Garland Landmark Society to Louise Freeman. I had never met her, and I found her to be an interesting woman not looking or seeming to be 90. But she told me that was her age. I knew her daughter, Julia Matthews and her husband, Dr. Charles Matthews, a former mayor of Garland. And I knew her daughter-in-law, Dr. Kim Freeman.

Mrs. Freeman said her children had been asking her to write her memoirs, and she wanted to get started. Her husband, the late Hugh Freeman, was a science teacher at Hillcrest High School in Dallas and well-known for his research on butterflies. My trails didn't take me back to visit her, but I did talk on the phone with her several weeks ago.

When South Garland Branch Library manager Bill Raley issued information about a series entitled "Grow Your Family Tree at the Library," I thought of Mrs. Freeman and got an extra set of information. I didn't take it to her immediately, and on May 28 was stunned to see her obituary in the morning paper. Her funeral was May 29 at Axe Memorial United Methodist Church with the Rev. Doyle Henderson.

Gilbert Freeman gave his mother's eulogy, supplemented by more reminiscences by grandchildren. Born Jan. 31, 1919, she grew up in Lancaster where she met and later married the teacher May 6, 1939. They lived in White Deer and Pharr before settling in Garland in1948. His teaching career continued at Southern Methodist University, Forest Avenue High School, then Hillcrest High. Summers included travels in the U.S. and Mexico for Mr. Freeman's lepidoptery. Mrs. Freeman played golf and enjoyed other sports as a spectator. She told her family she lived so long because she didn't want to miss anything. Her neighbor Brenda Zarceno watched Mrs. Freeman so closely she was able to stay in her home, continuing to enjoy her family. She had been a member of Axe United Methodist since its founding in 1951.

Survivors also include daughter Dr. Linda Stafford and husband, Dr. John Stafford, 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Brief as the contact was, I felt privileged to know her.

Garland Civic Theatre sets auditions

Garland Civic Theatre has scheduled auditions for "My Cousin Rachel" on the afternoons of June 26 and 27. Appointments for auditions may be made by calling the theater office, 972-485-8884. More information is also available on the Web site, www.garlandcivictheatre.org. The play is an adaptation by Diana Morgan from a novel by Daphne du Maurier.

Auditions will be at the theater offices, 108 N. Sixth Street in downtown Garland. All roles are available for a variety of men and women, ages 20 to 65, as well as one boy, 12 to 14. British accent is requested although the character Rachel could have an Italian accent. Kyle McClaran is directing the play. The production will run Aug. 20-Sept. 11.