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The 2011 Tyler Cattle Baron’s Gala

May 21st, 2011

Well, another big summer event is almost upon us. The annual Tyler Cattle Barons Gala will be held at Graham Farm in Bullard Texas, on Saturday, June 11, 2011. Tyler has been putting on the gala for a generation now and it has become a significant event for our area. All summer, similar fund raisers are held around Texas and the country at large. Of course all proceeds go to the American Cancer Society (ACS) to be used for cancer treatment and research. ACS cites that eleven million cancer survivors celebrating another birthday this year. The Society is the largest private fund raiser for cancer research. Their webpage claims that they have raised 3.4 billion dollars to combat all forms of the disease since the organization’s inception in 1946. (And I don’t doubt it by the way).

The theme for Tyler’s Gala this year is “Route 66, Crusin’ for the Cure,” and the evening features the music of Pat Green, Wade Bowen and JB and the Moonshine Band. Local businesses of all sorts have donated a litany of items including special goods and services, travel packages, and tickets to various other events. In addition to the silent auction there will be an elegant dinner, entertainment and dancing, late into the evening. As you can imagine, tickets to the event aren’t cheap. Depending on whether or not you want to attend the pre-party mixer, (which features food, an open bar, and prime seating to the evening’s festivities), or are just interested in the main event, they run from one hundred, twenty five dollars, to three hundred dollars. Since all proceeds go to a great cause the cost is not the central issue for most attendees. For more information on the 2011 Tyler Cattle Baron’s Gala, visit the American Cancer Society’s website at http://www.cattlebaronsgala.net/

K2 is Apparently a Synthetic Marijuana

September 28th, 2010

Da Hippie

This new thing called K2 has something in it that makes it a synthetic form of marijuana.

It supposedly can create the same types of effects as smoking a joint and because of this it has been banned in the city limits of cities like Tyler and Bullard Texas.

K2 is being sold outside the city limits of Tyler in gas stations and hippie type shops, hmmm…cough… Da Hippie.

When questioning if this leafy like substance can be smoked like pot you will likely be told, “It’s an incense for smelling but not for smoking, but off the record you can smoke this sh$&.

So right here in the Bible belt pot is somewhat legal in our backyard. Sure it has kind of snuck in through a sidedoor called incense but it’s here.

There are many knock offs out there called K2 that do nothing more for you than if you smoked oregano.

So we have this substance available while pot is illegal. It seems odd but pot is here in Tyler Texas and people are smoking it legally.

What is your opinion on this incense known as K2? Leave comments below.

Legends Burgers in Bullard Texas

September 10th, 2010

We ate lunch today at Legends Burgers and I thought it was delicious.

Unlike many burger places in Tyler they offer cheddar cheese in addition to the standard American cheese on their burgers.

They also use Blue Bell ice-cream in their ice-cream shakes rather than cheap soft serve junk you get at Jucy’s and many other places in town.

Their fries and burgers are both really good and the meat is high quality. Some burger shops in Tyler settle with nasty freezer burned Cisco foods hamburger meat but at Legends their meat patties taste like premium ground beef.

Overall I left very satisfied with their food although my brother felt that they had too much salt on their French fries.

Private Schools in Tyler Texas

August 4th, 2010

The Brook Hill School Bullard TX

All Saints Episcopal School in Tyler

Grace Community High School
It’s really hard to believe, but summer is nearly over already and honestly, it’s past time to start thinking about where the kids are going to attend school this fall. While I recognize there are a few solid government schools, I hate to see Tylerites settle for an insufficient public education when there are so many excellent private options that will better educate and prepare their children for college and life beyond. Now I spent the better part of last summer writing about the area schools and various educational opportunities and I have no intention of rewriting those articles. Instead I thought I would briefly recap the list of private schools that call Tyler home. I should say that my list may not be exhaustive. I have included only (what I consider) the better institutions. These are in no particular order other than alphabetical.

All Saints

All Saints (AS) is a Tyler Texas institution. It’s been serving the community in an ever expanding way since the sixties. AS has an excellent academic record, with most all of its graduates going on to college. The school has a beautiful campus and a complete sports program that includes a full eleven man football team. As the name implies, All Saints is an Episcopal School, with a theology, chapel class and a chaplain consistent with that denomination. The staff and student body however, are made up of a number of denominations. Tuition can be high, but there are programs available to help prospective students with the desire to attend, but who lack the financial means. For more on All Saints see my original article entitled Traditional Education for the College Bound.

Brook Hill

Founded in 1997 Brook Hill (BH) is one of the newer schools on the list. It is a preparatory school that provides its students with a top notch education on a beautiful campus in Bullard Texas. The school offers a full list of athletic and extra-curricular opportunities (including a full football squad). While BH is a non-denominational Christian School, it leans toward a more orthodox tradition. By all accounts, this is a great school, but it does tend to be pricey. I recommend looking into the scholarships and grants available. For more on this school, look for my piece entitled Classical Education and Christian Character, located elsewhere on this site.

Christian Heritage

In the interest of full disclosure, this is one of the area schools with which I have a personal history, and it is thus one of my favorite area schools. Christian Heritage School (CHS) was founded over thirty years ago. It is a Principle Approach school and offers students an education which emphasizes History, Literature, English, Logic and Latin. While these subjects are central, the school of course offers a solid math and science curriculum as well. CHS is a nondenominational school with connections to Youth With A Mission, the international missions organization. The staff and student body is made up of many different area churches. The school’s athletic opportunities are a bit thin. CHS offers basketball, soccer, track, volleyball and a couple other more minor sports. The campus is located on Dixie drive just off 64, west not far from Tyler Pounds Field. In terms of tuition CHS is one of the lower schools in Tyler, generally a great deal considering the education the school provides. To read more about CHS, look for my original article entitled An Institution in East Texas Education.

East Texas Christian Academy

East Texas Christian Academy (ETCA) has also been in Tyler for about thirty years. The School was designed to offer a solid academic slate of classes in a safe Christian environment. The current campus is located on Shiloh Road and they are in the process of building an entirely new one just across the street. The school is denominationally affiliated with the Church of Christ. Staff and teachers are all members of that church, but the student body includes other denominations as well. The sports program is good but not huge, roughly comparable to that of CHS. I was unable to find a clear dollar figure, but based on the people I’ve spoken with, tuition seems moderate, somewhere between Christian Heritage and Brook Hill. (I realize there’s a lot of room there). For more information on ETCA readers can look for my original article Challenging Academics in a Christian Environment.

Good Shepherd

Good Shepherd has been educating the Tyler area for a long time. It is a Classical school with a curriculum that is heavy on teaching Philosophy, Theology, Latin and Logic. In terms of denomination, Good Shepherd is a Reformed Episcopal school, (a spin- off of the Anglican or Episcopal Church) which means they emphasize an orthodox expression of the faith mixed with an element of reformed doctrine. The sports program is small and somewhat year to year, meaning that it’s dependent on the school’s enrollment and demand for athletics from one year to the next. In terms of its academics Good Shepherd is an excellent school, but extracurricular opportunities are somewhat limited by its size. Tuition is on the higher end of moderate. It’s not the most expensive school in town, but there are surely more cost effective options. That being said, for those concerned almost exclusively with academic achievement Good Shepherd is a solid option. To read more of my thoughts on this school, look for the title Good Shepherd Offers a Great Education.

Grace Community School

As I read through the list of Tyler’s schools, I’m amazed at how many of them have been around for as long as they have. Grace Community School (GCS) is another school who’s history in Tyler exceeds thirty years. They offer a solid academic foundation, and a truly, non-denominational Christian formation. The school is obviously associated with the church of the same name, but its staff and students are composed of Christians from across spectrum of denominations. Grace is a solid school and a Tyler institution. I find that teaching in this town is a lot like waiting tables here. Once you’ve worked a couple of schools you find you’re acquainted with other teachers from all the other area schools. While I’ve never taught at Grace I’ve worked with other teachers who’ve taught there, and I can attest to the fact that they have a great staff.  GCS has a full athletic program which includes an eleven man football team. Tuition here is also on the higher end of moderate, but they do offer a variety of financial Oid programs to make the school affordable. To read more, look for the title Opportunity Values and Academics, located elsewhere on this site.

King’s Academy Christian School

Easily the youngest school on the list at six years old, King’s Academy Christian School (KACS) is also the most unique. I should also say that King’s is another school with whom I have a connection. King’s is a University Model School, meaning students attend class three days a week and study at home with a parent or tutor the other two. But unusual schedule aside, the school offers challenging academics, and a rich student life. KACS also has a good slate of Athletic opportunities, including six- man football. King’s is also a non-denominational school. Both its teachers and students are made up of a variety of churches. Tuition to King’s Academy is about the lowest in the Tyler area. But for all the school has to offer, this is tremendous value. To read more about KACS, there are several articles to look for on this site; Something Different in Education, Something Different at King’s Academy, Six- Man Football Returns to Tyler and King’s Academy Christian School in Tyler TX.

Well there’s my short list Tyler’s better schools; (at least in my opinion). Remember, the summer’s wrapping up and it’s never too early to begin considering our children’s enrollment.