BNMay08covers.qxd 4/17/08 5:44 PM Page 2 May 2008 MMaakkiinngg AAnnootthheerr RRuunn ttoo SSttaattee WWhheerree CChhaarraacctteerr AAnnyytthhiinngg RRiinnggss TTrruuee iiss PPoossssiibbllee TThhee PPoowweerr ooff MMootthheerr’’ss LLoovvee aa AAtt HHoommee WWiitthh PRSRT STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID FT.WORTH,TX DDrr.. PERMIT NO.711 WWaayynnee aanndd AAnnnnee EEnngglliisshh BNMay08covers.qxd 4/22/08 8:20 AM Page 3 BNMay08p1-5.qxd 4/17/08 5:52 PM Page 1 BNMay08p1-5.qxd 4/22/08 8:39 AM Page 2 www.nowmagazines.com 2 BurlesonNOW March 2008 BNMay08p1-5.qxd 4/17/08 5:56 PM Page 3 Contents May 2008, Volume 2, Issue 5 6 10 The Power of A Place of Rest a Mother’s Love At Home With Dr. Wayne and Anne English 18 20 24 26 ArtsNOW SportsNOW BusinessNOW EducationNOW Anything is Possible Making Another More Than a Where Character Run to State Healing Touch Rings True 28 Around TownNOW 34 HealthNOW On the Cover: Burleson Stadium 30 Who’s CookingNOW 36 OutdoorsNOW Photo by Terri Ozymy. 32 FinanceNOW 37 Community Calendar Publisher,Connie Poirier Burleson Editor,Melissa Rawlins Advertising Representatives,Will Epps General Manager,Rick Hensley Contributing Writers,Alex Allred .Faith Browning Rick Ausmus .Carolyn Mixon .Linda Moffett . . Managing Editor,Becky Walker Nancy Fenton Amanda Madden Pitt Sharon Kevin Poirier . Jill Odle .Terri Ozymy . . Editorial Coordinator,Sandra McIntosh PRhoobtoingsraopnh y,JaRiomde C Rouradrske n B.eIvtteyy TPrhyoontography Steve Randle .Terri Yates Creative Director,Jami Navarro . Graphic Designers,Julie Carpenter Sandra McIntosh Terri Ozymy Art Director,Chris McCalla Contributing Editors/Proofreaders,Pat Anthony Allee Brand .Marshall Hinsley .Arlene Honza Office Manager,Lauren Poirier Pamela Parisi .Jaime Ruark .Beverly Shay Steve Koldjeski .Brande Morgan BurlesonNOWis a NOWMagazines, L.L.C. publication. Copyright © 2008. All rights reserved. BurlesonNOWis published monthly and individually mailed free of charge to homes and businesses in the Burleson zip codes. Subscriptions areavailable at the rate of $35 per year or $3.50 per issue. Subscription and editorial correspondence should be sent to: NOW Magazines, P.O. Box 1071, Waxahachie, TX 75168. For advertising rates and other information, call (817) 477-0990 or e-mail us at: [email protected]. www.nowmagazines.com 3 BurlesonNOW May 2008 BNMay08p1-5.qxd 4/21/08 9:59 AM Page 4 Editor’s Note Dear Readers, We all have someone on whom we depend. In this issue, you will read about people devoted to encouraging and helping their families and communities. Six women at Turning Point Wellness Center pooled their talents to be of service, and tell their story for your inspiration. Mary Lynn McClendon, with the help of her husband, Dan, literally laid down her life for her family, while Marla Bennet and her team of teachers set the example for the fifth-graders at Nola Dunn Elementary to give back to their community. Do not miss Jerry Watts, a self-taught freehand artist, whose story might inspire you to pull out a pencil and pad! Katie Hoaldridge, a Burleson High School track star tells how she keeps her focus. Wayne and Anne English welcome us into their home this month, and the close-knit folks at Christ Journey Church prepare meals for families in need of comfort food. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers of Burleson! Melissa Rawlins Editor [email protected] BurlesonNOW www.nowmagazines.com 4 BurlesonNOW May 2008 BNMay08p1-5.qxd 4/22/08 8:40 AM Page 5 www.nowmagazines.com 5 BurlesonNOW May 2008 BNMay08p6-9Main.qxd 4/17/08 6:00 PM Page 6 The Power of a Mother’s Love — By Alex Allred M Mary Lynn McClendon speaks and during and after the Civil War, birth,” Mary said. Austin was literally understands a language that few can. encouraging women to become more born black and blue. Shortly after While it is English in origin, it is a active in the political arena and with birth, he was diagnosed with Lebers language so complicated, so very the health and welfare of injured soldiers. Congenital Amauroses, a condition convoluted that only a super mom Young Anna followed in her footsteps, that affects newborns and/or very could decipher its meaning. It is an continuing her mother’s good works young children with profound vision understanding that came with time, and carrying the banner for all mothers. loss. There was also a concern that he persistence and a kind of love that By 1914, she got her wish when had infantile autism or, Mary added, movies are made of, but it is also a Mother’sDay was officially recognized. “He was just sick. We didn’t know if devotion that required the once shy, For Mary, however, she had never his immune system was shot. It was quiet Mary, so refined and ladylike, given much thought to this day hard to know.” to stand up and speak out. That beyond receiving candy and cards. At the age of 2 months, Austin had language is the language of her Her life had been relatively easy. She a doctor’s appointment that marked a autistic son, Austin. was not particularly active in politics. change in his development. Almost Truly, Mary is a strong woman who Instead, she enjoyed time socializing immediately, “he had an adverse daily redefines the unbridled strength with her friends and being physically reaction to the vaccines.” Mary and and courage of a loving mother. active. While her husband, Dan, Dan both noted the change. “His eyes Qualities such as these are what led to worked as a contractor for his own were jumping,” they said. His behavior the establishment of Mother’s Day construction company, Mary stayed at began to change and in the months to early in the 20th century. home with their boys, Jack, now 12, come, a series of ongoing tests were When Anna Jarvis held a memorial and Cole, 11. Theirs was a busy, conducted. Austin appeared to have in 1907, following the death of her active, happy home that also included good days and bad days, but when he mother, Ann Marie Reeves Jarvis, Dan’s grown daughter, Angela. was just over a year old, he just Anna hoped to establish an official day When Mary went into labor with stopped eating. “The only thing we to recognize all mothers. Her mother their third son, Austin, things quickly could get him to eat was vanilla custard,” had been a social activist and organizer changed. “There were complications at Mary said. “Vanilla custard and pretzels. www.nowmagazines.com 6 BurlesonNOW May 2008 BNMay08p6-9Main.qxd 4/19/08 4:23 PM Page 7 BNMay08p6-9Main.qxd 4/21/08 4:20 PM Page 8 That was it.” At 20 months, he was onthe decline. With his autism came many ticks. Hecould not and would not eat anything with a temperature too warm or too cool. He stopped sleeping for any extended periods of time and because of a rare disorder called pica, an eating disorder in which young people eat non-food items, such as window moldings or wood, Austin had to be watched around the clock. “So that Dan and the boys could sleep, Iwould literally drive around at night to keep him quiet,” Mary recalled. Police would routinely stop by Mary’s parked car to see what she was doing at 2 or 4 a.m. “By the age of 2, whatever language skills he had were gone,” she said. “He was going downhill, but therapists were tentative about giving any kind of diagnoses because he [Austin] didn’t fit the mold.” Ahighly intelligent and curious boy, Austin was not easily defined by any medical descriptions. At times he showed signs of social awareness and coherency, humming tunes and producing a vocabulary of almost 40 words. Other times, he slipped backwards, barely making a noise. Periodically, the subject of institutionalizing Austin was broached, but Mary continually dug in. She always knew the best place for him to be was the very place he was www.nowmagazines.com 8 BurlesonNOW May 2008