One of the reasons we began Liberty County Outlook magazine last February was to showcase our area’s many unique people, places and events. We believe this is a great place to live, and we wanted to share that perspective with others. That’s the meaning behind our slogan: Outlook is your window on our world.
Through that window this month shines the warm and fragrant light of scented candles whose flickering flames cast a soft glow on a Nativity scene crafted by a local artist. Look deeper through the window and you’ll also see an area home that becomes a veritable museum of rare Christmas collectibles each December. And, you’ll meet a Cleveland native, now an internationally-known Christian musician, who promises that he’ll be home for Christmas.
The window also reveals the bustling forms of East Texas cooks from past and present generations preparing Holiday feasts in their kitchens, who share their recipes with Outlook readers.
Shift your gaze to another window pane and catch a glimpse of the future of our area; a future that promises to bring economic development and growth that will dramatically change and enhance our communities over the next five years.
The window also reveals many unique and meaningful Christmas gifts for your friends and family that are available right here at home.
There are other things behind that window that will entertain and educate you. There’s the first restaurant review written by a mystery area couple who will share their monthly appraisals of local eateries from a “He Said, She Said” point of view. Another new monthly column is introduced, called “Life In The Slow Lane,” that will offer humorous insights into living in our rural area from the perspective of a former city-dweller.
And, as always, there’s more…a lot more.
Christmas is a wonderful time of year that emphasizes love and the joy of giving, family togetherness and Christian faith. For some, however, this season is anything but joyful. Read Bob Dunegan’s piece on “What If It’s Not a Sugar-Plum Christmas?” and be motivated to share your holidays with someone who is hurting.
Bob has another article that explains all those Santas who show up everywhere this time of year. After several attempts to talk to the real Santa Claus about all his helpers (he did manage to interview Santa’s public relations department) he finally just interviewed several “Helper Santas” about what it’s like “being Santa.”
Meet Charles Jantzen, Houston SPCA’s Chief Cruelty Investigator, who will keep us informed on a regular basis of the law’s requirements regarding the care of our livestock and domestic animals. Help celebrate the one-year anniversary of being cancer-free of Hardin native Laura Kidder, who encourages all of us to “go for the brass ring.”
And, pick up a few tips from Tarkington VFD Assistant Fire Chief Dalton Lee Gregory on how to have a safe Christmas.
It is our goal to entertain, inform, educate and motivate you through these pages. Let us know how we’re doing and what you’d like to see in the future.
That future holds the promise of perhaps greater growth and opportunity for our area than we have ever seen. Beginning in this issue, and continuing all through 2008, we’ll explore the stirrings of economic development across our counties, from new housing developments to new businesses and entertainment centers that are considering building in our part of East Texas.
We’ll look at transportation issues, the impact of such developments on our tax base, schools and neighborhoods, and how government officials and leading citizens believe we should best take advantage of the growth headed our way without losing our rural identity and sense of community.
It promises to be quite a year, and we’re looking forward to doing our part to make sure it’s a prosperous and successful time for you and yours.
Meantime, however, it’s Christmas – a blessed time of year. It is our wish for each of you that this Christmas is one of peace and joy, a deepening of your faith, and a true celebration of the love that surrounds you.
My personal wish for you is that you receive a gift as meaningful as the one I’ve already received; one that money cannot buy. My son has safely returned home after serving a year in Kuwait with a Naval SeeBee unit.
For those of you whose loved ones are still serving their country overseas, or perhaps will never return from their time there, it is my prayer that the Lord Whose birth we celebrate at Christmas will grant you peace and comfort through His love for you.
The entire staff of Media Publishing, LLC and Outlook Magazine wish you and thos you hold dear a blessed, Merry Christmas, and a successful and healthy New Year.
