Jingle Bells and History Tales

We sit down with local historian Tracy Houpt to explore why White Settlement’s past still shapes the streets we drive and the places we gather, then pull back the curtain on planning the Light the Night Christmas parade and Christmas market. Gratitude from city staff and a run of holiday events round out a packed November.

• why local history changes how we see home
• Hometown Tales traffic box placements with QR codes
• Trinity Academy site, cotton gin fire and Roland Springs context
• museum refresh with rotating exhibits and interviews
• Dr Woods’ 1840s square piano loan in progress
• volunteer roles in preservation and events
• Light the Night planning, Christmas market growth and new contests
• how to join the parade and become a vendor
• staff gratitude reflections for the holidays
• splash days Black Friday sale and grease roundup details
• library booksgiving and weekly farmers market
• parade route, tree lighting and photos with Santa

“Go to WSTX.us/parksandrec to create an account and sign up for the parade or market. Watch Facebook and the city website for direct links.”

For more information on upcoming events please visit www.wstx.us or facebook.com/cityofwhitesettlement

Transcript

Welcome Back And Fall Vibes

Aaron Hall 0:01

You're listening to What's Happening White Settlement, the place to be for the inside scoop on everything happening in and around the city. We'll showcase our services, talk about events, highlight the work we're doing, and share your story. Grab a seat because the show starts now. Well, what is happening, White Settlement? Welcome back to the podcast. My name is Aaron Hall. I am your host here, and I am very excited to say we're here for episode two. We're doing it again. We received some great feedback on the first episode. So thank you to everyone who listened, who subscribed, who shared the stories in the Facebook post. All of that stuff is very beneficial and helpful. And I love seeing that many of you out there are just as excited about this new podcast, this new way of the city communicating as I am, mostly because it means I get to keep doing it. So thank you very much for that to everyone out there. As you are probably aware, it is November now. So go ahead and take a deep breath. We got through most of the year. I know the holidays have their own sort of busyness and stress to them, but to me, it's the best two months of the year. It finally starts cooling off, things maybe slow down just a little bit, and we get a little time to celebrate family and of course Christmas, which is my favorite holiday. And you better believe we will be talking about both Thanksgiving and Christmas in today's podcast. But first, we're gonna talk to our feature guest this month, and that is Tracy Haupt, a local historian who you probably, if you keep up with the Facebook and city events, you've probably seen him around and some of the great things that he's involved with with the Historical Society and the White Settlement History Museum. I was able to sit down and have a really fascinating and really enlightening conversation with Tracy. And I'm excited for you to be able to listen to that right now. I'm here with Tracy Haupt from the White Settlement Historical Museum. Uh, you're one of our local historians here. You've been involved in a lot of things around the area, the Historical Society, and just a lot of really cool, really great projects. And so, first of all, I just want to say thank you so much for agreeing to be on here. Oh, yeah, thanks for having me. We don't start out easy here on the new podcast. So I I want to go to a pretty serious question first and really just ask you why does history matter? You know, be it local or otherwise, why is it important for people to know it and to care about it?

Tracy Houpt 2:26

Yeah, so for me, it's interesting because I've always loved history. When I was in fifth grade up in Indiana, we built a map of the county we lived in, talked about it. And then from that that thing that the our teacher instilled in me, I just everywhere I lived, which is uh Ohio, Georgia, and now Texas, everywhere I live, I just pour myself into local history. And to me, it's very important because it's it's a way of just understanding our past and the stories that are there. And it people lived here before a long time ago. And it's just really fun to and really good to uh capture those stories and share those with others as as so that people know who came before them in this land.

Aaron Hall 3:07

Yeah. I've I've really been appreciated our friendship since I met you because I look at things differently. Like we we learned a lot through a project we worked on together and are still working on, and we'll talk about that in a minute. Uh, we were talking about Roland Springs and and you know, the Farmers Ranch Creek and stuff. And when I look at it now, I look at it differently. Yeah, and I think about who was there, you know, a hundred years ago and a hundred years before that. And it's really cool. It almost gives you a different perspective on the land. You know, I grew up here. I've I've passed this creek 50,000 times probably, right? And not thought about that type of things, you know.

Tracy Houpt 3:42

Yeah, and the importance that it that creek and that spring provided for the Native Americans first. And then after that, the the settlers that were here.

Aaron Hall 3:51

Yeah, which is just so cool. I guess like I'm really just fascinated by this idea of local history, why it can really capture some people, because you get people that are really into this stuff. And I think it's fair to say you're one of those people, you know. Can you share maybe a little bit about ways in which you find it helpful, ways in which it enriches your life?

Why Local History Matters

Tracy Houpt 4:12

Yeah. So for me, it I mean, when I when I dig into local history, it's almost like it's almost like a mystery solving. It's almost like putting pieces of puzzles together. What I'd like to do is is to see what's already out there, it's already been captured, and then go after those, you know, untold stories, the lesser known things that are happening in local history and capture that. Because again, you know, a lot of things have already been captured. So that's great. Yeah, that's cool. But let's add to that, you know. We had freed slaves in this area that ended up getting property. Let's talk talk about that story. We got a gentleman named Dr. Woods that lived just to the north part of White Settlement up near the Army base or Army uh National Guard uh unit who put a mill in, and this place was called Woods Mill for a good 20 years. And as history goes, it could have eventually been called Woods Mill versus White Settlement. So it's just kind of how it all plays together and how history all plays together. And then to me, it's just really trying to capture those stories because again, those people again lived here, they contributed to the community, and that's what we're here today.

Aaron Hall 5:09

Right, right. And and even it's funny because some people who will claim, like, I don't have any interest in history or or local history. Who do you think most of these streets are named after? Exactly. You know, you drive down some of these streets, and I'm I that's another thing that I've come to learn. Like, okay, now I know who that guy is and why it matters that his name is on that road. Exactly. Which is just kind of a neat little little thing that you don't ever think about normally. Right. Why is it called Farmer's Branch?

Tracy Houpt 5:36

Right. Farmers Live here. And Farmer's Branch sometimes is called Alan's Branch. Alan's Lived here. Right. Yeah.

Aaron Hall 5:41

So I I mentioned a project we've been working on, and that is, if you're not aware, you're listening, it's called Hometown Tales, and it's a way to use the traffic boxes. I've been working on this project for two years now. You would think I would know what we call these traffic light control boxes and use those. There was art already on them, and a lot of those have been damaged over the years, you know, degraded by the weather. I think if they've been up there for at least a decade. And so we we've started, we're not just willy-nilly removing the great art that was already there. We've intentionally targeted the ones that were most damaged and and what we've come up with as a way to present local history in a in a way that might catch somebody's eye as they drive by. We're calling it Hometown Tales. And I just want to have you talk a little bit about the placement of some of these because if you haven't seen them, like some of the ones that are up, like we have the Allen Log Cabin. But what's cool is not just what these are about and what they talk about, but why they're located, where they're located. Can you tell us a little bit about those? Yeah.

Tracy Houpt 6:40

So starting with the Allen Log Cabin, the uh WT Allen came down with his family and where they located was pretty close to where that marker's at. And also that we have the WT Allen log cabin that was built in 1864. That's James uh Kennedy's son. And we have that at the museum right now, but at one time it was located over on Farmers Branch right near Las Vegas. Okay. And again, that's the same proximity of where that's at. But again, we wanted to locate uh, and AC, you've done a great job of coming up with the artwork and and and putting this into reality and making it real. You know, we we also have Roland Springs, which is right here by the city hall, and that's because Roland Springs is right here, right behind the fire department. Right, basically, you know, and again, that was very important for the early settlers, but even before them, it's very important to the Native Americans that would come and hunt and come through here. And then the last one we have out right now is Trinity Academy, and that's at Tray Lane and White Settlement Road, and that's where Trinity Academy was, just right across the street there. It was a private school uh built in the late 1800s before White Settlement City School started. And again, so it's really fun to tell, you know, basically put that marker right where it's at. And you know, we've got another three coming out that are gonna be very close to where that history's happened. So now you can go stand there, appreciate it, plus scan the QR codes you guys have put out there to help take and take you to the website to learn more about it.

Aaron Hall 8:00

Yeah, and that was something that was so valuable that you were able to bring to the project. You were able to help us locate. I mean, to me, like that's just so neat. To I'm standing in front of it, and it's not just a piece of art, it's not just a reminder of history, but I'm either on or very near where that history really was. Right. And that's just, I don't know, that adds a really cool layer to those to that project.

Hidden Stories: From Freedmen To Woods Mill

Tracy Houpt 8:22

Yeah, and going back to Trinity Academy one, I think we also mentioned that there was a cotton gin there, too. So there was actually a cotton gin that stood right there, Cherry Lane, White Settlement Road, late 1800s, and we know it was there because in newspapers it actually had a fire and burned down, and then they rebuilt it. Yeah, you know, and so it's those kind of stories we want to tell. I mean, we got Dr. Woods, I mentioned earlier, we're gonna be talking about him. Of course, we'll be highlighting the bomber plant, Liberator Village, Riley Haygood, and George White, who were free slaves that ended up getting property here in White Settlement, and I can't remember the other ones. A few others.

Aaron Hall 8:54

Stay tuned, a few others. So, over at the White Settlement Historical Museum, you all have announced recently that there's some improvements and some changes happening and some uh I don't know the right term for updates going on. Could you just share a little bit about what inspired that and what people can expect those to to look like when they're done?

Tracy Houpt 9:13

Yeah, first off, I'll say if you've never been there, please come. I mean, we're on Hannon Drive, uh just down the street from the fire department, pretty much. You know, we started in the in the early 1990s, and so we've c uh we basically have a good collection of artifacts. A lot of it from early settlers' day, the early 1900s, those kind of things. But we have, you know, some uh uh Civil War items, some World War I items, World War II items. We have Brewer High School, information, the police department, and so on. Got a lot of stuff, but that's part of our problem is we almost got too much stuff.

Aaron Hall 9:45

Yeah.

Tracy Houpt 9:45

So we're going through trying to figure out again, what do we want to keep and then what do we want to find a home for? Things we want to keep, we want to make sure we tell stories to them. So it's not just like coming in and seeing something. It's like, what's this is here because this person used it here at White Settlement or so on. So the one thing we want to do this uh coming into next year, starting in January, is to open up a uh basically a special exhibit. So we're gonna take one of our rooms, clear it out, make it look a little more modern, hang a TV in there, some speakers, and then when you come in, it's gonna tell a story about something. So in January next year, we're targeting targeting uh to tell a story about Liberator Village.

Aaron Hall 10:20

Nice, okay.

Tracy Houpt 10:21

Again, what happened at the Lumber plant during World War II, but also the people who lived here in white settlement in government housing that worked at the plant. And then after that one, we're gonna do one on suburban uh newspapers and the and the bomber news, right? Settlement bomber news and tell about that whole history. And there was a big digitization project going on with that right now. And then lastly, next year, so we're gonna run these about every three months. We'd like to do one on Dr. Woods. And the thing about Dr. Woods that's really cool is he brought the first piano, it's a square piano, it's built in the 1840s. He brought the first one to to Fort Worth. Wow, okay. Basically to Tarrant County. Yeah, he played it over at Fort Worth when he first got here, and then he moved in this area. And that piano we were able to find in the archives at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. And so we're working with them to get a loan agreement in place for you know later fall of next year and have that here in White Settlement so people can come see that and think about this. Piano was played, you know, in the 1850s and 60s. Yeah. Right here in White Settlement, you know. So anyway, we want to have that on display too. So we're trying to make things a little more modern. It'll be kids' activities too. So that's what we're doing inside a museum. Outside a museum, we're trying to do a couple of big events every year. Okay. So in May, we do the walk through history. So that's kind of the history reenactors, you know, coming in and showing we've had a truck wagon there before. We've had uh Civil War reenactment groups and so on. And then this fall, we're trying to start one on Native Americans, which you know will be a Native American uh history or heritage month on in November. So on November 15th this year, we're gonna hopefully have a we'll call it a mini pow wow. We'll we'll we'll figure out the official title, but we'll have uh some Native American dancers. So we'll have the dancers and the drummers. There'll be people there to tell stories about it. Uh they might be playing stick ball, which is a Choctaw uh thing. Well, and some of the other tribes too. And then there'll be some merchants there to sell some of the arts and that's really cool.

Hometown Tales On Traffic Boxes

Aaron Hall 12:11

There's an appeal, I s I think, especially now in society, to these almost like I know a lot of other museums do it now, a limited time, you know, exhibit. It creates that idea of you know, there's there's always gonna be something new, another reason to come back and and see something new and fresh. Right.

Tracy Houpt 12:26

That's what we want to do is is to make it more fresh for people. Because we'll get people come the one time, great. You know, they sing it and but we don't refresh it. We don't tell a new story, don't tell it a different way. They're gonna have video displays. We've interviewed a couple people for Liberator Village who lived there when they were kids. So we'll be able to tell some of those stories too.

Aaron Hall 12:44

To me, the power in a lot of this, and really what I tried to bring to Hometown Tales was like you keep using the word story, and to me, that's such an important part of how history comes alive. Because I've never been like a good, I'm not a fact learner. You can tell me a date and I'll have forgotten it before you finish telling it to me. But if you tell me a story, I'll remember it forever. Right. And uh really love bringing history to life in that manner, and it sounds like y'all are moving and doing a lot of really cool stuff with that. And I I'm I'm I'm really excited personally.

Tracy Houpt 13:17

Yeah, and it honors and respects those who came before us and we keep their stories going.

Aaron Hall 13:21

Exactly. Before I let you go, I just want to ask if anybody is interested in this stuff or is realizing that there's more going on with local history than they realized. How's a way that they can get involved?

Tracy Houpt 13:33

Okay. So for in general, if you follow us on Facebook, so it's the White Settlement Historical Museum on Facebook, that's where we pretty much keep everything up to date. We do have a webpage out there too that we do keep up to date. But we have a number of volunteer activities throughout the year, and we do need volunteers. I mean, there's a lot going on, but there's a few of us that are actually getting it done right now. Yeah. And the more people can get involved, then it helps helps keep this going for the future, right? So again, I would just encourage everybody to check our Facebook page. Uh you can message on that, it goes directly to me and I'll reply on that. Or you can call uh our museum and our museum manager, Carol Davis, who does a wonderful job of keeping the keeping the doors open and running. Can do that. We're open 10 to 3 on Tuesdays through Saturdays. So if you need to call, please call between 10 and 3 on those days.

Aaron Hall 14:21

And then the great thing too is when you talk about volunteer opportunities, we're not just talking about like moving barrels or something. Like it's it's getting to work with real history because y'all did a project doing some maintenance and upgrades to the log cabin. You've gone out and cleaned up some of the historic cemeteries in the area. You get to do some adventurous neat stuff, you know.

Tracy Houpt 14:40

The log cabin was really important. The the material between the logs called the chinking was falling apart. And then of course that lets more water in the logs and inside the house and and rodents in the in the cabin. And so yeah, we spent it's so hot here, we had to spend a few weekends in school. But uh, we also got some really good participation from uh Whitesome ISD middle school students and a homeschool group too. Basically, we had to knock it all off and put all in there, and we use more authentic chinking. Yeah. So we use clay, sand, straw, and water, and a little bit of cement mix, but basically did that, and hopefully it'll last a few more years. But again, that's exactly the same way as settlers would have done it 100 years ago.

Aaron Hall 15:17

Right, which is super cool because you're you're getting a chance not to just volunteer and do something good, but like bring history back to life in a way, you know, which is really neat. So, Tracy, I just want to thank you not only for being on the podcast, but just for doing what you do. Like I said, knowing you and getting to know you has helped me connect better with this place that's always been my home. It's always going to be my home. But now it's like a home I feel like I just have a deeper appreciation of because, like you said, I get what came before now. Yeah, and I get why it matters. You feel differently about it now when you understand better how it came to be, who started laying the groundwork for all of this stuff that's around me now today. So I really appreciate, and I know there's a lot, there's a whole team of people. Oh, yeah.

Tracy Houpt 16:00

A lot of people helping us out, and many thanks to everybody who's been helping us.

Trinity Academy, Cotton Gin, And Upcoming Panels

Aaron Hall 16:04

Yes. Uh but also specific thanks to you for for all of that. I I really do appreciate it, and I thank you for what you do, and thank you very much for your time on the podcast today. It's my pleasure. This is fun. Thanks. Due to inclement weather, last year's Light the Night Christmas Parade got canceled. We know all of you were sad about it. You told me about it on Facebook. I'm the one that gets all of those comments and messages. I assure you, we were sad about it as well. It's a very fun event. We love putting that on every year. To me, it feels like the official welcome to the holiday season. You know, Christmas time is really here once we hit that Christmas parade and do all the fun light the night festivities. Now that it's almost time for the 2025 edition, we've been hard at work to try and make this the best light the night the city has ever had. My guest for this next segment is Yvette Washington, the recreation manager, who plays a really big role in this event and most of our holiday events. I was able to talk with her about what it takes to put on the Christmas parade and just have a little fun talking about the holiday season and everything that goes into it. I hope you enjoy. I would like to say welcome to our guest, Yvette. Thank you. The recreation manager. I'm glad to be here. We we need to give you a new nickname, like Queen of the Gymnasium or something.

Yvette Washington 17:24

Probably, or you know, um, Jack of all trades, parks, and rec. Yeah.

Aaron Hall 17:30

Well, we we were just talking before we hit record that uh when you work for community services, you really you work for everybody everywhere. Yes, all of the time. It's all team spirit. That's right, that's right. And you know, it can be tough sometimes. We're here, we're here to be real on the podcast. We're not gonna lie. It can be tough sometimes, but it also to me is one of the benefits of being in this part of city government. I think I would get really bored if every day I had to like you fill out these forms and upload them to the same database. Exactly. So we're here to talk about the Christmas parade. Light the night. Everybody loves it. And if you're out there listening, you're you might be thinking, why are we talking about Christmas on the November podcast? There's a very good reason, and that's because Light the Night happens really early in December this year. It is Saturday, December 6th. Correct. So as we gear up for that and we want to get all of you involved, we want to talk about it now. And so, Yvette, I want to turn to you because anytime there's a big event, you are neck deep in all of it. I mean, you you get involved in so much of it just as you're part of your position and your involvement in the recreation department. Can you just kind of take us through a little bit of what goes into as this starts to come together? I mean, we've been working on it for months already. Yes. But as as we ramp into this and it starts to come together, can you talk a little bit about that process and and what goes into it?

Yvette Washington 18:56

Yes. Um, we always have meetings, one with the what we call the holiday committee. So they're a big help in the lineup and where everybody goes into the lineup. And then also people are suggesting new ideas and things like that. I mean, a lot of people probably don't realize what or how much goes into this. It's crazy. It is chaotic. I don't think people realize how chaotic it is as far as the lineup and then putting people in their places where they're supposed to go and things of that nature. But other than that, it's just basically ordering, for instance, lights so that they could put it out for the Christmas market because, you know, of course it gets darker. So things like that, um, finding new DJs and announcers and all that good stuff. And like I said, we have so many, so much help from the holiday committee, different departments, police department, fire department, everybody's out there to help. We have volunteers as well that you know helps us. So it's all good in that.

Aaron Hall 20:00

It's funny because from a viewer standpoint, from a if if I'm just attending Light Tonight, I think the parade seems like the simplest part. Right. Oh, the people get in the car and then they drive down the street. But from a behind-the-scenes standpoint, that's so far and away the toughest part to plan out, to set up. And like you said, organizing, because before they're driving down that street, everybody has to gather at the starting point. And I know that's where a lot of the the kind of madness and chaos kind of settles in for you and your team.

Museum Upgrades And Rotating Exhibits

Yvette Washington 20:31

Yeah, it's because first of all, like we plan it out, we send all the participants where they are on the map. But even though they see it, when they get to that part, it's hard for them to find the parking. So we're having to navigate them, but still, like if it's a big trailer, so we have to make sure they're able to get in, turn around, go out. And then we have a lot of parents that want to drop off their kids and they want to go into the participating thing, but we're like, no, you can't, you know. But other than that, it's pretty good. Like I said, even though it's the chaotic part, just seeing everybody out there, the community coming out there together, even people from not in white settlement. We have so many viewers and participants that want to come out, and it it's just fun to see everybody out there, and then of course, all the kids loving of the candy being thrown out. Of course. But yeah, I I I love it. It's all good.

Aaron Hall 21:23

And so as we're talking about this, uh one of the reasons, again, I know I hit this at the top, but we want you out there listening to be involved in this. There's still time to sign up and to be a part of not just the parade, but the Christmas market you mentioned, which is for me like my favorite part. Mine too. I really want to keep building that up because it takes a while for the parade to get there. So if you're watching, if you come into Veterans Park and you're watching from there, which is where I'm always at doing photos, and now this year I'll be doing the the music and DJing and all that. DJ A Aeron in the word, you have a lot of time to go enjoy food trucks, right, you know, activities, but also go Christmas shopping. Yes, it's right there. You've got local vendors, people from this community who make great stuff and have really neat things to sell. And so also, if you're one of those people and you don't know about this event or if you know somebody, like we want to hear from you. Like we probably hopefully will still have room for you and come be a part of making that bigger and better every year.

Yvette Washington 22:25

I love it because it's good to support your local businesses as well and your local crafters because they're I'm sure they're working hard making their crafts. So anything to support them is good.

Aaron Hall 22:36

Yeah.

Yvette Washington 22:36

And then you get your Christmas shopping done early as well.

Aaron Hall 22:40

While you're there to watch a parade, I mean, come on. Exactly. You know, how how efficient can you get? Everything's there, it's all in one.

Yvette Washington 22:46

You get to eat, play games, and shop. Come on. See Santa, see the parade. Exactly. Take pictures of Santa Claus.

Aaron Hall 22:53

I also want to urge people to consider being in the parade because you don't have to have some grand reason to be there. Correct. There doesn't have to be, you don't have to have a business you're promoting or an organization. I I remember back when I was with the Grizzly Detail newspaper, you know, 15 years ago or whatever. We entered into one of the parades. Oh, and we had no real good reason for being there. I mean, I guess we're promoting the newspaper.

Yvette Washington 23:19

Yeah.

Aaron Hall 23:19

But it was literally, we just talked and like it'd be fun to actually be in it.

Yvette Washington 23:23

Yes.

Aaron Hall 23:24

And and guess what, people? It was fun.

Yvette Washington 23:27

It is because you know, you get to decorate and have fun and then just seeing the joy of people and then the kids out there running out to get the candy, like I said before.

Aaron Hall 23:35

So you get to experience it from a different perspective. And if you've got kids or something, like think of that. That's a great memory. They're gonna remember the the one year that we decorated the minivan and we're a part of the parade. Yep.

Yvette Washington 23:48

And I'm sure they would probably like to throw out the candy too, or you know, gifts or anything like that.

Aaron Hall 23:52

You throw some, you eat some, you know, it's a good time for everyone.

Yvette Washington 23:57

Exactly. Also, we're going to be adding some contests this year. Oh, yeah.

Aaron Hall 24:02

Tell me about this.

Yvette Washington 24:03

Okay, so we're going to have a contest for the best float, best vehicle, and then most spirited. That's for like the walkers and stuff like that. So and then we may throw in Judge's choice, maybe. But those are gonna be the top three right now. And I'm excited for that.

Aaron Hall 24:21

I think like a long time ago, we've done that before. Yeah. So that's fun to bring that back.

Yvette Washington 24:26

Yeah, it was a while ago, but I I can't wait. And then it'll just be fun to get more competition going out there. You know, sure.

Aaron Hall 24:32

Yeah. A little friendly competition. Yes, yes. I love it. So I didn't prep you for this question. Oh boy. But I was just curious, as we for me, when you get into November, December, I get into a very reflective headspace about like the year that was. Yes. Were there any like big events or things that happened this year uh at the wreck and and that you've worked on that just stuck with you, or maybe some some of your favorite moments from from this year that you'd like to share?

Dr. Woods’ Piano And Community Events

Yvette Washington 24:59

I love one of our events called Rock the Boat Cardboard Race. That is my favorite. And now this upcoming Haunted Trails. Yeah. That's my favorite. I did not think it was going to be a big hit last year, but to my surprise, it was awesome.

Aaron Hall 25:14

Yeah, it was huge.

Yvette Washington 25:15

And then as far as the recreation center, I love how we're bringing in like basketball showcases and we have uh dance classes going on and other things. So, but yeah, so far, Rock the Boat and Haunted Trails is my favorite.

Aaron Hall 25:29

Awesome. I love it. And for the record, we're recording this on October 22nd. Yeah. And we are desperately hoping that there are no thunderstorms on Saturdays to ruin Haunted Trails because we've worked so hard planning for that and getting set up. So you'll know one way or another how sad we ended up being, or how happy, depending on whether or not when you listen to this in the future, that event happened. So before I let you go, I prepared a question for you. Okay. And you might hate it. Oh no. But I think that it's hilarious. Okay, bring it on. If you could plan a parade, five floats, dream floats, no limits, no rules, the five floats, most magical, whatever you want to see go by, biggest celebrity, whoever, whatever. Oh boy. What do you got? What's the dream vet parade coming through town, rolling down White Settlement Road?

Yvette Washington 26:22

Huh. Wow.

Aaron Hall 26:23

You can think about it.

Yvette Washington 26:24

That's a good question. Maybe a food truck float. You know, passing people throwing out food.

Aaron Hall 26:30

What else? All right. So in the lead, we've got the food truck, just tossing you some great, you know, tasty treats and some great food. Yes.

Yvette Washington 26:37

Yes. And then maybe like maybe a band. All right. I don't know which band. Maybe like a cover band that plays different kinds of music, rocking in it out, coming down the way. That'll be kind of cool. Okay.

Aaron Hall 26:49

Like it could be you you have the option to have bring the real band, but you've chosen the cover band. Well, yeah, that's true.

Yvette Washington 26:58

But you know. But you know, I mean, give them a chance to. Hey, I love it. All right. Man, I don't know what else. Hmm. You got me on that one. I don't know. Oh, that that's fair.

Aaron Hall 27:09

Well, you got two, you know. Stumped. Maybe that's all you need. You you'd you have a lead vehicle that's tossing out burritos and sushi or whatever else. And then just this great band rolling behind them. Yes. That's pretty uh sounds like a good parade to me. Right? Just park 'em and hang out, you know.

Yvette Washington 27:27

Yes. Okay.

Aaron Hall 27:29

All right. So we talked about getting everyone involved. How can they do it? How where do they go to sign up and be a part of Light the Night 2025?

Yvette Washington 27:39

They would go online and go to WSTX.us slash parks and rec and then look up for well, you have to create an account, unfortunately. I know people don't like that, but then you would just look for the parade and then sign up that way.

Aaron Hall 27:55

Correct. You will also have a chance to click links. We'll be putting out posts on the Facebook and on the website itself so that way they can go through as well.

Yvette Washington 28:03

Okay, yeah. Easy peasy.

Aaron Hall 28:06

Well, thank you for taking time to talk to us about Light the Night and all the other great things going on at the rec this year. And I appreciate you coming on the podcast.

Yvette Washington 28:17

Well, thank you for having me. I appreciate it.

Volunteering And Hands-On Preservation

Aaron Hall 28:21

With Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, I wanted to do a segment where city employees were able to share what they're thankful for this year. One of my favorite things about this time of year is that you can just kind of turn your thoughts inward a little bit and reflect on what you're thankful for. It's just a great part of this holiday season. I'll be expanding this feature next year. I didn't get to nearly as many people as I had hoped. And I had an equipment issue where I lost some of the recordings, so I'm gonna have to read a lot of these. I hope you're ready to hear my voice for a couple of minutes here. Sorry about that. But I think you'll enjoy hearing from some of your city employees and learning what they're thankful for heading into the 2025 holiday season. I did hear from police chief Christopher Cook, who sent along a really nice message. He said, As the director of public safety and chief of police, I am most grateful this year for the incredible work that our employees are doing on behalf of our community. Their unwavering commitment, coupled with the support from our community, make this a world-class town to live, work, and play in. Moving to the rest of these, I'm actually gonna start with myself, if that's okay, and just share that this year I'm very thankful for life and my family. I've had some sudden and kind of stark reminders this year that life can be short, that tomorrow's not guaranteed. So it really just makes me thankful for the life that I do get, the time that I do have, the family, the friends, the work that I get to do while I'm here. Those are really what I feel very thankful for this year. And I'm also very thankful for all of you out there listening. You know, I've effectively spent the last two decades of my life informing this community, trying to do my best to get you the information. Information you need, maybe entertain you just a little bit along the way. It's been a great ride, one that's been a real privilege, and one I'm hoping uh isn't gonna end anytime soon. Moving to some of the other employees, I spoke to Michael, who said he's thankful that White Settlement gave him a chance to work for them this year. Christian is thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ this year. Dalton is thankful for friends and family. I spoke with Miguel, who said he's thankful for everything he's been doing here at the city this year. He's really been enjoying his work this year. Old Ronnie is thankful for his two legs. So hey, there you go, Ronnie. Daniel is thankful for family this year. That's something that Mitchell also agreed with, said he's thankful for his family and friends. And then I also spoke with Richard, who said he's thankful for his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and that he's feeling blessed to provide for his family, that he's able to provide a healthy meal each day and a roof over their heads. And then let's hear from a few other city employees who I was able to sit down and record with and hear what they're thankful for.

Speaker 3 30:53

Tyler, and this year I am thankful for some family, friends, and a loving daughter.

Aaron Hall 30:59

Michael. And I'm thankful for my family and uh my position here with the city of White Settlement.

Speaker 31:06

My name is Mo, and I'm thankful for my boys, my friends, and my family.

Aaron Hall 31:12

My name is Luke, and I'm thankful for the big pork barbecue brisket up at Risky's.

Speaker 2 31:18

Hi, my name is Steven, and this year I'm very thankful for family, especially with a new grandson that just joined our ranks.

Speaker 1 31:26

Um, my name's Braden, and I'm thankful for still being alive and still breathing.

Light The Night Returns

Aaron Hall 31:35

Before we say goodbye, there are a few upcoming events I want to make sure you know about. The Splash Days Water Park Black Friday sale will run from November 24th to December 1st. You can pick up a season pass for the 2026 summer season for only $49.99. That is the absolute lowest price offered all year long right here on Black Friday. These things make great holiday gifts, stocking stuffers. And if you're local, having a season pass to splash days makes a ton of sense. You can just pop on over and enjoy a swim throughout the summer. It's a great thing to do. The holiday grease roundup runs from November 18th to January 25th this year. You can bring your cooking oils and grease to 8212 Albert Street and safely dispose of them there. This is a fantastic option to have if you're doing a lot of big meals, big cooking during Thanksgiving and Christmas, New Year's. It'll save your pipes and also helps the environment. They turn this stuff into biodiesel and biogas. I have no clue what that means. It sounds like science fiction to me, but apparently it's good for the environment. So hey, come on over and round up that grease. The library is holding a books giving event on Thursday, November 20th at 4:30 p.m. This is gonna be an afternoon of gratitude, creativity, and community. Be sure to bring a used book that you don't mind giving away. There's gonna be a book swap element to the event. So just a great time to come together with community members, share your love of reading, bring your favorite book to swap with someone, and have a great time. Every Saturday morning at Veterans Park, you will find the Cowtown Farmers Market from 8 a.m. to noon. You can shop locally grown produce and high-quality artisan goods from area vendors. You're bound to find some great stuff if you swing by. And lastly, I know we just talked about it, but you just can't forget about Light the Night. Saturday, December 6th, the parade will start at 6 p.m. It'll head down White Settlement Road, take a right on Las Vegas Trail, and then come on in to Veterans Park. There will be tree lighting event, vendors, the Christmas market, and as always, pictures with Santa Claus. You just can't beat this holiday event, and we're excited to see all of you there, I hope. And that's what's happening, White Settlement. I really appreciate you being here for the second episode. I had a blast. I don't know if you can tell, I'm having a blast with this. It's so much fun, and I hope you're all having fun with it as well. And other than that, I hope you have a great November, a happy Thanksgiving, and we'll see you here again early in December. Please note that the views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers and may not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the City of White Cell.