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Don and Caddo Lake
I wish I had been in Texas yesterday! Click on the photo link to see pictures of Don--he is in pics 14-16.
Indian dances, rock star help open Caddo refuge
By WES FERGUSON Sunday, September 27, 2009 KARNACK — A ceremonial dance blessed the public debut Saturday of the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The day marked the culmination of years spent cleaning the former Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant near Caddo Lake's southwestern shore.
Talk of East Texas: Indian dances, rock star help open Caddo refuge
The refuge's 8,400 acres of pines and bottomland hardwood trees will be a haven for wildlife and a place for people to seek spiritual renewal, said Don Henley, the rock singer from Linden and a speaker at Saturday's opening event."The refuge contains one of the best, if not the best, examples of flooded wetland forest in the entire nation," Henley said.
Henley, who is founder and board chairman of the Caddo Lake Institute, said lake-area residents fought plans to convert the former plant into an industrial park after it closed in 1991."This has been a community effort, no doubt about it," he said.
Caddo tradition
Several descendants of Caddo Lake's first inhabitants, the Caddo Indians, sang and danced traditional welcome songs at the celebration.
Travis Threlkeld, 16, was the loudest singer. He and three other men sang and beat a wide drum as they marched in a circle.Two rows of women in traditional floral dresses, flowing headdresses and moccasins shuffled behind the men."Our songs are traditional," Threlkeld said. "They have a lot of variety and differences that keep us entertained." He said the Binger, Okla., tribe's biggest dances of the year can draw up to 150 people and last all night, from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m.His grandfather is one of only two people who can still speak the ancestral language fluently, he added.
"I'm one of the younger singers, but I've been around it so long I've kind of got an idea of its history," he said.
As Threlkeld and the others danced, U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, bobbed his head to the drumbeat. Later, Gohmert told the crowd of about 500 people that he was working to pass legislation to protect Caddo Lake and to fight invasive species such as giant salvinia."The appearance of giant salvinia could be the biggest problem the lake has ever had as a threat," he said.Gohmert also composed a song for the occasion.
"Hotel Caddo Lake" was set to the chorus of "Hotel California," the famous number by Henley's band, The Eagles. Henley said he had been fishing on Caddo since the mid-1950s. "The older I got, I realized just what an important ecosystem this is, and that we need to protect it," he said.
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Re: Don in the press
Don looks great! :thumbsup:
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Re: Don in the press
Thanks for posting the link, DF!
http://www.marshallnewsmessenger.com...eb_refuge.html
Here a video with Don
Don is to be heard at the beginning and he is to be seen from 1.45min!
http://www.marshallnewsmessenger.com...rightcove.html
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Re: Don in the press
Great!
I'm beginning to see why Don is keeping his hair so short these days. He really shouldn't bend over and read while giving a talk. :shock: His hair is really thinning on top. We don't want him to do the Donald Trump comb over now do we! :lol:
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Re: Don in the press
Poor Don. I seriously think the lighting and the angle exaggerated it. It's not really that bad in person.
BTW, those of you who watched the video - You gotta know Don was cringing when that politician started calling the place "Hotel Caddo Lake" and reciting the lyrics "Welcome to Nature's Hotel Caddo Lake... What a lovely place... what a lovely space... any time of year, you can find it here..."
Gag me!
But the the guy's heart is in the right place, so I won't rag on it too much.
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Re: Don in the press
This blog gives a play-by-play of the event, and has some photos as well - including another one of Don:
Notes and Musings: Caddo Lake Wildlife Refuge
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...yCaddo2009.jpg
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Re: Don in the press
I. Love. His. Attire.
It was a pretty cool picture of him with a blurred American flag in the foreground.
What an exhausting life, between attending functions like that, touring and parenting. I cannot begin to fathom how he manages.
Thanks for the link!
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Re: Don in the press
No sweat!
It was nice of Don to make an appearance - he could have easily blown them off and said "I'm relaxing" but instead he went out there and visibly supported his charity.
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Re: Don in the press
I agree that it was great of him to make an appearance but I also think that it would've been a bad move to not be there. I mean, he is the one behind the Caddo Lake Institute and I think it would be bad for him to not be at a function involving his beloved Caddo Lake. I'm not sure about everyone else but when I here the word Caddo (even when it doesn't involve Caddo Lake) I think of Don. I just associate that with him. I'm sure he can't make it to everything that involves his charities because the man does have a life and has many priorities that take up his time but I'm glad to see that he was able to be there for this event.
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Re: Don in the press
Yeah, good point, Peek. It would look pretty bad if he didn't show, especially since he's in Texas at the moment!