Barbara Teachey was elected to the Linden Heritage Foundation’s Board of Directors in January 2016 for a 2-year term.  With encouragement from Joe B. Lovelace, she agreed to share an exciting time in her life after entering the “Don Henley Walden Woods Sweepstakes” sponsored by chideo.com in 2014.  Barbara won a prize package consisting of a two-day trip to Boston to attend the Walden Woods 2014 Global Environmental Awards dinner/reception, a “meet and greet” with Don Henley, awards presentation, and a benefit concert by the Eagles. The event took place on September 16, 2014 at the Wang Theater.  Her memories of the event follow.

The Walden Woods Project is a nonprofit organization founded by Don Henley that is committed to “preserving the land, literature, and legacy of Henry David Thoreau through conservation, education, research and advocacy.”  The Project uses the land it has protected in Walden Woods to foster an ethic of environmental stewardship and social responsibility, both cornerstones of Thoreau’s philosophy.

In 2014 my husband, Jerry, and I had the honor of attending the Walden Woods Global Environmental Awards dinner/reception at which Mr. Robert Redford received the Global Leadership Award.  He is an ardent conservationist and environmentalist; and a man who stands for social responsibility and political involvement, as well as an artist and businessman who is a staunch supporter of uncompromised creative expression.  Mr. Redford’s life-long passion for nature and issues of justice has resulted in him being widely acknowledged as a highly effective and dedicated political and environmental activist.

I have been an Eagles fan for many years; and found from my experience with the Walden Woods Project, that Don had a high school teacher, Margaret Lovelace, in Linden, Texas who introduced him to the writings of Thoreau and Emerson.  He developed an early appreciation for the natural world that evolved into a lifelong commitment to the preservation of open space and wetlands, and environmental advocacy on a wide range of issues.

In 1989, while watching the news on CNN, Don learned of two major commercial development threats to historic Walden Woods.  He immediately offered support to a local grassroots organization in Concord, MA that was coordinating the opposition to a proposed office park and condominiums in Walden Woods.  Mr. Henley founded the Walden Woods Project in 1992; and is also the Founder and Chairman of the Caddo Lake Institute in Northeast Texas.   The Institute is a nonprofit scientific and educational corporation with the mission of “protecting the ecological, cultural and economic integrity of Caddo Lake, its associated wetlands and watershed.”

Barbara and Jerry Teachey live in Richmond, Virginia.  Barbara visited Linden in September of 2015 with several other members of the Don Henley Appreciation Group.  She is planning a return trip for June of 2016.

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Cass County roots run deep. For Kerry Wells, the 200^th Charter Member of the Linden Heritage Foundation, his local origin dates back to the 1800s when his great-great grandfather made the trek to the area and settled in on a place he deemed the Ray Mountain in the Concord Community.  He instituted a saw mill which aided in the family’s survival on through the Great Depression.  Having weathered the storms of the era, Kerry’s great uncle Louie Ray later acquired the Foster Skating Rink which served up happier times for area occupants.  Those firmly grounded beginnings produced an impeccable setting for Kerry to flourish:

“Growing up nestled in the Piney Woods was a privilege.  I spent most of my time working in or exploring the unique aspects of our area.  When I wasn’t in the woods I could be found playing baseball until dark at Crow Heath Park. There were gatherings at the Pickle Shed and you could always find out what was going on after a drive by The Country Store.  My mother would regularly send my brother and me up to Allen Brothers to be outfitted head to toe.  I would receive two minute alterations with biggest pair of scissors I’d ever seen.  Downtown was bustling.  Every building had one of the best mom and pop spots anywhere around.  We looked forward to the Wildflower Trails where I was determined to champion the Treasure Hunt each year.  While this never happened I was the proud winner of the Piggly Wiggly “Let’s Go to the Races” scratch off which made up for it.  There were always fascinating stories swirling around town like the time a deer ran through the streets and jumped through several store front windows, “last seen headed North.”  I had so many great times growing up in Linden but mostly I remember a community involved together for the greater good.“

Kerry is a proud graduate of Linden Kildare High School and went on to obtain a degree at Texas A&M University.  The bit of magic in the soil here brought him back to his roots and today he puts his lifelong experiences to use by enhancing and promoting the local landscape as a real estate professional with Century 21 Platinum Partners.  He resides with his wife Erin, also a Charter Member who foster an eagerness for serving the people of Cass County, and their three children; Asher Stone, Alayna Linae, and Breckin Sloan who attend Linden Kildare Elementary and are making their parents proud as next generation Linden Tigers.

Both Kerry and Erin encourage you to join in the noble work being done by the Linden Heritage Foundation to preserve local legacies while creating a thriving home town atmosphere for present and future generations.

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The first Annual Meeting the Membership of the Linden Heritage Foundation will be held on Saturday, 23 January 2016, at the Linden Garden Club (300 E Houston St) starting at 2 pm.  All members are encouraged to attend and exercise their right to vote for 2016 Board of Directors.

The agenda for the meeting includes:

1. Welcome – Sam Higdon, President
2. Introduction of Nominating Committee Members – Sam Higdon
3. Nominating Committee submits Slate of Directors for election
4. Explanation of voting process, tabulate vote, and announce results
5. Review of Foundation financial statement
6. Review of past and current activities
7. Questions and Comments
8. Announcement of next quarterly meeting of Board of Directors – date, time, and location
9. Refreshments & Visitation

The Board of Directors will meet following the Business Meeting to discuss:

1. Election of Officers
2. Staggered terms of Directors
3. Committee formation
4. Goals for 2016

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