People, Places & Events

Country music at Mill Creek Ranch
Special to The Monitor
CANTON–Mill Creek Ranch, in partnership with The Ranch Radio of Corsicana and Fort Worth, has been planning a Texas Country Music Festival for Friday and Saturday, July 24-25.
“The original plan was to have a day-long music festival at the resort amphitheater, but based on recommendations from the radio station, we decided a ‘Texas Country Under the Stars,’ weekend event would be more enjoyable this time of year,” event planner Ashley Smith said.
“The resort’s goal is to bring great music to East Texas three to four times a year and this will be the kickoff event,” she added.
Friday night, the resort will host an intimate VIP function, selling limited tickets to the public.
“We want one night of this exciting weekend to be spent enjoying Texas Country in the serenity of our award winning park, that flows into our Saturday night ‘bash’ at the Mill Creek Ranch amphitheater,” Smith said.
Friday evening at the resort, guests will enjoy Whiskey Fish, Rich O’Toole and Deryl Dodd on a hillside stage by the Grand Lodge Lake.
Saturday afternoon, resort guests will have the opportunity to enjoy an intimate afternoon acoustic show featuring Jamie Richards.
Shuttle busses and discount tickets will also be provided to Wired Zip Lines for any guests who would like to add some fun adventure to their Texas Country Weekend.
The event will end Saturday evening at the amphitheater with a blowout concert featuring Aaron Watson, Jamie Richards and The Cody Riley Band, two of which are tops on the Texas Country Charts.
To celebrate this fun event in style, concert guests will enjoy excellent food and a concert East Texas will remember for a long time.
There are 100 RV sites and 33 cottages available for weekend rental.
This is the perfect way to enjoy an all-inclusive weekend of good music, great Texas beauty with all of the details taken care of for you.
Visit www.theranchsummerbash.blogspot.com.  for more information, or call Mill Creek Ranch at (903) 567-6020.

UIL Elite 100 student conference held
Special to The Monitor
AUSTIN–In celebration of the University Interscholastic League’s (UIL) centennial anniversary, the UIL hosted an Elite 100 Student Leadership Conference in Austin June 14-16.
Rustin Pool, a 2010 Mabank High School senior, was chosen as one of the 100 students from high schools across the state of Texas to attend the conference.
The best and brightest students from Texas convened in Austin to help set the tone for interscholastic activities for the next 100 years.
“The Elite 100 Conference is more than just a chance for our youth to learn from us. It is a chance for us to learn from them,” executive director of the UIL Dr. Charles Breithaupt said.
“This conference allows us the unique opportunity to interact directly with the students from across the state to formulate new ideas about how the UIL can continue to thrive in the next century,” he added.
Students attended leadership workshops, participated in community service projects with East Austin elementary schools and generated plans for the UIL with ideas about how to improve the League.
The best student presentations were given to the UIL Legislative Council at its annual meeting June 16.
The UIL legislative council meeting was held at the AT&T Conference Center.
There was a symbolic march down University Avenue, representing the transition from one century to the next.
The students arrived at the AT&T Conference Center to be greeted by the legislative council and received the gavel that will officially kicked off the UIL’s Centennial Celebration for the 2009-10 school year.
High schools represented at the conference are: Aledo, Angleton, Atascocita, Austin Westlake, Ballinger, Bridge City, Bronte, Buffalo, Comstock, Corpus Christi Calallen, Crawford, Dallas Highland Park.
Also, Dallas Jesuit College Prep, Denton Ryan, Denver City, El Paso Coronado, Elkins, Farwell, Fort Bend Austin, Friendswood, Frisco, Galena Park North Shore, Gilmer Union Hill, Granger, Grapevine, Houston Bellaire, Houston Cypress Ranch, Houston Langham Creek, Idalou, Iowa Park, Jayton, Jefferson, Jewett Leon and Katy Taylor, Lampasas.
Also, Laredo Alexander, League City Clear Creek, Lewisville, Liberal Arts and Science Academy, Lindale, Lindsay, Livingston, Lockney, Lometa, Lubbock Roosevelt, Lucas Lovejoy, Mabank, Martin’s Mill, McAllen, McKinney, Mesquite Poteet, Mission Sharyland, Morton, Navasota, New London West Rusk, North Mesquite, Northwest, Palmer, Pleasanton, Port Neches-Groves, Poth, Quanah, Rivercrest and Rogers.
Also, San Angelo Central, San Antonio Brandeis, San Antonio Clark, San Antonio Cole, San Antonio Highlands, San Antonio Marshall, San Antonio O’Connor, Seagoville, Silsbee, Sinton, Stafford, Temple, Three Rivers, Tomball, Vanderbilt Industrial, West, Willis and Wimberley.