Corner Column

By Phil Major
publisher@wood.cm
Posted 11/18/21

If you happened to be in the neighborhood Sunday and saw some activity around the property just to the east of our Mineola office, here’s what we know about it.

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Corner Column

Posted

If you happened to be in the neighborhood Sunday and saw some activity around the property just to the east of our Mineola office, here’s what we know about it.

Talos Films is shooting a documentary about the Mineola swingers club that was housed in the former hospital building briefly during 2004.

It subsequently made headlines when a foster parent made claims, which have been debunked, that very young children in her care were made to serve as entertainment at the club.

As I understand it, Wood County law enforcement found no evidence to back her claims and did not pursue the case. But for some reason Smith County jumped in and got several convictions, which most, if not all, have been reversed after the story unraveled.

The documentary is being produced for the Discovery-Plus streaming channel.

I forwarded three articles to the producers published in the Monitor at the time (2004), two columns by Gary Edwards plus a news article announcing that the club had moved on.

One of the producers said they were going to interview Gary on Sunday. Another former Monitor journalist declined to be involved. I can’t say that I blame that person.

It’s a chapter of Mineola history best left in the past.

The club was a bad idea in a neighborhood in a small town and soon moved on. The rest of the story was the figment of one person’s imagination that severely impacted many lives.

Texas Monthly reported on it extensively. A docu-drama has already been produced about it.

One person involved in the production said this: “It is an editorial documentary that will be streaming on Discovery+ about the Mineola Swingers Trial and the history and history of the case and participants.”

Another added a little more insight: “Our team came across the story and found it very compelling.”

I initially agreed to allow them to film Gary’s interview on the Monitor property, though declined their request to come in on a Sunday and open the office. But once this New York firm sent me a location release that included several restrictions, I declined to sign it.

I thought I was helping them out, and to have them try to place restrictions on us rubbed me the wrong way. I was somewhat reminded of those old salsa commercials, “This stuff’s made in New Jersey?”

I assume they had permission to work at the property next door.