College Kicks Off 56th Year in Style Angelina College this week kicked off its 56th year of existence in style, with the college hosting Convocation ceremonies on Monday and the Faculty/Staff Awards Luncheon on Tuesday.
Classes for the new fall semester begin on Monday, August 19.
Before Tuesday’s Faculty/Staff Awards Luncheon, AC’s Dr. Winifred Ferguson-Adams dedicated the ceremony to the late Kathleen Hall, who served Angelina College’s Health Careers programs for more than 50 years.
The keynote speaker for the Convocation was Dr. Felita Williams, Senior Vice President of the Gardner Institute. On Tuesday, Dr. Daniel Spikes served as a guest speaker for the focus on Student Success.
Award recipients were as follows:
30-year Service Award: Celon Dale Kirkland (Manager, Housekeeping and Custodians).
25-year Service Award: Winifred Ferguson-Adams (Dean of Health Careers) and George Reed (Instructor, Math).
20-year Service Award: Steven Donahoe (Instructor, Radiologic Technology), John Lee (Instructor, Radiologic Technology), Dallas McClelland (Instructor, Drafting and Engineering), Reg Reynolds (Instructor, Graphic Arts), David Turbeville (Instructor, Electromechanics and Electronics Technology) and Terry Scott (Administrative Assistant, Health Careers).
15-year Service Award: Shelby Armstrong (Chair, Language Arts and Education), Lori Wintjes (Instructor, English), Troy Dale Edwards (Instructor, Welding), and Tifini Whiddon (Senior Director of Human Resources).
10-year Service Award: Renee McCain (Manager, Student Disability Services and Tutoring), Annette Gillum (Instructor, Spanish), and Kevin Stagg (Instructor, English).
Five-year Service Award: Mark Brantner (Receiving and Mail Clerk), Duane Choate (Instructor, Government and History), Mary Craft (Instructor, Math), Kathleen McClinton (Instructor, Biology), Charles Oliver (Chair, School of Business), Donald Randall (Instructor, Machine Tool and Technology), Kathleen Hughes (Instructor, Physics), Donta Davis (Surgical Technology Clinical Coordinator/Lab), Amanda Koerth (Instructor, Diagnostic Medical Sonography), Leonard Foster (Groundskeeper), Urbano Salazar (Groundskeeper) and Tiffany Stephens (Business Office Associate).
Adjunct Teaching Excellence Award: Anedra Perkins
Outstanding Teaching Award: Elaine Young
Faculty Excellence in Service Award: Rachel Hunt
Distinguished Faculty Award: David Turbeville
Rookie Award: Deidra Leach
Spirit Award: Camille Lipscomb
Staff Leadership Award: Remona Boodoo-Frye
Distinguished Staff Member of the Year Award: Cassandra Williams
Outstanding Program, Department or Discipline Award: The AC Testing Center (David Avant, Kathy Conn, Juanita Patton and Don Douglas).
For further information on Angelina College, contact Krista Brown at kbrown@angelina.edu.
It didn’t take long for our athletics programs to hit the ground running. Our Lady ‘Runner soccer team got its first dose of competition against a different team, the men’s team found out it’s entering the new season with a national ranking to defend and our softball program signed a real slugger – from a local school.
We have rosters and schedules posted for soccer, baseball, and softball fall schedules are up and running on the Angelina College Athletics website (www.angelinaathletics.com). The 17th Annual Guy Davis Golf Tournament is teeing off in a few short days, and our new website and social media are in the midst of some massive upgrades.
Oh, and our campus convocation is Monday, August 12, and classes begin on Monday, August 19.
While we’re going to miss our shorts and flip-flops, we’re pretty excited to get the ball rolling.
Here’s a quick rundown of what’s coming up:
Roadrunners Earn National Ranking in Preseason Poll
Following a tremendous 2023 campaign, the Roadrunners will enter the new season as the No. 6 team in the nation, according to this week’s NJCAA Division Men’s Soccer polls.
In a testament to just how tough AC’s home conference, Region XIV, truly is, two other teams made the list: Tyler Junior College at No. 2 and Blinn College at No. 13.
The ‘Runners in 2023 made plenty of noise, finishing the season with a 13-3-2 record that included an undefeated record in conference play. AC won the conference outright for the first time in program history, sending the team to the national tournament for the second straight year – the first time any Angelina College program has qualified for a national tournament in consecutive years.
Following the season, Melchor was named the District Coach of the Year.
Angelina College head men’s soccer coach Martin Melchor (left) and assistant Jose Solano pose following 2023’s conference championship-clinching win. The Roadrunners under Melchor enter the 2024 season ranked No. 6 nationally, according to the NJCAA Division I Men’s Soccer preseason poll released this past week. (Gary Stallard/AC Athletics photo)
The Roadrunners kick off their preseason Tuesday at Dallas College-Mountain View; AC’s first home scrimmage takes place on Saturday, August 24 against Texas A&M University-San Antonio. That match is scheduled for a 4 p.m. kickoff.
For full rosters and schedules, visit the Angelina College Athletics website at www.angelinaathletics.com.
Guy Davis Golf Tournament Date, Location Set
The 17th Annual Guy Davis Golf Tournament is ready to tee off this weekend.
The tournament, hosted by the Roadrunner Foundation, serves as the biggest fundraiser for all our AC Athletics programs.
This year’s tournament will take place on Saturday, August 17, with the pre-tournament kickoff dinner taking place starting at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, August 16.
Because of the ongoing course renovations at Crown Colony Country Club – the usual site for the tournament – this year’s golf will take place at the Neches Pines Golf Course in Diboll, Texas.
Crown Colony Country Club still will serve as the site for the kickoff dinner.
Reminder: The teams fill up quickly, and there IS a limit to the number of teams allowed to participate. Those wishing to register teams should visit the following link:
Groveton High School standout Megan Luce does a lot of things well on the softball field, but her hitting sets her apart: The incoming senior already has 40 career homers in her high school career.
Luce on Thursday signed her letter of intent to join the Angelina College Lady Roadrunners beginning in the fall of 2025.
AC’s beautiful soccer complex is about to get busy.
Both the Lady Roadrunners and Roadrunners have released their schedules for the upcoming 2024 season, and the teams will combine for at least 12 home dates with at least six home doubleheaders, with more home matches possible according to postseason seedings.
Both the women’s and men’s schedules now are posted on the AC Athletics website (www.angelinaathletics.com).
Any changes to the current schedules will show up immediately on the Angelina College website first, and any other announcements will show up on social media (Angelina College Athletics Facebook page and on “X” (the artist formerly known as “Twitter”) at @ACAthletics.
The Lady ‘Runners’ first home match is the regular-season opener scheduled for Friday, August 30 starting at 5 p.m. against Northeast Texas Community College as part of a women’s/men’s home doubleheader.
The men’s first home action features back-to-back pre-season matches against Texas A&M-San Antonio (4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24) and Western Texas (6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 27). The ‘Runners kick off their regular season on Friday, August 30 against NTCC.
All AC Soccer regular-season home games will be live-streamed on TSBN Sports (a free streaming service for fans), with most of the conference road games also available for streaming.
Once TSBN posts its schedules, AC fans simply need to visit the AC Athletics website, look at the scrolling schedule on the right and click the blue “Video” link.
TSBN also offers an app great for smartphones, devices, and smart TVs. (You’ve GOT to see those matches and games on the big screen.)
Reminder: Admission to ALL Angelina College Athletics sporting events is free.
Meet the Lady Roadrunner/Roadrunner Soccer Teams
The 2024 rosters for both the Lady Roadrunners and Roadrunners are now available for viewing on the AC Athletics web site (www.angelinaathletics.com). We’ll be holding soccer’s Media Day on Friday, August 9, when we’ll shoot individual and team photos, along with some introductory videos. We’ll try and have those posted on our website that weekend.
AC Softball, Baseball Post Fall Schedules
A new year brings new days for all our sports, and now the Angelina College Lady Roadrunner softball and Roadrunner baseball teams are showing they’re ready to roll.
Both softball and baseball have posted their “Fall Ball” schedules for the next few months.
Click the links for each sport to view the schedules:
Changes, Upgrades Coming to AC Athletics Web Site, Social Media
We’re gonna need a bigger website.
Angelina College Athletics’ official website (www.angelinaathletics.com) and all related social media have been getting much-needed overhauls throughout this summer. Joining our staff are some true website and graphics wizards, and they’re going to help with the redesign and upkeep of all our forms of internet and social media presence going forward.
Our tentative launch date for all the new-look websites is mid-September. That’s when we’re hoping to reveal the new website, along with all the revamped (and possibly reborn) social media sites. For now, the “old” website will continue to post information.
In the meantime, we’ll be posting on all those sites to make everyone aware of the coming changes. Some of the current sites need only a little updating, while others may have to disappear completely in order to make room for the new version.
As always, we’ll keep you updated all the way up until the big launch date.
August 12, 2024 – Lufkin, Texas: Lufkin Creative is excited to announce the launch of a comprehensive Public Art Survey, designed to gather valuable input from the Lufkin community and so forth on public art installations in our downtown area. The survey will be available online from August 12, 2024, through August 23, 2024.
We believe that public art plays a crucial role in enhancing the cultural vibrancy and visual appeal of our city. Public art installations such as sculptures, murals, and other visual art forms not only beautify our public spaces but also reflect our community’s identity, inspire creativity, and promote a sense of pride and belonging.
As we embark on this important project, we are seeking the voices of residents, workers, and frequent visitors of Lufkin to share their thoughts, preferences, and ideas. The insights gathered from this survey will directly influence our decisions and plans for future public art projects, ensuring that they resonate with the community and contribute positively to the downtown experience.
Survey Highlights:
Community Connection: We want to understand what makes you feel connected to Lufkin and how public art can enhance this connection.
Public Art Preferences: Share your views on the role of public art and the styles that speak to you the most.
Mural Themes and Concepts: Help us choose themes and ideas for new murals that you would like to see in downtown Lufkin.
Downtown Activities: Provide feedback on your favorite activities and suggest new events or installations to enrich our downtown area.
How to Participate:
The survey will be accessible online starting August 12, 2024. To participate, simply visit https://www.eventcreate.com/e/publicartsurvey and complete the survey. The process is quick, easy, and open to all members of the Lufkin community.
We value and appreciate your input as we work together to enhance the artistic and cultural vibrancy of downtown Lufkin. Your feedback will help us create public art that not only beautifies our city but also tells the unique story of our community.
Lufkin Creative is dedicated to promoting and supporting the arts in Lufkin, Texas. Through various initiatives and events, we aim to enrich the cultural landscape of our community and provide opportunities for local artists to showcase their talents.
Megan Luce can do a lot of things on a softball field. She can pitch. She can play shortstop.
And she can hit.
Man, can she ever hit.
The Groveton graduate rocked a total of 40 home runs in her time with the Indians, leading her team to 26 wins and an impressive playoff run in 2023.
Megan Luce (left) signs her letter of intent with Angelina College as AC assistant softball coach Mike Scoggin looks on. Luce, a slugger from Groveton, has amassed 40 homers heading into her senior year with the Indians. (Gary Stallard/AC Athletics photo)
After graduation, Luce will keep her versatile (and considerable) talents close to home.
On Thursday, Luce signed her letter of intent to play with the Angelina College Lady Roadrunner softball team beginning in the fall of 2024.
Luce said the team’s vicinity to home and the program’s reputation were key factors in her decision.
“I like the idea of playing close to home where my family can watch me play,” Luce said. “I know they (AC) has a great reputation, and I’ve been to several games on the campus.”
Luce said as much as any physical contributions she may have for the Lady Roadrunners, her passion for the game is just as important to her.
“I like to keep the mood high, and I love to get excited about the games and just have fun with it,” Luce said. “It can get serious, but it doesn’t have to be that way all the time.”
When Angelina College head men’s soccer coach Martin Melchor first arrived on the AC campus in 2023, he stated his program’s goals quite clearly:
“I’d love to build Angelina College soccer into a real dynasty,” Melchor said.
He and the Roadrunners are off to a good start.
Following a tremendous 2023 campaign, the Roadrunners will enter the new season as the No. 6 team in the nation, according to this week’s NJCAA Division Men’s Soccer polls.
In a testament to just how tough AC’s home conference, Region XIV, truly is, two other teams made the list: Tyler Junior College at No. 2 and Blinn College at No. 13.
The ‘Runners in 2023 made plenty of noise, finishing the season with a 13-3-2 record that included an undefeated record in conference play. AC won the conference outright for the first time in program history, sending the team to the national tournament for the second straight year – the first time any Angelina College program has qualified for a national tournament in consecutive years.
Member of the Angelina College Roadrunner soccer team celebrate a conference championship following a 2023 match. The ’24 Roadrunners enter the season with a national ranking, with the NJCAA Division I Men’s Soccer polls listing AC at No. 6 in the nation. (Gary Stallard/AC Athletics photo)
Following the season, Melchor was named the District Coach of the Year.
As is always the case in the NJCAA, AC’s men lost several players to graduation. However, Melchor has said he’s confident the incoming group won’t allow a letdown in performance – or expectations.
Angelina College head men’s soccer coach Martin Melchor (left) and assistant Jose Solano pose following 2023’s conference championship-clinching win. The Roadrunners under Melchor enter the 2024 season ranked No. 6 nationally, according to the NJCAA Division I Men’s Soccer preseason poll released this past week. (Gary Stallard/AC Athletics photo)
Returning players from the 2023 squad include Abdallah Traore (defender), Filliph Kamfjord (forward), Eric Ortiz (forward), Ramiro Mendoza (midfielder), Christian Castaneda (forward) and Daniel Rivera (midfielder).
The Roadrunners kick off their preseason Tuesday at Dallas College-Mountain View; AC’s first home scrimmage takes place on Saturday, August 24 against Texas A&M University-San Antonio. That match is scheduled for a 4 p.m. kickoff.
For full rosters and schedules, visit the Angelina College Athletics website at www.angelinaathletics.com. The email address for AC’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.
Traditional, MEEP Graduates Receive Traditional Pins
Angelina College’s Vocational Nursing program on Thursday held the traditional pinning ceremony for both traditional graduates and MEEP (Traditional and Multiple Entry Exit Program) graduates inside Temple Theater on the AC campus.
A total of 23 new nurses walked the stage to receive their well-earned awards.
AC’s Dean of Health Careers, Dr. Winifred Ferguson Adams, reminded the graduates that the faculty members who helped “pull them through the fire” represent “almost 1,000 years of nursing.”
“We take their success personally,” Adams said of the students. “We think we’re their mothers, fathers, grandmothers, aunts – all that. We have seen them grow so much throughout their time here. Graduates, the future is yours. All you have to do is reach for it.”
Guest speaker Dr. Sandra Brannan reached into her 54 years of nursing experience to share the lifelong rewards earned in the profession.
“I wish for you guys all the good things that come with this profession,” Brannan said. “You’re going to find yourselves in lots of peoples’ lives you’ve never met, and yet you have to administer care for them anyway. It’s a privilege to do that because they will teach a lot about life if you’ll just take the time to listen.”
Graduate Cassandra Sarmiento led the Invocation, while Dr. Susan Adams explained the purpose of the ceremony. The faculty then led the traditional candle lighting ceremony, and Kelley Durr led the new nurses in the “Nightingale Pledge.”
Graduate Allison Beathard finished the ceremony with the benediction.
Graduates of the Class of 2024 include the following:
Traditional program: Carolina Garcia, Cassandra Sarmiento, Alberta Thomas, Isabel Valdez and Sabrina Valka.
Faculty members include Dr. Winifred Ferguson Adams, Dean, School of Health Careers; Dr. Sandra Brannan, Director of Nursing; Dr. Susan Adams; Dr. Charlet Blades; Kelley Durr; Alicia Hayden; Vergie Hines; Patricia Hooks; Kathy Jackson; Nancy McClurg; Anna McReynolds; Henrietta Sells; and Bobbie Williams.
Get ready to kickstart your Friday with a burst of networking energy! Join us on August 23 at 8 AM for an exciting round of Speed Networking at our next Power Networking Breakfast, presented by Angelina College SBDC. This Speed Networking event is brought to you by the Commercial Bank of Texas.
Location:
Chamber Community Room
Attendance is free! While registration is not required, it is strongly encouraged to help us plan accordingly. Register today at bit.ly/PNB-0824.
Don’t forget to bring your business cards and perfect those elevator pitches. See you there!
Please join our members at SAAFE House for this exciting event! Mark your calendars, for August 24th, for a fun night of Bingo, dinner, live auction, silent auction, and more!
Time:
6 pm to 10 pm Location:
San Jacinto Community Shelter
SAAFE House is a non-profit organization that serves sexual assault and abuse victims. Funds raised will help those that SAAFE House assists. For more information, please contact SAAFE House at the number and link below.
Our tremendous volume of rainy weather earlier this year seems to have come to an abrupt end. Our current hot weather and lack of rainfall is more in line with our historical average.
As we move into this dry season that is very typical for us this time of year, let’s take a good look into watering basics for your landscape.
First, you can make your existing landscape irrigation system more efficient. Set your timer for the early morning and consider changing your sprinkler heads to the more efficient spray patterns. Irrigation heads that spray a stream of larger droplets reduce the evaporation that occurs with fine-misted sprayers that can drift off target. Also consider adding the rain sensors that would delay irrigation if your hardscape had just received rain.
Perhaps one of the best tips to share is the “soak and cycle” method. If that is a new phrase to you, be sure to study up the “soak and cycle” for your irrigation system. Doing that will give your lawn and beds a good, deep drink of water and reduce runoff. Soak and cycle greatly reduces the problem with trying to water deeply and seeing it run down the curb into the storm gutter.
Next, let us review some of the rules and regulations regarding home irrigation systems and what you are allowed to do. Texas law states that anyone can set up an above ground drip irrigation system from some simple products available at local nurseries. These drip hoses are quite simple for a do-it-yourself homeowner. Even for those who feel challenged with home improvement products, drip irrigation kits have a “plug and play” setup that anyone could tackle.
There are, however, some serious laws regarding who can install and repair underground irrigation systems. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is Texas’ version of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the national level. Under their jurisdiction, you must be licensed to install almost any irrigation system.
Now, I’m not an attorney and I don’t play one on television. So please don’t’ take the following as all you ever need to know regarding landscape irrigation law.
According to Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 30, “A person may NOT sell, design, install, maintain, alter, repair, service or inspect an irrigation system – or consult in these activities- in this state, unless the person is licensed by the TCEQ.” As with some laws there is a couple of exemptions, and one exemption is that you can if you are a gardener or agriculturalist working on you own property.
But we have to take it one step further. Some municipalities (Lufkin being one of them) say that even though you may be exempt by the state, you are required to apply for a permit (just like a building permit) and hire a licensed technician to inspect it IF a portion of it is underground.
Why all the rules to water you yard, you ask? At issue is the safety of the public water supply. If you put together a pressurized irrigation system incorrectly and some of the water in your system gets back into the city water supply, it is possible to contaminate city water.
Water law is interesting. In general, water laws (who owns it and who can gather it) are set and governed by states, as opposed to the federal government. Texas residents enjoy a goodly amount of freedom regarding water rights. You are allowed by Texas law to harvest rainwater. In fact, the practice is harvesting rainwater to use in the landscape is even encouraged by our state with tax credits and tax exemptions at certain times.
On the contrary, my understanding is that Colorado residents are generally not allowed to harvest rainwater that drips off of the roof as it has “the potential to withhold water from users that have senior water rights” under Colorado law.
Many years ago, the Lufkin Daily News wrote an editorial entitled something like “Lufkin’s Water Problem”. The tongue in cheek title of the editorial was that that Lufkin residents are so blessed by normally abundant rainfall and exceptional planning by city leaders regarding abundant supplies of municipal water supplies that they didn’t realize that there was a shortage of water across the state during a terrible drought.
On Tuesday, Aug 20 from 12 – 1 pm, the Angelina County Office’s Noon Gardening Seminar will be on “Strategies for effective and efficient landscape irrigation.” Guest speaker is Dean Minchillo with the Texas Water Resources Institute. He will be discussing strategies to care for landscape plants without running up a terrible water bill. Dean will be joining our session via Zoom from his office in Dallas.
