Saturday Jun 11, 2022 – Sunday Jun 12, 2022
All day
Davy Crockett Memorial Park
Timber Tots Nature Art
July 18, 2022, 9:00 am – July 22, 2022, 12:00 pm
Texas Forestry Museum
Summer Sylvans Sawmill Days – Texas Forestry Museum
July 11, 2022 – 1:00 pm – July 15, 2022 – 5:00 pm
Texas Forestry Museum
First Friday Luncheon – July
July 8, 2022
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM CDT
Crown Colony Country Club
1615 S. Chestnut St.
Lufkin Tx, 75901
Pecan Galls: Lifecycle and Treatment
No other tree is so beloved but has so many difficulties producing in Angelina County than the pecan. Truthfully, we live in a difficult area for the growth of pecans. Unique to East Texas, much of Angelina County’s soils drain too poorly for good pecan growth. Next, our moisture and humidity increase the likelihood of fungal disease. Additionally, our naturally high insect levels can also make it difficult.
This year, the insect called the pecan phylloxera, Phylloxera devastatrix, is making its presence known in the form of several galls. Beginning in mid-April, galls or knots appear on the leaf veins, leaf stems, the current seasons shoot growth, and nuts of affected pecan trees. These galls are caused by the feeding of small aphid-like pecan phylloxera.
Already this year, some galls may be numerous, covering the entire tree and giving the limbs a knotty appearance. While a serious concern for a commercial pecan growers’ crop production, this unsightly mess is truly more of an eyesore for homeowners than it is a financial concern.
To be clear, the galls you see can remain on the twigs for several years. High infestation levels of this insect cause the current season’s shoots or twigs to become deformed, reducing their rate of growth. In some cases, severe infestations can lead to dieback of the current season’s shoots. Galls also can form on the nuts, causing nut deformity and premature nut loss.
Pecan phylloxera overwinters as a single egg within the body of a dead female insect. Prior to dying, the female seeks shelter on the tree under dead bark, within old galls or even under the carapaces (shells) of dead scale insects.
The overwintering eggs begin hatching in early spring at about the time the pecan buds are beginning to open. In eastern Texas, this can begin as early as mid-March. Upon hatching, the nymphs move from the overwintering sites to the opening buds.
Once on the buds, the insects begin feeding. As they feed, a gall begins to form around the insect, eventually enclosing it within the gall. It is only this generation that forms a gall. Once mature, she begins to lay eggs within the gall. The number of eggs laid ranges from 300 to 1,300 per gall.
The young that hatch from these eggs feed and develop within the gall. As they mature, they develop into wingless and winged females. The winged variants often are referred to as winged migrants.
The winged migrants emerge as the galls begin to split open in May. They disperse within the tree or, with the aid of the wind, are carried to other trees. Soon after emergence, egg laying takes place.
The small, light-yellow eggs are deposited on the upper and lower leaf surfaces. When infestation levels are high, the leaves often take on a yellowish tint because of the high numbers of eggs deposited on the leaves. The eggs deposited by the winged migrants hatch into sexual males and females.
Almost immediately after hatching, the male and female phylloxera mate, and a single egg forms within the body of the female. Prior to dying, the female seeks shelter in a protected area on the tree, usually under the bark, in old galls or under dead scale insects. The egg will remain dormant within the body of the dead female until the egg hatches the following spring and begins another cycle.
Infestations of pecan phylloxera do not occur on a regular basis, nor are all pecan cultivars susceptible to attack. Before an insecticide application is made, it is important to determine if phylloxera are present and on what cultivars.
If phylloxera are present, insecticide applications should be made after the tree has budded out, where the leaves have begun to unfurl, and early leaf expansion has started. It is suggested that one insecticide application be made per year. Insecticide applications need to be made prior to gall formation, because once the insects are enclosed in the galls, control is no longer possible.
Cary Sims is the County Extension Agent for agriculture and natural resources for Angelina County. His email address is cw-sims@tamu.edu
Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, national origin, genetic information or veteran status. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.
Polk County: Tobacco Sting Operation
The Coalition, Inc. has partnered with the Polk County Sheriff’s Department in an effort to prevent and reduce the harmful use of tobacco products in rural areas like East Texas, where tobacco-related health problems are more prevalent.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Department targeted area businesses that sell tobacco. The age limit to purchase tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, is now 21, per the new guidelines from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Out of the 54 attempts done in December and February, 12 citations were issued to the following businesses that sold tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to minors.
The businesses that sold tobacco products to minors include:
· Right Stop on 11256 US Hwy 190 E in Livingston;
· 146 Travel Center on 5060 Hwy 146 S in Livingston;
· Super Stop Food Mart on 111 Pan American Dr;
· Veterans Mart on 1809 N Washington in Livingston;
· Brookshire Brothers #21 1253 W Church St in Livingston;
· Livingston Food Mart on 1600 W Church St in Livingston;
· Smokers Paradise N Novelties on 2108 US Hwy 190 W in Livingston;
· Stripes Store 41012 H on 2301 US Hwy 1990 W in Livingston;
· T-Jaks on 158 FM 1276 in Livingston;
· Best Stop #6 on 1155 E Church St in Livingston;
· Star Korner 1 on 602 Pan American in Livingston;
· Z Food Mart 2400 N Washington Ave in Livingston.
We commend those businesses who did not sell tobacco products to minors in our community. The Coalition and the Polk County Sheriff’s Department thank all of these stores for protecting the youth of Polk County from the dangers of tobacco and nicotine. For a complete list of those businesses that were under compliance, or for more information, please contact The Coalition at (936) 634-9308 or info@angelinacoalition.org.
Georgia-Pacific Recognized for Conservation Efforts
Diboll Lumber and Diboll Particleboard Receive Prestigious Resiliency Award
Georgia Pacific’s Diboll Lumber and Diboll Particleboard plants are being recognized for their efforts to help conserve energy following one the region’s most severe winter storms in February 2021. Enel X, an advanced energy services company that provides smart value-added services and solutions that enable businesses and communities to create, store, use, and manage energy more efficiently, has awarded the two local building products facilities with the prestigious Resiliency Award.
East Texas is known for its warm and humid weather. Summers are hot and for the most part winters are mild, but last year that weather pattern took an unpredictable turn when a winter storm blew through the region dumping snow and ice while causing widespread power outages. Energy demand climbed to record levels for the season putting extreme pressure on the Texas power grid system. In an effort to protect the state’s power gird, Georgia-Pacific’s Diboll mills chose to significantly reduce its power consumption.
“Georgia-Pacific was chosen for the Enel X Resiliency Award for reducing their energy load over the four-day emergency period to help the grid,” said Joel Obillo, Head of Demand Response for Enel X North America. “We appreciate their efforts to go above and beyond during critical times when it is needed most to help their local communities. This award is one way we can show our appreciation for those who are making a difference.”
Georgia-Pacific’s Diboll Lumber and Diboll Particleboard plants relied on back-up generation for several days to maintain power to critical infrastructure systems to minimize impact on the Texas grid. “It was an operational challenge, but we understood the significant positive impact our efforts would have on the area and the state of Texas,” said Danny Wright, Diboll Lumber Plant Manager.
The two Georgia-Pacific plants have participated in the Enel X energy conservation program for many years, but this is the first time the facilities had to rely on back-up generation for multiple days. “We usually reduce our energy consumption during the heat of the summer periodically for a couple of hours to help alleviate demand on the grid,” said David Thelen, Area OSB/CP Manager. “Despite the operational interruptions, doing our part to protect the power needs of our communities is the right thing to do.”
Extreme weather events, like storm Uri in February, are becoming all too familiar—and according to Obillo, companies can help protect the state’s ability to keep the power on. “Demand response efforts, like Georgia-Pacific’s Diboll plants demonstrated last year, are a great example of how companies can help stabilize and build a more resilient grid.”
About Georgia-Pacific
Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, cellulose, specialty fibers, building products and related chemicals. Our familiar consumer brands include Quilted Northern®, Angel Soft®, Brawny®, Dixie®, enMotion®, Sparkle® and Vanity Fair®. Georgia-Pacific has long been a leading supplier of building products to lumber and building materials dealers and large do-it-yourself warehouse retailers. Its Georgia-Pacific Recycling subsidiary is among the world’s largest traders of paper, metal, and plastics. The company operates more than 150 facilities and employs more than 30,000 people directly and creates approximately 89,000 jobs indirectly. For more information, visit: gp.com/about-us. For news, visit: gp.com/news.
Traffic Alert: US59 North of Corrigan to be Detoured for Up to Eight Months
Motorists will experience a two-lane traffic pattern for up to eight months on a construction project on US 59, north of Corrigan, in Polk County.
Beginning Monday, May 23, traffic on US 59 from just north of Piney Creek to just north of Old Highway 35, southbound traffic will be detoured into the northbound inside lane during daytime operations. This traffic pattern will continue up to four months during daytime work hours.
Once work is completed on the southbound side, northbound traffic will be detoured daily into the southbound inside lane during work hours. This traffic pattern will remain in place for approximately four months, until project completion.
Vulcan Materials Asphalt and Construction, LLC, Conroe TX, will serve as contractor for the $6.2 million construction project that will reconstruct and improve the safety of the roadway. Completion of the project is set for January 2023, weather permitting.
Message boards and signs alerting motorists to the detour are in place. Motorists should stay alert, reduce speed, and obey all traffic control in the area. Remember, traffic fines double when workers are present.
For statewide road conditions and closures, visit drivetexas.org. For more information, contact Rhonda.Oaks@txdot.gov or call (936)633-4395.
The Psychological and Mental Health Benefits of Silence and Alone Time
Have you ever noticed that a quiet evening on the front porch with your favorite beverage can be so rejuvenating? Or how relaxing it can be to work alone in the flower bed? As a busy mom, my personal favorite is pressure washing the driveway! It is a complete mystery to my husband why I enjoy this so much, but the answer is simple! I have a high-pressure device to ward away any unwanted requests or demands from the kids! As an added bonus, most teens tend to find chores aversive, so that also is to my advantage. But in all seriousness, one of the most important things a person can do for their own mental health is to find a quiet space to be able to observe their own internal thoughts and emotions. It’s hard to attend to those things when we are distracted by our cell phones, the TV, or chatty coworkers. This internal observation allows for more self-awareness and personal reflection. Learning to observe our thoughts and emotions is also an important first step in being able to regulate intense emotions. A form of mindfulness, setting aside time to be alone with no noise can be helpful in understanding our inner workings and making important and needed changes. These moments are so important because they often lead to our own personal growth. Once you become aware of changes you would like to make, you can make intentional efforts towards your goals. Creating this self-awareness is also key to addressing other factors that may be affecting one’s mental health.
Noise is linked to stress. It’s true that people who live in overcrowded populations tend to experience more stress, and one source of stress in these instances is related to noise. As an East Texan, we may not experience this to the same degree because most of us have plenty of distance between our neighbors. But you may notice that you get irritated when the kids are too noisy, or they play their music too loud or too often. Noise pollution tends to generate feelings of lack of control, which in turn leads to lower self-efficacy and learned helplessness. In one study, researchers found that when an individual was able to manage the level of noise in their environment, they felt less stressed and were more achievement- oriented. It was also noted that individuals who felt more capable of managing the noise in their lives, also had better health outcomes.
Alone time is important in stimulating creativity. This allows you to be alone with your thoughts so that they occupy your full attention. We often have our best ideas in moments when we are alone, such as in the shower, or enjoying a nice jog. This allows your brain time to have “white space” so you can simply brain dump anything that is on your mind. The converse is that being in a busy environment can stifle creativity. In busier environments we are often exposed to others’ ideas or chatter. Our brain becomes overloaded with others’ social expectations, leaving little room to explore our own curiosities. It’s been noted that some of the best thinkers of our time, such as Albert Einstein, spent most of their time alone.
Alone time also gives you a moment to relax and allows your brain the opportunity to rejuvenate. Your brain is a muscle, too. When you use it constantly during social interactions, or by listening to the news, or during a hustling work day, those muscles in your brain are essentially “working out”. Even people who love going to the gym understand that muscles need to recover and relax. Your brain is no different. When you do this, you are able to think more clearly, concentrate better, and you may even find that it is during these moments you find the answer to some of your most pressing concerns.
Silence and alone time is not just a luxury. It is an essential part of self-care. Some people may feel very uncomfortable with this, but start small. Just practice this a little at a time if needed. You will find that the benefits of silence and alone time will lead to great improvements in your mental health and quality of life!
Connections Counseling and Psychological Services provide various counseling services to children, adolescents, adults, and couples. They are located at 1609 W Frank Ave Ste B, Lufkin, Tx 75904. Contact them at: (936) 272-0555
