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Texas State Parks Temporarily Close to the Public

By
Aaron Ferguson
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At the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas State Parks will be closed to the public effective at the close of business Tuesday, April 7 in order to maintain the safest environment for visitors, volunteers and staff. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will continue to stay current with the latest public health recommendations and will announce when a definite reopening date has been determined.

“Given the myriad of challenges and heightened risks of operating the parks at this time, we believe this is the best course of action right now in order to meet the health and safety expectations the state has set out for the citizens of Texas,” said Carter Smith, Executive Director of TPWD. “All state parks will remain temporarily closed until public health and safety conditions improve. During the closure, staff will continue to steward and care for the parks to ensure they can be immediately reopened to visitors at the appropriate time.”

Outdoor recreational opportunities such as hunting, fishing, biking, jogging, walking, hiking, wildlife viewing and the like are essential activities for Texas citizens. TPWD will continue to do its part to actively encourage and promote these opportunities in ways that are safe and close to home, said Smith.

Through this trying time, TPWD has worked diligently to facilitate access to the outdoors across the state, including in the state park system, which hosted nearly 740,000 day and overnight visitors throughout the month of March.

Despite the implementation of increasingly restrictive visitor use measures to help minimize the transmission of COVID-19 at parks, TPWD has reached a point where public safety considerations of those in the parks, and in the surrounding communities, must take precedence over continued operations.  Difficulty in ensuring compliance with social distancing, problems in maintaining adequate supplies and keeping park facilities sufficiently sanitized are only a few of the challenges encountered by state park staff.

While parks are closed to the public, staff will be working to help maintain the standard upkeep, maintenance, stewardship, and continued regular cleaning of site facilities.

The Texas State Parks Customer Service Center is currently working toward contacting customers with upcoming overnight reservations to reimburse stays booked through the reservation system. Group and facility reservations have been cancelled until April 30. Cancelled reservations will not be charged normal administrative fees.

Day passes purchased through the reservation system, not associated to the Texas State Parks Pass, will also be refunded without penalties. The Texas State Parks Customer Service Center will automatically process cancellations of both overnight and day-use reservations. If your reservation is impacted by a facility or park closure, a Customer Service Center agent will contact you – you do not need to contact us. We are contacting customers in order of arrival date and appreciate your patience. Questions regarding state park reservations can be emailed to customer.service@tpwd.texas.gov and general park information can be found at TexasStateParks.org. 

Texas WIC Expands Eligible Foods, Launches Updated App

By
Aaron Ferguson
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Image by Shutterbug75 from Pixabay

Texas Health and Human Services announces Texas WIC, the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children, is expanding the number of food items eligible for purchase through the program. It is also updating the MyTexasWIC app to ensure Texans who need access to nutritious food will be able to find it in their local grocery stores.

“Grocers assure us they can meet this increased demand and have supply chains ready to respond,” said Dee Budgewater, HHS deputy executive commissioner for Health Developmental and Independence Services. “The Texas WIC team is working around the clock to ensure families have access to healthy food, which is one of the best ways to support mothers and growing children and help them achieve a greater sense of health and well-being.”

Effective immediately, there are additional options for certain food items WIC participants can buy. These food items include more options for milk, bread, rice, pasta and eggs.  In addition, Texas WIC is permanently adding canned fruits and vegetables to the food package. Items at the grocery store with a pink sticker that says “WIC Approved” are products eligible for shoppers to purchase using WIC.

WIC participants can find detailed information on the Texas WIC website. WIC participants can also download the latest version of the MyTexasWIC shopping app on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, which informs families what the allowable food items are on their benefit package.

Texas WIC is operating under modified services throughout the state to help keep clients and staff safe. Families may call their local WIC clinics to learn more about how they can receive services. Visit the Texas WIC website or call 800-942-3678 to find how your local clinic is handling local services.

Many have modified their services and applicants are encouraged to start their applications online to protect office workers and practice social distancing precautions.

About WIC

WIC, or the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, is a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that is available to qualified pregnant women, new moms, and children younger than 5. Administered in Texas by HHSC, the program provides nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, referrals and nutritious foods. Texas WIC helps approximately 678,000 clients on average each month with infant, child and prenatal nutrition and breastfeeding support.

Governor Abbott Announces Care.com Initiative To Increase In-Home Child Care Access For Frontline Workers

By
Aaron Ferguson
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Texas State Flag
Governor Greg Abbott today announced that Care.com is increasing in-home child care access for frontline workers responding to the COVID-19 emergency. As part of this initiative, Care.com is offering 90 days of free, premium access to their services, along with specific portals for frontline workers and caregivers in Texas.  

Frontline workers looking for child care as well as prospective caregivers can both enroll at https://texasfrontline.care.com/. Potential caregivers are subject to Care.com’s extensive background and safety checks. While child care services are not typically free of charge, the Texas portal gives residents the ability to waive their fees and volunteer as caregivers, providing additional support to frontline workers.   

“This Care.com initiative will provide an additional avenue of support for our frontline workers throughout the COVID-19 response,” said Governor Abbott. “I am grateful for Care.com’s commitment to ensuring accessible child care is available to Texans fulfilling essential services during this time.”  

“Care.com is honored to partner with Governor Abbott and the state to make this offer and access available to the frontline workers and caregivers across Texas. We are all dependent on the commitment of these essential workers as they look after our families and they deserve nothing less from each of us,” said Tim Allen, CEO of Care.com. 

Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch Set to Participate in East Texas Giving Day April 28, 2020

By
Aaron Ferguson
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Despite the pandemic, the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch continues to provide uncompromised care for its residents and needs to raise $10,000 for a new primate habitat for 14 macaque and capuchin residents rescued from the pet trade and research labs.

MURCHISON (April 6, 2020) — The Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch is embracing East Texas Giving Day – April 28, 2020 from 6am CT to midnight- to bring public awareness and support to the building and completion of its state-of-the art primate habitat that costs nearly $600,000. East Texas Giving Day helps provide critical funding for area nonprofits and is organized by East Texas Communities Foundation.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the care of the nearly 800 residents residing at the sanctuary must go on. On Giving Day, the sanctuary is hoping to raise $10,000 for the completion of its innovative design for nine current resident macaques and five capuchins as well as future monkey residents rescued from the exotic pet trade and research labs. When completed, the new structure can provide a home for more than 50 primates and will include two wooded half-acre yards, spacious heated housing for the winter months, platforms and climbing structures.

While these animals are currently in well-equipped enclosures, the new structure will further enhance meeting their physical, social and psychological needs and raises the bar on what life can be like for them, including Nanette and Gabby — two resident rhesus macaques retired from research living at Black Beauty since 1997. Nanette, identified in research as RH-1228 gave birth to her daughter, Gabby identified as RH-1278 “the infant of RH-1228” in 1992. The mother-daughter have put their horrible early lives behind them and spend hours grooming each other in the sun, foraging, enjoying food puzzles, digging through grass and sunning themselves on a high platform.

On East Texas Giving Day Black Beauty is asking supporters and the community to spread the word and take advantage of dollar-for-dollar matching funds – a great way to inspire donors to give and help the sanctuary reach its goal of giving these primates a better life. Prescheduled giving starts April 6th. To make a donation, go to www.easttexasgivingday.org/clevelandamoryblackbeautyranch.

The sanctuary is also hoping that people spread the word about #BlackBeautyRanch and #ETGivingDay by sharing on social media, in emails and in texts to encourage others to give. Follow Black Beauty Ranch on social media at Facebook and Instagram.

Tips from Angelina County’s Cary Sims on how to have a great looking lawn this season

By
Cary Sims
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It’s a question that I get each year about this time: what can I do to help my lawn get rid of weeds and look better this year?

Lawn fertilization is a key and knowing how much and what type is important. But with Covid-19 changing our lives so much, the university laboratories that we depend on to help us with fertilization are closed.         

Without the aid of a soil test, every research-based article that I’ve read says the general recommendation is a 3:1:2 ratio fertilizer. One example of that ratio would be a 15-5-10 fertilizer. 

Behind the three numbers is nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Those three are the most needed of the 16 nutrients required for a plant to grow.

Nitrogen makes plants green and growthy, key for lawns. Phosphorous is great for seed germination and flower development. Now, phosphorous is a vital nutrient, but turfgrass doesn’t need to germinate from seed and certainly doesn’t need to bloom. Potassium, the last of the major three nutrients helps with root development and is a close second to nitrogen for overall lawn health.

But how much? The simple answer is seven pounds of 15-5-10 per 1,000 sq. ft. Do this three, maybe four times a season.

Technically, San Augustine needs two to five pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet each year. Because nitrogen is a highly mobile nutrient, we divide the application rates up to keep it available for the plants as they are growing. 

So, what about “weed and feed” products?

They certainly work, but I’m not a fan of the product because of the timing issues. I consider this combination product as being very similar to a “shampoo and conditioner in one!” product.  I mean really, is your hair dirty or do you need to condition your hair?

To get the best-looking yard possible, treat for weeds when you need to get rid of weeds.  Fertilize when it needs feeding.

Most every weed we have blooming or going to seed now is a “cool season” plant.

“Cool season” weeds germinated and started growing last fall and during the winter.  They are the weeds that you may notice are blooming now. The timing for their control was last fall. This fall, about October or November, is when you’ll treat for the next spring’s weeds.

Many of these cool season weeds will be gone by summer. That will be the time for our warm season weeds to germinate and grow.

There are several products on the market that can do a great job.  One active ingredient that I’ve bragged about for some time is atrazine.  This was shared with me by a local golf course professional that told me it was the only product he’d use on St Augustine grass.

For in-depth information on weeds, there is an outstanding fact sheet for homeowners that just came out last year from AgriLife Extension. In your search engine, type ESC-055 or “A Homeowner’s Guide to Herbicide Selection for Warm Season Turfgrass Lawns”. 

Lastly, is your sprinkler system running?  If so, I’d probably turn it off.  Overwatered lawns in the spring are prime targets for fungal disease in the fall.  Watch the weather and add water when we have an extended dry spell.  Summer is a great time to add water regularly to lawns.  Anyone with the automatic system applying water three times a week now, may be hurting their lawn more than helping it. 

I hope this year’s lawn is your best one yet.  Timing the weed control, the addition of nutrients, and your watering regimen correctly will greatly impact your success.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Kicks off Second Season of its “Under the Sky” Podcast

By
Aaron Ferguson
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We’re not fooling around when we tell you April 1 marks the beginning of the second season of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s podcast, Under the Texas Sky. The podcast brings the great outdoors to listeners through the experiences of everyday people, as well as experts inside and outside of the agency.

Episodes this season feature a tutorial on turkey calling for the spring, women in conservation (including a game warden and U.S. park ranger), an update on horned lizard restoration efforts, tips on fueling bodies for outdoor adventure, choosing the right outdoor footwear for any outdoor excursion and more.

In addition to going weekly, executive producer Cecilia Nasti says there’s something new this season for listeners to look forward to. This season introduces Under the Texas Sky: The Wanderlist, a collaboration with Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine and editor Louie Bond. These twice-a-month Wanderlists introduce listeners to new places to go and things to see in Texas.

“I was looking for a way for Under the Texas Sky to collaborate with the magazine, and Wanderlist seemed like the perfect choice,” said Nasti. “Wanderlist has been my personal go-to when planning outdoor getaways and taking it from print to podcast seemed like a winner.”

Once a month, listeners can participate in TPWD social media posts about upcoming episodes and ask questions about select topics, then listen for answers on the following week’s podcast.

The first podcast episode of the new season is a Wanderlist with Louie Bond and associate producer Randall Maxwell. They talk about spring in bloom. Maxwell also has Andrea DeLong-Amaya, Director of Horticulture at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, answer listeners’ wildflower questions submitted via TPWD’s Instagram account @TexasParksWildlife.

Stream or download the podcast at underthetexassky.org, or find it on popular podcast platforms.

Staying Active in a Time of Self-Isolation

By
Aaron Ferguson
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While our daily routines have been put on hold these past few weeks, it’s important to remember that physical activity and our bodies’ need for it has not! Being quarantined is no excuse for not being active!

Get Outside!

First thing- You are allowed to leave the house! Certainly, continue to respect your county/city ordinances regarding social interaction, but don’t allow this to deprive you of the opportunity to go for a walk or run. Trails and parks seem to be remaining open (with certain exceptions to playgrounds, basketball courts, or things such as this that encourage comingling with others nearby), so use this opportunity to get out, get some vitamin D and get your cardio in! Also, recreational sport such as hunting and fishing are still allowed- Just remember that tag/licensing laws are still being enforced.

Easy Resistance Training

For starters, if your lawn needs to be mowed as badly as mine, that may be an entire day’s worth of cardio and resistance exercise alone.

Overcoming the constraints on your normal exercise routine can be easy, with the proper amount of self-motivation. Below are two short, zero-equipment-needed, full-body exercises I have found to be quite useful since my gym has closed:

10 Minute Morning Workout- BullyJuice

20 Minute Full Body Workout- Pamela Reif

It’s important to remember that pace, number of reps, and duration are something you will choose for yourself; however, don’t forget to push your limits!

Yoga from Home

Now this is something I am much less familiar with, however can certainly see the great benefits one could gain from a little flexibility training while we are stuck at home. Below are two links for yoga sessions; one being an easy morning stretch routine, the other being an excellent link to a YouTube playlist with 30 days of yoga instruction available:

10 Minute Morning Yoga Full Body Stretch- Yoga With Kassandra 

HOME- A 30 Day Yoga Journey

While it may be easy to search something such as this on YouTube and share it, I found these links to be potentially useful because they not only offer up easy exercises which can be done from the comfort of your own home, but also don’t require any subscriptions or spending exorbitant amounts of money on sessions or equipment. But obviously these four little links barely scratch the surface on the amount of DIY at-home exercise modules available at your fingertips- Get up and get moving!

Easter Snack: How to Make Loaded Deviled Eggs

By
Hayli Negrete
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We’re tired. 

We’re bored. 

We’re hungry. 

We’re in quarantine. 

And Easter…is still coming! 

First of all, let’s get this straight. I am about to tell you how to make Loaded Deviled Eggs. If you do not have all the ingredients at home, you have a couple choices…

  1. DO NOT GO OUT AND GET THE INGREDIENTS.
  2. You can use this opportunity to utilize those online shopping apps.

These deviled eggs are delicious, probably not that nutritious, and they are definitely make a great Easter snack. However, please practice social distancing and do not go to three different stores trying to find eggs because chances are you won’t find them and I can’t live with the fact that you broke the quarantine on my account. 

Ingredients include:

  • 7 hard boiled and halved eggs 
  • 1-2 teaspoons of fresh chives
  • Approximately 3 slices of bacon, which you will cook to a crisp and crumble them up. I mean you can stick a whole slice of bacon on top of a deviled egg, but I wouldn’t recommend it
  • 1/4 cup of buttermilk (sometimes I use sour cream to make it similar to the taste of a “loaded” baked potato
  • 1-2 teaspoons finely shredded cheese
  • 1-2 teaspoons of white vinegar
  • Salt and pepper
  • Paprika

So let’s get this thing started, shall we! I don’t want anyone to miss their 4th nap of the day!

  1. Pick your desired amount of eggs. Did you say you wanted 14 deviled eggs? That’s what I thought. 
  1. In that case, you’ll need 7 eggs because, of course, you’re going to cut them in half. 7 times 2 equals 14, don’t make this harder than it really is.
  1. Hard boil and peel the eggs.
  1. Once step 3 is complete, cut your 7 eggs in half, lengthwise. Remove the yolks and put them in a small bowl to the side. (You’ll need these for later. If you dispose of these, your deviled eggs aren’t going to taste very good).
  1. Mash the yolks up with whatever you wish, preferably a fork or spoon, and mix the mashed yolks in with the remainder of the ingredients.
  1. Before you ask, salt and pepper are not required, however, keep in mind that this is the South. Therefore, salt and pepper is required, but please watch your salt intake. 
  1. At this point, you can add your buttermilk or sour cream, the amount is up to your and your desired texture of the mix.
  1. Next, take the yolk mix and fill it evenly to the edge of the egg whites. Or, you know, it’s okay if you fill it unevenly. I won’t tell anyone. 
  1. Garnish your deviled eggs with the paprika.
  1. Store in the fridge for no longer than three days. 
  1. Last, but not least, ENJOY! I know this time is filled with fear and uncertainty for all of us. However, take this time to take delight in the little things in life, all while enjoying your delicious, loaded deviled eggs.

Stay tuned for a Stay Home Stay Safe inspired Easter Egg Hunt special!

Nacogdoches Landfill to close to residential customers beginning April 3

By
Aaron Ferguson
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By Billy Hathorn at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17697357

As a precautionary measure coupled with the Nacogdoches Stay Home, Stay Safe order and the newly announced Governor Executive Order, the City of Nacogdoches Landfill will be closed to residential customers only starting April 3, 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 virus, until further notice. 

Commercial customers will still be allowed access to dump their commercial waste at our landfill with some restricted access to employees. 

The City of Nacogdoches Public Works department will continue to serve our residential customers essential waste needs which include the following services: 

  • Weekly residential curbside trash collection
  • Curbside leaf collection 
  • Curbside brush collection  
  • Recycling is open behind the library for cardboard only 
  • Oil recycling centers at Fire Stations 3 & 4 will remain open

The City of Nacogdoches encourages our residents to utilize their time at home by getting outdoors and trimming trees. Practice “Stay Home, Stay Safe” by putting limbs by the curb and our brush collection service will continue to meet increased needs. 

Governor Abbott Suspends Regulations to Increase EMS, First Responder Workforce

By
Aaron Ferguson
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Governor Greg Abbott today suspended regulations to increase the amount of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workers and first responders in Texas during the state’s response to COVID-19. Under the Governor’s direction, local medical directors for licensed EMS providers can permit individuals who are qualified, though not formally certified, to provide critical emergency response services for patients treated and transported by the EMS provider.

The Governor has also suspended certain skills testing requirements for EMS personnel in Texas and for out-of-state Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians seeking reciprocity in Texas so that these individuals who are qualified, but currently unable to take the skills test, are able to provide essential EMS services. Additionally, Governor Abbott has also suspended regulations to allow first responder organizations to delay submission on their renewal application and completion requirements for licensure. 

“Our EMS providers and first responders play a critical role in the front-line fight against COVID-19, and these suspensions remove barriers that could otherwise prevent a much-needed availability of essential EMS workers and first responders in our communities,” said Governor Abbott. “The State of Texas is committed to supporting the EMS and first responder workforce and maximizing the number of available response services for Texans.” 

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