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Angelina College Visual and Performing Arts Presenting ‘Holiday, Hope and Honor’ Program Honors Veterans, Kicks off Holiday Season

By
Gary Stallard
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Angelina College’s Visual and Performing Arts will present “Holiday, Hope and Honor” at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at the Temple Theater on the AC campus. The program serves as a salute to veterans and a kickoff to the holiday season. Admission is free. (AC Press photo)

Angelina College’s Visual and Performing Arts will present the sixth annual “Holiday, Hope and Honor” program at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at AC’s Temple Theater.

Directed by AC music instructor Beckie Compton, the program honors veterans while helping put fans in the holiday spirit with various musical performances from singers and musicians from throughout the East Texas area. Performers include the Angelina College Chorale and Friends, the East Texas Praise Symphony and children’s groups such as the Bonner Tunes (Hudson ISD) and the Fourth Grade Central Recorder Team along with selected soloists.

The program will open with a salute to veterans from all branches of the military, with numbers including “Americana Overture” and “Here’s to the Military” (East Texas Praise Symphony); “The Star Spangled Banner” (Narrow Road Quartet: Ron Rawls, Bryan Compton, Billy Forrest, Micah Shaffer); “Because of the Brave” (AC Chorale and Friends, East Texas Praise Symphony); “God Bless the USA” (AC Chorale and Friends, East Texas Praise Symphony, tenors Billy Forrest and Joe Jones); “God Bless America” (AC Chorale and Friends, East Texas Praise Symphony); and “Thank a Vet” (Bonner Tunes, Susan Martin director/soloist).

The holiday portion of the program includes the following scheduled numbers: “Christmas Jubilation” (Bonner Tunes, Susan Martin directing); “Light and Life Overture” (East Texas Praise Symphony); “A Merry Carol of the Bells” (AC Chorale and Friends); “Kris Kringle’s Jingle Thingle” (Fourth Grade Central Recorder Team, Pam McClendon directing); “Irving Berlin’s Christmas” (AC Chorale and Friends, East Texas Praise Symphony); “Various Themes on Fa-La-La” (AC Chorale and Friends, East Texas Praise Symphony); “Christmas Fantasy” (East Texas Praise Symphony); “O Come All Ye Faithful” (AC Chorale and Friends); “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” ((AC Chorale and Friends, East Texas Praise Symphony, soprano Mikaela Mathews); and “Do You Hear What I Hear?” ((AC Chorale and Friends, East Texas Praise Symphony, Bonner Tunes).

Students performing with the Central Fourth Grade Recorder Team include Arianna Acevedo, Randi Allen, Allison Barge, Maddox Buesing, Homero Deras, Estefani Juan Fuentes, Lilly Guerrero, Lauren Jennings, Julie Jordan, Kaitlyn Kendrick, Miguel Mascorro, Cambree McCoy, Alexa Perez, Kevin Ramirez, Jaci Rogers, Kaly Rodrigues, Kylie Smith, Lilly Smith, Caysom White and Kaylee Williams.

Students performing with the Hudson Bonner Tunes include Cole Axelson, Kami Bergeron, Anna Brewer, Kennedi Conley, Isabella De La Paz, Raelynn Dube, Riley Dunn, Neveah Gaitan, Brody Gilbert, Sadie Goff, Addyson Gray, Jamia Hamilton, Ashton Harris, Ava Lyons, Ewen McFadyen, Waylon McClure, Sydney McFarland, Gracie Mettlen, Avery Modisette, Melanie Molina, Rhayne Moreland, Stacy Moreno, Kayden Netherton, Arlon Norsworthy, Scarlett Peloquen, Brooklynn Rainoshek, Marley Reaves, Jaslene Saucedo, Grace Sherrod, Maci Spies, Madi Spies, Aubry Thompson, Liam Towery, Tristan White and McKenzie Yates.

The AC Chorale and Friends consists of the following:

Soprano: Hannah Alexander, Karen Greer, Sarah Jackson, Mikaela Mathews, Kari Naumann, Kimberly Noble and Tammy Oliver. Alto: Robyn Adams, Cynthia Casparis, Emily Forrest, Hailey Holcombe, Caitlyn Hutson, Joyce Maranon, Judy McKinney, Jessica Reynolds, Sarah Shaffer, Cheryl Sims and Madelyn Vess. Tenor: Lamar Casparis, Billy Forrest, Quavious Johnson, Joe Jones, Clif Layton, Stacy Perkins, Malik Ross and Micah Shaffer. Bass: Bryan Compton, Karl McKinney, Ben Reynolds, Joshua Robinson, Nicholas Trusclair and Colin Wise. Accompanist: Pam McClendon. Sound Technician: Andrew Harper.

The East Texas Praise Symphony, with Beckie Compton conducting, consists of the following musicians:

Flutes: Malinda Compton, Lori Letney, Evelyn Walker and Rose Wilson. Clarinets: Walter Bates, Rhonda Stephenson, Jo Tucker and Karen Mitchell. Alto saxophone: Ernie Murray and Dixon Shanks. Trumpets: Mark Crager, Ricky Gay, Stacy Perkins and Scott Williams. Trombones: Jimmy Battle, Melvin Eckman and LaVan Watts. Percussion: Conner Ainsworth and Lee Miller. Drum set: Tom Corbitt. Bass guitar: Lee Miller. Piano: Pam McClendon. Violin 1: Brenda Josephsen. Violin 2: Sheila Hill and Ana Watts. Viola: Jan DeVries and Alison Wier. Cello: Beth Wilbanks and Dee Allums. Double Bass: Carole Deptula.

Admission for the event is free.

Gary Stallard’s e-mail address is gstallard@angelina.edu.

AC Basketball Hosting Lufkin Coca Cola Thanksgiving Classic Seven Teams, 11 Games Compete in Three-Day Tournament

By
Gary Stallard
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Cameron Hart: Angelina College’s Cameron Hart (24) fights his way through the lane in a recent game. The Roadrunners host the annual Lufkin Coca Cola Thanksgiving Classic beginning on Thursday and running through Saturday. Seven teams will play 10 games at Shands Gymnasium. (Daisy de Boer/AC Athletics photo)

For years, the Lufkin Coca Cola Thanksgiving Classic has been a showcase for junior college basketball teams to display their talents to the holiday crowds.

This year, the Classic will have a little more motivation behind it.

Seven men’s teams will compete in 10 games over three days at Shands Gymnasium on the Angelina College campus, with the final matchup on Saturday featuring a true championship game. In the past, the Classic featured the round robin format; this time, there will be an actual winner.

The three-day tournament is something AC head men’s basketball coach Nick Wade said he’d dreamed of expanding to the benefit of area basketball fans.

“We’re trying to bring some of the best talent around the country here to Lufkin,” Wade said. “It’s going to be a great weekend for basketball fans who want to see some high-level games. We have a great Region V team here, a great Region XIV team coming, and it’s going to be jam-packed with action every day.

“We’ve always had the Thanksgiving tournament, but my vision was to make it the premier tournament at the holiday, and so far, it looks like we’re doing that. A lot of (upper level) coaches are going to be in attendance, and we hope the fans will be here with us as well.”

The tournament schedule is as follows:

Day 1 (Thursday, Nov. 28): Game 1: Howard College vs. Navarro College, 3 p.m.; Game 2: Southwestern Christian College vs. New Mexico Junior College, 5 p.m.; and Game 3: Louisiana Christian School vs. AC, 7 p.m.

Day 2 (Friday, Nov. 29): Game 4: Loser Game 2 vs. LCS, 12 p.m.; Game 5: Tomball College vs. Winner 2, 2 p.m.; Game 6: Loser 3 vs. Loser 4, 4 p.m.; Game 7: Winner 3 vs. Winner 4, 6 p.m.

Day 3 (Saturday, Nov. 30): Game 8: Winner 5 vs. Winner 6, 1 p.m.; Game 9: Loser 7 vs. Loser 8, 3 p.m.; Game 10: Winner 7 vs. Winner 8, 5 p.m.

The e-mail address for AC’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.

Cabbage- A Good Option for Our Gardens

By
Cary Sims
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I’ve heard from a couple of gardeners in the last few days about how their vegetables are growing after the freeze. For both, their cabbage was doing very well.

Cabbage is an excellent cool season crop that should do well in our area. Able to be started from seed or from transplants, I recommend starting with good transplants. These can be bought from a local feed store or garden center. If you want to grow your own transplants, plant seeds in peat pots or similar containers about a month before you want to transplant them into the garden.

Some of the recommended varieties include Early Jersey Wakefield, Golden Acre, Green Boy, Market Prize, Rio Verde, Ruby Ball, Savoy King and some are having good results with Dutch.

By growing plants from seed, you will have many more varieties to select from and at the time you want them. Some experienced gardeners plant seed for the fall crop directly into the garden and thin the plants after they come up. My good buddy Joel told me that he thoroughly mixed the small seeds with Miracle Grow garden soil that contained fertilizer and simply added the mixture down the rows. His results were excellent.

Optimum growing conditions for cabbage is cool days (60-70°F) with cool to cold nights (40-50°F). Cabbage will tolerate wide temperature fluctuations and warm temperatures. On the low end, 15 – 20°F is normal freeze threshold. This sounds exactly like our growing conditions, doesn’t it?

If your garden has heavier, clay soil, you are in good luck. They are relatively well adapted to heavy soils, but poorly adapted to light sands.

They will have their normal share of insect damage from aphids, a specific Cabbage aphid, armyworms, beetles, cutworms, loopers, and whiteflies. But there are several conventional products and organic pesticides to protect your garden.

You should expect to harvest cabbage 60 to 80 days after planting transplants. If you started from seed, then the time frame extends out to 110 to 130 days.

Commercial growers expect a yield of 15 to 20 tons per acre and home gardeners could expect 7 to 10 pounds for every 10 feet of garden row if they do well.

Interestingly, cabbage has “allelopathic” properties and may have an adverse effect on following crop. Allelopathic plants produce one or more chemicals that influence the germination, growth, survival, and reproduction of other plants. The same is true of pecan, walnut, and hickory leaves added to a garden.

Fertilize with a high nitrogen fertilizer. 13-13-13 and most organically based fertilizers just won’t give a high enough amount of nitrogen (the first number on the bag). In fact, a generic lawn fertilizer such as 15-5-10 would be a better option. After all, we are only growing leaves, and not a “fruit”.

Cabbage have a shallow, horizontal root system. This is important to know relating to water needs and weed control. Water must be applied frequently as the plant does not reach down deep into the soil. When removing weeds with a hoe, be cautious to avoid root pruning that will reduce yields.

Mulch is a great addition to your row of cabbage. All our oak leaves could be put to great use throughout the garden at this time of year.

Cabbage and other Cole crops are a good source of protein, minerals and vitamins when properly prepared. Cabbage is served cooked, raw in coleslaw, or processed into sauerkraut.

The bottom line is that cabbage works here. It’s a fun crop that should withstand our winter weather without much fuss.

An Update from Trent Ashby

By
Rep. Trent Ashby
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As the days grow increasingly shorter with the change in seasons, many East Texans wonder why it’s necessary to change our clocks back an hour around this time every year. Over the last several weeks, my office has received numerous phone calls regarding the observation of Daylight Savings Time in Texas. While some support changing the clocks back, many others simply don’t understand why we must “fall back” every year only to see the sun set before supper time. While I understand both sides of this issue, you might be interested to know that I voted in favor of a joint resolution — HJR 117 — that would have given Texans the opportunity to decide the fate of this issue at the ballot box. Though this resolution ultimately failed to make it through the Senate, I think this legislation is worth reconsidering during the next legislative session so that voters have an opportunity to decide whether we stay on Standard Time year-round or observe Daylight Savings Time year-round.

With that here’s this week’s legislative update. . .

Legislative Update

I recently had the pleasure of hosting the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Glenn Hegar, at an event in our district. He spoke on several topics ranging from the upcoming election cycle to the current state of our growing economy. The comments made by Comptroller Hegar, the state’s Chief Financial Officer, reminded me that it might be a good time to provide an update on the current state of Texas budget.

In October, the Comptroller updated his available revenue models for the current biennium, which runs until August of 2021. He stated that Texas has an additional $2.9 billion in the bank, due mostly to growth in revenue from consumption taxes and revenue from oil and gas reserves across Texas. While certain sectors of our economy are facing headwinds, both of these revenue drivers speak to the continuation of a healthy state economy overall. Since our budget was balanced before the end of last session, these extra dollars will serve as a nice head start for the 2022-2023 budget next session.

Reminders

The mobile office is on the road this month and looks forward to seeing you on the following dates, in the following locations: 9-11 a.m. Nov. 20 at the Houston County Courthouse Annex in Crockett, or from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the Trinity County Courthouse in Groveton.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact our office if we can help you in any way. Our District office may be reached at (936) 634-2762, or you can call my Capitol office at (512) 463-0508

Composting – How To Do It Yourself

By
Cary Sims
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Compost is touted as a miracle product and held in high regards by every gardener with a basic knowledge of how plants grow. We buy it in bags at the garden center or have it delivered by the dump truck load.

And you can make it yourself.

While the practice of composting has been around for at least a couple thousand years, it has been since the mid 1900’s that much of our scientific knowledge of the composting process has been figured out.

Away from science, you have to look no further than at the ground of any undisturbed forest around here. The fallen leaves, pine needles, branches and other organic material decompose without scientific knowledge. It will take longer, several months longer, than man made systems but the process will occur naturally.

We create our own compost system and simplify the process greatly by breaking the ingredients into two parts. We’ll use “green” and “brown” materials to you put into a compost pile.

Greens are the nitrogen source. Green materials are colorful, freshly cut and contain moisture. They provide nutrients and moisture for the compost’s microbial workforce. Your kitchen vegetable scraps, , the pile of weeds you just pulled out of your garden, fresh lawn clippings or other fresh trimmings from your landscape are “greens”.

Browns are the carbon source. Browns provide energy and are also used for absorbing excess moisture and giving structural strength to your pile. Browns would be the leaves that are just now beginning to fall. Pine needles that you gather or old dried out clippings would be excellent brown ingredients.

At the very simplest, mix 1-part green material with 2-3 parts brown materials. We have lots of leaves (brown material) available now. Some gardeners use what they need for the current amount of greens they have and set the remainder of the leaves aside to mix with fresh green trimmings or kitchen vegetable scraps as these greens become available.

You will layer these greens and browns together in an area that is no smaller that 3 ft wide and 3 ft deep. Put a layer of browns first, then alternate greens and browns until you have a pile that is at least 3 ft high.

The volume of a compost pile is crucial to the composting process as it takes a minimum volume to heat up. When constructing yours, make it no smaller than 3 ft wide by 3 ft deep by 3 ft tall. This volume will ensure that you can have enough heat to kill off weed seeds and sterilize diseased plant tissue or other harmful pathogens.

The real workhorse is bacteria and fungi. These are the aerobic bacteria that will create heat as high as 150 F as they oxidize the carbon materials present. Numerous gardeners have seen their own piles so warm that it generates steam as it goes about its work.

If you do want to add bacteria or fungus, I wouldn’t recommend purchasing those products. The microorganisms they are selling are already present on the leaves, food scraps and other material you are adding to the pile. If you want to add an inoculant, activator or other additive, simply sprinkle in a shovel full of your best soil and you will have more than enough microorganisms.

It is a fascinating process. Not all compost piles reach a very high temperature, so do not be discouraged if yours does not. Be sure to turn your pile every week or two. Under the best conditions, you’ll have useable compost in a couple months, while a pile of unmanaged leaves will take a year or more.

The Angelina County Extension office will hold a lunch and learn seminar on composting this Tuesday, Nov 19 from 12 noon to 1 pm. The seminar will be taught via Skype by Skip Richter, horticultural Extension agent serving Harris County. There is no fee for the seminar. The Angelina County Extension Office is located at 2201 S Medford Drive between Café Del Rio and the Farmers Market.

Texas Forestry Association Announces Rep. Ernest Bailes as 2019 Legislator of the Year

By
Misty Boggs
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Rep. Ernest Bailes receives the Legislator of the Year award from David Alders during Texas Forestry Association’s annual convention held October 16-18, 2019 at The Fredonia Hotel in Nacogdoches, Texas.

Texas Forestry Association (TFA) presented Rep. Ernest Bailes with the 2019 Legislator of the Year award during the Association’s annual convention held Oct 16-18, 2019, at The Fredonia Hotel in Nacogdoches, Texas.

“With a background in ranching and logging, Rep. Bailes has a deep connection to the land and knows that in order to thrive, wise conservation and management of Texas’ limited natural resources is necessary,” said TFA Executive Director, Rob Hughes. “His diverse background has led him to help drive and develop some of the largest conservative policies in Texas.

“Rep. Bailes showed his strong support the Forest Sector when he contacted TFA about an issue negatively affecting loggers,” said Hughes. “After some discussion and planning, the Log Loader Bill was filed on behalf of the TFA and the Texas Logging Council.”

This law allows logging contractors to transport “equipment used to load timber” under the current Annual Timber Permit instead of purchasing an additional $4,000 Envelope Permit. After successfully getting a unanimous vote from the House Transportation committee, the bill was trapped. With much effort and tenacity and partnering with Senator Nichols who strategically attached the language to another bill, it finally passed and was signed by Governor Abbott with no opposition. 

Rep. Bailes was also a co-author on the Forestry Fairness Act filed by Rep. Trent Ashby and Sen. Nichols which prohibits Forest Landowners from having property carved out of their Timber Valuation due to pipelines and other eminent domain circumstances.

AC Teams Earn Home Sweep of Southern-Shreveport, LSC-Kingwood Offenses Click for Both Women and Men

By
Joshua Blackwell
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Lufkin Jr. Panther Cheer Squad with Roadrunner Team: Members of the Lufkin Jr. Panther Cheer Squad pose with the Angelina College men’s basketball team following Tuesday’s game. The Roadrunners beat Lone Star College-Kingwood 97-54 at Shands Gymnasium, and the cheer squad performed at half time and throughout the entire game. (Gary Stallard/AC Athletics photo)

In their first home doubleheader of the season, the Angelina College women’s and men’s basketball teams put on offensive displays for the crowd, with the Lady Roadrunners rolling to an 85-56 win over Southern University-Shreveport and the Roadrunner men coasting to a 97-54 win over Lone Star College-Kingwood.

The Lady Roadrunners will host the Angelina Classic beginning on Thursday and running through Saturday at Shands Gymnasium, while the men will travel to Snyder, Texas for a two-day tournament on Friday and Saturday.

Lady Roadrunners 85, Southern University-Shreveport 56

The Lady Roadrunners got points from every player on the active roster in Tuesday’s 85-56 win over the Lady Jaguars, with Tyeisha Smith leading the way with 18 points in just 16 minutes of floor action. Mycah McDonald added 15, and Lovietta Walker and Tai Porchia each scored 12 points. Simran Mayfield put together a 6-point, 11-rebound, 2-assist night in helping AC’s ladies to their third win of the season.

Brianasia Owens led the Lady Jags with 27 points.

AC’s defense was none too shabby, forcing 23 Lady Jag turnovers and converting those into 20 points.

The Lady ‘Runners open the Angelina Classic at home starting on Thursday, when AC plays Odessa College at 7 p.m. Friday’s games include Tyler vs. LSU-Eunice at 3 p.m., Panola vs. Odessa at 5 p.m. and AC vs. Chattahoochee College at 7 p.m. The showcase wraps up on Saturday with Panola vs. Chattahoochee at noon, Tyler vs. Odessa at 2 p.m. and the Lady Roadrunners vs. LSU-Eunice at 4 p.m.

Roadrunners 97, Lone Star College-Kingwood 54

Five Roadrunners scored in double figures – and AC’s men got a whopping 64 points off the bench – in Tuesday’s 97-54 win over Lone Star College-Kingwood at Shands Gymnasium.

Riley Dewitz led AC with 13 points, knocking down a trio of three pointers. Travis Henson added 12 points, Christyon Eugene 11 and Dralyn Brown and Darius Smith pitched in with 10 points each to give the Roadrunners their first win of the young season.

After a bit of a sluggish first-half start, the Roadrunner offense ignited for an 8-0 run to close out the first half and extended that streak to open the second half to build a 20-point lead.

Every ‘Runner on the active roster found his way into the scoring column.

AC’s men travel to Snyder on Friday for a two-day showcase. The ‘Runners face Western College at 6 p.m. on Friday and Clarendon College at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

The e-mail address for AC’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.

ESFI Urges Families to Make Heating and Cooking Safety a Holiday Tradition

By
Joshua Blackwell
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The winter holiday season is a festive and eventful time, yet statistics show that home fires and electrical incidents increase during this time of year. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) is providing safety tips and free resources to prevent household fires and accidents caused by improper cooking and heating practices. 

Nearly 900 people die in home fires each year during the winter season, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Thirty percent of all home fires and nearly four-in-ten home fire deaths take place from December through February. With cooking tasks responsible for two of every reported home fire, it is critical that holiday hosts cook and heat their homes safely.

“Entertaining during the holidays can be stressful, but statistics suggest simple cooking and heating safety practices can ensure everyone enjoys the celebration,” said ESFI President Brett Brenner. “This includes taking proactive measures to make sure our homes are free of electrical hazards, as well as making sure we follow basic safety guidelines during our holiday celebrations.” 

For the complete press release which includes electrical safety precautions, video and additional resources please visit: Electrical Safety Foundation International.

Texas Forestry Association Presents Outstanding Logger Award To Tommy Cunningham Logging

By
Misty Boggs
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TFA Logging Council Chair Tim Rodrigues, front row in red shirt, presents Tommy Cunningham with the Outstanding Logger of the Year award during Texas Forestry Association’s annual convention held October 16-18, 2019 held at The Fredonia Hotel in Nacogdoches, Texas. Surrounding them are Cunningham’s son Jimmy Loftin, daughter Heather Wallet, wife Ouida. Back row: Phil Ferguson, Dave Duren with TFA Logging Council, Robert Wilson, and Shane Bergman with Rayonier.

Texas Forestry Association (TFA) presented Tommy Cunningham Logging with the Texas Logging Council Outstanding Logger of the Year award during the organization’s annual conference held Oct. 16-18, 2019, at The Fredonia Hotel in Nacogdoches, Texas.

Tommy Cunningham is the owner of Cunningham Wood Products located in Spurger, TX. It began in 1980 when Tommy, in middle school, asked his father, John Thomas Cunningham, to let him work full time on his logging job.

Cunningham Wood Products has grown in size and influence and now employs three business clerks, one graduate forester, sixteen loggers (eleven of which are Texas Pro Loggers), eleven drivers, and three mechanics all covered by workers compensation and general liability. Employees are offered health and life insurance with supplemental coverage.

“When Tommy speaks of his employees, he lovingly refers to them as ‘my men.’ He views employing thirty people as making provision for thirty or more families,” said Rob Hughes, TFA Executive Director. “The relationship between CWP and the local business community is unprecedented and to list just a few examples just doesn’t seem adequate. They provide all the fuel to the Spurger VFD; sponsor multi county youth programs, such as baseball, basketball, soccer, and 4H other programs; the Zavalla Food Pantry; as well as, various other local churches and ministries.”

CWP does various types of harvesting including plantation thinning, single-tree selection, and clearcutting. Forest management plans are executed accurately and in a timely manner. The company also adheres to sustainable forest management by following Texas Best Management Practices for long-term health and productivity of the land. Tommy was nominated for this award by Robert Wilson with FRC, and Shane Bergman with Rayonier.

Cunningham Wood Products is truly a family run operation whereby his wife, Ouida serves as the Office Manager, his mom, Betty Cunningham and daughter, Heather Wallet conduct office clerical duties. Son Jimmy Loftin, brother Marion Cunningham, and nephew Johnny Cunningham work on woods crews, and Uncle Robert Glaze serves as one of the shop mechanics. In addition to Cunningham Wood Products, he fulfills his true passion as Pastor of End Time Full Gospel Church in Jasper, Texas. Tommy’s family and friends will tell you his life is a sermon of perseverance and a testimony of God’s love.

Texas Forestry Association Announces J. Andrew And Susan Rice As 2019 Outstanding Tree Farmers Of The Year

By
Misty Boggs
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Texas Forestry Association (TFA) announced J. Andrew and Susan Rice as the 2019 Outstanding Tree Farm of the Year during the organization’s annual conference held Oct. 16-18, 2019, at The Fredonia Hotel in Nacogdoches, Texas.

“J. Rice has an evident love of the land and values it’s rich history,” said Rob Hughes, TFA Executive Director. “J. took everything he learned from his father and grandfather and has applied it to his property to protect soil erosion and sustainability.”

The Rice’s Certified Tree Farm was nominated by their Consulting Forester, Stephen Dantzler. Their Tree Farm consists of  114 acres in Liberty County near Dayton. Though the Tree Farm is somewhat new in the certification program, it has been under written management since 1994. The Tree Farm is a multiple use-sustained yield timber and wildlife management property for producing timber income and family recreation. A portion of the land has a history beginning with J.’s great grandfather who moved to East Texas from Missouri in 1880.

“J. has created a biological diverse ecosystem by planting cypress along water courses and creating a newly planted mixed hardwood and pine forest,” said Hughes. “A more mature stand is two-thirds pine plantation and one-third natural mixed hardwood/pine.”

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