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Roadrunner Baseball Has Six Named to JUCO All Star Game Game Takes Place Saturday at Abilene Christian University

By
Gary Stallard
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The Angelina College Roadrunner baseball team will send six players to this weekend’s NJCAA New Mexico/Texas Junior College Baseball Coaches Association All-Star game, the second-most number of players a Jeff Livin-coached team has sent in his time at AC.

Drew Shifflet, Dalton Roblin, Wes Gafford, Sawyre Thornhill, JoJo Munoz and Eric Worden have been named to the coveted event taking place Saturday at Abilene Christian University in Abilene.

Shifflet, a sophomore from Woden High School, appeared in 15 games in 2019 and posted a 4.61 ERA while going 4-2 for the season. Shifflet’s season finale was a gem, as he tossed a complete-game win over Wharton College in the Region XIV conference tournament. Shifflet finished the season averaging 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings. He also homered in his first official collegiate at-bat.

Roblin, a sophomore from West Brook High School in Beaumont, evolved into the team’s designated closer. He appeared in 17 games and posting a 3.55 ERA. Roblin also struck out 13.09 hitters per nine innings pitched.

Gafford, from Georgetown High School in Georgetown, developed into one of the team’s most reliable starters down the stretch. He finished with an ERA of 4.37, but closed out the season on a strong note, allowing just six earned runs over his final eight starts.

Thornhill, from nearby Huntington High School in Huntington, showed he’s ready for prime time as a freshman. Thornhill hit .370 with 10 extra-base hits and 17 RBI in just 23 games played.

Munoz (Los Fresnos HS, Los Fresnos, TX) drove in 22 runs and hit .351 while anchoring the right-field position. Munoz also scored 27 runs and stole eight bases for the Roadrunners.

Finally, Worden, from McCallum High School in Austin, pulled double duty in 2019, starring both at the plate and on the mount. He hit .364, drove in 12 runs and scored another 17 for the Roadrunner offense. He also posted a 2.08 ERA with 7.62 strikeouts per nine innings while appearing in six games as a pitcher.

The baseball showcase opens on Thursday and concludes on Saturday, Sept. 28.

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

An Update from Trent Ashby

By
Rep. Trent Ashby
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Governor Abbott recently declared a state of emergency due to flooding in southeast Texas from Tropical Storm Imelda. My prayers are with all of those who have again been affected by immense rainfall from this natural disaster. As usual, our brave first responders are already helping save lives and mitigate damages for those affected by this storm. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tell us that over half of all flood-related drownings nationwide occur when a vehicle is driven into hazardous flood water. Please remember to proceed with extreme caution when approaching water on a roadway and take heed of the warning to “Turn Around, Don’t Drown!”

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

Legislative Update

This week we’ll dive into propositions five and six, as we continue our weekly examination of propositions that will be on the ballot in November.

Proposition 5 proposes a constitutional amendment to appropriate all state revenue derived from sales and use tax on sporting goods to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Historical Commission. Though current law provides for the allocation of sporting goods sales tax revenue to these departments, that revenue actually appropriated by the Legislature is often substantially less than the total amount of revenue derived from that tax. This amendment seeks to bolster those funds to create a more sustainable funding source to help with long-term planning and improvements for the state park system and our state’s historical sites.

Proposition 6 proposes a constitutional amendment to authorize the Legislature to increase the maximum bond amount – from $3 billion to $6 billion – for the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas. Currently, the Legislature may authorize up to $3 billion in general obligation bonds for the Cancer Prevention Research Institute, which leads the nation in cancer research in prevention. Without this increase, the institute runs the risk of exhausting the available resources for grant funding, which the institute is authorized to do until 2022. The Legislature will still retain the authority to grant these bonds, but this amendment will allow for the Legislature to authorize a larger bond amount in the future.

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. Sept. 18 at the San Augustine County Courthouse in San Augustine.

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.

Angelina College Jazz Combo, Chamber Wins Offering Fall Concert Performance Taking Place at AC’s Hudgins Hall

By
Gary Stallard
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The Angelina College Jazz Combo (pictured) will team up with the AC Chamber Winds for a concert starting at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 1 at Hudgins Hall Auditorium. Pictured are Combo members (sitting, L-R) Sarah Cook, Andrea Leaman and Morgan Robertson; and (standing, L-R) Larry Greer (director), Christian Turbeville, Aaron Mason, Garrett Newton, Daniel Kiesel and Tyler Dover. (Contributed photo)

Angelina College’s Jazz Combo and AC Chamber Winds will team up in a concert guaranteed to get the fall performance season kicked off just right.

The musicians will be jamming inside the Hudgins Hall Auditorium on the AC campus at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

The Combo’s scheduled program includes “Blues in the Closet” (Oscar Pettiford), “Summertime” (George Gershwin) and “‘C’ Minor Blues” (Jamey Aebersold).

The Combo includes both AC students and faculty members. Personnel scheduled to perform are Morgan Robertson (Groveton), trumpet; Andrea Leaman (Crockett), trumpet; Sarah Cook (Lufkin), tenor sax; Christian Turbeville (Hudson), alto sax; Daniel Kiesel (Lufkin), bass; Garrett Newton (Hudson), guitar; Tyler Dover (Livingston), drum set; Aaron Mason (Huntington), drum set/auxiliary percussion; and AC music instructor Larry Greer, piano/director.

The AC Chamber Winds feature musicians from throughout the East Texas area. Scheduled performances include “Aztec Fire” (Jay Bocook), “Acclamations” (Ed Huckaby) and “Forge of Vulcan” (Michael Sweeney).

Chamber Winds performers are Rose Wilson (Diboll), flute; Megan Turrentine (Groveton), Bb clarinet; Rey Hernandez (Lufkin), Bb clarinet; Morgan Robertson (Groveton), trumpet; Andrea Leaman (Crockett), trumpet; Daniel Kiesel (Lufkin), trombone; Keodrick Young (Lufkin), trombone; Jimmy Battle (Lufkin), bass trombone, Director of Chamber Winds; Carl Wallace (Diboll), tuba/guest musician; Aaron Mason (Huntington), percussion; and Zack Foxworth (Warren), percussion. For further information, contact Larry Greer at lgreer@angelina.edu.

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

Recent Rains to Help Fall Plantings

By
Cary Sims
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Rains this past week may have hampered plans to mow pastures or some other outside chores. But make no mistake, we now have adequate soil moisture to plant winter pasture or wildlife food plots or even get that vegetable garden re-started.

Home gardeners that just avoided working in a hot, dry garden will appreciate the opportunity to plant frost tolerant plants at this time. All manner of cool season vegetables should be considered now. Just be sure to not plant all your garden at once as you’ll want to space out your harvest over time.

Wildlife enthusiasts can also plant a number of forages to benefit white-tailed deer. Looking at the opening day of deer season, plant a quick emerging seed such as turnip or collard greens or even a southern pea.

Southern peas (which include purple hulls and related peas) don’t stand a chance for any pea production. However, they will germinate in the soils that are still warm and their tender vegetation will be a big magnet for white tailed deer.

Other wildlife plantings such as grains and clovers can certainly still be planted at this time but will do more to fill the gap of forage when the acorn crop is gone and before spring green up.

It is an ideal time for cattlemen to also plant winter pastures.

It’s no secret that the stockman spends worlds of time and money getting ready to carry cattle thru the winter. Unlike the summer pastures that we expect to graze from April to at least October, winter finds ranchers hauling hay out to cattle.

To lessen the burden of hay, many utilize a winter pasture. Our most common winter grazed forages can be from ryegrass, small grains (such as cereal rye, oats, wheat or triticale), and clovers. If planted correctly under good weather conditions, the economics certainly favor this winter grazing option.

By far the most commonly planned and planted winter pasture is annual ryegrass. This grass is what commonly seen in abundance on roadsides and ditches. It is easy to start from seed, needing minimal to no seedbed preparation. Planted in late September thru October, it will be available to graze starting in February under most growing conditions.

For an earlier growing winter pasture that doesn’t adversely affect summer pastures, consider the small grains such as cereal rye, wheat or oats. Regardless of which you choose, let’s be clear that we have no interest in the actual grains that it could produce. We are completely interested in the leafy, nutritious forage that livestock will graze.

The biggest drawback of utilizing a grain is that the seed must be planted about an inch deep. And for most every producer that doesn’t want to disk up their summer pasture, that means renting or buying a no-till grain drill to get the seed into the soil.

Our third most common option is clovers. Planting clover will not only provide forage during the winter month in addition to beautifying your pastures when they bloom, but they will build your soil.

As a legume, clovers can add nitrogen to your soil. A benefit that pays you even if you don’t fully utilize it by grazing.

So whether a gardener, hunter or livestock producer or some combination of the three, last weeks rains should really be setting us getting fall plantings off to a great start.

ANGELINA ARTS ALLIANCE HIRES STRATEGIC PLANNER

By
Joshua Blackwell
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A Comprehensive Planning Process is Underway!

LUFKIN, TX. The Angelina Arts Alliance is proud to announce that it has engaged the services of professional strategic planning consultants to guide the organization through a comprehensive planning process for the first time in the organizations 19-year history of operations.

Thanks in part to a generous grant received from the T.L.L. Temple Foundation, the Angelina Arts Alliance staff and Board of Directors will work with Ms. Suzanne Smith and Ms. Joanna St. Angelo of Social Impact Architects of Dallas, Texas. The consultants, the Arts Alliance and several community stakeholders will assess the organization’s operations, programs, mission and overall impact on the community. The planners, in collaboration with the Arts Alliance, will create a multi-year strategic plan going forward with measurable results based on actions and goals to achieve long-term success and increase its community impact.

Social Impact Architects® is a social change agency that provides consulting and learning resources to changemakers, working alongside them to design creative and transformative solutions to social issues. SIA uses innovative, market-driven management tools to design cost-effective, pragmatic plans for our clients.

The firm, which is a women-owned business, has assisted many organizations in Texas and throughout the country with strategic plans, including arts and cultural organizations. In addition to having regional knowledge of the environment in which AAA operates, SIA’s founder has successfully contributed to projects at the local, state, and national level. This process has been so successful that it was presented in 2015 at the U.S. Conference of Mayors as a best practice in building community systems.

The project will be led by Social Impact Architects’ founder and CEO, Suzanne N. Smith, MBA. Ms. Smith serves as a coach and consultant for social organizations seeking to maximize the impact of their social strategies and achieve real, measurable results. Having spent the greater part of the past two decades generating innovative and breakthrough social ideas, she has been widely recognized for her success in building and implementing award-winning programs and initiatives within the social sector. As the daughter of two career educators, she has deep expertise in the social sector locally and nationally.

Outside of Social Impact Architects, Ms. Smith holds a research fellowship at the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship at Duke University and is an adjunct professor in the school of management at the University of Texas at Arlington. She is also a member of the prestigious Society of Organizational Learning (founded by Peter Senge) and the 2010 recipient of the Next Generation Social Entrepreneurs Award from the Social Enterprise Alliance.

Prior to founding Social Impact Architects, Suzanne was a Senior Consultant with the Washington, D.C., firm, Community Wealth Ventures. Previously, she also worked in planning and government relations with both the Phoenix House and the American Heart Association. While with the American Heart Association, Suzanne championed early efforts to build an integrated and outcome-driven platform to combat childhood obesity. In that role, she cofounded the Alliance for a Healthier Generation with a team from the William J. Clinton Foundation. Suzanne holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, where she was a CASE (Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship) scholar.

A third-generation Texan, her roots run deep through her work to improve her community with Entrepreneurs for North Texas, Dallas Business Club, Leadership Dallas, Leadership North Texas and the Junior League of Dallas. She has held a number of appointed posts for the City of Dallas and currently serves on the Library Board and the Mayor’s Task Force on Poverty. She was honored to receive the Dallas Business Journal’s 40 under 40 award in 2012 and the Dallas Regional Chamber’s Young ATHENA Leadership Award.

Ms. Joanna St. Angelo will also play a role in the planning process. As one of the leading thinkers in the arts in Texas, Ms. St. Angelo served as the Executive Director of the Sammons Center for the Arts from opening day, March 1, 1988 and has 31 years’ experience in nonprofit management. She is one of the pioneers of nonprofit shared-use facilities. She is also the President and Founder of the Dallas Area Cultural Advocacy Coalition which advocates for arts groups of all sizes and disciplines to promote recognition of the importance of arts and culture. She is a prominent consultant on arts and facilities management and has served on several nonprofit boards for a variety of organizations. In addition to her role as CEO of Sammons Center for the Arts, Ms. St. Angelo is a sought-after consultant and expert on the development of shared-use cultural facilities and redevelopment of historic buildings. Ms. St. Angelo received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Minnesota.

“We couldn’t be more excited about our future and about beginning the planning process with Social Impact Architects. With a great deal of visioning for the future and planning, the Arts Alliance hopes to take a greater leadership role in the cultural development of Angelina County and beyond,” said Jennifer Allen, Executive Director of the Angelina Arts. Alliance.

The Angelina Arts Alliance is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to present a wide array of diverse, quality performing arts, along with educational and family performances which collectively enrich, engage and educate the community.

ANGELINA ARTS ALLIANCE RECEIVES STATE GRANT

By
Joshua Blackwell
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Texas Commission on the Arts Names 2020 Grant Recipients!

LUFKIN, TX. The Angelina Arts Alliance is proud to announce that it is has been awarded an Arts Create grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts for the second time. The grant amount is $11,500 and must be matched by the Angelina Arts Alliance.

The Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) has approved funding for more than 800 grants in its first funding round for fiscal year 2020. The grants total over $8.9 million and will go to nonprofits in 111cities. These grants include all of the Arts Create program grants, the first two funding rounds for the Arts Respond Project program, the quarterly Arts Respond Performance Support program and the quarterly Commission Initiatives and Designated Funding category.

“We are pleased to be able to provide support for so many quality arts activities across the state,” said Gary Gibbs, executive director of TCA. “The substantial work that our grantees are doing not only advances the arts in Texas, but provides valuable art experiences to Texans in rural communities, schools, hospitals, social service settings, and more.”

The Arts Create grants provide year-round operational support to Texas arts organizations with budgets over $50,000. For fiscal year 2020, 378 Arts Create grants totaling over $3.2 million are allocated to 426 organizations in 76 Texas cities.

“State funding of the arts is essential to the success of the Angelina Arts Alliance in order to deliver quality programs to the public and we are deeply grateful to the Texas Commission on the Arts and our State Legislators who continue to support a culturally vibrant Texas. This grant is essential to Lufkin and Angelina County as well since the arts are proven to be drivers of economic development and tourism,” said Jennifer Allen, Executive Director of the Angelina Arts Alliance.

The mission of the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) is to advance our state economically and culturally by investing in a creative Texas. TCA supports a diverse and innovative arts community in Texas, throughout the nation and internationally by providing resources to enhance economic development, arts education, cultural tourism and artist sustainability initiatives. For more information on TCA and its programs, please visit www.arts.texas.gov.

The Angelina Arts Alliance is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to present a wide array of diverse, quality performing arts, along with educational and family performances which collectively enrich, engage and educate the community.

AC Soccer Teams Split with Paris College Pena Nieto Nets Four Goals for Roadrunner Women

By
Gary Stallard
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Fernanda Pena Nieto scored four goals to lead the Angelina College Roadrunner women’s soccer team to a 5-1 win over Paris College, but the Roadrunner men suffered a late goal in a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to the Dragons Thursday at Jase Magers Field in Lufkin.

A newcomer to her squad – she only joined the team a week ago – Pena Nieto wasted no time prefacing her big night: She scored with just 1:16 elapsed in the match, beating a pair of defenders and the Paris keeper for her first goal. In the 23rd minute, she took a cross from Bailey Bowers to bang home her second score and give the Roadrunner women a 2-0 lead at the break.

Pena Nieto scored again midway through the second half, blasting one home from long range. Six minutes later, she spun a kick over the keeper’s outstretched fingers for a 4-0 AC lead. Daisy de Boer would add a goal on a penalty kick in the 83rd minute, and Paris would score its lone goal with just three minutes remaining in the match.

The Roadrunner men played spectacular defense – including a superb effort from keeper Shane Wallace – over the first 87 minutes against the Dragons, but Paris defenders matched AC’s efforts on that end of the pitch. Dragon keeper Eduardo Flores turned in his squad’s play of the night when he stuffed a penalty kick in the first seven minutes. With the teams scoreless and appearing headed toward overtime, Paris’ Edson Palacios finally squeezed a ball past AC defenders for the match’s lone goal and a 1-0 Dragon win.

Both the Roadrunner women (4-2, 3-1) and men (2-4, 1-3) are at home on Saturday against Northeast Texas Community College. Kickoff at Jase Magers Field is at 2 p.m. for the women and 4 p.m. for the men.

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

Tackle Fire Ants in the Fall

By
Cary Sims
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I had a phone call a couple of days ago from a woman asking why all the fire ants have disappeared. I was quick to say that they’ve just gone deep into the ground to get away from the heat and to find some moisture.

Some fancy terms that I heard some years ago about fire ants is that they are “thermo-regulatory“ and “hydro-regulatory”. Indeed, they will often seem to go away when they are just deeper in the ground looking for moisture and more moderate temperatures

But all most folks really want to know about fire ants is how to get rid of them!

Every year we do our best to get rid of them. And each year, we tend to be frustrated.

Fire ants are native to South America. They entered the U.S. through Mobile, Alabama, probably in soil used for ships’ ballasts. They were accidentally introduced around the 1930’s and have been spreading since.

Red imported fire ants are very aggressive, efficient competitors. Since the 1950’s in Texas, the ant has been spreading north, west and south. They now infest the eastern two-thirds of the state, and most every urban area in west Texas. While the bad news is that they are a permanent problem, the good news is that, with relatively little cost and effort, you can prevent most of the problems they cause using currently available methods.

This fall is an ideal time to apply fire ant bait to your lawn. Ants are still foraging so you can apply bait when no rain is expected for several days after treatment. Baits are slow-acting, taking weeks to months to reduce ant mound numbers. Unlike a mound treatment that is supposed to work quickly on each mound you find, baits can be taken back to work on lots of mounds – even those you cannot see. Their work is conducted underground, all winter long, slowly but surely reducing their numbers.

The concept is that a good bait treatment at this time of the year, will yield excellent results come next spring. Consider the satisfaction in knowing that baits gathered and stored by fire ants in the fall will kill off fire ants all winter long.

To maximize your effectiveness, work with neighbors to apply bait. Since fire ants travel from yard to yard, team up with your neighbors to implement fire ant control programs at the same time. Decide what control method to use and find a weekend to get it out.

Use according to the label. There is a wealth of good information contained in the tiny print on the back of the package. Closely follow label directions. Today’s baits are gentle on the environment and are best applied using crank-type seeders or spreaders.

By starting your fire ant control program in the fall and following a regular maintenance schedule thereafter in the spring, you’ll see far fewer ants even when it is not hot and dry.

BRAND NEW 2020 PINES PRESENTS SEASON SURE TO THRILL! A Season ‘Where Music Unites Us All’

By
Joshua Blackwell
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The Angelina Arts Alliance is thrilled to announce the 2020 Pines Presents Series featuring eight (8) exciting, high quality, diverse artists scheduled to come to the Pines Theater during the 2020 calendar year.

As part of the new partnership with the City of Lufkin and its mission to enrich the community by presenting and promoting the performing arts, the Angelina Arts Alliance has selected eight wonderful artists who will appeal to a greater percentage of the population it serves. The artists selected have a demonstrated touring history and ticket sales capability along with high commercial appeal to help draw tourists to Lufkin and create a greater cultural destination in East Texas.

“We’re very proud of the new season we’ve put together for the Pines Theater. The new season represents the feedback we have received and the community we serve. We are confident that these shows will appeal to a broader range of individuals living in Lufkin and those visiting. There is something for everyone in the new season at the Pines Theater, which is why we’ve selected “Where Music Unites Us All” as the theme for the 2020 Pines Presents Series,” said Jennifer Allen, Executive Director.

The Arts Alliance will introduce a new three-tiered ticket prices and lower ticket prices for many of the performances ranging from $20-$45.

“By offering lower ticket prices for many of the performances, we are making the performing arts more accessible to more people. We believe that if ticket prices are more affordable, more people are likely to attend,” said Allen.

Existing season ticket holders will be able to renew their seats from October 1 through October 15. The Arts Alliance will begin selling new season tickets from October 16 through October 31. Season ticket holders enjoy a 15% discount off all tickets. Individuals that would like to purchase three or more single tickets will save 10% off the total amount. All single tickets for all 2020 performances at the Pines Theater will go on sale to the public on November 4 at 11 a.m. All performances begin at 7 p.m.

To purchase tickets, go online to www.pineslufkin.com or call the box office at (936) 633-5454. Box Office hours are Monday – Friday 11 am to 5 pm. Follow The Pines Theater and the Angelina Arts Alliance on Facebook for late-breaking news and ticket giveaways.

DETCOG Asking Public its Opinions for Economic Development Plan

By
Joshua Blackwell
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Part of the Economic Development Planning Process that Deep East Texas Council of Governments & Economic Development District (DETCOG&EDD) undergoes every few years involves a “SWOT Analysis” – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

DETCOG&EDD’s Economic Development Work Group has met and developed a preliminary list of SWOT elements for the Deep East Texas Region of Angelina, Houston, Jasper, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity and Tyler Counties. Now the public has the chance to grade importance of the items on these lists – AND – to say if anything should be added to the lists!

The DETCOG&EDD Economic Development Survey is posted on the DETCOG.gov web site home page. It will be available for the next few weeks. When the survey is compiled the results will be posted on DETCOG.gov. For more information you can contact Bob Bashaw at bob.bashaw@detcog.org.

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