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4 Ways to Eat Affordably this Summer

By
Statepoint
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Summers tend to be jam packed with activity — from baseball games to trips to the pool to evening strolls through the neighborhood.

Fuel your family affordably through it all with these tips from the discount experts at Dollar General.

• Start your day right: Whether it’s a granola bar, a fresh muffin or an elaborate meal of eggs, bacon and pancakes, it’s important to start every day with breakfast. Rather than stopping off each morning at a coffee shop or diner, you can make breakfast at home for far less. Stock up on breakfast ingredients at a discount retailer and don’t forget to buy ground coffee or energy drinks to give yourself a jumpstart to the day.

• Power through with a power lunch: Keep lunch affordable by stocking up on sandwich materials for the entire week, including fresh bread and a variety of condiments, sandwich meat and cheese. If you or your family members get bored easily, mix and match these elements to keep things interesting each day. Then, add some almonds, chips or fruit snacks for a complete meal. For outdoor summer lunches, consider items that can be easily grilled.

• Make dinner time family time: Get the most out of summer nights by making dinner easy and convenient. Check out dollargeneral.com/easymeals for tasty dinner ideas that include pizza, homemade macaroni and cheese and more, and can be created with one-stop shopping at Dollar General. Consider carving out a bit more time in your evening with paper products and plastic utensils that will make dinner clean-up a breeze.

• Stay full with snack time: Keep kids energized between meals with snacks like cereal bars, chips, nuts and popsicles. Does your child play little league or another sport? You can ensure the entire team stays well-hydrated with sports drinks and water. Discount retailers offer these items in bulk at very affordable prices.

For more ideas to keep your family fed for less this summer, visit DollarGeneral.com.

When it comes to affordable cooking, don’t fret. Make plans to fuel your family’s activities all summer long with savvy shopping.

-Statepoint

Central’s Dewitz Commits to Angelina College Sharpshooter Joins Familiar Faces in Roadrunner Program

By
Gary Stallard
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Former Central High School standout Riley Dewitz (seated) this past week made his formal commitment to the Angelina College Roadrunner basketball program beginning in the fall of 2018. Pictured with Dewitz is AC head coach Nick Wade. (Gary Stallard/AC Press photo)

By GARY STALLARD

AC Athletics

In his four years at Central High School, Riley Dewitz wrote his name at the top of the list of every offensive record. Whether scoring off the dribble or stepping back to drain three pointers, Dewitz has always had a knack for sending the ball through the nets.

Central’s most prolific scorer will now take his talents a short drive down the highway to Angelina College.

Dewitz on Tuesday formally committed to the Roadrunner basketball program and new head coach Nick Wade – continuing a relationship formed a couple of years ago, when Dewitz assisted Wade at AC Summer youth camps.

“Working with Coach Wade in the camps, you can see – even with the little kids – he just wants everybody to be the best they can be,” Dewitz said. “I know the program has a great record of helping guys develop enough to transfer to the next level, and that’s why I’m here.”

After averaging 23.3 points per game his senior year, Dewitz left high school as the Bulldogs’ all-time leading scorer with 2,368 points – just one of several records he holds. He earned All-State status following the 2017-2018 season and was a two-time District 22-3A Offensive Most Valuable Player. Dewitz also finished among the state’s top 10 in three-pointers made with more than 300, a skill that he believes will help his new team once the season begins in November.

“Being able hit some threes and space the floor will create more opportunities for the other guys,” Dewitz said.

Wade said he sees the sharpshooter as making an immediate impact on his team’s overall performance.

“Riley’s not just one of the best players in the area, he’s one of the best players in the state,” Wade said. “He’s an absolute workhorse who had a storied career not just at his school but in all of Texas. We’re lucky to have him stay so close to home.”

The Roadrunners open the regular season in November.

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

Angelina College Introduces New Design Certificate

By
Nancy Reynolds
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LUFKIN, TEXAS, July 9, 2018 – Angelina College is offering a new enhanced skills certificate in film production. The certificate is intended for those students who have already completed the associate of applied science in Design and Applied Arts.

The certificate was developed in response to input from the Design and Applied Arts advisory committee, according to Reg Reynolds, graphic arts lead instructor.

“We found that there was a real need in the East Texas community for employees to have an understand of film production,” Reynolds said.

“We receive inquiries about film classes every year. This certificate will enhance the skills that graphic artists already have.”

The first course in this certificate, TV/Video Field Production will be offered this fall semester. The course will teach the pre-production, production, and post-production processes involved in field television production. Other topics covered include field camera setup and operation, field audio, television directing, and in-camera or basic continuity editing with an emphasis on underlying principles of video technology.

For more information about this certificate, or the Design and Applied Arts program at Angelina College, email rreynolds@angelina.edu.

Transform Your Home into an Entertaining Haven this Summer

By
Ezra McMullen
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In warm weather, everything is better done outdoors — from eating meals to entertaining guests.

In fact, 88 percent of homeowners taking on landscaping projects upgrade outdoor living elements, such as furniture and heating features, to make spending time outside more comfortable, according to the Houzz 2018 Landscaping Survey.

To embrace the trend, consider the following.

Add ‘Living Room’ Touches

Create a flawless outdoor retreat with comfortable lounge chairs and all-weather sectionals that look like they belong inside. Go all out with color and bold furnishings — shades of magenta and teal go perfectly with nature’s green elements. However, if you prefer neutrals, up the design factor with bright planters and accent pieces, or hang vibrant tiled artwork that can withstand the elements.

If you have an indoor patio or pergola, hanging decorative curtains provides style, shade and privacy. Finalize the space with cushioned floor seats and activities, like board games and books, for the ultimate entertaining destination.

Include a Beverage Station

Have refreshments nearby with fun serving ware and a bar cart stocked with cocktail fixings — ice, lemons, olives, water and soda — along with fruit juices and colorful sugar to rim glasses so even the kids can get in on the merriment. Add pretty patterned glassware, umbrella stir sticks and a cocktail shaker to get the party started.

Refresh Common Areas

Guests will access your home’s entryway and powder room. Spruce up these spaces with a fresh coat of paint or by simply repainting the trim a crisp white. This can completely transform your home, making it look brighter and feel larger. With the right tools, you can pull off this impactful project with ease.

One of the most important tools you’ll need is a premium painter’s tape, like FrogTape brand painter’s tape, to protect walls and floors. Treated with PaintBlock Technology, FrogTape can be used on a variety of surfaces to deliver the sharpest paint lines for professional-looking results, allowing you to get the job done faster and eliminating the need for touchups — which means more time spent outside.

To bring the elements of summer into your home, include accents like colorful throw rugs, fresh flowers and greenery.

Go Green

Create a peaceful sanctuary outdoors with fresh flowers and greenery. If you don’t have a green thumb, display low-maintenance verbena, lavender and decorative grasses in attractive pots.

If you have minimal space, opt for a wall-mounted garden to add life and texture without creating a footprint. One easy way to do this is to repurpose an old wooden ladder and secure it to a wall. Succulents and herbs are easy to tend to and kids will love having a summer project to upkeep. Plus, nothing will impress guests more than clipping fresh herbs during your next cookout.

For more painting projects and décor tips, visit FrogTape.com.

To make your home the ultimate summer hangout, consider these simple projects to transform outdoor spaces.

-Statepoint

An Update from Rep. Trent Ashby . . .

By
Rep. Trent Ashby
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As the curtain closes on another eventful Fourth of July holiday, I hope you’ll remain ever mindful of how blessed we are to call America home. I recently had the honor of participating in an Independence Day Parade, where I joined with thousands of fellow Texans to celebrate the many freedoms we’ve been afforded. It is truly heartwarming to see so many people – both young and old – come together which such enthusiasm and adoration for our country and what it represents. God bless the United States of America!

With that, here’s an update from your State Capitol. . .

House Interim Charge: Public Health & Human Services

The House Committees on Public Health and Human Services are comprised of eleven and nine members respectively. These committees hold jurisdiction over some of the most critical issues facing our growing population such as access to healthcare in underserved areas, reforming state programs that deal with mental and intellectual disabilities, and the oversight of massive agencies like the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and Department of Family and Protective Services.

The committees overlap on an array of issues and will often study issues together. One such example relates to the number of children in Child Protective Services (CPS) who suffer from substance abuse or mental health disorders. While increasing treatment options through Texas Medicaid behavioral health programs will remain a topic of discussion, the committees are also interested in more effective ways to preserve original family cohesion, and finding out whether many of these issues stem from an untreated illness or disorder in a guardian.

Members of the Public Health Committee are researching policy initiatives to improve access to effective and timely care for women’s health programs, particularly concerning the reduction of complications at birth. Similar to the work in the aforementioned joint charge, Public Health is studying the correlation between drug and alcohol abuse, low birth weight, and pre-term labor. The committee will also study how best to prevent and treat these complications and, perhaps more importantly, examine how to deter substance abuse altogether.

Additionally, the committee will continue to review opportunities to deliver care to medically underserved areas through telemedicine – a technological industry for which the Legislature has already removed tedious red-tape to benefit millions of Texans.

On their own, Human Services will dive into the impact of Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) on the quality and cost of care for medically fragile Texans. The topic has already been discussed

at great length in the House Appropriations Committee this interim, and the findings should help give us an honest assessment of how these programs are being run. Critically important in this discussion is whether there is adequate, in-network access to healthcare across the state. The Human Services Committee will also run down any duplicative government regulations on individuals or businesses in nursing facilities that may be obstructing nurses from using the lion’s share of their time to provide the best care possible. I look forward to reviewing these findings and doing all I can at the state level to improve the quality of critically important healthcare programs.

Reminders

Please be advised that during the month of July, the mobile office will suspend the regular Wednesday schedule. For any questions you may have, or issues you need help resolving, please reach out to our District Director, Linda Parker. Our district office may be reached at (936) 634-2762 Monday-Friday from 8:00am-5:00pm. We will make every effort to facilitate meetings and respond to your needs.

Blueberries

By
Cary Sims
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If you’ve enjoyed the run of local blueberries that finished a couple weeks ago, did you know you can grow blueberries in your own back yard?

Blueberries are a truly American fruit that native Americans gathered and had as a part of their diet long before any explorer, pilgrim, or settler came this way.

Always a wild plant, it wasn’t until the late 1800’s that we find record of anyone interested in domesticating the blueberry and growing them as a crop. It was Elizabeth White, the daughter of a cranberry grower in New Jersey, that first dreamt the possibility of growing blueberries as a farm crop in 1893.

Fifteen years later in 1908, a USDA scientist by the name of Coville began looking earnestly for a wild blueberry that would be suitable for propagating. Two years later in 1910, he discovered some blueberries that thrived in acidic soils. Together, White and Coville produced the first successful farmed blueberry crop and sold them on the market in 1912.

Though this fruit has long been enjoyed, it got a huge boost in the 1990’s and the 2000’s. All kinds of research and promotion about the berries health benefits made the fruit an icon in healthy lifestyles.

Indeed, blueberries do well in our climate. Given our typical acidic soil and (normal) abundant moisture, one can expect over 10 lbs. of blueberries per bush in a good year. If you are into organic or Earth-Kind gardening, their ease of growing and local adaptation makes them a prime candidate.

Like other fruit species we must correctly choose the variety of blueberries based upon their number of chilling hours. And while some are self-fruiting most will need a pollinator to bear a crop.

Since our chilling hours normally range from 450 to 750 chilling hours (averaging 600), I’m going to provide only those from 500 to 650.

The Alapaha variety of blueberries needs 500 chilling hours and works well with Austin and Premier varieties for cross pollination. It bears in late May–early June. It is a vigorous plant with medium-sized berries.

Austin variety is a 500-hour berry that works well with Climax and Premier. Fruits in June Productive; with medium–large berries.

Premier needs 550 chilling hours and works well when planted with Austin, Alapaha for pollination. They bear in late May–early June with medium–large berries. The young limbs are too limber to fruit heavily.

Vernon is another promising variety at 550 chilling hours. Pollinators include Austin, Premier, & Alapaha. It bears in June and is noted for good productivity and vigor.

Powderblue is a 600-hour berry. Plant with Tifblue or Brightwell and expect fruit in late June– late July.

Tifblue is perhaps one of the safer picks with 650 required chilling hours. It is worthy of noting that Tifblue is self-fertile but will help pollinate Brightwell and Brightblue. Tifblue berries ripen in late June–July with small–medium berries that are tart if not fully ripe.

With the highest need of chilling hours Ochlockonee will need 700 before fully blooming out. It needs a pollinator such as Powderblue or Brightwell for maximum production. If we have a long cold winter, you should find a very vigorous, productive plants that bears medium to large as late as July.

Today, we have an abundance of blueberry farms nationwide. In Angelina County alone, I know of five commercial blueberry growers. Globally, over 1 billion pounds of blueberries were harvested in 2014. Today, you can find them in everything from dog food to cosmetics… as well as freshly picked at a local farm.

Roadrunners Sign Center Standout Parks Offensive POY Brings Defensive-Minded Approach

By
Ezra McMullen
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Former Center High School standout Kaleb Parks (seated) on Tuesday signed his letter of intent with the Angelina College Roadrunners beginning in the fall of 2018. Pictured with Parks are (standing, L-R) Center head coach Hiram Harrison and AC head coach Nick Wade. (Gary Stallard/AC Press photo)

By GARY STALLARD

AC Athletics

“Defense.”

With his family on-hand to support him, former Center High School standout Kaleb Parks (seated) on Tuesday signed his letter of intent with the Angelina College Roadrunners beginning in the fall of 2018. Parks was the District 16-4A Offensive Player of the Year following the 2017-2018 season. (Gary Stallard/AC Press photo)

Rarely, when asked what he’s expected to contribute to his new team, does a player answer in such a way. After all, no kid grabs a ball and practices defense in his driveway.

Former Center High School standout Kaleb Parks isn’t worried about scoring. He was the Offensive Player of the Year in District 16-4A following the 2017-2018 season – a year that saw his Roughrider team advance to the regional semifinals. Post-season accolades included All-State and All-Region selections to go with his Offensive POY honor.

On Tuesday, Parks signed with the Angelina College Roadrunners, giving newly named head coach Nick Wade his first official signee.

Parks said his approach on the defensive end originated with his high school coach Hiram Harrison, who taught his players how much they could score just by taking the ball away from an opponent.

“Coach (Hiram) Harrison kept us focused on defense, on stripping the ball and trying to hold teams under 40 points,” Parks said. “He showed us how to create a lot of easy buckets that way.”

The Roughriders’ approach led to a 32-3 season. In 23 games, Center held its opponent to 50 or fewer points.

Harrison said he saw his young defender begin to blossom early.

“As a sophomore in high school, Kaleb started growing into his body and becoming more athletic,” Harrison said. “He started shooting the ball well and listening to what I was trying to get him to do.

“We hang our hat on defense in our program, creating turnovers and getting out to score. Kaleb loves doing that. He’s good at the press and getting away for some highlight dunks, and he knows he can create scoring opportunities that way. He just loves playing defense. Any time I needed a stop, I put Kaleb on it.”

Wade credited Harrison’s program for making it easier to find home-grown talent capable of competing in one of the toughest junior college conferences in the nation.

“We were fortunate to find Kaleb at a local tryout,” Wade said. “His being from East Texas was to me a no-brainer. I have to credit Coach (Hiram) Harrison for his phenomenal program and the way he cares about his guys, his absolute love for his kids. It’s another sign of the way we do things in East Texas.

“Kaleb’s athleticism is off the charts, and we’re excited about that. His motor is something we’re going to need and feed off here.”

Shands Gymnasium at Angelina College, Parks’ new home, is familiar to the newest Roadrunner.

“I like the school and that it’s close to home,” Parks said. “I’ve played in this gym before, and I feel comfortable here.”

Parks’ mother is Lashonia Parks of Center.

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

How to Help Military, Overseas Citizens Vote in Midterm Elections

By
Statepoint
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For Service members and their families stationed away and U.S. citizens living abroad, family and friends are vital connections to life back home. During the 2018 midterm elections, you can be an important source of voting information, especially for 18-24-year-olds voting absentee for the first time.

An easy way to help loved ones in the military or abroad to vote absentee is by referring them to the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), which provides tools and resources to ensure that American citizens who want to vote can do so from anywhere in the world.

Voters can visit FVAP.gov to find state-by-state official registration and ballot request deadlines, as well as information on completing a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), which is the registration and ballot request form, or the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB), the backup ballot. Both forms are available at FVAP.gov and can be filled out with the online assistant or by hand.

For additional information, visit FVAP.gov, email Vote@FVAP.gov or call 1-800-438-VOTE (8683).

The sooner voters register and request their ballots, the greater the likelihood they can successfully vote. That’s because ballots must be sent back before individual state deadlines, which vary by state.

-Statepoint

Steam & Coding Programs at the Nacogdoches Library

By
Ezra McMullen
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(Nacogdoches, TX) – Each week the Nacogdoches Public Library offers free coding and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) programs for children and teens. Coderdojo is a guided workshop into the world of coding. Children ages 8-17 years can explore a variety of coding programs. Coderdojo is offered every Wednesday at 4:30 pm.

STEAM 4 Kids is offered each Thursday night at 5:30 pm for children ages 8-11 years. With the receipt of a grant from Dollar General and Association of Library Services to Children (ALSC), the library has purchased STEAM kits to use in the weekly programs. Program kits include topics, such as, magnets, weather, insects, electricity, robots, art projects and more. For those that cannot attend a STEAM program, STEAM backpacks will soon be available for families to check out.

All library programs are free, but do require registration to ensure we have enough supplies.

Registration may be done in person, by calling 559-2970 or online at www.ci.nacogdoches.tx.us/library.

Giving Back on Your Summer Vacation

By
Statepoint
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Hitting the road this summer and want to do something good for the world along the way? Consider using your summer road trip as an opportunity to give back to the communities you visit. For some inspiration, check out these great ways Americans are rethinking vacations to include a touch of philanthropy.

Driving for Good

All those miles you log on the road can be for a good cause, if you look in the right places. Check out organizations and brands hosting fun fundraising or volunteer events on the road. For example, “MINI Takes the States,” a biannual rally for MINI Cooper owners, gives participants an opportunity to explore America’s beauty while raising money for Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization dedicated to fighting domestic hunger through a network of food banks. In 2016, rally participants raised enough money to provide 1,301,969 meals to families in need, and this year’s goal is over 2 million meals. Occurring July 14 – 22 this year, MINI Takes the States will see owners kick off in either Orlando, Fla. or Portland, Ore. and converge in Colorado, passing through some of America’s most interesting and beautiful sites and cities.

A portion of each registration fee is donated to Feeding America and participants are encouraged to start fundraising pages online and spread the word to friends and family to contribute to the cause. Each dollar raised will provide at least 10 meals to people in the U.S. struggling with hunger. To learn more, visit MINITakesTheStates.com or follow the conversation at #DriveForMore.

Transform Your Road Trip

America’s parks need your help, particularly their hiking trails. Volunteer opportunities abound for those who wish to combine a road trip with trail stewardship. After traveling to your favorite park, join a volunteer crew to build or maintain a trail, increasing accessibility to America’s most beautiful natural wonders.

Or, be someone who brakes for animals — animal volunteer opportunities that is. Many animal sanctuaries welcome vacationing volunteers to provide extra hands. From socializing dogs to feeding horses, certain opportunities even include lodging to those giving their time.

By giving back to the places you visit, you can take the concept of the ultimate summer road trip to new heights.

-Statepoint

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