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East Texas on Display Art Exhibit and Silent Auction Fundraiser

By
Megan Whitworth
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East Texas on Display will feature original creations by local artisans from across East Texas. The fundraising event will take place on Saturday, March 4, 2017 at 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. in downtown Timpson, beginning at the Volunteer Fire Department.

Bring the whole family for a day of culture, delicious food, musical entertainment and good, old-fashioned fun! Proceeds from silent auction, concession sales, and artists’ booth sales go to Timpson EMS Volunteer Ambulance Service, Timpson Volunteer Fire Department, Local Animal Rescue, or Salvation Army’s Food Bank.

East Texas on Display is an experience like no other, with a chance to get up close and personal with the many talented artists that bring local culture to the greater East Texas area. This exhibit delivers fun, excitement and a unique opportunity to support local heroes by participating in this event.

Register in advance to bring a group of friends and attend an instructor-led “painting party!” There will be three 2-hour sessions, each led by a different local artist. Canvasses and materials will all be provided. There are limited spots available so register now to secure your spots.

Plan a little extra time to enjoy the creative exhibits in the fire hall designed to bring awareness of East Texas culture. A silent auction will be held throughout the day, beginning at 2 p.m. and ending at 7 p.m. 100 percent of auction proceeds will go to benefit each purchaser’s choice from the groups listed above.

Bring your children to have their little faces painted, and enjoy refreshments, and more! The fun begins at 2 p.m. with five 45-minute live music sessions. Bring a lawn chair to enjoy the afternoon’s entertainment. A portion of the catfish fry, crawfish boil, and food wagon sales will go to the event’s fundraiser.

If you are an artist, photographer, sculptor, wood-worker, iron-worker, quilter, musician or other creative talent, and would like to donate some of your work to the silent auction, contact the Selection Committee. All donors are encouraged to set up a free booth to display their other works. This is an excellent opportunity to promote your creative arts business and to show off your unique skills!

Participants from communities all over East Texas can join together to showcase the creative talents that are the culture of East Texas, while also supporting the volunteers of the above-named organizations by registering by the Feb. 5, 2017 deadline​.

For more information on East Texas on Display, contact the Selection Committee:

East Texas on Display
ATTN: Selection Committee
P.O. Box 740
Timpson, Texas 75975

Call or Text (936) 254-5050, email chad@easttexaspress.com, or visit the Facebook event page by searching “East Texas on Display” for more information.

Birthday Kindness

By
Megan Whitworth
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“Being kind is the most important thing I’ve ever been taught. That’s what my parents always told me – more important than ambition or success is being kind to people. The cornerstone of my life. What I aspire to is to be kind.” -Rafe Spall

I turn 30 on Saturday.

Megan Whitworth blows out candles at her 26th birthday party.

I love birthdays, and January is my favorite month of the year because my birthday is Jan. 28. It does add excitement to the month that my mom, Marsha Ault, sister, Leigh Youngblood, and husband, Ryan Whitworth, also celebrate their birthdays earlier in the month. After their birthdays are over, celebration time has begun for me.

Past year celebrations have included: trips to Missouri, dinners at Olive Garden, going to the movies, games with friends, night outs dancing, karaoke events, and many other celebrations, but this year I wanted to celebrate different.To do so, I’ve decided to do 30 random acts of kindness before turning the big 3-0 at the end of the week.

Will you join with me? Together we can start a birthday kindness movement.

Here are the 30 random acts of kindness I will do this week for my birthday, and I challenge you to do it with me. You can replace different acts but choose to be kinder this week along with me. Share your random acts of kindness with me on social media by using #30birthdayacts.

1. Buy the meal for the person in line behind you.
2. Start a conversation with a stranger.
3. Tape coins to a vending machine to treat the next thirsty or hungry person.
4. Donate gently worn clothes to a thrift store.
5. Buy a meal for a homeless person.
6. Compliment a stranger.
7. Ask someone about their day and actively listen.
8. Call up an old friend and reconnect.
9. At the grocery store checkout, let the person behind you go first.
10. Compliment a friend.
11. Write a letter to an extended family member.
12. Leave an encouraging note on a random car windshield in a parking lot.
13. Leave a thank-you note for your garbage collector or mail carrier.
14. When people around you are gossiping about someone, say a kind comment instead.
15. Write a thank-you note to your server at a restaurant.
16. Talk to the quiet person who seems lonely or out-of-place at a party or church service.
17. Straighten up shelves when you’re walking through the grocery aisle or the toy department.
18. Offer to put someone’s shopping cart away for them at the store. Bonus points if it’s raining!
19. Leave a random uplifting note on someone’s windshield.
20. Offer to keep a friend company while they run errands.
21. Take a cute photo of someone you love and mail or email it to them
22. Keep an extra umbrella at work, so you can lend it out when it rains.
23. Call your parents and have them share an old memory that makes them smile.
24. Smile at everyone you encounter for a day.
25. Reach out to your favorite childhood teacher. Thank them for their role in your life.
26. Buy a small gift for someone. Just because.
27. Volunteer at a local animal shelter, even if it’s cleaning cages rather than cuddling kittens.
28. Make a “breakup playlist” for your friend who’s going through heartbreak.
29. Make an anonymous donation to a local charity.
30. Drop off dessert at your local law enforcement station.

AC Hosting Black History Month Art Exhibition & Poetry Ready

By
Nancy Reynolds
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Angelina College is hosting a black history month art exhibition and poetry reading Feb. 7 at 5:30 p.m. in the Angelina Center for the Arts gallery. Admission is free.

The Live Poets Society, Angelina College’s student organization sponsored by instructor Benetha Jackson will present their original poems and local artists will exhibit their work.

“Ali” by Gary Roberts.

Artists exhibiting work include Karen Christopher, Gary Roberts, Blake Bean, Tyson Davis, and Felicia Hogg and family. Christopher specializes in portraits and  does commissions of paintings and drawings for individuals and organizations. Roberts is also known for his portrait drawings and paintings. His work can also be seen in many churches where he has done murals. Roberts and Christopher have collaborated on many community service projects and are mentoring many young people through art instruction.

Blake Bean is a local artist whose work is well known in the East Texas area and in Houston. He creates unusual mixed media paintings, often large in scale. Bean’s work has been collected by George Foreman and Beyonce Knowles-Carter. He was recently featured in a one-person exhibition in the Houston Museum of African American Culture.

Tyson Davis is a Nacogdoches self-taught artist, poet and community activist who works in several media. He says of his work, “While most artist will tell you what influences their pieces, I simply allow the moment to push passion into my pieces.” Davis is one of the artists who created the large public mural on North Street at Main in Nacogdoches.

Felicia Hogg and family members Shondell Singletary, Ta~Mia Robertson, Jada Robertson and Tony Robertson will display their original paintings and mixed media art.

For more information about the Live Poets Society, contact Benetha Jackson at bjackson@angelina.edu. For information about the visual arts program at Angelina College, contact Robbie Lacomb Roach at rroach@angelina.edu.

Five Morning Tips to Prepare for the Day

By
Megan Whitworth
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Are most of your mornings spent running out the door with breakfast in-hand, and applying your makeup on-the-go? It’s easy to snooze, and rush all the way to work – but building a routine that gives you a calm and efficient morning can make you feel more prepared to take on your day. If you haven’t nailed it yet, don’t fret.

Perk up with a morning ritual that activates your mind. Enjoy your cup of coffee or green tea alongside a brain teaser, Sodoku or crossword puzzle.

To celebrate the similarities and differences of women’s routines, the team at Carefree is offering some tips to make mornings easier.

1. Rise and shine. Do you hit the snooze button one too many times? Avoid being late again. Place your alarm out of reach so that in order to turn it off, you have to get out of bed. If you use your phone to wake up, consider setting your alarm tone to a song that annoys you — you’ll be happy to get out of bed to make it stop!

You may not have time for a full workout in the morning, but moving a bit upon getting out of bed can get the blood flowing, help wake you up and give you a metabolism boost. Start the day with a few stretches and body weight exercises, such as lunges and planks.

2. Perk up. Perk up with a morning ritual that activates your mind. Enjoy your cup of coffee or green tea alongside a brain teaser, Sodoku or crossword puzzle. Or spend the time writing a journal entry, scanning the morning headlines, or reading a chapter of a book. Taking a few moments to warm up the mind can encourage greater productivity all day long.

With just a few changes to your morning routine, you can start the morning with energy and a smile on your face to tackle the day ahead of you.

3. Eliminate bed head. You can shave substantial minutes off your morning routine by doing your hair the night before. After washing and conditioning your locks, leave hair up in buns or clips while sleeping. In the morning, undo the up-do and use a little spray before heading out the door.

4. Makeup magic. When there’s no time for a full morning makeover, stick to the basics. Start with a moisturizer with SPF so you can protect your skin and keep it hydrated. Use under eye concealer to easily eliminate any signs of fatigue. If you do need to abbreviate the full eye makeup routine, don’t omit a quick coat of mascara, which can help you look wider-eyed and more awake with a few seconds of effort. Lastly, give lips shine and protect them from chapping with a lip balm that preferably contains SPF.

5. Be Free to Be You. Feminine care is one routine element that links all women. It’s a part of life, and as we all know – it’s not always predictable. “Liner Up!” every morning with Carefree Acti-Fresh liners, which are soft, thin and absorbent enough to go unnoticed, helping you feel confident as you go throughout your day. It is easy to incorporate them into your daily regimen by storing them in your underwear drawer—you will never forget to give yourself a layer of protection again.

(StatePoint)

Lane Closure Planned on Lufkin Loop

By
Rhonda Oaks
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Motorists will be detoured beginning as early as Tuesday when crews start working on SL 287 in Lufkin near the Moffett Road overpass which will require a southbound lane closure.

A work area will be set in place from the south end of the Moffett Road overpass on SL 287 and will continue south to the crossover for Moffett Road where crews are scheduled to rehabilitate the roadway with a mill and inlay operation. The SL 287 frontage road from BU 59 to the Moffett Road overpass will remain open, but access onto the loop will be closed.

Motorists traveling on SL 287 southbound will be detoured just south of Spence Street onto BU 59/North Timberland Drive. Motorists traveling US 59 to the southbound flyover onto SL 287 will be confined to one lane through the work area. The right hand southbound lane is scheduled to be closed on Tuesday and work will progress into Wednesday when the left hand lane will be closed and traffic switched to the right hand southbound lane. All traffic lanes will be open to traffic overnight.

Lighted message boards will be in place to help direct and inform motorists of the detour and lane closure. Motorists are advised to reduce speed in the area and be alert to workers and safety messages. Delays could be experienced during peak travel time. Obey all traffic control devices and remember traffic fines double when workers are present.

The mill and inlay operation should be completed by Wednesday evening, weather permitting, and will enhance the roadway once completed. For a complete list of closures and work throughout the state, visit drivetexas.org. All work planned is subject to change in inclement weather.

For more information, contact Rhonda.Oaks@txdot.gov or (936) 633-4395.

Angelina County Fair Livestock Entries Looking Good

By
Cary Sims
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Last week at the George H Henderson Expo 2,342 students from seven school districts brought various species of livestock to be entered in the Angelina County Fair.

For the students preparing entering their animals, the official event was called “validation.” Hogs, goats, steers, sheep, and commercial heifers were brought to the Expo grounds to get an ear tag that determines proof of ownership as these youths feed out their market and breeding animals in preparation for the show in April.

There were 16 lamb entries in this year’s Angelina County Fair. The Fair will be held April 18-22 this year.

Last week’s “Validation” serves as the official starting point for all exhibitors. Though many have had their projects for weeks, even months, the starting gun has sounded and we are feeding and preparing to exhibit livestock for the show. No new entries or even substitutions of entries are allowed.

Entries for the various divisions saw some changes in participation from the last couple of years. Hog entries, typically around 90 to 100 shot up to 118 exhibitors for the 2017 Fair. Market goat entries fell some from 73 last year to 62 this year.

The steer show seemed to hold steady at 49 entries. This show used to be one of the largest at the Fair decades ago.

Other numbers include commercial heifers with ten entries, 16 lamb entries, 44 boiler entries, 15 horse entries and 36 breeding heifers.

I’ll write more about the feeding and market weights of the different livestock classes in weeks to come. Suffice it to say, there are some very definite target weights that each exhibitor is shooting for on their animal(s).

Broilers (chickens raised for meat production) will be delivered for pick up by those students who have entered on March 7.

There are some later entry due dates for the county fair still yet to come. Both breeding and market rabbit entries are due Feb 10. Entries in arts and crafts as well as Family and Consumer Sciences are also due on Feb 10.

Broilers (chickens raised for meat production) will be delivered for pick up by those students who have entered on March 7. That will give them approximately six weeks to raise those day-old chicks to a marketable weight.

In case you’ve not heard, our County Fair will be held April 18-22 this year. Gone are the days of a cold, wet February County Fair. Organizers of the 2017 show are confident that April will bring better weather and many more folks to see the outstanding work exhibited by our county’s youth.

For more information about the Angelina County Fair, the competitions and how to get involved, go to angelinacountyfair.com.

Who is Rising Up For Honor?

By
Rising Up for Honor
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Who is Rising up for Honor?

Rising up for Honor is a Destination Imagination, Project Outreach team from Huntington High School that is working to make a change in their community. Each year the team has been challenged to find a problem in the community and help address it. Over the past four years, the team has chosen to help an issue that is a little different than the rest.

A photo of Honor Tinsley in 2015.

One day at practice, the team was sitting down trying to decide which way to focus their efforts, when something very personal came to light. One team member brought up a post that they had previously seen on the Facebook on the page: Wall of Honor. Wall of Honor is the page that shared Huntington native Lauren Tinsley and her then one-year-old daughter, Honor Tinsley’s story, who was born with Spina Bifida.

The team was inspired by a particular post that Lauren made about trying to play with her daughter at Chick-fil-a, despite it not being the most accessible place for her to play. Honor wanted to slide down the slide, very badly, but was unable to do it by herself. Lauren quickly scooped her up and slid down the slide allowing Honor to experience the same joy that her able bodied brother could easily experience. The post was so touching that they knew deep down in their heart that they wanted to help in some way. This sparked a movement, from that point forward they devoted the last three years to help make their park in Huntington a more accessible place, while also providing special needs awareness within the community of Huntington.

Over the past four years the team has been actively pursuing their set goals by holding events within the community. These events ranged from holding a Clean and Play Day in the park to holding a color run to help raise money for accessible equipment. Through these efforts the team was able to put in a wheelchair accessible swing in the park, a granite bench in “honor” of Honor and a mural painted in an easily accessible area. This year the team plans to put in sensory panels within the park.

In previous years the Rising Up for Honor team has thrown color runs to raise money to purchase handicapped accessible park equipment.

This year the team not only is working to put new equipment in the playground, they are giving back to the community by providing free photo sessions with local photographers to children and adults with different abilities. These photographs will be displayed at the team’s “Celebration Night” which showcases the beauty in each others differences. The team is excited to showcase what makes the Huntington community diverse and share the stories of their extraordinary life. The event will be held Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017 at 6 to 8 p.m at Huntington High School. The event is free and refreshments will be provided.

For more information, follow Rising up for Honor on Facebook at Facebook.com/risingupforhonor or email the team’s sponser Angela Duncan at aduncan@huntingtonisd.com.

How to Style a Choker

By
Maddie Adams
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Chokers are all the rave right now. I have a few tips that can help your choker turn your outfit from good to great!

Maddie Adams wears her a gold choker.

First is to wear a lower cut shirt or a v neck. Next, layer, layer, layer! Wear a choker and then lots of other necklaces of various lengths.

Maddie Adams wears her favorite choker.

My favorite chokers are the true 90’s plastic, laced, black ones. Finally, pair a fun and bold lipstick with a choker and rock it!

There are so many cute chokers out there. Have fun with it and don’t be scared to try a choker you wouldn’t have before! Most importantly, wear a confident smile to bring your outfit together. Happy #FashionFriday!

Candidate Filing Open for Silver-Haired Legislature

By
Megan Whitworth
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The Deep East Texas Area Agency on Aging is now accepting filings from persons over 60 years of age interested in serving in the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature (TSHL).  Filing forms can be obtained by contacting Deep East Texas Area Agency on Aging Program Director Holly Anderson at (409) 381-5258 or “handerson@detcog.org.” The filing deadline is Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017.  The election will be held on April 28, 2017.

The Texas Silver-Haired Legislature is composed of 116 representatives elected to two-year terms by Texans over 60 years of age. The nonpartisan and non-profit organization strives to promote good government for all Texans by directly involving Senior citizens in the legislative process. TSHL provides a nonpartisan forum for discussion and debate of Senior issues, advocacy training and an avenue through which older citizens may serve as a resource to both public and private sectors.

Candidacy is open to all eligible voters in the State of Texas, 60 years of age prior to filing for election, that are residents of the 12-county Deep East Texas Council of Governments (DETCOG) region. The DETCOG region is composed of Angelina, Houston, Jasper, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity and Tyler Counties. Candidates should desire to participate in all activities required and expected of Texas Silver-Haired Legislators at their own expense without compensation.

An Update From Rep. Trent Ashby

By
Rep. Trent Ashby
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This past week all eyes were on Washington as President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States of America. Closer to home, in Austin, we continue to convene in our respective chambers and go about the work the people of Texas expect from their citizen legislators. On that note, here is an update on what’s going on in Austin. . .

Budget

This past week, the Texas House and Senate each submitted their respective preliminary budget plans. While this is just a starting point for negotiations, the versions differ by about $8 billion, including federal funds, which reflects some stark differences in priorities between the two chambers. The proposed House budget increases state spending by less than 1 percent while not increasing any taxes. It provides for additional investments in public education, child protection, and mental health, while maintaining our state’s commitment to border security. Over the next few months, each chamber will spend countless hours hearing testimony, deliberating, and making hard decisions about how best to allocate taxpayer dollars. The ultimate goal, of course, is to produce a final budget that is balanced, fiscally responsible, and that reflects the priorities of our great state. Stay tuned.

Meetings

This past week, I had the pleasure of meeting with several groups, two of which I want to highlight. The Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership delegation invited me to visit with them about the relationship between the Texas Legislature and our state’s agriculture industry. We talked about a number of issues from water and ranching to the ways in which agriculture is affected by our state’s budget. Agriculture and silviculture play such a vital role in my district and having the opportunity to meet with some of our leaders in the field allows me to play a part in ensuring certain rural needs are addressed.

Additionally, I met with several representatives from the Texas Retired Teachers Association. We had a long and productive conversation about the future of TRS-Care. Knowing we are strapped for resources this biennium, and that tough decisions are going to have to be made, I reiterated my support for our active and retired teachers across our state who deserve reliable healthcare for the service they provide in educating our children.

Reminders

The mobile office is back on the road in January and looks forward to seeing you around the district! Here’s this month’s schedule: January 18th from 9am-11am in Crockett at the Houston County Courthouse Annex or from 1:30pm – 3:30pm in Groveton at the Trinity County Courthouse. You can also visit us on January 25th from 9am – 11am at the San Augustine County Courthouse in San Augustine. As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office if we can help you in any way. My district office may be reached at (936) 634-2762, or you can call my Capitol office at (512) 463-0508.

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