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Part 2: The Church’s Fight Against Bullying

By
Grace Baldwin
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The church has a large role in the fight against bullying, especially in the “Bible Belt” of East Texas. It directly affects people’s hearts by shaping and informing their beliefs. Out of anyone, the church and Christians have a huge influence and responsibility regarding bullying.

Photo by Megan Whitworth
Photo by Megan Whitworth

Seth Wolverton, the youth pastor at Lufkin First Assembly, shared his thoughts on bullying and the position the church and Christians need to take.

 

After accepting the position of youth pastor at LFA, Wolverton moved from Waxahachie, Texas, in December of 2015. He took several classes at Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, and then served as a youth pastor for a church there for three years. He is married to Janea Wolverton, and they have a six month old son named Gideon.

“It’s been crazy. It’s been fun,” Wolverton said about moving to Lufkin. “I love Deep East Texas. It’s beautiful and slow paced.”

The Issue

When Wolverton was younger, he traveled with a group called Youth Alive that moves from school to school teaching kids about bullying, abstinence, and more. While there, many kids approached him with their personal stories with bullying. It was here that he realized how badly bullying needed to be addressed.

“I think everybody has [dealt with bullying],” he said. “If you play sports in middle school, high school, you know everyone gets bullied.”

Wolverton believes the root of the issue of bullying is that “hurt people hurt people.”

“If someone has been hurt and someone has been neglected or made fun of, they will do the same thing to other people because that is what they see in their life. That’s all they know.”

[pullquote]“God thinks so many great things about us. He created us to be the way we are. A lot of kids get made fun of, and the majority are for the way they look. God created you to look that way. He thought you were a masterpiece. Why would you care about what anyone else thinks?”[/pullquote]

Last week, Wolverton taught a lesson on identity. He said a lot of kids try to live up to expectations placed upon them by other people or media.

He taught his students that they should simply look to what God thinks of them, not what others do.

The Solution

“I think at a young age I found my identity in Christ,” he said. “I think I knew that somebody could say whatever they wanted about me, but that doesn’t have to affect me.”

Wolverton did get bullied some as a child, but he said he learned to shrug it off and not let it affect him. This he attributed in part to confidence and in part to his security in what God thought about him.

“While it wasn’t a big deal for me, other kids really take it and they hold it in,” Wolverton said, “and it’s a big deal. I think that everybody processes things a different way, and I think some people are better at letting things roll off of them instead of letting it get to them.”

Check out this video of Wolverton explaining the relationship between bullying and the church:

Wolverton said he has seen kids who hang out with people who they think are ‘cool’ even while those people are the ones who are tearing them down. He encourages kids to get rid of those negative people and find friends who will enjoy them for them.

“You need to find people who are more positive than negative,” he said. “As much as you have been fed this negativity, you’ve gotta be surrounded by people who love you and build you up. That’s going to be the biggest help at the end of the day. You’ve got this friend who said this bad thing about you, but then you have these friends that said this, this, and this good thing about you.”

The heart of the issue, Wolverton believes to be in the Bible verse Matthew 7:12:

“‘Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.'”

New Living Translation

If people would learn to put themselves in another’s shoes, to really feel what the other person might feel, Wolverton believes a lot of bullying would never happen.

other-photo
Photo by Megan Whitworth

He has witnessed how students don’t often take the step back to think of how their actions might make their friends feel.

“Even King David needed someone to say, ‘Look at how big of an idiot you’ve been!'” Wolverton said.

This brings the issue back to how the church and Christians can fight bullying.

What the Church and Christians Can Do

Wolverton believes that pastors can help combat bullying by embodying and teaching that God loves people, and that it doesn’t matter what anyone else says about them except for God and the Bible.

“I think a big problem is that Christians just don’t live out their Christianity like God has called them to,” Wolverton said. “And I know that’s some high expectations, but I think a big part is that we’re not embodying what God has called us to be.”

[pullquote]“The scripture says that God is love, and as much as God is love, God has called us to love.”[/pullquote]

In his leadership team, Wolverton encourages leaders to connect with students and not only be an example to them, but also to kindly tell them when they need to shape up. Like when King David from the books of Solomon and Kings in the Bible had to be told by a trusted friend and adviser that he was failing, students need loving teachers, leaders, pastors, friends, and family to encourage them to be better.

Check out the first and second installments of this story: Part One: The Educator’s Fight Against Bullying and Part Three: Bullying and Our Experience.

Lady Roadrunners Drop Thriller to Navarro, Enter Tourney as No. 4 Seed

By
Gary Stallard
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Angelina College’s Alexis Barrientez flies in to deflect a shot from Navarro’s Jamila Ashley (13) during Saturday’s match. The Lady Bulldogs scored late to take a 1-0 win over the Lady Roadrunners, leaving AC as the No. 4 seed heading into Wednesday’s conference tournament. (AC Press photo/Gary Stallard)
Angelina College keeper Kelly Copeland and teammate Carley Elkins (16) team up to save a shot attempt from Navarro’s Karina Trejo during Saturday’s match. The Lady Bulldogs scored late to take a 1-0 win over the Lady Roadrunners, leaving AC as the No. 4 seed heading into Wednesday’s conference tournament. (AC Press photo/Gary Stallard)
Angelina College keeper Kelly Copeland and teammate Carley Elkins (16) team up to save a shot attempt from Navarro’s Karina Trejo during Saturday’s match. The Lady Bulldogs scored late to take a 1-0 win over the Lady Roadrunners, leaving AC as the No. 4 seed heading into Wednesday’s conference tournament. (AC Press photo/Gary Stallard)

With the way both teams were playing defensively, it was going to take a perfect kick to determine a winner.

Navarro’s Shantell Thompson was the one who executed that one perfect boot.

Thompson’s goal in the 84th minute broke a scoreless tie and lifted the Lady Bulldogs to a 1-0 win over Angelina College’s Lady Roadrunners Saturday night at Jase Magers Field in Lufkin. The match was also the final home and regular-season game for the Lady ‘Runners.

AC’s loss means the Lady ‘Runners will enter the conference tournament as the No. 4 seed; AC will travel to Tyler on Wednesday to face the No. 3 Lady Apaches in the tournament semifinals.

In a match appearing destined for overtime, both the Lady Roadrunners and Lady Bulldogs put on a physical, defensive clinic. AC keeper Kelly Copeland finished with 13 saves, while the back line consisting primarily of Lauren Voss, Alexis Barrientez and Alizah Mendoza repelled numerous Navarro attacks against a Lady Bulldog team averaging more than five goals per game. Voss managed to clear several Lady Bulldog attempts from the box over the match’s 90 minutes; and Ashley Felan and Carley Thompson prevented the Lady Bulldogs from spreading their attacks in their usual efforts to create space.

But with just six minutes to play, Navarro’s Thompson unleashed an absolutely perfect shot from the left side, finding the net in the top right corner – just out of Copeland’s reach – for the game’s only goal.

Kickoff time for Wednesday’s match at Tyler College will be announced later.

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

Lady Roadrunners Hosting Home Finale with Big Implications

By
Gary Stallard
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A first-year program qualifying for the playoffs in any sport is a rare feat indeed, but the Angelina College Lady Roadrunners aren’t satisfied with simply making an appearance.

The Lady ‘Runners have already

Angelina College defender Lauren Voss diverts an opposing attacker during a recent game. The Lady Roadrunners, having qualified for the conference tournament, look to improve seeding in Saturday’s regular-season finale against Navarro College. Kickoff is 5:30 p.m. at Jase Magers Field at Lufkin High School. (AC Press photo/Gary Stallard)
Angelina College defender Lauren Voss diverts an opposing attacker during a recent game. The Lady Roadrunners, having qualified for the conference tournament, look to improve seeding in Saturday’s regular-season finale against Navarro College. (AC Press photo/Gary Stallard)

clinched a post-season tournament berth, having gone 5-4 in conference play thus far. Saturday’s regular-season finale at home against Navarro College, however, brings with it an opportunity to improve the team’s seeding in next week’s tourney semifinals.

A win over the Lady Bulldogs pushes the Lady Roadrunners into the third seed, while a loss would drop them to the fourth. The third seed will travel to Mount Pleasant on Wednesday to take on Northeast Texas Community College; the fourth seed will head to Tyler College to face the Lady Apaches. The winners of those two matches will meet on Saturday, Oct. 29 for the conference championship.

AC topped NTCC back on Oct. 8, extending the game into its second overtime before prevailing 2-1. Leslie Saenz scored first for the Lady ‘Runners, and Lauren Martinez nailed the game winner in the second extra frame. At the time, NTCC’s Lady Eagles were ranked 20th in the nation.

AC dropped both regular-season games to Tyler, ranked No. 3 in the nation.

Saturday’s opponent, Navarro College, blanked the Lady Roadrunners 3-0 on Aug. 25 in just the second game for AC’s new program. Since then, head coach Freddy Drago and assistants Jorden Smith and Sher Khan have found numerous lineup combinations to combat the different types of teams they’ve faced all season long. AC’s defense, which has allowed just 1.7 goals per game, will prove a key element in defending the high-scoring Lady Bulldogs, who have scored 77 goals in 2016 – an average of more than five per game.

Saturday’s match against Navarro kicks off at 5:30 p.m. at Jase Magers Field at Lufkin High School.

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

 

A Hearty Italian Dinner: Beef Cannelloni and Wine

By
Megan Whitworth
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This fall, be inspired by the warm, welcoming style of Italian entertaining: turn to the kitchen, the heart of the home.

“Italian gatherings are relaxing and fun, so don’t worry about décor or timing the main course to the minute guests arrive,” says Emilia Nardi, owner of the award-wining Brunello producer Tenute Silvio Nardi winery of Montalcino in Tuscany. “It is about bringing family and friends together to have a good time. Dinners should be a joy for both the guests and the hosts.”

An avid cook and host, Emilia Nardi recommends having the wine and appetizers ready for when guests arrive. Wine should be opened to breathe.

A Caprese salad of freshly harvested ingredients is a hearty selection. A charcuterie board, while simple to prep, will keep guests appeased as the main course cooks. Pair these delicious bites with a structured wine.

For the main course, Emilia Nardi, suggests taking a page from her family cookbook with this recipe for Beef Cannelloni:

Pasta Ingredients:

4 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 pinches of salt
2 tsp of extra virgin olive oil

Pasta Instructions:

Add to mixer. Knead by hand for 10 minutes and then cover in olive oil and wrap in saran wrap. Let it rest for one hour. Spread it out by hand and cut it in a square (around 15cm per 15cm).

Mixture and Sauce Ingredients:

4 cups of tomato pasta sauce
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 celery stalk in big chops
3 carrots in big chops
6 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. of lean beef chops
2/3 lb. of lean pork chops
1/2 lb. gr turkey breast chops
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
2 cups of grated parmigiana cheese
4 1/3 cups béchamel sauce
1/2 a lemon grated peel
Aromatic bunch made of rosemary, sage and parsley, tied together.

Instructions:

Cover the pan with olive oil to brown the onions. Add the meat, carrots, celery, the aromatic bunch and hot tomato sauce. Add salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for one hour. Remove the aromatic bunch and celery. Then remove carrots and meat and put it into the mixer, adding béchamel sauce, nutmeg, lemon peel and parmigiana. Mix it well. In boiling water, let a square of pasta be briefly immersed in the water and then put it on a rag. Put the mixture in the middle for the length of the pasta square and roll it up. In a baking tray, add béchamel sauce and tomato passata, lay down the cannelloni on it, one beside the other and then cover again with béchamel, tomato sauce, and sprinkle with parmigiana. Bake for 40 minutes at medium-high temperature.

She recommends pairing the dish with the Tenute Silvio Nardi Rosso di Montalcino 2014 (SRP: $25.99), a fruit-forward medium-bodied wine with a velvety texture or the Brunello di Montalcino 2011 (SRP $68.99), a full-bodied wine that offers intense aromas and flavors of red berries offset by notes of leather and incense.

More information about the Tenute Silvio Nardi winery, which produces finely rendered Brunellos that highlight the specific terroir of the plots where they are grown, can be found at tenutenardi.com.

This autumn, keep guests full and happy with Italian food and drink that befits the season!

(Statepoint)

Lilly Oncology On Canvas: Expressions of a Cancer Journey

By
Shannon Poe
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Lilly Oncology On Canvas: Expressions of a Cancer Journey, is a free, public exhibit, which tours communities nationwide. It will be on display in the main lobby of CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial Lufkin through this week.

Creative expression is more than just an outlet. It’s a way for anyone touched by cancer to share hope. CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial is honoring the journey of those faced with a cancer diagnosis through a traveling art exhibit on display this week at the Lufkin hospital.

Lilly Oncology On Canvas: Expressions of a Cancer Journey, is a free, public exhibit, which tours communities nationwide, showcasing select pieces with themes ranging from fear and hope, to loss and survival, to isolation and the embrace of family and friends.

For more than a decade, Lilly Oncology on Canvas has provided individuals affected by cancer an opportunity to share their stories through art and narrative. Since its founding in 2004 in partnership with the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, thousands of participants have been inspired to share their journey with countless others. More than 4,400 entries have been received, and hundreds of exhibitions have been held, reaching millions in communities across the country.

“This is such a touching exhibit and a great way to honor those in our community who have faced a diagnosis of cancer either for themselves or someone they love,” said Yana Ogletree, System Director of Marketing & Communications. “We are honored to bring this exhibit to Lufkin.”

For further information on Oncology On Canvas, an exhibit schedule and more, visit LillyOncologyOnCanvas.com

 

What’s In My Gym Bag?

By
Susan Domingue Bell
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Whether you’re just getting into this fitness thing or you’ve been at it for years, I have a couple of tips to make this habit just a bit easier and more fun.

Who are we kidding? I have a ton of tips, but I’ll just focus on two today.

The first is to like your workout clothes, and by that I mean, buy cute workout clothes. Don’t wear your hubby’s old t-shirt, no matter how comfortable it is. Don’t wear the shorts you weed your flowerbed in either. Give yourself permission to go shopping and get some clothes you really dig; clothes that are actually designed for exercise. It makes a world of a difference! Before you even start your workout, you’ll feel better just because you like what you’re wearing. Workout clothes breathe better, which helps you perform your workout better. An old t-shirt gets heavy and cumbersome as you sweat, and that is NOT a good feeling when you’re in the middle of a tough class. Today’s workout wear is so fun, fashionable, and comfy that I still feel and look somewhat decent running errands after my gym session.

Image
A photo of Susan Bell’s gym bag.

My other tip is to invest in a good gym bag. Have that sucker packed and ready everyday. When I get home from the gym, I unload my bag, and restock it for the next day. It certainly does speed up the process of getting out the door each morning when my bag is ready to go.

So, what should you have in your gym bag? I have perfected the art of packing a gym bag since I live out of mine. My gym bag may actually be a tad over packed since I teach fitness classes and want to be prepared for anything, but I’ve discovered a few essentials that everyone needs in their bag.

Food

I always have snacks in my bag. It’s a good idea to have a snack 30 minutes to an hour after your workout. I’m usually running errands at that time, so having snacks in my bag keeps me from making a less than healthy choice when I’m out and about. Sometimes, I burn through my breakfast before I’m done at the gym, so having a Kind bar on hand saves me in the middle of my workout. It’s also nice having extra snacks with me to help someone else who may not have fueled properly before class.

Image 3
A water bottle is an important part of a gym bag.

Water Bottle

I bring a big, ole bottle to guzzle, not the little fun-sized, kid-sized bottles. I drink steadily throughout my workout and try not to let myself get thirsty.

Sweat Towel

I’m a sweater, so I really love my little sweat towel. You may not think you need one if you are just starting out, but as your fitness level improves, the harder you can go, and the harder you go, the more you sweat.


Baby Wipes

I have to “fake” my showers after class when my schedule is tight. Baby wipes do the trick until I can get home.

Image 5
Dry shampoo is a great way to refresh after working out.

Dry Shampoo

Again, faking it.

Jacket

Most gyms have the AC cranked; at least they do in the group fitness rooms. I almost always have a jacket on before I start class. After class, I’m sweaty and get cold if I don’t have a jacket.

Chapstick

When you’re working out at an intense level, you’ll be breathing out of your mouth and your lips can get very dry. I always put on chapstick right after my workout.

Breath Mints

With all that mouth breathing, everyone’s breath needs a little freshening!

Those are my essentials. With cute workout clothes and a well-packed gym bag, you’ll be ready to conquer the world or at least the gym.

Image 1
Susan Bell sports her gym bag.

What’s In: Bangs

By
Megan Whitworth
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bang
Here is a photo of when my bangs had grown out enough for a sleek side-swept bang.

A common question I asked my friends growing up was, “Should I cut bangs?” Some said no, and some said yes. Most of the time I just did want I wanted to do, and that’s why I often wore blunt bangs.

I love bangs.

I love them parted, I love them swept to the side, I love them pinned back, I love them curled under, and I love them blunt.

I wear bangs in different stages. First, I’ll start with a blunt bang, then I’ll grow them out some and they become a side-swept style. Then my favorite is when they are long enough and I can wear a top knot. Then it circles around, and one day I will decide I need a change. The blunt bang is then back.

And it’s not only me wearing the style; it’s back with a bang for fall (pun intended). Just take a look from celebrities to your next door neighbor, bangs are everywhere. Whether you’re looking for a way to frame your face or you just want to change your style, there is a look for you.

Cutting your hair may seem daunting, but sometimes you just need to take the leap of faith and cut bangs. You never know what you’re missing out until you try!

So, to help you choose which bang to wear this season, here are a few different styles to help you make the best decision for the look of your choice.

Sleek Side-Swept Bangs
Side-swept bangs are the perfect look to add a subtle flare to your already awesome look. They are easy to maintain and easy to style. Plus, they go with any look. From long hair to short, they can go with any style. Just take a step in the world of bangs, and try it out with a side-swept bang. You won’t regret it!

Parted Bangs
Parted bangs are typically bangs that are a little blunt, but are parted in the middle. They look great on any face shape, plus they are easy to pin back or left down. Easy to style and wear!

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A photo of brow skimming bangs.

Choppy Bangs
For an edgy look, go choppy. For short or long hair, choppy bangs can add a look that can style in any way. If you’re looking for a completely different style with maintaining your length, this is the look for you.

Brow-Skimming Bangs
If you have a fear of cutting bangs, brow-skimming bangs would be the next step for you. They are easy to pin up, wear as a blunt bang, or even a side-swept bang. Trust me, you’ll love them!

Blunt Bangs
Of course, my favorite – blunt bangs. They hang straight across your forehead, and are typically heavier than the other types of bangs. They are easy to wear and easy to pin back in a twist or a braid. They tend to be dramatic and really add a fashion flare to your everyday look.

Bangs can be high maintenance, but they’re worth it. They add depth to your face and hair style. They even look fabulous with your hair in a pony tail!

I will add, they’re not my favorite in the summer when the temperatures are higher, but as soon as the cooler temperatures come out in the fall, bam – the bangs are back.

So, take a leap of faith, make the jump, and wear a bang that suits your style!

Just a side note, I do advise to not cut bangs at home. I have made that mistake too many times, and there were many tears shed with a few bad haircuts. So, save yourself the time and go to your favorite stylist for the perfect cut.

Part One: The Educator’s Fight Against Bullying

By
Grace Baldwin
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I was a freshman in a local high school before I had the gall to stand up to bullies. Two boys were making fun of a girl we knew who was overweight. The things they said about her had me completely taken aback. I was a very quiet kid at the time, and I always kept my nose in a book and avoided confrontation at school. But what these boys said was not going to fly.

To hear more about my story, check out our editorial for part three here.

October is Bullying Prevention Month, and it is a great time to broach the importance of discussing bullying with your children or students. One East Texas educator is doing his part to end the tyranny of bullying in his school.

Matt Clifton has been the principal at Huntington Middle School for 10 months and was the assistant principal for two and a half years before that. He received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s of education in administration degree from Stephen F. Austin State University, and he has worked in education for 10 years.

“Bullying is not tolerated in Huntington ISD,” Clifton said. “We take each allegation seriously, and we come up with a plan to resolve any situation that arises.”

For a full copy of the Huntington ISD bullying policy, see this PDF.

Clifton and Huntington Middle school fight bullying by talking to students and welcoming programs like #endbullying in which students are asked to wear shirts with #endbullying on them one day of each month.

“We have had many instances where students have gathered enough courage to speak out when they are faced with these situations,” Clifton said. “When a student is able to speak out and the situation is resolved, they build confidence in themselves and the system. This brings about faith in adults to help them deal with situations that they are not able to handle themselves.”

Preventing bullying does not end with educators, however, and Clifton has advice for parents seeking to stop bullying from home.

“Bullying often times seems to be the by product of students’ own insecurities,” Clifton said. “Students who are not nurtured in the correct way at home will seek other ways to make themselves feel powerful in other situations.”

Clifton said the lack of nurturing children experience in the home may be the root of the problem, and the law and policy upheld by educators can only go so far.

Misty Boggs, the editor and chief of TFCL, has dealt first hand with bullies at many points of her life. Her story is also be featured in this story about the TFCL staff’s experiences with bullying.

“With the kid’s I’ve helped,” Boggs said, “what’s worked best is to help them understand the consequences of their decision.”

She counsels parents who suspect their children of having the signs of bullying to start a dialogue with them. To listen to their side of the story and to lovingly give advice, so both parent and child can understand each other.

Texas has state laws protecting children against bullying. In 2011, a state law was passed that requires schools to have bullying policy.

According to the law, to be considered bullying, behavior must exploit an imbalance of power. It must interfere with a student’s education or substantially disrupt school operations. If the behavior results in physical harm to a student, damage to the student’s property or the creation of an intimidating, threatening or abusive environment for the student when the behavior is “sufficiently severe, persistent and pervasive” then school officials and parents can take legal action,

If the problem of bullying stems from a child’s home life, parents need to be aware of the ways to stop bullying. Here are some tips for dealing with the bullies and the bullied:

Recognize the warning signs.

According to Tori Harrington, assistant account executive of Newport Academy, bullying has a direct correlation to substance abuse. Harrington encourages parents to be aware that teens who are bullied have a greater risk of developing mental health disorders, considering suicide, drinking alcohol alone rather than in social situations, and smoking cigarettes or marijuana. According to Stomp Out Bullying, some warning signs that your child may be a bully include: positive views toward violence, agressive nature toward others, a need to control others and surroundings, hot temperment, breaks rules, shows little sympathy toward others who are being bullied. Remember that loving your child has to sometimes include teaching them how they are wrong. Parents are a key instrument in stopping a bully at home.

Work with school officials.

Nine times out of 10, your school’s officials are there to work with you for the benefit of your child. Come to them with an attitude of determination and respect to calmly and efficiently resolve the issues.

Speak with the adults and kids involved.

Finding the real story is an important part of solving problems with bullies. Speak to

Be aware of your options.

State law allows parents of the victim to request that their child be transferred to another classroom or campus.

For more information on bullying in the law, school, and home, visit https://www.stopbullying.gov/laws/texas.html.

Check out the second and third installments of this story: Part Two: The Church’s Fight Against Bullying and Part Three: Bullying and Our Experience.

Not a Honeybee

By
Cary Sims
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I’ll often get a call or office visit about honeybees. They are in a wall, tree, outbuilding or somewhere that is causing (or will cause) problems. And about half the time, they are not honeybees. They are a wasp or another kind of bee.

bee-2
A photo of a female southern yellowjacket.

Lately, I’ve seen a number of yellowjackets as well as the much lesser known cuckoo bees. Their size along with yellow and black markings has confused a number of folks into thinking they are honeybees.

If you want to know if you have yellowjackets or cuckoo bees rather than honeybees, study the markings on the back of the thorax. The thorax is the middle portion of the body of an insect, i.e. head-thorax-abdomen.

I look for the two yellow lines down the back of the abdomen. If the two yellow lines are short, (study the photos) there’s a good chance you’ve got a cuckoo bee. But if the stripes extend all the way down the thorax, you have yellowjackets. The yellow stripes along its abdomen simply look too much like so many other bees and wasps that I wouldn’t want to try and go by those markings alone.

Yellowjackets do perform a valuable service in destroying many insects that attack cultivated and ornamental plants. However, nests near homes may prove a source of irritation.

If the nests are large or difficult to approach, for example within the walls of a house, the safest procedure would be to hire a pest control operator to eliminate the colony. Any attempt to remove or destroy nests by the layman should be done at night when nest activity is at a minimum.

It is important to note that even though nests are relatively inactive at night, any disturbance will result in instant activity by the colony. It is necessary to work cautiously but quickly. Protective clothing is advisable. These wasps are adept at stinging and are especially aroused if danger threatens the nest. Unlike the honeybee, which dies upon inflicting a single sting, these wasps may sting as often as they find a target. In fact, when a yellowjacket is injured it often releases an “alarm pheromone” which quickly results in an aggressive, defensive behavior from other members of the colony.

bee
A photo of a female cuckoo bee.

Yellow Cuckoo bees lay eggs in in the nests of others. Their name is thusly copied from the Cuckoo bird who lays its eggs in the nests of other birds.

Cuckoo bees are one of many native bees that just don’t get the recognition of the honeybees.  There are somewhere between 3,000 to 4,000 species of twig-nesting and ground-nesting solitary bees in North America.  Many are very efficient pollinators and don’t have a bad temperament, with little interest in stinging.

Our native bees are not social insects like the European honeybee.  They feed alone. Instead of living in a large colony, they make very small nests in holes.  These holes can be in trees, shrubs or in the ground.  These ground-dwelling bees are referred to as miner bees.

Like the honey bee, they are pollinators and vital to agricultural production.  Pollination can be simply described as the transfer of pollen of one flower to the another.   This transfer of genetic material results in more fruits and/or nuts produced, more seed produced, and insures genetic diversity.

Yellowjackets and most bees are also attracted to sugar sources, such as berries and flower nectars. However, this becomes a problem when the sugar source is a food or drink being consumed by a human. Sweet items like soft drinks, ripened fruits, and watermelons attract bees and wasps. Keep these items covered outdoors.

Both are native and can be considered beneficial. One is ornery and mean while the other slips into hives to have them raise their young.  And both are found in our back yard and neither are a honeybee.

 

How To Create DIY Halloween Costumes – Part 1

By
Maddie Adams
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Running late on making costumes this year? No problem, I have the perfect solution.

Here are a few costume ideas that will take you only few minutes to pull together and make you look festive!

My first costume idea is a lumberjack. To make a lumberjack costume, all you need is a flannel shirt, a toy ax,  jeans, and knee boots.

maddie-2
To dress as Where’s Waldo, all you need is a red and white striped shirt and some black glasses.

maddie-1

To make a bird costume, you can get a scarf that has feathers on it; or, like I chose, a peacock patterned scarf. Wear it with black leggings underneath and you can tie it around you waist and/or wear it as wings. The make up and hair for this one really make it fun. It can be completely your own.

maddie-3

Another easy costume would be to dress as a zookeeper. Get some khaki cargo pants, a brown polo shirt, and combat boots.  Hair slicked back with simple makeup will help complete the costume. Then stack as many stuffed animals as you can into a wagon.

A rocker chick is a classic. Go heavy on the dark make up, a vintage T-shirt,  and some torn jeans with Converse sneakers.

You can also look at your favorite movie characters or book characters and imitate their outfits as much as possible. It doesn’t have to be exact; it’s more fun to put your own spin on it.

Make sure to come back next week for part 2 for Halloween makeup tips and tricks!

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