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TFCL Tries Out Loop Resistance Bands

Grace Baldwin
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TFCL Tries Out Loop Resistance Bands

Live Infinitely sent the TFCL team a free sample of its Loop Resistance Bands.

Loop resistance bands are created to be an alternative way to exercise, rehabilitate, build strength, and focus muscle groups.

The Live Infinitely bands are latex loops that come in five levels of resistance: light, medium, heavy, extra heavy, and extra extra heavy. We tried out each level of resistance during our lunch break.

The bands are very durable. They are small at first glance, but they stretch surprisingly far for how compact they are.

We were able to do arm, leg, and full body stretches with the bands. The range of muscles these bands isolate truly surprised us. I certainly did not have resistance built up in some of the areas.

IMG_7684By searching the web for some loop resistance band workouts, we were able to come up with a good workout that we tested during our lunch break.We agreed the bands worked great as an alternative for the gym and as a short workout for lunch or at home.

The bands also come in a nicely portable, black bag that could be easily transported. They wouldn’t add any weight to a carryon bag in the airport and would easily fit in an overnight bag.

The bands are excellent for their ease, portability, varying strengths, and we would recommend them.

MSGPR received this product free of charge for a non-biased review. You may order the product HERE.

Roadrunner Bats Subdue Bossier Parish

Gary Stallard
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Roadrunner Bats Subdue Bossier Parish

McPherson, Finke Go Deep in Shortened Win

Dustin West Double Play 2_BPCC
Angelina College second baseman Dustin West (4) pivots to turn a double play around Bossier Parish College runner Matthew Hammock (34) during Friday’s game at Roadrunner Field. AC bats hammered out 14 hits, including two homers, in the team’s 11-2, eight-inning win over Bossier Parish College in the series opener. (Gary Stallard)

Cort McPherson and Jacob Finke homered – with Finke providing a three-run walkoff in the eighth – to lead a 14-hit Angelina College attack in the Roadrunners’ 11-2 win over Bossier Parish College in eight innings Thursday at Roadrunner Field.

AC’s Chris Estrada finished with four hits in five trips to the plate, McPherson finished 3-for-5 and Finke and Chase Adams each added two hits.

Starting pitcher Baily Holstein earned the win, going 5 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run and striking out three. Reliever Reid Garrett finished off the Cavs, giving up just one hit and no runs in 2 2/3 innings.

AC trailed 1-0 in the second before Mitch Andrews doubled down the third-base line to drive in Finke. The ‘Runners took a 3-1 lead in the fourth on Adams’ infield single, Zach Rome’s bases-loaded walk and Ryan Bellamy’s sacrifice fly.

McPherson helped pad the lead with his two-run shot in the fifth for a 5-2 AC lead; and the Roadrunners tacked on three more in the sixth on RBI singles from Bellamy, Estrada and Mitch Henshaw.

In the top of the sixth, the Cavs managed to load the bases, but Bellamy crashed into the centerfield wall making a spectacular catch and throwing to second to double off a Cav runner and end the inning.

Finke shortened the game by an inning with his three-run blast over the left-field wall in the bottom of the eighth, giving the Roadrunners the win in the series opener.

The teams wrap up the series with a Saturday doubleheader in Bossier City. Game time is 1 p.m.

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

Challenging Issues Landowners Face

Cary Sims
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Challenging Issues Landowners Face

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will be presenting a seminar entitled “Land, Water & Wealth: A Legal Symposium for East Texas Agriculture” next month on Friday, May 20 at the Angelina County Office.

I love owning a small farm. I love the freedom, challenges and opportunities it brings. I get the chance to visit with numerous others around our area who share the joys and struggles. In my role, I get several inquiries from landowners that want to discuss how to take care of their land, make it more productive, and establish a legacy.
agriculture-1079299_1280One topic that is getting more and more interest statewide is water. Who owns what? True, you do own the groundwater below you, but who owns the water in the creek that flows you’re your property? What about the water in your pond? You may never have considered it, but legally the state owns the water in rivers and streams. And regarding that old well on you place, have you registered it with the local groundwater conservation district? If not in the system and on the map, then when a neighboring landowner wants to sink a large water well, they’ll be allowed to do so because there will be no known conflict.

A hot topic from time to time is eminent domain. Eminent domain is the power of the government or someone acting upon power granted by the government to take private property for public use. The power of eminent domain is recognized in both the United States and Texas Constitutions.

Negotiating agricultural leases is an often overlooked as an important issue, until something goes awry between the two parties. Looking at options and practices with ag leases will be covered.
Lastly, there is estate planning. Estate planning is the process of anticipating and arranging for the disposal of an estate during a person’s life. Estate planning typically attempts to eliminate uncertainties over the administration of a probate and maximize the value of the estate by reducing taxes and other expenses.
Addressing these issues are two outstanding attorneys: Jim Bradbury and Dr. Tiffany Lashmet. Bradbury is an attorney and counselor representing clients in real estate and business transactions. His areas of expertise include water, wetland mitigation and banking, water quality, land use, environmental and impacts to real property from oil and gas production. He serves on the board of the Texas Land Trust Council.

Dr. Lashmet is an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist specializing in Agricultural Law with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Tiffany grew up on a family farm and ranch in Eastern New Mexico. Prior to joining Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Tiffany worked for four years at a law firm in Albuquerque practicing civil litigation. She is licensed to practice law in New Mexico and Texas. She writes a very successful Ag Law Blog that can be found at www.agrilife.org/texasaglaw.

This seminar will be an all-day program at the Angelina County Extension office. Valuable information on water law, eminent domain, estate planning, and negotiating agricultural leases are to be covered. Cost is $30 per person or $40 per couple. Call 936.634.6414 ext. 100 by May 13 to reserve a seat.

Sponsors of the event include the USDA, First Bank &Trust East Texas, The Advanced Financial Group, Heritage Land Bank, and AgriLife Extension.

Grilling Time!

Grace Baldwin
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Grilling Time!


TRB Supplies sent the MSGPR its 18 inch stainless steel grill brush the XN Value.

The main things we were looking for in a grill brush were the bristles staying intact, the durability of use, the usefulness of the design, and how unique it is from other brushes on the market.

Photo by Bethany Baldwin
Photo by Bethany Baldwin

Hilariously enough, my grilling skills made for a perfect opportunity to test the mettle of this metal scraper. After grilling beef hamburgers and bacon wrapped jalapenos, the XN Value brush made the grill cleaner than it was before grilling.

The design is nothing revolutionary to grill brushes. However, it does exactly what a grill brush should do, and it arguably does it better than most.

The metal handle and body of the brush is very durable and yet light. There is no give to it, but that proved to be a plus.

The bristles do not bend like some other brush brustles do. That attribute made scraping as simple as moving your hand back and forth across the grill with little to no effort.

The bristles are also laid out in such a way so that cleaning the side of a grill is easily accomplished.

All in all, this brush is good for everyday and extensive use on the grill.

MSGPR received this product free of charge for a non-biased review. You may order the product HERE.

Annual Diboll Tamale Festival Coming In May

Grace Baldwin
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Annual Diboll Tamale Festival Coming In May

The City of Diboll is hosting the 9th annual Diboll Tamale Festival Saturday, May 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The event will be held in the Old Orchard Park in Diboll. There will be no charge to enter, and the festival will include many different acts and attractions.

There will be ballet folklorico dancers, mariachi bands, an exotic animal petting zoo, a kid park, a kid’s celebration game show, arts and crafts, tamale, charro bean, and salsa contests, lots of food, a backyard barbeque cook-off hosted by the Boys & Girls Club of Diboll, and the Tamale Festival Boxing Show.

Registration for the first ever backyard cook-off will be open at the Diboll Civic Center until 5 p.m. on May 9.

The second annual Tamale Festival Boxing Show is free to enter. Weigh in time will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., bouts begin at 12 p.m.,  and there will be 25 matches with belts for all winners. The show is hosted by Lumberjack Boxing Gym. For pre matching, contact Coach Terrazas at (936)-676-4883.

The event is sponsored by the First Bank & Trust, Lufkin News, Commercial Bank of Texas, Brookshire Brothers, Georgia Pacific, Cafe del Rio, and Lufkin Coca Cola.

Fore more information, call (936)-829-4888.

Swinging Roadrunners, ACC Big Band Capping Year With Big Finale

Gary Stallard
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Swinging Roadrunners, ACC Big Band Capping Year With Big Finale

Concert Pays Tribute to Legends and a Veteran

The final concert of the year is always a big one. It’s when young musicians who are moving on to the next stage of their careers get the opportunity to wail away with the talents they’ve accumulated in their time at Angelina College while jamming with some of the “old” guys who have shown them the ropes. AC’s Swinging Roadrunner Jazz Band and the ACC Big Band will pull out all the stops in a concert scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26 at the Hudgins Hall Auditorium.

The jazz combo will highlight music from legends such as Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter and Weather Report, while the ACC Big Band will pay tribute to Count Basie. The Big Band also will celebrate the life of Iraqi War veteran Specialist Keith Girardi-Pulley (March 18, 1986-April 26, 2011), a systems operator-analyst with the Army’s 86th Signal Battalion and the son of the Big Band’s own Bethe Girardi. Under the guidance of director Larry Greer, the young musicians will show off their considerable talents and versatility while resurrecting selections from contemporary music and jazz standards.

Angelina College concert bands, featuring the AC Chamber Ensemble and the Swinging Roadrunner Jazz Band, will perform tributes to Jazz Appreciation Month, Count Basie and Iraqi War veteran Specialist Keith Girardi-Pulley (March 18, 1986-April 26, 2011), the son of the Big Band’s own Bethe Girard at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26 in AC’s Hudgins Hall. (Gary Stallard)
Angelina College concert bands, featuring the AC Chamber Ensemble and the Swinging Roadrunner Jazz Band, will perform tributes to Jazz Appreciation Month, Count Basie and Iraqi War veteran Specialist Keith Girardi-Pulley (March 18, 1986-April 26, 2011), the son of the Big Band’s own Bethe Girard at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26 in AC’s Hudgins Hall. (Gary Stallard)

Greer, a music instructor for AC’s Fine Arts Division, assembles his unique blend of college musicians as each semester progresses, measuring their talents to see just where they fit into the Swinging Roadrunner Combo. He then showcases those talents in fall and spring concerts that have become one of the area’s most popular musical attractions. For Tuesday’s show, the bands will pay tribute to JAM (Jazz Appreciation Month), modelling the music of Miles Davis and the contemporary ‘70s jazz rock fusion group Weather Report. The jazz combo will be performing tunes arranged by Greer for a small group setting. The set list will include selections from the following list: “Milestones” (M. Davis); “So What” (M. Davis); “Blue and Green” (M. Davis); “Footprints” (W. Shorter); and “Birdland” (J. Zawinul).

Jazz combo performers include Max Vallejo (Lufkin), tenor sax; Jason Park (Nacogdoches), drum set; Stewart Haas (Hudson), guitar; Ethan Landrum (Hudson), bass and Larry Greer (Hudson), director and piano. Greer will also direct the ACC Big Band in its tributes to Basie and Specialist Girardi-Pulley. The scheduled program includes selections from the following: “Best of Basie” (arr. by J.Berry); “April in Paris” (arr. by B. Mintzer); “That Warm Feelilng” (arr. by S. Nestico); and “Moten Swing” (arr. by S. Nestico).

Performing members of the ACC Big Band include the following: Saxophones – Michael Parrish, Amanda Brown, Dixon Shanks, Carly Hood (alto), and Bethe Girardi (baritone). Trombones – Russell Hopkins (lead), Robert Shanks, Lavan Watts and Jimmy Battle (bass). Trumpets – Dwain Forsythe, Ricky Gay, Mel Miller and Steven Brown. Rhythm section – Eric Chinn (piano), J.D. Salas (bass), Mark Saldana (drum set) and Larry Greer (guitar).

MSGPR Team Tries Out Bypass Pruners

Grace Baldwin
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MSGPR Team Tries Out Bypass Pruners


Haus&Garten sent the MSGPR office a free sample of their Pro Series titanium bypass pruner to try out and review.

There are two sizes for this pruner: one for smaller to medium hands and one for medium to larger hands. We are trying out the medium to larger pruners.

PrunersThe front of the pruner’s packaging boasts a blade that stays sharper longer and resists rust and corrosion. Unfortunately, those are attributes that require a longer time period to test.

However, the back of the package claims several things we could easily test.

One claim is the pruner’s high standard durability and cutting performance. To test this, we attempted to cut several different sizes and types of branches, limbs, and stems.

The size of branch this pruner could easily snip was pleasantly surprising. For their purpose, this pruner can take care of most sizes of plants that need pruning.

The box also claims anti-slip cushioned handle grips with shock absorbing pads to reduce repetitive motion injuries and wrist strain. We can attest to the comfortable grip of this pruner. It would be difficult to let it slip from your hand.

Another claim is the optimal orientation of the cutting edge for the lifetime of the tool. Again, we cannot determine how long the blade lasts currently, but the cutting edge is optimally designed for the purpose of pruning. For most plants, a gardener would desire to cut a 45 degree angle. This blade easily accomplishes that angle.

open prunersThere is also a sap groove designed to prevent sticking and save time by channeling off sap and keeping the blade clean of debris after each cut. For the most part, that is what it does.

There was some debris left on the groove, but it did not get in the way of the pruner’s ability to perform its job.

A cool feature totally worth mentioning is the groove on the inside of the blade. It is there to be used to cut wire so that you do not use the rest of the blade and harm its sharpness.

One issue could be seen with the pruner’s locking mechanism. It is rather complicated and hard to maneuver, and we had to research how it worked before we could figure it out.

Overall, this pruner is well made to perform better than the average set of cheap household pruners, and we would recommend this to the avid gardener.

MSGPR received this product free of charge for a non-biased review. You may order the product HERE.

 


Reading Buddies at the Public Library

Josh Robinson
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Reading Buddies at the Public Library

Although the school year is winding down, the Judy B.McDonald Public Library continues to offer free reading practice for children. The library has Reading Buddy volunteers available to assist children every Monday and Wednesday from 3:30-4:30 pm and every Thursday from 5:30-6:30 pm.

Volunteers work with children and their parents or caregivers to assist the children with reading fluency and comprehension. The program is free and no registration is required.

Children entering grades 1st through 12th are eligible. For more information about participating in or volunteering for Reading Buddies or other library programs, please call 559-2970 or visit www.ci.nacogdoches.tx.us/library.

Rev It Up at the 8th Annual Oldest Town in Texas Motorcycle Rally April 29-30

Josh Robinson
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Rev It Up at the 8th Annual Oldest Town in Texas Motorcycle Rally April 29-30
NACOGDOCHES – Head out on the highway and find your adventure in Nacogdoches at the 8th Annual Oldest Town in Texas Motorcycle Rally April 29-30. Enjoy a weekend full of live music, Texas’ barbeque, custom bike shows, motorcycle stunts, beer gardens, scenic rides and more.
The annual motorcycle rally kicks off Friday, April 29th at the Nacogdoches County Expo and Civic Center with insane stunt shows that are sure to leave you on the edge of your seat as well as biker games to test your skills. Rock out to live musical performances by top notch Texas artists Glen Lenderman, WhoDunnit and Joey Green.
On Saturday, join in one of the coolest motorcycle parades as it winds its way through historic downtown Nacogdoches. Then sample some of the best barbeque in the South as pit masters compete in the annual OTT BBQ Cook-Off.
Experience the beauty of the Pineywoods as you wind down some of East Texas’ most picturesque back roads on the OTT Warrior Ride benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project. Go head to head with other motorcyclists in the popular OTT Burnout Competition. Catch an innovative fire show by Torch Fire Performer and see how many mudbugs you can eat at the inaugural OTT Crawfish Eating Contest. End the evening with live music by Ally Venerable, Tyler Lenius, Wes Jeans, Lance Lopez and Dean Seltzer and the Redneck Mothers.
Two day passes are $30 and may be purchased online at www.ottrally.com or at the gate. Attendees may also purchase a Saturday pass for $20 at the gate. For more information about the OTT Rally, please visit www.ottrally.com or email info@ottrally.com.

2016 Angelina Arts Alliance Scholarship Award In Honor of Jane D. Ainsworth

Josh Robinson
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2016 Angelina Arts Alliance Scholarship Award In Honor of Jane D. Ainsworth
Lufkin TX: Calling all high school seniors! Do you excel in the Performing Arts and plan to pursue advanced studies in that field? The Angelina Arts Alliance wants to hear from YOU! The Arts Alliance is accepting applications through May 2nd for the 2016 Angelina Arts Alliance Scholarship, awarded annually in honor of Jane D. Ainsworth.
Applicant must be an Angelina County senior in high school and excel in the performing arts such as drama, music, or dance. Applicants must have the desire and potential to pursue a career in the performing arts and be pursuing enrollment in a two- or four-year college/university/performing arts academy. Scholarship winner will be presented to the community during one of the MAMMA MIA! performances at the Temple Theater on May 18 or 19.
Jane Ainsworth was a founding member of the Angelina Arts Alliance and instrumental in bringing the professional performing arts to Lufkin. Applications are reviewed by a credentialed screening committee selected by the Arts Alliance Board of Directors. Applications may be picked up at the Temple Theater box office Monday – Friday 11 am – 5 pm, and can be faxed or e-mailed. For applications or more information about the scholarship please call Ginger Trotter at 936.633.3220.
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