EDUCATION

JISD Culinary Program

These Jarrell High School students run a kitchen that rivals any of your favorite restaurants. Taught and mentored by Carissa Adkins, the Culinary Arts program is a CTE path that enables students to earn certifications and prepare for a lucrative and exciting career after graduation.

IN SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Carissa is ideally suited for the program, with degrees in Family Consumer Sciences and School Counseling. "I feel like this career chose me," she says. "I didn't aspire to be a teacher, but I worked in the food industry and I was eager to give teaching a shot. I've been doing it 11 years now and love it."

As well, the school has an ideally suited classroom that includes a fully functioning commercial kitchen, which allows students to learn cooking from A to Z, baking and serving, plus career skills like building a resume or going on interviews.

Students can begin with Intro to Culinary as early as 9th grade, then move on to Culinary 2, Advanced Culinary, and career preparation. Carissa has a wonderful mix of grade levels and averages ten career-ready graduates per year. "There are many ways to be an expert in the industry besides cooking, and are a number of certificates students can earn at each level; from safe storage and waiting tables to principles of managing a business. They learn all the functions of a kitchen and, when they graduate, they will have industry certifications that will help them land a job with higher pay than entry level."

Students get plenty of practice at staff and community luncheons where they plan, purchase, set up, and serve as part of a class "business."

Carissa's students also exercise their creativity at Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) competitions and in many annual community service projects. While it's more about service than competition, Jarrell has had best-in-Texas and national qualifiers for the past five years. She says, "I love to see them create things they didn't think they could, then share their food with others. And it's not just here, other teachers have noticed the satisfaction and excitement in the students who take this class; they are thankful they have gained that knowledge and confidence."

Their service learning includes an annual Lions Club senior luncheon, partnering with the City of Jarrell for their Thanksgiving meal, and collecting donations. "We are super active in the community and I am looking forward to getting back out there next yeaer. It's wonderful to see the students so willing to help but learning in the process."

YOU CAN HELP

Carissa is pleased to bring awareness of the program at the school and anyone wishing to support them on their career paths can provide help for advanced students to purchase a chef coat and have their names embroidered on them for a professional look. She is also looking for support to acquire new equipment that will allow them to enter cooking competitions in the next school year. Contact Carissa at carissa.adkins@ jarrellisd.org.

"76537 Life" is Q&A that is all about municipal details and information that will, over time, add to our knowledge base and help readers understand the differences living in various locations in Economic Jarrell. We will address things readers may like to know about the variables within.

Emergency Services Q&A

FIRE CHIEF RAY CUMMINGS

What is an ESD?

An ESD if an Emergency Service District. We are Williamson County ESD No. 5. This is a special purpose district within the State of Texas. WCESD No. 5 provides fire protection for approximately 70 square miles. WCESD No. 5 provides emergency services for the communities of Jarrell (City), Sonterra, Corn Hill, Theon, and parts of Walburg. How many full-time firefighters does WCESD No. 5 currently have?

There are 15 fire fighters assigned to a 48/96 hrs work schedule over three shifts.

There is 1 Operations Captain assigned on a 40 hr work week

The fire marshal is assigned to a 40 hr work week The fire chief is assigned to a 40 hr work week Does WCESD No. 5 still have volunteer firefighters? If so, how many?

Currently WCESD 5 does not have any volunteer fire fighters. Is the ESD board the governing body of WCESD No. 5?

Yes, the ESD is governed by a board of directors. There are 5 members on this board.

How can a person become a member of the ESD board?

The board meets once a month of the 3rd Monday of each month at the fire station located at 155 CR 313 Jarrell Texas. The meetings start at 630 pm and usually run for approximately 1 hour. These meetings are open to the public.

When a vacancy arises on the board, anyone within ESD5 may submit a letter of interest for a position to County Commissioner Valerie Covey.

The WCESD No. 5 will soon begin construction on an additional fire station at 5th street and Avenue G in Jarrell proper.

This station is slated to open in October of 2022 and will be staffed with 6 firefighters.

POLICE CHIEF KEVIN DENNEY

If Sonterra residents have a police emergency, whom do they call?

The primary jurisdiction for police service falls to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. Residents with a police emergency, should call 911 and the County will dispatch a deputy. Jarrell PD, along with several other agencies in the area, uses the County as our dispatch center. If a Jarrell unit is available, it will also be sent to the call. In the end, the County has primary jurisdiction and would ultimately be the one taking a report, doing investigations, or making arrests. The City of Jarrell and the Jarrell Police Department are dedicated to the protection of everyone in our community because of this we assisted the County in approximately 400 calls to Sonterra last year. Will Jarrell PD respond to calls for service in Sonterra?

Because Jarrell does not have primary jurisdiction in Sonterra, we normally do not respond to routine calls for service. We do occasionally drive through Sonterra, and conduct traffic stops in and around the area. If we have a unit available, we will respond to any calls in-progress and have potential for injury. This includes disturbances, assaults, and medical emergencies, for example. Does any part(s) of Sonterra fall into JPD jurisdiction?

At this time, Jarrell PD does not have primary jurisdiction in any area of Sonterra. We do have primary jurisdiction in the City of Jarrell and along approximately 7.5 miles of IH-35 and the frontage roads. How many deputies does Jarrell PD currently have?

We currently are authorized 8 officers, but have one still in training and one opening we are trying to fill. Functionally, we have 6 officers available for service. Does Jarrell PD have patrol 24/7?

Our officers work 12-hour shifts, and we have 24/7 coverage. Because we only have enough officers to run one per period, there are times we are not able to staff a shift due to training, sick leave, or time off, for example.

The Jarrell Police are dedicated to the safety and protection of all Jarrell-area residents, businesses, and visitors. We look forward to being part of a cohesive and vibrant “One Jarrell” because we are stronger together, as we tackle emerging issues in the coming years.

A Recap... and a note of Thanks

The Jarrell Community Library is enjoying new levels of attention and participation in the community. Robin Barfield says the cardholder and volunteer bases have increased, and many are asking about May programs: Story Time, Craft Time, Summer Reading Program, ESL for children and, perhaps, even a Teen group.

Robin says, "We were blessed to receive an anonymous donation that will allow us to hire a part time Library Director. This is very exciting because to have a dedicated paid resource will enable us to do things that cannot be done with an all-volunteer organization. We are still in the process of developing the requirements for this position, but will roll out the job posting soon. Because we have been able to do so much in such a short time frame, we are getting attention from other libraries all over the state."

The library is also looking for board members. Anyone interested in serving should contact the Library or Robin at 512-496-7956. They are also looking for individuals who would like to join Friends of the Library; the fundraising arm of the library.

She added. "We would like to express our sincere appreciation to MyJarrell for featuring our organization in their April edition. Not everyone is on social media and it’s great that we now have a publication that can inform our residents of the exciting things that are happening in our town. Jarrell Community Library, putting the UNITY in Community!"

Alpha Mom

It’s Mother’s Day. The day mom gets breakfast in bed and flowers. Who am I kidding... all I really want is 60 minutes to myself and maybe an off-budget $7.50 to get a quarter pounder and french fries I won’t have to share after my offspring snarfs his fries in 42 seconds and is “Stiiiiiill hungryyyyy.”

I do love being a mom, of course. But it’s a lot of pressure. See, you may not know this yet, because everyone is busy fussing about the Zoomer-Boomer rivalry and how Millennials are starting to call themselves “old” (that sound you hear is my eyes rolling) but... the newest generation—born in the early 2010s—are called Alphas.

I happen to be in a very, very tiny minority of Gen-Xers who have Alpha children. This means I have unique Venn diagram of things I’m teaching and translating to my son, with very few intersections of things he actually needs to know.

I don’t imagine very many Millennials have ever told their Zoomer kids to “roll up” the window, “dial” or “hang up” the phone, or asked for a reminder to “tape” their favorite shows. I also get a really weird look when I say I want to “burn” a CD. My son is not old enough yet, but I am already wondering if I’ll ever have to teach him how to write a check. Don’t even get me started on mix tapes.

Funny to think of how long those things actually existed. The more technological things are, the shorter their life span. Humans wrote checks for a couple of centuries. Those that had them, “dialed” a phone for about 70 years.

Side note: As far as hanging up goes, there is absolutely no gratification in angrily pushing the END button like there was when you slammed a phone receiver into the cradle and enjoyed the resonating clang that followed you out of the room. Also, in sensory fun, wasn’t it equally satisfying to slap an actual book closed when you finished the last page... more so than gently sliding the button to “off” on a Kindle? Moving on...

Media fans used VCRs from 1956 until the mid-2000s, and burned CDs for about 15 years. At this rate, maybe we will get lucky and TikTok will be obsolete by 2025.

On the plus side, as a Gen-Xer, I am solidly and happily on the outside of much generational nitpicking. I think it’s hilarious that Zoomers tell Millennials their skinny jeans and side-parted hairdos are “old.” Those are the people who laughed at my slouch socks and turtlenecks, so they have it coming. I am unbelievably happy to sit back and proclaim, “I don’t care what anyone thinks of my momjeans, I still love Phil Collins, and yes, I have watched all 12 seasons of ‘Frasier’ many times, because it’s hilarious.”

Perhaps I have simply reached the age of “Warning” by Jenny Jones, and didn’t realize it. Some of her best lines... When I am an old woman I shall wear purple

With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me. ...You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat And eat three pounds of sausages at a go And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

I read that poem, the first time, in 1982 and it felt impossibly far away, but I think I might have arrived there. From this side of 50, I have a good understanding of why my parents thought children of the 80s had lost their minds. I still love my scrunchies and Ferris Bueller, but I do wonder what we were thinking with those bangs.

Thankfully, Alpha Son is still too young to be embroiled in the generation conversation, so I have a few more years before he notices how lame I am. I can only imagine what kinds of things he will have to teach me when he realizes I’m obsolete. Meanwhile, I’m still on the phone trying to tell my mother, for the 100th time, how to cut, copy, and paste.... “No, you don’t TYPE c-o-n-t-r-o-l, you push the button with that word on it... never mind, I’ll be right there.”

Isn’t the Silent Generation (1928-45) adorable?

Happy Mother’s Day to all! XXOO

Big Success for "Build-a-Cougar"

Above: Jordan, Donovan, Vinny and Mikey Griffiths give a loud roar • Right: Zion Davis brushing his Cougar • Genny Jarrett with her “Cougee” the Cougar and the Jarrell mascot. • Kasyn Denby is excited to show off her new friend.

This school year has been far from normal, but as things slowly begin to settle into the way they use to be, the Parent Teacher Organization at Igo Elementary wanted to do something fun for the kids and faculty.

They created a plan for “Build A Cougar” and quickly pieced the details together. Similar to the retail Build-a-Bear franchise, students added the stuffing to their Cougar and placed a heart inside before closing it up. They dressed each bear in a cute Cougar T-shirt and completed the birth certificate.

The school also provided a pick-up kit to make sure every distance learning student could participate and build their Cougar at home, or come to the school and build it there.

After receiving an overwhelming response from the community, the PTO was well motivated to open the program opportunity to everyone in Jarrell. The success of the program was evident, not just in the more than 320 Cougars sold, but also in the smiles, laughter, and joy on production day.

There was excitement to spare as children and families made their way down the assembly line to build their Cougars and take photos with the Jarrell Cougar mascot.

The Igo PTO report that they are thrilled with the community participation and look forward to offering more fun events like this in the next school year.