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Sunday, March 29, 2015

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People, things Places& Progress Angelina County 2015

Contributed Photo

Lufkin Area Pacesetters members pose together before a group run. The organization is for competitive and recreational runners in Lufkin and the surrounding area.

The Runners

Lufkin Area Pacesetters organization bringing area runners together with encouragement, friendship

By MEGAN WHITWORTH The Lufkin News

I

magine running 20 miles.

Mile 16 is the hardest, but you hear chants and cheers from fellow runners who encourage you to keep going and to cross the finish line.

Meet the Lufkin Area Pacesetters.

The organization is for competitive and recreational runners in Lufkin and the surrounding area.

“We bring runners together,” said Cindy Sosa Springs, president of the running club known as LAPS. Springs has been running for five years.

“I started running at age 43. Mike (Burton) and I were friends; we’ve known each other for over 10 years,” Springs said.

“I started running to lose weight, and I would run a mile on my treadmill every day. I mentioned that to him, and he would try to get me to go out to the group runs. I was so intimidated. I thought they would be waiting on me; I thought I was going to hold everybody back. ‘I can’t do it.’ And he said, ‘Yes, you can.

You can do it.’”

Springs attended her first group run in 2010 and was amazed that she could actually keep with the other runners.

Over the years, Springs has continued to run with the group and has increased her running ability.

“On Dec. 13 I finally fulfilled a dream of mine: I ran 100 miles.

Contributed Photo

Lufkin Area Pacesetters president Cindy Sosa Springs, left, poses with runner Lynne Perkins, who lost her battle to cancer in December. Springs said she was one of the kindest people she had ever met.

“I still remember my first mile. I thought I was going to die. I really did; it was horrible. But I stuck with it, and I ended up finishing quite a few marathons, ultra marathons and finally the hundred-miler.”

Cindy Sosa Springs

president of the running club LAPS

It was called the Brazos Bend Trail Race,” Springs said. “When people start, I don’t always feel like they give it a chance, or they start out too hard, too fast. You are supposed to start slow. We

all started slow. I still remember my first mile. I thought I was going to die. I really did; it was horrible. But I stuck with it, and I ended up finishing quite a SEE RUNNERS, PAGE 3H

MEGAN WHITWORTH/Lufkin Daily News

Lufkin Area Pacesetters member Heather Barney runs with her dog, Wilson, on a sunny afternoon. Barney has made the goal to run in the North American Championship Ironman Texas race in 2016.

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Sunday, March 29, 2015

PEOPLE, PLACes and things the lufkin news

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Climbing toward fitness

Local teacher works to provide students with rock wall to improve their endurance, fitness

By MEGAN WHITWORTH The Lufkin News

S

tudents at Dunbar Primary School are climbing high.

Since joining the Lufkin school district as a physical education teacher five years ago, Cameron Seale knew she wanted to have a rock climbing wall for students to use during her class.

“When you say ‘rock wall,’ you think 20 or 30 feet, you think structure or harnesses, and it scares everybody away,” Seale said. “But with the climbing wall I was looking at, the students can go up to three inches off the ground or up to three feet off the ground. I finally got our risk management guy up here; I had it all taped out, and I showed him what we were planning. And he said, ‘Oh, they go about this high on the playground. It’s not that big of a deal as we thought.’ He said, ‘Let me see if is it approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.’ He sent that to me within a day, and they were certified by that.”

After receiving the OK, Seale just needed a way to fund the climbing wall.

She and intervention paraprofessional Krista Guzman worked on raising the money to purchase the Everlast Climbing Traverse Climbing Wall.

“Krista worked on getting fundraisers once a month with different restaurants around Lufkin,” Seale said.

“People would dine, and we would get a percentage of the profits. That was our plan.”

Things changed when Lufkin ISD’s new Education Foundation began accepting applications for new and innovative ideas at the beginning of the 2014-15 school year. Selected teachers would receive a grant to help fund the ideas. Seale was thinking of applying, but didn’t know if her idea fit the mold.

“I was thinking, ‘I’m not really a classroom teacher,’ and my principal said, ‘Well, try it, because it’s new and innovative.’

Plus, I reach every student,” she said. “So I wrote a grant, and we actually were awarded the grant for almost $4,000. That paid for the basic kit — the walls, the mat and rocks. That was a major part. With the amount of money we were able to raise, we got every accessory that the company made for the wall.”

The school received the wall in late February.

MEGAN WHITWORTH/The Lufkin News

First-graders Amy Masi, left, and Alex Seale climb the traverse climbing wall at Dunbar Primary School. The students are able to improve their endurance and fitness, said PE coach Cameron Seale.

“This is something — if they get into it as they get older, as an adult — they can climb places. It can be a lifetime activity, and they can use it to have lifelong fitness.”

MEGAN WHITWORTH/The Lufkin News

Intervention paraprofessional Krista Guzman, left, and PE coach Cameron Seale received a $3,850 grant from the Lufkin ISD Education Foundation for a traverse climbing wall at Dunbar Primary at the end of last year.

Cameron Seale

Physical education teacher

MEGAN WHITWORTH/The Lufkin News

Dunbar Primary first-grade students Raul Alvarado, left, and Madisyn Bradberry work on climbing the school’s new traverse climbing wall. Students are able to climb as high as three feet or as low as three inches off the ground.

MEGAN WHITWORTH/The Lufkin News

First-grader Yisselle Castro climbs high on the climbing rock wall at Dunbar Primary School.

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“We had a big reveal for the students,” Seale said.

“We had everyone come in; we opened it up. I had each panel set up differently so they could see the potential of it, that it just wasn’t, ‘Oh, we’re going to climb across and lose interest.’ We could put the wall with all kinds of different lessons and activities. The students were super excited.”

The first day, students were nervous to climb the wall, Guzman said.

“The most interesting part was from the first day to the second day,” she said.

“We had some students who literally were shaking in their boots the first day, but by the second day (the teachers) didn’t do much of anything. We were there if they needed us, but they didn’t need us.”

Seale said, “Some rocks can be modified from anything from special needs kids or for kids that haven’t moved their body that way before. It can be a scary thing. They can start out on the lower rocks. If they need to step down, they can. We didn’t have many who stepped down the first day. I think they all surprised themselves and us, too. That’s the whole point: It builds self-esteem.”

She said the wall is easily adaptable to change.

“I ordered the magnetic wall because it came with letters and words. We can do cross-content.” Seale said. “If they have teachers that are having difficulties with sight words, I can put words on magnetics, and we can give the kids a list or letters, and they can climb the wall to the word.

Then they can take that sight word off the wall and take it back to their group, or take that letter and form words at their station.”

The teachers also teach the students about special awareness of “how to control your body.”

“The obstacle course is all about special awareness, because you don’t want to hit any of the obstacles climbing through noodles, climbing over and under things,” Seale said. “We got a fitness set where the students are not climbing on the wall, but there are rocks that hold elastic exercise bands. We can work on all parts of the body, like abdominal muscles, triceps and biceps. It can be a muscular activity and then a strength-building activity, which it is in its natural form. We can also work on specific target parts of the body, too.”

As the students keep climbing and exercising on the wall, they will not just increase their muscular strength, but they will also improve their endurance and fitness, Seale said.

“I am trying to give them things they can take outside of here,” she said.

“I know I can get them to move; that’s my job. It’s when they leave that they need to be able to make the choice for themselves: ‘I’ve got to move my body to keep it moving well and to live long.’ This is something — if they get into it as they get older, as an adult — they can climb places. It can be a lifetime activity, and they can use it to have lifelong fitness.”

Megan Whitworth’s email address is mwhitworth@lufkindailynews.com.

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Giving them a voice

PEOPLE, PLACes and things

Sunday, March 29, 2015

3H

Victim services coordinator Stacy Richardson works to meet the needs of victims, their families

By JESSICA COOLEY The Lufkin News

H

ands shaking and voice trembling, in a packed courtroom earlier this year, Lufkin woman Stacy Richardson addressed a man who took a young mother’s life.

Though the words she read aloud were not her own, Richardson felt each emotion of the victim’s family, yet maintained her composure as spoke about the children the killer’s actions left motherless.

Emotional exchanges like that one are all in a day’s work for Richardson, as she is the victims services coordinator for the Angelina County District Attorney’s Office.

“Reading their victim impact statements, it makes me feel honored that they feel comfortable enough with me to allow me to speak on the behalf of their family,” she said. “Well, and angry sometimes, too.

Like in that case, I just felt like I was talking to a brick wall, because (the convicted killer) didn’t show any emotion or any remorse, in my opinion.”

Richardson’s job is to make sure that all needs of violent crime victims and their families are met as their cases go through the legal system.

“It’s bad enough what was done to them and their family,

“Reading their victim impact statements, it makes me feel honored that they feel comfortable enough with me to allow me to speak on the behalf of their family. Well, and angry sometimes too. Like in that case, I just felt like I was talking to a brick wall because (the convicted killer) didn’t show any emotion or any remorse in my opinion.”

Stacy Richardson

Angelina County victims services coordinator

so we’re just trying to make them as comfortable as we can and go through this grieving process,” she said. “Assisting them in the office and in the courtroom — just sitting there with them, because sometimes they may not even have family members with them — just me.”

Richardson also stays in close contact with state funding agencies in Austin to ensure victims have the resources they need while getting back on their feet.

“We also partner with the Family Crisis Center, so victims know that there is local

community help available, too, not just what’s available through Austin,” she said.

“Sometimes help from Austin doesn’t get to them quick enough, and The Family Crisis Center is immediate — a 24hour hot line where someone is always there with shelter, clothing, anything like that.”

Richardson, who has been in the role since October but with the district attorney’s office for a few years, said the toughest part of the job is not taking it home with her at the end of the day, because she can’t show emotion in the courtroom.

JESSICA COOLEY/The Lufkin News

Angelina County victims services coordinator Stacy Richardson addresses a convicted killer, speaking on behalf of the victim’s family earlier this year in an Angelina County courtroom.

“You might hear my voice crack, but that’s about it. If I did, the other side could appeal that,” she said. “They could say, ‘Well, the jury was looking at her face.’

“I’ve become thicker-skinned

since I started working in the DA’s office, and being the victims services coordinator is bringing out the softer side of that thicker skin.”

Jessica Cooley’s email address is jcooley@lufkindailynews.com.

Runners Continued from Page 1H

running.”

In December 2014 the LAPS lost a longtime running buddy, Lynne Perkins, to a battle with cancer.

“She is the one who got me involved with LAPS,”

“That is the thing about it. You have experienced runners who don’t mind taking the time to spend with the new runners and share their knowledge.

Everybody is always willing to help each other.”

Cindy Sosa Springs

president of the running club LAPS

• SERVICE •S OLS PO UP M PL TO

Goates said. “She posted they were doing a group run at Kit McConnico Park, and that is the first time I met Lynne. She was welcoming. She is the nicest lady I had ever met.

She always made sure she knew everyone’s name; she knew what they were doing and what was going on. She was everyone’s cheerleader. She always had a smile on her face.”

Perkins designed the LAPS logo that can be seen on T-shirts and social media, Springs said.

“If anyone is wearing the LAPS logo,” Perkins said, “that is Lynne.”

LAPS member Heather Barney said she disliked running at first.

“Running, at first, made me tired. I was bored,” she said. “But it made me overcome the laziness of not wanting to do hard things, and it gave me confidence to take on challenges. It allowed me to see the benefits that come from consistency.

I’m trimmer, fitter, happier — thanks to running. I started to finally be consistent in training because I wanted to be better than mediocre.”

Barney has made the goal to run in the North American Championship Ironman Texas race in 2016.

“Even though I am also

working with coaches from Nacogdoches Endurance Training, Cindy and other LAPS friends were my partners on my long runs,” Barney said.

“They were available for questions and support anytime and helped me get through some tough

mileage without having to do it alone. A local group to be accountable to helps you to keep your goals.”

For more information on the running group, search Facebook for Lufkin Area Pacesetters.

“Running shows my kids to be healthy,”

Goates said. “It sets an example for them. I’ve lost some weight doing it, too. It makes me push myself further and know that I can do it — and prove to myself I can do it.”

Megan Whitworth’s email address is mwhitworth@lufkindailynews.com.

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few marathons, ultra marathons and finally the hundred-miler.”

Local resident Jenell Goates also was hesitant to join LAPS at first.

“I was scared to get in. I was slow,” she said. “But joining LAPS made me get out and run. The days you didn’t want to, you knew Cindy was going to be out there waiting for you. So you had to be out there, and when you had tough runs, there was someone out there saying, ‘You can do this. You can get through this.’ It was nice that way, nice to have cheerleaders.”

“That is the thing about it,” Springs said. “You have experienced runners who don’t mind taking the time to spend with the new runners and share their knowledge. Everybody is always willing to help each other.”

Goates completed her first marathon on Jan. 1 with fellow LAPS runner Jennifer Shepherd.

“I get more out of watching her accomplish her goals,” Springs said.

“When I first met Jenell, she was not confident in her running at all. I’ve seen her grow. She has grown into such a great runner. I think the friendships have helped her gain confidence in herself and

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Working for the Community’s Needs

Friery Defines Role as Director of AC’s Technology/Workforce Division AC News Service

D

r. Gary Friery makes his role sound so simple: “We’re here to meet the community’s workforce needs.”

One little sentence, as if those words could possibly describe everything going on within Angelina College’s Technology/Workforce Division, where Friery assumed the title of “director” this past year.

Since his arrival, Friery has focused on ensuring the division doesn’t just train students for the work force; he’s also taking the time to pinpoint specific needs as defined by various industries in and around East Texas. He goes so far as to keep a list of some of the most-requested occupations – a list undergoing constant updating – including welding, heating and air conditioning specialties, fluid power technology, machine tool technology … and the list goes on.

“We base those needs on the Deep East Texas Workforce Solution’s Targeted Occupations list,” Friery said.

“They’re listing more than 30 different areas in which they anticipate a shortage.

The list also projects growth in those listed areas.

“Drafting is another great field. We recently placed a student in Houston doing petrochemical drafting. He’s making good money, and his employers are really

“(Dual-credit technical/ vocational courses) would give students an employable skill as soon as they leave high school.”

Dr. Gary Friery

director of Angelina College’s Technology/ Workforce Division

happy with his training.

The same for our paralegal training, or our electrical training; there’s a forecast for a shortage in so many of those areas, so we’re trying to answer those needs right here at Angelina College.”

Once he has those desired occupations in-hand, Friery begins making the adjustments to the AC curriculum.

For example, this past year the T/W division added its first-ever night class for its welding program. The class ran from 10:30 p.m. until nearly 2 a.m., and the roster filled up quickly. While many would consider such a move drastic, Friery and his staff were simply responding to the need for another welding course for students who couldn’t attend any

AC Press photo

The Fluid Power program at Angelina College, includes training in hydraulics and pneumatics, has become one of the most soughtafter skills in the area workforce.

AC Press photo AC Press photo

With welding one of the most requested occupations from area industries, the Angelina College program implemented a night class to ensure students would have the opportunity to enroll in the program despite busy personal schedules. other time.

All of this because of a need expressed from within the local community.

“Welding has experienced tremendous growth,” Friery said. “If a student doesn’t mind moving away from this area and would like to go to the Gulf Coast, there’s no such thing there as an unemployed welder, according to the Houston Chronicle.

They’ve got the need for over 5,000 welders right there; they’re building anywhere from 50 to 80 billion dollars’ worth of petrol chemical plants in the Houston and Galveston areas.”

Friery mentioned other programs for which he’s seen a growing need for trained workers.

“Another big program for us right now is the machinist program,” Friery said.

“I’ve gotten two calls in the past few weeks asking for applicants to work machine shops. Any of our electromechanical programs have demands there; we’ve been doing a lot of training for General Electric and Georgia Pacific.

“Heating and air conditioning always has a need.

There’s a big shortage in the workforce in that area.”

In February, the Technology/Workforce Division received a grant from the Texas Workforce Commission for an amount exceeding a half-million dollars.

The grant’s need arose at the request of a consortium of local industries, specifically Lockheed-Martin and

Georgia Pacific. With the grant, AC will begin training employees in a curriculum designated by those future employers.

In addition to the current surge of work force demands, Friery is looking ahead: He’s hoping to implement dual-credit technical/ vocational courses for high school concurrent students – a measure proposed in House Bill 5 that would allow those students to enroll in courses other than academic in preparation for their chosen careers.

“It would give students an employable skill as soon as they leave high school,” Friery said. “The way it is right now, a lot of them don’t have that, so they have to start out working for minimal wages. It would give them a chance to come here to this campus from the different districts and work on various technical programs that have a lot of employment needs in this particular area.”

Friery said he and other Angelina College administrators are working with several school superintendents in Angelina County for the possibility of early high school/college courses with a technical emphasis that would be located on the AC campus. He said the group is monitoring school districts in Waco and El Paso as models for such a program.

“Those are the models we’re looking at, but those areas are working with just one independent school

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district,” Friery said. “Here, it would be a consortium of districts. It will be interesting to see where this goes, and whether the Texas Education Agency will approve it.”

Friery said another goal is to spread the word to prospective students who might be intimidated by the idea of learning new skills.

“When students come into any of our programs,

Dr. Gary Friery assumed the role as Director of the Technology/ Workforce Division for Angelina College in August of 2014. Since then, he’s focused the division’s efforts toward meeting the specified workforce needs of the community. we start them at the entry level,” Friery said. “We assume they know nothing, and we take students with no knowledge at all and mix them with others will either a little or a lot of knowledge.

We start from the first of the spectrum and take them all the way to the end.”

For a guy who thought he was retiring to his East Texas lake house after serving 27 years with San

Jacinto College, Friery has found plenty to keep him busy in his new role.

“I’ve always wanted to work with Angelina College, so I was glad when this positioned opened, and I was glad I was fortunate enough to get it,” Friery said.

“I thought I was moving up here to retire, but working here makes me feel as if I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

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Sunday, March 29, 2015

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Professionals at CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial ensure quality care close to home for patients CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial Lufkin

W

hen it comes to matters of the heart, CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial is committed to protecting our patients by utilizing top-notch technology and innovative procedures and promoting overall individual wellbeing.

Chest Pain Center Accreditation CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial, the market leader for cardiovascular services in the East Texas region, holds the highest level of chest pain certification in Lufkin. The Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care awarded the hospital and its staff with the Chest Pain Center Accreditation with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, or PCI, recognizing CHI St. Luke’s Health as an outstanding facility when dealing with patients who present with heart attack symptoms.

Patients who arrive at the emergency department with symptoms of a heart attack benefit from a higher level of expertise and resources, including: ■■ An emphasis on standardized diagnostic and treatment guidelines ■■ More efficient and effective evaluation ■■ Rapid treatment of patients with chest pain and other heart attack symptoms ■■ Promotion of a healthier lifestyle ■■ Reduction in the risk factors for heart attack Heart & Stroke Center CHI St. Luke’s Health strengthened its commitment to quality cardiovascular care a few years ago when the hospital invested $30 million in the construction of the area’s first and only dedicated heart and stroke care center which also includes a new state-of-the-art emergency department. From the latest in medical technology to the Center’s highly trained professional staff of surgeons, physician specialists, nurses and technicians, the Heart & Stroke Center is designed to keep patients close to home for some of the most complicated medical procedures.

The Center boasts some of the area’s most advanced cardiac catheterization labs and surgery suites including one specialty surgery suite, one catheterization lab and one state-of-the-art hybrid room that accommodate both catheterization and surgical procedures.

CHI St. Luke’s Health has been recognized with the Get With The Guidelines®–Heart Failure Gold Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association for its high standards in patient care.

Emergency Department The staff at the CHI St. Luke’s Health Emergency Department stands as front line defenders to the functionality of a weakening heart. The hospital is the preferred provider for emergency services and cardiovascular care, according to HealthStream research, and has been chosen as the Best Emergency Room by

Contributed

Board certified Cardiologist Ilyas Mohammed (right) looks over his patient Patricia Carter (left) after performing a complete rightside cardiac catheterization and left-side cardiac catheterization coronary angiogram via the wrist and elbow at CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial Lufkin Cath Lab on December 30.

Contributed

The Heart & Stroke Center at CHI St. Luke’s Health is the area’s first and only dedicated heart and stroke care center which also includes a new state-of-the-art emergency department. From the latest in medical technology to the Center’s highly trained professional staff of surgeons, physician specialists, nurses and technicians, the Heart & Stroke Center is designed to keep patients close to home for some of the most complicated medical procedures.

Lufkin News readers for seven consecutive years.

It serves as the largest emergency department in East Texas with 32 private patient rooms, a dedicated imaging and laboratory department and a highly qualified staff of emergency physicians, nurse practitioners and registered trauma nurses.

According to Dr. Amanda Parker-Nylund, System Medical Director and Site Medical Director of Emergency Medicine at CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial Lufkin, when it comes to heart attacks, time is of the essence because time is muscle.

“If you feel like something is wrong, you should always call 911 or come to the Emergency Room,” Dr. Nylund said. “We want to see you and evaluate you. It’s never normal to feel chest pain accompanied with nausea and sweating or feel like you’re going to pass out. All of those are high risk indicators that you need to come to the Emergency Room and have a medical professional check you out.”

In addition to small patient/ staff ratios in the CHI St. Luke’s Health Emergency Department, we offer the additional support of our hospitals in The Woodlands and Texas Medical Center, if needed.

Innovative Procedures CHI St. Luke’s Health cardiologists strive daily to discover new and innovative procedures to treat patients.

For the first time in Lufkin, board certified Cardiologist Ilyas Mohammed, M.D. with The Heart Institute of East Texas performed a complete right-side cardiac catheterization and left-side cardiac catheterization/ coronary angiogram via the wrist/arm approach in the Cath Lab. Traditionally, cardiac catheterizations are performed by inserting a catheter through an incision made in the groin to

access the femoral artery. The thin plastic catheter is advanced through the body’s network of arteries until it reaches the heart. Now, cardiologists are able to access the heart through a pinhole size incision in the wrist.

Dr. Mohammed said by performing the heart catheter through the arm rather than the groin there is less risk of major bleeding and a shorter recovery time.

Last year, CHI St. Luke’s Health invested more than $200,000 in new equipment to introduce a cryoablation procedure to correct cardiac arrhythmias in the East Texas area. Utilizing one of nature’s own anesthetic properties – freezing temperatures – Electrophysiologist Vivek Mangla, M.D. was the first in Lufkin to treat and freeze problem tissue in the heart. Tiny circles of heart tissue are frozen during the cryoablation procedure which block the abnormal electrical activity in the heart and restore normal rhythms.

“Normally we correct cardiac arrhythmias by cauterizing, or heating up, the abnormal tissue around the heart,” Dr. Mangla said. “Heating can cause more scarring and swelling of the tissue. With this new equipment, we are inserting a balloon in the heart to freeze the tissue and treat abnormal areas causing arrhythmias.”

Until now, the cryoablation procedure could only be performed in larger metropolitan areas, but due to CHI St. Luke’s Health’s commitment to creating healthier communities, the equipment was made available to local cardiologists.

Cardiac Rehabilitation Center Following a cardiovascular event – such as a heart attack, balloon angioplasty, or even heart surgery – patients often need specifically designed rehabilitation to significantly improve cardiac health. With

that in mind, CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial Lufkin opened the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center in 2014.

The Cardiac Rehabilitation team, led by Medical Director Ravinder Bachireddy M.D., FACC, co-founder of the Heart Institute of East Texas, consists of an on-site Supervising Cardiologist, Registered Nurse, a Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist, and other healthcare professionals.

Cardiac rehabilitation promotes cardiovascular health and individual wellbeing with research-centered, patientspecific care. Patients involved in the cardiac rehabilitation program receive a specific exercise prescription after undergoing a risk factor and nutritional assessments and are encouraged to modify their current lifestyle.

“Structured cardiac rehabilitation exercise can provide numerous benefits for the general health of any individual, but has greater impact when cardiovascular conditions are present,” Dr. Bachireddy said.

Research indicates that patients who undergo cardiac rehabilitation have 25-30%

reduction in heart attack and strokes.

Maintaining a Healthy Heart The hospital also recruited in a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon in 2011, which intensified CHI St. Luke’s Health’s commitment to provide the utmost in cardiovascular care.

Dr. David Ladden trained under world renowned cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Michael E. Debakey and brought to Lufkin a passion for healthy hearts. Maintaining a strong cardiovascular system requires lifestyle changes for many, Ladden said.

“Heart disease is truly an epidemic, but 80 percent of cases in this country can be reduced and are preventable if we are smart,” Ladden said.

“We have so many bad habits, but it’s never too late to modify your lifestyle.”

■■ Smoke and tobacco free lifestyle.

■■ You are what you eat.

■■ Improve your diet with more fruits, vegetables, lean protein, legumes and whole grain ■■ Limit foods with sodium, saturated fat and transfat ■■ Increase fiber intake

■■ Decrease your cholesterol level.

■■ Maintain an ideal body weight.

■■ Control your blood sugar.

■■ Monitor and control your blood pressure.

■■ Limit stress with exercise, yoga and stretching.

■■ Talk to your doctor about possible hormone replacement therapy.

■■ Drink one glass of red wine daily.

■■ Get your flu shot.

■■ Soak up some rays.

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lufkindailynews.com

Under construction

By STEPHANIE STEVENS The Lufkin News

D

rills, hammers and nails are being put to work at Pineywoods Community Academy.

The ongoing construction for a 42,000-squarefoot addition in front of the old Lufkin Junior High West building is right on schedule, said PCA Director Bruce Marchand.

Leaders at Pineywoods Community Academy looking forward to completion of 42,000 square-foot addition

“We filled up all the space possible, so it’s really great to see this construction.

It’s really nice to see all the teachers and parents who are supportive of the construction.”

Whitney Lindsey

PCA kindergarten teacher

The construction began after PCA on June 6 received a $4.8 million loan from Commercial Bank of Texas, guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Fund.

The money is being used to build 16 classrooms with two science labs, a tiered lecture hall, a new cafeteria and kitchen facility, a fullsize competition gymnasium with dressing facilities, office space and an elevator.

“The elevator will be very helpful, because that is one of the things that the old building lacked,” Marchand said.

“We are excited about that.”

The addition will connect at several places, including one through the original front door on the first floor and one where workers will cut through the old building to create a connection on the second floor.

Marchand said the plan is to complete the classrooms, cafeteria and office space by Aug. 1. The gym is scheduled to be finished a little after school starts in the fall.

The 15-month construction process is necessary because PCA has around 825 students now and anticipates having

STEPHANIE STEVENS/The Lufkin Daily News

The 42,000-square-foot addition to Pineywoods Community Academy faces South Raguet Street. The gymnasium is scheduled to be built on the south end of the campus and new classrooms on the north end.

STEPHANIE STEVENS/The Lufkin Daily News

930 the next school year, Marchand said.

“The new construction will essentially be our secondary building and really separate the school into two campuses,” he said.

Secondary students, in grades 7-12, will occupy the new building, but elementary students will be able to use the cafeteria and gym, too.

The construction has caused difficulty with traffic flow and parking, but “the parents have been wonderful” in dealing with that, Marchand said.

He said the scope of the project is about $4.1 million.

Marchand said through all this work, Mike Capps, senior vice president of Commercial Bank, “has just been a real friend and quite a help throughout the whole process.”

“We appreciate his support,” Marchand said.

He said longtime Lufkin architect/engineer Delbert Richardson

and local contractor Gary Bolt have done a wonderful job, as well.

When asked about the construction, PCA kindergarten teacher Whitney Lindsey said, “I am really exited.” She has been working at PCA for several years and has seen Lufkin’s only charter school “keep getting bigger and bigger.”

“We filled up all the space possible, so it’s really great to see this construction,” she said. ““It’s really nice to see all the teachers and parents who are supportive of the construction.”

Despite all the renovations, PCA has another goal in mind. Next year, Marchand said, the old building will go under a complete renovation including tiling the floor, replacing carpet, upgrading the lighting, renovating the restrooms, and “lot of things to bring the 1939 building in the 21st century.”

Pineywoods Community Academy’s addition will include office space, an elevator, 16 classrooms with two science labs, a tiered lecture hall, a new cafeteria and kitchen facility, and a full-size competition gymnasium with dressing facilities.

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Stephanie Stevens’ email address is sstevens@ lufkindailynews.com.

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Sunday, March 29, 2015

New beginnings

7H

Contributed

Mothers pose with their babies who were treated locally at Woodland Heights Medical Center’s NICU.

Woodland Heights Medical Center

A

s the first hospital in Lufkin, Woodland Heights Medical Center has been at the forefront of healthcare in East Texas, continually providing the best in compassionate care and quality. A key focus is working closely with physicians, staff and the community to provide the best possible patient care.

From opening the first cardiovascular center in 1987 to acquiring the latest in robotic surgical equipment to being nationally recognized for quality and safety, Woodland Heights’ team of physicians and staff are committed to staying on the leading edge of healthcare quality, innovation and technology.

In December 2013, Woodland Heights opened Lufkin’s first Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). In the sixteen months since its opening, the unit has had a great

impact on more than 140 East Texas families. Where once, loved ones had to travel two or more hours away to be near their infants in a NICU they are now able to stay closer to home, saving time, money and easing emotional stress.

Whitney Friesen, whose twin girls were born at Woodland Heights in December 2013, said she was so thankful to have the NICU locally.

“My girls were in the NICU for a total of 3 weeks,” she stated. “During that time, we were able to visit anytime we wanted and family was able to come and see them.”

Although Whitney wanted her babies at home, she knew “if they couldn’t be home, the NICU at Woodland Heights was the best place for them to be. The nurses and staff became like family and I still keep in touch with several of them,” she said. “It was a wonderful experience.”

Last July, the facility hit a delivery milestone with more

Local parents, babies benefit from Woodland Heights Medical Center’s NICU “... The NICU at Woodland Heights was the best place for them to be. The nurses and staff became like family and I still keep in touch with several of them. It was a wonderful experience.”

Whitney Friesen

Mother of twins born at Woodland Heights

than 100 babies born in a month (a record that has been matched several times since).

“This is the highest number of births the facility has experienced in a one-month period in over 37 years,” said Cathy Busbee, Chief Nursing Officer for Woodland Heights Medical Center.

“Lufkin is fortunate to have

highly skilled physicians who offer the best of care for all women. These physicians work as a team with our experienced nurses to make childbirth a memorable and joyous occasion,” states Lisa Miller, RN, Director of Women’s Services.

Additionally, the Women’s Services unit is a tenured

team, with years of nursing experience. “We work extremely hard to stay abreast of the best practices in order to continue to deliver the highest level of care possible to our families. We take pride in the responsibility that comes with caring for these families,” said Busbee.

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Sunday, March 29, 2015

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People, things Places& Progress Angelina County 2015

Lufkin News file photo

Steve Drumm became chief of the Zavalla Police Department in March 2014.

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU

Zavalla police chief Steve Drumm keeps police department going, provides safety to citizens

By STEPHANIE STEVENS The Lufkin News ZAVALLA — Steve Drumm’s goal when he entered law enforcement was to become a chief.

He graduated from Tyler Junior College with an associate degree in criminal justice and as valedictorian from the East Texas Police Academy. He said he enjoyed working as a senior protection specialist for Target, as a school resource officer for the Kountze school district, and as a corporal in the Koutze Police Department — but he never forgot his ultimate goal.

When the opportunity arose to become police chief in Zavalla in March 2014, he jumped for it — despite the risk and responsibility involved.

The city gave Drumm 90 days to show that the police department was

important for Zavalla, or he’d be out of a job and the city would be out of a police department.

“We are going to make this work,” Drumm said.

Since March 2014, working through “a lot of 16-, 18-, 20-hour days, and six and seven days a week” with no paid officers for six months, Drumm secured the department’s existence.

“Because I spend so much time here,” he said, “people are realizing who I am and what we are doing.”

He said the department has increased its number of citations, which brings in revenue for Zavalla, has replaced its deteriorating vehicles and equipment, and has secured a grant for a new vehicle that will be ready to use by June.

Drumm said his youth is an advantage “because I bring in some spunk, a lot of drive, ambition, visions and

goals.” He said it can be difficult to establish trust, especially as an outsider, but there has been progress.

Drumm teaches in-service classes at the Angelina College Police Academy. Because peace officers from Tyler to Houston are required to take mandated classes, some of which Chief Drumm teaches, he has been able to establish that trust.

“I want everybody to know that we are here, we are professional, and we are going to do the job to the best ability that we can,” he said.

The Zavalla Police Department now employs three other officers: Ben Garcia, part-time; Paul Cain, reserve; and Ashley Arce, reserve.

The department has set up a Facebook page on which people can send Drumm an instant message “We get all the information in real time for communication, tips on problem areas and criminal activity,

allowing officers to respond to the situation a lot faster,” he said. “This helps the community know they can feel safe.”

Now Drumm wants to see growth in the department. He plans to continue teaching at the college, and to hire another full-time officer by mid-March. The department is taking applications now.

Drumm said he wants to rid the Zavalla community of most of its crime problems.

“I would like to know that when I go home at night — I need to know — that we gave the best job we could that day, to know that the people of the community are safe,” he said. “I love it here. It’s important to give the best every day, all day, because my community deserves it. My community is entitled to have that.”

Stephanie Stevens’ email address is sstevens@lufkindailynews.com.

“I would like to know that when I go home at night — I need to know — that we gave the best job we could that day, to know that the people of the community are safe.”

Steve Drumm

police chief in Zavalla

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Sunday, March 29, 2015

PEOPLE, PLACes and things the lufkin news

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Learning leadership

Central High School students provided opportunity to communicate, overcome challenges through community service

By MEGAN WHITWORTH The Lufkin News

C

entral school district teachers and students are on a mission to serve others.

The passion for service is the result of dedicated educators coming together to build a community, said Justin Risner, Central High School associate principal of discipline and programs.

Nearly eight years ago, the district committed to building a new culture and climate for students. The district has focused on building relationships in which each student knows he or she is valued, encouraged and loved unconditionally, Risner said.

The development of leadership skills for community service occurs when the students are provided with opportunities to plan and lead the projects that the school hosts, said Susie Jones, high school advancement via individual determination teacher.

“Knowing how to work through, communicate and overcome the challenges that life throws at you is a skill set so many teenagers don’t have,” said Maria Plotts, high school intervention specialist. “Creating opportunities for them to experience these obstacles by serving the district and community not only teaches them how to be leaders but gives them purpose as well as the ability to direct the path of their own life regardless of their circumstances.”

At the high school students have become leaders and have learned to take ownership of real problems, seeking opportunities to serve others and find solutions.

In February a group of high school sophomores, with the help of the entire district, collected 1,017 pairs of jeans. A representative from the Aeropostale clothing store went to the school and picked up the jeans to distribute to homeless teens.

“The Jean Drive started as a project to help others in need,” sophomore Dyana Buenrostro said. “Along the way I learned that it was hard work and that it takes determination and leadership to accomplish a goal. I loved the experience, and I’m ready for the next project.”

The students at Central have a genuine desire to serve oth-

Years

1955-2015

lence f Excel tion o i d a r AT

“Creating opportunities for them to experience these obstacles by serving the district and community not only teaches them how to be leaders but gives them purpose as well as the ability to direct the path of their own life...”

Contributed Photo

Central High School students collected 315 jars of peanut butter for the Diboll Food Pantry earlier this school year. The school district has focused on coming together to build community, Associate Principal Justin Risner said. “Knowing how to work through, communicate and overcome the challenges that life throws at you is a skill set so many teenagers don’t have,” said Maria Plotts, high school Intervention Specialist.

“Creating opportunities for them to experience these obstacles by serving the district and community not only teaches them how to be leaders but gives them purpose as well as the ability to direct the path of their own life regardless of their circumstances.”

Maria Plotts

high school Intervention Specialist

ers and take their compassion for a hurting world outside of the walls of the classroom, Risner said.

“Each campus models service and leadership, which really takes learning to the highest level,” he said.

“Service learning has become a powerful tool for enhancing and enriching the educational experiences on each campus in the district.”

Forty-three high school students serve as individual mentors to junior high, elementary and other high school underclassmen. The mentors strive to build positive relationships that support, encourage and motivate the students. Sometimes there is an academic need, and sometimes the need is just to provide a support system.

High School sophomore Ty Williams has been a mentor for two younger students.

“I have actually seen the boy I currently mentor grow a lot through the past few weeks that I’ve been with him,” Williams said. “He’s matured in more than just getting along with other people; he’s also finding out he can do more

Contributed Photo

Central High School sophomore students pose with jeans they collected during The Jean Drive in February. With the help of the entire district, 1,017 pairs of jeans were collected to generate and distribute for homeless teens. In front, from left, Caleb Brewer and Haley McGaughey. In back, from left, Dyana Buenrostro, MaKenna Bell, Shelby Hicks and Jocelyn Venegas. stuff in the classroom than he did before. He’s smarter than he let himself believe.

“I just really think they should have somebody to look up to, and if they don’t have anybody to talk to, they need somebody to talk to.”

Williams said the mentor program has also helped him mature, too.

“I’m seeing more of the adult side now,” he said.

Mentors also work with fifthgrade students who are struggling the most in their core areas. Each day students work on different core concepts to help improve student confidence and performance.

“It’s amazing to see young people meeting real needs in their community,” Risner said.

“When you see hope in the eye of a student that has been in and out of foster care because

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another student is there to listen and mentor — it’s a powerful thing and transformational for both students.”

Students also were involved in the LACES of LOVE Charitable Foundation, Inc. They sold paper shoes for $1 each to raise money to buy shoes for 20 Central elementary students who needed a new pair of winter shoes. The 20 top-selling high school students were

partnered with an elementary buddy and helped them pick out a pair of shoes. Students sold 553 pairs of paper shoes to make this happen, Risner said.

Other events students organized included the Coat and Jean Giveaway, in which they partnered with the Lufkin Dream Center. They gave away more than 400 coats and 2,000 SEE Leadership, PAGE 6I

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For whom the bell tolls

PEOPLE, PLACes and things

Sunday, March 29, 2015

3I

Huntington school bell makes its way back to original location after 72 years

By STEPHANIE STEVENS The Lufkin News

D

ing! Dong! With twinkling eyes, a big grin and chubby fingers, a little boy pulls on a rope, leading out on the Huntington High School Bell Tower.

The laughter from the playground dies down as children scurry back to their classes now that recess is over.

Such was the life for Ted Ivy, a Huntington native who grew up ringing the bell occasionally for school Principal Mr. Eugie Berry in the 1930s.

Ding! Dong! As he rang the bell again in present day 2015, over 70 years later, his eyes twinkled and a broad grin splashed across his face.

Never in a million years did Ivy think he would ring the bell again, but thanks to the Bruce family, Huntington ISD installed the old bell in front of the administrative building on Main Street.

The bell was once thought to be lost in 1940, when the Huntington school building, originally built in 1914, was torn down.

In reality, Doyle Bruce took the 500 pound, cast iron bell and sat it at the back door of his house in Lufkin, where it served a duel purpose of lawn ornament and doorbell for 60 years.

Bruce was a part of the Slack Brothers & Bruce, a brick mason company. In 1960, Bruce was working on building the gymnasium that still stands at the Huntington school campus when the bell was going to be disposed of.

It is unclear as to whether he bought it and had it delivered for $50, which was fairly expensive at the time, or if the bell was given to him.

Bruce’s son, Bill said, “Daddy always liked the bell, and as the years went by, I would buy bells for him whenever I’d come across one.”

Bruce knew the importance of a school bell, Bill said.

“It probably was a pretty rare thing that the school was getting rid of the bell,” he said. “He wasn’t going to let them just throw it away.

Anybody that came up to our house would ring the bell to get your attention.”

He said wherever his mother, Helen Rebecca Slack Bruce, wanted the kids to come home, she’d ring the bell.

Bruce’s eldest son, Edward, said he and his siblings would go play at their neighbor’s house, about one-tenth of a mile away, and Helen would ring the bell whenever she wanted them to come home. Edward said, “whenever the bell rang, we knew something important was going to happen.”

Ringing the bell became a tradition in Bruce’s family.

“My mother rang it every New Year’s Eve from the

Stephanie Stevens/The Lufkin Daily News

The old school bell from the 1914 Huntington School building was once thought to be lost. Donated by Dolye Bruce’s family, the bell made its way back home to where it rests in front of the Huntington ISD administration building.

Stephanie Stevens/The Lufkin Daily News

Dolye Bruce and his wife, Helen Rebecca Slack Bruce, stand next to their one of a kind doorbell, the 1914 Huntington School bell.

time they got it,” he said.

Soon it became tradition to ring the bell whenever a family member left to go to college or left to go back to their home after a visit.

Bruce passed away in 1999, followed by Helen in 2013.

Before her death, Helen had mentioned to her children that the bell should be eventually returned to the school.

The children, Paula Ashworth, Edward Bruce and Bill Bruce agreed and donated the bell back to Huntington ISD in memory of their parents.

Traveling more than most bells probably do, the 500 pound baby lived at Bruce’s house for almost a decade, to Edwards Bruce’s house in Jacksonville, then Bill’s house, and finally nestled itself next to the Huntington’s administration building, no more than 50 foot away from where it once originally hung in 1914.

Todd Ricks, Huntington ISD Transportation Director, took the bell to give it a little

Future plans for the bell involve removing the handle and attaching a rope. The bell’s current handle is not the original. Bruce’s family had taken the rope handle off to put on a handle that could be rung with hands.

“I’ve found a company that bought all the molds from the company that made that bell, the C.S. Bell Company,” Ricks said. “This bell is the largest bell the company made in the early 1900s. It measures 28 inches in diameter across the bottom.

Ricks said a new handle in the shape of the original handle will be placed on it. It will be mounted on a brick platform and attached to a rope, so when pulled, the ringing can be heard loud and clear. Lastly, a plaque will be added, mentioning a brief history of the bell and Bruce’s family involvement.

Ricks said if anyone has additional information, pictures, or stories about the bell, please contact him at 414-1849.

As Ivy rang the bell in front of the administrative building, that boyish grin spreading across his face, he said, “This is just wonderful!”

He said it reminded him of good times back when the bell rang only four times a day — the beginning of class, lunch, end of lunch and the end of the school day. It reminded him of a school that didn’t have a cafeteria, where you walked home for lunch on a dirt road. But most of all, he relived the excitement of his little fingers pulling that rope, ringing the cast iron bell that once hung proudly high in a the tower in front of the 1914 Huntington School.

Stephanie Stevens’ email address is sstevens@lufkindailynews.com.

Stephanie Stevens/The Lufkin Daily News

Ted Ivy rings the newly installed bell in front of the Huntington ISD administration building.

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TLC. “We had it sand blasted, cleaned off and we took it over to the bus barn, took it apart and painted it and put it back together,” he said.

He said having this bell is important for the school’s heritage and remembering the past.

“That’s a part of our very first high school, so for it to come back out of no where after 72 years it’s amazing, I think,” he said.

A Huntington native himself, he said, “I love Huntington. It’s important to keep the history alive.”

“It give me chills to think how many people have rung that bell,” he said. “How many people heard that bell and thought they were late to school that day. You know the were running down main street, down a dirt road back then. You know just an amazing story, that bell should have been gone forever and then 72 years later, it disappears and then comes out of no where.

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Family focus: Local teacher grows Family, Career and

Community Leadership of America program at Diboll High School

By STEPHANIE STEVENS The Lufkin News DIBOLL — Jennifer Garcia has been teaching Family, Career and Community Leaders of America at Diboll High School for only two years, but already the group has made much progress. Never before has Diboll had a regional officer, she said.

“We’ve gone from having none to the maximum you can have — two per chapter,” Garcia said.

Diboll High students Arielle Martin, a freshman, and Raul Rios, a junior, have become regional officers after competing in an FCCLA Region 3 competition Feb. 6-9 in Waco.

Martin is vice president of Public Involvement, while Rios holds the title of vice president of Public Relations.

Diboll is in Region 3 of FCCLA, which stretches from Diboll to Sherman.

“Our region is bigger than some states, so a regional officer actually surpasses some state officers in the amount of people you have to compete against in a sheer geographic area,” Garcia said.

To compete for regional officer, Rios and Martin were required to give a 60-second speech in front of fellow FCCLA delegates from different chapters.

“It’s a little intimidating because it is such a large region,” Garcia said. “It’s open to any members who want to come, lots of parents, advisors and family members. It fills up a whole auditorium.”

After their speeches, Martin and Rios each answered a fact question and a thought question, and took a test about FCCLA before an interview committee.

“It’s not so much as competing as it is getting to know people and getting to work with people you haven’t met before,” Rios said. “We are the only organization with family being its main focus. We are all about forming that bond with other FCCLA members — creating that family tie.

“Confidence is one thing you gain (in FCCLA events). I like to socialize, so I am head of social media for this region.

It gives me the opportunity to speak out.”

With their new positions, Rios and Martin will have more responsibilities to carry out in their region. Garcia said they are going to be working with their members and peers, coming up with projects for them to do and getting everyone involved. She said they also have to help promote and publicize FCCLA for the region.

Because there are only nine Diboll students currently in

“We are the only organization with family being its main focus. We are all about forming that bond with other FCCLA members — creating that family tie.”

Raul Rios

Region 3 FCCLA officer

Contributed

Morgan Chandler won second place in an FCCLA Star event — Recycle and Redesign. She turned an old dresser into a multipurpose bookshelf.

FCCLA, Martin said she wants to work hard and incorporate more members into the group.

“I’m really excited to see FCCLA grow and prosper,” she said.

Martin and Rios will attend a leadership camp in June and find out more details and requirements of their roles.

Four other Diboll FCCLA students who participated in several FCCLA Star Events placed high enough in their regional competition to be eligible to compete at the state level in Corpus Christi April 8-11.

Diboll freshman Morgan Chandler took second place in an FCCLA Star Event — Recycle and Redesign — in which she had to “take something old and make it new.”

“I took an old dresser that was beat up, nasty, in the back of the garage corner, forgotten about, and brought it to life as a bookshelf,” Chandler said.

Everything except the decorative handles were recycled.

Even the paint and sandpaper was recycled, Garcia said.

One of the rules was that the student had to have a show board to document how much the project cost and the projected sale.

“Morgan took the doors off the armoire and used that as her show board, so even that was recycled,” Garcia said with a proud smile.

Chandler said, “The first competition was nerve-wracking because you don’t know anyone there, but soon we’ll

just be out chilling together.”

She said students make friends and form family-like bonds that they keep even after leaving the competition.

Diboll juniors Peyton Morgan and Tristan Rice competed as partners in the Chapter Showcase Manual event and placed sixth. They have been documenting all the activities the Diboll FCCLA group has done in the community. They put together a portfolio and showed it in a presentation.

Freshman Evelyn Medina competed in Career Investigation, taking fifth place. Garcia said she worked hard.

“She did a job shadowing and an aptitude test, and had to research what it takes to go to college, where can you go to college for that career, ‘Do you like it? Do you not like it?’ and she had to document everything along the way,” Garcia said.

Garcia said FCCLA involves a lot of travel and a lot of time.

Her students put in 10-15 hours every week for months. She said she has seen tremendous growth in her students.

“They come in and start as freshmen — you know, they still have a little bit of the junior high in them, a little bit of the shyness, the timidness — and now I can’t stop them,” she said with a laugh. “They have become their own being, which is very exciting, and I’m proud to say that.”

Stephanie Stevens’ email address is sstevens@lufkindailynews.com.

Contributed

Family, Career and Community Leaders of America regional officers Raul Rios and Arielle Martin hold up ship steering wheels with their names and numbers. During the regional competition, each voting FCCLA delegate voted on the competing members using the numbers they were holding.

Leadership Continued from Page 2I pairs of jeans to student families from the school district.

High school students also participate in the Fourth Grade Learning Project, in which 25 mentors and 16 AVID students serve as student coaches for the entire fourth grade once a week for 30 minutes. Students are responsible for a small group each meeting. They set goals, work on core content, build relationships that support their team members, and evaluate outcomes.

Central Elementary School

Principal Karen Shumaker said the students who coach are an inspiration to the younger students.

“The service these high school students contribute to the success of the younger ones is truly immeasurable,” she said. “They expect them to make and work hard to achieve individual goals, and the relational capacity that is developed is life-changing for all students involved.”

Students held a Peanut Butter Drive and received 315 jars for the Diboll Food Pantry. The

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students have also held canned food drives and blood drives, and were involved with the Empty Stocking Fund among the many other service projects in which they have participated.

“The district has also been blessed with incredible servant leaders willing to mentor and model leadership,” Risner said.

“We have so many teachers and staff working together as a cohesive team to encourage and support students as they build community.”

The school district will cel-

ebrate Community Service Day on April 2. More than 300 high school students will leave their books and take the classroom outside the walls to participate in different service activities, Risner said.

“We are putting leadership into action and fostering a mindset in our students about the importance of serving others” Jones said. “I think you could view it as positive life lessons in action.”

Megan Whitworth’s email address is mwhitworth@lufkindailynews.com.

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Long-time employees, owners make ‘the oldest day care’ in Lufkin a special place for kids

By STEPHANIE STEVENS The Lufkin News

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aughter, busy toddlers and sticky fingers can be found at the oldest preschool in Lufkin.

The Pine Tree Preschool was opened in 1981 by Patsy Lawrence with just 12 children and now currently serves 123 children.

Lawrence said the preschool uses the same philosophy it employed over 30 years ago: “Children are God’s creation given to parents to guide into adulthood.”

In most ways Pine Tree is an average preschool. It serves children 2 months to 12 years and is open 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Because Pine Tree has been in operation for so long, it has become a “generational preschool.” Every year Lawrence has parents come through the door who went to Pine Tree as a child.

“It is so special watching them look around the building and be excited about what they remember,” she said.

“They all remember the playground.

It’s wooded and shaded and really promotes a peaceful atmosphere.”

Most parents ask if “Ms. Molly and Ms. Charlie” are still working. Molly James, has been working with the toddlers and infants for 31 years. Charlie Peebler has worked at Pine Tree on and off since 1986.

“It’s very unusual in childcare to have personnel stay over a year or two,” Lawrence said.

The national average is several months, according to Lawrence.

James has worked with toddlers and infants since she began in ’83.

When she first came to Pine Tree, she said, she was young and not sure of her future career selection.

“Once I got here, it fit for me,” James said. “I have been very fortunate. I found something I enjoy doing.

I guess it was a calling.”

James said teaching infants and toddlers is interesting because their learning capacity is tremendous. She

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“I wouldn’t want anyone to come in here and think we are just baby-sitters, because we are not. We have a vast opportunity to create good foundations for their learning experience. This creation, stacking blocks, looking at books — I love doing that.”

STEPHANIE STEVENS/The Lufkin Daily News

Molly James interacts with two of the babies in her class.

Molly James

Long-time Pine Tree employee

STEPHANIE STEVENS/The Lufkin Daily News

said from learning how to get on their knees, rock and crawl, their whole environment is a learning process.

“I wouldn’t want anyone to come in here and think we are just babysitters, because we are not,” she said.

“We have a vast opportunity to create good foundations for their learning experience. This creation, stacking blocks, looking at books — I love doing that.”

Justin Terry is one of those “generational” or long-term parents. He went to the day care as a child and now enrolls his daughter, Tatum.

Terry and his wife, Kristyn, agree that the day care is a wonderful place for their daughter. Kristyn, who didn’t go to the day care as a child, said, “I’ve been to other day cares, and what’s

Molly James, on left, took care of Justin Terry when he was young. She now watches over Tatum, Terry’s daughter. James said it’s fun to see the similarities between the two. She said they both have that same quietness and fondness for cowboy boots. different about this place is when you walk in here, everyone is very welcoming.”

Peebler, who has been the director for the past eight years, keeps up with most of the children on Facebook after they leave. Peebler enjoys being a part of the children’s everyday life.

“I enjoy seeing how the kids grow because I knew we were a big part of their growth,” Peebler said. “You have to do it because you love it.”

Peebler and James may not have changed much, but the school definitely has. Lawrence said there are many more safety standards than there were 30 years ago. One example is that

children are required to use seat belts in their vans. Another change is the food served is much healthier, such as 100 percent juice versus sweet tea.

Pine Tree’s approach to teaching is also very different from 30 years ago.

For example, children were required to sit at table and complete ditto sheets.

“We’ve learned through time and training that children learn best through play in a structured environment with teacher-guided activities,” Lawrence said.

Instead of drawing lines on a piece of paper to match objects, children match through playing, like matching

a coat hanger with a policeman’s vest to hang up.

Lawrence said they have stayed current with early childhood research through the years and have incorporated it into their “School Ready” program. This program is the program local public schools have been enlisting in pre-K ages 3 and 4.

A typical day involves breakfast, several hours in the learning program, playground time and lunch.

The teachers aim to move the children to different spaces during the day as opposed to staying in a classroom.

“We want the concept of freedom of movement instilled in our children as if they are at home,” Lawrence said.

Children go to the lunchroom to eat and to a big room for motor activities, in addition to having a home base classroom.

“We feel this helps to develop a feeling of security in a child,” Lawrence said.

In the day care business, she said, “You must have tremendous love and respect for children and a great deal of patience, or the children won’t be there for the business to continue.”

With a smile, she added, “It’s a very fine job in that you go home and you’ve had a happy day. This is just love. It’s just fun!”

Stephanie Stevens’ email address is sstevens@lufkindailynews.com.

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People, things Places& Progress Angelina County 2015

ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News

James Slack, of Lufkin, pulls in a bass from Kurth Lake.

Kurth Lake provides more than a water source for Lufkin community

By STEVE KNIGHT The Lufkin News

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t’s home to bass, alligators and a wide variety of bird life.

Located about six miles north of Lufkin off U.S. Highway 59 on the south bank of the Angelina River flood plain, Kurth Lake is an offchannel reservoir owned by the city of Lufkin.

The original permit authorizing construction of the dam and the reservoir was issued on June 3, 1958, to Southland Paper Mills by the State Board of Water Engineers.

Construction on the dam began on May 26, 1959, by designing engineers Lockwood, Andrews and Newnam and general contractor Brown and Root, Inc. Pumping began in September 1961 after the completion of construction earlier that year.

According to a Texas Water Development Board 1996 volumetric survey, the lake can store 14,769 acre-feet of water over a surface area of 726 acres.

The city took over management of the lake in 2009. City Manager Keith Wright said

“It’s a great area, especially during the winter months, for every type of water fowl you can think of. Bald eagles are out there, so there’s a lot of bird activity.

And then there’s fishing — bass and white perch.”

Keith Wright

Lufkin City Manager

the city keeps the lake full by transferring about 19,000 acre-feet daily from the Angelina River.

In addition to providing a

place for fishing and birdwatching, the lake changes the city’s water strategy, Wright said.

“We have 23 water wells and the rights we purchased on the Angelina River,” he said. “Then we have 28,000 acre-feet a day of rights on the Sam Rayburn Reservoir.

What we were looking at in the past was down south near Zavalla transferring water from that area of the lake because it was deep, back up to Lufkin. This allows us to transfer water from the upper end of the lake, although at some periods of the year, we may not be able to do that, and pump directly to Kurth Lake to use as a large storage tank.”

The city can overcome dry periods because of the volume of water stored, Wright said.

The dam is an earth-fill levee, 8,600 feet in length with an average height of 37 feet. The service/emergency spillway is a drop inlet located at the west end of the dam’s embankment. Three monolithic concrete conduits extend through the embankment and discharge any SEE Kurth Lake, PAGE 5J

ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News

Wildlife is shown at Kurth Lake located about six miles north of Lufkin off U.S. Highway 59. The lake serves as a water source but is also a place for fishing and bird-watching.

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PEOPLE, PLACes and things the lufkin news

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Ruins of the past

Crumbling buildings all that remain of Aldridge Sawmill

By STEVE KNIGHT The Lufkin News

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t’s now just a shell of its former self.

The buildings that housed the mill, power plant, fuels and dry kiln are all that’s left of the abandoned sawmill town of Aldridge in Jasper County. The property is now part of the Angelina National Forest.

The sawmill was constructed in 1905, under the auspices of Hal Aldridge and John Henry Kirby.

Jonathan K. Gerland, executive director of The History

“He was just an all-business businessman,” Gerland said.

“His relationship to Aldridge was secret because he was under a court order not to do anything. He couldn’t stay out of the action.”

On Sept. 25, 1905, Aldridge and Kirby formed two corporations — the Aldridge Lumber Company, which did not contain Kirby’s name in the charter, although Kirby held half the stock, and the Burr’s Ferry, Browndel & Chester Railway Company, which did include Kirby’s name. To conceal his connection as long as possible, Kirby didn’t file the

ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News

The eroding shell of the Aldridge Sawmill was once the site of busy industry, producing about 85,000 board feet of lumber per day.

of about 85,000 board feet per day. The railroad, however, was not completed to the new town of Aldridge until January 1907.

Aldridge was comprised of racially segregated companyowned housing, schools, churches, a commissary and a post office, with Hal Aldridge serving as its first postmaster.

from Aldridge. Kirby set him up in business, where he was doomed to fail.”

As Aldridge became less able to meet contractual requirements, Kirby’s tone became increasingly admonishing, Gerland said. Several years into their venture, Kirby remained frustrated that Aldridge was still not sending

several million feet of lumber were destroyed.

Although he had suffered several mill fires earlier at both Aldridge and Rockland, this one put an end to Aldridge’s saw-milling days, according to Garland. He dealt with business matters as he was able, including fighting charges of arson, but by

pond and portions of the old railroad remain.

“The unique thing about Aldridge is that the federal government obtained the land,” Gerland said. “They didn’t tear down the concrete walls. It’s a great place. It’s certainly a very interesting place to visit.

It’s got an aura about it.”

According to the U.S. Forest

ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News

The Aldridge Sawmill is now a historic site. The site is connected to the Boykin Springs Recreation Area by the 2.75-mile Sawmill Hiking Trail.

Center in Diboll, has conducted research and written extensively of the relationship between the two lumbermen.

A story in the 2009 issue of The Pine Bough tells the tale of the contentious association.

Kirby instructed Aldridge to keep his involvement in the project a secret, according to Garland, since Kirby was entangled in multiple legal suits, some involving the Kirby Lumber Company.

railroad charter until January 1906. The railroad was critical to their plan.

The original mill was of wooden construction. After railroad construction took longer than expected, equipment for both the construction and mill operations was brought into the site by ox cart.

Aldridge fired up the boilers of the main mill in late June 1906 and was soon ready for full-scale lumber production

“These were big operations,” Gerland said of sawmill operations that were scattered across East Texas in the early 20th century. “Several hundred people would live there. The company provided the schools — a white school for the white kids and a black school for the black kids. It was a vibrant part of life.”

According to the 1910 census, there were 562 people residing in 112 dwellings in “Aldridge Village.”

According to Gerland, Kirby was the dominant partner in the business relationship. He regularly sent men to Aldridge to monitor operations and auditors to inspect the books.

“He placed Aldridge under his thumb,” Gerland said of Kirby. “The guy was stressed out and sick, and Kirby never let up pressure on him. To the day he died, Kirby was trying to get every ounce of payback

“the right kind of reports.”

Kirby considered buying out Aldridge in 1910. He included the Aldridge mill properties in a series of appraisals of all Kirby Lumber Company facilities in February 1911. However, a satisfactory price was never agreed upon, Gerland said.

The wooden mill structure burned down in August 1911, and a new mill was constructed using hand-poured concrete. The new mill with its updated equipment produced 125,000 board feet of lumber per day.

As Aldridge sat in a Kirby Lumber Company auditor’s office in Houston on July 19, 1915, word came that Aldridge’s sawmill, planing mill and lumber yards had burned to the ground. The houses, commissary and most other structures were OK, but the manufacturing plant and

January 1916, he had moved to El Paso. He hoped the drier climate would ease what was later identified in his letters as pleurisy and influenza.

In 1918, the mill was sold to Kirby Lumber Company, which continued to run it on a limited basis until 1923, when it was finally closed.

The last of the township itself was abandoned in 1927, and the site was subsequently acquired by the U.S. Forest Service in 1935.

Aldridge died in 1921. He is buried in El Paso’s Evergreen Cemetery.

Financial bankruptcy in 1933 ended Kirby’s control of his lumber company, according to the Texas State Historical Association. He died on Nov. 9, 1940.

While the town itself is gone, the abandoned concrete mill buildings, various concrete foundations, mill

Service, hikers are welcome, but because of archeological concerns, off-road vehicles or horses are not allowed in the Aldridge area. No digging, collecting of artifacts, use of a metal detector, damaging or defacing of the site is allowed.

The 2.75-mile Sawmill Hiking Trail connects Boykin Springs Recreation Area to the Aldridge Sawmill Historic site. The trail was constructed through cooperative efforts with the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 140, U.S. Forest Service and Temple-Inland.

To get to the site from Lufkin, follow U.S. Highway 69 to Zavalla and turn east on state Highway 63 for about 10.5 miles to Boykin Springs Road.

Turn south for about 1.5 miles to a fork, bear left onto the dirt road, and follow about three miles to the site.

Steve Knight’s email address is sknight@lufkindailynews.com.

East Texas’ Most Unique Antique Shop Wishing Well Antiques & Gifts is in its thirty-nine year of business in Lufkin. The store began in 1976 as a small downtown antique shop. In 1980, owners Abb and Joann Roquemore relocated the business to Lufkin’s West Loop 287.

Over the years, the shop has expanded. It now occupies over 10,000 square feet and is really more like four shops in one. It is still an antique shop, with Joann traveling to England, Europe and all over the United States, each year to personally select antiques for the store. The shop is also one of the area’s largest and

finest gift shops, with merchandise from every corner of the globe. And the Wishing Well is a year round holiday store, featuring each special holiday throughout the year.

In addition, the store is now a bridal and baby registry, offering a huge variety of gifts for the bride, groom, wedding party and baby. Contact us before your shower so we can have plenty of stock in your special selections.

In 1999 the Roquemore’s bought the 12,000 square foot warehouse downtown at the corner of Frank and

Herndon. The warehouse has an even larger selection of English, European, country and architectural antiques. The warehouse is open by appointment or on special sale dates.

Loyal customers travel from far and near to enjoy this wonderful shopping experience. Friendly sales staff can help you find the perfect gift for a loved one.

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Wishing Well Antiques & Gifts 901 S. John Redditt Dr. On Lufkin’s West Loop, Across from the Post Office

632-4707

Tuesday–Saturday 10:00 ish - 5:00 ish

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TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE

TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE

Indian Mound Nursery Manager W. Lawrence Marshman kneels in a field of recently lifted seedlings in this 1945 photo. He inspects the roots of a few seedlings that were heeled-in, or temporarily planted, until they can be packaged for customers.

Indian Mound Nursery was established in 1940 at Alto.

Town residents donated $830 toward purchasing the 73-acre tract. The nursery’s first crop produced 2.5 million seedlings.

Indian Mound Nursery employees load loblolly pine seeds into a mechanical sower to plant the seedlings in straight rows in this 1947 photo. This was much more efficient than sowing seeds by hand. By 1947, the nursery produced 20 million seedlings annually. Species produced included longleaf, loblolly and slash pines; black locust, bois d’arc, black walnut and catalpa.

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100 years young

The Texas A&M Forest Service more active than ever after a century of service

By STEVE KNIGHT The Lufkin News

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t’s 100 years old this month, but shows no signs of slowing down.

The Texas A&M Forest Service, which celebrates its centennial this year, was created from the organization of the now Lufkin-based Texas Forest Association in 1914 and a law passed by the Texas Legislature in 1915.

The newly created Forestry Association, tasked with lobbying the legislature to establish a state agency to protect forests, was organized under the leadership of Temple banker W. Goodrich Jones, Houston lumberman J. Lewis Thompson, state Rep. Richard Burges of El Paso and U.S. Forest Service Chief of State Cooperative J. Girvin Peters.

The author of the legislation establishing what was then called the Department of Forestry, later renamed Texas Forest Service and now known as the Texas A&M Forest Service, was Burges, a former El Paso city attorney.

Gov. James Ferguson signed the bill creating the agency, and John H. Foster was selected as the first state forester. The budget of the agency in 1915 was $10,000. The Legislature would appropriate $20,000 to the department with $10,000 earmarked for land purchases for state forests.

The Forest Service was the first state forestry agency in the country to become part of a land grant institution.

“Texas A&M Forest Service has always been a leader nationwide among state forestry agencies,” said Bruce Miles, who was Forest Service director from 1980-96. “A big part of this comes from being part of the state’s land grant institution system, where our department heads shared information, technology and research results.”

The histories of the Forest Service and Lufkin, as well as Deep East Texas, are somewhat intertwined.

The Forest Products Research Laboratory was established at Lufkin in 1940. In the 1950s the four departments of the service, forest management, forest fire control, forest products and forest research

TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE

This 1916 photo shows the first state forester, J.H. Foster, riding on a parade float promoting the then recently created Forestry Department. The department focused on public education in forestry, conservation and protection. The state forester also had teaching responsibilities at Texas A&M College. At the time, the Forestry Department had nine employees, six of whom were parttime patrolmen in East Texas on horseback. and education, were carried on by forest directors in the six administrative districts in Lufkin as well as Linden, Maydelle, Woodville, Kirbyville and Conroe.

According to District Forester Todd Nightingale, Lufkin is the heartbeat of the Forest Service.

“There’s a lot of history here locally with the Lufkin facility and Hudson district compound,” Nightingale said.

“For the 100th anniversary celebration, it’s just something special for all of us to get to share in that. A lot of the roots of what became a statewide agency were formed here in Lufkin.”

The service’s fire administration, forest health, incident response, mitigation and prevention, water quality and wood technology divisions make their homes in Lufkin and Hudson.

The Texas Interagency Coordination Center, the agency that dispatches firefighters and first responders around the country, also calls Lufkin home. During an active fire season, Nightingale said, the coordination center moves as many as 10,000 people.

“We have a lot of volunteer and paid firefighter support in the form of equipment and bunker gear,” Nightingale said.

“There are a lot of things keyed right here in our own backyard that we should be proud of.”

Forest protection and forest management divisions were

organized by 1925 to initiate forest fire protection in East Texas. The State Department of Forestry was renamed the Texas Forest Service in 1926 and became one of the four divisions of A&M College.

E. O. Siecke, succeeded John H. Foster, the first state forester, in 1917, and was made director of the Forest Service.

Leaders established the state’s first forest in Newton County with its purchase in 1924. It was renamed the E.O. Siecke State Forest in 1943.

The state’s second forest was purchased in 1924 and named the W. Goodrich Jones State Forest in 1944 to honor the founder of the Texas Forestry Association.

The third state forest was purchased in 1925 in Cherokee County and renamed the I. D. Fairchild State Forest. Its 2,896-acres make it the largest of the state forests.

In 1929, John Henry Kirby donated the state forest in Tyler County named for him, and revenue from its operation is administered as a scholarship fund by the Former Students Association of A&M. The state’s fifth forest, the Paul N. Masterson Memorial Forest, came into being in 1984, when 520 acres in Jasper County was donated to the agency.

The five state forests, ranging from 520 to almost 2,900 acres, totals over 7,500 acres.

Houston County residents gave the Mission State Forest,

LOGGINS PLUMBING SERVICE

site of the San Francisco de los Tejas Mission, to the Forest Service in 1935.

The Forest Products Research Laboratory was established at Lufkin in 1940.

A tree farming movement was organized in Texas in the mid-1940s, the first in the United States. Landowners were encouraged to grow trees, and the Indian Mound Nursery was established near Alto to raise seedlings for farmers and forest industries.

With the establishment of the Texas A&M College System in 1948, the Forest Service was given autonomy under the vice chancellor for agriculture.

The Forest Service began a forest pest control section in 1962, tasked with the responsibility of conducting surveys and coordinating control of the Southern pine beetle and other forest insects and diseases that attack pine and hardwood trees.

In 1971 the service employed a silviculturist in Lubbock to assist landowners in making windbreaks for the protection of their land. The agency established an urban forestry

program in 1973 to help city governments in the development of land for forests. It also initiated and administered a rural fire protection program and provided training to volunteer firefighters across the state.

In 1981, the Forest Service provided technical assistance to the Texas Reforestation Foundation, an organization designed to assist landowners in reforestation and funded SEE 100 years, PAGE 5J

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Community ACAdemy College Preparatory Charter School

outstanding ACADEMICS • PCA is a comprehensive free public charter school serving students in grades PreK12th grades.

• PARAMUS Early College High School students can earn up to 60 college hours or an Associate’s Degree.

• PARAMUS is the only ECHS designated by the Texas Education Agency in the greater Angelina County area.

• Programs to meet the needs of all students including Gifted and Talented, 504, Special Education, and Dyslexia.

• Students can also choose certificate tracks at Angelina College including Nursing, Welding, Diesel Mechanics and Child Care.

• High school students can work towards state Cosmetology licensure through the Lufkin Academy of Hair Design.

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• UIL 23-2A sports at the Junior High, JV and Varsity levels including boys and girls basketball, track, cross country, golf, and tennis.

• UIL Academics, Destination Imagination, and Robotics activities elementary through high school.

• Competition cheerleading and drill team programs at junior high and high school.

• Award winning UIL choral music, art, and theater programs.

outstanding ADVANTAGES • Big school advantages with a small school atmosphere.

• Class sizes of 20 students or less provide individualized instruction and a student-centered approach.

• Student care available from 6:30 am to 6:00 pm.

• New 42,000 sq. foot expansion with a competition gym, new cafeteria, and 14 additional classrooms opening August, 2015.

602 s. Raguet • Lufkin • 936.634.5515 • pineywoodsacademy.org

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KB Yoga helping students gain better health, inner peace

By STEPHANIE STEVENS The Lufkin News

K

B Yoga instructor Dana Helton strikes a warrior stance as she guides her students onto the next pose.

Soft music dances through the air across the reds, blues and greens of various yoga mats, in time with the inhales and exhales of each student in Helton’s downtown Lufkin studio.

This is a typical day at a KB yoga class. Dana teaches with the goal of helping students better themselves.

Since opening her shop in 2011, Dana has taught numerous students.

“People come to yoga with different physical abilities, and it doesn’t matter where you are. The important thing is to keep trying — everyone sees improvement,” Helton said.

Throughout the years, Helton has seen the benefits of yoga in her students and herself. She said practicing yoga increases flexibility, equilibrium, balance, strength and circulation.

“In fact, people can usually see their balance improve within the first two weeks,” she said.

Robin Alderman, who has taken classes since the beginning, said it has taught her patience.

“My husband loves it,” she said with a smile.

“When I’m frustrated, he says, ‘Do you need to go to yoga and doing some deep breathing? Hmmm?’”

She has learned to let go of her extreme competitiveness because, thanks to yoga, she knows that if she works at, it she’ll get it.

The more you continue to push your body, the more you can gain, Alderman said.

“I always tell people, it’s more about bending your mind and gaining more control over your body,” she said. “It’s amazing when you push your body, what it can do. I think it’s so exciting. Dana is always finding something new I can try.”

Yoga is a way Alderman can have mother-daughter bonding time. Alderman’s mother, Martha Moffett, began taking classes almost a year ago. Moffett has seen improvement in not only her flexibility and strength, but also her stress levels.

“When I get tense at work or wherever, I can make myself calm and focused by practicing yoga breaths,” Moffett said.

“The effect is very quick.”

Helton said seeing how yoga helps her students is her favorite part about teaching.

“You take things learned from class and apply them to other parts of your life where you have issues,” Helton said. “The longer you do it, the better off you are. Yoga can be practiced your whole life.”

Sherry McClung has been at KB Yoga for over a year. She said it’s more

“You take things learned from class and apply them to other parts of your life where you have issues.

The longer you do it, the better off you are.

Yoga can be practiced your whole life.”

Dana Helton

Owner of KB Yoga

than just an exercise class.

“When I leave I feel I can accomplish more,” McClung said. “It has affected every area of my life. I am learning to accept and have more patience with myself.”

For Helton, teaching yoga isn’t work, but a hobby — a love to increase kinetic intelligence and a grounding technique that serves as an anchor in her life.

The studio is not only used for yoga. Helton also teaches paint parties, Kangoo classes and wooden sign paint workshops.

“The paint parties are so special because it’s not serious art, it’s fun art,” Helton said. “A lot of times they bring a bottle of wine, sit there with their friends, as they sip on wine and paint at the same time.

Everybody will say, ‘This is so relaxing.’”

All supplies are provided for these once-a-month, step-by-step, guided tutorials. For April’s open paint party, flowers are the theme. Helton said she has done private paint parties in the past, which can be set up through reservations.

The downtown dashes are one of a kind. They combine scavenger hunts with races on foot. “These are so popular, I’ve been asked to set up one in the spring besides the fall one.”

Helton said teams of three to four have to solve their list of 30 clues and then race over to the intended destination to find the answer and snap a picture to confirm their accomplishment.

Some of the clues in 2014 fall’s dash, included striking a body builder pose in front of a downtown gym and making a five-man pyramid.

“Last year, one team only had three members, so they went inside a barber shop and talked people into coming out and being a part of their pyramid,” laughed Helton. “Everybody has a lot of fun with these.”

Helton has recently

STEPHANIE STEVENS/The Lufkin News

Top left: Stretching her spine, neck and chest, Robin Alderman practices a scorpion variation. This pose has been known to enhance the body’s sense of balance while strengthening back muscles and shoulders.

Top right: Margaret Kline, front, bounces from one foot to the other on rebound shoes used during Kangoo classes. Patress Schaeffer, follows Kline’s lead, hopping up and down.

Below: Dana Helton guides students through the Warrior One pose.

“When I get tense at work or wherever, I can make myself calm and focused by practicing yoga breaths. The effect is very quick.”

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Martha Moffett KB Yoga student

started Kangoo classes, which is entirely different from yoga. These dance workouts use rebound shoes to reduce impact shock by up to 80 percent, induce rapid fat loss, improve the lymph system and optimize cardiovascular health, among many other benefits.

Helton said Kangoo is popular on the East Coast and California. It is just recently started appearing in Texas.

“I’ve only found one other place in Texas that teaches Kangoo classes,” Helton said.

Helton said because Kangoo shoes take away most impact on joints, individuals who have weak ankles or joint injuries can do exercise safely.

The best part — “They are fun!” Helton said with a laugh.

The most recent class Helton has began teaching is wooden sign paint workshops. These guided tutorials take place on Saturday afternoons, once a month, using acrylics.

For more information, visit kb-yoga.com.

Stephanie Stevens’ email address is sstevens@lufkindailynews.com.

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PEOPLE, PLACes and things

Sunday, March 29, 2015

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100 years Continued from Page 3J

with private contributions.

In 2012, the agency’s name was changed to Texas A&M Forest Service. It is one of four agencies under the Texas A&M University System that are also part of Texas A&M AgriLife.

The Forest Service employs more than 375 employees in offices across the state who answer the call to service by monitoring the forests to improve health and productivity; work with communities to

plant, care for and conserve the trees where people live, work and play; and educate landowners on sustainable land management practices.

The Forest Service is mandated by the state as the lead agency in wildfire suppression. Through predictive services, prevention programs and response models, it has revolutionized the way states prevent, prepare for and protect against wildfire.

The agency leads incident management teams during

state disasters and has led responses to such incidents as the Space Shuttle Columbia recovery, hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Ike, and the 2011 historic drought and wildfire season.

“What an honor to represent the people of this agency as the director, especially during our centennial celebration year,” Director Tom Boggus said. “Words like ‘first agency in the nation’ and ‘a national model’ have been used repeatedly over the last century to

describe TFS, and they still ring clear and true as we begin our next century of service.”

To mark its first century of service, the Forest Service will have celebrations across the state to recognize the centennial milestone.

The centennial celebration kicked off at the annual Texas A&M AgriLife Conference the first week of January and continued in February as the agency was recognized during the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents meeting,

and by the Texas Legislature.

The Forest Service has teamed up with the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum and the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation in College Station to host an exhibit, “History in the Making: Texas A&M Forest Service,” highlighting the agency’s past 100 years. The exhibit is open until Nov. 8.

The agency will also host several events throughout the state, including 100 tree giveaways and a commemora-

tive tree presentation to each county in Texas. It has published a new edition of the 1970 book, “Famous Trees of Texas: Texas A&M Forest Service Centennial Edition.”

For a list of centennial events, visit TFScenturyofservice.tamu.edu. The website provides visitors access to historical agency images and documents, and allows visitors to listen to, view and explore historic films and audio files.

Steve Knight’s email address is sknight@lufkindailynews.com.

TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE

Left: In this 1948 photo, Assistant Foreman Melvin Sheffield kneels next to a sign in Plot 26-C in the E.O. Siecke State Forest detailing stages from a small study of artificial restoration that had tremendous results. From this study it was concluded that pine seedlings could be grown economically at a tree nursery. This led to investments in forest products manufacturing facilities like the Southland Paper Mill in Lufkin.

Right: Woodworker L.H. Cyclone uses a wood lathe machine in this 1949 photo to test various forest products in the Texas Forestry Service Forest Products Lab at the Cudlipp Forestry Center in Lufkin. The lab studied uses for wood, including wood drying, pulp and paper, milling equipment, wood preservatives, and mill waste. TFS knew a strong forest products industry would result in improved and sustainable forest conservation.

Kurth Lake Continued from Page 1J overflow waters downstream of the embankment into the Angelina River. There is no required outlet in the dam because this lake is a pumped storage facility. The dam controls a drainage area of about four square miles.

Kurth Lake is open to the general public for fishing and bird-watching all year round.

“It’s a great area, especially during the winter months, for every type of water fowl you can think of,” Wright said. “Bald eagles are out there, so there’s a lot of bird activity. And then there’s fishing — bass and white

harvest regulations are standardized with the Texas Parks and Wildlife bag and length limits.

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, the largemouth bass population is abundant, with a relatively high number of fish over four pounds. Crappie and catfish are present, but numbers are relatively low and few anglers target these species.

Bluegill and redear sunfish are present in high numbers and provide fast action, especially for youth or inexperienced anglers.

“We’ve worked with Texas Parks and Wildlife,” Wright

before daylight until 30 minutes after sundown.

City officials are also looking to construct a new boat ramp at the lake, thanks to a $104,000 Texas Parks and Wildlife grant, along with other upgrades.

“We’ve had some issues with our boat ramp,” he said.

“They particularly show up when the water level gets down and where there’s a drop-off for people with boats. We’re going to repair and conduct some renovations work to the boat ramp.

We’re also going to install a restroom facility with tank storage. We’ll do some

“We’re redoing the water plant of Abitibi in order to pump water from the lake to the new power plant,” he said. “We’ll be able to use the 24-inch water line to serve the citizens. The main thing we’ll be using it for in the near future is to provide water for the power plant, which the upgrades at the Abitibi plant will do.”

Pinecrest Energy Center, also dubbed “Project 800,” is a proposed gas-fired, electrical generating plant on 83 acres near state Highway 103 and Loop 287 in Lufkin.

The $700 million plant is expected to produce 730 megawatts of electrical power, which can provide power to about 700,000 homes. Construction is expected to begin in April with plans calling for a facility operational date of summer 2017.

From U.S. Highway 59, turn east onto Rivercrest Road for about 1.25 miles,

then turn north onto Kurth Lake Drive.

Steve Knight’s email address is sknight@lufkindailynews.com.

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Andy Adams/The Lufkin News

Kurth Lake serves as a water source for the city of Lufkin but also provides a place for fishing and beautiful scenery for visitors. perch.

Annual permits are available for purchase from the city’s engineering department in Room 250 of Lufkin City Hall. Permits are issued for a calendar year. Temporary three-day permits are available for purchase on site from the Kurth Lake caretaker. Boating and fishing requirements adhere to all Texas Parks and Wildlife laws and regulations. All

said. “We follow their rules and we’ve implemented different rules for bass based on their recommendation.

They also monitor the water plants and what grows out there.”

Night fishing, overnight camping, swimming, skiing, rafts, canoes, kayaks, jet skis and the use of explosives or firearms are prohibited.

The main gate to the lake is opened from 30 minutes

paving around the parking lot and put a pier out to pull their boats up to, or if they want to fish off the pier.”

The main purpose of the lake is to serve as a water source for Lufkin. Plans call for installation of 12 miles of 24-inch ductile iron water line and about eight bores.

The project starts at the former Abitibi paper mill site and ends on U.S. Highway 59 south.

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PEOPLE, PLACes and things the lufkin news

lufkindailynews.com

Beautiful M

By MEGAN WHITWORTH The Lufkin News

berries

Grimes Blueberry Farm growing and selling chemicalfree blueberries since 1997

Megan Whitworth/The Lufkin News

Marilyn Grimes is shown at her blueberry farm in Lufkin. She and her husband started the farm in 1997 on land that had been passed down through her family for generations.

starting the farm, they have ries, if they come out they decided to drop out of the co- have to wash their hands beop association this year. fore they are allowed to go to arilyn Grimes is a “We can now sale anythe field,” Grimes said. “You Blueberry Farmer. where to anybody at anytime, also can’t wear a sleeveless Along with other and we’ll have our own pack- top or a halter top. They have family members, Grimes aging,” Grimes said. “We’ve to wear at least a shortowns and operates Lufkin’s never advertised our farm as sleeve shirt like a polo, and Grimes Blueberry Farm. far as selling the blueberries, they can wear long sleeves if “We’ve got about 19 acres,” but we sell several hundred they want to.” she said, “four and five acres gallons of blueberries right She also encourages for of those are blueberries.” here out of the house.” people to wear comfortable She inherited land that had Blueberry season strictly shoes and to not wear shorts been passed down through depends on the weather, due to the mosquitoes that her family for generations.

Grimes said. will hide in the plants in the After health concerns, “We have started as early early morning hours.

Grimes and her husband Frank decided to cultivate the land.

“We started looking at growing Christmas trees,” she said. “But I am cold-natured and I don’t like the cold weather. I said ‘I don’t want to be out there in December cutting down Christmas trees.’”

Then one day her husband was reading the local newspaper when he came across an article about blueberries.

“There was a full page arMarilyn Grimes ticle about blueberries in the Co-owner of Grimes Blueberry Farm Lufkin Daily News,” Grimes said. “We had not discarded Christmas trees yet, but were leaning away from them. We were really looking for some- as May 5 and we have start“The main reason I started ed as late as June 3,” she thing else, and my husband this farm was because of my said. “One year one season thought blueberries, he said husband’s health,” she said.

‘Why don’t we grow blueber- lasted three weeks. They all “It keeps us healthy, keeps bloomed at once and then ries?’” us active and busy. I still get they all got ripped in three At first she questioned out there and work, I do anyweeks. We’ve had seasons the thought, but the couple thing and everything.” where the seasons last six decided to attend a meeting Grimes said blueberries weeks. And the year before at Stephen F. Austin State are very healthy. They are an last we froze out. It all deUniversity in Nacogdoches excellent source of Vitamin with the Ark-La-Tex Blueber- pends on the weather — it’s A and Vitamin C, iron, niatotally weather. ry Growers Association. cin and other trace minerals.

Every weather condition “We met all these friendly They also help prevent infecfarmers that said come out can have an effect on your tions and lower cholesterol, to my farm we’ll show you berries,” she continued. she said. stuff,” she said.

“They aren’t going to be as Also she does not spray “We started visiting farms big in drier weather even chemicals on the blueberry and the more we visited though you’re pumping plants. and saw farms the more we water, you just can’t get “I do not want to eat that asked questions, and the enough water because of the pesticide stuff and I’m not more we learned. We found weather. The colder it is, the going to sell it to anyone else out where to buy this and slower it is to ripen; the hot- to eat,” she said. “With our buy that. We learned you ter it gets the faster they are berries, we recommend that have to have irrigation, they ripen. You have to get all of you do not wash them. They have to have well water this consideration with all of have never had anything all the time, we had to put your rotations in picking.” sprayed on them. You can down deep wells. You can’t Grimes has workers that go out in our fields when the water blueberries with city came each year to help blueberries are ripened, pick water — the chlorine will pick the berries during the the berries and eat it — right kill them.” season, and she also invites then and there.”

After discovering and families and the community For more information on the Grimes Blueberry Farm, visit their Facebook page at learning even more, the to also pick the berries. www.facebook.com/grimesblueberryfarm.

Grimes joined the co-op and “Everybody has to wash Megan Whitworth’s email address is finally opened their own their hands before they go mwhitworth@lufkindailynews.com. blueberry farm in 1997. out to the field to pick ber“We put in one acre the first year. If it could be done wrong then we did it wrong with that one acre,” she said. “We lost half that year.

We put out 600 plants and we lost 300 the first year. It was a learning process.

“Over the years we would put in more and more and more,” she continued. “Now we have four fields. We’ve just kept adding over the years.”

The first few years the Grimes family did everything by hand.

“We picked 25 pints the first year and we processed them in the kitchen of our house,” Grimes said. “We did that for four to five years. And the last year we processed it by hand was a nightmare, we knew we had to do something.”

So the family bought a blueberry processing line, which made processing the Because Dignity Memorial® berries easier and faster, providers serve more veterans than any other she said. An assembly line funeral service provider, our professionals are was then created to remove foreign material, separate the experts in veterans’ burial benefits provided by blueberries, remove culls and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. That package the berries. means when you choose a Dignity Memorial “If a blueberry is good it’s going to be round and it will provider, you can be confident you’ll understand roll,” she said. “But if it kind what your VA burial benefits include and how to of wobbles when it rolls there apply for them. Plus, we take great pride in is something wrong with it. providing veterans with respectful, dignified You get where you can watch it and you know if something funerals and burials befitting of their service. is wrong with a blueberry.”

For the first time since

“With our berries, we recommend that you do not wash them. They have never had anything sprayed on them. You can go out in our fields when the blueberries are ripened, pick the berries and eat it — right then and there.”

Serving More Veterans Than Any Other Provider

Megan Whitworth/The Lufkin News

Blueberry buds are shown at Grimes Blueberry Farm. For information on the Grimes Blueberry Farm, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/grimesblueberryfarm.

H USDA Choice Black Angus Beef H BBQ to Go H BBQ Sandwiches H Family Meat Plans Available 936-639-1822

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As a company with close ties to thousands of Angelina County families, the staff of Gipson Funeral Home continues their nearly century-old tradition of providing comprehensive funeral services to the local community.

Our funeral home features six tastefully appointed staterooms, a large chapel, a spacious lobby and ample parking for even the largest services.

Our Garden of Memories Memorial Park and Mausoleum, which opened in 1949, is situated on over 50 acres. It features a canopy of Spanish Oak trees and is adorned with a rose arbor and an attractive garden gazebo, which provide a quiet and picturesque place to honor the memory of your loved one.

Gipson

Funeral Home 1515 S. Chestnut | Lufkin 936-634-4411 gipsonfuneralhome.com

Dave’s lufkindailynews.com

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PEOPLE, PLACes and things

Sunday, March 29, 2015

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Lufkin’s only skate park providing welcoming place for skaters since 2000

By STEPHANIE STEVENS The Lufkin News

“Because we don’t get kicked out.” He elaborated, saying if you skate around Lufkin, you get citations.

“Here you can skate at the park without getting in trouble,” he said.

Durio said he enjoys practicing his favorite moves — frontside boardslide and crooked grind.

Sadler said his park is the only skate park in Texas that has a foam pit.

“We have skateboard rental and an in-house pro shop with a full line of the best selection of professional skateboards and accessories,” he said.

Dave welcomes skaters and said he is always looking for kids to be on his team.

“We always love to have new people and are willing to work with new people that need to learn,” he said.

Aaric Brown, 8, said he comes every day the park is open. He said it’s fun to skate with many of his friends because “it’s a safe environment.”

During the school year, park hours are 4-9 p.m. on Tuesday and 4-10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Sadler reserves Wednesday for bands and private parties.

More information call 824-3325 or visit Dave’s Skate Park on Facebook.

Tommy Martin said the park is “such a fun place.”

He said he has been to other skate parks, and “Dave has the best ramps and things to skate on.”

F

or 15 years, Dave’s Skate Park has stood as the only one of its kind in Lufkin.

This skate arena, rocking with music and filled with ramps, allows skateboarders to skate to their hearts’ content.

Dave Sadler opened the shop in December 2000 for his son, who loved skateboarding, but now he keeps it open for the love of his skaters.

“It’s like reading the obituaries,” he said. “For every kids that gets too old and quits, there is another coming along, and it’s been kind of sad for me because I fall in love with them. It’s like they’re all my kids.”

Sadler runs a Dave’s Skate Team that offers benefits to its members: Instead of paying around $120 a month, team members pay $75, can come every day the park is open, and get a private practice on the second and fourth Sunday of each month.

“We train them and teach them how to do moves they are interested in,” he said.

“Every kid has a different need, and everyone’s at a different level.”

The skaters express what they want to learn.

“I love to see the smile, the joy, when somebody lands something in skating,” Sadler said with a smile. “It’s so rewarding.”

Justin Durio has been skating at Dave’s Skate Park for 11 years. When asked why he likes to come, he joked,

Stephanie Stevens’ email address is sstevens@lufkindailynews.com.

Joy.

STEPHANIE STEVENS/The Lufkin News

Noah Heisel seems to hover in midair as he skateboards across a wooden platform in Dave’s Skate Park.

STEPHANIE STEVENS/The Lufkin News

Quentin Riley scrapes his skateboard across the edge of a wooden platform, pulling off a backside tailside.

STEPHANIE STEVENS/The Lufkin News

Dave Sadler said his skate park has the only foam pit in Texas.

Prepared for your little bundle with advanced care.

Your newborn is a miracle. So rest easy knowing that if your little one needs advanced care, the region’s only Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is here to help them get a healthy start.

And should you need high-risk pregnancy care, we’re also home to a Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic.

Schedule a tour of our birthing center today. Call 936-634-8311.

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83468_WHMC_NICU_11_1528x10_5c.indd 1

3/20/15 2:10 PM

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Sunday, March 29, 2015

PEOPLE, PLACes and things the lufkin news

Kelty’s United Methodist Church

lufkindailynews.com

first Presbyterian Church Where people grow in God’s love and are sent to share God’s grace!

Sunday morning 11:00 am Services in English & Spanish Servicioes en inglés y español

Sunday School 9:30 a.m.

Sunday worship 10:45 a.m. wonderful wednesday weekly Dinner 6:00 p.m. wonderful wednesday weekly Bible Studies 6:15 p.m.

Children’s Afterschool Ministry Thursdays till 6:30 pm (Meal provided)

Check out our new preschool: www.presbyterianearlylearningcenter.org 607 Jane way | Lufkin (936) 634-3711 fpc@consolidated.net

Kelty’s . . .Ministering to all ages and cultures Old Mill Road at McMullen • 634-3950

Sunday Service TimeS

Bible Study @ 9:15 A.M. Worship Service @ 10:30 A.M. WedneSday nighT acTiviTieS

Family Night Supper @ 5:30 P.M. Adult Bible Studies @ 6:30 P.M. Youth Ministries @ 6:00 P.M. Children’s Ministries @ 6:30 P.M. 106 E. Bremond Ave | Lufkin | (936) 634-3386

Loop 287 ChurCh of Christ

2402 N. John Redditt Dr. | 936.634.4019

keltys.org

1911 S. John Redditt Drive Corner of Loop 287 & Allendale Drive (936) 632-5855 | www.lawofliberty.com ScheDuLe of SeRviceS sunday morning worship: 9:00 a.m. sunday morning Bible study: 10:15 a.m. sunday evening worship service: 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday evening Bible study: 7:30 p.m.

Chestnut Drive

Baptist ChurCh

pastor: Blackie Cranford sunday school: 10:00 a.m.

Morning Worship: 11:00 a.m.

Evening Message: 6:00 p.m.

Wed. services: 7:00 p.m.

1701 S. Chestnut Dr. (across from Lowe’s) (936) 632-1568

HIM we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in CHRIST.

COLOSSIANS 1:28 SUNDAY

SS 9am & Worship 10am Home Groups 6pm

WEDNESDAY

Awana Clubs 6pm Youth & Adults 6:30pm

1604 S. Medford Dr. • Lufkin • (936) 634-9443 Join us for worship!

Servicios en Español Sundays at 10:45AM | 6:00PM Domingos a 10:30AM | 5:00PM Wednesdays at 6:30PM Miércoles a 6:30PM

lufkinnazarene.com lufkinmulticulturalnazarenos.org

d r o L e h t p i h s r o W with gladness; m i h e r o f e b e m co . s g n o s l u f y o j with Psalm 100:2

ST. PAuL’S

uNiTED METhoDiST ChurCh 1505 S. John Redditt Dr, Lufkin, TX • (936) 634-7810

catholic church & school

SErViCES

2118 Lowry Street | Lufkin | (936) 634-6833

Sunday School 10 AM | Worship Service 11 AM

Sunday Mass Schedule: 9am English | 12pm Spanish | 5pm Bilingual

Working together through Christ to change the world.

For additional services please visit www.stpatricklufkin.com

www. lufkinstpauls . com

Celebrating Christian Education for 60 years PreK3 – 8th grade

Sunday Morning Worship: Tradtional 8:40AM Contemporary 11:00AM Sunday School 9:50AM GROW – KNOW – SHOW Senior Pastor–Rev. D. Nick Scholars lufkinfirst.com 805 E Denman @FUMCLufkin (936) 639-3141

Leading people to Jesus as the only avenue of salvation Services Sunday 9:15 ~ Sunday School 10:30 ~ Worship 5:00 ~ AWANA 6:00 ~ Worship

Wednesday 6:30 ~ Prayer Meeting; Children’s Choir; Youth Worship 7:00 ~ Pastor’s Bible Study 7:15 ~ Children’s Missions

1807 E. Denman Avenue (1 block inside Loop 287) 936-634-6691 | www.dabconline.org

Pastor Carlos W. Alegría Todos Los Domingos a las 10:30 a.m.

Venga y adoremos a Nuestro Señor Jesucristo Con la guía y unción del Espíritu Santo 424 East Lufkin Avenue | (936) 707-9327

Jeffrey W. Moats, Pastor

Shawnee ChurCh of JeSuS ChriSt U.S. 69, Huntington | (936) 422-9029

Pastor Cary Modisett Services Sunday School 10 a.m. | Worship 11 a.m.

Sunday Evening 6 p.m. | Wed. 7:30 p.m

Bethlehem First United Methodist Church Worship Services Sunday at 9:30 am Children & Youth Wednesdays at 6:30 pm 2534 Bethlehem Road Hudson, Texas

Timberland UniTarian UniversalisT Fellowship

1510 N. Timberland Drive | www.tuuf.org The Fellowship meets at 5:30 pm each Sunday. we believe in and promoTe: + The Inherent worth and dignity of every person + Justice, equality and compassion in human relations + Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our Congregations + A free and responsible search for truth and meaning + The right of conscience and the use of democratic process within our congregations and in society at large + The Goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all + Respect for the interdependent web of all Existence of which we are a part We are designated as a welcoming congregation for LGBTQ

by Unitarian Universalists Association in Boston.

Timberland Unitarian Universalist Fellowship - TUUF

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Sunday, March 29, 2015

1K

People, things Places& Progress Angelina County 2015

ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News

From left, Stacie Byassee, packing supervisor, Rocky Byassee, production manager and Patsy Lenderman, quality control technician, pose for a photo at the Holmes Smokehouse facility in Lufkin.

Holmes Smokehouse

ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News

A storage warehouse at the Holmes Smokehouse facility in Lufkin.

By STEVE KNIGHT The Lufkin News

T

hey’re smokin’ at Holmes Smokehouse.

At least, that’s what the company’s owner and president, Rodney Roth, said about the new flagship Lufkin facility and its employees. The smoked meat processing company expanded its business to the former Loggins meat processing facility on Ellen Trout Drive last year.

“We’re making smoking sau-

ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News

Holmes Smokehouse owner and CEO Rodney Roth in his Lufkin office with some samples of turkey legs, barbecue brisket and ribs.

“We’re right on track on where we wanted to be. We’re training all of our new team members the trade of making quality smoked meat. It doesn’t happen overnight.

It’s a process. The members we have on board are excellent.”

Rodney Roth

owner and president of Holmes Smokehouse

sage as well as turkey legs, smoked turkey, barbecue brisket and ribs — a lot of new items that we’re really excited about,” Roth said.

The USDA-certified meat processing facility is certified by the British Retail Consortium and Steritech; Roth said the plant is in the top 1 percent of companies to hold those food safety certifications.

Holmes Smokehouse’s Lufkin facility has its own quality control laboratory and kitchens, in-house design services and food designers.

“This plant is as state-of-theart as it gets,” Roth said. “What differentiates us from other food companies around the country is we have air filtration — where all the air that’s in the facility is filtered — which is a really nice amenity. We have laboratories to do food and shelf life testing, and we think this is one of the finest facilities in the country.”

Blue Ribbon Bacon and Sausage was one of the top brands in Houston in the ’80s and ’90s with SEE Holmes, PAGE 2K

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Holmes Continued from Page 1K

Roth, a fourth-generation sausage maker, at the helm.

He then tried a sausage from a then-unknown niche brand in Rosenberg. He said it was the best sausage he ever tasted. He liked it so much, in 2000 he bought the company.

The company distributes its products in Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina.

Sausage lovers can purchase the products at Brook-

The Lufkin plant employs about 40 to 50 people, Roth said. The company hopes to hire 50 more employees for the Lufkin facility by the end of the year.

“We’re right on track on where we wanted to be,” Roth said. “We’re training all of our new team members the trade of making quality smoked meat. It doesn’t happen overnight.

It’s a process. The members we have on board are excellent.”

An economic incentive and tax abatement package to bring the company to

“We’ve grown every year since our inception, and we’re very confident in what we do.”

Rodney Roth

owner and president of Holmes Smokehouse

operations. The company must maintain a minimum of 150 jobs throughout the abatement period.

Additionally, any incentives paid for jobs over 150 will establish a new minimum benchmark level the company must maintain during the remaining years of the abatement period.

Accelerated annual performance incentives of $200,000 are available if Holmes employs 100 fulltime employees by the end of the first year of operations, averages 100 full-time employees for a full second year of operations and employs 150 full-time employees by the end of the second year of operations, and averages 150 full-time employees for a full third year of operations and employs 200 full-time employees by the end of the third year of operations.

Roth said the company’s

Glassware Silverware China Serving Trays Serving Accessories Punch Bowls Coffee Urns Cake Plateaus Chafing Dishes Coffee makers Cake Stands Cake Fountains

ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News

Turkey legs under preparation at the Holmes Smokehouse facility in Lufkin.

Champagne Fountains Chocolate Fountain Table Linens Chair Covers Sashes Table Candelabras

ANDY ADAMS/The Lufkin News

These spices await testing at one of the laboratories at the Holmes Smokehouse facility in Lufkin. shire Brothers, Walmart, Sam’s Club and H-E-B. Holmes Smokehouse was founded in 1970 by Luvine Holmes in Rosenberg. The brand remained virtually unknown outside the Houston area through the 1990s until Roth left Blue Ribbon and bought the company.

Holmes Smokehouse then acquired Burton Sausage Company in 2008.

Lufkin, approved the Lufkin City Council in December, includes a 10-year tax abatement on the new value of eligible property improvements on a 100, 100, 100, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20 percent schedule.

The agreement also offers a job incentive grant of $4,000 for each full-time employee, up to 500 employees during the first five years of

plans call to continue growing the brand.

“We’ve grown every year since our inception, and we’re very confident in what we do,” he said. “We have wonderful products and wonderful team members who are passionate about the business. That’s a pretty good recipe.”

Steve Knight’s email address is sknight@lufkindailynews.com.

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Locally owned manufacturing facility expanding

By STEVE KNIGHT The Lufkin News

then assemble it and ship it where it needs to go.”

PID Services was granted tax abatements in 2012 by the city of Lufkin, Angelina County and Angelina College, requiring the company to invest at minimum about $1.4 million in capital improvements and add 12 jobs by the end of 2016.

Since that time, the company has invested over $2.8 million in facilities and capital equipment and employs about 60 people.

After growing up in Lufkin and living in Austin for about 10 years, Slusher said he and his wife, Aimee, were ready to move back home.

“We wanted to move back to Lufkin and be closer to family,” he said. “We decided to come back here, and at that time I started this company. We started doing automation for industrial work. Then we looked at the local market to figure out how to grow our business.”

Slusher said he’s optimistic about the company’s future. He said he intends to keep expanding on the current site.

“We want to continue to grow our manufacturing business,” he said.

“We’re working on getting an AS9100 certification, a high-quality standard for aerospace industries. We’ve hired a quality manager with a goal to get that certification. That would allow us to manufacture aerospace parts. We’re looking to expand our composite division into manufacturing as well and grow our machine shop business. I see in the future that we’ll be adding additional fabrication and manufacturing buildings on this site to grow that business. We’ve got a good group of employees and management team that, working together, can produce something unique and positive for the community.”

I

t’s a highly specialized and unique new industry for Angelina County.

PID Services, Inc. in Lufkin recently completed a composite shop expansion project, adding 3,600 square feet for a total of 10,800 square feet dedicated to

“I see in the future that we’ll be adding additional fabrication and manufacturing buildings on this site to grow that business.

We’ve got a good group of employees and management team that, working together, can produce something unique and positive for the community.”

Scott Slusher

president and CEO of PID Services, Inc.

composite processing.

With the completion of the expansion, the company boasts more than 50,000 square feet of manufacturing space, according to the company’s president and CEO, Scott Slusher.

“With the opportunities in the composite division, we’ve been quoted several jobs and awarded additional work,” Slusher said. “We’re anticipating a full year’s worth of work coming from the business. It’s looking very positive with the aerospace business. It’s continuing to grow and expand, and we’ve had many bid opportunities in that area.”

PID Services was started in Lufkin in 2001 as a controls and instrumentation company, and has since expanded its services to include metal fabrication, machining, crating, electrical panels and composites.

The company has been at its Southpark Drive location since 2006.

“We’re unique in our area in that we don’t have a lot of competition in certain areas,” he said. “There are certain industries and businesses that have welding and fabrication shops, but we’re not aware of anyone else doing the aerospace

Steve Knight’s email address is sknight@lufkindailynews.com.

Lufkin News File photos

With the completion of PID Services, Inc.’s expansion, the company boasts more than 50,000 square feet of manufacturing space. composite work, and no one has the combination of doing all the aspects we can do.”

The manufacturing of composite products is a multibillion dollar business worldwide, Slusher said, with products ranging from sporting equipment to automotive and aerospace parts.

The aircraft and automotive industries are tasked with making their vehicles lighter, stronger and safer.

The way to do that, Slusher said, is to move away from metal and into composite materials.

“When you’re looking at things to be more efficient — automobiles to airplanes — the lighter-weight material makes it more fuelefficient,” he said. “A lot of people are going to that to reduce their cost and to improve their performance.

We’re making the tools that they are going to use to make those parts from.”

The company’s composite division has been expanding to support this market by manufacturing the molds,

also known as tools, used to form composite parts.

The company manufactures tooling for the Bell 525 relentless helicopter, the India Aeronautical Development Agency Tejas LSP-8 fighter and the Boeing 737 radome.

While aerospace will be PID Services’ primary focus with composites, they will also be working with the automotive and wind generation industries.

“We also have the ability to do export crating,” he said. “We’re inspected once a month by the government and there’s a special stamp we’re issued so we can export material to anywhere in the world. We also do metal fabrication for various industries like oil and gas and plywood lumber mills.

We have a machine shop where we can do machining on these components.

What makes us unique is that we’re able to do all the aspects. We can build a piece of equipment, manufacture it, machine it with machine parts, composite parts and

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Off-road pros Local shop specializes in off-road vehicles

By casey m. sizemore For The Lufkin News

L

ufkinites looking for that perfect off-road adventure need look no further than Off Road Explosions on U.S. Highway 69 south in Central.

From buying brand new off-road vehicles like ATVs, UTVs and side-by-sides, or doing a complete overhaul on what’s already lurking in the garage, Off Road Explosions can do it all, according to owner and operator Clint Smith.

Smith, 41, of Lufkin, took over the business in 2009 after the shop’s original owner Blaine Jones, Smith’s nephew, decided to move on to other ventures.

Off Road Explosions is a licensed dealer of Kymco off-road ATVs and UTVs, Canyon Coolers, Gator Wader apparel, Wet Sound audio, S3 Power Sports, High Lifter and many other high-performance prod-

community as a vendor and competitor at the High Lifter’s 2015 Texas Mud Nationals race, held in Jacksonville at Mud Creek Off-Road Park this week.

“It is a lot of preparation getting ready for an event like this,” Smith said.

“We have to make sure the business side of things is ready to go before we can start getting our race bikes ready.”

According to Smith, Off Road Explosions has been competing in the event since 2009.

“We have yet to come back home and not have placed in something,” he said.

During the 2014 Texas Mud Nationals, the team achieved several awards including one earned by Smith’s stepson Hollis Dupree, 7, who placed third in the Can-AM BRP Mud Bog Junior series; Greyson Robertson, 6, of Corrigan

CASEY M. SIZEMORE/For The Lufkin News

Clint Smith of Lufkin, took over the business in 2009. ucts.

The shop consists of five bays and is capable of providing a range of services for ATVs, UTVs and other off-road vehicles. Services include lift kits, suspensions, muffler installations and routine maintenance like oil changes and air filters.

“We have a lot of fun when it is time to have fun, but we work hard and really just try to get our name out there in the ATV community,” Smith said.

Team Off Road Explosions is representing the

placed third in the Can-AM BRP Pee Wee series and Smith placed third in the Polaris Mudda Cross Pro B series and second in the Polaris Mudda Cross Lite series.

For the 2013 Texas Mud Nationals, Smith’s daughter Riley Jo Smith, 16, of Central placed first for the Can-AM BRP Mud Bog Early Teen series and her friend and fellow team member Rachael White, 16, of Corrigan placed second in the same event.

In 2012, Riley Jo Smith earned a $1,000 prize after

“We do things for people who ride hard and spend a lot of time riding. People who have their own machines and use them for what they are built for. We will go the extra mile for them even if it means staying late after work or meeting them here at the shop on the weekends.”

CASEY M. SIZEMORE/For The Lufkin News

The inside of Off Road Explosions is shown.

Clint Smith

Owner and operator of Off Road Explosion

she placed first in the BamaJam held in Alabama.

The walls of Off Road Explosions are lined with trophies the team has acquired, and according to Smith, many of them belong to Riley Jo Smith and himself.

“I raced dirt bikes in high school until I sustained an injury to my leg and was forced to withdrawal from racing for a considerable amount of time,” Smith said. “In 2009, I was happy to come back into the sport as my daughter had expressed considerable interest in racing and now, here we are.”

Smith said he would like to begin making his own lift kits and other custom performance enhancements for ATVs rather than selling other brands and he plans to begin selling corn and corn-feeders for his customers who hunt.

“Here on Highway 69, I believe we are in a good location for that,” he said.

“It would be a last shop for hunters as they head out of town to their hunting leases.”

“We do things for people who ride hard and spend a lot of time riding — people who have their own machines and use them for what they are built for,” he continued. “We will go the extra mile for them even if it means staying late after work or meeting them here at the shop on the weekends. We try to keep a personal relationship with our customers.”

For more information, call the shop at 634-3334, or stop by at 5173 U.S. Highway 69 south.

CASEY M. SIZEMORE/For The Lufkin News

Off Road Explosions is located on U.S. Highway 69 in Central.

CASEY M. SIZEMORE/For The Lufkin News

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Robots4Autism the lufkin news

Sunday, March 29, 2015

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Hudson school district embraces pilot program aimed at helping autistic students

MEGAN WHITWORTH/The Lufkin News MEGAN WHITWORTH/The Lufkin News

Pre-K student Luke Whisenant dances with Milo the robot, which helps engage autistic students how to use the appropriate social skills. Special Education Aide Erin Nobles assists Whisenant with the robot.

By MEGAN WHITWORTH The Lufkin News HUDSON — Staff and students of the Hudson school district welcomed Milo the robot to the campuses of Peavy Primary and Bonner Elementary this school year.

Milo is part of a pilot program called Robots4Autism from the company Robokind.

The program is a “comprehensive autism intervention program that features purpose-built humanoid robots to deliver developmental instruction modules for emotional and social behaviors,” according to the company.

The number of students with autism in the Hudson school district has increased, according to Penny Fenley, Hudson ISD’s director of Special Education.

“Six years ago we had five students identified with autism in the district, and we now have 22 student receiving services in our Special Education department,” she said. “Last spring I was looking for some additional, creative and innovative products to use with our autistic students. While I was searching the web, I came across the prototype for Milo, a robot that works with autistic students. I thought it was so amazing and something that might benefit some of our students.”

The program focuses on building relationships with — and relating to — the people around them and around the world, Fenley said. The program allows students to learn at their own pace with lesson repetition and consistent lesson delivery. It also allows teachers the ability to redirect and keep children learning. The program is designed to deliver innovation

research-based curriculum to teach social understanding and gives students nonthreatening interaction that improves their ability to learn and practice social behaviors in natural contexts.

Hudson students met Milo in January. Special Education Aide Erin Nobles came on board to assist students with the pilot program.

The robot interacts with a student through a tablet, Nobles said.

“There is a greeting module, so they are working on greetings currently,” she said. “It will show a video of a student saying ‘Hi’ to someone and Milo will ask, ‘Did my friend do a good job giving a greeting?’ And the student will say ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’ Then it ask, ‘What did they not do?’ Then the student will choose what they did wrong.

He will continue to ask questions, and they will answer it on the tablet.

“He also can change his facial expressions. He can make a happy face, a sad face, an angry face. He will also get to know the kids. He’ll start having facial recondition, and he’ll recognize the students.

He also has a sensor, and he’ll be able to sense if the kid is getting agitated.”

Even in the first few weeks of the program, Nobles was able to see a difference in how some of the students were interacting with others.

“One thing that blows my mind is that we’ll be walking down the hall to go back to class, and the students will use the proper greeting,” she said. “They use to walk up, say ‘Hi’ and look down.

But now the students look at their teachers and friends, and they’ll engage in conversation. It’s rewarding to see that. There is definitely

progress.”

Fenley said the students are not intimidated by Milo.

“They are drawn to him,” she said. “He has humanlike characteristics, but yet the students realize he is not a human. Some of our students are more likely to respond to the robot. As our students go through the instructional modules, one exciting aspect of Milo is that he will do the same thing over and over so that the lesson is delivered in the exact same way.”

Peavy Primary Principal Suzanne Jones’ 4-year-old grandson Luke Whisenant is enrolled in Pre-K and is one of 10 students who are also enrolled in the pilot program.

“He talks about Milo all of the time. He is very well aware of what Milo is teaching,” Jones said. “Social skills are easy for some kids, but with autism kids, social skills are so hard. But just listening, paying attention and really being able to know what a smile is, what being happy means or sad is — it makes a huge difference.”

Some of the lessons include “How to react at a friend’s birthday party” and “What if you’re the birthday person, what are things you should do,” Jones said.

“Luke didn’t know those facial expressions. He didn’t what happy or sad was.

That’s what he was missing,” Jones said. “He was reading on a first-grade level, but he could not do those social skills that are appropriate.

He didn’t know how to do it, and it is our job to teach them.”

The school district is the first public K-12 school in Texas to receive the pilot program, according to Fenley.

“The company does have some other schools that are

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Pre-K student Luke Whisenant dances with Milo the robot, which helps engage autistic students how to use the appropriate social skills. Special Education Aide Erin Nobles assists Whisenant with the robot.

“ I came across the prototype for Milo, a robot that works with autistic students. I thought it was so amazing and something that might benefit some of our students.”

Penny Fenley

Hudson ISD’s director of Special Education.

coming on board,” she said.

“The whole point of the pilot program is for us to be in from the start, and we are looking at the content and what type of kids respond to (Milo). We then give suggestions to the company for the curriculum and what changes need to be made.”

A camera records data dur-

ing the lessons, Fenley said.

“Robokind will be able to interpret that data and tell if the student is reacting and responding appropriately during the lesson,” she said.

“This will help guide our district in personalizing instruction: ‘Are they being successful with this?’ The video is also helpful because

we can show parents, ‘This is where your child was three months ago, and here is a video that shows your son or daughter’s progress.’”

For more information on Robokind and the pilot program, visit robokindrobots. com.

Megan Whitworth’s email address is mwhitworth@lufkindailynews.com.

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the lufkin news

Daring to dive: Owner of The Dive Shop

has been teaching people to dive safely since 1998

By STEPHANIE STEVENS The Lufkin News

S

unlight streams through the breaking waves, highlighting the movements of exploring scuba divers underneath. Every now and then one breaks the surface with a gasp and a wide grin, shouting about their discoveries.

This is Lufkin man Gerald Conner’s favorite part about teaching students to dive.

Conner, a Professional Association of Divers Instructors course director, has been teaching diving classes since he opened The Dive Shop in March 1998.

“Teaching people to dive, that’s my passion,” he said.

“It’s just amazing to watch them (dive for the first time) because you tell them what it looks like and you describe it.

You even show them videos, but that doesn’t do it justice.

They come up so excited.”

The Dive Shop offers a wide range of PADI-certified classes, from entry-level diving to instructor level and beyond. Conner proudly said The Dive Shop is a PADI five-star instructor development center, which means the shop meets all PADI Five Star Dive Center standards, plus it offers PADI instructor-level training. Various classes include recreational diver courses, to Emergency First response, Divemaster and DAN Instructor Courses, including a scuba camp in the summer for children.

The classes range from being taught in the classroom to doing classwork all at home. In all classes, diver’s have to pass an academic test, then go with Conner to practice in a pool and have their first open water test dives at the Blue Lagoon in Huntsville.

PADI divers carry the most-respected and soughtafter scuba credentials in the world. No matter where the diver goes, his/her PADI certification card will be recognized and accepted, Conner said.

“We stress quality, not quantity,” he said. “We want to make sure that when we get done they are a safe and efficient divers. We don’t rush anyone and make sure everyone has mastered the skills.”

Joe McCandless, who is currently in a divemaster class, has been diving with Gerald for four years.

“I started not wanting one of those silly little masks on my face and the first time I went under water, I loved it so much they couldn’t get me out,” he said.

Since then he has gone to Bonaire in the Carribean, Lake Ouachita in Arkansas and Lake Sam Rayburn. He said diving at Bonaire has been his best trip because a diver may dive up to 35 times within their health limitation.

“The water is so blue,” he said. “There is a ship down there. It’s 200 feet long and you can see from one end to the other.

Stephanie Stevens/The Lufkin News

Gerald Conner points to a picture of a sea turtle in the classroom at The Dive Shop. The sea turtle is one of the many creatures that can be found when diving at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Teaching people to dive, that’s my passion. It’s just amazing to watch them (dive for the first time) because you tell them what it looks like and you describe it.

You even show them videos, but that doesn’t do it justice. They come up so excited.”

Stephanie Stevens/The Lufkin News

Conner and his students took a trip to Bonaire, one of the three islands in the Dutch Antilles, in 2009. This photo was taken originally by a dive student.

“We saw eagle rays and the grace they have going through the water is just amazing,” he continued.

“When you go swimming through a school of fish and it’s full of barracuda, it’s really awesome.”

The Dive Shop holds trips to the Gulf of Mexico’s Flower Garden, the Caribbean and the South Pacific.

They make weekend trips every month to the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary located 110 miles off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. This sanctuary hosts the northernmost coral reefs in the United States.

Conner said there are many large sea creatures to be seen — whale sharks, big manta rays and turtles.

McCandless said the trips are a blast.

“There are so many jokes played, all in good, clean fun,” he said.

One of the neatest skills he learned during diving is patience. A skill practiced is taking all gear off and exchanging it with another experienced diver while sharing one regulator to breath underwater.

“It teaches you not to panic,” McCandless said. “And believe it or not, it helps you in the real world because the less you panic, the better off you are.”

McCandless said Conner makes the classes fun.

“Gerald is the best! I’ve seen people who are so annoying and he is so patient with them,” he said. “And he is very considerate of people’s feeling and is one of the most honest people I know.”

Conner said he is “not a one-man show.” He has a tal-

ented team helping him with all the dive-related activates.

The unique members composing the “talented team” are Pat Conner, assistant open water scuba instructor and travel coordinator; Chris Batson, master instructor; Mark Spurgeon, IDC staff instructor; Lynette Rudd, IDC staff instructor; and David Jennings, open water scuba instructor.

Patty Donaldson, a divemaster and Angelina College instructor, who helps ConStephanie Stevens/The Lufkin News ner teach classes agreed that Gerald Conner Conner holds a BDC that hangs above the air tanks. These Connor is easy going.

Owner of The Dive Shop items can be rented for dives and are serviced regularly. He “He is one of the most pasaid, “We don’t short cut and we follow standards.” tient instructors that I have ever been associated with,” she said, adding that he’s also funny. “They do like a little comedy routine almost when they are doing their dive classes.”

When asked why he likes diving McCandless said it’s the adventure, searching the undiscovered and the challenge of conquering your fears.

“Everybody is scared of sharks and it’s really nothing to be scared of. It’s like anything in this world, there is a line and you have to respect it,” he said. “The first time you see a seahorse under water, it’s like a brand new toy to you — a whole new world.”

The shop at 1506 South First St. rents all the major equipment for diving and sells masks, snorkels, fill tanks, repair regulators and does annual services on regulators and buoyancy control devices.

Shop hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Oceans Behavioral Hospital of Lufkin provides 24 beds in a secure unit for area adults and seniors For more information call ages 50 and above who require inpatient hospitalization for psychiatric illness.

632-3483 or visit diveship@ diveshoplufin.com.

At Oceans, we are committed to providing exceptional mental health services which meet the needs Stephanie Stevens’ email address is sstevens@lufkindailynews.com.

of our patients, their families and our referral sources. Our qualified professionals work together as a team to optimize success and to ensure a safe, confidential and therapeutic program.

With emphasis on strengths, capabilities and management skills, each patient receives an individualized treatment plan that takes into account their level of understanding of themselves while promoting dignity, privacy and comfort. Our goal is to provide our patients with a better quality of life and equip them with the necessary tools to cope with daily challenges.

At Oceans Behavioral Hospital we can help you or your loved one get through crisis situations that negatively affect an individual’s quality of life. Call today for a free, no obligation consultation with our professional, caring staff.

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936-632-2276 302 Gobblers Knob Road, Lufkin, TX

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A-1 Party Rentals:

Helping people party for decades By casey m. sizemore For The Lufkin News

N

estled neatly in Lufkin’s downtown district lies a business staple in the local community, A-1 Party Rentals Incorporated.

The company is owned in partnership and operated by husband and wife entrepreneurs, Clyde and Eva Dickens, who for 16 years have offered dedicated service to the local community with an emphasis on “great customer service,” Eva said.

The partnership of owners also includes the Dickens’ daughter and son-in-law Cheryl and Drew Nixon and Kraig Cain of Carthage.

On Dec. 1, 1998, the Dickens purchased the business at its current location from the original owner, Joe Havard, who opened the business in 1977. He operated it from several previous locations before moving to the South First Street location where it resides today.

According to Clyde Dickens, after initially purchasing the business, they began to phase the store’s inventory from the sale of plastic and paper goods such as cups, plates and party favors to strictly rental inventory.

“When we took over, they had roughly 500 chairs, 12 round tables, a few 6 foot and 8 foot tables and wedding arches,” Clyde Dickens said. “They did not have the china, linen tablecloths, the glass vases, the variety of chairs and tables or the decorative centerpieces we have now.”

The only items A-1 Party Rentals offers for sale are the concession items for the popcorn, snow cone and cotton candy machines.

“In the beginning, Clyde served as the delivery person given we did not have one,” Eva Dickens said. “We did not have a box truck to deliver out of, so he used his personal truck. I spent my time here at the store trying to learn how to handwrite the rental contracts, and we only had a couple of part-time employees with Clyde being the only man. So when someone would come to pick up their rented merchandise, us girls loaded and unloaded it also.”

Speaking of changes that have taken place within the business over the years Eva Dickens said, “In the beginning, we did all the work from the hard work such as setting up tents and tables to just doing it all. Now, we have four men and four women employees, three delivery trucks and three box delivery trucks. So we have grown.”

Eva Dickens attributes some of A-1 Party Rentals’ success to its employees and an implementation of cross-training.

“This allows any given employee to perform the duties of another in their absence,” she said.

The business has also grown in aspects of inventory such as a variety of 8,000 tablecloths.

“This includes any color one might could name, which is up from only 50 white tablecloths at the time we began operations,” Eva Dickens said. “We installed our own commercial laundry units and a large tablecloth

in our community when and wherever possible.”

According to Eva Dickens, one way they have accomplished this goal is by starting the Bridal Fair in 2002 in partnership with The Lufkin News, Charm magazine and Lufkin Jewelry on the Square.

“We decided that our main customers are brides, and when they would come in we would listen to them say, ‘I am getting my cake from Tyler,’ or ‘I am getting my dress from Houston,’ but it always seemed to be out of town,” she said. “So we decided why not bring all the businesses in Lufkin, Nacogdoches and the surrounding area together once a year under one roof and let the brides come to the event to shop and meet the various vendors.

What this amounts to is keeping the tax dollars here in Angelina County.”

The recent Bridal Fair held on Jan. 15 included 55 vendors and “brides galore; they were literally lined up out the door,” Eva Dickens said.

“When we moved here, we did not ask what Lufkin can do for us,” she said. “We asked ourselves what we could do to contribute to this community.

So we do the Bridal Fair every CASEY M. SIZEMORE/For The Lufkin News year and donate to numerous Clyde and Eva Dickens have owned A-1 Party Rentals since 1998. charities, so many I dare not list them because I may forget one.

We give back to the community; we give to local schools; we are involved in the Chamber of Commerce and the Texas Forest Festival.”

Speaking about the Texas Forest Festival, Clyde Dickens said, “A couple years back, we almost lost the Hushpuppy Championship because they lost their sponsorship, so we picked that up. It is just one more area we have gotten involved in.”

Outside of their business, the Dickens are members of Providence Baptist Church where they teach a class for young Eva Dickens adults.

“We are involved in a very co-Owner of A-1 Party Rentals small motorcycle group called the Fun Seekers, which consists of two couples, and we travel,” press, so we can give great cusMain Event Party Rentals’ inEva Dickens said. “In fact, Clyde tomer service by providing the ventory, the Dickens have added and I will be celebrating 50 years highest quality cloths, which are to their stock of inventory from of marriage in May, and we spotless. We have also installed which customers can choose. will travel to North Carolina to a commercial dishwasher, elimiCurrently, A-1 Party Rentals celebrate.” nating hand washing, and we provides a selection of eight Eva Dickens serves on the Edu have a chair washer in the back, different chairs, including Care Community Living Human which the guys use to sanitize banquet chairs, garden chairs Rights Committee. the chairs.” and Samsonite chairs, which “The committee meets once “Customer service is our come in a variety of colors such a quarter to ensure the human goal,” she added. “We want as mahogany, white, black and rights of the mentally challenged everything to be in as perfect beige. They also provide two are being protected,” she said. condition as can be when it different types of china, enough Looking into the future, leaves this store.” clear glass plate settings to acthe Dickens said they plan to Among the business’ list commodate 1,000 individuals, “continue supplying the needs of successes is the Angelina party tents, moonwalks and of the local community and also Chamber of Commerce’s 2008 bounce houses for children and providing the best customer Small Business Award. Clyde many other items as well. service.”

Dickens said he attributes much With the slogan “The good “When we were honored for of the business’ success to the guys in the black hats,” one can being the Small Business of the customers. expect to enter the lobby of A-1 Year, we did not say we got there “We listen to our customers Party Rentals and be greeted ourselves; we did not earn that,” who have so many wonderful with the aroma of fresh coffee, she said. “Our customers made ideas to share with us,” he said, a refreshing dose of southern us the small business of the year. “and we in turn, share them hospitality, a welcoming smile It is because of them and their with other customers.” from the Dickens or any of their loyalty that we have been able to A-1 Party Rentals is capable of employees and Clyde Dickens grow like we have.” accommodating almost any size as he dons his black-brimmed The Dickens said they would party from birthdays to anniver- gentleman’s hat, as Eva Dickens like to thank the community “for saries, weddings, retirements or refers to it. bringing A-1 Party Rentals to graduations in elegant or casual In part, the mission statement where it is today.”

Casey Sizemore’s email address is styles. for A-1 Party Rentals states, caseymsizemore@gmail.com.

With a recent purchase of “We desire to make a difference

“When we were honored for being the Small Business of the Year, we did not say we got there ourselves; we did not earn that. Our customers made us the small business of the year. It is because of them and their loyalty that we have been able to grow like we have.”

PEOPLE, PLACes and things

Sunday, March 29, 2015

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‘Best of Lufkin’ Cafe Del Rio voted best Mexican Restaurant nine years straight

Shemeka thompkins/The Lufkin News

Employees pose for a photo inside Cafe del Rio.

Shemeka thompkins/The Lufkin News

Best of Lufkin awards fill the walls of Cafe del Rio.

Shemeka thompkins/The Lufkin News

The restaurant is located at 1901 S. First St.

By Shemeka Thompkins The Lufkin News

C

afe Del Rio is home of Lufkin’s award-winning fajitas, and has been voted best Mexican Restaurant for nine years in a row.

The restaurant is managed

by Letty Vargas, who has also worked at other Cafe Del Rio locations. She has served at the Lufkin branch since it opened in 1994.

When asked about her favorite entree, Vargas said “Since I like seafood, I would have to say the shrimp brochette.”

Vargas does not just oversee the floor area. She also makes sure that business is running smoothly, rolling up her sleeves and coming out in her apron.

“I help in all areas if needed,” she said. “I enjoy my job, and the owner, Dawn Davis, is

a smart man.”

The restaurant was named by employees that worked at one of Davis’ previous restaurants located in Lufkin.

Cafe Del Rio has been in business in the Lufkin area for almost 21 years, serving things like its award-winning fajitas, shrimp brochette, and its signature drink, the Cafe Del Rio Swirl.

Cafe Del Rio also has other locations in areas such as Beaumont, Allen and Mesquite as well as a location coming soon in Mobile, Alabama.

When Vargas was asked how Cafe Del Rio has changed in the last year, she said, “Business is good. We are just blessed! No complaints.”

Cafe Del Rio is located at 1901 S. First St. Shemeka Thompkins email address is sthompkins@lufkindailynews.com.

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