Janette and J. R. Cox's 12-year-old grandson, Ryan Hauser, son of Tamara and Jeff Hauser of Southlake, was nominated to be a People to People Student Ambassador and go on the European Heritage 2006 Tour this past summer. The organization was started 50 years ago by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to promote peace through the youth around the world. Ryan went the summer between his 6th and 7th grades. There was an intense program of studies that took place from January through May once a month. There was an interview and when selected they had homework assignments, reading and projects for those fivemonths.
A brochure was created of the country with their culture, lessons on etiquette for the foreign countries where they would travel, and each kept a journal every day. There was a group from North Texas with 33 students and Ryan was one of the over flow from Texas that joined 40from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Some stops visited in the three weeks were London, England and the British parliament. Each of the students stayed with a family to experience life in Europe. They caught the overnight ferry across the English Channel to Normandy and saw Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery and beaches where the Allied troops landed on D-Day in June 1944. In Paris they saw the tourist sights and museums. Leaving France they went to Belgium and the city of Bruges then to The Hague, Netherlands and Amsterdam. Germany was the next country and on to Lucerne, Switzerland and the Black Forest. They competed in the Farm Olympics to test their skills against fellow delegates in bowling, cow milking, cream whipping and many other outrageous activities. In Zurich, Switzerland they ascended the Pilatus Mountain by gondola. The descent was to Alpnachstad with the steepest cogwheel railway in the world. Headquarters for People To People Student Ambassadors is in Spokane, Washington. www.studentambassadors.org. Ryan was a student at Durham Immediate School in Southlake and now attends Carroll Middle School. It was the opportunity of a lifetime for him and as an alumnus, he plans to maybe join another tour to a different part of the world. After returning home, Tamara and Jeff hosted the group from North Texas to show their pictures. Tamara and Ryan went to Pittsburgh for the reunion of their group and showed his pictures.
Grandson Tyler Jumper, a Bear Cub Scout, has earned the "God and Me" award. The God and Me award is designed to help children (grades 1 - 3) become best friends with Jesus and tell their story of God and Me together. Children make games and keep them in a GAMEBOX (God And Me Exploring BOX). These games reinforce the Bible lessons and provide opportunities for families to explore God's love together. In addition to completing family projects, the youth are also required to share what they have learned with the pastor before they are eligible for the award. The God and Me award is the first in a series that can be earned by youth. Children can also earn the God and Family (grades 4 & 5), God and Church (grades 6 - 8), and the God and Life (grades 9 - 12) awards as part of the Emblems of Faith program that is officially recognized by the Boy Scouts of America, Camp Fire USA, and the Girl Scouts of the USA as their religious awards program for their youth. Tyler is the 9-year-old Cub Scout son of Charlie and Shari Jumper of Fairfax, Virginia.
Grandson Tyler also competed in their Cub Scout Pack's Pinewood Derby and won first place in his Den (of 10 cars). The first place winners in each Den were eligible to compete in the Patriot District Championship early in March. There was a race at the end of the Derby for all five of the Den champions for bragging rights of all 59 racers. Tyler came in fourth but the times were extremely tight. His official time was 2.8566 seconds, which equals 173 miles per hour. I need to see how these fast cars are at the next local Pinewood Derby.
Betty Jumper in Apple Springs has four Martin's scouting her martin houses. They flew in wearing earmuffs and toboggans in the 24 degree Saturday morning weather! They always know when February arrives.
Marie Sinclair has robins in her yard. Can spring be that close? Ground hog said so.
Memorial Health System of East Texas's Arthur Temple Sr. Regional Cancer Center had an open house showcasing the $7 million investment in the fight against cancer. Yana Ogletree was greeting people as they arrived. Bryant Krenek, CEO, welcomed everyone and introduced Trey Henderson, chairman of the Board of Trustees who told the latest in technology had been accomplished in the past 30 years with cancer treatment. T.L.L. Temple Foundation helped to make this in the top 25 percent of cancer centers in the nation. Dr. Sid Roberts told those that had played a big part in the remodeling who were: Temple-Inland Foundation, Pete and Donna Smart; T.L.L. Temple Foundation, Phillip Leach; Harold and Louise Maxwell, Zeleskey Law Office, Jack Hicks; Community Title Company, Bill Ricks; Scott & Strong, Mark Strong and Tamesha Root, Joe Lowery, and many others. Mark Strong and Tamesha Root designed, and decorated the remodeling with warm colors and cypress wood that Arthur Temple had stored for over 30 years. It does not have the feel of a hospital at all. Board members present were Jay Shands, Rona Friesen, and Bubba Henderson. Some others enjoying the tours were: Dolly and Jack Hudgins, Murphy George, Susie Cardwell, Alisha Burrow, Martha and Billy Russell, Tara Watson, Linda Parker, Andrea Self, Nan Alsbrooks, Jane and Frances Ainsworth, Peggy Mayes, Peggilu Watkins, Judd Williamson, Jerry and Deborah Huffman, Valena Spradley, Jackie Zimmerman, Phillip Friesen, Mike Davis, and Emily Shelton. The History Center in Diboll furnished pictures from Diboll and of the Temple family and Diboll families that are priceless. Woodie Hicks lost me and I was looking at the pictures that are down the hall.
Doris Dunman, right hand of Doug Russell at East Texas Monument, had back surgery December 19 for a herniated disc. Betty Russell White is filling in for her while she is off four weeks recuperating. Doug and Mary Russell are beginning with the electricity pole being set for their new home at Bald Hill.
Denise Stringer Davis, the director of the Pineywoods Cultural Association which is the founder of the First Street Arts Center, gave me a list of those who are writers, musicians, visual artists who have work at the First Street Arts Center. I mentioned a few last week but here is a list: Peter Andrew, Gwen Aseltine, Robert Baccus, Mary Barry, David Moreland Bates, Charlie Becker, Lynn Benner, John E. Birkelbach, Gary Borders, Bob Bowman, Jeff Brewer, Pat Burton, Danny Clements, Lynn Courtney, Carolyn Davis, Richard Donovan, Jane Durham, Willie Edwards, Darcey Faircloth, Jordan Flournoy, Dennis Ford, John Foxjohn, Gary Freeman, Chet Geiselman, Ruth Grant, Russ Havard, Byron Jones, Charles D. Jones, Corrinne Jones, David Kimling, Margie Kirkland, Cele Knight, Wally Knight, Vic Kopycinski, Amos Lewis, Robert Loving, Jeannie Reese Lowery, Joe Lowery, Mildred Lowery, Miki Lynn, Kevin Malone, Floyd Marsellos, Jeanelle McCall, Phil Medford, Kelley Modisette, Rena Modisette, Earl Mott, Linda Pinkston, Anita Powell, Kristi Rae Rader, Sleepy Read, Nancy Reily, Ann Phifer Reyes, Dr. Michael Roach, Robbie Lacomb Roach, Emily Sloan, Jim Don Smith, Agnes Smith, Lindsey Smith, Sandy Snyder, James Snyder, Seth Stover, Laurence Sumners, Anne Tindell, Pablo Torres, Sarah Wallace, Sherry Ward and Don Whitaker. Denise Stringer Davis is from Lufkin and has returned in July with her family after completing her MFA, exhibiting her artwork and teaching. We are glad to have her here to help promote the work of so many of our local talented people.
Kay Agan and Jerry Highnote are engaged. He proposed at the Fort Worth Angus Association Show. With them were Raymond and Carol Moore, Bob and Tony Brown and Julie and Steve French from Michigan. Jerry told Kay that they would be married after the fish quit spawning. Is that where Jerry's priorities are? Kay knows him and laughed about it. Kay has two boys; Dustin the youngest is studying on a Fellowship in cardiology. He received his medical degree in internal medicine from Texas Tech University. Dustin and Tina are living in Indianapolis, Indiana and he has two more years of study. Mitch Agan lives in Houston and is with Time Warner. He and his wife Tammy have a six-year-old daughter Avory Agan. Jerry's two daughters are Debbie Pittman and Sharon Gibson.
Hazel Main called me from Sugar Grove, Illinois that they had 10 inches of snow before Christmas and it had been 10 degrees below zero. Everyone up there likes to hear Hazel talk because of her accent. That is down Hazel's alley to talk. She was in Lufkin before New Year's and stayed with Pete and Opal Sumners. She also stayed some with Kathryn Craw and Gladys Liese and was able to visit with friends at the New Year's Day party at Floyd Marsellos'.
Lisa Haglund and Deborah Bashaw told me that they both were from the community of Odell outside of Huntington. I might have to try and find Odell.
Pat McCann had a 5-way bypass and a collapsed left lung, but after three weeks in the hospital and three weeks at his daughter, Liz Burton's in McKinney he is recovering and going to rehab at Woodland Heights. He said that he was lucky that the real angels working as nurses watched over him and saved his life.
Ernest and I had a date for his birthday and went to Golden Corral for dinner and to the movie to see “We are Marshall”. It was the weekend of no football so he had to have the movie to be his football fix. We saw Joan and Al Meyer as we were leaving. They saw “Dream Girls” and recommended it.
Thomas Cassels, son of Jimmy and Janet Cassels and Judith Runnels, will be on Dr. Phil's show Wednesday, February 14 on ABC at 3 p.m. Carlye Womack, daughter of Emily McGaughey and Rex Womack answered Dr. Phil's question “she does not understand her boy friend's wanting to hunt three months of the year. Dr. Phil's show contacted her and the TV crew came to Lufkin and filmed 10 hours with some of it at Jimmy's hunting house at Eason Lake. Thomas and Carlye were flown to California for the taping of the show. They had never had any one to propose on the show and asked if he would propose? He said yes and they are back in Lufkin with her engagement ring that was presented on the Dr. Phil Show. We will have to watch and see what he says.
Carlye is in her last year at Stephen F. Austin State University. Thomas starts a job in Humble in outside sales for an equipment rental company. Rhett Cassels will be 6 years old on February 9. He belongs to Jimmy and Janet Cassels.
Lisa Hicks of Baskets & Bows, II purchased Flournoy's Florist on December 1, and they are combined at 1528 S. Chestnut in the Flournoy's location. It will be known as Baskets & Bows,II/Flournoy's Florist. Designers are: Donna Talley, Tammy Stephens, Carylon Benge and Brett Beyer.
Happy Birthday: E. J. Bowers, Barbara Ferguson, Travis Hale, Molly Ellis, Stuart Teutsch, Miles Elbel, Pat Brown, Opal Franks, Jace Mahan, Jamie Mahan, Sally Parise, Martha Jo Ivy, Jean Wheat, Letha Tullos, Kristen Friesen, Gay Ippolito, Rich Warner, Jenny Horton, Virginia Ann Yancy, Millie Ann Thompson, Tony Brown, Alli Bartlett, Arnold Hendricks, Jayne Floyd, Cay Billingsley, and Julie Wood. Valentine's birthdays are: Raymond Moore, Kyle King, Steve Moore, Peyton Denman, and J. P. Heath.
Happy Anniversary: L. C. and Nellie Jones, Ron and Kathy Robinson, Margie and J. T. Rice, Robert and Sheila Telford. Valentine's anniversaries Bob and Doris Bowman, Mike and Cindy Taylor, Barb and Tom Flournoy.
Ward Burke celebrated his 91 birthday with daughter Marilyn Burke and her husband Jim Wong, granddaughter Emily Smith and his personal assistant Ashley Sayers. They went to the Hungarian Concert at the Temple Theater after eating at Crown Colony Country Club in the Grille.
I saw Van Hicks coming out of the grocery store and he told me “I am Van Hicks” like I didn't know who he was???
Ann and Derrill Cates had Dick and Loretta Woodall visiting for the weekend.
Some at the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble at the Temple Theatre were: Harriot and Cotton Whiddon, Catharine Whiddon, Caroline Chance, Jeanetta Stewart, Marjorie White, Thelma Bryant, Katie Loyd, Helen Smith, Bobbye Bartlett, Josie and Dan Spivey, Marie Sinclair, Sally and Max Alvis, with Anna Catherine and Elizabeth, Jane and Rick Ainsworth with Frances, Marianna Duncan, Terry and Diana Morrow, Jerry and Frank Stevenson, Joan and Dennis Rankin, Rachel Summy, Sandra and Wyatt Leinart, Fran and David Glenn, Mary Etta and Bill Moreau, Nancy and Don Reily, Joan Duncan, Harry Stafford, Janice Karns, Mabelyne McKnight, Gloria Arnold, Elma Alexander, Lynette and John Monk, Rodney and Pat Brazil, Howard Daniel, Reba Garrison, Lisa and Wayne Haglund, Ryan and Ellen Sorrrell, Sam and Billie Slaydon, George and Laura Thannisch, Tom Gann, Vickie Gann, Jimmy and Jody Tinkle, Bonnie and Wilton Killam, Pat Brown, Joe and Dixie Brittain, Chuck and Natalie Crowson, Ladeen and Jim Pluss, Tara Watson, Ann Watson, Debbie Hemphill, and Carol Smith.
Also, Susan Dickens, Bill and Emily Kistler, Dolly and Jack Hudgins, Pat Slaughter, Beverly Slaughter, Martha and John Bates, Emily Watts, Emily Shelton, Hilda Mitchell, Flora O'Quinn, Judy and Dick Semlinger, Chubby Slack, Martha Windsor, Barbara Thompson, Al and Joan Meyer, Sue Terry, J.C. and Delores Burch, Don and Robbie Wier, Lance and Anne McFaddin, Norma and Joe Pearson, Janice Karns, Sid and Catherine Roberts, Cay Billingsley, Jule Fenley, Dr. and Mrs. Venkata R. Kovvali, Arthi Kovvali, Wilma Parrott, Doug and Lynn Smith, and Linda Clark. Everyone said that they were exhausted after the colorful skilled dancing. I loved the gypsy music.
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