The work of Lufkin High School art students will be featured at the First Street Arts Center in Downtown Lufkin on March 2nd and 3rd. A variety of media will be on view. A reception is scheduled for Friday the 2nd from 5 -7 p.m. With March being Youth Art Month, it is an excellent time to celebrate the talented youth of our community. This event is open to the public free of charge.
Bob and Doris Bowman spoke to the DAR on unusual places, people and events of East Texas history this week. With 36 published books to their credit, and three more scheduled for release this year, Bob and Doris have become popular all over East Texas as speakers. This year, they have been asked to speak in Houston, Tyler, Sulphur Springs, Mount Pleasant, Huntsville, Mount Vernon, Woodville, Livingston, Beaumont, Hemphill, Timpson, Nacogdoches, Clarksville, Coldspring, Diboll, Marshall, Center and other places. Their new books this year will include “The Forgotten Towns of East Texas,” the first of four volumes on a 50-county collection of ghost towns; “Making Music for the Snarks,” a history of Lufkin's famous Hoo Hoo Band in the early 1900s; and “The Ghost Towns of Angelina County,” a collection of more than 100 vanished towns and communities in the county.
Gordon and Charlotte Henley talked about Pancho's death on Tuesday, February 20, 2007. Pancho, Ellen Trout Zoo's male hippopotamus, passed away after showing signs of gastrointestinal distress. After consulting with several other zoos, staff began working with Pancho, not knowing if he was simply constipated or something more serious. On Tuesday evening, with five staff members present, including, staff veterinarian Dr. Mike Nance, Pancho collapsed in his pool, dying. Zoo personnel conducted a necropsy Wednesday to determine Pancho's cause of death. Pancho died of an obstructed intestine caused by a child's ball. How or when Pancho swallowed the ball is unknown. Pancho came to the Ellen Trout Zoo on November 17, 2001 along with Nakili his mate. Pancho was born July 10, 1999 in Orlando, Florida. He is the father of the first hippopotamus born in Lufkin, Mara. Mara was born at the Ellen Trout Zoo on September 24, 2003. Pancho was a congenial hippo that loved his family and enjoyed the company of his keepers. He truly was a wonderful animal and will be sorely missed by his family, staff and visitors alike. I wish that there is some way that we can protect our wonderful zoo animals.
Carol and Randy Bradley's daughter, Amy also the granddaughter of LaJune Bradley, is in New Zealand working on a student work visa as a Nanny for twin girls that were born 10 weeks premature and is living in Oamaru, a town with a population of 12,000. This is through British University North America Club (BUNAC). Her boss has Bottom Bus Tours, and she has seen the whole south island. While in New Zealand, she has seen Blue Penguins and yellow eyed penguins. Amy will go to Australia the end of March for a month. Carol encourages young people graduating from college that this is a safe way to travel and experience the way of life with people in the native land. Amy has had jobs in London and Ireland on the student work visa program. She will return to the USA the end of July.
Janet Taylor, executive director of The Coalition, gave me the tour of their new facilities at 104 S. Bynum, formerly the dentist offices of Bob Rhodes and later Taylor McKewen. Jean East is the school/business coordinator and Sheila Adams is the media/ special projects specialist. Their mission is to reduce youth drug abuse in Angelina County. I missed the ribbon cutting but saw Bob Brown, Jim Wark, Carol Bradley, Anne Temple and Cindy Tierney. In the same building is the Pregnancy Help Center and McClain Communications Network. The Coalition is in partnership with Memorial Health System of East Texas in the Family Expo & Health Fair to be Tuesday, March 6 at the Pitser Garrison Civic Center from 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. Admission is free. There will be games for the kids and hands on crafts. Farmers Insurance will be taking pictures of the children to put on a CD for the Amber Alert. Watch the ad in the newspaper for the booths that will be there. Also, there is entertainment during the afternoon. They have free brochures and welcome walk ins to see their new offices. One of the brochures is a directory of interagency coalitions in Angelina County.
While I was at Gateway Tire Company having a flat fixed, I saw Nancy Sloan. She and John went to Austin for the weekend for their daughter Elizabeth's birthday. Elizabeth and Brian Bramlett live in Austin. In March, Nancy will be going to Odessa to baby sit with grandchildren for daughter Susan and her husband Darren Allman. Darren is the football coach for Odessa Permian High School (the Friday Night Lights school). He is the first Odessa Permian player to be head coach. They had the most wins in 5A in the nation at one time. He has been there for two years prior to being coach at Brownwood and Highland Park. Their daughter Emily Sloan is an artist in Houston where she teaches art sculpture at the University of Houston. Emily has some of her work at the First Street Arts Center downtown Lufkin.
Later, I went to Cook Tire and Klint Hensley waited on me to buy a new tire. He belongs to Mark and Jeanie Cook and is the golfer in the family.
Bettie Powell, owner of Final Touch, and her stylists Jolene Alsbrooks, Shelly Hollis, Ilse Parker, and Cheri McKinney welcome Natalie Modisette as the new nail tech. Her parents are Charles and Linda Modisette and her grandmother who goes to Cheri is Carmelita Rhodes. Natalie will be at the shop on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. She comes to Lufkin from Tyler where she has worked for two years on Wednesdays. Call 936-639-1764 or 936-671-3990 for your appointments. She enjoys doing children's manicures and pedicures and has a special for first time price of $20 for a pedicure.
Paul Thannisch, son of Kathy and John Thannisch and grandson of George and Laura Thannisch, made a 4.0 for his last two semesters at the University of Texas in Austin and is Magna Cum Laude. He is in pre-law and will graduate in December 2008. He works for a law firm and is studying for the LSAT test for law school. Several of his “city” friends came to Lufkin to hunt hogs at Eason Lake Hunting Club over the weekend.
Happy Birthday: Faye Honea, Billye Marie York, Patsy Head, Jerry Hill, Jo Ann Nerren, Gwen Kettering, Ronnie Robinson, Amanda Cornelius, Benjamin Harkness, Caitlin George, Brannon Ferrara, Jean Wayland, Gene Brookshire, Carson Grimes, Bob McCarroll, Jerry Sparks, Woodie Hicks, Jetta Westerholm, David Harkness, Joan Poplin and Lou Ray Berry.
Happy Anniversary: Wayne and Clarkie Brown, Gary and Carol Looney.
Dorothy and Tommy Hopson celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday, February 24 at the First Church of the Nazarene. Their children tried to surprise them with the party but had to finally tell Dorothy so she would not be working. Joy Fredrick and I went to hug Tommy who is one of our 1955 LHS classmates. Enjoyed visiting with Elsie Simpson, Joan Hopson, Caryn Dupree, Robbie Warren, Miriam Williams and many others.
Martha and Ray Carswell's driveway has a name, “Nana & Granddad's Drive”. It is a sign that was given to Martha and Ray for Christmas by Susan and Tim Pair.
Doris and Jim Harkness celebrated the Mardi Gras in Cajun country. They stayed at the Cajun Campground in Eunice, LA. where there were activities every day and evening at the clubhouse. On Thursday night, crawfish etoufee' was served in the clubhouse; there was a $5 charge for a heaping plate of delicious food. Friday night everyone brought a covered dish to share. The meal was followed by a Cajun band playing until 11 p.m. Saturday morning beignets and coffee were served. Volunteer campers helped mix and fry the beignets. Sunday, chicken and sausage gumbo was served, each camper was asked to bring a boiled egg. Jim and Doris dutifully boiled two eggs and carried them to the meal. They were told the boiled eggs were added to the gumbo or eaten on the side. Sometimes the eggs were used to make potato salad. The gumbo did not have okra, tomato, or celery in it. When asked about the thin rue, they were told these ingredients were only in the New Orleans Creole style gumbo. Cajun gumbo does not have them. Also, the sausage was sliced an inch thick and the chicken back and wings were whole. Lots of rice was served with each dish along with the traditional King's cake. Monday, cracklins and sweet potatoes were on the menu. The cracklins were sliced an inch thick cooked in barrel cookers; the sweet potatoes were sliced thin like chips. All meals were free with the exception of the Thursday meal. Each camper brought their own plates, bowls, spoons, drinks, etc. Campers who had rice cookers helped prepare the meals. From early morning until 10 p.m., there was something going on in the clubhouse. A group would gather and have a jam session, at another table a game of “train” or cards. Several women made jewelry from Mardi Gras beads and another group sewed quilt blocks, and some were just swapping tall tales. Of course, there were the antique shops and the casino in nearby Kinder. Jim and Doris went to the parade in Carencro on Saturday, Church Point on Sunday, and the parade in Eunice on Mardi Gras Tuesday. In Mamou, the merchants board up store windows during Mardi Gras. There is a bar that has a sign at the door “Do Not Ride Motorcycles in Bar”. In Eunice, the streets were blocked off and Cajun bands played while people danced in the street and vendors of all types lined the sidewalks. There was plenty of boiled crawfish and gumbo. The Cajun style Mardi Gras follows the country style Mardi Gras which sends children out in the country for the ‘chicken run'. The chickens are released and the children chase and catch them for the gumbo. The children run up to a person and beg for coins. The rain held off until Tuesday night and the merchants breathed a sigh of relief. Cajun Campground is always full and campers make reservations for next year before leaving this year. Jim and Doris brought home bags and bags of beads. Doris will give most of the beads to nursing homes and schools.
The Lufkin Daily News celebrated their 100 th anniversary at an open house at the Museum of East Texas sponsored by the Angelina County Chamber of Commerce. Gary Borders, publisher, Andy Adams, editor, Gary Willmon, city editor, Ferris Fain, operations director, Myste Snow, marketing; and Susan Stallard, circulation department were some that I saw. Andy Adams looks like his dad and his four-year-old son Andrew follows the family resemblance. Jane Perry, former employee for the paper and my neighbor, was there. The special anniversary sections of the paper have many valuable pictures and information in it.
Tara Watson has bought a house in Crown Colony and is getting settled after selling her house in Austin.
I will have to miss the reception for Boyd and Imogene Stewart on March 4 at the Southside Baptist Church from 2 to 4 p.m. They have moved to Katy near their son Kim Stewart and his family. We will miss them in Lufkin.
The DI team from the eighth grade Lufkin Middle School had practice last Saturday and came to the benefit to raise money for Debbie Richards, KYBI morning DJ, and her grandson Andrew Mynard that was at Bryan's Smokehouse. Debbie lost everything to a fire on February 13. Karla Yates treated the DI team of Amy Yates, Frances Ainsworth, Julieanne Ford, Claire Inselman, Megan Yeager and Dakota Freeland with Jane Ainsworth to barbecue sandwiches. Yates Broadcasting staff waiting on tables for tips for Debbie when I was there were: J.P., Dark, Keith, Carrie, and Debbie's friend Kris Cooper.
Back to the DI team, they will be competing over the weekend in Mesquite with seven other teams from LMS. We wish them good luck.
Glova Schultz has been under the weather since August, but is on the mend and doing better. She is on our prayer list at church and appreciates all of the prayers.
J. P. McDonald and Claudine Lovejoy reminded me of the Museum of East Texas' exhibit “Quilts, Quilts, Quilts” that opens Sunday, March 4. The reception will be from 2 - 4 p.m. It features 52 quilts ranging from 1840 to Art Quilts created in 2007. The exhibit is co-curated by James Haley and J. P. McDonald. Dr. Billye Raye Lipscomb, daughter of renowned primitive artist Ruby Yount, will lecture from 2 - 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 22. For more information contact the museum at 639-4434.
Keep me posted on your news. Catch you around town. Janice Ann email: roweja@suddenlink.net
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