Volunteers Needed To Cook For Meal-A-Day On Wednesday, Thursday
Hopkins County Meal-A-Day is dependent on volunteers to prepare and deliver meals to senior shut-ins in the community.
Currently, Meal-A-Day is in need of cooks on Wednesday and Thursday. No prior experience is necessary, just a willingness to help prepare meals, and a few hours to volunteer Wednesday and/or Thursday morning(s).
Starting in November, Meal-A-Day will be needing a driver to deliver meals on an in-town route on Mondays. Driving pairs interested in donating their time are also welcome.
Anyone interested in donating their time as a cook or driver for Meal-A-Day are encouraged to contact Karon Weatherman at 903-885-1661.
Lady Cats are Second and Wildcats Fourth at Titus County Fair Invitational Cross Country Meet Saturday
The Lady Cats Cross Country Team finished second while the Wildcats were fourth at the Titus County Fair Invitational in Mount Pleasant this past Saturday (September 28). The Mount Pleasant course will be the site for the District Cross Country Meet on October 9. All of the district’s teams ran Saturday except Lindale. The Lady Cats lost only to Mount Pleasant while the Wildcats finished behind district foes Mount Pleasant and Royse City as well as Class 6A Longview. The Lady Cats topped Mount Pleasant a week before Saturday’s run. The Lady Cats were led again by senior Sydney Washburn. A pair of freshmen finished next for the Lady Cats: Maddie Bridges and Makayla Jimmerson. Next was junior Maurie Flecker. Jessica Yanez was the sixth Lady Cat finisher. For the Wildcats, senior Christian Palomino was back as the first finisher for the Wildcats. Next came sophomore Jose Majia followed by sophomore Evan Patrick. Junior Camden Fuller finished next followed by senior Ricardo Torres. In a final tune up before the district meet, the Wildcats and Lady Cats will run at a Lindale meet at Garden Valley Country Club on Thursday. Sulphur Springs Cross Country Cross Country Coach Ross Hicks said his runners are decreasing the mileage endurance work some now to work on increasing their speed as they prepare for the district meet next week.
Wildcats Team Tennis Plays Practice Match at Home Against Royse City on Monday
Wildcats Team Tennis has a practice match with Royse City on this Monday (September 30) game day. The Wildcats will be taking on the Bulldogs beginning at 3:30 p.m. at the Wildcat Tennis Center. The Bulldogs have put a team together although too late to play a district schedule. The Wildcats completed their district schedule last Monday with a 1-0 forfeit from Mount Pleasant. The Wildcats finished district play in third place with a 2-2 record. They are 6-11 for the season but they have won their last two matches. After another playoff warm up on October 8 at Anna, the Wildcats are scheduled to face a solid Jacksonville team in first round bi-district playoffs on October 15. Jacksonville defeated the Wildcats in a Whitehouse tournament back on August 15. Since then the Wildcats have won five of their last eight matches.
TIME TO PLANT BULBS FOR SPRING COLOR
As we await the arrival of cooler temperatures and the soothing, comforting colors of Fall, now is the time to consider planning and planting for the dazzlingly vibrant colors we anticipate next Springs.
Spring-flowering bulbs are planted as temperatures begin to cool and night-time lows approach 40-50 degrees F. Planting should be done 6-8 weeks before the ground freezes, which will give the bulbs an opportunity to set down roots and chill through the winter in preparation for Springs blooms. Crocus, hyacinth, daffodil, and iris are colorful, prolific bloomers that are perennials in Northeast Texas. Tulips, on the other hand tend to be annuals and may need to be replanted each year.
Site selection should provide for at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. Many bulbs will do well beneath deciduous trees that won’t leaf out until late Spring after the bulbs have already bloomed. Bulbs may rot in low areas where water accumulates, so they should be planted in well-drained soil. Soil preparation entails loosening the soil to a depth of 8-12 inches, removing weeds, and adding amendments such as compost or peat moss and working it into the soil. Plant the bulbs pointy-end up, root-end down. The rule-of-thumb for depth is to plant the bulb three times as deep as it is wide. Most packages of bulbs contain directions for planting depth. Shallower depths may be preferred in heavy clay soils. After planting, tamp the soil lightly and water the bulbs in. When colder weather arrives, cover the bulbs with a couple of inches of mulch. This will keep the soil from heaving during freezes and thaws over the winter. Mulching too heavily when the ground is still warm may damage the bulbs. Bulbs like to be in cold soil to develop their full blooming potential for the Spring.
A landscape for Spring color with bulbs may include using bulbs as edging for established beds, planting bulbs for a succession of blooms over several weeks, or using varying heights of blooming bulbs in the same bed. Rather than choosing too many colors in small areas, two or three colors will add interest and focus to your gardens. Bulbs tend to multiply, so after a couple of years you may need to dig up, separate, and make another bulb garden…or share your extra bulbs with friends and neighbors.
Bulbs may be purchased from nurseries, garden centers, or on-line. A true bulb is a miniature of a plant encased in modified leaves. Choose bulbs that are full and firm. Reject any bulbs that are brittle, moldy or mushy. Planting healthy bulbs is essential to successful Spring blooms. Following several weeks of enjoying Spring blooms, cut off the spent flower, but leave the green leaves, as they are storing energy for next year’s blooms. After the leaves turn yellow or brown, cut them off at grounds level and dispose of the discarded leaves.
Enjoy! Spring bulbs are fun and easy to grow. It is a great way for novice gardeners to get started in this most wonderful of pursuits.
Change of Location for Report Meeting on October 1 and October 8 for Hopkins County United Way Workers
Good morning, Campaign Volunteers and Media Friends.
Due to interior renovations at the Texas AgriLife Extension office, we have a change in location for our Report Meeting tomorrow, Tues., Oct. 1 and next Tues., Oct. 8!!
We will be meeting in the new Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce office at 110 Main Street, just south of the square, a few doors down from Plain and Fancy. Look for the black and white striped awning! Do not go to the Texas AgriLife office, but head straight to the square and the Chamber office. If you have questions about their location, please call, text or email me. Our meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m.
If you have donations or pledges ready and you will not be able to attend the meeting tomorrow, please let me know so we can make arrangements to get those from you. We look forward to a great first meeting at the brand new Chamber office on Main Street!!
See you in the morning at 9:00!
Susan Berning
Executive Secretary
Hopkins County United Way
P.O. Box 735
Sulphur Springs, TX 75483
903-243-4066
Roan Oak Masonic Lodge Scholarships
The Roan Oak Masonic Lodge presented scholarships to five associate degree nursing students. Shown from left are Lodge Secretary James Parsons, Brandy Seagraves of Sulphur Springs, Lodge Treasurer Larry Slagle, Andre’ King of Paris, Worshipful Master Casey Mitchell, Clayton Thomas of Paris, Lodge District Deputy Ed Moore, Wendy Springfield of Sulphur Springs, PJC Dean of Health Occupations Dr. Greg Ferenchak, Makayla Stringer of Detroit, and PJC Director of Nursing Stephanie Parker.
Local Ms. Hopkins County Sr. Contestants Go to the Ms. Texas Senior Classic Pageant
Among this group of seven past contestants of the Ms. Hopkins County Senior Classic Pageant, there are two past Ms. Texas Senior Classic, three past Ms. Hopkins County Senior Classic, and several runners-up who also placed in the Top Ten at the 2019 State pageant. Current Ms. Hopkins County Senior Classic, Vender Wright, was not pictured. The ladies recently traveled to Tyler to attend a ‘girls weekend’ of fun, fashion and pageantry.
Jan Gray, who won the Most Spirited Award as well as a Top Ten designation at the State pageant, has been a local contestant for the past three years. Stella Bagley, who was the very first Ms. Hopkins County Senior back in 2008, also came in as 3rd Runner Up at State this year. Linda Pickle-Hill brought back the First in Platform award and was named fourth runner-up. Mary Ivey, 2018 Ms. Hopkins County Senior snagged two awards at State; Volunteerism and Ms. Congeniality. Patsy Crist, who represented Hopkins County as Ms. Senior in 2017, attended to lend spirit to her friends. Nancy Bolton was at one time Ms. Texas Senior Classic and has won most every local award dissociated with the Ms. Hopkins County Senior Pageant. A contestant from Tyler, Regina Money, was crowned Ms. Texas Senior Classic for 2019/2020 on September 28, 2019.
Entries Being Taken Now in Hopkins/Rains Hay Show, Deadline is October 4
According to Andy Wright, President of Hopkins/Rains County Farm Bureau, the annual Hay Show is starting up. Local farmers and ranchers are asked to bring hay samples to the Hopkins County Extension office where samples will be collected through the deadline of Friday October 4, 2019. Samples will be judged by the lab at Northeast Texas Farmer’s Co-op, with results to be announced at the annual Show. It’s date is Friday October 25 and will be combined with a luncheon at 11:30 am for those who entered the Show. The Hopkins County Hay Show, a long-standing tradition of the harvest season, will now continue as the Hopkins/Rains County Hay Show, sponsored in 2019 by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. For more information, contact agent Mario Villarino at the Agri-life Extension Office in Sulphur Springs at 903-885-3443.
