Chamber Connection February 14, 2019
Ribbon Cuttings:
Flowerland Florist will host a ribbon cutting celebration
Flowerland Florist, located at 411 Gilmer in Sulphur Springs, will host a ribbon cutting celebration with their new owners on Monday, February 11th at noon. Please make plans to attend and welcome the new owners to Flowerland.
Hopkins County hosts ribbon cutting for new courtroom
The Hopkins County Commissioner’s Court is hosting a ribbon cutting for their newly constructed courtroom located at 282 Rosemont Street in Sulphur Springs. It will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, February 13th. Please join us!
Soccer: Coaches Review Losses to Greenville
Wildcats Soccer Coach Alexi Upton Has Healthy Respect for Powerful Greenville Lions
After the senior-laden Greenville Lions defeated the Wildcats, 5-1 in the district opener for both teams at Gerald Prim Stadium Tuesday night (February 12), Wildcats Soccer Coach Alexi Upton called the Lions incredible and out of this world. Coach Upton noted that top Lions’ goal scorer Ian Miller would be playing college soccer at Furman. Miller had a three-goal hat trick Tuesday against the Wildcats. Coach Upton called Miller something else and phenomenal. He said the Wildcats would need to change some things when they play Greenville again. Coach Upton said the Wildcats would have to be more defensive minded and eliminate some of the mistakes they made Tuesday. Coach Upton also said Lions midfielder Payton Franklin was a phenomenal player. He said Kevin Zavala and Kevin Jasso work well up top with Miller. Jasso scored the first Greenville goal Tuesday. All of Greenville’s varsity players are seniors except for their freshman goalkeeper Greg Just. Daniel Moreno scored the Wildcats lone goal. Coach Upton said he put Moreno in because he is physical and aggressive. He said the Wildcats need to bounce back Friday night at home against Lindale. Coach Upton called it a must win. Lindale is 1-0 in district play. They edged past Royse City at home, 3-2 on Tuesday.
Lady Cats Soccer Coach Joel Bailey Said Greatly Improved Greenville Team Bested Them Tuesday
Lady Cats Soccer Coach Joel Bailey said it was a much improved Greenville team that defeated the Lady Cats, 3-0 at Greenville Tuesday night (February 12). He said the Lady Lions had players who did well passing and moving the ball around, counterattacking and transitioning from attack to defense and from defense to attack. Still the score was 0-0 at halftime and Coach Bailey said each team seemed to have the ball half the time and each also had scoring opportunities. He said the Lady Lions scored a goal in the second half. Coach Bailey called it an innocent looking shot that found the net. A second and third goal followed and Coach Bailey said the Lady Cats made some mistakes and Greenville capitalized on them. He called it a tough loss adding the Lady Cats have been successful against them recently. Coach Bailey said the Lady Lions earned the win Tuesday night. The Lady Cats play Lindale Friday night at 7 p.m. Lindale is 0-1 in district play after an 8-0 loss at Royse City Tuesday. Coach Bailey called the Lady Bulldogs one of the district’s teams to beat along with Mount Pleasant. Lindale’s field is undergoing renovation so the Lady Cats and Lady Eagles match will be played at the Pat Hartley Complex at Tyler Junior College.
Lady Lions Face Bryson Thursday at 6 p.m. at Tioga in Area Playoff; Lions Face Avinger Friday
The first playoff game for the #20 ranked Saltillo Lady Lions has been firmed up. After getting a bye in bi-district action due to being a district champion, the Lady Lions now face Bryson Thursday (February 14) at 6 p.m. at Tioga High School in an Area round game.
Meanwhile the Saltillo Lions picked up a district win Tuesday (February 12) against Union Hill, 48-40. The Lions got off to a good start leading 11-3 after one quarter and 27-15 at the half. Union Hill rallied in the third quarter and trailed only 33-32 after three periods. The Lions had a big fourth quarter outscoring Union Hill, 15-8 to secure the 8 point win. Chris Boekhorst led the Lions with 25 points. Andrew Redburn scored 11 points. Edi Olayo had 6 points. Ben Moore scored 5 points. Levi Hoover added 1 point.
The Lions are 9-1 in district play and 24-8 for the season. They play Avinger Friday at 6 p.m. at Pittsburg High School.
Sulphur Springs Downtown One of Five Finalists for National Urban Excellence Award
The 2019 RBA finalists: Beyond Walls—Lynn, MA Grassroots public art and lighting initiative revitalizing a former industrial city. (Submitted by Beyond Walls, photo bottom left); Buffalo Bayou Park—Houston, TX Enhancement of a historic waterway into a resilient public greenspace. (Submitted by SWA Group, photo top center); Crosstown Concourse—Memphis, TN Rehabilitation of an abandoned Sears, Roebuck & Co. distribution center into a mixed-use vertical village and arts, education, and healthcare destination. (Submitted by Crosstown Arts, photo top right); Parisite Skatepark—New Orleans, LA Youth-driven DIY creation of a new public park on vacant land beneath a highway overpass. (Submitted by Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund, photo bottom center); Sulphur Springs Downtown—Sulphur Springs, TX Renewal of a rural, small-town civic plaza and main street. (Submitted by Toole Design Group, photo bottom right)*
Cambridge, MA – February 13, 2019 – The Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence (RBA) announces five finalists for its 2019 Gold and Silver medal prizes. The Gold Medalist will receive $50,000, and four Silver Medalists will each receive $10,000 to enhance their projects. For more than 30 years, the biennial RBA has recognized transformative places that contribute to the economic, environmental, and social vitality of American cities. Seventy-eight projects in 27 states have been honored since its founding.
The 2019 RBA finalists: Beyond Walls—Lynn, MA Grassroots public art and lighting initiative revitalizing a former industrial city. (Submitted by Beyond Walls, photo bottom left); Buffalo Bayou Park—Houston, TX Enhancement of a historic waterway into a resilient public greenspace. (Submitted by SWA Group, photo top center); Crosstown Concourse—Memphis, TN Rehabilitation of an abandoned Sears, Roebuck & Co. distribution center into a mixed-use vertical village and arts, education, and healthcare destination. (Submitted by Crosstown Arts, photo top right); Parisite Skatepark—New Orleans, LA Youth-driven DIY creation of a new public park on vacant land beneath a highway overpass. (Submitted by Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund, photo bottom center); Sulphur Springs Downtown—Sulphur Springs, TX Renewal of a rural, small-town civic plaza and main street. (Submitted by Toole Design Group, photo bottom right)
RBA entries comprise completed projects across the contiguous United States. Finalists and medalists are chosen by a nationwide committee of urban experts through an in-depth evaluation process involving input from the award application, site visits, interviews with project participants and community members, and committee discussions. The 2019 Selection Committee: Libby Schaaf—Mayor, City of Oakland, CA; Adrian Benepe—Senior Vice President and Director of National Programs at the Trust for Public Land, New York, NY; Brenda Breaux—Executive Director for the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA), New Orleans, LA; Carol Coletta—President and CEO of the Memphis River Parks Partnership, Memphis, TN Marc Norman—Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Michigan, Taubman School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Ann Arbor, MI; Carol Ross Barney, FAIA—Principal Designer, Ross Barney Architects, Chicago, IL Next month, RBA staff will begin site visits to each finalist project in preparation for the committee’s selection of the medal winners in June.
Metropolis magazine will tell the stories of each of these sites through a series of online features. Findings and lessons learned will be relayed through detailed case studies and published in book form in 2020 as a resource for educators, practitioners, and students. Past case studies are available on the RBA website.
“The range of issues addressed in this year’s submissions reflect the evolution of our understanding of placemaking in cities,” says RBA Founder Simeon Bruner. “The five finalists illustrate the shifting role of design in response to the imperatives of social inclusivity and environmental resilience.”
About the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence The Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence (RBA) was created in 1986 by Simeon Bruner, founding principal of Bruner/Cott Architects and Planners (Cambridge, MA), and is a program of the Bruner Foundation. The RBA was named in honor of founder Simeon Bruner’s late father, who established the Foundation in 1963 with his mother, Martha. The Bruner Foundation is renowned for its pioneering approach to social issues including health care, education, evaluation, and the built environment.
*Photo Credits (clockwise from left):
Buffalo Bayou Park—Jonnu Singleton
Crosstown Concourse—Chad Mellon
Sulphur Springs Downtown—Cindy Roller
Parisite Skatepark—Michael Wong
Beyond Walls—Warren Jagger
Video Presentation: Dedication of New Courtroom at Law Enforcement Center
The Grand Opening of the new courtroom at the Law Enforcement Center took place Wednesday morning as ceremonies were squeezed in between plea bargains and docket call. At 11 a.m., Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom welcomed the packed courtroom of county officials, community leaders and members of the public present.
Sanderson Files for Place 5 on Sulphur Springs City Council
With only two days left to file for a Place on the Sulphur Springs City Council, Jeff Sanderson, a Shift Captain for Hopkins County EMS, filed to seek election to Place 5. Sanderson challenges incumbent Emily Glass for the seat. Glass filed on the first day to file for the May 4, 2019 Municipal Election.
Incumbent Freddie Taylor filed to seek re-election to Place 4 on the Sulphur Springs City Council on January 31st. Taylor, local business leader, has served in various capacities on the council since he was sworn in June, 2004.
For Place 6 Doug Moore, who was appointed to the council until the May 4, 2019 Municipal Election, will face Landon Thornton, who has also filed for the seat.
Opportunity to file for Places 4, 5, and 6 continue through February 15, 2019.
PJC-Sulphur Springs Blood Drive Collects 21 Units
BLOOD DRIVE
The Blend Club, a service organization on the PJC-Sulphur Springs Center campus, sponsored a blood drive this week that was conducted by Carter Bloodcare. According to Lanie Wright of Carter, the drive was highly successful, exceeding their goal by collecting 21 units! Wright added, “Congrats and thank you so much — this helped tremendously while we are battling the flu outbreak.” Above, Jason Gregory of the Fire Academy was one of the 21 making life saving contributions.
New Courtroom Next to Law Enforcement Center Opened Wednesday
The Grand Opening of the new courtroom at the Law Enforcement Center took place Wednesday morning as ceremonies were squeezed in between plea bargains and docket call. At 11 a.m., Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom welcomed the packed courtroom of county officials, community leaders and members of the public present.
District Judge Eddie Northcutt told those present that he remembers when County Judge Newsom, who at the time was the presiding District 8 Judge, drew a plan for the new courtroom on a napkin to illustrate how functional it could become. Northcutt thanked Newsom and County Commissioners’ Court for their efforts in making the room efficient and functional. Northcutt cut the ribbon for the opening saying, “For justice”.
District Attorney Will Ramsay said he knew the new courtroom would facilitate efforts to obtain justice.
The building includes a passage way for inmates to be brought from the jail area, a room for the jury easily accessed from the jury box and an office for the District Judge just off the bench area. Safety for inmates, judge, jury and others is a feature commended by those who spoke.
County Judge Newsom thanked Tom Glossup for overseeing the construction and Judge Northcutt and DA Ramsay for their contributions to design.
Members of law enforcement, county fire department, Sulphur Springs City Council members and Mayor John Sellers were among those present for the event.
Local Man Arrested for Meth on Person and in Residence
Feb 19, 2019 – When Cumby Police stopped and arrested Marty Lee Kays, 43, of Sulphur Springs for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Hopkins County Investigator Wade Sheets and SSPD Lt. Mark Estes interviewed Kays . During the interview Kays admitted to having methamphetamine on his person and in his residence.
On his person, was found three baggies weighing approximately 6.2-grams including packaging and in his residence, searched with consent of Kays, was found 1.2-grams of meth.
Kays is in Hopkins County Jail charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 4-grams but less than 200-grams and with Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 more than 1-gram but less than 4-grams. Kays is held on bonds totaling $80,000.
