CANHelp’s “Poverty Simulation”…What Is It?
Will you start out the month with only a $10 bill to meet your family’s basic needs? … Or, will you be one of the unlucky ones? You’ll find out when you join us for a unique opportunity to experience the virtual realities of poverty.
CANHelp will host a Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) on Wednesday, May 16th from 9:00am – 1:00pm at The ROC located at 115 Putman St., Sulphur Springs TX 75482. This learning tool has been created as a way to help people understand the realities of poverty. During a simulation, participants role-play the lives of low-income families. Some are TANF recipients, some are disabled, and some are senior citizens on Social Security. They have the stressful task of providing for basic necessities and shelter on a limited budget during the course of four 15-minute “weeks.” They interact with human service agencies, grocers, pawnbrokers, bill collectors, job interviewers, police officers and others.
Although play money is used, CAPS is not a game. It is a simulation that enables participants to look at poverty from a variety of angles and then to recognize and discuss the potential for change within their local communities. The simulation was designed to sensitize those who frequently deal with low-income families, as well as to create a broader awareness of the realities of poverty among policymakers, community leaders and others. It has been made available by the Missouri Association for Community Action. CANHelp purchased the simulation kit from the Missouri Association for Community Action to use within Hopkins and the surrounding counties to bring more awareness about those living in poverty or even just above. Even though CAPS originated in Missouri, the simulation is very relevant to what people in rural and urban communities in Texas face on a daily and monthly basis.
We invite you or someone from your staff to participate in or to observe the Poverty Simulation. I think you will find it provides an intriguing opportunity to describe a very real challenge to our community. Please contact me at [email protected] or 903-885-9797 ext. 1 if you would like additional information or would like to register for the simulation. While invitations were sent out to community leaders, we would love if you could share this information prior to the simulation to promote the event. The event is free and seating is still available at this time but is limited. We look forward to seeing you there.
Health Care Foundation Lights of Life Campaign And Gala Chairs Announced
by Meredith Caddell, Executive Director, Hopkins County Health Care Foundation
On behalf of the Hopkins County Health Care Foundation Board of Directors, it gives me tremendous pleasure to announce that the 2018-2019 Lights of Life Campaign & Gala Chairs will be Tanner & Holly Ragan.
The Ragans have a longstanding commitment to this community and are truly the perfect choice to lead the efforts of the Lights of Life Campaign. In discussion with Tanner & Holly, it was clear that they would only serve as Chairs if they could commit to it 110%. If you know them, you know that is the ONLY way they do everything.
Tanner and Holly were both born and raised in Sulphur Springs and are graduates from Sulphur Springs High School. Holly graduated from Texas A&M University @ Commerce with a Bachelor’s in Clinical Health Science and Business Management, and from Texas Tech University Health Science Center with a Master’s in Clinical Practice Management. Holly is the Outpatient Business Development Director for Access Physicians and also a part-time personal trainer/nutrition coach at Anytime Fitness, Sulphur Springs. Tanner is a licensed auctioneer in the livestock and automobile industry. They are Members of First Baptist Church Sulphur Springs
Currently, in the midst of work and civic commitments, they always find time to enjoy their three beautiful daughters: Reese, Ramsey & Ryan. Tanner and Holly have been married for 13 years and attend First Baptist Church in Sulphur Springs. In their limited spare time, Tanner likes to play golf, team rope, help Reese with her lamb projects and coach his girls in softball. Holly likes to run and workout, coach others toward better health, and serve the community through different organizations and fundraising. In fact, Holly has served on the HCHCF since 2014 starting the first half-marathon, and served as live auction chair. She is a past mothers club president, and founder of the HC Turkey trot which has raised over $100,000 for local families and MCC. They love to travel, spend time with friends, watch Texas Tech footfall, discover and try top-notch steak restaurants, two-step to Texas Country Music, and most of all, watch their daughters play softball, soccer, volleyball, compete in gymnastics, and show sheep in FFA and major livestock shows.
“Tanner and I have already been brainstorming on new ideas to make the campaign and gala another fun and memorable campaign. We are currently booking the band and catering company, while deciding on an amazing theme for the gala. We will share what’s been confirmed with the committee at the first campaign committee meeting, planned for June,” said Holly Ragan.
“I could not be more excited to be working with Tanner & Holly. I have had the pleasure of working with Holly over the past couple of years on the Gala Committee as the Live Auction Chair and I love her energy and determination. Tanner was our auctioneer last year and did an incredible job. What more could we ask for in Campaign Chairs…Hard working, dedicated, passionate and caring. They embody each of these qualities and we are blessed to have them as the 2018-2019 Lights of Life Campaign Chairs” stated Meredith Caddell.
The Foundation Board of Directors increased the goal for this year’s campaign from $300,000 to $500,000. This will be the 1st year for this aggressive goal but the Foundation Board believes in the continued generosity and support of this community. The impact the Foundation has had for our hospital has been tremendous with over 2.4 million dollars in contributions. The projects and equipment that have been purchased in the past have allowed our hospital to offer many additional services in order to provide better patient care.
The Foundation Board will be selecting the project(s) to fund in the upcoming weeks and that will also be announced at the first campaign meeting. “It’s always exciting to see what will be added to our hospital through the funds raised each year. All funds raised through our Foundation STAY in Hopkins County. We will need everyone’s support to reach this lofty goal, but we know that the residents of Hopkins County will not let us down,” commented Caddell.
The sponsorship letters will go out mid-June to repeat sponsors because they receive the first right of refusal. As in previous years, we expect a quick response and commitment from the community.
The Lights of Life gala is scheduled for Saturday, January 26, 2019 6:00p.m. – 12 midnight, at the Civic Center and it promises to be another fun filled evening of fine dining, dancing to a great band and bidding on amazing live and silent auction items. For more information and sponsorship opportunities, please call the Foundation office at 903-438-4799.
Cumby Police Discover Marijuana, Cocaine During Traffic Stop
During a roadside investigation following a traffic stop by Cumby Police shortly after midnight Friday morning on I-30 east bound near the 109 mile-marker, the officer discovered of a large jar with marijuana and a box containing multiple bags of marijuana and multiple bags of a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine. The cocaine weighed approximately 16.90-grams. The officer made the discovery after the driver admitted to having marijuana in the auto.
Dewayne Hamilton, 39, of Dallas is in Hopkins County Jail charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, more than 4-gram but less than 200-grams. He is being held on a $30,000 bond.
FREE Brunch at The Senior Citizens Center
West Oaks Funeral home will be having a FREE Brunch at the Senior Citizens Center on Monday, May 14th at 10:00 AM.
Please come and listen to what they have to say. Get Educated and make decisions for yourself. Don’t wait and make your family make all the decisions for you. It will give you Peace of Mind and take the Stress off of your family. There will be 2 $ 25.00 Gift cards given away at the Brunch.
Local Man Arrested for Assault Family Violence Continuous Violence Against Family
A Sulphur Springs Police officer was dispatched to a fight in progress in the 100 block of Nicholson Street Thursday at 12:25 p.m. Marco Antonio Orduna, 21, was found to be the aggressor in the fight. Orduna has previous convictions for assault family violence this year.
Marco Antonio Orduna
Orduna was arrested at the scene and the victim did wish to file an emergency protective order. Visible injuries were found on the victim, Orduna’s ex-girlfriend.
Orduna is in Hopkins County Jail charged with Assault Family Violence Continuous Violence Against Family, a Felony 3. He is being held on a $50,000 bond.
Tira News-May 11th, 2018
By Jan Vaughn
We want to express our sympathy to the family of Donna Joslin. Her funeral was held on Sunday afternoon, May 6th, at the Tira Methodist Church. Lunch was served for the family at the Community Center, prior to the funeral. We want to thank all who helped with the meal. Please remember Donna’s family in prayer.
L to R: Director, Producer, Actor, and Lee Beck
Kim Beck reports, “Alex Kennedy, a friend of our daughter Maddie, is graduating from NYU and his Sr. Project was the film “Save the Cat.” The crew was here in November to film, using Kim and Lee’s home for one of the locations. Kim says, “They fell in love with our 1969 Ford truck and used it as well.” Kim and Lee were visited again by the NYU film students over the weekend, so that they could get some additional shots for the film. Kim comments, “The weather was perfect and they got what they needed. They did have some motor trouble with “Old Blue” and we had to bring the 1969 Ford truck home on a wrecker from Athens. They quickly switched their outdoor location from Corsicana to Athens with permission from the land owner where the truck broke down. The sunset was beautiful and they wrapped the film. We hope to see a copy in the next few months.”
Joyce Dodd shared, “William and I enjoyed a very nice visit from Aunt Rosemary [Horn] and Glenda [Zumwalt] on Saturday afternoon. We enjoyed talking about old times.”
The annual Horn Family Reunion was held at the Tira Community Center on Saturday, May 5th. Janie Lewis had put a lot of energy into decorating the Center for the event and everything looked beautiful. Twenty-one people attended and enjoyed a delicious pot-luck meal and visiting.
I always need and appreciate input from my friends to help keep me informed of news in our community. If you have any news pertaining to Tira residents, past or present, please contact me, Jan Vaughn, at 903-945- 2190 or 903-438- 6688 or [email protected].
Pond weed control with fish: The grass carp By Mario Villarino
As our weather warms up, major attention is driven to our outdoor activities including enjoying our ponds and lakes. Because it is common to fish, the presence of pond weeds are often more noticed in warm weather when our families gathered to enjoy the outdoors. A common method to control weeds is using vegetarian fish. There are two main fish species used to control vegetation in ponds in Texas: the Mozambique tilapia and the grass carp. These two types of fish are considerable different in their habit, survival in ponds and food they eat. To learn more about the grass carp, I will share with you some basic information related to grass carp biology for you to learn of what grass carp do, and must important, what grass carp cannot do.
This information was release by Texas Park and Wildlife as part of the permit process to use grass carp in Texas (Grass Carp is a permitted species, a Texas Park and Wildlife permit is required to stock in ponds and lakes in Texas). The grass carp, also known as white amur, is a vegetarian fish native to the Amur River in Asia. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service introduced grass carp into the United States in 1963 for experimental purposes. Because this fish feeds on aquatic plants, it can be an effective biological tool for control of nuisance vegetation. Since 1992, Texas has allowed stocking of triploid grass carp, a sterile form of the species, with a permit from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).
Facts
Triploid grass carp:
a. offer a biological alternative for aquatic plant control.
b. are sterile and will not reproduce.
c. are only distantly related to the undesirable European carp, and share few of its habits.
d. live for at least 10 years and probably longer in Texas waters.
e. grow rapidly and may exceed 60 pounds.
f. feed only on plants, not on fish eggs or young fishes.
g. feed from the top of the plant downward; however, where all submersed vegetation has been eliminated, the water can become turbid, as hungry fish eat the organic material out of the sediments.
h. have definite food preferences. Plants like water lilies, filamentous algae (pond scum or moss), muskgrass and Eurasian milfoil are not preferred. Bushy and American pondweeds and hydrilla are preferred foods.
i. are not effective for control of bulrush, filamentous algae (pond scum or moss), water primrose, coontail, Eurasian milfoil, or cattails.
j. go dormant during the winter and resume intensive feeding when water temperatures reach 68o F.
k. are difficult to catch with conventional fishing methods.
Stocking Considerations
1. Triploid grass carp are inexpensive compared to most other aquatic vegetation control methods.
2. Depending on plant types, plant density, and stocking rate, it may take several years to achieve control using triploid grass carp. Restocking, generally every 5 to 7 years, is needed for maximum effectiveness.
3. The types of plants triploid grass carp prefer may also be important for fish habitat and waterfowl food. Aquatic vegetation can be important in maintaining good fish communities and providing food for other wildlife species.
4. If the water body is overstocked, all submersed aquatic plants may be eliminated. Removing excess fish can be difficult.
5. If insufficient numbers of triploid grass carp are stocked, less-favored plants may become overabundant.
6. Stocking triploid grass carp may result in alga blooms and reduced water clarity.
Emigration Barrier
Triploid grass carp readily seek flowing water and often escape before controlling nuisance aquatic plants. Escapement of the stocked fish can reduce or eliminate their potential for plant control within targeted areas, and can threaten beneficial plants outside of targeted areas. Impoundments on permanently flowing creeks, or those that overflow frequently, should not be stocked with triploid grass carp unless they can be effectively screened.
Therefore, emigration barriers are required for many, and recommended for most, water bodies being stocked with triploid grass carp. In cases where emigration cannot be prevented, chemical or mechanical control of aquatic plants is recommended. With few exceptions, the best screening device for nearly all outlet types is the horizontal parallel steel-bar design. The orientation of the bars allows unrestricted passage of small debris, thereby minimizing maintenance, clogging, and flooding concerns. Bar thickness of ¼- to ½- inch is preferred. Round bar stock will facilitate debris passage.
For a spillway barrier, the horizontal bars are attached to vertical support posts (minimum ¾-inch diameter) spaced 4 feet apart. Horizontal bars should be spaced 2 inches apart. The barrier should span the entire spillway. Since triploid grass carp are excellent jumpers, barrier height should extend 2 feet above the normal high-water level. For capping a drainage pipe, a similar bar design should be used. Extending the bars 4-5 feet above the overflow pipe allows water to rise over debris and begin flowing again should the screen become clogged.
Welded wire and chicken wire are not effective as barrier materials. These types of materials readily clog with debris and the force of even a small amount of water can destroy the barrier. Clogged barriers may threaten the integrity of dams. For capping a drainage pipe, a similar bar design should be used. Extending the bars 4-5 feet above the overflow pipe allows water to rise over debris and begin flowing again should the screen become clogged.
For more information on this or any other agricultural topic, please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or email me at [email protected].
Mario Villarino DVM, Ph.D.
Hopkins County Extension Agent for Ag and NR
1200B Houston Street
Sulphur Springs, Texas 75482
903-885-3443
Happy Mother’s Day & Summer Camps for Kids By Johanna Hicks
Happy Mother’s Day
Sunday is a special day for moms all across the country. Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the months of March or May. It complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Father’s Day, Siblings Day, and Grandparents Day. In the United States, celebration of Mother’s Day began in the early 20th century.
The modern holiday of Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. In 1908, the U.S. Congress rejected a proposal to make Mother’s Day an official holiday, joking that they would also have to proclaim a “Mother-in-law’s Day”. However, owing to the efforts of Anna Jarvis, by 1911 all U.S. states observed the holiday.
In most countries, Mother’s Day is an observance derived from the holiday as it has evolved in the United States. In some cases, countries already had existing celebrations honoring motherhood, and their celebrations then adopted several external characteristics from the US holiday, such as giving carnations and other presents to one’s mother. However you celebrate this special day, enjoy time with family and friends!
Summer Camps for Kids
My office often receives phone calls from individuals seeking summer activities for their children. I am directly involved in the planning and implementation of three separate camps, targeting various ages groups. Below is a listing of opportunities:
- Kids’ Camp: Fun, Food, Fitness: This will be the 8th annual 3-week day camp for Sulphur Springs students who will be finishing grades 1 thru 4 at the end of the current school year. Dates are Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, June 11, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 27, and 29, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. We will be meeting at Sulphur Springs Middle School in the auxiliary gym. Activities will include team games, Walk Across Texas, nutrition & hands-on food preparation, fire safety clowns, water safety, sun/weather safety, stranger danger, and simple money management on Mondays and Wednesdays. Friday sessions will be led by our Hopkins County Master Gardeners. Prizes, snacks, and incentive items will be given out each day. Registration forms are available at each of the Sulphur Springs primary campuses and Sulphur Springs Elementary School, or you may pick up a registration form at the Extension Office. Cost is $10 per child for the entire camp, or $20 family maximum if more than two children from the same family wish to attend. Deadline to sign up is May 31. This camp is sponsored by the Hopkins County Community Health Wellness Alliance.
- Multi-County 4-H Camp: This is a popular camp among our Hopkins County 4-H members! However, you do not have to be a member of 4-H to attend. This camp is open to students who will be completing grades 3-12 at the end of the current school year. Dates are July 9-11, at Lakeview Baptist Conference Center in Lone Star, Texas. Cost is $115, which includes lodging, meals, workshops, and all amenities of the camp (swimming pool, lake, canoeing, kayaking, ping pong, gift shop, and more). Workshops will include archery, healthy lifestyles (team games), real life skills, nature, re-Use Derby, and Ropes course. For those wishing to attend, we will meet at the Extension Office on Monday, July 9 to carpool to the camp. Registration forms and a list of things to bring are available at the Extension Office. The registration deadline is May 31st. Hopkins County typically has the largest attendance at this camp, so let’s make this the largest attendance yet!
- Life Skills Camp: This will be the 4th annual day camp, targeted toward Sulphur Springs students who will have completed grades 5 and 6 at the end of the current school year. As the title implies, this camp will teach skills that participants can use as a hobby, or perhaps even as an introduction to a career. The dates are Monday thru Thursday, July 16 thru 19, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Each session, with the exception of one, will take place at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office in Sulphur Springs. Sessions will include: Monday – woodworking, led by Harold Bryant and Dennis Sink, upcycling led by camp staff; Tuesday – photography, led by Isabel Reyna; Wednesday – ceramics, led by Melba Crain (we will meet at the ROC on this day, so participants will need to be taken there instead of the Extension Office); Thursday – outdoor cooking, led by Johnny Ross. Cost of this camp is $15. Registration forms are available at Douglas Intermediate and Sulphur Springs Middle School and also available at the Extension Office. They are due by June 22. This camp is sponsored by the Hopkins County Community Health/Wellness Alliance.
Closing Thought
We should worry less about who we might offend and worry more about who we might inspire – Mike Baxter, “Last Man Standing”
Johanna Hicks
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Family & Consumer Sciences
1200-B W. Houston
P.O.Box 518
Sulphur springs, TX 75483
903-885-3443 – phone
903-439-4909 – Fax
[email protected]
Votes Canvassed, New Council Members Take City Council Oath
Thursday afternoon, May 10, 2018, four new members of the Sulphur Springs City Council received the oath of office following a canvass of Saturday’s municipal election. The four will receive the oath once again in a more formal setting when the council convenes for its June regular session.
Mayor John Sellers read the official vote totals and declared Erica Armstrong, Jimmy Lucas, and Norman Sanders elected by the voters. Doug Moore was also seated on the council following his appointment to the council during the May regular session.
Gale Roberts administered the oath to each new member of the council.
Elected Place 1, Erica Armstrong defeated incumbent Craig Johnson. Although Justin Davidson had withdrawn from the race, he did receive just over 40 votes.
Elected Place 2, Jimmy Lucas defeated Sara Gibson. Incumbent Clay Walker decided not to seek reelection.
Elected Place 3, Norman Sanders defeated incumbent Oscar Aguilar.
Appointed Place 4, Doug Moore replaces Dan Froneberger, who resigned from the council to pursue what he called higher ground-family and a spiritual calling.
