Affiliated Driving Class For All Ages: April 30th
There have been inquiries about people wanting to take the Driving Class for their Insurance Discount. The next scheduled class will be for Monday, April 30th from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.Program and Marketing Director
Senior Citizen’s Center
150 Martin Luther King Blvd
Sulphur Springs, Texas 75482
(903) 885-1661
Quilt Raffle Winner: Proceeds go to New Building in Sulphur Springs
Scratched Record By Johanna Hicks
Scratched Record
Sometimes I feel as if I’m repeating myself, but it usually pays off! Similar to a scratched CD or record that repeats and repeats, after a while, the words stick in your head. The “Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes” series has been implemented many times, but it has proven over and over to be beneficial to those who attend.
The spring “Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes” series is rapidly approaching and, for individuals who have been diagnosed with diabetes or even prediabetes, the information provided covers questions and concerns about managing the disease. The dates are April 9, 12, 16, 19, and 23. This is a series, where every session covers a different topic, so when you call to sign up, you are covered for all five sessions. Sessions will be held at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, 1200 W. Houston, Sulphur Springs. Two times are being offered to accommodate schedules, so pick the time that works best for you – either 1:30 or 6:00 p.m. Cost for the entire series is $25 (not per session, but one time only), payable at the first session, which covers materials, refreshments, supplementary information, and door prizes. If the cost is a hardship, let us know when you call – 903-885-3443. A registration form will be mailed to you, which will need to be brought to the first session. Couples sharing a notebook will only be charged one fee.
Experts in the field of diabetes and health will be on hand to assist in leading the sessions, which include:
- Monday, April 9: “Getting Started: How Food Affects your Blood Glucose” – we will cover the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, which foods affect your blood glucose the most, and nutrition
labels to help make healthier choices.
- Thursday, April 12: “Are You Eating the Right Number of Carbohydrates?” – this session will cover the reasons and steps to check blood glucose, recommended glucose ranges, what outside factors affect your blood glucose, and discuss carbohydrate “choices” as a part of meal planning.
- Monday, April 16: “Beyond Diet: Improving Blood Glucose Control with Physical Activity” – we will cover the benefits of both aerobic and resistance physical activity, discuss symptoms of and how to treat low blood glucose, and discuss the importance of eating regular meals and snacks.
- Thursday, April 19: “Beyond Diet and Physical Activity: Improving Blood Glucose Control with Medication” – this session will cover the reasons for starting medications, risks of delaying medications, tips for eating out and portion control.
- Monday, April 23: “Celebrating Diabetes Control While Avoiding Complications” – this session discusses complications and prevention strategies, how to get the most from your doctor’s visit, strategies to incorporate sweets or desserts into a healthy eating pattern.
All information presented is research- and evidence-based. This will be the only time the “Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes” series will be held in 2018, so please make plans to attend. “Cooking Well with Diabetes” will be offered in the fall, which is a good follow-up. More information will be available later in the year for that series.
So, scratched CD or record – hopefully this repeat reminder will pay off!
Como-Pickton Walk and Talk Group
Walk & Talk
Another program provided by Extension is Walk Across Texas. Currently, 31 individuals from County Line Baptist Church are participating and have logged 2,073.08 miles as of this writing. Additionally, four teams of faculty members, parents, and students at Como-Pickton School recently completed the “Walk & Talk” Series. The group met each week for 8 weeks for this spin-off of “Walk Across Texas” to learn about nutrition, the importance of physical activity, food safety, and other topics. The group logged a total of 3,751.42miles. The goal was to achieve 833 miles (the distance between Beaumont and El Paso), which this group easily met and exceeded. Pictured are some of the participants who participated. Meg Garrett, 2nd from left, logged the most miles with 372.5 miles as the overall high mileage participant. The student logging the most miles was Lucas Silva, second from right on front row, with 229.2 miles.
If you would like more information on Walk Across Texas, log onto http://walkacrosstexas.tamu.edu/ and explore the site.
Closing Thought
Kindness is like snow – it beautifies everything it covers – Khalil Gibran
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]
Potato Farming Tips By Mario Villarino
Potatoes are one of the first vegetables planted by seasoned gardeners. Irish potatoes are one of America’s most popular vegetables—the average American eats about 125 pounds of potatoes and potato products each year. The edible part of the plant is an underground stem called a tuber (not a root). Irish potatoes contain 2 percent protein and 18 percent starch. They are an inexpensive source of carbohydrates and, when prepared properly, provide good amounts of vitamins and minerals. Irish potatoes are a cool-season crop; they grow best in early spring and late fall when the days are warm and the nights are cool.
However, the tops of the plant cannot withstand frost. Varieties The most common types of Irish potatoes are red or white. Most red varieties store longer than do white varieties; on the other hand, most white varieties have better cooking qualities than red varieties. Many gardeners plant some of each in the spring. The whites are used first and the reds stored for later use. Several varieties grow well in Texas: • Red flesh: Dark Red Norland, Norland, Red LaSoda, and Viking • White flesh: Atlantic, Gemchip, Kennebec, and Superior • Yellow flesh: Yukon Gold • Russet: Century Russet, Norgold M, and Russet Norkatah.
For best production, potatoes need full sun. They do best in a loose, welldrained, slightly acid soil. Poorly drained soils often cause poor stands and low yields. Heavy soils can cause the tubers to be small and rough. Soil preparation: Before spading, remove the rocks, trash, and large sticks from the soil. Spade the soil 8 to 12 inches deep turning the earth over to cover all plant material.
Work the soil into beds 10 to 12 inches high and 36 inches apart (Fig. 1). Bedding is vital for drainage. Because potatoes need adequate fertilizer early in the season, apply most of the fertilizer just before planting. Use 2 to 3 pounds of complete fertilizer such as 102010 for each 30 feet of row in bands 2 inches to each side and 1 inch below the seed piece. Do not allow the fertilizer to touch the seed piece.
To apply the fertilizer, flatten the beds at 6 to 8 inches high and 10 to 12 inches wide (Fig. 2). Using the corner of a hoe or stick, open a trench about 4 inches deep on each side of the bed. Seed preparation: Unlike most other vegetables, Irish potatoes are not grown from seed. Instead, pieces from the potato itself start new plants. Buy good seed potatoes that are free of disease and chemicals.
Do not buy potatoes from a grocery store for planting. The seed potato contains buds or “eyes” that sprout and grow into plants. The seed piece provides food for the plant until it develops a root system. If the seed is too small, it will produce a weak plant. One pound of seed potatoes will make 9 to 10 pieces, each having at least one to 10 seed good eye.
For a spring crop, cut large seed potatoes into pieces weighing about 1½ to 2 ounces, about the size of a medium hen egg. Each seed piece must have at least one good eye. Cut the seeds 5 or 6 days before planting. Hold the cut seed in a wellventilated spot so it can heal over to prevent rotting when planted in cold, wet or very hot weather. Plants killed by a late spring frost will not come back if the seed piece is rotten.
Potatoes have a rest period that must be broken before they will sprout. The rest period is more easily broken in small, mature potatoes. To be sure the rest period is broken, store small seed potatoes under warm, damp conditions for 2 weeks before planting by placing them in a shady spot and covering them with moist burlap bags or mulch. The potatoes should have small sprouts at planting time.
Seed is usually more available in the spring than in the fall. Many gardeners buy extra seeds in the spring and hold it over for fall planting. For best storage, keep the potatoes in a cool, humid spot such as the bottom of a refrigerator. Do not save your potato seeds for more than 1 year. This can cause buildup of virus diseases and reduce yield.
Planting: Plant potatoes when the soil temperature 4 inches deep reaches about 50 degrees F, or about 3 weeks before the last spring frost. If planted too early, the tops can be frozen off by spring frost. For a fall crop, plant about 110 days before the first expected frost, or midAugust in most areas. Use a hoe or stick to open a trench about 3 inches deep down the center of the bed. Drop the seed pieces 10 to 12 inches apart in the trench (Fig. 5). Step on each seed piece after dropping it to ensure good contact with the soil. Cover the seed about 3 inches deep. If covered too deeply, the plants will be slow to break through the soil and will be more subject to disease and seed decay.
Fertilizing: The plant must have adequate moisture and fertilizer when the tubers are forming. This usually occurs when the plants are 6 to 8 inches tall. Apply 1 cup of fertilizer for each 30 feet of row beside the plants when they are about 4 inches tall. Watering: During growth, keep the soil moisture supply constant. Water the fertilizer into the soil, especially on sandy soils. Moisture stress followed by irrigation or rainfall can cause growth cracks and second growth. If the rainfall is accompanied by hot weather, the rest period of developing tubers can be broken and can cause the tubers to sprout in the soil. Too much water enlarges the pores on the tubers and makes them rot easily in storage.
Care during the season: Plants arise from above the seed piece. Because the seed piece is planted only 3 inches deep, soil must be pulled toward the plant as it grows. This gives the tubers a place to form. Some gardeners use thick mulch for this purpose. Potatoes formed in soft mulch often are smoother and have a better shape than those grown in soil. This is especially true if the soil is heavy. As the potatoes enlarge, they must be protected from sunlight or they will turn green
Diseases
Potatoes are troubled by several diseases. Treating seed pieces with a fungicide before planting can be helpful. Check the plants daily and treat them with an approved fungicide if diseases appear. Neem oil, sulfur, and other fungicides are available for use. Always follow label directions. A good rotation program is an effective way to control most potato diseases. If possible, do not plant potatoes in the same place more than once each 3 years. Do not follow or precede potatoes with eggplant, okra, pepper or tomato. Seed piece treatment is especially important if your garden is too small for adequate rotation.
Harvesting and storing Potatoes are ready to harvest when the tops begin to die and the potato skin becomes firm. The skin is set when it does not scrape easily when rubbed with the thumb. Skin set can be speeded by cutting back the tops of the plants. Most of the potatoes should weigh 6 to 12 ounces at harvest. You can harvest small “new potatoes” during the growing season by carefully digging beside the plants with your fingers.
To harvest potatoes, dig under the plants with a shovel or spading fork. Keep the pitchfork 8 to 10 inches away from the plant to prevent cutting the potatoes. Raise the plants and shake away the soil. Potatoes should be dug when the soil is moist. If it is too wet, the soil will stick to the potatoes. If too dry, dirt clods will bruise the potatoes. Pull the potatoes from the vines and handle them carefully to prevent damage; damaged potatoes do not store well. Allow the potatoes to dry; then store them in a cool spot with plenty of air movement. Most potato varieties are ready to dig 95 to 110 days after planting. After the potatoes are dug, place the tops in the compost pile. The spring potato crop often can be followed with a summer crop such as southern peas.
For more information on this or any other agricultural topic please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office by calling 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
Four Saltillo Players Named to All Region Basketball Teams
Saltillo All-Regional Basketball players L to R: Trevor Moore, Madison Simmons, Tori Mobley & Lyle Bench
Tira News March 23, 2018
By Jan Vaughn
Linda Parsons and her son Buddy took a spring break trip down to Tyler for a look around. They ended up spending most of one day at Chuck E Cheese. They had a wonderful time around town and at the zoo.
Sherry Smiddy reports, “Daylee Fite is a member of the MisFitz softball team. This team will be having a Hot Dog Plate and Bake Sale on March 24th from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This will include hot dog, chips and a drink. There will be many baked goods too. This will be to raise money towards the team. Come see and eat with the team that day and donate for a good cause.”
Landon and Laiken Joslin enjoyed having Dixie spend Spring Break week with them. Dixie and her brothers, Rylan, Brailon, and Slaiden, had a good time playing & watching movies together. They went to Cooper City Park a couple of times. Landon and Laiken took Dixie back to Beaumont on Saturday, and then spent the night at Piney Shores Resort on Lake Conroe, before returning home. The boys spent the weekend with Laiken’s aunt, Rhonda Harness.
Sherry Smiddy took 5 girls to Great Wolf Lodge for an overnight adventure. Those attending were, Daylee Fite, Lucy Connor, Rachel Davidson, Emma Vickery and Kayleigh Tew. They conquered all the slides and activities in the waterpark. Sherry and Powell also met up with friends that Sherry works with from Austin, Dallas and Keller for lunch. They all enjoyed the sunshine that day and lunch at Gloria’s on the lake. Over the week-end they went to Rowlett and watched softball games where Daylee was playing with the MisFitz team. They won some and lost some but it was a nice week-end. Hadlee Hrabal played with the girls this week-end and they all had fun swimming and going out to eat.
Chip and I took our daughter and granddaughter, Tiffany and Jaidyn, with us to Fairfield Bay Resort in Arkansas during Spring Break. We went to Petit Jean State Park one day and took a boat shuttle to Sugarloaf Mountain in Greer’s Ferry Lake another day. Chip, Tiffany, and Jaidyn climbed to the top and enjoyed the views. The rest of the week was spent hiking, rock climbing, swimming in the indoor pool, and participating in other resort activities. Our grandson, Kenden, chose to stay with his friend, Mason, rather than traveling. We missed him, but he had a good week, also.
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].
Wildcats, Lady Cats at Paris Track Meet Today
The Wildcats and Lady Cats’ track teams will be competing in their third meet of the season in Paris on this Thursday game day (March 22). It is only the second meet of the year for field athletes. Because of wet weather, this year’s Sulphur Springs Meet featured running events only. The Paris meet is expected to get underway with field events beginning at 4 p.m.Thursday. All the athletes are working for improvement in events in time for the District Meet set for April 4-5 in Pine Tree.
SSHS UIL One Act Play Advances to Area
Sulphur Springs High School advanced to Area One-Act Play competition at the bi-district event Wednesday (March 21) at the SSHS Auditorium. The Wildcats are doing the play, Violet Sharp, which is about suspicion cast upon a woman in the aftermath of the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby in 1932.
Sulphur Springs advanced along with Wylie East and North Forney. Area competition will take place on Good Friday, March 30 at Flower Mound High School.
SSHS Director of Theatre Arts Lesha Woodard said the Wildcats’ performance was pretty good but not the best they have done. Since they still advanced Ms. Woodard said her performers can do even better at Area and she added she is excited about their chances going forward.
Three Wildcats got acting awards. Brianna Isham, who plays Violet Sharp, was named to the Bi-District All-Star Cast. Jaci Reed and Sarah Harper were chosen as Honorable Mention All-Star Cast Members. Stage Manager Lucia Yanez received a Technical Award. Ms. Woodard said Yanez shut down the show at the end so it did not exceed the time limit. Had it gone long, the Wildcats would have been eliminated.
In an unusual aspect of the bi-district competition, Lovejoy also chose to do Violet Sharp. They did not advance. Ms. Woodard said each of their interpretations of the play were quite different. Ms. Woodard said the Wildcats’ thespians have worked amazingly hard on the play and she said she was very proud of them.
Como-Pickton Lady Eagles’ Track Update
The Como-Pickton Lady Eagles’ track team is competing in a meet at Harmony Thursday (March 22). Recently the team was at a meet in Rivercrest before spring break (March 8).
At that meet, Lady Eagles Head High School Track Coach Dee Evans reports that Yasandra Preciado took home first place medals and scored team points in both the 3200-meter run and the 1600-meter run. Releigh Potts took second in the 100-meter dash. Fatima Alonso was third in the 400-meter run. Kayla Brown placed fourth in the shot put. Jena Satterfield placed fifth in the 3200-meter run. The Lady Eagles 4 X 100-meter relay team of Sydnee Neal, Alonso, Kylie Osborne and Potts finished fifth. The 4 X 200-meter relay team of Chanelle Mejia, Maliya Diaz, Mikayla Knight and Potts took sixth place. The 4 X 400-meter relay team of Neal, Diaz, Preciado and Mejia got fourth place.
