Como-Pickton ISD Bingo Night Set For This Saturday
The annual Como-Pickton ISD/PTO Bingo Night has been set for Saturday, February 4th, 2017 at 6 pm in the Como-Pickton school cafeteria. A bingo card for the entire night will be $10 and $0.50 for additional cards. Foods such as Dominos pizza, nachos, Chick-Fil-A sandwiches will be available for purchase.
Game Day: Basketball, Soccer
Both the Wildcats and Lady Cats’ basketball teams face big challenges against Texas High on this Tuesday game day.
The Wildcats will play the Tigers from Texarkana in Wildcats Gym. The freshman game is at 5 p.m., the JV game is at around 6:15 p.m. with the varsity game starting at around 7:30 p.m. The Wildcats varsity is 7-1 in district play and 22-5 for the season. The Wildcats are in second place just a game behind Mt. Pleasant. The Wildcats won the first game between the two, 51-43 in Texarkana on January 6. We will bring you the Wildcats and Texas High Tigers live at around 7:30 p.m. on KSST Radio. We will also videotape the game for replay on Channel 18 on Suddenlink Cable at a later date.
The Lady Cats will be traveling to Texarkana to play Texas High. There will be a freshman game at 5 p.m., a JV contest at around 6:15 p.m. and then the varsity contest at around 7:30 p.m. The state ranked Lady Cats varsity is 10-0 in district play and 24-3 for the season. They have won 17 games in a row. The first time the two teams played, the Lady Cats won in Wildcats Gym, 50-42 back on January 6. The Lady Cats are in first place in district, one game up on Mt. Pleasant.
The Wildcats and Lady Cats’ soccer teams play Marshall on this Tuesday game day.
The Wildcats will be at home at the SSHS Track and Soccer Complex field. There will be a JV contest at 5:30 p.m. with the varsity game to follow at around 7 p.m. The Wildcats’ varsity will be trying to bounce back after a 5-1 loss at Pine Tree last Friday. The Wildcats are 0-1 in district play and 7-2-1 overall.
The Lady Cats’ soccer team will be at Marshall. There will be a JV contest at 5:30 p.m. and then a varsity match at around 7:15 p.m. The Lady Cats are 1-0 in district play after a 1-0 overtime win over Pine Tree last Friday night. The Lady Cats are 6-3-2 for the season.
Lions Club Meets to Discuss Hoop Dreams
The weekly meeting of the Sulphur Springs Lions Club was held at Pizza Inn on Tuesday 12:00pm. Lions Club members coach the Hoop Dreams teams. The next Hoop Dreams game will be Monday February 6th at the Sulphur Springs Elementary School Gym.
Games will be played from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Feb. 6, Feb. 13 and Feb. 20 at 829 Bell St. An awards ceremony will be held Feb. 20, with participation medals awarded to students. Parents or guardians must stay at the gym during each session.
Kid’s Trout Fishing Day Saturday 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Peavine Pinon Pool
On Saturday February 4′, 201 7, at Buford Park Peavine Pinion Pool, located behind the Civic Center, the Larry Buster Memorial Sulphur Springs Kids’ Trout Fishing Day will take place. The event, which is sponsored by the National Wild Turkey Federation, Texas Parks and Wildlife Inland Fisheries Division, the City of Sulphur Springs, local merchants, civic organizations and many individual contributors, will run from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm.
Soft drinks and hot dogs will be provided, and there will be drawings for door prizes for participating kids. Kids of all ages are encouraged to bring their rods, reels and bait, to take a chance at catching some of the 1,500 rainbow trout that will be stocked by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department personnel. Whole kernel corn, Berkley power eggs and trout bait, and small spinners are generally the favorite baits for trout.
Because this event is sponsored in part by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, there is a special exemption in effect during the event. Adults who are actively helping kids fish for trout are exempt from the normal license requirements during the event only, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, Saturday February 4 , 2017. All other anglers are required to have a freshwater fishing license. There is no minimum size limit on rainbow trout, but there is a daily bag limit of 5 fish per person.
Firemen and Law Enforcement Set Saturday Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser for Fellow Firefighter
A Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser for Steven Vickery will focus on cost of living expenses while he is in need of a transcatheder procedure and possibly a second open heart surgery or a heart transplant. The breakfast will be from 8 a.m. until noon at Fire Station #20 (Hopkins County’s central fire station), 1286 South Texas Street (next to UPS).
Vickery was a fireman for nine years until his health forced him to and early end of his career of saving lives.
Vickery’s wife is unable to work as a teacher’s aide while caring for her husband and their four children.
Soccer Coaches Not Surprised, Excited as Teams Play First District Game; Game Two Tuesday
Lady Cats Soccer
Lady Cats Soccer Coach Jesus DeLeon was not surprised that Friday night’s district opener against Pine Tree at home required play beyond regulation. The Lady Cats won 1-0 in overtime on a goal by Payton Pierce after a corner kick. Coach DeLeon said Pierce got an inside position and used her whole body to deflect the ball into the net. Early in the game, Pierce had hit the goal post with a shot. The Lady Cats have defeated the Lady Pirates, four out of five meetings during the past three seasons and the majority of the games have gone past regulation. Coach DeLeon called Pine Tree big and athletic and a good team. Coach DeLeon said some Lady Cats’ defensive shortcomings were exposed during games against tough opponents in the Longview Showcase. He said the entire team had a real good practice Thursdaythe day before the game. Coach DeLeon said defenders had also engaged him in some tactical discussions about defense. The Lady Cats, 1-0 in district play and 6-3-2 for the season, will play at Marshall Tuesday night. Coach DeLeon said the Lad Mavs coach is working hard to build the Marshall program.
Wildcats Soccer
Wildcats Soccer Coach Nicky Wiggins said his team may have been too amped up and excited at the start of their district opener at Pine Tree Friday night. A red card on the Wildcats proved to be too much to overcome in a 5-1 loss. Coach Wiggins said the red card play, a tripping call, was not intentional but was accidental. It forced the Wildcats to play the rest of the game including the entire second half one man short. The Wildcats trailed 1-0 late in the first half when the the card was issued but the Wildcats actually came out strong in the second half an tied the score. Chris Espinoza took a crossing pass and put a shot on goal that was blocked with hands by a Pine Tree player. Espinoza then scored on a penalty kick. Coach Wiggins said when Pine Tree took a 2-1 lead, lots of the Wildcats players’ heads dropped. Three more Pirates goals followed. The Wildcats will play Marshall Tuesday at the SSHS Track Soccer Complex field. Coach Wiggins said the Mavericks return lots of players from last year’s team including one player who is drawing attention from college programs. He scored four goals in a recent game.
Basketball Coaches Review Game Strategy, Ready for Tuesday Night Games
Cipoletta on Wildcats Marshall Win
Wildcats Basketball Coach Clark Cipoletta said Marshall tried to use a slow down strategy against the Wildcats Friday night in Marshall. It seemed to work in the first half as the Wildcats held only a 2 point lead, 28-26, at the break. Coach Cipoletta said the Mavericks also went small during the game utilizing their guards. He said the Wildcats defense in the third and fourth quarter was a key to victory. The Mavs managed only 5 third quarter points and 6 fourth quarter points as the Wildcats began to pull away. Meanwhile six different players scored for the Wildcats. Keaston Willis had 20 points and Victor Iwuakor added 12 points. The Wildcats host Texas High Tuesday night in Wildcats Gym. Coach Cipoletta said many thought Texas High was the preseason favorite to win district due to their athletic guards. He said they have the most athletic front court in the district. The Wildcats won the first game between the two at Texas High, 51-43 in Texarkana on January 6. Coach Cipoletta said the Wildcats took an 8 to 10 point lead early and held on to it the entire game. He said expects to be pressed more by the Tigers this time around.
Chapman on 101 Point Night by Lady Cats
Lady Cats Basketball Coach Jeff Chapman wants to make one thing clear: the Lady Cats team scoring over 100 points was nothing he influenced or even talked about. The Lady Cats defeated Marshall, 101-26 in Wildcats Gym Friday night. Coach Chapman does want his team to play well and they did Friday night. They had 50 points after two quarters and 75 after the third quarter. He said none of his past teams has scored 100 points. Coach Chapman said he had no intention of embarrassing the Lady Mavs’ team. He did remember John Tyler scoring more than 80 points on his Lady Cats team in a bi-district game two years ago. Coach Chapman said his team played well and had lots of assists. Tori Moore hit five three-point shots. Sadavia Porter made lots of lay ups on run out fast breaks. The Lady Cats shot 61% from the floor. They had 29 steals and committed only 8 turnovers. The Lady Cats only had 7 personal fouls. Coach Chapman said he did a lot of substituting but he only has seven players. He said he laid off the press in the second half and played a lot of 2-3 zone. The Lady Cats travel to Texas High Tuesday night. Coach Chapman said Texas High can make the Lady Cats play ugly due to their presses. He said they have a game plan for the press and he said his team will need to follow the game plan. The Lady Cats are 10-0 in district play and they are 24-3 for the season with 17 straight wins.
24 Schools, 330 Lifters at SSHS Powerlifting Meet; Wildcats Finish Second
From all accounts, the Sulphur Springs Powerlifting Meet was a big success Saturday. The meet drew 24 schools and 330 lifters making it one of the largest in the state according to Wildcats Powerlifting Coach Casey Jeter. Coach Jeter expressed his thanks to all those who attended and to those that worked tirelessly to make it happen.
The meet was certainly a success for the local lifters. The Wildcats finished second, just one point behind first place Kemp. Greenville was third. Coach Jeter said everyone of his eleven lifters set personal records. Eight of the eleven scored points. Nine Wildcats’ lifters are currently qualified for the regional meet but the regular season still has more than a month to go. Cor’Tavius Pruitt won his 181 pound weight class. Pruitt is currently ranked #1 in the region and #6 in state in his weight class. D’idrec Dugan won his 220 pound weight class in dramatic fashion. To win, Dugan nailed a 575 pound dead lift. That’s 100 pounds more than he had ever lifted in competition. Ian Blanch was second in the 275 pound weight class. In the 114 pound weight class, Alex Rodriguez was third and Oscar Yanez was fourth.
The Wildcats will compete in an Emory Rains meet this Saturday. Coach Jeter said his team intends to win that meet.
SSISD Takes Step Toward District of Innovation
Monday at 11:30 a.m., the Sulphur Springs School Superintendent Michael Lamb expressed his thanks and appreciation for the SSISD Board of trustees. He called them a great team with whom to work. He presented gifts from the various campuses to recognize school board members during School Board Appreciation Month.
The board approved resolutions designating SSISD as a District of Innovation. Districts in Texas may apply to be a District of Innovation if they have met state standards. Lamb stated that the local district will be allowed certain flexibility in light of specific state laws that have created a lot of paperwork for the districts. He stated at first he did not want to apply for the designation but the date for start of the school year next year changed his mind. He stated the district will be able to continue with the school calendar with which they are familiar by becoming a District of Innovation.
The vote of the school board Monday approved the District Advisory Committed and principals of each school to pursue becoming a District of Innovation. The second step of approval will be placed before the District Approval Committee and finally be returned to the board for final approval.
With the approval of the District of Innovation, the District Advisory Committee and Principals will provide a comprehensive educational program for the district which may or may not include innovative curriculum, instructional methods, provisions regarding community participation, campus governance, and parental involvement; modifications to the school day or year; provisions regarding the district budget and sustainable program funding; accountability and assessment measures that exceed the requirements of the state and federal law and identifies requirements imposed by this code that inhibit the goals of plan and from which the district should be exempted on adoption of the plan.
After the plan is approved, it will be posted on the district website for at least 30 days. The board will notify the Commissioner of intent to adopt plan. The district board of trustees must adopt the plan with a two-thirds majority vote.
The plan allows for exemptions that Lamb stated the local district may or may not desire. Among exemptions allowed are educator certification, teacher contracts, first and last day of school, length of school day, class size, and certain purchasing and contract requirements. Prohibited exemptions include district governance, curriculum, state assessment and state accountability systems, school finance, and federal requirements.
School districts that have approved the District of Innovation are Canton, Denton, Coppell, Forney, Galena Park, Kaufman, Grand Prairie, Rivercrest, Spring Branch and El Paso, Sherman, Terrell, Texarkana and a large number of others.
Districts of Innovation were created in an amended Chapter 12 of the Texas Education Code. House Bill 1842 passed in the 84th Session of the Texas Legislature created the amendment. The designation provides the district will be exempt from certain sections of the TEC that inhibit the goals of the district as outlined in the locally adopted Innovation Plan. The term of the designation as a district of innovation may not exceed 5 years.
*Updated* The Cartoon Maps Are Back
by Chad Young
After a long discussion with the owner of Community Creations, Inc. from Ohio, a lot of information has been cleared up. Joe Genco, President of the 30 year company who has delivered maps and montages to literally hundreds of different communities confirms that the current project going on in Sulphur Springs is in fact associated with his company. He called KSST offices to confirm that Community Creations TX, LLC is a new branch of Community Creations, Inc (Ohio). Mr. Genco also confirmed that the local salesperson, Stephen Kiriluk, has been a long tenured partner in the Ohio Company for many years and that both companies are continuing doing business forward into the future. Upon further research and reflection, KSST is confident that the company has sold and delivered similar projects to our community in the past. In fact, the newer “montage” seems to be much better quality than the previous “cartoon maps”. Also, I spoke with Bradley Edge, current Chamber Chairman of the Board, who has spoken with some of the communities that have done business with the montage company recently. “Everyone we spoke to has been happy with the results of these projects” stated Edge. The turnaround time for the montage to be printed is 120 days from the closeout of the sales process, obviously giving the artists time to combine all of the business and information about our community into the montage. The montages will then be available at different locations including our local Historical Society.
sample montage from Community Creations, Inc website
