What Does Family & Consumer Sciences Mean?
What Does Family & Consumer Sciences Mean?
I’m going to get up on my soap box for a little while, so be prepared! Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service offers a wealth of information, and it’s right here in your community! Often when individuals call our office, they ask for “the County Agent”. If I am the one who happens to answer the phone, my response is, “What is the nature of your question so I will know which agent can best assist you?” What many people don’t realize is that we have more than one “county agent” and that each one has areas of expertise.
I am the Extension agent for Family & Consumer Sciences, and my co-worker (Mario Villarino) is the Extension agent for Ag & Natural Resources. At one time, we also had a 4-H agent, but currently, Mario and I share 4-H responsibilities.
So what does a Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) Agent do? Glad you asked, because many readers are not aware of the expanse of FCS educational programs. Family & Consumer Sciences (formerly known as Home Economics or Human Sciences) covers a vast domain: parenting, health & wellness, child and adult nutrition, diabetes education, marriage education, sewing instruction, food safety, money/resource management, cooking demonstrations, health fair exhibits, disaster preparedness, stress management, physical activity promotion, and much more. Some of my major areas are:
1) Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes
2) Cooking Well with Diabetes
3) Walk Across Texas (physical fitness series)
4) Twogether in Texas marriage education
5) Better Living for Texans nutrition education for adults & students
6) Sewing workshops
7) FRED (Fathers Reading Every Day)
8) Many program topics concerning nutrition and food safety for all ages
9) Christmas Joys (annual holiday demonstrations & gift-giving ideas)
10) Dinner Tonight (cooking demonstrations)
11) Kids’ Camp: Fun, Food, Fitness (annual 4-week summer camp)
12) 4-H Foods & Nutrition projects
13) 4-H Clothing & Textiles projects
14) 4-H Public Speaking & Educational presentations projects
15) Annual teacher-in-service programs
16) Head Start nutrition programs
The list could go on and on, but you get the idea!
Family & Consumer Sciences components are very important in day-to-day living. Everybody has to eat to survive. Everybody wears clothing. Everybody has a family of some kind (parents, spouse, children, aunts, uncles, or cousins). Everybody needs to learn to manage money & earn a living. Learning to manage those resources is what my job is all about!
Stop by the Extension Office sometime and stay for a while. We’ll be glad to share with you all the upcoming activities and events!
Twogether in Texas Marriage Education Workshop
This is the last call for couples to sign up for the Twogether in Texas marriage education workshop. As of this writing, four couples have signed up, but we have room for more! This is a terrific workshop that focuses on Marriage Expectations, Communication, Conflict Resolution, Money Management, and Goals & Dreams.
The workshop is absolutely free, and engaged couples will receive a certificate at the conclusion of the workshop to save $60 upon applying for a marriage license. The certificate is good for one year. A local eatery will provide lunch and dessert for the couples, and another business has an awesome surprise for each couple. What a great opportunity to prepare for marriage and be treated like royalty!
Twogether in Texas is scheduled for Saturday, August 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, 1200 W. Houston, in Sulphur Springs. Although engaged couples have the greatest benefit, married couples are also welcome to attend as a refresher! Call 903-885-3443 to sign up.
The next workshop won’t be offered until November, so if you know of a couple who could benefit from this workshop, please share this information!
Closing Thought
“He who makes no mistakes makes no progress” – Teddy Roosevelt
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]
Wildcat Team Tennis Plays Tough Duo
The Wildcats’ team tennis squad played two matches on Thursday in the Sherman-Denison area. Early Thursday, the Wildcats played Denison. Later early afternoon they played Sherman. Both were losses but that does not disappoint Wildcats Team Tennis Coach Tony Martinez.
Hearings Set as Tax Rate Remains the Same But Revenue Increases
Even though the city of Sulphur Springs is keeping their tax rate the same as in several years past, they still must have two hearings in the near future because the tax revenue is going up in their proposed budget for next fiscal year due to increased net taxable property values.
City Manager Marc Maxwell said tax rates are heavily regulated in the state of Texas. He said that even though the tax rate remains the same, the value of houses are increasing that that will boost revenue. That boost in revenue demands public hears according to state law. Maxwell said the increase in value is a good economic sign. He stated that should values reach 8% increase in a year, a rollback would be necessary. Sewer increases are necessitated by upgrades that are needed in the city waste water treatment process.
Maxwell points to energy as a reason for a steady economy. He stated that, as in the past, he does not expect anyone to attend the meetings.
Wildcat Season Tickets Near Sellout
As of 10:30 a.m. Friday, there were only 29 Wildcats Football Season Tickets left for purchase. Things have slowed down in the Conference Center at the High School, but some people did come in Friday morning and purchase tickets. Tickets will remain on sale through 5 p.m. today. A 5-game season ticket package costs $50.
Wildcats Scrimmage on Soccer Pitch; Lady Cat Volleyball in Tourney
The Wildcats’ football team will be scrimmaging in front of the home folks tonight against Liberty-Eylau. Freshmen and JV teams will scrimmage beginning at 5 p.m. and then the varsity will get underway at around 6:30 p.m. The scrimmage has been moved to the football field inside the High School Track. Gerald Prim Stadium has undergone some repairs to the field and some grass still needs the chance to grow on parts of the field. The Leopards are rated #11 in Class 4A in the preseason AP poll. Wildcats Coach Greg Owens says they have several Division I prospects and they are very athletic.
Meanwhile on this game day, the Lady Cats’ volleyball team, 1-1 for the season, are playing in a Garland tournament this Friday. This is a varsity only tournament only. JV and Freshmen teams are in their second day of play today in a three-day tournament in Eustace.
Sulphur Springs Library Not Finished With Summer Yet!
The Summer Reading Program may have ended, but the Sulphur Springs Public Library is not finished with summer just yet! If you remember going to the library when you were a child to listen to stories, pass those wonderful memories to a new generation! Take your children to the library. Elizabeth Ellis will be there Tomorrow morning at 10am!
Elizabeth Ellis grew up in the Appalachian Mountains hearing stories from her Grandfather, a mountain minister. The ”Divine Miss E” is a versatile, riveting teller of Appalachian and Texas tales and stories of heroic American women, though her personal stories are arguably the best. Invariably hilarious and poignant, she is a repeated favorite at the National Storytelling Festival. The award-winning storyteller has mesmerized nearly a million children in her thirty-six year career.
Elizabeth doesn’t mince words. Filled with hilarious and poignant honesty, her personal stories deliver down home wisdom and southern style. It is a voice which finds the heart and the funny bone, riveting audiences wherever she goes.
Everyone please take your children to Sulphur Springs Library tomorrow morning at 10am for a wonderful storytelling experience!
Story and Photos by Molly Clegg, HS Intern
Tira News By Jan Vaughn
Tira News By Jan Vaughn
The 9th annual Hot August Night, benefiting area volunteer fire departments, will be held this Saturday, August 15th,, at the Hopkins County Civic Center grounds and arena., Firefighters will compete to see which department has the best barbecue. Grounds open at 1:00 and serving begins at 5:00. A concert featuring Hawk Nelson and The Afters will begin at 7:00 p.m. Saints and Vagabonds will be performing at 5:30. Please make plans to attend and support your local fire department.
Dustin Weir spent last Friday and Saturday his parents, Robert and Yvonne Weir. Yvonne also reports. “Our young friend Daniel Velázquez celebrated his 6th birthday Wednesday with his family and ours at our pool. The cake was delicious. His sisters, Desirea and Denice, liked the icing best!”
Jackson Dailey spent the week in Lubbock visiting his girlfriend, Courtney. They start back to Texas A&M-Commerce on the 24th for their senior year!
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].
Jan Vaughn
903-945-2190 or 903-438-6688 or [email protected].
City Council Budget Preparation Leads to Long Range Planning
Tuesday night, the Sulphur Springs City Council went over a draft budget for next fiscal year line by line. Director of Finance Peter Karstens says the vast majority of the budget does not change much as the city does the same things year after year. One thing that came out of the meeting was agreement that it is once again time for some more long range planning looking at the entire city. There is money in the budget to get started with that. Revenues for the budget are up. The city is moving ahead with the $14-million upgrade of the city Wastewater Treatment Plant. The budget contains more money for street upgrades.
Sellers Guides Ghostly Nighttime Courthouse Tour
As part of the celebration of the 120th year for the Hopkins County Courthouse next week, local historian John Sellers will be giving a special nighttime guided tour of the historic edifice. Sellers says the tour will be darker and he adds he may even conjure up a ghost along the way. The tour will begin in the District Courtroom upstairs at 9 p.m. on Friday, August 21. Cost of the tour is $20. The tour will be limited to 30 people. Call Adam Teer at the Civic Center at 903 885-8071 to make a reservation. Sellers discussed his courthouse tour on KSST’s Good Morning Show with Enola Gay Thursday morning.
SSISD Campuses Finalizing Summer Remodeling Projects
Over the summer of 2015, a number of Sulphur Springs ISD school campuses have started or finished construction and renovation projects. Most have been completed, except for SSHS and Lamar Elementary, both of which are having major work done.
The Sulphur Springs High School is rebuilding the Regional Civic Center Auditorium, which they have leased for the next 35 years. The $4 million project was approved on June 26, and exterior construction is well underway.
Lamar Elementary is renovating its student drop-off/pick-up sidewalk and teacher parking lot.
The Alternative Learning Center had interior work done which expanded office space for teachers and staff. Before the work was done, the majority of staff offices were all housed in one big room. Now, walls have been built and office space moved and readjusted to give individual offices to staff. The campus police officer has also been moved closer to the main entrance.
Minor work has also been done at the Sulphur Springs Elementary School. While no construction work was done, a number of Dr. Seuss murals were added along the main hallway.
