Getting Advise at the Education Opportunity Center at Paris Junior College
GETTING ADVISE
Education Opportunity Center Advisor Maria Zuniga, right, helps returning student Danielle Berg of Cooper complete her paperwork for continuing her education at the PJC-Sulphur Springs Center campus.
Paris Junior College — located in Paris, Texas, about 100 miles northeast of Dallas — has been a part of the Lamar County community since 1924.
Paris Junior College offers Associate in Arts, Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science degrees, as well as Certificates of Proficiency in technical/workforce fields. The college has expanded its academic curriculum through the years to encourage associate degree and university transfer candidates. Since establishing its first vocational program — jewelry and watchmaking in 1942 — the college has been aggressive in adding technical/workforce programs that will benefit students entering the workforce.
The campus of 54 tree-shaded acres includes 20 major buildings and residence halls and provides students a unique and pleasant environment for learning.
Paris Junior College also operates centers in Sulphur Springs, Texas, and in Greenville, Texas.
Vision
To be the educational provider of choice for the region.
Mission
Paris Junior College is a comprehensive community college serving the region’s educational and training needs while strengthening the economic, social and cultural life of our diverse community.
Grilling Like A Texan
By Johanna Hicks, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Family & Community Health Agent, Hopkins County
Texans love to grill. Hamburgers, rib-eyes, pork loin steaks, chicken breasts – these are only a sampling of what Texas are grilling this fall for football tailgates and other get-togethers. But are they grilling correctly? Proper techniques can lead to better grilling experiences.
Dr. Davey Griffin, meats specialist in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, provides several tips on how to grill like a Texan. Griffin says that the best results can be had by using a meat thermometer to cook cuts at the proper temperatures Regulating smoke to give meats a more flavorful eating experience is also important. So how do you do that?
- He suggests that rather than controlling the smoke from the top lid, use the air supply adjustment on the bottom portion of the grill. By doing this, you are allowing the air and soke a continuous flow that converts the entire cooking area.
- Another suggestion is to use wood chips when cooking. If you want more flavorful smoke, wood chips can be an excellent choice. He suggests putting the chips in a foil wrap, then punching a few holes. Place the pack on top of the charcoal and let it do its work. Some of the best barbeque comes when you have good, clear smoke. Your choice of wood chips may range from oak for beef to hickory or pecan for pork or poultry.
- Controlling the temperature is another key to great meat. To cook properly, a cooking thermometer can help gauge temperature of the meat during the cook. Here are some key points to remember:
- When grilling, take the temperature from the side in the very center of the meat. For pork, cook to an internal temperature of 145 degrees and let it rest for approximately 3 minutes.
- For beef cuts, the internal temperature should be 145 degrees.
- Hamburger patties should be cooked to an internal temperature of 10.
- All poultry should reach 165 degrees because they go into a chilling water system that leaves the product more likely for salmonella.
- Brisket should reach 165 degrees, then wrap with butcher paper to finish at 195-205 degrees.
When grilling large pieces of meat, give it time to rest after reaching the proper internal temperature. To do this, remove the meat from the grill and let it cool to 140-145 degrees. Griffin says that if you cut too soon, you will lose all of those juices inside and the meat will dry out. Resting lets the juices equilibrate and will result in more flavorful meat.
Saving money while grilling out is also a bonus. With popular choice retail meat prices more expensive due to demand, Griffin suggests being choosier when shopping for cuts. For example, flat iron steaks from the front shoulder of the beef can provide as good an eating experience as the typical rib-eye. The flat iron is the second most tender muscle on the carcass and costs approximately $6 per pound versus $16 per pound for a rib-eye. Pork loin chops, chicken breasts, sausage, and hamburger patties are other good choices.
Enjoy the cooler temperatures and enjoy grilling like a Texan!
Annual Christmas Joys Program
Seats are filling quickly for the 2021 Christmas Joys program, scheduled for Monday, November 8 at the Southwest Dairy Museum. The 1:30 p.m. session is full, but we still have 25 seats remaining for the 5:30 p.m. session. Attendees will receive a goody bag and a booklet of all the instructions, recipes, and ideas demonstrated by presenters. The Southwest Dairy Center will provide samplings of their cheeses and dips at the conclusion of the event. The cost of $5, payable at the door. We must have a name and phone number for each seat reserved. Please call 903-885-3443 to reserve a seat.
Closing Thought
Faith is a fundamental factor in everything you do. — Emmitt Smith
Contact Johanna Hicks, B.S., M.Ed., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, P.O. Box 518, 1200-B West Houston St, Sulphur Springs, TX, 75483; 903-885-3443; or [email protected]
Lady Cats Volleyball in Edgewood Today For Final Tune-Up Before Last Two District Matches
The Lady Cats volleyball team got the much-needed win over the Pine Tree Lady Pirates on Friday, sweeping Pine Tree 3-0 for the season sweep over the Lady Pirates.
Set one was the closest of the three, as the Lady Cats won 25-18.
Coach Bailey Dorner’s team took care of business from there, dispatching Pine Tree 25-10 and 25-14 to get the season-sweep of the Lady Pirates.
The win gave the Lady Cats volleyball team a 20-14 overall record (6-4 district).
Not only that, but the much-needed win for Coach Dorner’s program keeps them in the thick of the play-off hunt.
They come in to Tuesday’s match (originally a bye on the schedule) with a 6-4 district record, a game behind third placed Hallsville (7-3) and 1.5 behind second-place Marshall (7-2).
The Sulphur Springs coach added a game to the schedule Tuesday in which they will travel to Edgewood.
A tune-up before the final two games of district play will be good for the Lady Cats as on Friday, Senior night for Coach Bailey Dorner’s program, will be a tough match with Hallsville.
If Sulphur Springs can win out, not only in their non-district contest versus the Lady Bulldogs tonight but throughout the rest of their fall 2021 regular season, Coach Dorner’s program may just put themselves in a position to take third or possibly even second place.
First they will have to get through the Lady Bulldogs on Tuesday, Oct. 19.
That match is set to begin in Edgewood at 4:30 P.M. with varsity only playing Tuesday night.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
Early Voting Slow In 2021 Constitutional Amendment, North Hopkins ISD Trustees and Cumby City Council Elections
Early voting got off to a slow start Monday, with a total of 20 ballots cast during the first day of early voting in the Constitutional Amendment, North Hopkins ISD trustees and Cumby City Council Elections.
Early Voting
All early voting by personal appearance is being conducted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, 2021, in the Hopkins County Justice of the Peace #2 Courtroom, located inside the Hopkins County Annex Building at 128 Jefferson St., Suite C. Two days have been designated for extended early voting hours. Ballots may be cast early by personal appearance in the three elections from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26, and Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021.
Applications for ballots by mail must be received no later than the close of business on Oct. 22 by the Early Voting Clerk, Tracy Smith, at 128 Jefferson St., Suite C, Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. Federal postcard applications must be received no later than the close of business on Oct. 22. Voted ballots by mail must be received by the Early Voting Clerk (Smith) no later than 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021.
Election parking is available across the street from the County Clerk’s Office on Rosemont Street.
Election Day Voting
On Election Day, Nov. 2, 2021, voters may cast ballots from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at any of the 12 designated voting locations:
North Hopkins ISD Election
Hopkins County voters who reside within North Hopkins ISD will be asked to choose up to two candidates to fill two trustees seats on NHISD Board of Trustees. Candidates are selected at large, so the two candidates receiving the most votes will be elected to the serve a full three-year term on the school board.
Candidates for the school election include Ellis Dicus, Robert McPherson, Jennifer Harrington and Michael S. James.
The NHISD General Election appears after the eight Texas Constitutional Amendments on the sample ballot.
Cumby Election
The City of Cumby will not only have a General Election for Alderman Places 3, 4 and 5 on the City Council. The Council had originally called for a Special Election to fill Alderman Places 1 and 2 on the City Council as well, but reportedly canceled it due to lack of candidates
The Cumby General Election is listed at the end of the ballot. Neither Wayne Mobley nor Ryan Horne drew challengers for another term on the City Council, thus, Mobley is the only candidate for Alderman Place 3 and Horne the lone candidate on the ballot for Alderman Place 5 on Cumby City Council.
Cumby voters will be asked to choose between Allie Croker and Katherine Finn for Alderman Place 4 to also serve a full term on the City Council.
Constitutional Amendments Election
All registered Hopkins County voters also have the opportunity to select their choices on eight Texas Constitutional Amendment Propositions. Voters will be asked to vote either for or against the following propositions:
- Proposition Number 1 – HJR 143 proposes a constitutional amendment expanding the circumstances in which a professional sports team charitable foundation may conduct raffles to raise money for the foundation’s charitable purposes. The proposed amendment would allow professional sports team charitable foundations of organizations sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association or the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association to hold charitable raffles at rodeo events.
- Proposition Number 2 – HJR 99 proposes a constitutional amendment allowing the legislature to authorize a county to issue bonds or notes to finance the development or redevelopment of an unproductive, underdeveloped, or blighted area within the county and to pledge for repayment of those bonds or notes increases in property tax revenues imposed on property in the area by the county. The Texas Constitution gives the legislature the power to authorize an incorporated city or town to issue such bonds or notes but does not expressly give the legislature the power to grant that same authority to counties. The proposed amendment also provides that a county that issues bonds or notes for transportation improvements may not pledge for the repayment of those bonds or notes more than 65 percent of the increases in ad valorem tax revenues each year, and a county may not use proceeds from the bonds or notes to finance the construction, operation, maintenance, or acquisition of rights-of-way of a toll road.
- Proposition Number 3 – SJR 27 proposes a constitutional amendment barring the State of Texas or a political subdivision from enacting, adopting, or issuing a statute, order, proclamation, decision, or rule that prohibits or limits religious services. The proposed amendment would apply to religious services, including those conducted in churches, congregations, and places of worship, in the state by a religious organization established to support and serve the propagation of a sincerely held religious belief.
- Proposition Number 4 – SJR 47 proposes a constitutional amendment changing certain eligibility requirements for a justice of the Supreme Court, a judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals, a justice of a court of appeals, and a district judge. The proposed amendment provides that a person is eligible to serve on the Supreme Court if the person, among other qualifications, is licensed to practice law in Texas; is a resident of Texas at the time of election; has been either a practicing lawyer licensed in Texas for at least ten years or a practicing lawyer licensed in Texas and a judge of a state court or county court established by the legislature for a combined total of at least ten years; and during that time has not had the person’s license to practice law revoked, suspended, or subject to a probated suspension. The same eligibility requirements would apply to a judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals and to a justice of a court of appeals. The proposed amendment further provides that to be eligible for appointment or election as a district judge, a person must be a resident of Texas; be licensed to practice law in Texas; and have been a practicing lawyer or a judge of a court in Texas, or both combined, for eight years preceding the person’s election, during which time the person’s license to practice law has not been revoked, suspended, or subject to a probated suspension.
- Proposition Number 5 – HJR 165 proposes a constitutional amendment allowing the State Commission on Judicial Conduct (SCJC) to accept complaints or reports, conduct investigations, and take any other authorized action with respect to a candidate for a state judicial office. Currently, the Texas Constitution only permits the SCJC to take such actions as to persons holding a judicial office.
- Proposition Number 6 -SJR 19 proposes a constitutional amendment establishing that residents of certain facilities have the right to designate an essential caregiver with whom the facility may not prohibit in-person visitation. The proposed amendment would apply to a nursing facility, assisted living facility, intermediate care facility for individuals with an intellectual disability, residence providing home and community-based services, or state supported living center. The proposed amendment also would authorize the legislature to provide guidelines for these facilities to follow in establishing essential caregiver visitation policies and procedures.
- Proposition Number 7 – HJR 125 proposes a constitutional amendment permitting a person who is 55 years of age or older at the time of death of their spouse who is receiving a limitation on school district property taxes on their residence homestead on the basis of a disability to continue receiving the limitation while the property remains the surviving spouse’s residence homestead.
- Proposition Number 8 – SJR 35 proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a member of the United States armed services who is killed or fatally injured in the line of duty. The Texas Constitution provides a property tax exemption to the surviving spouse of a member of the armed services who is killed in action, but the current exemption does not include members of the military who die during their service due to injuries sustained that are not combat-related.
Sulphur Springs Church of Nazarene Host Rummage and Bake Sale
Sulphur Springs Church of Nazarene is hosting a huge multi family rummage and bake sale. It will be held Friday October 22nd 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday the 23rd 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. There will be items available for everyone.
Sulphur Springs Church of Nazarene is located at 1300 League St.
MS. Hopkins County Senior 2021 Wilma Thompson is a Classic
Wilma Thompson, a Hopkins County native, was crowned Ms. Hopkins County Senior Classic back in June and met her public Saturday atop a red convertible with Tammy Wilburn at the wheel during the Fall Festival Parade. Last month, Wilma also earned the designation of Second Runner-Up in the State Ms. Senior Classic Pageant.
Wilma will wear her crown and make public appearances through the holidays and early 2022 until summer when the next local pageant is staged. Local ladies age 60 and older can compete in the Ms. Hopkins County Senior Classic Pageant by getting in contact with Karon Weatherman at the Sulphur Springs Seniors Center, 150 Martin Luther King Drive. There is no fee to enter.
Wildcats Team Tennis Ends Fall Season With Five Match Wins Versus Whitehouse in Bi-District Round of Playoffs
Wildcats team tennis fought hard, winning five matches versus Whitehouse in the Bi-District round of playoffs in a 14-5 loss at LeTourneau University in Longview on October 12.
In the last three years, team tennis, led by Coach Tony Martinez, has gone up against Whitehouse the last three years in the first round of the playoffs.
The tennis coach said all three years team tennis’s season has ended at the hands of the Wildcats 19-0 for three straight years, but fall 2021 was different in that Sulphur Springs was able to win five matches versus Whitehouse.
Captain Jeauxleigh Cantu did not win her singles match, but she was able to win her mixed doubles with freshman Ian Westland. Coach Martinez said that while things did not go as expected for the senior player, she performed very well.
Paige Miesse was the stand-out senior, according to the team tennis coach. Miesse won not only her doubles match with Ella San but also her singles contest.
Trynity Luckett pulled off a good win in her singles match, Coach Tony Martinez said. Mykylie Meador pulled off another good win in singles as well.
The team tennis coach said they were very happy with the women’s results. Coach Martinez also said they were complimented by the Whitehouse tennis staff for giving the Wildcats the bets fight they had been given all season long.
The team tennis coach said that while they were without Ella Ray, who had surgery, and Kaylee Schumacher, who was out due to illness, but still saw great performances from freshman and sophomores who stepped up and filled in for them.
Moving over to the men, freshmen Brody Emert and Malachi Negrete both fought relentlessly but fell short against the Wildcats. Coach Martinez said those Sulphur Springs athletes played great games.
The star freshman for the men’s team, Ian Westland, won his singles match Tuesday morning.
While the Bi-district match-up may not have gone the Wildcats way, the Sulphur Springs coach said he was proud of the way his kids fought.
“I had never been more proud of this team than I was [in the loss against Whitehouse],” Coach Martinez said.
At certain times, the team tennis coach would have to inspire his team to fight and stay ion contests even when down, but this team has not required such coaching.
He says they support one another and show what a family program looks like.
And while the ending to their fall 2021 season may not have been what the coach had hoped for, he reiterated just how proud of the way this team composed themselves and fought day-in, and day-out.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
Great Entertainment at Cooper Lake from the Sulphur Springs Community Players, Reilly Springs Jamboree
During the weekend of October 15/16, 2021, the Friends of Doctors Creek and the staff of Cooper Lake hosted live entertainment which was planned as part of the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the State Park. Friday’s dramatic performance at the Amphitheater was presented by Community Players and Friends, and Saturday’s live musical performance was presented beside the lake by members of the Reilly Springs Jamboree.
The ‘Players’ invited friends to join them in presenting an hour of skits, songs and comedy on the wooden stage structure of the Amphitheater. Loyd Turney made up a capable one-man production crew as Director, emcee and sound man. Completely surrounded by trees, the setting offered an intimate feel with the stage lighting creating a pool of activity within dark surroundings. For those seated on the the benches and standing behind, the effect was of watching a movie in a darkened room. The talent was excellent, conditions were pleasantly cool, and Park staffers provided friendly hospitality by escorting small groups along the paved trail, winding to and from the parking lot. It is hoped that more entertainment will be offered upon the Amphitheater stage in future months, so if you haven’t been there yet, make plans to!
Although the weekend started out windy, it became surprisingly calm as darkness arrived on Saturday evening. At the South Sulphur Unit, an elevated traffic island overlooking the lake served as the bandstand, providing a great view of the show. With a light breeze coming off the water, the sound carried perfectly toward the audience. Everyone remembered to bring folding chairs, and were scattered in a semi circle around the stage.
Enola Gay served as emcee, and the headliner was Patsy Cline/Loretta Lynn tribute artist, Janet Adams of Winnsboro, Texas. Above the stage, a nearly full moon and some very bright stars shone down, and with the gentle sound of waves the scene was perfect for making memories of great classic country music in the open-air setting.
A big thank you to Cooper Lake State Park Complex Supervisor Steve Killian and his staff of Rangers, educators and maintenance crews, as well the volunteers of Friends of Doctors Creek who made the formal 25th Anniversary Celebration a very warm and welcoming event to be long remembered by everyone who attended.
Manhunt For Suspect Who Rammed Cumby Police Vehicle Concludes With Arrest
A multi-agency manhunt for a suspect who rammed a Cumby Police vehicle on FM 2653 during a pursuit concluded with a North Carolina man’s arrest Saturday evening, according to sheriff’s and police reports.
A Cumby Police officer at 2:01 p.m. Oct. 16, 2021, stopped a gray Toyota T100 pickup after observing the truck being driven on the shoulder of Interstate 30 east near mile marker 108. The driver was identified at that time by an North Carolina ID card as Skyler Shearer, Cumby Police Officer Justin Talley noted in arrest reports.
A records check reportedly showed Shearer to be wanted in Comal County on a manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance charge. When the officer asked the 21-year-old North Carolina man to exit the pickup, he instead put the truck in drive and began to flee in it.
Shearer was alleged to be driving too fast on the south service road as he approached the FM 2653 overpass and struck the guardrail. The Cumby officer reportedly placed his patrol vehicle behind the truck to block it in. Shearer, however, used the truck as a deadly weapon against the Cumby officer, by putting the pickup in reverse, quickly accelerating and striking the police vehicle, causing heavy damage.
The North Carolina man allegedly traveled about a mile on the railroad tracks in his pickup from just east of FM 2653 before ditching the vehicle and apparently heading into a wooded area nearby on foot. Cumby Police, in a 3:36 p.m. Oct. 16 Facebook post, asked anyone who saw or suspected they saw the suspect to call 911 immediately. The alert also included a photo of the suspect.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office also posted an alert about the manhunt on the department’s social media page. The suspect was described as white male with dark blonde hair wearing a black ball cap and red flannel shirt.
Upon notifying area officers of the situation, a manhunt was launched. Officers from Hopkins and Hunt County Sheriff’s departments, a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter and the Bonham prison a search dogs team responded to assist Cumby Police in a search of the Brashear area.
According to arrest reports, the man was in custody shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday. At 6:48 p.m., CPD posted a social media update, with a photo of a man on the ground by a pickup truck, with officers around him. Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office too posted an update that the suspect had been caught as well as a photo dated October 16 of a man with a shirt matching the description of the suspect’s shirt seated on the ground behind a truck, surrounded by what appeared to be search hounds.
Skyler James Shearer was booked into Hopkins County jail at 8:52 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021, on the Comal County warrant, as well as two new charges for aggravated assault against a public servant because he allegedly rammed the Cumby Police vehicle and evading arrest in the vehicle.
Shearer remained in Hopkins County jail Monday night, Oct. 18, 2021. His bonds totaled $170,000 – $100,000 on the aggravated assault charge, $50,000 on the evading arrest charge and $20,000 bond on the controlled substance warrant.
School Sign Unveiled Saturday At Rowena Johnson Primary
Community members, former students, staff and family gathered Saturday evening, Oct. 16, 2021, for a short unveiling ceremony marking the official name change of the Church Street school campus from Lamar Primary to Rowena Johnson Primary, in honor of the late educator who dedicated 50 years of her life to educating Sulphur Springs school children.
Chandra Crawford, who was named in April 2020 to serve as principal for the campus following Johnson’s retirement in June 2020, welcomed those in attendance Saturday for the sign unveiling.
Crawford said she is honored to work at the campus now appropriately named after Mrs. Johnson. Crawford said she not only had the pleasure of working with while serving as Lamar’s Academic Specialist but also had her as a third grade teacher. Crawford said Johnson was much loved. Staff members and former students very much miss seeing Johnson walking the halls of the former Lamar Primary campus.
Rowena Johnson served Sulphur Springs Independent School District students for 50 years, starting as a third grade teacher at Houston Elementary teacher in 1970. She served as a third-sixth grade teacher at Bowie Elementary from 1971 to 1991, and reading specialist from 1991 to 1993 at Travis Elementary. Johnson became the first SSISD female African American elementary principal at Lamar Elementary in 1993, a position she continued to serve in until her retirement in June 2020.
During Johnson’s 27 years at Lamar, the campus earned many high academic rankings and honors, including the top rating of exemplary from the Texas Education Agency for 14 consecutive years. Her school too received recognition from “Just for The Kids” and many Distinguished School honors as well.
Johnson herself over the years also received several honors, including being named Teacher of the Year, a Region 8 Nominee for the National Distinguished Principal of the Year, and Educator of the Year, and Administrator of the Year.
However, when honored in June 2020 at a school board meeting, Johnson gave all praise and credit, as she did, to “the Good Lord for the opportunity to be able to have served for 50 years” at SSISD. At that time, Patricia Cooper, Johnson’s friend and cousin, asked the school board on behalf of the family and community to please consider honoring Mrs. Johnson’s dedication to school, faith, family and community, by considering renaming Lamar after the faithful SSISD educator.
Although Johnson passed away in July 202, her legacy lives on in the generations of students she taught, young educators she mentored and students inspired to be like their principal. The school board honoring the request, unanimously voted to rename Lamar Primary as Rowena Johnson Primary to ensure her legacy continues setting a standard for dedication, commitment, faith and caring.
At the sign unveiling Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021, Superintendent Mike Lamb noted that when Mrs. Johnson’s family and friends asked the district consider renaming Lamar, they had already begun discussing the possibility or honoring her by naming a facility in her honor.
SSISD officials had hoped to have the sign in place before classes began for the 2021-22 school year. The district had already taken care of the required process associated with a school name change, including lots of paperwork being sent to the state. The campus has officially been Rowena Johnson Elementary since May. The sign was ordered. However, as has been the case with many things over the last 19-20 months, the new Rowena Johnson Primary sign was delayed in arrival. The sign arrived this weekend, and Johnson’s family, students, staff and community members were invited Saturday afternoon, to attend an official unveiling event to officially mark the name change.
In the mean time, a bench was placed on the school lawn, with a saying Mrs. Johnson was well known for inscribed on it: “If it is to be, it is up to me.”
Johnson’s son Marques spoke on behalf of the family, thanking those who reached out and fought to keep her legacy alive and for such a tremendous honor. Legacy, he said, is about life and liberty, learning from the past, living in the present and building for the future.
Legacy, Marques explained, is like the relationship between trees in a forest. It’s better to plant a new tree not in an open field but an in old grove forest where the roots of the young tree are able to follow the pathways created by a former tree and plant themselves more deeply, and potentially graft with other trees trees over time, creating an intricate interdependent foundation hidden under the ground. “In this way, stronger trees share resources with weaker ones. The whole forest becomes healthier. Legacy is the interconnection across time with the need for those who came before us and the responsibility for those that come after us. Marques Johnson said if Rowena Johnson were present, she would first thank her Lord Jesus Christ, her parents who fostered that relationship with Christ that would become the foundations of her aspirations. She would thank her parents for challenging her and her siblings to believe that despite position or circumstance in life, if she kept God first and acknowledged Him in all her ways she had the ability to not only impact but change the world.
“Like any good challenge my Mom accepted and knocked it out of the park. Like most great leaders, she understood that to whom much is given, much is required. As fervently as she gained wisdom to understand and solve problems, she was just as passionate about her responsibility to those who came after her – responsibility to cultivating talent, sharing best practices, and helping those around her become their best selves,” Johnson’s son said. “The hopes included her children, her grandchildren, professional peers and generally anyone who crossed her path.”
He reminded of the responsibility of Rowena Johnson’s legacy of faith, character, integrity and courage, and challenged others to be like the young tree planted in the grove forest, making those connections and deposits to complete a full circle in life’s journey, leaving some of ourselves through experiences, ideas, values and and personal example in the minds and hearts of others. Marque said the wisdom his mom she gained through decades of difficult learning made easier for those around her to learn. That, he said is a mainstay of Rowena Johnson’s legacy.
He issued a call to action to educators to meet the challenge of her legacy by being more active, more dynamic, and having more passion for the advancement of education and enrichment of all children in your steed every day, so that even when not present in your presence. That, he said, is the present that Rowena Johnson left us all.
Lamb noted that Johnson loved everything about life, her church, her granddaughters, the campus and school. He then asked a few of Mrs. Johnson’s family members to help with the official unveiling of the sign proclaiming the school to now be Rowena Johnson Primary. The removing of the covering and revealing of the new blue and white sign with the new name, and in black lettering the message proclaiming “The Legacy Continues!” was met with cheers of celebration from the crowd.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here. It is as official as it can possibly be. This building is Rowena Johnson Primary School – thrilled to have it,” Lamb proclaimed.
The official part of the occasion concluded with a closing prayer of thanks by Pastor Harold Nash for Johnson and her legacy and the light He gave to the world, as well as a request for protection for the school and school district, and giving all praise and glory to God, with whom all things are possible.
All were encouraged to take photos with the new sign, to view the bench with Johnson’s quote, to visit and share memories of “Mrs. J” over cookies and punch provided inside the school near a photo of the retired educator.
