Terrific Tuesdays Respite Day Care Returns for Caregivers of Loved Ones with Alzheimers, Dementia or Memory Loss
If you would like to Volunteer your time to help out in your community, Tammi Reardon offers a rewarding way with the Terrific Tuesdays Respite Day Care.
Terrific Tuesdays is a Quality Day Respite for Caregivers of those who are suffering from Dementia, Alzheimer’s or memory loss.
It is a place that caregivers can leave their loved ones in good hands while they take some much needed time for themselves.
Often, caregivers work around the clock and don’t have time to themselves to do things that we all take for granted: getting a hair cut, going to the grocery store, shopping, going to the doctor, eating out with friends or just having some time to be alone and take a break.
Terrific Tuesday meets every Tuesday from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
at the First United Methodist Church in Sulphur Springs located at 301 Church St.
The Volunteers are usually One-on-One with the participants.
There is a different rheme every week; participants can play games, have exercise, do Crafts, enjoy music, do puzzles and sit down to a nice lunch that is also prepared by wonderful volunteers.
If you’d like to volunteer, or if you know someone who could benefit from Terrific Tuesdays, please contact Tammi Reardon and she will give you all the information that you will need. 903-243-5620.
Humble Beginnings at PJC-Sulphur Springs
Maria Zuniga, Educational Advisor and Educational Opportunity Center representative at the PJC-Sulphur Springs Center, works with Madalyn Kelley of Sulphur Springs as completes information to begin her college education at Paris Junior College.
For information about attending the Center, visit the campus at 1137 Loop 301 East in Sulphur Springs.
To see offered classes, go to www.parisjc.edu/schedule.
To apply to PJC, go to www.parisjc.edu/apply or email [email protected].
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.
Saltillo Graduates Awarded Garmon Scholarships
Paisley Kastner, Kristina Wade, Garrett Tarver and Anna Reeder were presented with $1,500 scholarships, given in memory of longtime educator Kerry Garmon, during the Saltillo High School Senior Class of 2021 graduation last week in the school gym named after Garmon.
Click here for information about additionals scholarships received by these and other members of the Saltillo High School Senior Class of 2021.
Click here for more information about Anna Reeder and Garrett Tarver, the SHS and Saltillo Junior High Class of 2021 valedictorians and salutatorians.
SSISD Hires Pine Tree Coach as Wildcats Head Basketball Coach
Meeting Thursday (June 3) at noon, the Sulphur Springs School Board approved the hiring of Brandon Shaver as the new Wildcats Head Basketball Coach.
Coach Shaver has been the Head Basketball Coach at Longview Pine Tree for the past 2 seasons.
A native of New Diana, Coach Shaver was also a head coach before that at Grand Cane Central High School near Shreveport. Coach Shaver spent 12 years as an assistant coach at several Louisiana high schools.
He is a graduate of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
Coach Shaver replaces the most successful coach in Wildcats’ history, Clark Cipoletta. The board also accepted Coach Cipoletta’s resignation. Cip has been named as the Head Basketball Coach at Allen.
The Wildcats Football Team also lost their Defensive Coordinator Alex Guerra. Coach Guerra’s resignation was accepted Thursday and he will be taking the Head Football job at Edgewood.
Wildcats Football Coach Greg Owens said he would replace Coach Guerra as DC with longtime Wildcats Assistant Coach Kirk McCain. Coach McCain has been on Coach Owens’ football staff for 14 years.
Coach Owens is also losing his Quarterback Coach Mike Meador. Coach Meador is moving to SSHS Athletic Facilities and Business Manager replacing Dwayne McMeans, a former Wildcats Head Football Coach whose retirement was accepted by the board Thursday.
Wildcats Offensive Coordinator Matt Young will be coaching quarterbacks. Coach Meador is expected to continue as an Assistant Tennis Coach.
Several other coaches resigned effective Thursday. Joe Garcia, a Spanish teacher and former Wildcats Basketball Assistant Coach, resigned so he could become the Head Girls Coach at North Hopkins. Coach Garcia has been a head girls and boys coach at Campbell in the past.
Wildcats Football and Baseball Assistant Shane McQueen has resigned. Coach McQueen is joining the football staff of former Wildcats Offensive Coordinator Jeff Riordan at Tyler Chapel Hill.
Wildcats Football Assistant Jason Meskimen has resigned. Coach Meskimen has accepted a position as a defensive coach at Mount Pleasant.
The board also approved the hiring of Rae Ann Ford as an assistant Lady Cats Basketball Coach on the staff of Head Coach Brittney Tisdell. Lady Cats Basketball Assistant Bryan Jones has resigned.
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.
Search Nets Cache Of Contraband And 4 Arrests
The search of a Sulphur Springs address netted a cache of contraband and 4 arrests, according to police.
An investigation into narcotic activity resulted in Sulphur Springs Police Special Crimes Unit investigators seeking and obtaining a narcotic search warrant. The SCU investigators, with SWAT officers standing by as a precaution, served the warrant around 8:30 a.m. June 3, 2021. Inside, officers located 1.5 pounds of marijuana, 760 grams of THC edibles, approximately 14,200 in cash and five weapons, SCU Lt. Mark Estes reported Thursday afternoon.
Four males at the location were arrested for engaging in organized criminal activity. A woman and 1-year-old were also contacted. Child Protective Services was contacted due to the presence of a child. The infant was released with the woman, with no charges filed against the woman at lunch time Thursday, according to investigators. SCU officers reported the investigation related to the location is ongoing, however.
A table filled with contraband officers seized from a Sulphur Springs address searched June 3, 2021
CJAA Texas Jet Blast Is a Soaring Success Over Memorial Day Weekend
Over Memorial Day weekend, several retired jets recommissioned for training were flown at Sulphur Springs Municipal Airport to get pilots’ certifications.
Russell Armstrong, Host of the CJAA (Classic Jet Aircraft Association) Texas Jet Blast, also hosted in 2019.
Armstrong, when not hosting air training, is a certified financial planner, owning an investment practice, AIS Financial, in Commerce.
The host of this year’s CJAA Texas Jet Blast is a pilot, and an aircraft owner who hosted a similar event in 2019, but in terms of the number of air training exercises that took off, 2020 was “…pretty much a wash all across the board” due to COVID-19.
As a result, Armstrong was all too ready to get back in the air for the 2021 edition of the CJAA Texas Jet Blast. While the event is not an air show, it is training, or as Armstrong put it, formation clinics.
Up to four planes went up at a time, practicing several maneuvers and formations in the hopes of getting most of the pilots training in Sulphur Springs over the weekend wing cards.
Wing cards are documentation which shows pilots have state proficiency in flying classic jets, like the ones shown pictured. se of the wing training, Armstrong said, is that if a pilot gets their wing card, then they are qualified to fly in an air show in formation.
Over the course of the Memorial Day weekend, Armstrong flew 11 times from Thursday to Sunday.
Not only did the pilots have the formation clinics going on, but there was also an FAA approved aerobatic box at the airport.
The “low-level” box stretched anywhere from the ground to 6,000 feet up, and was about 6,000 feet long (for a frame of reference, the runway at Sulphur Springs Municipal Airport is about 5,000 feet long).
In other words, the box stretched from 1,000 feet south of the airport to 1,000 feet north of the airport, in to Lake Sulphur Springs.
The jets practiced two, three, and four-ship jet formations, as 11 jets came and went to Sulphur Springs Municipal Airport over the holiday weekend. Eight of the 11 total aircraft were Aero L-39 Albatros jets, made in former Czechoslovakia.
The frequency at which the L-39 was found over the weekend can be explained due to the fact that the Albatros jets are the most popular ex-military, civilian-owned aircraft in the country.
According to Armstrong, up to 300 Albatros jets are owned and flown by private citizens in the United States.
Armstrong said this is due to the the L-39 being extremely stable jet trainers and were used as such by Russia, Germany, Czechoslovakia, and many other countries.
One MIG-17S (Picture one, the gray aircraft numbered 1613 in blue) was flown over the weekend and was present from Thursday to Saturday, leaving for the San Marcos air show but returning later that day, and was flown and featured at the 2021 CJAA Texas Jet Blast on Sunday.
Other jets flown over the weekend were an L-139 (pictured above with the lion on its tail) that was made and shipped from the former Czechoslovakia that had an engine inside built in the United States (the only of it’s kind!), a T-33 built by Lockheed Martin (pictured below in the foreground) a Tucano A-27, and a gun-metal gray turbo prop named Valkyrie.
While several of the jets flown over Memorial Day are from Texas, Russell Armstrong said CJAA members are all over the country. Two planes were from Mobile, Alabama and one was from New York City. In fact, the aforementioned Tucano A-27 flew from Los Angeles.
Armstrong said that several pilots came over the Holiday weekend that are certified to instruct, and the CJAA 2021 Texas Jet Blast host said that many members of the CJAA are former military servicemen, coming from the USAF, the Navy, Army, and more.
While these fighter jets have been rebuilt and recommissioned for training, it is no small feat to get state certification for these particular types of jets.
“In order to fly one of these as the pilot in command,” Armstrong said, pilots have to have “a minimum of 1,000 hours as a pilot in command.”
Not only that, but pilots who wish to be found as state proficient in flying these types of jets must be instrument-rated as well.
“Those are the minimum requirements to fly these types of jets,” Armstrong said. The 2021 CJAAA Texas Jet Blast did say that there are times, such as when pilots wish to hone their skills and learn to fly in formation, where instructors will hop in the back seat and are on board in the event they need to take control of the plane.
Armstrong said this is mostly due to the fact that when flying in four-ship formation, jets are only four feet apart while still traveling about 220 knots (approximately 250 mph), and will use hand signals from the lead jet instead of talking through the onboard radio.
“It’s an exciting organization, Russell Armstrongs said about the CJAA, but admitted that “it doesn’t come without danger.”
Armstrong said that pilots, generally, feel it is more dangerous driving more to the airport than when they are actually flying, which statistically, Armstrong said, is true.
“All of the people that are flying these jets are trained,” Armstrong said, adding that “each year [pilots take] check rides to maintain proficiency.”
One of the checks that pilots do under that is the procedure for when an engine might fail. Armstrong said that this is important because when something like this may happen, the gut reaction is not to eject, but instead put the fighter down where they can to ensure the pilots’ safety, and the safety of those on the ground.
Practice, safety, and different types of procedures being practiced is crucial to flying.
For all of these reasons and more, Armstrong was all too happy to get back out in the air for this past weekend’s air training.
“People that fly,” Armstrong said, “tend to want to fly a lot.”
The CJAA 2021 Texas Jet Blast host said that this is critical due to the fact that if pilots want to fly they must stay proficient.
Armstrong said that everyone involved at CJAA were disappointed that all the shows in 2020 were cancelled due to COVID-19, so the pilot said that he was super excited everything was opening back up.
“We meet people all over the world who share the same passion [to fly],” Armstrong said.
Armstrong said he now has lifelong friends who now fly aircraft such as the ones flown over Memorial Day weekend.
“To be able to get back together with these large groups and enjoy the camaraderie,” Armstrong said, “…to share the passion [of flying], is tremendous.”
To learn more about these jets and the CJAA organization, check out classicjets.org
From Ashes, We Rise. A Documentary on Jerry Schemmel’s Fight in the Toughest Bicycle Race in the World – Coming Soon!
By Christopher Michell – It’s often been said that the end of one finish line is the start of an entirely new race. This is especially true for a man named Jerry Schemmel, a tough-as-nails cyclist competing this year for the second time in the ultra-distance road cycling competition, The Race Across America. Beginning its earliest days as “The Great American Bike Race”, RAAM is not only the longest-running and most respected cycling event, but also to be one of the single toughest ultra-endurance challenges in the world. The individual cyclists start the race by meeting at a sponsored kickoff event in Oceanside, California. The cyclists then race to travel over 3,000 miles, climb 175,000 feet, cross 12 states, and ultimately finish at City Dock in Annapolis, Maryland.
At 61 years of age, Jerry Schemmel has quite a prolific career and life portfolio. Not only is he a survivor of a devastating plane crash who went back into the fiery inferno to rescue an infant, he is also a respected sportscaster of 30 years for the MLB and NBA, as well as a speaker, author, and attorney. Moreover, Jerry still managed to find time to not only compete in, but also be a winner of the 2015 Race Across America 2-man relay. Jerry has an incredibly inspiring philosophy in how he approaches his life, in that he uses the hardships he has experienced in his life as fuel to drive him to be so accomplished in everything he puts his mind to.
On June 15th of this year, in Oceanside, California, Jerry will finally attempt his greatest challenge yet – The Race Across America, this time as a solo cyclist. He will travel from California to Maryland, across 13 states in a little over 12 days, completely solo. Where previously he would switch off with a partner cyclist throughout the journey, this time it will be all Jerry. His intentions with a solo race to this magnitude are to not only face a challenge that will push him to his furthest-most physical and mental limits, but that his experience may inspire others to push through, no matter how fiery the inferno they face. Everyone has their own plane crash. From ashes, each of us have the potential to rise up, just so long as we never give up.
With RAAM being a charity event, the race is also an opportunity for Jerry to raise money and support for The Kyle Pease Foundation, an incredible non-profit organization whose mission it is to “create awareness and raise funds to promote success for persons with disabilities by providing assistance to meet their individual needs through sports.”
In addition to all of this, there is one more exciting announcement to make. This summer, emerging production company, Riseup Films, has partnered with Jerry to send a team of documentary filmmakers to follow him in his quest to compete solo in the toughest race in the world. From Ashes, We Rise will document his physical and mental struggles leading up to and throughout the race, along with an exploration of his life, stories, and the tension that will come with those wondering whether such an accomplishment can even happen.
The budget for From Ashes, We Rise will take upwards of $37,000 to make at the level desired to truly capture the empowering and inspiring story at its fullest potential. This includes pay for the crew, equipment resources, travel expenses, food, marketing and advertising, a 10% buffer, and finally 10% to go towards The Kyle Pease Foundation. The rest of the budgetary breakdown can be seen on the fundraising page that recently went live, over at gofundme.com/f/fromasheswerisemovie.
If you or someone you know would like to support Jerry in his race, the documentary, and the percentage that will be given to those at KPF, please consider contributing. We can’t do this without you. Let’s each of us rise up and encourage one another to root for Jerry as he pushes through the toughest race of his life. To follow the production of the film and Jerry’s journey on social media, visit the official From Ashes, We Rise Facebook page and Instagram page. Be sure to stay tuned here as KSST releases EXCLUSIVE content throughout the race. It’s crunch time.
Find out more about the film From Ashes, We Rise. Donate to Riseup Films here, your contributions will assure the film is completed. Learn more about the subject of the film, Jerry Schemmel, at his website available here.
Four SSHS Sports Programs Begin The Edge Next Week
Next week (June 7-10), four Sulphur Springs ISD sports programs begin The Edge conditioning program with sport-specific skills work.
In addition, there will a sports camp for tennis. Football, cross country, and boys and girls soccer start The Edge.
The Edge will continue Mondays through Thursdays for six weeks ending July 15.
The Edge for football takes place in the Multi-Purpose Building. The first session, for entering 10th through 12th graders, is from 8 A.M. until 10 A.M.
A second session, for entering 7th through 9th graders, is set for 10 A.M. until noon. Wildcats Head Football Coach Greg Owens and his football staff will conduct The Edge for football.
Cross Country Edge originates at Gerald Prim Stadium. It begins at 7:15 A.M. and wraps up at 8:45 A.M. Athletes will be divided into two groups: those entering 9th through the 12th grades and ones entering 7th and 8th grades.
Wildcats and Lady Cats Cross Country Coach Ross Hicks along with several assistants will run The cross country Edge.
Boys and Girls Soccer will share Gerald Prim Stadium for The Edge for soccer. It will run from 8:30 A.M. until 10 A.M. Attending will be soccer athletes entering 9th through the 12th grades.
Wildcats Soccer Coach Alexi Upton will run The Edge for boys’ soccer and Lady Cats Soccer Coach Javier Aguayo will conduct The Edge for girls’ soccer.
There is no charge for The Edge.
Meanwhile The Edge for tennis will be continuing next week running through July 25. Wildcats Tennis Coach Tony Martinez is having sessions Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30 P.M. until 9:30 P.M. and Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 A.M. until 10:30 A.M.
The Edge for tennis invites athletes entering 7th through the 12th grades. Speaking of tennis, Coach Martinez and several assistants will be offering Tennis Camp next week Monday through Thursday.
It will take place at the SSHS Wildcat Tennis Complex from 9 A.M. until noon. and will be open for any boys and girls entering kindergarten through 12th grade.
Cost of Tennis Camp is $50.
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.
City Council Approves Rezoning Requests, Grant Application, Hears Project Updates
Sulphur Springs City Council approved rezoning requests and a grant application for a new project this week. City Finance Director reports March sales tax numbers were up.
Rezoning Requests
The city council approved on second and final reading ordinances granting rezoning requests from Larry and Linda Evans and Chuck Sickles during the the regular council meeting on June 1, 2021.
The Evans asked that their property at 1340 South Hillcrest Drive be changed from single family to heavy commercial to better fit the existing uses and potential use of the 0.9-acre property along the State Highway 19/Interstate 30/Loop 301 corridor.
Essentially, when property in the area of Wildcat Way was annexed into the city, some properties received a single family place-holder designation. The property is currently surrounded by a mix of zoning designations, light commercial to the north, east and south; and heavy to light commercial to the west.
Ordinance 2780 making the zoning change was first approved during the May City Council meeting, at the recommendation of city staff, who reported heavy commercial zoning would be appropriate given the context of the area, and the Planning and Zoning Commission, who recommended approval during their April meeting.
Sulphur Springs City Council also approved Ordinance 2781 on final reading. Chuck Sickles at the same April 2021 Planning & Zoning Commission meeting asked that 2.5 acres of property at 1079 Rockdale Road and 1084 Rockdale Road be rezoned from single family to heavy commercial as well.
Sickles reported body body shop facilities are currently operated on the properties, which have split zoning across property lines on the lots. In order to clean up the zoning, Sickles asked that the property be zoned heavy commercial, which is consistent with the body shop use, which the property frontage is zoned.
Surrounding the Rockdale Road properties are a mix of zoning designations: heavy commercial to the west and south, and single family to the north and east. City staff reported at the May 2021 City Council meeting that rezoning the Rockdale Road properties to all heavy commercial would also be an appropriate use given the context of the area and the fact that it fits the land use plan of commercial property along I-30 and Rockdale Road. The P&Z Commission too approved the request in April, sending it to the city council for first reading in May.
Grant Application, Branch Project
The City Council was also asked to consider Resolution 1242 approving an application for a Texas Department of Transportation 2021 Transportation Alternatives Set Aside Project grant. The council gave city staff the go ahead to proceed with an application which would help fund development of a linear open space area just west of downtown, a linear open space with the town branch and lake drainage detention basin as key features.
City Manager Marc Maxwell explained to the council that the grant is the same type of grant the city received for the Cross Town Trails project, which connects Coleman and Buford Parks to the downtown area via construction of sidewalks along Connally Street to the square. The deadline for the grant application is this month. Getting it in puts the city in line for federal grant funding awarded through the Department of Transportation. The linear area would span from Van Sickle to the railroad and City Hall to Rogers Street on the west side. This had been planned for development along with other open space projects, but funding did not allow.
The grant would fully fund the project, with no funding or matching required by the city, if approved.
After giving approval to city staff to apply for the grant funding, the City Council then considered a proposal from Toole Design Group to provide design services for that linear area west of downtown. This first includes Ian Lockwood and his team, who would spend four days in Sulphur Springs holding design charrettes, during which city residents’ input would be sought, then used to devise a plan for that space using that input, Maxwell explained. This would follow the same process used for the parks plan devised and including renovations and additions at Pacific Park and the Senior Citizens building.
The council also gave approval for Toole Design Group to provide design services for the space.
Project Updates
The City Council held a brief executive session meeting 30 minutes before Tuesday’s regular open session to discuss two potential economic development projects, labeled Project Hold Fast and Project Flourish. The council during regular session voted to allow the city manager to sign an agreement for Project Flourish. Information regarding the project will be available only after the agreement is signed.
Maxwell, in his monthly manager’s report, told the council that the new HW Grays Building in Pacific Park is nearly completed. The generator will be installed next along with various plumbing fixtures and appliances. The big remaining issue is the 3 large roll-up doors. The city manager reported the “delivery date is a moving target,” which as of Tuesday night, he had no reason to believe that the doors have even been manufactured. He said he’d been given more than one excuse as to why the doors have not arrived, including delays due to COVID-19’s impact on the construction industry. He noted he would be meeting with project manager Don Roundtree to discuss whether a breach of contract should be declared and to determine how to proceed regarding the matter of the as yet unseen rollup doors.
The building will be available for Juneteenth, but the roll-up doors may not be in, according to the city manager.
Maxwell also reported there had been some staff changes at REES Associates, the architectural firm preparing the design for the new Senior Citizens Center, which prolonged the design process. Tandem Consulting, the company overseeing construction of the Grays Building, has been hired to oversee construction of the Senior Citizens building. He said he is nervous due to the continued increases in costs of construction materials during the intervening time since the start of the design process for the new facility.
City Finance Director Lesa Smith reported notices had been posted that the city is currently seeking bids for pre-engineering for a new metal building to become the senior citizens center. Those bids are due in by 11 a.m. June 29, 2021.
Maxwell also noted Duckworth Street will receive improvements this year as part of the city’s annual Street Improvement Program. The street, will be funded not by the street maintenance free budget. Maxwell said the street department had some extra funding left, which will be applied to help fund repaving of Duckworth Street. That bring the total budgeted for street maintenance to $1.1 million this year, including $502,000 from the $5 street maintenance fee attached city utility bills.
Overall, 19,391 linear feet or 3.67 miles of city streets have been identified for improvements this year, including on Austin Street from Davis to Brinker Street, Beckham Street from Oak Avenue To Elm Street, from the cul de sac to the end of Gena Drive, South League Street from Bellview Street to Pampa Street, Lee Street from Davis Street To South Broadway Street, North Davis Street from Houston to Bonner Street, Patton Street from College Street to Weaver Drive, Phyllis Court from College Street to the cul de sac, Texas Street from Tate to Lee Street then from Lee Street to Industrial Drive, and various spots on Woodbridge Crossing.
Maxwell reported the Saputo sewer main project did not progress as quickly as they’d hoped due to the wet weather, with 50 percent of the project complete (10 percent more than in May). In fact, he said, there have been whole days in which crews were unable to do any work at all on the project to install a new sewer main starting at Saputo, continuing under Interstate 30, then continuing south for 3,500 feet before connecting to an existing trunk line. The project wraps around the sides and back of KSST studios on East Shannon Road. This week crews have begun working in front of KSST, which has included periodically stopping to scrape red clay off red clay, where it has piled up on chains and tires of heavy equipment.
Affiliated Driving School 1-Day Class is Forming in July, Receive Insurance Discount, Ticket Dismissal Upon Completion
The Affiliated Driving School one-day course is returning to Sulphur Springs, and the first class is forming for July 29, 2021. The course lasts from 10am til 4pm that day at the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizen Center at 150 MLK Drive in Sulphur Springs, Texas. Drivers of any age are welcome to attend. Also, this class is an excellent way to save 10% off of your Liability Insurance. The Discount is good for 3 Years. Cost is $15 to take this one-day course. This class can also be used for a Ticket Dismissal, and the cost for that course is $25. With questions or to sign up, call (903) 885-1661, or email [email protected]. There must be at least 6 persons to sign up for the class to form.
