March 31, 2014

 

IT’S TIME FOR TEXAS TRASH OFF! Volunteers will be picking up litter throughout Texas. (So unnecessary…littering, that is). Keep Diboll Beautiful will meet volunteers in Old Orchard Park at 8:30 AM Saturday, April 5th to give assignments. Or, according to Fran McClain, you can help the DHS Class of 1969 with their Adopt-A-Highway section and meet them in the Dollar General parking lot at 9AM. If neither of these work for you, please just pick up litter around your area as a lot of people already do that on a regular basis. Keep Diboll Beautiful will be serving pizza for lunch. If you plan to work and eat pizza, please call Elvia Esteves-Garza at city hall, 829-4757 by Friday. Trash bags will be provided but you will need to bring your own gloves. Also, don’t forget that Diboll’s Operation Clean-sweep is scheduled for Saturday, April 26th. Volunteers and donations are needed!!

Diboll Alumni Association is working hard to contact all former employees of DISD to recognize them at a special time during Diboll Day this year. Please let Fran McClain (829-2779) know if you have any contact information for the following employees that worked during the 1990’s: Jeannie Bacon, Sandy Crespin, Maria Dejesus, Traci Eakin, Lula Garcia, Debbie Gault, Delores Harris, Tommy Hodges, Shane Holman, Clyde Jackson, Ruth Lemmond, Sharon Lusk, Dr. Craig Morton, Debra Oladovich, Melissa Petty, Leslie Roberts, Kim Roberts, Becky Robins, Lacey Joe Roden, Pam Rogers, Craig Russell, Francisca Silva, Melanie Spark, Candice Stine, Brandon  Taylor, Maria Torres, A. Van Schoubrock, Susan Wier and John Yonker. Fran’s email is franmc@consolidated.net.

It’s two more great grandchildren for Dianne and Mike Gibson of Diboll. Twins Jude Kenneth and Lennon Morris Tate were born March 18th in Huntsville. Their parents are Brittani and Zachary Tate and grandparents are Vicki and Barry Tate. Both boys are doing well and yes, they were named after Jude Law and John Lennon.

Enjoyed visiting with John Oates and learned that his and Ruth’s daughter, Rachel, is getting married.  Last May when Rachel received her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from UT Tyler she also received a marriage proposal from Chemical Engineer, Ryan Bloser. She accepted his proposal and began her new career the following Monday. Rachel is working for The Crisis Center of Jacksonville having to complete 3,000 hours of apprenticeship. Their wedding is May 31 in Flynt Texas at the Centaur Arabian Farms that offers a country elegance wedding venue and reception. Matthew (Rachel’s brother) and Mary Oates are expecting their first baby on the 24th of May and everyone is holding their breath hoping that baby Adam Malloy arrives in time for his mother to be Rachel’s matron of honor.

Billie (Goins) Bryce has enjoyed getting re-acquainted with a childhood friend, Ira Jean (Black) Wooten, whom she had not seen since the 8th grade. They both are attending Pine Grove church in Beulah. Two other classmates also live in the area: Bobbie (Havard) Goolsby and Wanda Torbert.

Sue Johnson reported the Burke Chapter #1098 Order of the Eastern Star had a HUGELY SUCESSFUL Baked Potato sale on March 27th.  They would like to thank everyone who bought potatoes including the Diboll schools, the Central schools and all the others who always help their chapter with its fund raisers. Sue said there are too many to name without leaving someone out; however, one of their buyers not only buys but makes a BIG donation and for that and all the others, they are truly grateful. The biggest “thank you” goes to The Golden Corral who not only bakes the potatoes but has them ready and they are awesome! Their manager, Jason and his staff, always go above and beyond to help this local chapter and the ladies can vouch that the food is great and encourages everyone to try The Golden Corral.

Congratulations to Jack and Donnie Jenkins who are both very active in the SASS, Single Action Shooter Society, which is competing with 6-shooters. Jack won 3rd Place in the Texas state championship and also won “Spirit of the Game” award. Donnie won 4th Place in the state in her division. The event takes place in Oakwood, Texas.

Congratulations to Mike Waters who was awarded the Joe Richardson Most Distinguished Athletic Training Award from SFA. He is an ’86 SFA alumni and his picture is in the current SFA Sawdust magazine.

Joe Donald Smith celebrated a birthday dinner on March 31st at Los Jarritos. With him was his wife, Emma Lee; their son and daughter-in-law, Joe Henry and Diane Smith and son, Bill. All five ordered fried shrimp and loved their dinner. On April 3rd. Joe Donald and Emma Lee will celebrate their 66th wedding anniversary. That is awesome, congratulations!!

Billie Jean Capps also enjoyed her March 31st birthday with all four daughters, Susie, Shannon, Sharla, Sherry and families home for the weekend. Later in the week, her husband, Donald, treated her to breakfast at IHOP. Happy Birthday Billie Jean; it’s been a long time since you and I walked home after school to 8 Bakers Café almost every day and listened to Percy Faith’s A Summer Place.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars April 12th for the 2nd Annual Music in the Park. Beginning at 6PM Old Orchard Park will be rocking with music from The Crime stoppers Band. Opening for them will be one of DISD’s school choirs and concessions will be available from volunteers with Project Celebration.

Also on April 12th,  Angelina County 4-H will be having a BINGO at the Angelina County Extension office. The doors will open at 5:30 and the games begin at 6PM. The cost is $2 a card for 8 games.

The Angelina County Master Gardeners Annual Plant sale will be this Saturday, April 5th beginning at 8 AM at the Farmers Market in Lufkin.

Our bedding plants, flowers and hanging baskets have arrived and made the front of Pouland’s an array of colors.

Come see us…’round the table.

 

March 17, 2014

 

We met up with Nathan and Lesa Terrell at Los Jarritos and learned they had just returned from Atlanta, GA. I asked him to tell us about their trip and

appreciate what he sent me; Nathan wrote the following. This is the 3rd week out of the last 4 that Lesa had to go to Atlanta, GA with Georgia Pacific to work.  I went with her as a tag along cuz I was tired of being a bachelor on a weekly basis.

We arrived on Sunday, March the 9th, got checked into the hotel, then started searching for a place to have dinner. While walking on Peachtree Street we saw banners advertising the NCAA Southeastern Conference, SEC, Mens Basketball Tournament.  This was exciting as Texas A & M is part of that conference. I did not really have anything to do once we got back to our hotel room so I searched for tickets on the computer.  The event was taking place at the Georgia Dome, which is walking distance from the hotel.  I was able to get tickets for the nights of Wednesday and Thursday plus the afternoon Session on Thursday. On Wednesday night, Lesa and two of her coworkers, Michael Dorman and Lori Smith were able to go with me.  The Session was not a sell out and we were able to sit anywhere we wanted.  We got there early enough to score Floor Seats on the 7th row Center Court!!  Being so close to the floor we got a real good look at the players, those Basketball players are TALL & BIG!!  There was one 7 foot and a couple of 6 foot 11 inch ones.  We watched South Carolina beat Auburn in a blowout.  After the first game, Lesa and Lori left to go back to the hotel room to work.  Michael and I stayed to watch Mississippi State beat Vanderbilt, another blowout.  The next day the games started at 1:00 PM, I went by myself and watched Texas A & M go into Double Overtime against Missouri before getting handed a loss.  I and a handful of folks were cheering for the Aggies, but we were loud!  At the night session, Lesa and Lori came back to the Georgia Dome to watch Alabama get beat by LSU.  We did not stay for the final, I was tired after watching 3 games that day and Lesa and Lori, again, had to go back to the hotel to work.

One other thing I did while Lesa was at GP working was to take a tour of CNN headquarters in Atlanta.  It was a short walk to the CNN building, which is located beside Olympic Park.  While walking toward the CNN building I saw a couple of Fashion Model Photo shoots and one Reality TV show film crew working on the street. In the TV shoot I fell in with the “Xtras” when the director yelled “Action” for them to walk across the street.  I don’t know the name of the TV show or if I will be in any of the footage, but it was fun.  On the tour of the CNN building I saw where Wolf Blitzer and all the other folks bring us the news and weather.  The thing I noticed the most was, upon getting my ticket I was subjected, along with the other folks in the tour, to a MAJOR SECURITY scan.  This was more thorough than the airport!  The tour lasted about 45 minutes and at every turn we made in the building, there were Security Guards.  At the end of the tour we were in a room for a Q & A session and one guy ask had there been an incident, that now is the cause, for all of the Security, the tour guide answered, Yes!

If you like Southern Gospel music, mark your calendar for March 29 at 6PM at Calvary Baptist Church in Lufkin to attend a benefit for Relay for Life. The admission is free but a love offering will be taken for the American Cancer Society. Jack Havard will serve as the MC for the evening with entertainment from the following groups: The Waymakers; The Stanleys; The Martin Family; Narrow Road Quartet; Ransomed Quartet and Emily Rhoades.

According to good friend Carol Chalfant, the first Saturday in April will be the Annual Plant Sale sponsored by the Angelina County Master Gardeners. April 5th beginning at 8AM until 2PM at the Angelina County Farmers Market you will find annuals, perennials, natives, fruits, roses and so much more.

When you are out and about town take time to look at the entrance of the Lottie and Arthur Temple Civic Center and see the new landscaping that the Diboll Civic Center Committee has implemented. The extensive work is being done by Johan Terbough who is married to former Dibollian,  Andra (Willmon). Johan is from South Africa where he grew up on a farm. I love his accent. You don’t listen to him long before you realize he loves his work and appreciates beautiful flowers and landscaping. When he was quite young his mother decided she wanted to landscape their home and Johan said it grew into a 3-acre manicured park.

People everywhere are ready for spring and wanting to plant their gardens. We do have a large selection of bulk vegetable seeds, onion plants, fertilizer, potting soil, weed/feed, trimmers, etc. to help you get started. We also plan to have a large selection of bedding plants and flowers just as soon as we feel that winter is gone.

Buddy Shipp and Gary Jones were in buying seed potatoes. Mark Hafernik came in with his adorable 15-month-old grandson, Gibson. Mark is ready for the Purple Martins and has seen “scouts” in his yard. Chet and Tammy Winger said they already have 15 pair in their yard on Lake Rayburn. Roy McCall was in town during the weekend and came in three different times to buy corn. Wayne Clark bought local honey. Joe Paul Stovall bought a new Stihl trimmer. Ken St.Ama sent Pam in to buy lawn fertilizer just before the rain was to arrive.  Ray Smith is 80 and still delivering mail to Diboll. He is also planning to plant an extra large garden. Newly married Daniel and Lisa Eddins were in buying trailer tires. Deer Trace neighbors Stephen and Dortha Jackson and Jay Wyatt were in buying weed & feed for their lawns; J.R. and Tellie Williams bought a new rain gauge. Carolyn and Eddie Smith came in to buy milo for all the beautiful red cardinals in their yard and said her Christmas cactus is still blooming.

Jan Wilkerson sent an email to remind us all to SAVE THE DATE!!!

Diboll Civic Club presents its second “Music in the Park” on Saturday, April 12, at 6 p.m.  The Crime stoppers Band will be featured, and the Temple Elementary and Intermediate School Choirs will be on the program.  Old Orchard Park is the site, and it has some bench seating, but everyone is encouraged to bring your own lawn chairs.  There is no admission charge.

The Diboll Civic Club needs you!!!  The annual Operation Clean-Sweep is coming April 26. Repairs, outside painting, yard work and other types of “fix-up” projects will be undertaken for community members in need.  Churches, school groups, businesses, organizations and individuals are needed to form work teams for the day. Donations of building supplies, tools and money are needed to help with the projects, along with food and drinks for the volunteers. Nomination for homes needing assistance will be received until April 4.  To volunteer, make a donation or to receive a nomination form, contact: Fran McClain 829-2779 or franmc@consolidated.   Trey Wilkerson 637-3418 or 366-7215.

If you haven’t noticed Diboll is a busy place with lots of activities. There is always something going on that needs volunteers and support. Get involved!!.

Come see us…’round the table.

 

March 3, 2014

 

Mark and Ann Hafernick of Diboll, along with their son Brian Hafernick, DVM, of Lufkin, recently attended the Sky Ranch Gala at the Omni Hotel in Dallas.  The event was entitled Cowboys & Cowboys and in attendance were former Dallas cowboy football greats and Pro Rodeo cowboys.  The purpose of the gala was to raise money for scholarships to send underprivileged boys and girls to Sky Ranch.  This is a Christian based weeklong camp located in Van, Texas.  Michael Irvin was the honorary celebrity chair and Walt Garrison and Rope Myers were celebrity co-chairs.  Mark got his picture made with Tony Dorsett and Jay Novacek.  Mark and Ann’s daughter, Lauren Hafernick, of Dallas, was the event planner for the event.  Some of the more popular auction items were:  Alaskan Salmon fishing trip, Golf trip to Colorado Springs via private jet with Michael Irwin and PGA Pro Shawn Stefani, Dinner prepared by nationally recognized chef David Holben at Walt Garrison’s ranch with him and Roger Staubach, Two floor tickets to George Strait’s farewell concert at Cowboy stadium in June along with an autographed Martin guitar.  Approximately 600 people attended the gala and it was estimated it raised enough funds to send more than 300 kids to camp this year!

Lauren Havar has been an Event Planner for ten years and is the daughter of Mark and Ann Hafernick of Diboll. Mark, Ann, their son Brian and his one-year-old son, Gibson were excited to attend her lastest event, along with 600 other guests last weenend at the Omni Hotel in Dallas

Sky Ranch is one of North America’s premiere Christian Camp. It exists to provide people with a positive, recreational, fun and memorable experience while being exposed to the truths of the Word of God. I love their Mission Statement: Leading youth and families to know and follow Christ. The ranch opened in 1955 in Denton, Texas as a vision of Mel & Winkie Brewer, with 66 campers.  There are now located in three states serving more than 50,000 individuals every years.

This years Gala featured superstar of the Football Field and Rodeo Area. Michael  Irvin was the Honorary Celebrity Chair

Mark frequents the Round Table more often now that he is officially retired from The Campbell Group. He’s been retired less than a year and I heard him say he is just now getting where he doesn’t look at every log truck now; for 40 years he looked at every load of logs on the highway and could tell by the logs which mill it was going to and most of the time knew the driver of the truck, the logging company he worked for and probably been on their job site at one time or another. It is amazing to hear him call people by their names that worked with him many years ago. I don’t think he ever forgets anyone he’s ever met.

It was nice to “catch up” on Caurie Cheshire when she came in the store. She is the daughter of ?? and I remember her when she was a checker at Brookshires while attending Diboll ISD and graduating from SFA in just three years. She is presently living in Houston and teaching Special Ed in an inner city school. She also has a passion for mission work and in her young life has been to Haiti six times and one time to Africa which she says is beautiful. She is a member of the Providence Community Church in Atasacita. About a year ago, she was wearing a teeshirt that said “Here to Serve” which attracted the attention of Morgan Gantz who is also a missionary. These two are being married March 8th. They plan to spend their honeymoon in Mexico aboard a cruise ship and they are excited about spending this summer in Zimbawaee, South Africa, doing mission work. Congratulations and may God bless you both.

Another young woman and high school classmate of Caurie shares the same passion of helping people. Kendal Martel is presently living in Africa while serving in the Peace Corp for two years.

Lee and Desirae Allen came in and we learned they have just returned from their first trip to Las Vegas where they celebrated their 5th wedding anniversary. Both were impressed with the sights while staying at the Flamigo Hilton. They enjoyed the Dolphin show and the Million Dollar Quartet which was the story about Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis. They were impressed with the magic shows of David Copperfield at the MGM and Mac King at Paris. While observing the beautiful white tigers at the exhibit in the Mirage, they personally saw and took pictures of one of the greatest magicians, Sigfried, as he was visiting in the crowd telling them about the tigers and other animals in their exhibit.

John Ralph and I stopped by the Brisket House one evening when we noticed lots of construction work. We met Brice Curl who is having the work done and learned he presently manages the Bed and Breakfast, The Mansion at Manning. His plans are to reopen the building and serve BBQ, burgers and anything that can be cooked on a pit. He has experience in the restaurant business starting at 14 when he bussed tables in his grandparents’ family restaurant, Hills’ Seafood on the seawall in Galveston. The new restaurant will be named T.K.’s Smoke House after Brice’s son, Trevor Keith Curl. Trevor also has experience and will be moving here from Liberty where he works at the Landmark Steak House that was voted “Best Steaks in East Texas”. He also worked at Legends in Baytown for five years. It’s great Diboll is getting another place to eat!!

The contractor on the jobsite for building the pit room at the old Brisket House looked familiar and no wonder he did because it was John Wojhan, a graduate of Diboll, whose dad, Eddy Wojhan, was a well known contractor years ago. John and his wife, Lisa, the daughter of Van and Bernice Harris, live below old Manning. Their four children are Heather, Amy, David and Rachael and they also have four grandchildren.