June 20, 2016

Diboll School Board members Trey Wilkerson, Ronnie Coleman, Laura Cooper, Roy Salazar, Greg Stephens, and Rodney Cheshire each attended training in San Antonio last week at the TASB Summer Leadership Institute.   They each participated in multiple sessions related to Texas schools, hearing speakers and visiting with Board members from other districts in an effort to learn things that can be used in Diboll.  Every one of the Diboll attendees sat in on a least one session related to the superintendent search process to help better equip them to handle that responsibility.

Once the conference ended on Saturday, Trey and Michele Wilkerson, along with Annabeth and Ryan, headed for the Hill Country.  They first went to Bandera, and the kids enjoyed a performance of the gunfighters in the “Cowboy Capital of the World”.  At the end of the show the kids were sworn in as deputies and given badges, which Ryan is probably still wearing.  From Bandera, they headed on to Fredericksburg, and Saturday evening they took in an incredible performance of Beauty and the Beast by the Fredericksburg Theater Company.  It was a top-notch performance with over 40 actors on stage at one time.  Even 7 year old Ryan was mesmerized for over two hours by the show!

On Sunday, they splashed in the Guadalupe River in Kerrville for a few minutes, then headed over to Enchanted Rock.  It was a beautiful day, and Trey and the kids climbed almost to the top of the 425 foot high granite hill and enjoyed the views of the surrounding countryside.  Then it was time to go back through Fredericksburg and grab some peaches before heading towards Diboll.

The following is news from our local “pickers”, David and Charlotte Carter who own His & Hers Trade Days in Burke. Charlotte writes. We made a very ‘quick pick’ trip to the 200 mile Highway ​70 Yard Sale which runs from Memphis to Nashville, Tennessee. We left Burke at 4:30AM on a Thursday and we had lunch in Forrest City, Arkansas. By 1:30 we were on the sale trail.  We found a few good stops that afternoon and then spent most of the day that Friday looking for treasures. We learned when to stop and when not to even though it is very hard for David to pass up a yard sale.  Our best items we found were at out of the way old homesteads.  We stopped at one gentleman’s home who must have cleaned out his barn of old rakes and such.  We got a primitive post hole digger among other things from him. We met another couple off on a side road who had several things set up but as we talked she told us she had her ‘good stuff’ in her home so we were able to get a few nice items there. One was a bakelite base, gold horse clock.  Bakelite is made with a combination of sawdust and formaldehyde. It is a beautiful piece. The best part of that visit was that we were invited to come back and they will have some more treasures for us including old toys. A nice find at another home was an old cast iron money bank that is worth over $200. We ventured on up to Marion Illinois that Friday evening and met a couple we have befriended for dinner. The next morning we went to her little shop and then to their place to pick up items we had left the last visit we made.  David loaded up an old wringer washer that works and several pieces of furniture including a few cabinets from an old barber shop. We started back home that Saturday evening staying in Searcy, Arkansas and then on home Saturday.  We are already planning another trip in July. We are always looking for treasures for our trade days where ‘old is new’! I recommend you stop by His & Hers Trade Days on highway 59 in Burke where there is always something new and interesting.

Jesse and Suzanne Bradford had the joy of carrying their eight-year-old granddaughter, Addyson Arnold, on a cruise. They left Galveston on the Carnival cruise ship Liberty and sailed to Cozumel and Progresso. Addyson never meets a stranger and had a blast aboard the ship. She stayed busy with the Kids Carnival Club day and night. At dinner each evening she not only tried new foods but actually liked most of it and made friends quickly with another 8-year-old at the table. The waiters always wanted Addyson to dance with them during their evening entertainment. All three, Jesse, Suzanne and Addyson, enjoyed the professional Broadway-type shows in the evening. Suzanne said Jesse was the perfect grandpa and took charge of Addyson while Suzanne got to relax, enjoy a hot stone massage and plenty of time to read. At all times there was something going on. When the ship docked, Suzanne and Addyson did some serious shopping in Progresso and in Cozumel all three swam, shook hands and even kissed the dolphins. It was another great trip for the Bradfords with fun and smooth sailing. Addyson is the youngest daughter of Glenn and JonAnna Arnold.

Jennifer Horton showed us pictures of produce from their daughter’s garden in Conroe. Her dad, Gary Horton, has always had a garden in his front yard on FM 1818 and we were disappointed not to see one this year but it looks like his daughter April is coming along in his footsteps raising tomatoes, peppers, strawberries and several varieties of squash. April is also mechanically talented and along with her husband, Joe Fowler, put a radiator in Gary’s pickup while visiting him during the Father’s Day weekend. Jennifer and Gary enjoyed the grandchildren during the visit. Their grandson, Miles, is almost two and loves his grandma. Granddaughter, Brooklynn, is almost five. She seems partial to her grandpa and made him a special card for Father’s Day. Jennifer has been a faithful employee of the Diboll ISD. She is beginning her18th year in the cafeteria.

Almost every Friday a group of ladies get together for lunch; this past Friday they went to the Olive Garden. The group includes JoNell Placker, Joyce Carlton, Mary Lou Havard and Kathryn Chuke. Afterwards, they came to Poulands’ for a cup of coffee and were delighted to visit with Joe Donald Smith and his son, Bill. Earlier that week, JoNell and Mary Lou visited with Milford Ruby in his home where he and Mary Lou discussed the good ole days of living in Fastrill. Milford is not driving at the present time so remember him and give him a call or go visit.

The Diboll Area Lions Club has boxes around town in various businesses to collect eye glasses. The organization cleans and repairs them to be given to children and adults that need them. We are proud to have one of the boxes available at Poulands so you can drop your glasses off here and come see us…’round the table.