October 26, 2015

 

Tyler Allen, son of Gary and Chantea Allen, has been chosen to be part of the Texas FFA News Staff Program and will be involved with the online publication October 2015 – June 2016. He will submit monthly Texas FFA News articles, videos and photos. Tyler will be awarded a $1000 scholarship at the conclusion of his term. Tyler Allen is also now a contributing writer for the official Texas A & M University Newspaper “The Battalion”. Two of the articles he has written have made the front page of the paper. The Battalion, has been a student newspaper at Texas A&M University since 1893, it is a forum for student expression, which serves the University community by accurately and fairly reporting the news of the day and by developing informed opinions regarding issues of interest to Battalion readers. The Battalion and the batt.com trains students in news journalism by setting high standards and by providing the resources and guidance to reach those standards. All content is written, edited and produced by students. The publication offers excellent opportunities to gain valuable experience for journalistic and related careers. Participation is not limited to any course of study for classification, but open to all interested students. Student editors, writers and other staff members receive salaries commensurate with their duties and responsibilities. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday during fall and spring semesters, and twice a week in the summer session. It is distributed to students, faculty and staff on campus and at many apartments and other high traffic areas in College Station.

2014 Diboll High School graduate, Tyler Allen, along with approximately 400 other sophomores at Texas A & M applied to the 2015-2016 SAIL (Sophomores Advancing In Leadership) group on campus. After the application and interview process 75 sophomores were chosen to be a part of this group with Tyler Allen being named one of them. The purpose of SAIL is to involve Texas A&M sophomores in a leadership organization where they can grow as leaders with the aid of interactive speakers, leadership retreats, meetings, and various leadership activities, all while becoming a part of a support group that will last many years beyond each member’s time in SAIL. Tyler has two brothers; Dylan is a senior at DHS and Riley is a preschooler.

Carmen Grumbles Miranda has returned from another RSVP bus adventure in hopes of seeing the leaves change colors; unfortunately, they were about two weeks too early. In spite of that, the group had a great trip sightseeing for 10 days. Some of the stops included the Vulcan Park and Museum in Birmingham, AL where the world’s largest cast iron statue; made of 100,000 pounds of iron and 56 feet tall, stands at the top of Red Mountain overlooking the city of Birmingham. In Stauton, VA, the group toured the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Museum. In New Gloucester, Maine they took a guided tour of farms and saw Holstein dairy cows and the Equestrian Center. In Boothbay, Maine, the group rode the Boothbay narrow gauge steam train and explored the historic exhibits, antiques and the HO scale model railroad exhibit.

They took another guided tour in Kennebunkport of coastal villages. Highlights of this tour included Dock Square, the Bush family estate at Walker’s Point, the Franciscan Monastery, downtown Kennebunkport, the Seaside Trolley Museum where they enjoyed a ride on an authentically restored streetcar. In Freeport, Maine the group enjoyed seeing and shopping in the huge LL Bean’s Flagship store. In Portland, Maine they toured the Victoria Mansion, one of the most important historic house museums and collections of the mid Victorian period anywhere in America. Built 1858-1860, it boasts over 90% of the furnishings of the original owner and is an unparalleled example of pre-Civil War grandeur. In the historical district, they saw houses of sea captains and views of Longfellow’s boyhood home. They saw one of the most photographed lighthouses in America, The Portland Head, one of Maine’s many lighthouses and the oldest of them. Their trip continued on to Hartford, CT where the group toured the impressive Connecticut State Capitol. It was along here that the tour had to make an unscheduled stop when the bus started smoking. After waiting for five hours, thankfully at a travel stop area, the group boarded a different bus and arrived at their destination in York, PA at 2:30 in the morning. That didn’t slow this group down, they went on to tour Baltimore, MD and ended their fun stops with a beautiful view of Chattanooga, TN from riding the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway. Sounds like a great trip. Carmen shared she ate all the lobster she could while in Maine. I will share with her and others, there is a beautiful wall-size photograph of Maine’s Portland Head lighthouse in Lufkin’s Red Lobster.

Several guys from this area have taken trips toward the northwest US to enjoy a few days hunting in cooler, higher and sometimes wetter parts of Colorado. Dennis Lenderman and Jerry Hemphill pulled a converted horse trailer/camper to Colorado and had to spend most of their time watching it rain. Ricky Morris and his dad, Larry, along with brothers Jim and Bill Lumpkin traveled further north near Rifle, CO and camped in tents. Larry Morris was the only one to bring home the bacon, or rather, venison. It snowed on this group and they were pretty disgusted at having to spend 3 hours on a mountain pass because truckers did not heed the instructions to put on their snow chains and were sliding all over the highway. They also got caught up in all the down pouring rains when coming through Corsicana.

We had a nice surprise visit from former Dibollian, Doug Cooke and his wife, Laura who live in Ft. Smith, AK. They bought Anasazi beans and a jar of our very popular Chow Chow. They were on their way to Houston to visit his dad, Stacy Cooke and wife. Lonnie Wallace called from Wisconsin and ordered some Colorado pinto beans. He wasn’t able to come to Texas because he is too busy spoiling a new great-grandson, Avery Cooper.

The Diboll Civic Club sponsors CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS whose co-chairmen are Bessie Furgurson and Delana Hendrick. There are almost 250 kids, ages newborn to 17 that will have a better Christmas because of this organization. Monetary donations are always welcomed and large boxes are placed around town for people to donate new toys. The boxes are located at First Bank & Trust, Temple Library, Temple Inland Credit Union, the lobby at Georgia Pacific and here at Pouland’s. This is a very worthy organization that needs your help.

Pam Burnette and Katrina Hagan are two ladies who are helping to raise money for the medical expenses of Daniel Hagan who has kidney disease. You have until November 6th to place your order for homemade pumpkin and pecan pies by calling 829-4631 or 281-995-0496. Thank you and God Bless.
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