Polk County News

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By Brian Besch
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The Goodrich City Council planned their annual Christmas event, decided on a mowing contract and discussed renovations to city hall in Thursday’s regular meeting for November.

Goodrich has already received requests for a booth at the annual Christmas celebration. The City of Goodrich Market Day and Christmas Parade will be held on the first Saturday of December, just as in the past. This year, that date falls on Dec. 4. 

Booths with electricity will see a slight increase to $35. Plenty of food, fun and a parade will be among the high-lights for the Christmas festival.

Before that day, the City will hold a ceremonial Christmas tree lighting. It will be the first time for the event and will honor former council member Marlene Arnold. The tree lighting will occur Sunday, Nov. 21, which coincides with Arnold’s birthday. All are welcomed to attend. 

The city’s mowing contract was put back out for bid with a need for someone who is insured. Council accepted the bid of Lonnie Lewis to continue mowing in Goodrich as he has for the past few decades.

The city fire marshal has recommended an emergency exit door for city hall. Estimates for the door have come in at over $2,000. Council will look into obtaining more bids before making a final decision.

Davis, Heinemann & Co. delivered information and estimates on potentially becoming the city accountants. However, with a conflict of interest, the City will look elsewhere for an accountant. Davis, Heineman and Co. are currently the city’s auditors.

Though they didn’t receive the same turnout as in 2020, council considered the recent Halloween event a suc-cess. A total of 110 came by city hall to receive candy and treats Oct. 30. 

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Students and faculty at Onalaska ISD evacuated the school building Wednesday morning after the school received a bomb threat.

No evidence of any sort of explosives were discovered on campus after a thorough search.

“Everything went fine,” Onalaska Superintendent Anthony Roberts said. “We received an anonymous tip and we followed up on it. The only department we called in was the Onalaska Police Department and they
responded right away. We cleared the school and we had an explosives K-9 unit that also swept the school in addition to the Onalaska Police Department.”

The K-9 unit was transported in from the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office.

“It is one of those difficult ones, because you are always going to respond on the side of caution, no matter how sketchy you think the report might be,” Roberts said. “You hope that it turns out to be a false report.”

Further investigation on who placed the threat will continue.

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The 2022 Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year Award was presented to the Thomas family during the Texas Forestry Association’s annual meeting held October 19-21 in Nacogdoches. (l-r) Neil Thomas, Candy Thomas, Claud Thomas, Cynthia Thomas and Russell Thomas. Courtesy photo

From Enterprise Staff

The Texas Forestry Association (TFA) presented Claud Thomas, owner of Thomas Timber Investments of Polk County, with the 2022 TFA Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year Award during its annual meeting held last month in Nacogdoches.

“The Thomas family is constantly promoting good forest management and forest health with discussions and phone calls to neighbors,” TFA Executive Director Rob Hughes said. “If you were to visit Claud or stop by Thomas Supply in Livingston, I’m sure Russell, Neil or Ryan Thomas would each ably talk to you about good forest management.”

Thomas Timber Investments is a 1,791-acre tree farm located west of Livingston and has been in the family since 2002. The tree farm was certified in 2019 and is managed for timber growth and profit, recreational use and wildlife habitat.

In the past five years, first and second thinning in pine plantations, hardwood thinning and final harvest have all taken place producing pine and hardwood pulpwood and logs. Pine plantations were replanted as was 50 acres lost in a wildfire. Prescribed burning is conducted almost yearly for forest protection and timber stand improvement. Herbaceous understory treatments are also being implemented.

“Mr. Claud is always open to new concepts and ideas and eager to implement practices that will improve the property, the timber and wildlife habitat. We appreciate working with them,” Wayne Pfluger of Lone Star Forestry, their forester, wrote in the nomination. “Claud Thomas and his family are good stewards of their land. They spend a lot of time together on the tree farm and nurture the next generation who will love and appreciate it as much as they do.”

TFA, the voice for forestry for over 100 years, promotes an economic, social and political climate that will advance forestry in Texas through education, political action and public relations, as well as serving the broad needs of the forest resource of landowners, producers and consumers and to enhance and perpetuate the Texas forest resource.

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State Representative Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin) and his wife Nickie visit with Patricia Snook and Wendy Ross during a meet and greet at the Polk County Chamber of Commerce Tuesday. Ashby will represent Polk County in the Texas Legislature following the newly-drawn House and Senate districts recently signed into law following the decennial redistricting. Polk will now be in House District 9, along with Tyler, Trinity, Houston, Angelina and San Augustine counties. Photo by Emily Banks Wooten