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City’s garbage service changing Aug. 1

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City of Livingston Solid Waste Collection Map Google My Maps

By Emily Banks Wooten
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The City of Livingston has changed its solid waste provider to Piney Woods Sanitation effective Aug. 1 and is going to a once-a-week pickup schedule. Piney Woods Sanitation will begin delivering carts to residences on Monday although the carts are not to be placed out for collection until Aug. 1. Route maps are available on the city’s website at www.cityoflivingston-tx.

“The average family generates approximately 47 pounds of garbage per week. We’re issuing 95-gallon carts that can hold up to 200 pounds,” Mike Wilson, the general manager of Piney Woods Sanitation, said. “We’ll be picking up the same amount of garbage, but it’ll only be once a week.”

Livingston residents may get a second cart for $10 per month by calling Livingston City Hall at 936-327-4311. Additionally, Piney Woods Sanitation will collect up to two items beside the cart every week. Any bulk or extra items should be bundled and weigh less than 50 pounds.

In response to a request for proposals for waste collection and disposal, the Livingston City Council heard from representatives of Piney Woods Sanitation, Pro Star Waste/Waste Connections and Republic Services during its May 9 regular meeting.

During a subsequent special called meeting on May 16, Council reviewed the score sheets completed independently by Utility Billing Supervisor Julie Miller, City Secretary/Assistant City Manager Ellie Monteaux and City Manager Bill S. Wiggins. Council also reviewed a pricing comparison spreadsheet as well as the city’s current rates and the number in each classification. Following some discussion, Council approved awarding a contract for waste collection and disposal services – of both commercial and residential garbage – to Piney Woods Sanitation with contract negotiations to be completed by May 31 and the effective date of the contract beginning Aug. 1.

Republic Services was the previous solid waste provider for the City of Livingston

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LISD board recognizes student achievement

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Livingston ISD LogoBy Brian Besch
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July’s meeting of the Livingston ISD Board of Trustees opened with student recognition. Molly Black attended the FCCLA National Leadership Conference in Denver, Colorado, July 1-6. She was a national qualifier named one of the Top 10 in Public Policy Advocacy, Level 2. While in Denver, she attended the Texas Award Ceremony and was presented a gold medal for her achievement.  

Four LISD students participated in the 2023 National History Day contest held June 10-15 in College Park, Maryland. Suzonna McFarlain sponsored LHS 2023 graduate Maci Hill. Hill competed in National History Day from sixth through twelfth grade and advanced to the national level six times. Last year, she was named a National Endowment for Humanities Scholar (first place). This year, she competed with her individual documentary titled “Image Is Everything: Richard Nixon’s New Political Frontier.” Placing second in her contest room, Hill was among the top 20 entries and was recognized for “Chronicling America” during her research. Also advancing to the National History Day competition were Livingston Junior High eighth graders Eddie Turk, Luisa Perez-Montes and Harper Armstrong. They were sponsored by Kristina Miller and named finalists for their group website, “The Light in the Darkness: The Frontier of Electrifying Rural America.” The project placed in the top 10 out of approximately 100 national-level entries. The achievement of this group is the second time a junior division website has advanced to national competition from Livingston Junior High.

Class of 2023 Livingston High School graduate Chrislyn Whiteside is the recipient of the UIL Texas State Solo-Ensemble Contest Outstanding Performer Award. Approximately 100,000 students participate in regional UIL music contests, and roughly 25,000 musicians are selected to perform at Texas State Solo-Ensemble Contest. Students earn selection to the state contest by receiving a first division-superior rating on a class one chorale solo performed from memory or an ensemble. Only 2-3% of the solo performances earn the honor of outstanding performer out of approximately 100,000 students participating. Whiteside was awarded the gold draped medallion identical to state champions in all UIL events. 

LISD Superintendent Dr. Brent Hawkins presented administrative reports on dual credit, personnel data, curriculum audit, and accountability. 

“Because we are uncertain if we will be able to use the commerce center this fall, we are moving all dual credit classes to the Livingston High School campus for the fall semester,” he said. “This past year, we had 225 students enrolled in academic dual credit courses, but we expect to double this number for the fall semester. We are expecting that 500 students will be engaging in college classes. We have a group of staff members that will be visiting Pharr-San Juan-Alamo to review their “College for All” program that we are adopting at Livingston High School. Our new PTECH partnership with Lamar (University in Beaumont) involves 114 incoming freshman students taking courses in welding, health science, and criminal justice through a career tech pathway. We will continue to try to align our program to help our students. We plan to offer education-type courses to our LHS students for those interested in this pathway.”

CTE Coordinator Blake Thornton shared information about the PTECH Bridge Camp that will be held Tuesday, July 18, at LHS. 

“This camp is an opportunity for the students to transition to high school,” Thornton said. “They can learn the campus layout. They will prepare for the TSIA test, learn the parameters, and will be offered help to prepare and study for the test. They will also have teambuilding activities and break out into the three groups to learn more about their areas of welding, health science, or criminal justice.”

Hawkins then gave the LISD personnel update. 

“A special thank you goes to the school board for the decisions that they have made over the last six months. We are very fortunate to be fully staffed, and I’m grateful that we will not be experiencing empty classrooms at the start of school. Everyone working together, administrators, HR staff, and principals, all had an active role in filling the positions and bringing people to our district. “This summer, we had 40 teaching positions open, which is 14.24%, and it’s just phenomenal. Everybody played a part in the recruitment process, and our kids get to reap the benefits. Beyond that, the contracted professional staff, including diagnosticians, curriculum, coaches, assistant principals, principals, and directors, had a 10% turnover. When we don’t staff the district, it affects all of us. It is a stressful time for our principals. If we were not able to hire enough teachers, the result could be larger class sizes with higher teacher-to-student ratios. We are so fortunate to be fully staffed ahead at this point. I’m very excited to get to July 31 and the district convocation that kicks off the new school year.” 

The LISD board goals include a curriculum audit, and the district has been assigned Dr. Roseann Stripling, who has conducted the LISD audit in the past. It is a deficit audit designed only to show improvements needed. The process looks at things very objectively. 

Stripling has held a conference call with Hawkins and Lisa Cagle, outlining the documents and items that they will need in the fall to complete the audit. The audit team has a number of items needed before they visit the district. Their onsite visit will be between Jan. 15 and Feb. 15. The results will help the district make things better for staff, students, and the community.

Hawkins reviewed the accountability of the end-of-course results from Livingston High School. The tested areas compare the state average to the district average.  

The state average for the Algebra I exam is 78, while the LISD average is 70. The Biology exam state average is 89, whereas LISD’s average is 89. The English I & II exam state averages are 71 and 74. The LISD English I & II average is 63 and 69, which is an increase of last year’s average from 61 to a current average of 69.

The U.S. History state average is 95, and the LISD average is 94, compared to last year’s LISD U.S. History average of 88.

Hawkins reminded the board that TEA made new cut scores after the test was given. 

“The state changed the scoring after the fact. Even though we have students outperforming where we were a year ago, the students took the test a year ago, and the state changed the scoring. In fairness, we still improved.”

Kindergarten through eighth grade scores have an anticipated release during the first week of August. 

“As a district, we are already beginning to work on the curriculum audit to make improvements in the district, Hawkins said.”

Hawkins later introduced Creekside Elementary principal Deanna Willmann to the board. 

The board approved the “Grow Your Own Masters Pilot Program,” which will increase the number of teachers at Livingston High School to be adjunct professors in their content area. The “college for all” aspect encourages teachers with bachelor’s degrees to go back to college to earn a master’s degree. This program would share the expense with the teachers. Half of the cost would be paid by LISD, and the teacher would pay the rest. Teachers would agree to stay with LISD for two years after their master’s certification is completed. 

“We can pay for this program because of LISD’s agreement with Lamar,” Hawkins said. “The charge is $45 per credit hour for every non-socioeconomically disadvantaged student, approximately 25% of our LHS students. There is no charge for any enrolled student who is socioeconomically disadvantaged. We have been paying $370 per course for dual-credit courses. We have been budgeting $300,000 annually to pay for dual-credit courses for our high school students, so now we can invest in our teachers and offer the master’s degree pilot program. 

LISD Director of Student Services Lana Smith presented changes in the Student Code of Conduct that the board then approved. 

“The biggest thing is HB 567 passage of the Crown Act. A new requirement by the state is a mandatory DAEP placement for first-time violations of students in possession of a vape,” she said. “Last year, two-thirds of the DAEP population were students violating vape possession. As a prevention, the district has vape detectors in all secondary school restrooms. We also implemented vape education for offenders. Last year, the first-time offenders of vape possession received a 10-day ISS placement. We also offered a 15-day review after the student completed vape education during their first 15 days in DAEP. The state has taken away these options for LISD. This law requires all first-time offenders in possession of vapes to receive an automatic 30-day placement in DAEP. Any student in possession of a vape containing THC receives a longer placement.”

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Local teacher brings global movement to Livingston

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From Enterprise Staff

little libraryLivingston’s first officially registered Little Free Library will soon open right in the heart of the community. The charming little library, located near Moseley Gymnastics Studio, will provide a hub for sharing literature and bringing the community together.

Little Free Libraries have become a global phenomenon, transforming neighborhoods into literary havens and encouraging a culture of reading. The quaint little libraries, resembling miniature houses, number more than 150,000 around the world in over 100 countries.

Livingston is joining the movement in this book-sharing concept to bring people together and create communities of readers due to the efforts of Shelly Hendrix. The Livingston ISD teacher will host a ribbon cutting and grand opening party for the community’s first Little Free Library from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 21 and the event is open to the public. The celebration will include family‐friendly activities and refreshments.

“Opening a Little Free Library is a testament to the power of education and community. As a teacher and parent, my mission is to ignite the spark of curiosity and knowledge in every child’s mind. By establishing this library, and others soon to follow, I strive to bring the wonders of literature directly into the hands of our young readers, empowering them to dream, learn and grow,” Hendrix said.

“Little Free Libraries are not just for children. They belong to all of us. Serving as a hub for literary exploration, all people including children, teenagers, adults and seniors alike are invited to engage in reading and trading literary treasures. Whether it’s a classic novel, a children’s storybook, or a non-fiction gem, these libraries offer a wide array of choices, catering to the reading preferences of every individual,” Hendrix said.

The Little Free Library nonprofit organization has been honored by the Library of Congress, the National Book Foundation and the American Library Association. Reader’s Digest named it one of the “50 Surprising Things We Love about America.” To learn more, please visit littlefreelibrary.org.

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POLK COUNTY GO GETTERS

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RachelMartyJaredKim

Marty Drake, Polk County Special Olympics Go-Getters Representative, and his sweet sidekick, Sully Drake, recently inspired the Livingston Lions Club with stories of the Polk County Go-Getters and Drake’s personal journey as a member of the organization. Drake not only shared exciting updates about the Special Olympics basketball tournament but also captivated the club with his personal involvement and inspiring journey within the organization. Drake coached the Polk County Go Getters for 14 years before Sully joined their family. Each year, Livingston hosts the Region 6 basketball tournament where the oldest player is 72 and Sully is the youngest player on the team at seven years old. (l-r) John Tucker Drake, Rachel Drake, Marty Drake, Sully Drake, Lion President Jared Jernigan and Lion Kim Jernigan.Courtesy photo

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Losing piece of history

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LosingPieceOfHistory

By Brian Besch
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A Lake Livingston neighborhood will say goodbye to the oldest member of the community Friday, a life spanning centuries.

Coldspring resident Sid Smith said he has done everything he could to save a tree resting on his property between Lakeway and Hillcrest Drive. It is dated back about 250 years, tracing its roots back to around a period of time when the Declaration of Independence was signed.

Smith said that he has had eight to 10 dead branches removed after storms. For those who believe lightning never strikes twice in the same place, the tree has been hit on three separate occasions.

The final time was around one year ago and caused a large limb to fall, blocking a road in Coldspring Terrace. A cutting service will be out Friday to remove the tree.

“I’ll probably have about 15 or 20 of the neighbors around,” Smith said. “Some of them want wood and some just hate to see it go.”

Eagles have been known to perch in the top of the tree, surveying the area around them in the fall.

Smith said he knew the tree was old whenever he purchased the property, but was surprised to learn of the estimate. Graduate students from Texas A&M University traveled to Coldspring to observe the tree and figure its age. 

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