Trinity County News - Breakout

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By Tony Farkas
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GROVETON — Groveton ISD adopted a year-long 4-day schedule — with a twist — based on the results of surveys of all interested parties.

Superintendent Jim Dillard told the Board of Trustees on Feb. 27 that parents, students, staff members and community residents participated in a follow-up survey, and the overwhelming majority was to continue with the 4-day week.

This school year, the schools attended a traditional schedule for the first semester, and have been in a 4-day schedule this semester.

Dillard said the schedule is a bargaining chip to attract and keep teachers, and based on an internal staff survey, the teachers felt they can deliver quality education year-round.

The twist in the schedule is that the first six weeks will be 5-day, with the 4-day will start in September. Dillard said this was done to give parents time to secure day care for the Fridays that school is not in session, and that for the students, the first six weeks are most critical to get things off on the right foot.

“This was not taken lightly,” Dillard said. “I have mixed emotions, but I listen to the people, and the board. We try to make the best decisions.”

In other business, the board:

•canceled the May board election due to a lack of opposition. There are two open seats, which are at-large positions, and only two interested parties, incumbent Jason Due and newcomer Steven Lee, filed for election, and were seated. Incumbent Joey Rowe did not run for re-election; and

•approved all administrator contracts, including, Brittany Anderson, director of the Special Education Co-op; Dana Lowery, co-director of the Co-op, as well as the different school principals and the athletic director. Elementary school principal Amanda Stubblefield resigned, and the district will start a search.

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TCNS staff

GROVETON — In hopes of keeping the city moving forward, the Groveton City Council discussed dilapidated buildings and grant applications at its Feb. 27 meeting.

Sandy Richards addressed the council about ramshackle buildings around Groveton Schools, in particular properties on Fourth street and on North Main Street.

She is asking the city to take action on these properties because of potential safety hazard to the students. The city took no action at the meeting.

In a related matter, the council heard a presentation and training regarding Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing and affirmed that Groveton is a city that promotes fair housing for current and prospective residents.

The council also approved applying for a 2023-2024 Texas Community Development Block Grant-DC offered through the Texas Department of Agriculture and designed for community development.

Along with the application, the council designated signatories the grant and will select a firm to provide engineering services.

In other business, the council:

•proclaimed February as Black History Month;

•approved payment of $9,635.59 to Inframark for city water and sewer services. Mike Brown reported an average flow of 109,000 gallons per day of sewage went through the wastewater plant, and that a total water pumped for the month was 2,666,000 gallons;

•received the annual Racial Profiling report from the Police Department; and

•received the monthly report from Police Chief Justin Cowart. The department had 41 calls for service, made 114 traffic stops, issued 33 verbal warnings, took five reports, wrote 75 citations, assisted the county five times, and made five arrests.

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The Workforce Solutions representative will be in the library on Wednesday from 1 to 4 p.m. to help anyone who needs employment opportunities.

The library will be closed on Thursday for observance of Texas Independence Day. A day to remember.

The library had a Valentine’s Day card party. We made Valentine’s cards, and it was a great time. The library has been blessed with donations of the different small machines and supplies to make cards for the library to sell. We will be making greeting cards for every occasion, and they will be for sale for $1 each. Please come by and check out our assortment of greeting cards. This will be an ongoing fundraiser for the library.

•We here at the library are having a really fun time working on the Calendar Challenge. We have 48 different categories to read from and your librarian is excited to participate and read new books also. I won’t be a contestant, but it will be fun to take the challenge.

To participate you just need to have your updated library card and get a copy of our calendar poster and it tells you all the rules. This will be a challenge for the year, and we will give prizes at the end of the year at the Christmas Open House to all who finish the challenge. Come see your librarian for more details and join the fun.

•The library is on a mission to raise 1 million pennies. We are asking everyone to save pennies and give them to the library. The Groveton ISD school library is helping us to collect the pennies from the students. They have given our public library so much needed help. We are blessed to have such an awesome school library for our children.

Donation jars are at One Stop Grocery and Pizza, McClain’s Hardware and Susie Q’s. Please support these businesses because they support our town and your library. This week we deposited $172 into our new library building account. The total for our New Library Building Fund is now $4,181.98. Thank you to everyone who is bringing pennies and dropping change into jars. It will take everyone saving pennies to reach our goal of one million pennies.

•The library offers copy services and fax services and Notary Public services.

The library offers ESL (English as a Second Language) will not meet again until January. We will post the schedule as soon as it is received.

If you are aware of any person that is homebound and cannot get to the library but would like to have books to read, please call the library. We will work on a time for delivery and pickup of books if someone shows interest. This is your library. Please let me know how I can be of service to you.

Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 1 to 6 p.m. The library will be closed from Dec. 23 through Jan. 3, 2023.

Story time is at 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. ESL class is at 2 p.m. Friday

The library phone number is (936) 642-2483, and the location is in the rock building just east of the courthouse.

Cathy Czajkowski is director of the Groveton Public Library.

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Spring is around the corner. I always get excited when I see advertisements of garage sales popping up around the community and I know that warm weather is on the way. Can you believe it is March this week already?

On Thursday and Friday, Trinity Calvary Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church is having a garage sale from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. The church is located at Highway 94 East or 322 E. Caroline St.

First Methodist Church of Trinity is having a rummage sale from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and the Saturday sale starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m. The rummage sale is inside the Fellowship Hall located at 131 N. Elm St. For more information call Joyce Reinhardt at (936) 594-3826.

Westwood Shores Subdivision is having its annual spring sale March 31-April 1 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. both days. Visitors will receive a map at the guard gate as you check in to visit the garage sale. For more information call (936) 594-3805 ext. 4.

Where did garage sales originate? According to Google the first brand of garage sales started as rummage discount sales of unclaimed cargo sales at shipyards in the 1800s. As time progressed similar sales became popular in social hubs such as churches. By the ‘50s and ‘60s families and neighborhoods were hosting garage sales everywhere.

•March 13-17 is TISD Spring Break.

•The Groveton County Fair and Livestock Show takes place March 17-18 of their spring break. March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day and there will be many festivities on this day. Come out and support the students of Trinity County at the Groveton County Fairgrounds auctions and parade at the Y in Groveton.

•On March 14, First Methodist Church of Trinity is hosting its monthly Celebration Women’s event at 6 p.m. in the fellowship hall at 131 N. Elm St. This is an exciting presentation to be held as the guest speaker is Karen Altom, editor of Postcard Magazines from Huntsville. She is such a positive person, and I know her message will inspire everyone.

For more information, please call Laura, the church secretary, at (936) 594-3826. On March 28, the church will also have their monthly family dinner from 4-7 p.m. in the fellowship hall. This month the menu will not be spaghetti and all the trimmings, but rather barbecue, potato salad and all the trimmings. Donations are welcome, and games and fun are on the agenda for this evening.

•Last week I mentioned many happenings at the VFW Post 6899, so don’t forget their meals and blood drives. I will report next week if they are going to have any Easter Egg hunts or Bunny Rabbit sightings.

•April 2 is the Trinity Volunteer Fire Department Annual Fish Fry held at the Trinity Fire Station from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Dine in or take out. Please call Keith Johnston for tickets. Their menu is usually fried catfish, coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans and French fries. The cost is $10 a plate.

•On April 7 we celebrate Good Friday, and April 9 is Easter Sunday.

•Last week I promised to give you the good news about the Boys and Girls Club Valentine Dinner and Dance Fundraiser. They are thrilled to report that the event benefited the club more than $10,000. Thank you so much for the Trinity Community’s support and donations, and helping our children become better students and citizens.

•The Junior/Senior Prom hosted by the senior class of Trinity High School is being held on April 22 at the Manor, located at 2005 Pine Crest Road. Don’t forget if you need financial assistance with your attire, please call Karen Dixon of the ROTC Church at (936) 581-6831 for help.

•Baseball registration has started for the Dixie League program for the children of Trinity. Clinics and other activities will be announced soon, so watch this space.

•The Trinity Lions Club will meet at the Trinity Peninsula Chamber of Commerce building at noon as usual. As you know the Trinity Lions Club is planning a big tornado drill for our community to be held May 20. This program will be under the direction of Dr. Garry Reece, and his expertise is amazing in this adventure.

•It is exciting to see all the Students, boys and girls, excel in spring sports and I am always glad to see girl golfers. Congratulations to all the students who have done well in their sports this semester, and I look forward to the excellent coverage given by our editor Tony Farkas in the next coming months. Great job, sir.