You’ve Been Whipped By Johanna Hicks
You’ve Been Whipped!
Many of you have already gotten wind of a new event being held during the 2018 Hopkins County Dairy Festival. Excitement is building, and plans are in full swing as we prepare for the “Whipped” Challenge. Businesses, civic clubs, and organizations are encouraged to enter a team. Here’s how it works:
1) The contest will take place on the front grounds of the Hopkins County Civic Center, 1200 W. Houston, Sulphur Springs, TX on Saturday, June 16, 2018. Check-in begins at the gazebo at 9:30 a.m. Orientation begins at 10:00 a.m., and the contest starts at 10:15 a.m.
2) Participation will be limited to the first eight teams (4 members per team). Teams are requested to bring their own knives for chopping and slicing ingredients. After registering, teams will be directed to a food preparation station. There will be a set of ingredients at each station, but no recipe. The ingredients will represent a dish from one of the following: nutritious snack, main dish, dessert.
3) Preparation: each team will be provided with a set of ingredients reflective of the assigned category, and will create a single dish (not a full meal) using the ingredients.
- Teams are challenged to be creative by developing their own recipe with provided ingredients.
- Team must incorporate each ingredient into the dish. However, teams may determine the exact amount of each ingredient to use.
- Teams will have access to an equipment table and “pantry” of additional ingredients that may be used to compliment or garnish the dish.
- Each dish must contain at least 2 dairy products, provided in the pantry.
- Round 1: Eight teams will prepare a nutritious snack/appetizer (20 minutes), after which two teams will be “whipped.” Round 2: Six teams will prepare a main dish (40 minutes). Three teams will be eliminated. Round 3: The three remaining teams will prepare a dessert (20 minutes). One team will be named “Whipped” champion. Prizes will be awarded.Note: times include planning, preparation, and plating.
4) Presentation: When time is called, each team will step away from their preparation station and take the completed dish to the judges’ area. The following pertains to team presentations:
- All team members will participate in the presentation.
- A maximum of 3 minutes will be allowed for each team’s presentation, which may include questions from judges. Note:teams should follow food safety practices since judges will taste dishes.
5) Cost to enter is $40 per team. Team applications are due by May 31 and may be returned to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, 1200 W. Houston, Sulphur Springs. Checks should be made out to
Hopkins County Dairy Festival. Applications are available at the Extension Office at http://hopkins.agrilife.org, (click on publications) and will soon be posted on the Dairy Festival website.
So, gather your co-workers, fellow civic club members, and friends, and join the fun! If you have questions, please call my office at 903-885-3443, and I’ll be glad to help you.
What’s Missing in Your Pantry?
I’ve received several comments about this program, targeted toward the 55+ crowd. Join us for this informative, fun, and interactive event. Two days have been scheduled, with each day covering a different topic, so choose one or both! There is no charge to attend and participants will receive great information and even get to sample some delicious dishes! Both sessions will take place at First United Methodist Church (enter through the Family Life Center to the Crusader’s classroom), starting around 9:30 a.m. Learn how to add more fruits and vegetables to classic favorites. Below are the topics and dates:
- Wednesday, April 25: What’s Missing in Your Pantry? In this session, we’ll cover several nutrients which are often not consumed in adequate amounts by adults over the age of 50 years. Can you DETERMINE the warning signs of poor nutrition? The acronym outlines nine warning signs for nutritional risk. A nutritional risk self-assessment can help you determine changes are needed.
- Thursday, April 26: Eat Smart, Live Strong – Colorful and Classic Favorites You may never have thought of adding a fruit or a vegetable to a classic dish. This session may inspire you to try it! Hear and experience how easy it is to add fruits and vegetables without giving up your favorite foods.
In order to make adequate preparations, please contact the Extension Office at 903-885-3443 to sign up. Invite a friend, too!
4-H Members Participate in District Contests
District 4-H Contests will take place on Friday and Saturday, April 27 and 28. Hopkins County will be well represented! The following 4-H members will compete:
- Friday, April 27:
– 4-H Food Show: Kiley Vaughan, Junior, Protein Dish; Ethan George, Intermediate, Fruit & Vegetable Dish
– Educational Presentations: Ethan George, Intermediate, Beef; Braden Lennon, Intermediate, Open Ag/Natural Resources; Honesty Bridges, Intermediate, Open category; Zia Miller, Intermediate, Open Ag/Natural Resources; Christian Ebel, Junior, Open Ag/Natural Resources; Savannah Allen, Senior, Beef; Elida Miller, senior, Open Ag/Natural Resources.
– Public Speaking: Eric Bridges, intermediate
- Saturday, April 28:
– Share-the-Fun: Diego Childs, Poetry/Prose; Nathan Bilyeu, Vocal
Congratulations to each of these fine 4-H members. We wish you the very best!
Closing Thought
A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him – David Brinkley
Johanna Hicks
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Family & Consumer Sciences
1200-B W. Houston
P.O.Box 518
Sulphur springs, TX 75483
903-885-3443 – phone
903-439-4909 – Fax
[email protected]
Pond Management: Algae By Mario Villarino
Aquatic vegetation management can be a perplexing problem. The first part of that problem is proper identification. Management of most aquatic plant species depends on properly identifying the desirable or nuisance plant. Many ponds have more than one type of aquatic plant, and care must be taken to identify all the aquatic plants inhabiting the pond. Some pond plants may be beneficial to local or migratory wildlife, and therefore, may want to be encouraged or at least not eliminated.
Planktonic algae are the microscopic, single-celled, and free-floating algae that exist in the top few feet of a pond or lake where the sunlight penetrates. This type of algae is what gives the water a green coloration, a plant mass does not have to be visible. According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, planktonic algae are normal and are in fact desirable, because they are essential to the pond’s food chain. Planktonic algae (phytoplankton) provide food for the microscopic animals (zooplankton) that are eaten by fish fry, baitfish, and other pond inhabit-ants, which ultimately support a larger fish population. They display seasonal abundance, with explosions of growth called ‘blooms’ in the spring or summer that often change the color of the pond.
Plank-tonic algae are also important in oxygenation of the pond as they photosynthesize during the day creating oxygen as a byproduct. Rapid die-off due to algae-cide treatments or natural degradation of algal blooms can lead to oxygen depletion and fish kills in the pond. Planktonic algae are the kinds of algae pond owners actually WANT and the fish NEED! It is important to manage and promote planktonic algae to build good fish populations because they provide food and oxygen for fish.
Clear water is not good if pond owners desire a good fishery. Clear water is the equivalent of a disked, fallow field with little vegetation. Just like many cattle can’t be raised well on a fallow field, fish can’t thrive in clear water. Now imagine a lush rye-grass field twelve inches tall. A lot more cattle can exist in this field because it has the food they need. The same is true with green water—many more fish can survive because it contains the food they need.
In order to properly manage planktonic algae, provide nutrients the same as one would for the grass used for cattle forage. Strive to maintain hardness and alkalinity above 30 ppm, which means agricultural limestone (ag lime) may need to be added to the pond every 3 to 7 years. Pond owners might also want to fertilize their bloom, (similar to grass) but with very different nutrients. Nitrogen (N) is the most limiting nutrient for most land-based crops. However, nitrogen is fairly prevalent in water because it diffuses into water from the nitrogen found in the atmosphere. Phosphorous is the limiting nutrient in water, since phosphorous precipitates in water and becomes locked in the pond sediments where planktonic algae cannot reach it.
For new ponds, it is important to start fertilizing shortly after the pond begins to fill. This practice will promote the growth of planktonic algae and limit the growth of nuisance rooted vegetation. Existing ponds also benefit from fertilization, but there is a caveat. Do not fertilize a pond if rooted aquatic vegetation is present or if the pond has extensive areas less than 30 inches deep. Fertilizing when rooted vegetation is present results in as much as four times the amount of rooted vegetation because they will utilize the nutrients before an algal bloom can be-come established. Treating ponds with large areas less than 30” deep promotes the growth of unwanted rooted vegetation.
Instead, first treat existing aquatic vegetation with an aquatically approved herbicide for the species present, and then fertilize. Generally, most recreational ponds receive the most benefit from two fertilizations per year when the management goal is to increase fish density.
However, more frequent fertilizations may be required when the management goal is to prevent the establishment of rooted aquatic vegetation. The first fertilization should be done in the spring when the water temperatures are between 55 and 65°F, before rooted vegetation begins to recover from the winter and start growing. The second fertilization should occur in late spring to mid-summer as needed; i.e., as determined by the state and concentration of the algal bloom.
Oftentimes, ponds require the addition of 5 to 8 pounds of phosphorous per acre at the spring appli-cation while the summer fertilization is made at half to the full rate of the spring fertilization. It takes the addition of 6 pounds of phosphorous per acre to establish a good bloom during the spring fertilization. 3 to 6 pounds of phosphorous per acre is typically adequate for the summer fertilization. Seek fertilizers high in phosphorous content such as ammoniated polyphosphate (9-32-0), polyphosphate (11-37-0), orthophosphate (13-38-0) in liquid forms, diammoni-um phosphate (18-46-0), or triple super phosphate together with ammonium nitrate (0-46-0 + 34-0-0) in granular forms.
An alternative to the inorganic fertilizers (those that come in granular, powdered, or liquid forms) is to add an organic fertilizer. The aquaculture industry has been using cottonseed meal as an organic fertilizer in fish fry ponds for decades. For most farm ponds, 150 – 250 pounds of cottonseed meal spread around the edge of the pond is sufficient to produce a good algal bloom. Organic fertilizers produce blooms more slowly because they release nutrients slowly over time as they decompose.
Remember, the right amount of fertilization is good, but a little extra can be very bad. Too much fertilization can lead to very dense blooms, which consume large amounts of oxygen through respiration during the night when photosynthesis is not occurring. This can lead to early morning fish kills caused by low dissolved oxygen concentrations. Whether they cause a fish kill or not, extremely dense blooms will eventually die-off due to nutrient limitations, and sometimes collapse during massive algae die-offs. Massive algal bloom collapse can also lead to fish kills caused by low dissolved oxygen concentrations.
For more information on this or any other agricultural topic please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or email me at [email protected]
Mario Villarino DVM, Ph.D.
Hopkins County Extension Agent for Ag and NR
1200B Houston Street
Sulphur Springs, Texas 75482
903-885-3443
Coming UP!
- Basic Vegetable Gardening, April 24, 2018, 7:00 PM. Cost $10 at the door. Hopkins County Extension Office
- Hopkins County Master Gardeners Annual Plant Swap. April 28, 2018. Bright Star Veterinary Clinic Parking lot. 9:00 to Noon.
- NETBIO Beef Up Cattlemen’s Conference, May 11, 2018 3:00 PM, Regional Civic Center Arena, Free (dinner included). Call 903-449-6079 to secure meal by May 1, 2018.
Complete Video Presentation: Chamber of Commerce City Council Candidate Forum
In one hour and 17 minutes, five candidates for three places on the Sulphur Springs City Council presented opening and closing statements and answered submitted questions regarding their individual view of the past, present, and future of the city during a Thursday night, April 19, 2018, candidates forum sponsored by the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce at the Sulphur Springs Middle School.
Place 1 candidates, challenger Erica Armstrong and incumbent Craig Johnson, along with Candidates Place 2 Sara Gibson and Jimmy Lucas and Place 3 incumbent Oscar Aguilar answered questions regarding budget, police and fire, future development for the city, and other subjects of city interest.
Absent from the forum were Place 1 candidate Justin Davidson and Place 3 candidate Norman Sanders. A letter from Sanders was read by forum moderator Chris Brown, Executive Director of the Ark-Tex Council of Governments and husband of Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce Director Lezley Brown. Sanders was not present but was with his wife, who had surgery Thursday. In the letter Sanders did not speak to any city issues but did state his reason for not attending. Davidson had withdrawn from the forum last week in a letter to KSST News stating that he had reservations regarding the process of approval for questions that would be asked during the forum. He said his campaign was not represented in the question choice.
Questions asked by Moderator Brown were drawn from a bowl. Brown then asked one question to the candidates in an individual race.
Below is the complete, unedited forum:
Wildcats, Lady Cats at Area Track Meet Thursday
Ten Wildcats and ten Lady Cats’ track athletes compete at the Area Track Meet Thursday (April 19) at Pine Tree. Field events began at 10 a.m. Thursday while running events start at 5 p.m.
Competing in the early field events for the Wildcats are Jermond Bryant-Amos and Ian Blanch in the shot put, Dedric Godbolt in the high jump and Landon Thornton in the 3200-meter run.
Competing in the running events Thursday evening are Eli Sellers in the 800-meter run, Kylan Wade in the 110-meter hurdles, Ricardo Torres in the 400-meter run, Landry Tyson and Ryan Humphries in the 300-meter hurdles and Simeon Taylor in the 200-meter race.
In early field events for the Lady Cats are Shelby McCormick and Jadyn Booth in the pole vault, Imani Taylor in the long jump, triple jump and high jump, Danielle Godbolt in the discus and Sydney Washburn in the 3200-meter run. Washburn will also compete in the 1600-meter run during the evening running events.
Other Lady Cats competing in the evening running events are N’sya Dugan in the 4 X 100-meter relay and the 4 X 200-meter relay, Sadavia Porter in the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash and the 4 X 100-meter relay, Abbi Baier in the 100-meter hurdles, the 300-meter hurdles and the 4 X 100-meter relay, Faith Hatley in the 100-meter hurdles, the 300-meter hurdles and the 4 X 200-meter relay and Bre’Asia Ivory in the 4 X 200-meter relay.
Saltillo Lions Qualify 7 for Regional Track Meet; Lady Lions Qualify 1
The Saltillo Lions qualified seven athletes and the Saltillo Lady Lions one athlete for the Regional Track Meet at the Area Track Meet Wednesday (April 18). The Lions finished second as a team at the Area Meet. For the Lions, Edi Olayo qualified with a fourth place finish at area in the 100-meter dash. Trevor Moore qualified with a fourth place finish in the 400-meter dash. Hendrick Rios placed sixth in the 400-meter dash. Moore also qualified with a second place finish in the 800-meter run. Rios qualified with a third place finish in the 1600-meter run. Jayden Halloway was fifth in the 1600-meter run and is a Regional alternate.) Halloway did qualify with a fourth place finish in the 3200-meter run. Ben Moore qualified by finishing first in the 110-meter hurdles and second in the 300-meter hurdles. Matt Gurley finished sixth in the 300-meter hurdles. The Lions’ 4 X 400-meter relay team qualified by finishing second. Team members are Rios, Trevor Moore, Walker McGill and Olayo. Gurley is an alternate for the relay team. In long jump, Gurley qualified with a third place finish and Ben Moore qualified by finishing fourth. Levi Hoover was sixth in shot put. In triple jump, Gurley qualified with a third place finish and Ben Moore is an alternate with a fifth place finish. In high jump, Trevor Moore qualified with a second place finish.
For the Lady Lions, Sienna Collins qualified with a second place finish in the 3200-meter run, with a second place in the 1600-meter run and with a first in the 800-meter run. Danielle Ross is a regional alternate with a fifth in the 3200-meter run while Ofelia Cabrera was sixth. Kristina Wade is an alternate finishing fifth in the 1600-meter run and Ross placed sixth.
Major Fundraiser for Rotary Club…’Claws for a Cause’ April 28, Downtown!
Whether you call them mudbugs or crawdads, if you love a crawfish boil, you shouldn’t miss our very own annual food-and-fun event, the “Claws for a Cause” Rotary Crawfish Boil”! It’s Saturday April 28, 2018 starting at 5 pm on Celebration Plaza in attractive downtown Sulphur Springs. Advance tickets are on sale now at $25 each at local banks or through Facebook clawsforacause/ssrotarycrawfishboil. Tickets on the day of the event will be $30 at the gate, located at corner of Main and Gilmer Streets. If you’re not a crawfish lover but want to be “at the party”, you can pay for a $10 armband, hang out with your friends, enjoy the dessert and beverage vendors on site, and the music by Vince Vance and the Valiants.
A crawfish lover herself, the idea for a crawfish boil came to Cari Nuckolls over five years ago when the Sulphur Springs Rotary Club was looking for a fresh fundraising idea. With the help of her husband Steve and other Rotarians, her idea began to develop into a major food-and-entertainment event that would draw people to Celebration Plaza as as well as provide ample funds for Rotary projects. This year, fellow Rotarian Logan Vaughn, local chef and “foodie”, is acting as Crawfish Chairman. Vaughn is excited about helping secure the best quality vendors which will supply the “tons” of the crawfish and fixings required by hundreds of diners.
Four successful years has allowed the club to expand scholarship awards to graduating seniors and to assist more local non-profits in their community efforts, in addition to their traditional community services. The fifth Claws for a Cause is expected to be even more successful. If you would like to become a member of Rotary, or have your non-profit organization considered for assistance in a future year, contact any Sulphur Springs Rotary Club member or club present Brandon Williams at Guaranty Bank and Trust.
Crawfish Committee members Logan Vaughn and Cari Nuckolls
Winners from the CANHelp Play it Forward Tennis Tournament
Winners from the CANHelp Play it Forward Tennis Tournament:
- Dakota Elswich / Jennifer Figueroa 3rd place Advanced
Robert Stevens/ Mollie Millsap 1st place Advance consolation
- Amanda Foster / Tyler Dennis 3rd place round robin
- Alex Botello / Alex Romero 2nd place round robin
- Jonah Kirkpatrick/ Alex Benitez 1st Place Advance
- Mark Temporal / Chase Crouch 2nd place Advance
- Adela Martinez CanHelp Logan Vaughan / Craig Johnson 1st place Intermediate
- Jeauxleigh Cantu / Carlos Lopez and Adela Martinez CanHelp 2nd place Intermediate
- Harleigh Stegient / Daron Bilyeu 1st place round robin
Thank you to everyone who braved the cold winds during CANHelp’s 4th Annual Play It Forward Tennis Tournament and Fundraiser. Twenty two teams competed in what has become a much anticipated Sulphur Springs traditional spring tennis tournament. Local Sulphur Springs participants were joined by players from Mt. Pleasant, Mt. Vernon, Winnsboro, Richardson and Whitehouse,TX.
KSST is Giving Away Texas Rangers Suite Tickets!
KSST is giving away 4 suite tickets and a parking pass for the April 23rd, 2018 Texas Rangers Game. The Winner will be contacted via facebook on Friday April 20th, 2018.
The Tickets:
- 1 set of 4 admission tickets to the Connie Mack Suite, and 1 parking pass for the Monday April 23rd game, 7:05 first pitch.
Rules:
- The tickets must be picked up from the KSST Studios before 5pm Monday April 23th, 2018. If can’t pick them up before Monday, a Saturday morning pickup can be arranged. 903 885 3111
- The tickets must NOT be resold!
- Unclaimed tickets will be dispersed by KSST.
- Employees of KSST can not win.
- Winner’s names will be posted on Facebook.
- Winners will be notified via Facebook.
How to enter: Like KSST on Facebook, AND like this Post on Facebook.
Freedom Ball Garners $82,600 for Veteran’s Memorial
As a result of the Hopkins County Freedom Ball 2018, $82,600 will be available to fund the engraving of names, maintenance, and the kiosk at the Hopkins County Veteran’s Memorial located in downtown Sulphur Springs. Organizers announced the results of the fund raiser conducted recently at the Canyon Creek Event Center. Additional funds will also be made available thanks to the commitment to monthly contributions made during the event.
Organizers were pleased with the event and have already reserved the Hopkins County Civic Center for the 2019 Freedom Ball set for March 30, 2019.
The first-ever Hopkins County Freedom Ball, held Saturday April 7, 2018, honored current and retired military men and women as well as sought to fund future needs of the Veterans Memorial. Attendees of this year’s Ball were treated to a catered dinner and dancing with music by the Kelley Fletcher Band and by Monty Tipps and Main Street. Many of the veterans were dressed in military uniform and stood as branches of service were recognized. Other program highlights included a spoken rendition of “Ragged Old Flag” by committee member Clayton McGraw and guest speaker Chris Jackson, Lt. Col, Retired, USMC who attended with his wife, a 26-year veteran of the USMC, Retired. Jackson addressed the crowd on the value of veterans within communities, the challenges facing the military today, and the importance of supporting military personnel for the sacrifices they and their families make. Attendees were encouraged to make donations toward engraving the yet unfunded names of veterans, estimated at some 2,000 names of Hopkins County soldiers from all wars, on the memorial.
Anyone wanting to help in this cause may donate at hcfreedomball.com or see Pam Elliott at Rooster Roast Coffee Bar, 220 Connally Street in Sulphur Springs, Texas for details on how to sponsor a Veteran.
