Everything Nac

Nine Flags presents the Spirit of Christmas Toy Drive

Posted on November 17, 2011 by admin

The 15th Annual Nine Flags Christmas Festival is pleased to present the 5th Annual Spirit of Christmas Toy Drive. The Nacogdoches Convention & Visitors Bureau, located at 200 E. Main Street will serve as a drop off location from November 17th until December 16th, helping community agencies collect much-needed toys and Christmas presents for Nacogdoches County.

Make a child's Christmas magical this year by donating to the Spirit of Christmas Toy Drive November 17-December 16! Bring new and unwrapped toys to the Visitor Center, 200 E. Main, or to "Christmas in the Plaza" November 18-19.

“We are so excited to be able to give back to the community in this way,” Lindsey Mathews, meeting & event coordinator for the Nine Flags Christmas Festival said. All toys donated to the Spirit of Christmas Toy Drive will be given to local charities to disperse to Nacogdoches County children. “There are so many local children in need during the holiday season, we are just thankful that the Nine Flags Christmas Festival can assist in providing for these families,” said Mathews.

The Nine Flags Christmas Festival will also host drop off spots during both the Christmas in the Plaza event on Friday and Saturday, November 18 and 19 and during the Lighted Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 3. We encourage you to bring an unwrapped gift suitable for children ages’ infant to 18 years of age.

The Nine Flags Christmas Festival is a celebration of Texas history & culture and will be held Nov. 17 through Dec. 10 in Nacogdoches, located about 150 miles north of Houston via U.S. 59. Nine different flags have flown over the oldest town in Texas throughout its rich history, and this year’s festival will pay special tribute to the American flag and honor our Nation’s independence with several special events dedicated to our fight for freedom. The Nine Flags Christmas Festival is presented by metroPCS and platinum sponsors of the festival include Commercial Bank of Texas, Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful, Mike Perry Motor Company, and Wal-Mart.

For more information on the Spirit of Christmas Toy Drive and other Nine Flags Christmas Festival events please call (936) 564-7351, log on to www.nineflagsfestival.com, or be our friend on facebook @ Christmas Celebration.

Posted in Events, Nac News, NacCity | Leave a comment

Alumna to perform with SFA Wind Ensemble

Posted on November 17, 2011 by admin

Gunnery Sgt. Vicki Gotcher, an alumna of Stephen F. Austin State University, will be the guest clarinet soloist during the SFA Wind Ensemble’s concert at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21, in W.M. Turner Auditorium.

Gunnery Sgt. Vicki Gotcher, a native of Jacksonville and an SFA alumna, will be the clarinet soloist during the SFA Wind Ensemble’s concert at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21, in W.M. Turner Auditorium.

The Jacksonville native, who graduated from SFA in 1993 and received her master’s degree in clarinet performance from Northwestern University, is a member of “The President’s Own,” the United States Marine Band in Washington, D.C.

“This is something we’ve been working on for two years,” said Fred J. Allen, SFA director of bands and of the Wind Ensemble. “It is exciting to have a professional musician perform with us, especially one who has ties to the university and our area.”

Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” Gotcher performed with the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, Kenosha Symphony and Chicago Civic Orchestra, as well as participated in the Spoleto Music Festival, National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, Colo., and Aspen Music Festival.

Gotcher will perform Carl Maria von Weber’s “Concertino” with the Wind Ensemble.

Another highlight of the concert will be the U.S. premiere of “Mount Rainier Search and Rescue” by SFA Professor of Composition Stephen Lias. It will be guest conducted by Justin Allen, graduate student from Spring.

“This piece was first performed this past summer in Taiwan, by a professional chamber music group called XPlorium,” said Allen. “It portrays the rescue attempts made to save an injured mountain climber on the famed Mount Rainier and is a part of Lias’ series of compositions related to U.S. National Parks.”

The concert is a joint presentation of the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Music. W.M. Turner Auditorium is located in the Griffith Fine Arts Building, 2222 Alumni Dr.

Admission is free.

Posted in All SFA, Events, SFA News | Leave a comment

November 17: NPD Crime Report

Posted on November 17, 2011 by admin

This is a complete list of reports responded to by the Nacogdoches Police Department

This page may take a moment to load

Click Here to load a separate PDF file

Posted in All Police, NPD Crime Log | Leave a comment

SFA children’s series to present ‘Pinocchio’

Posted on November 16, 2011 by admin

East Texas parents and teachers can still make reservations for their children and students to see “Pinocchio” at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University. The event is a presentation of the SFA College of Fine Arts’ Children’s Performing Arts Series.

American Family Theater, Inc. will bring the classic story of “Pinocchio” to life at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, in W.M. Turner Auditorium as part of the Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts' Children's Performing Arts Series. Seats are still available for both performances.

This one-hour musical adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s original 1876 story follows the outrageous escapades of Pinocchio, Gepetto’s irresistible puppet-son, as he travels from the carnival to Candyland in the belly of a whale.

“We are excited to be bringing this show back to Turner Auditorium,” said Diane J. Flynn, director of the children’s series. “The kindergartners through sixth graders who saw the show three years ago thoroughly enjoyed American Family Theater’s musical adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s original 1876 story.”

Seats are still available for both the 9:30 and 12:30 shows. Flynn encourages teachers and parents to call and place their orders now since seating is assigned on the basis of when payment is received.

Tickets are $6 for individuals and $5 each for groups of 20 or more. For tickets or more information, please call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.

Posted in All SFA, Events, SFA News | Leave a comment

SFA College of Fine Arts offers holiday entertainment

Posted on November 16, 2011 by admin

“An Nollaig: An Irish Christmas,” starring Celtic fiddler champion Irene Ivers, and “Messiah” top the list of holiday events offered by the Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts in the month of December.

Celtic fiddler Eileen Ivers and her band, Immigrant Soul, will present “An Nollaig: An Irish Christmas " as part of the SFA College of Fine Arts' University Series at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16, in W.M. Turner Auditorium. Tickets are currently on sale for all of the holiday events offered by the college in December. (Photo by Luke Ratray)

Other events include the classic Christmas opera “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” The “New” Original Cast’s “A Real Hometown Family Christmas Spectacle,” a holiday-inspired percussion concert, a radio broadcast of “The Gift of the Magi,” and the SFA Friends of the Visual Arts’ “Hooked on Art” scholarship fund-raiser.

The SFA School of Music will kick off the holiday events with Gian Carlo Menotti’s “Amahl and the Night Visitors” at 9 and 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 2, and at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. All performances are in Cole Concert Hall. The 45-minute opera, written in English, tells the touching story of a crippled boy and his mother who are visited by the Three Kings during their journey to find the Christ Child.

The School of Theatre’s musical cabaret troupe, The “New” Original Cast, will present an all-new musical as part of the Nacogdoches Nine Flags Festival. “A Real Hometown Family Christmas Spectacle,” conceived by the troupe’s new director Dr. Jason Davids Scott, celebrates families, hometowns and the unexpected hilarity that makes holidays the most magical time of the year. Show times are 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2; 3 and 9 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3; and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4. All shows are at The Cole Art Center, 329 E. Main St.

On Tuesday, Dec. 6, the SFA School of Music will present “Percussion in the Pines” at 7:30 p.m. in Cole Concert Hall. During this popular annual event, the SFA Percussion Ensemble and Steel Band will perform “holiday songs with a percussive twist,” said Scott Harris, SFA director of percussion studies.

At 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8, radio listeners can hear the premiere broadcasting of the School of Theatre’s “The Gift of the Magi” on the university’s FM radio station, KSAU, located at 90.1 on the dial. Theatre students and faculty recorded O. Henry’s classic story about a young married couple and the Christmas gifts they secretly purchase for one another. Additional broadcasts are still to be arranged.

Glass ornaments hand decorated by area artists for the SFA Friends of the Visual Arts’ “Hooked on Art” scholarship fund-raiser will be on display at The Cole Art Center from Thursday, Dec. 1, to Friday, Dec. 9, and available for purchase through a silent auction. Winners will be announced at the event’s closing reception that begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 9.

The SFA combined choirs and orchestra, along with the Nacogdoches Community Chorus will present G.F. Handel’s “Messiah” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, in W.M. Turner Auditorium. The always-popular event will feature student soloists and close with an audience Christmas carol sing-along.

As part of its 2011-2012 University Series, the College of Fine Arts will present Eileen Ivers and her band, Immigrant Soul, in “An Nollaig: An Irish Christmas” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus.

“The entire family will enjoy this high-energy concert that captures the spirit and magic of the season with traditional Irish songs, original tunes and holiday favorites,” said Diane J. Flynn, SFA Box Office manager.

Tickets for any of the holiday events can be purchased online at www.finearts.sfasu.edu or by calling the Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.

Posted in All SFA, Events, SFA News | Leave a comment

Herrington: Heading Out

Posted on November 16, 2011 by admin

Chris Herrington, Contributing Writer

I got a bicycle today; well, it was yesterday, and I am writing about it today. It has been a while since I got on a bike, and I have to say that my first morning ride was pretty good…I enjoyed the feeling of just gliding along and going wherever I pointed myself. I recently retired, and this is an extension of that same feeling….where do I want to go next?

Actually, we can go anywhere we want anytime we want, except that we have all of these obligations to attend to. This is a very interesting concept. If you have a dog or cat, then you have a tougher time going on vacation or away for the weekend. You have all this stuff, and it is more difficult to think about moving. We want to go, but we have all of this stuff, these things, these obligations and duties, and this is usually what people refer to as growing up. I really don’t think so.

The more stuff you own, the more it owns you. The less flexible you are in life. When you are young, you own little and you can drop out of sight or cruise or take off at any time. When you have a bunch of stuff, it needs dusting and cleaning and maintenance. But, once you are onto a full bore binge of collecting, sounds like a line from Hunter S. Thompson……you end up with a case of the old fogies. You get all nailed down and you can’t move anywhere.

If I could start it all over again, I would never buy tea. I would take that dollar and put it in savings. And soft drinks too. And all the fluff we buy in life. Wouldn’t you like to just get rid of a bunch of stuff? Even if someone would just come and take it away? And broken and useless stuff, oh God! And clothes that don’t fit and never will fit again!

And the miles we have walked or driven and the hours we have sat and waited. What if we could get it all back and have it to use wisely this time? All that money. All that time! All that energy! And there are people we could have avoided or hooked up with. And the hours and hours we have watched commercials or stupid stuff like watching the computer load up.

God only knows the amount of stuff we really use and the time that is really effective. I have started writing down what I do on a calendar every day. I wanted to be able to look back over this year and see that I really did get something done that was worthwhile. I make lists of things to do each day, with circles next to the items. And when the items are accomplished, I put a check in the circle. If I don’t finish it, I draw an arrow to the right and start it again. Some things get pushed on for a week…other things get done easily and then get crowded by new items that were mysteriously added each day.

I bought this bike, and now I want to use it. I have to push open the hours to be able to use this new toy. It’s like a dog that needs to be walked or fed. It’s like a relationship that needs to be attended to. I wonder if I will end up talking to my new bike. It already needs things, like a helmet and a pump. I bought gloves and a water bottle and new pedals before it even left the shop! I was already grooming my new pet.

And now I need to store it somewhere…it needs a bed. I will put it on hooks and hang it somewhere safe. And it needs a new security chain.

It is one of 20 different workout things I own…and I play racquetball. I have to counteract all the sitting I do as a writer. And I need to go to a gym to do that, and so that requires racquets and balls and gloves and clothes and gear for my elbows and knees. I have no children; I am my own child. I am high maintenance. And I have to be able to relax, so I have a TV and a Dish satellite. And the piles of debris that I have to make it all work is a burden of storage, so I have to have more closets.

Anyway, it all grows and it collects and it makes life full of…..stuff. So, I’m really busy. I sit on a seat and pedal, I play on a racquetball court, I walk on a treadmill, I sit on the floor and watch TV, and I have a spooky chair to play on the Internet with. And I write to my family and friends about all the stuff I am doing and I make my way through the maze of interconnectedness, and it all seems to just fit into a little bag of stuff to do every day and note on my calendar as the time goes by like the spokes of a wheel on a bike in the tall grass that I need to mow and I’ll get to some day when I find the key to the mower.

runningturtle87

Posted in Herrington | Leave a comment

Don’t miss your ride at the 5th annual Tour de Nac

Posted on November 16, 2011 by admin

The annual bike ride will include a 7.9-mile, 26-mile, 40-mile, and 56-mile route beginning and ending in historic downtown Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas. The view from the riders’ bicycle seats will include historic landmarks, scenic residential areas and the beautiful rolling hills and towering pines of the East Texas countryside.

Get your spokes and tires spinning for the 5th annual Tour de Nac. Bikers can complete either a 7.-mile, 28.8-mile, 40-mile, or 56-mile ride during the bike ride on Saturday, November 19.

“The Tour de Nac will be a fantastic, family-oriented event offering something for everyone from the serious cyclist to the casual rider,” said Lindsey Mathews, meeting and event coordinator for the Nacogdoches Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The bike ride is set to start at 8 a.m. Saturday, November 19, in downtown Nacogdoches. Designated stops along both routes will provide riders with needed rest and refreshments. Sponsors of the event this year are Chick-fil-A, Encompass Home Health, Larry Walker, M.D., Legends Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches Main Street, Regions and The Bike Shop.

Fees are $25 for early registration and $30 for late registration after November 11. Only early registrants are guaranteed to receive a Tour de Nac T-shirt. Checks should be made payable to the Nine Flags Festival.

Forms can be picked up at the Visitor Center, 200 E. Main St., or register online at www.nineflagsfestival.com. You may also call 888-OLDEST-TOWN to request a form be mailed to you. Packets will be available for pick-up in Festival Plaza on Friday, November 18 from 5-7 p.m. along with a carb dinner for the registrants. Race-day registration will be from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. at the Visitor Center.

For more information about the Tour de Nac or other Nine Flags Festival events, call 888-OLDEST-TOWN or log onto www.nineflagsfestival.com. Be our friend on facebook @ Christmas Celebration.

Posted in Events, Nac News, NacCity | Leave a comment

City Announces Chief Service Officer

Posted on November 16, 2011 by admin

City Manager Jim Jeffers and Mayor Roger Van Horn have named Linda Flores as the new volunteer Chief Service Officer for the City of Nacogdoches. Mayor Van Horn is pleased to announce that Linda, will be responsible for the development and implementation of a high-impact service plan that leverages citizen service to address the city’s most pressing challenges. The City of Nacogdoches has partnered with AARP, Cities of Service, One Star Foundation and the United Way in developing this plan. Linda will work with administration experts and other key stakeholders, identify specific strategies to address community concerns, and plan service-related events that address the community concerns in a measureable way.

Linda’s extensive experience in public relations, marketing, volunteer services and event management made her an excellent choice for Chief Service Officer. She recently completed two years with the Deep East Texas Council of Governments (DETCOG) as the Outreach Services Coordinator for Disaster Case Management for Hurricane Ike, working with agencies and elected officials in seventeen counties. Linda is a former high school English teacher, served as Vice-President of the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce for six years, and as Assistant Director of Magnolia Court Assisted Living before returning to SFA to complete a BAAS degree in both Business Occupations and Literature Studies, graduating in August, 2009. She holds the designations of ADQ , State of Texas Qualified Activity Director, for all aspects of Long Term Care Continuum since 2007, and IOM, certified Institute of Organization Management graduate in non-profit management , Colorado College, 2003, and training in disaster case management, 2009. “We are thrilled to have Linda as part of the team, we know that she is exactly what we need to create and implement our high impact service plan,” said Mayor Roger Van Horn. Linda is a graduate of Leadership Nacogdoches Class of 1999, Citizens Police Academy Alumni, served on the Boards of Directors for the Nacogdoches Treatment Center, Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful and Nacogdoches Crime Stoppers, member of the Fredonia Rotary Club, SFASU Alumni Association and a current member of the Nac 101 class.

Nacogdoches is one of 115 communities in the nation to begin the process of launching its local Cities of Service program. More than 100 mayors have joined the coalition and more than 30 cities have appointed a Chief Service Officer, a senior city official dedicated to developing and implementing a high-impact service plan that targets volunteers to the city’s greatest needs.

American cities face serious challenges and many communities want to take advantage of every resource available to them, including the time and energy of public-spirited residents, to address those challenges. Unfortunately, citizen service is often an underutilized or inefficiently utilized strategy by municipal governments. Cities of Service supports mayors to leverage citizen service, addressing local needs and making government more effective.

Last fall, Mayor Van Horn signed a “Declaration of Service”, committing to lead a multi-year effort to expand community service and volunteerism. “We are extremely excited to be partnering with AARP in this endeavor, said Mayor Van Horn. “What a wonderful example of private-public partnership that will benefit our city so greatly.” This initiative is supported in part by AARP, who for more than 50 years has been serving society and creating positive social change. The membership-based advocacy organization is helping bring Cities of Service to smaller cities across the country. The declaration of service is a commitment to develop a comprehensive service plan and a coordinated strategy focused on matching volunteers and community partners to the areas of greatest local need to accelerate the service movement and produce measurable goals ensuring that the voice of cities is heard in policy discussions, helping to achieve the goals of the Serve America Act.

About Cities of Service

Founded in New York City on September 10, 2009 by 17 mayors from cities around the nation, Cities of Service is a bipartisan coalition of mayors who have committed to work together to engage citizens in a multi-year effort to address pressing city needs through impact volunteerism. The coalition includes more than 100 mayors, representing nearly 50 million Americans across the nation. Cities of Service supports mayors to leverage citizen service strategies, addressing local needs and making government more effective. All Cities of Service efforts are characterized by a concept called “impact volunteering” – volunteer strategies that target community needs, use best practices, and set clear outcomes and measures to gauge progress.

About AARP

AARP was founded on the principle of service. Since its establishment in 1958, AARP has been dedicated to delivering value to its members through service. Now, with the heightened interest in civic engagement and a new vitality around service, including the passage of the Kennedy Serve America Act in 2009, AARP is well positioned to tap into the strength of its millions of members to help solve pressing problems at the community level through the Cities of Service – AARP Volunteer Chief Service Officer Initiative.

About the Cities of Service-AARP Volunteer Chief Service Officer Initiative

Through collaboration between Cities of Service and AARP, Cities of Service coalition members with less than 125,000 residents have been given the opportunity to appoint highly-skilled volunteers to serve as Chief Service Officers for one year, many of whom come from AARP’s membership. Chief Service Officers are senior members of the mayors’ leadership team and are responsible for the development and implementation of a high-impact service plan that leverages citizen service to address the city’s most pressing challenges. In addition to appointing a volunteer Chief Service Officer, participating cities receive a $5,000 Recognition Award from AARP and technical assistance from Cities of Service to develop and implement their high-impact service plans.
For more information about the declaration and the Cities of Service program, visit: http://www.citiesofservice.org Linda can be reached at City Hall, 936-559-2577 or via email, floresl@ci.nacogdoches.tx.us.

Posted in Nac News, NacCity | Leave a comment