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Around Town

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Portacool and City of Center representatives gathered before the Portacool Park entrance.

June 20, 2017 - (Album) - A grand opening event for the new Portacool Park in Center was held Saturday, June 17, 2017 with representatives of City of Center, Portacool and a large turnout of citizens to enjoy the newly completed grounds.

Anyone attending was treated to refreshments including hot dogs prepared by Shelby Savings Bank, chips, drinks, popcorn and cookies handed out by Portacool employees. While everyone enjoyed their lunch, many children and young adults were putting the new basketball court to use with basketballs and soccer balls. City of Center employees were also giving out goody bags.

Portacool employees and representatives gathered before the Portacool Park entrance.

After the crowd had enjoyed much of their time at the park, city and Portacool representatives gathered at the entrance of the park to share.

David Chadwick, Center Mayor, welcomed everyone to the park and declared Portacool Park officially open. He explained Portacool Park's predecessor, Center Mini Park began with a donation from a local civic group and has continued to grow with the help of the city and others.

"Until this last year when Portacool stepped up and said, 'We want to make our mark on Center, Texas not just with our business but looking at our community and letting people know that it is our community,'" said Mayor Chadwick.

Pictured are (from left): Thomas Morrison, Sales/Marketing Operations Manager at Port-A-Cool LLC; Ben Wulf, President/CEO Portacool LLC; David Chadwick, Center Mayor; and Chad Nehring, Center City Manager.

Chadwick expressed how he feels the park holds something for everyone in the community and in addition to all of the activities that can be enjoyed at the park, there are Portacool fans at a picnic area alongside the pavilion.

"Mr. Wulf, I'd like to thank you on behalf of the City of Center for the job that you and your team have done. Excellent job, could not be more proud of your involvement in the community and your whole team there," said Mayor Chadwick.

He was proud to be able to be the first to say only in Center, Texas, "Welcome to Portacool Park."

Pictured are (from left): Hunter Rush, MHS Planning & Design, LLC; Chad Nehring, Center City Manager; and Keith Oliver, City of Center.Ben Wulf, President/CEO of Portacool LLC, expressed his appreciation to the city including Chad Nehring, City Manager, and his team for helping with the architecture and design of the facility as well as inspiration offered by Mayor Chadwick.

"Thomas [Morrison, Sales/Marketing Operations Manager at Port-A-Cool LLC] came up and partnered with the city, so we want to say thank you to him for helping see this through from start to finish," said Wulf. "The people that I really want to say thank you to and that's the Portacool family. If it's not for what you do every day, this doesn't happen, and we want to say thank you to our past employees and obviously to our current employees and all the Portacool family members to come. This is what you've built, we're very proud of it and want to continue to be a very strong fixture in the community for many years to come."

Photo (from left): Wayne Holt, David Mathis, and Alayna Scull.

June 20, 2017 - President Helen Collard called the Golden Harvest Ministries Club to order on Monday, June 19, 2017 at the First Baptist Church in Center, Texas at 11:30 AM with 61 members and guests attending. 

Carl Smith led members in an opening prayer, and Harold Hanson led in singing several hymns, while Alice West accompanied on the piano. The Bluegrass Trio presented the program of patriotic, country, bluegrass, religious, and other favorites. June Birthdays celebrated were Darlene Brown, Harold Hanson, Nori Latimer, and Alice West. Anniversary greetings went to Maudi and Harold Warr. 

Tables were decorated with summer wildflowers from Linda Bordelon's Wildscape on Toledo Bend Lake. Ann Forbes discussed those on the "Prayer Report" and encouraged everyone to visit the ones in the nursing homes.

Submitted by Linda Bordelon, Reporter

June 12, 2017 - Jennifer Wulf is now back in the service department at Center Motor Co.

Wulf has been a part of the Center Motor Company team for 31 years and is looking forward to seeing and helping her friends, and customers with their service needs.

Please call 936-598-3361 or come by to welcome Jennifer back.

Center Motor Company is located at 816 Hurst Street, Center, Texas.


Pictured are (from left): Becky Maidic, Jessie Griffith (Joaquin VFD), Gerald Huddleston (Huxley VFD), Waylon Griffith (Center FD), Gary Frame (Center FD), and Chris Koltonski (Shelbyville VFD).

June 20, 2017 - Every year, on behalf of its members, Hochheim Priairie Farm Mutual Branch 110 donates to our community.This is just a small way of thanking organizations in Shelby County for all the work they do for it's citizens on a daily basis. We truly appreciate everything you do for this community.

This year Branch 110 elected to give donations to Joaquin, Center, Shelbyville, and Huxley Volunteer Fire Departments.

HPFM Branch 110 also voted to donate to the Fannie Brown Booth Library this year.

Pictured are Sandra Davis (left) and Becky Maidic (right).

Click image to enlarge

June 19, 2017 - Family and friends gathered at the Wimberly Cemetery Homecoming Sunday, June 18, 2017 to check up on the status of the cemetery and its upkeep during a board meeting.

Everyone enjoyed a potluck luncheon while visiting and catching up on family news. The following families attending the homecoming and representing loved ones buried in the cemetery were LaFitte, Cox, O'Rear, McCann, Snider, Strickland, Samples, Wagstaff, Fittz, Wilson, Permenter, and Moody. To see a list of persons buried in the cemetery, click here. (www.shelbycountytexashistory.net)

Donations for cemetery upkeep can be sent to Wimberly Cemetery Fund, c/o Mack O'Rear, 11466 FM 2694, Shelbyville, TX 75973.

June 13, 2017 - After months of work and dedication, the vision for Portacool Park is a reality. The park will officially open Saturday, June 17, 2017, during a celebration planned from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. featuring fun for the entire family. 

“At Portacool, we are proud to call Center our home,” said Ben Wulf, CEO of Portacool, LLC, the naming sponsor of the park and funding partner. “This project has been possible in part because of all of our hardworking employees, both past and present. We are excited and honored to be able to give back to the city and community that has provided us a platform to become a globally recognized company.”

Portacool Park is the culmination of more than a year of project planning and coordination of funding from Portacool, LLC, a grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife, the City of Center and the Street Improvements for Economic Development. The renovated park facilities include a quarter-mile walking trail, restroom facilities, azalea garden, covered pavilion/basketball court, a multi-purpose soccer/football field that will accommodate CISD athletics and, of course, specially designed cool zones featuring Portacool evaporative coolers.  

“With common vision, cooperation and community partners such as Portacool, it is amazing what can be accomplished,” Chad Nehring, City Manager, said. “We are so pleased with the results of these efforts and cannot wait for everyone to come out and enjoy this asset to our community.” 

Please plan to join Portacool employees and City representatives during the opening event on June 17 as they welcome you to the newly renovated and expanded park. Hot dogs, popcorn and more will be available to the public. 

Related article:
Portacool Representatives, City of Center Celebrate Portacool Park Groundbreaking

June 15, 2017 - Week two of the Center Library Summer Reading program got off to a 'rockin' start with Sara Ward, "The Story Lady" on Thursday, June 15th. The Story Lady had the little readers jamming with their air guitars while taking them on an adventure with music inspired story time. The Tweens will meet at 2pm to enjoy another week of Lego creation. The theme for week two of the Tween program is transportation.

June 15, 2017 - The next library Summer Reading Program day is Thursday, June 15, 2017. The younger children will once again meet at 10:30am and the program will be Sara Ward, The Story Lady.

This will be the first time for The Story Lady to be part of the Summer Reading Program.

June 14, 2017 - Flag Day was recognized and celebrated at the City of Center’s Senior Citizen Center on Wednesday, July 14, 2017 with VFW Post 8904 members and Auxiliary members installing new American and Texas flags.

New flags wave at Senior Citizen CenterPost Quartermaster Larry Hume welcomed everyone attending which included Shelby County Outreach Ministries Executive Director Sherry Harding, workers at the Senior Nutrition Site, and members of the community.

Hume said, “During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution stating that 'the flag of the United States be thirteen alternate stripes red and white' and that 'the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field.' The National flag, became known as the 'Stars and Stripes,' according to legend, Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross designed the new design for the stars and stripes, which consisted of a circle of 13 stars and a blue background, at the request of General George Washington. Historians have been unable to conclusively prove or disprove this legend. With the addition of new states into the United States after independence, new stripes and stars were added to represent new additions to the Union. In 1818, however, Congress enacted a law stipulating that the 13 original stripes be restored and that only stars be added to represent new states. On June 14, 1877, the first flag day observance was held on the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the stars and stripes. In 1949 congress officially designated June 14 as Flag Day, a national day of observance. And here we are 140 years after the first Flag Day and I am proud to be here.”

Chaplain Cynthia Islas lowered the colors and Jr. Vice Jason Samford removed the American Flag, presenting it to Post Commander Gene Hutto and Senior Vice Newton Johnson, Jr. who then folded it. Service Officer/Trustee John Piersol handed the new American Flag and Texas Flag to Samford to attach to the flag pole. With a salute, Islas hoisted the colors.

Following the hoisting of the flags, everyone adjourned inside the Senior Citizen Center for lunch.

The current flag pole was donated by the Post and Auxiliary with a dedication held on June 13, 2014 in memory of Pam White who passed away in April 29, 2014 and was the executive director of Shelby County Outreach Ministries from 1995-2014.

Thanks to the Center ISD’s high school CT Counselor Alease Copelin and the school's Flags to Fight Hunger initiative, the American Flag was seen flying all over Center in local neighborhoods and businesses for Flag Day as well as other major patriotic holidays. The program, launched on Veteran’s Day 2014, was a way to show support for our country while feeding hungry children. Flag partners can join the program at any time. Interested businesses or home owners can contact CHS and ask to speak with Alease Copelin, Counselor.

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June 14, 2017 - The Texas Watermelon Queen will be the special guest at the East Texas What-A-Melon Festival coming July 6th, 7th, 8th.

The Texas Watermelon Queen is special to Shelby County as she is Miss Chloe Elizabeth Brown from Center, Texas. She is the daughter of Keith Brown and Beth Brown and a 2015 Graduate of Joaquin High School. Miss Brown is currently a junior at Stephen F. Austin State University where she is studying mass communications with a concentration in advertising and public relations. In 2015 Chloe earned a Certified Natural Health Professional (CNHP) certification in Orlando, Florida.

This is not the first time Miss Chloe has traveled representing Shelby County. In 2014, as a junior in high school, she traveled to London, England and was honored to march in the Queen's parade after earning All-American honors during UCA Cheer Camp the previous summer.

Now Chloe is traveling all over Texas as the Texas Watermelon Queen and is once again representing Shelby County well. She was crowned queen in November of 2016 at the Texas Watermelon Association Convention which was held in McAllen.

She has been promoting watermelons at various events and festivals since including Alamo Watermelon Festival held this past May.

Miss Texas Watermelon Chloe Brown's visit to the festival is being sponsored by Wiggins Farms and Luke Brown Watermelons.

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