What's Happening in Cherokee County

April 21, 2022

by Staff reports

APRIL 21

Jacksonville Public Library will sponsor a showing of the Disney classic, “Lady and the Tramp,” 5:15 p.m. Thursday at 526 E. Commerce St. in Jacksonville. The family movie night also includes a free spa-ghetti dinner!

Calling all veterans, spouses and family members! The Military Veteran Peer Network will host its regu-lar peer group at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 21, at the Rusk Lions Club on U.S. Highway 84 West, next to Dollar General. Join the group for fellowship or to learn more about services, benefits and other topics of interest to military. Food and beverages will be provided. Contact MVPN Peer Services Coordinator Bradley Erickson, 903-721-2078, to learn more.

A rousing match – or three – of Donkey Basketball is planned for 7 p.m. Thursday, April 21, at the Wells High School Gym, featuring teams from Wells and Central schools, with a championship game also planned. Tickets are $10 presale, $15 at the door, and can be purchased by contacting Samantha Dew, 936-212-0881, CBTx Wells or Janie Shumaker. Proceeds benefit Wells PTO.

APRIL 23

The Cherokee County Master Gardener Spring Plant Sale takes place Saturday, April 23, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Ruth B. Nichols Arboretum, 1015 S.E. Loop 456 in Jacksonville. Stock up on plants while gaining gardening knowledge from Master Gardeners!

Troup Family Dental will present its annual Free Dentistry Day, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 23, at 1303 W. Duval St. in Troup. Services include exams, X-rays, extractions and fillings. Clients are asked to bring a list of all current medications they are on. To learn more, call 903-842-4600.

New Summerfield will host an April 23 open house, beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, at the fire station. Free pulled pork sandwiches are available with a bounce house and other entertainment planned. Separate drawings for a Weber Traveler gas grill and a Hatfield 12-gauge over/under 28-inch barrel rifle will be held, with tickets available at city hall.

The 15th annual Mission Tejas Folk Festival kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 23, with a variety of events planned, including prize drawings, games and activities, along with a silent auction. The park is located at 120 Park Road 44, west of Alto on Texas Highway 21. Entrance is free to the park this day, with donations accepted to support Friends’ activities. Contact Jared.Shamburger@tpwd.texas.gov or call 936-687-2394 to learn more.

The 2022 Relay for Life of Cherokee County event begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 23, at the Cherokee County Annex, 165 E. 6th St. in Rusk.

APRIL 24

Jacksonville’s Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church will host “Spring Fest for All,” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, April 24, at 1023 Corinth Road. The event features a variety of food; music by Ian Chan-dler, as well as the Lykins Family Bluegrass group; a cash cornhole tourney; and games and entertain-ment for the family. Drawings will be held for gift cards in the amounts of $250, $400 and $1,000, with tickets at $5 each or 5 for $20.

APRIL 24-27

“The Power of the Gospel (Romans 1:16),” a spiritual revival hosted by churches along Hwy. 204, will be held 6:30 p.m. nightly, April 24-27. Trinity Baptist Church, 211 Solomon Rd. in Nacogdoches, hosts the opening night of the revival, on Sunday, with the theme “Death.” On Monday, “Burial” will be hosted at Atoy Baptist Church, 206 CR 1210; on Tuesday, Reklaw Baptist Church will present “Resurrection” at 545 Nacogdoches Street. Ponta First Baptist Church will present the final night of the revival, with a Wednesday presentation of “The Second Coming,” at 72282 U.S. Highway 110 North.

APRIL 25

The deadline for a “Purple Up” art contest honoring the national Month of the Military Child is Monday, April 25. Contact Angela Erickson, 940-206-4519, mamabearerikson@icloud.com, to learn more.

Alto ISD will host an April 25 building dedication and ribbon cutting, beginning at 5 p.m. Monday at the front entrance of the all new Alto High School.

APRIL 26

East Texas Giving Day, an 18-hour period of giving that provides critical funding for area non-profits, falls on April 26 this year. Donors can log onto www.easttexasgivingday.org to contribute.

APRIL 27

The Greater Rusk Area Garden Club will meet at the Rusk Library, 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 27. There will be a business meeting, a short program on Fire Ant control, and a plant-swap. Visitors are invited to attend.

The Rusk High School Job Fair will be held from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 27 in the RHS commons for students ages 16 and older. Area businesses will be on hand, offering information about summer jobs.

APRIL 29

The 3rd annual Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Golf Classic tournament will be held Friday, April 29, at Cherokee Ranch Golf Club in Jacksonville. Entry fees are $400 for the 4-man scramble/18-hole event, and cover greens fees, two golf cars, lunch and goody bags. Contact the Jacksonville Chamber, 903-586-2217, to learn more. Meanwhile, a $1,000 prize will be awarded during a Golf Ball Drop during the event, with tickets set at $10 per ticket.

APRIL 30

An April 30 day-long, 6-person scramble, featuring live entertainment and a catered meal is slated for April 30 at Birmingham Golf Club in Rusk.

East Texas Military Veteran Peer Network Cherokee and Anderson County will celebrate “Purple Up,” in honor of April as national Month of the Military Child. An April 30 gathering at Little Mexico Plaza in Rusk (581 S. Dickinson Dr.) features a variety of events, along with distribution of personalized certifi-cates honoring military kids. Live voting for winner of related art contest! Contact Angela Erickson, 940-206-4519, mamabearerikson@icloud.com, to learn more.

Come hike with Krista “KK” Langley and learn about culturally significant plants and materials at Caddo Mounds State Historic Site, from 9:30 a.m. to noon, Saturday, April 30. Langley is a sub-regional volun-teer/service program specialist with the Southern Region of the U.S. Forest Service and member of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe. The historic site is located at 1649 Texas Highway 21, west of Alto.

Come fish with a Ranger at Mission Tejas State Park, 10 a.m. Saturday, April 30. All are welcome, with some fishing gear available to guests on a first-come, first-serve basis. While the event is free of charge, there is a $3 admission to MTSP for guests ages 13 and older. The park is located at 120 Park Road 44, west of Alto on Texas Highway 21. Contact Jared.Shamburger@tpwd.texas.gov or call 936-687-2394 to learn more.

MAY 2

Elijah’s Retreat will host an 11 a.m. grand opening on Monday, May 2, of its newest facility, the Maus House at 257 CR 3110 in Jacksonville.

MAY 5

“As You Were,” an informal gather of military veterans in Cherokee, meets the first and third Thursday of each month, at 8 a.m. at the Rusk Lions Club, 605 W. Sixth St., next to Dollar General. For more in-formation, call organizer Terry Everest at 707-951-2684.

The Military Veteran Peer Network will host its regular peer group at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 21, at the Rusk Lions Club on U.S. Highway 84 West, next to Dollar General. Join the group for fellowship or to learn more about services, benefits and other topics of interest to military. Contact MVPN Peer Services Coordinator Bradley Erickson, 903-721-2078, to learn more.

The Troup Chamber of Commerce will hold its 2022 Awards Dinner 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 5, at Troup High School. Tickets are on sale at Troup City Hall and Austin Bank in Troup. For more details, contact 903-574-3928. This year’s speaker is Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran, with Mayor Joe Carlyle honored in his retirement.

MAY 6-7

The 14th annual El Camino Real de los Tejas “Sale on the Trail” will be held May 6-7 along Texas High-way 21 into Natchitoches, Louisiana on Highway 6, featuring a slew of items and entertainment. In Alto, vendors are invited to set up booths downtown.

MAY 7

The City of Jacksonville will host the Great Jacksonville Cleanup from 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, May 7, at John Alexander Gym, 811 Farnsworth St. Accepted items include household trash, paper (to be shred-ded), car batteries, electronics, motor oil and tires.

As You Were, an informal group for veterans interested in fellowship, meets the first and third Thursday of the month for breakfast at the Rusk Lions Club, 605 W. Sixth St., next to Dollar General. For more information, call coordinator Terry Everest at 707-951-2684. An upcoming meeting is planned May 7.

MAY 9

A hoops competition between Rusk High School seniors and the school’s coaching staff begins at 2 p.m. Monday, May 9, at Rusk Eagle Coliseum. Entry is $2 per student. To learn more, contact Coach Corinna Ford, 903-787-0763 or email corinna.ford@ruskisd.net

BOOK SIGNING 4-5 PM, Monday, May 9, 2022, Community Meeting Room, Rusk Public Library, Rusk, Tex-as. Jonathan Gerland, Director of The History Center, Diboll, Texas, will be available to autograph his lat-est book, Boggy Slough. Mr. Gerland previously authored a book about the Texas State Railroad connect-ed to the State Prison out of Rusk. Sponsored by the Cherokee County Genealogical Society.

The Cherokee County Genealogical Society is scheduled to meet at 5:30 PM, Monday, May 9 2022 in the community meeting room of the Rusk Public Library located at 207 E. 6th Street in Rusk. The speaker will be Jonathan Gerland, Director of The History Center in Diboll.

“A Year in the Life of Gardening” series continues with a 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 9, presentation on harvest and storage, offered by Cherokee County Texas AgriLife Extension at the County Annex build-ing, 165 E. 6th St. To learn more, call 903-683-5416.

MAY 11

The City of Jacksonville will host a special Sesquicentennial Year celebration focusing on the opening of the city’s 50-year-old time capsule, 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 11.

MAY 11 & 13

Members of the Jacksonville Public Library staff and friends will dress up in period garb each month as part of the city’s Sesquicentennial Celebration. Patrons are welcome to visit May 11 and May 13 dressed in this month’s theme of Regency Era, Jane Austin Era or 1970’s Era, and share with the public the story behind their costumes.

MAY 12-14

Tops in Texas PRCA Rodeo is slated May 12-14, 7 p.m. nightly at the rodeo grounds in Jacksonville.

On Friday, May 13, Cody Wayne Band will perform at 9:15 p.m., while a Junior Rodeo For Exceptional Kids begins at 8 a.m. Saturday.

MAY 14

Volunteers are sought to learn about proper gravestone-cleaning techniques, to help clean stones at Jack-sonville’s Old City Cemetery on Kickapoo Street. During the city’s Sesquicentennial Year observation, volunteers will perform clean-up on the second and third Saturday of the month, from 8:30-11 a.m. To learn more, contact Deborah Burkett, 903-752-7850, or email debbietroup7@yahoo.com

Dixie Masonic Lodge #272 of Troup will host a May 14 fundraiser to help purchase a new dog for the Troup Police Department’s K9 Unit. The 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. event – held Saturday at the lodge, 1-6 S. Vir-ginia St. in Troup – features food trucks, emergency vehicles and motor cycles and other vendors.

A Thin Blue Line benefit is planned for May 14 at Birmingham Golf Club in Rusk.

Rusk’s Sacred Heart Catholic Church will hold a prize drawing on Saturday, May 14, as part of a fund-raiser to build up the church grounds to make it more family-friendly. Tickets are $10 each, and include prizes of an Apple iPad, Generac Generator, 65” Samsung TV, Savage Axis XP 30-06 Springfield Rifle, $500 Helzberg Diamond gift card, $500 Brookshire Brothers gift card. Tickets will be sold from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 14 at the 760 S. Main St. church. For more information call or text Father Jorge Dinguis, 903-316-1410.

MAY 15

A Caddo Mounds plant and tree walk will be held from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, May 15, led by Smith County Extension Agent Greg Grant and Cherokee County Extension Agent Kim Benton at Caddo Mounds State Historic Site, 1649 Texas Highway 21, west of Alto. To learn more, call 936-858-3221.

MAY 17

Jacksonville High School will host its 2022 Athletic Banquet Tuesday, May 17, at the JHS Cafeteria, with doors opening at 6 p.m.

MAY 18

Coffee with a Cop will be held from 8-9 a.m. at Pop’s Country Store and Deli, 10940 FM 347 North in Jacksonville.

MAY 19

MAY 21

The first annual sporting clays tournament, benefitting the East Texas 100 Club, will be held Saturday, May 21, at Prairie Creek Sporting Clays, 15250 CR 3111 in Gladewater. An 8 a.m. registration is fol-lowed at 9 by the shoot. Individual cost is $125, which includes admission and lunch, while sponsorships include a $100 stand sponsor, $500 silver sponsor – for a 4-man team and lunches – and $1,000 gold sponsor (two 4-man teams and lunches). Register at hendersontx.us community events to register, or con-tact bonnie.geddie@hendersontx.com or call 903-657-5528 to learn more.