Oldtime String Shop To Celebrate 30 Years

Oldtime String Shop is celebrating 30 years of keeping the clock turned back in beautiful downtown Nacogdoches along with the release of a new book & cd, settlers of the western woods.

Join us at Millard's Crossing, October 11th, 7pm, for potluck dinner, a real old time dance, and a dose of back porch music.

Spread the word that all are welcome!

For more info contact: The Oldtime String Shop at

936-564-8692

Photo By: Bruce R. Partain

Simply Pink.....A Breast Cancer Awareness Fundraiser

Please join Simply Pink for an evening of celebration, fashion and fun at Regions Bank-Community Room located at 300 E. Main on Thursday, October 9, 2008 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for an eventful night.

There will be a Fall Fashion Show, Makeovers, Gift Bags, Heavy hors d'oevre's and Pink Champagne! You don't want to miss this event. Tickets cost $25.00 and can be purchased at the Nacogdoches Medical Center, Loma Laird Center or Belk Department Store.

All proceeds will be donated to The American Cancer Society Resource Center in Nacogdoches for the benefit of breast cancer survivors and awareness campaigns.

For ticket information call: (936) 558-3729.

Hurricane Ike: disaster assitance for businesses

Disaster assistance is now available at the Angelina College Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Lufkin. SBA Disaster Specialists are now onsite at Angelina College, 3500 South 1st Street, Lufkin, Texas.

If your business suffered economic and/or physical loss as a result of Hurricane Ike, please call (936) 633-5400 for information, and to make an appointment.

Successful job fair

The Sept. 23 Job Fair held at University Mall was deemed a great success by organizers from NEDCO, the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce and Workforce Solutions. About 300 job seekers met with 21 businesses. Two workshops on resume writing and job-finding tips were also held. Organizers are discussing plans for another community-wide job fair in about six months.
(Photo: Bruce R. Partain)

TXU Energy to assist customers, local health clinic

Monday, September 22, 2008

In a move applauded by local officials Monday, TXU Energy announced financial assistance for Nacogdoches customers and awarded a grant to a local health clinic to defray recovery costs brought on by Hurricane Ike.

TXU Energy will assist area customers affected by Hurricane Ike with relaxations on their energy bills. The company will also award $2,000 to the East Texas Community Health Services clinic to replace insulin and other medicine that spoiled during power outages resulting from Hurricane Ike.

At a press conference at the clinic on Monday, Kelli Rod, TXU vice president of community relations, explained some payment options available to affected customers, including extensions on due dates, waiver of late fees, expansion of summer customer protections and payment in installments. The assistance will be available at least through Nov. 1. Customers interested in the assistance should call 1-866-225-5898. Customers can also dial 211 to receive payment assistance through TXU Energy Aid.

"Hurricane Ike was more than any of us expected it to be. Everybody's trying to put their life back together," Rod said, urging anyone in need to call the hot line "because it's a great way to make your bill in a place that's manageable through a tough time."

For East Texas Community Health Services, which provided medical assistance at evacuee clinics after the storm, assistance from TXU energy will help them reach more people, Robin Moore, the clinic's CEO, said.

"It's going to be tremendously helpful to us to replace the medications that may have been lost," she said. "The fact that the people we serve are mostly uninsured or on Medicare or Medicaid with a fixed income means that this helps us help then even more."

TXU learned about the clinic's need for financial assistance through Bruce Partain, president and CEO of the Nacogdoches County Chamber of commerce. Partain said the cooperation was especially fitting, given the circumstances of the hurricane.

"I just thought it was a good fit, because TXU is in here doing things for people who are actually outside their service area. And East Texas Community Health Services is taking care of people also who are really just guests in their town, and yet they're more than happy to do it," Partain said.

State Rep. Wayne Christian, R-Center, was present to thank TXU energy, calling them good corporate neighbors.

"A lot of time in this day and age, you think big corporations are just in it for the money. When it comes down to it, this shows what America is about. It shows what our neighbors are about. TXU is one example," Christian said. "That's what's great about America. You realize that a corporation is not anything but a lot of your friends and mine."

County Judge Joe English, Commissioner Reggie Cotton and City Manager Jim Jeffers were also present for the announcement.

TXU Energy serves 2.1 million customers in Texas.

By: Matthew Stoff, The Daily Sentinel

Historic Walking Tours for October

If you want a guided tour of the historic downtown of Nacogdoches, then the Walking Tours are just for you. They have recently opened a new piece of history to the Walking Tours, The Milam Lodge No. 2. This Lodge was founded in 1837 by John Henry Holland and they rented and donated facilities until the 1920s. The Milam Lodge is the oldest operating lodge in the State of Texas. This is the first time this Lodge has been open to the public, and is a very interesting look into the historical past times of Nacogdoches.

These historical walking tours also include: Caddo Indian burial mound, Oak Grove Cemetery, the Old University Building, Zion Hill Baptist Church, the Adolphus Sterne House, Durst Taylor House and Gardens, and many more historical places. These tours will take place every Saturday in October at the Visitors' Center at 10:30 a.m. which is located at 200 E. Main Street. The cost is $2 and can be purchased at 10:00 a.m.; children 12 and under are free. So come out and enjoy the historical sites that Nacogdoches, TX has to offer!!

Photo: Statue of Antonio Gil Y'Barbo, father of Nacogdoches, located on the historic town square.

Thanksgiving Day Brunch at Pine Creek Country Inn

Enjoy Thanksgiving with your family. Let Pine Creek Country Inn do the cooking!

Thursday, November 26th, 2008
11AM - 2PM
By Reservation only - 936-560-6282
$27.00++ Per Person

Menu:
Antipasto Tray - Lettuce, Tomato & Cucumber Salad
Potato Salad - Salad Bressane - Smoked Turkey & Pepper
Pasta Salad - Cheese Selections
* * *
Eggs Benedict - Sausage - Bacon - Country Potatoes
* * *
Roasted Turkey & All The Trimmings - Roasted New York Strip
Chicken Breast in Mushroom and Sherry Sauce
Pan Seared Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce
* * *
Tomato Provencal - Sauteed Green Beans and Garlic
Mashed Potatoes - Rice Pilaf
* * *
Pumpkin Pie - Pecan Pie - Homemade Flan with Caramel Sauce
Bread Pudding - Apple Crepes with Vanilla Sauce

Nacogdoches Nine Flags Vendors Needed

The 12th Annual Nacogdoches Nine Flags Festival is coming up soon, and they need food and non-food vendors for the downtown lighting and opening ceremony on November 22, 2008. Booth space is limited so please reserve your booth early. The last day to register is October 31, 2008. For the registration form please visit www.nineflagsfestival.com or visit theNacogdoches Convention and Visitors Bureau at 200 E. Main St. This years Nine Flags Festival will be honoring the Mexican Flag for a special tribute. The festival will be held November 21-December 13. On Saturday, November 22, there will be a holiday kick-off with a capitvating light display in downtown with more than 3 million Christmas lights. Please make sure to reserve your booth for this event so you will not miss out on this amazing event!! For more information please call 936-564-7351.

Ribbon Cutting for Oak Manor Nursing Home

The Nacogdoches Chamber of Commerce and the Daily Sentinel had a Ribbon Cutting for Oak Manor Nursing Home. The remodeled and updated facility made its grand debut to the public on Thursday, September 18, 2008. Administrator Cindy Pugh welcomed sponsors, Chamber members and guests.



Photos by Bruce Partain

Ribbon Cutting for Suzuki of East Texas

The Daily Sentinel and the Nacogdoches Chamber of Commerce had a Ribbon Cutting for Suzuki of East Texas on Friday, September 19. 2008. Malcolm Doan was there to welcome sponsors, Chamber members and guests.

There was food, fun, and entertainment for this Grand Opening at 4017 North St. For more information about Suzuki of East Texas, please visit their website at http://www.texassuzukicar.com/.

Photos by Kenezia Smith

Where does the name Nacogdoches come from?

Here's an answer from the Handbook of Texas Online:

NACOGDOCHE INDIANS. The Nacogdoche (Nacadocheeto, Nacodissy, Nacodochito, Nagodoche, Nasahossoz, Naugdoche, Nocodosh) Indians, a Caddoan tribe of the Hasinai group in eastern Texas, lived in the vicinity of present Nacogdoches in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. In 1716 the Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de los Nacogdoches Mission was established in the principal Nacogdoche settlement and was intermittently maintained until 1773. The tribe was greatly reduced by disease and warfare by 1800. Although many Nacogdoche Indians seem to have been absorbed by the population of the Spanish settlement established at Nacogdoches in 1779, others lost their identity among other nearby Hasinai tribes, especially the Hainai and Anadarko Indians, who moved westward to the Brazos River shortly after the Texas Revolutionqv and were eventually taken to Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. Descendants of the Nacogdoche Indians are probably included in these Hasinai survivors, who today live in Caddo County, Oklahoma.

More about the Hasinai Indians:

HASINAI INDIANS. The Hasinai Indians belong to the Caddoan linguistic stock, a large family that includes the Arikara, Pawnee, Wichita, Kitsai, and Caddo Indians. The southern group included the Kadohadachos and Caddos proper, as well as the Nanatsoho, Nasoni, upper Natchitoches, and Cahinnio Indians of Arkansas and, in east Texas, the Hasinais. The last group was composed of eight tribes: Hainai, Neches, Nacogdoche, Nacono (Nacao, Naconish), Namidish, (Nabiti, Nawidish), Nasoni, Anadarko, and perhaps Nabedache. The Hasinais occupied a compact area in the middle Neches and upper Angelina valleys and were seen as the socially most advanced and historically the most important group in the region. The names Texas and Hasinai were used interchangeably. The term Texas or Tejas was the Indian form of greeting which meant "friend." The term Hasinai or its variations (Aseney, Asinai, Asinay, Assinais, or Iones) means "our own people." Today among the descendants of these Caddoan people in Oklahoma the term Hasinai has been revived.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Herbert E. Bolton, "The Native Tribes about the East Texas Missions," Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association 11 (April 1908). Frederick Webb Hodge, ed., Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico (2 vols., Washington: GPO, 1907, 1910; rpt., New York: Pageant, 1959). John R. Swanton, Source Material on the History and Ethnology of the Caddo Indians (Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 132, Washington: GPO, 1942).
Thomas N. Campbell

This Week at the Nacogdoches Farmers Market

Join us this Saturday at the Farmer’s Market to catch up with old friends, and restock your refrigerator after the storm! Join us to hear the sounds of Paul Martinez, the Texas Rambler who plays traditional country music.

The Nacogdoches Farmers’ Market survived Hurricane Ike and will have plenty of fresh produce to offer patrons this week. This week look for pinto beans, several varieties of peas including purple hull and lady cream available this week in 32 lb bags, bell peppers, okra, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, carrots, new potatoes and squash. In addition, you will find plentiful baked goods plus Dr. Gregory will be back with plants and cut flowers.

If you would like to sign up for the weekly Farmers’ Market email update, please send an email to mainstreet@ci.nacogdoches.tx.us. Buckley MacInerney will have a sign-up sheet at the Saturday market. You are also more than welcome to visit http://www.farmermktnac.blogspot.com/ for the weekly update.

The Nacogdoches Farmers’ Market, located at the “hitch lot” at the corner of West Main and Pearl Streets, is open from 8 a.m. until noon or later every Saturday. If the market parking lot is full, additional parking is available in the Nacogdoches County Courthouse Annex parking lot. For more information about the market or becoming a vendor, contact Sarah O’Brien, Main Street Manager, at 559-2573.

Mexican Fiesta on the Red Brick Streets

If you love Mexican food then join the Downtown Business Association in the downtown district in Nacogoches for the 14th Annual Progressive Dinner on October 2, 2008. This years theme will include hors d'oeuvres and cocktails provided by Adams, Belanger, Atherton and Lostracco PC at 305 E. Main Street and will begin at 6:00 p.m. Then join Bob Gruebel and Jo Carlson where there will be a faijita dinner at the Old Shaw's building, 115 E. Main Street. The night will end with variety of desserts at Tim James's Law Office, located at 115 South Street. Tickets to this Progressive Dinner are $20 and are available at the CVB, 200 E. Main Street. The proceeds from this event will help the Nacogdoches Downtown Business Association purchase Christmas lights for the downtown area. For more information about the Progressive Dinner please call the CVB at 936-564-7351 or the Nacogdoches Main Street Office at 936-559-2573.

Photo: Gerry Larabee and Pat James get ready for the annual Downtown Progressive Dinner, at the Old Shaw's Building on Main Street.

Job Fair Rescheduled

Due to Hurricane Ike's arrival this past weekend, the job fair that was scheduled for September 16, 2008 has been rescheduled for Tuesday, September 23, 2008. It will be held at the University Mall, at 1122 N. University Dr. Nacogdoches, TX 75965. Tables and chairs will be provided for the recruiters. If you have any questions regarding the job fair please contact Misty Roe at 936-559-1255.

Latest model for Ike - noon central time

Image provided by KTRE-TV Hurricane Center.

SFA to host fall plant sale

Photo from SFA web site.

The SFA Mast Arboretum will host its annual Fabulous Fall Festival on October 4, 2008 from 9 am until 2 pm at the SFA Intramural Fields on Wilson Drive. This event features the annual spring plant sale fundraiser benefiting the SFA Mast Arboretum, Pineywoods Native Plant Center, Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, and their educational programs. All of the plants are produced at SFA by the staff, students and volunteers.

According to Dawn Stover, Mast Arboretum research associate, a wide variety of hard to find, “Texas tough” plants will be available including a truly eclectic mix of hard to find perennials, shrubs, and trees. The fall sale will feature a number of heat and drought resistant perennials that will thrive with little to no irrigation in East Texas. Also, new coneflower varieties, leopard plants, hardy gingers, and the outstanding varieties of ferns from recent trials will be available. As usual, gardeners will find a many wonderful plants suited for southern landscapes.

Greg Grant, Pineywoods Native Plant Center research associate, notes that fall is the most appropriate time to plant trees, shrubs and perennials. A large variety of native shade trees as well as many other East Texas natives will be available. Some of Grant’s special introductions will be offered, including the large flowering ‘Helen Fredel’ crossvine and the brand new ‘Peppermint Flare’ rosemallow.

The public is encouraged to arrive early and bring a wagon.
For more information and a list of plants for sale call 936-468-4404, or visit http://arboretum.sfasu.edu and click on “upcoming events.”

Nacogdoches Maurices Celebrates with a $500 Community Donation

Maurices is the leading small town speciality store and authority for the savvy, fashion conscious customer. With more than 600 stores, they stand for fashion, quality, value, and customer service offering sizes 1-24, in select stores, their fashions are inspired by the girl in everyone, in every size.

Maurices is celebrating the anniversary of its store in the Nacogdoches Market Place 2 by donating $500 dollars to a local non-profit organization. "It's a wonderful experience to be a part of this community and we're excited about this coming year. We believe in giving back to the communities we are a part of and want to thank everyone for supporting our store." states Leslie Hamilton, Store Manager.

You can stop in Maurices store and nominate your favorite local charity from September 13, 2008 through September 28, 2008. The nominations will be tailed, and the charity with the most customer votes will be awarded the donation. While in the store, be sure to check out the incredible new fashions that just arrived.

For fashion inspiration, store locations, and career information, visit maurices.com or call 936-560-3498.

Hurricane Ike information

(Click on images for larger view. Images courtesy of NOAA)

Here's a detailed graphic on the forecast for the next three days:

http://www.usairnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/code.cgi?Submit=Go&sta=KOCH&state=TX

Visit the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce web site for updates on Hurricane Ike.

Below is information from City of Nacogdoches web site.
Online Hurricane Awareness - City of Nacogdoches

RESIDENTS SHOULD PREPARE FOR SEVERE WEATHER

As Hurricane IKE makes landfall along the coast of Texas, forecasters predict the storm to travel northerly into East Texas.

The Nacogdoches area could begin feeling the effects of IKE as early as Friday evening, September 12th. Forecasters predict tropical force winds for Nacogdoches and Nacogdoches County beginning Saturday afternoon. Sustained wind speeds of as much as 75 mph are possible. Residents are asked to secure lawn furniture and outside items that may be blown by these winds. Hanging baskets and flower pots should be secured or brought inside. Persons residing in mobile homes should have an alternate place in the event of high winds. Persons in high profile vehicles should use caution. Residents should have prescriptions filled, fuel tanks topped off, and an emergency supply of food and water on hand.

Weather forecasters predict with high probability that the East Texas area will have a significant heavy rainfall event during the period of Friday through Monday. Rainfall amounts of 3” to 7” and greater are very possible with this storm.

Persons residing in low-lying areas should begin now readying their property for possible flash flooding. Motorists should never attempt to drive through standing water. Motorists should turn around to avoid high water.

Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms are possible during this event. Extended power outages should be expected. Residents are reminded to only operate portable generators in well-ventilated areas. Combustible engines, such as those used on generators, give off carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless deadly gas. Never connect a generator to a home without the main breaker being turned off. Failure to do so may energize power lines that are down and pose a deadly hazard to workers repairing the lines.

Residents should keep tuned to local media and NOAA weather radio in the event severe weather threatens the area.

As of 3:00 p.m. CDT this date, Nacogdoches is sheltering approximately 30 evacuees. The local evacuee check-in point is open at the Fredonia Hill Baptist Church, 1711 South Street (Business US 59).

Persons seeking shelter are asked to report to this location where they will receive sheltering instructions. Do not report directly to a shelter.

The Nacogdoches Emergency Operations Center was activated at 10:00 AM Thursday morning, and remains operational on a 24-hour basis.

The City of Nacogdoches emergency telephone bank is also in operation. Persons needing information should call the telephone bank at 936-559-2510. The telephone bank is operational 24 hours.

SANDBAGS AVAILABLE FOR RESIDENTS

(Nacogdoches, Tx) Sandbags are available for residents of Nacogdoches and Nacogdoches County at the Exposition Center, located at 3805 Northwest Stallings Drive. The bags are located at barn # 3.

Residents needing sandbags should bring their own shovel to fill these bags. Sand is available at this location.

Nacogdoches Job Fair will be rescheduled

The Job Fair originally set for Sept. 16 will be rescheduled. The new date may be set during the following week. Details including date, location and time will be posted soon.

Extreme Makeover Nacogdoches Yard Edition

The tenth annual Nacogdoches Azalea Trail will usher in springtime in East Texas March 14-31, 2009 and the Nacogdoches CVB wants to help homeowners along the trail get ready! To do so, the CVB presents the 1st annual Extreme Makeover Nacogdoches Yard Edition.

“We are thrilled to present this contest to our homeowners along the trails,” said Sherri Skeeters, assistant director of the CVB “we couldn’t have pulled it all together without the support of our sponsors and the SFA Mast Arboretum.”

All homeowners along the three azalea trails are encouraged to enter the contest. Residents can see if their home qualifies by logging onto www.nacogdochesazaleas.com.

The CVB is looking for a special front yard along the route that they can enhance with beautiful azaleas, donated by the SFA Mast Arboretum. Entries must be received by Friday, September 26, 2008 in order to be selected by a panel of expert judges.

Bailey Bark Materials is donating the mulch and supplies for the makeover, while Ronny Nelson’s company Lawn World will do the labor on the 100 square foot makeover.

The makeover will take place in October, just in time to make the special front yard breathtaking during March’s Azalea Trail. Before and after photos will be displayed on the Azalea Trail website and will be recognized during the Azalea season.

“We really hope this is something we can do every year,” said Skeeters, The Azalea trail brings in thousands of visitors to the Oldest Town in Texas each spring. With a record breaking 2,000 coming into the Visitor’s Center last March. “We really hope our extreme makeover will help to enhance the already beautiful trail.”

Rules & Regulations, and a contest entry form are available online at www.visitnacogdoches.org or by calling the CVB at 936-564-7351.

This week at Nacogdoches Farmer's Market

The Nacogdoches Farmer’s Market has a new savvy Internet tool. This new marketing approach will be utilized to list local entertainment, vendors, recipes and much more. Many thanks go out to Brian Walters who designed the website for the Market. While still under construction, we welcome everyone to go ahead and take a peek. You can check out the new farmer’s market website at http://www.farmersmktnac.blogspot.com/.

The Nacogdoches Farmers’ Market continues to have an amazing variety of fresh produce, even in this between-season period. This week look for pinto beans, several varieties of peas, bell peppers, okra, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, carrots, new potatoes and squash. In addition, you will find plentiful baked goods (breads, muffins, cookies, bagels and more), canned jellies, jams and salsas, local honey, free range eggs (if you arrive early), a large variety of handcrafts, plus plants and cut flowers. Kat Tree, who recently returned to Nacogdoches after many years in Colorado, provides our musical entertainment. Her unique musical style draws from such artists as Emmy Lou Harris, Joni Mitchell, and John Prine.

If you would like to sign up for the weekly Farmers’ Market email update, please send an email to mainstreet@ci.nacogdoches.tx.us. Buckley MacInerney also will have a sign-up sheet at the Saturday market.

The Nacogdoches Farmers’ Market, located at the “hitch lot” at the corner of West Main and Pearl Streets, is open from 8 a.m. until noon or later every Saturday. If the market parking lot is full, additional parking is available in the Nacogdoches County Courthouse Annex parking lot. For more information about the market or becoming a vendor, contact Sarah O’Brien, Main Street Manager, at 559-2573.

Timber Springs signs agreement with nationally known company

East Texas Senior Living (ETSL) Board of Directors is pleased to announce their agreement with a nationally known company to finance, construct, and develop, Timber Springs, a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in Nacogdoches, Texas. Timber Springs will become the flagship property for this company. At this time corporate confidentiality agreements do not allow for release of specific company information.

ETSL Board of Directors will continue their active role in helping with the development and direction of the community and WindRiver Companies will continue as marketer and manager of the CCRC. Timber Springs' personnel will also remain with WindRiver.

“We are so excited to bring Timber Springs to Nacogdoches. Its comprehensive healthcare services, variety of amenities and lifestyle activities are sure to attract more retirees to East Texas,” said board chairman, Dr. Jerry Holbert. “Timber Springs will also create more than 100 new jobs and expand the tax base of Nacogdoches.”

The 46-acre Timber Springs’ campus is located a top the scenic Colonial Hills in Nacogdoches. Less than one mile from the university and medical center, the community focuses on the growing needs of active seniors, providing academic, travel and cultural opportunities as well as access to routine, emergency and specialty healthcare and wellness services.

“We are very excited about our future. The new company shares our vision for excellence and understands the importance of bringing all aspects of the community to fruition as planned,” said Marty Prince, Timber Springs Public Relations Specialist.

The CCRC will offer a full complement of Senior Living residences, including Independent Living apartments and patio homes, Assisted Living apartments, Skilled Nursing Care and memory support services. The main building, the Lodge, will house the apartments, media center, two dining restaurants, indoor pool, performance and banquet hall, and a complete Fitness Club and Day Spa. Connected to the Lodge will be the Springs Healthcare Center. The state-of-the-art healthcare center includes an array of services including assisted living, rehabilitation, skilled nursing, and memory care.

Timber Springs is expected to open its independent living facility in late 2009. For information call: 936-564-1322.

Pine Creek Lodge

If your looking for a great steak, the Pine Creek Lodge has a "Rib-Eye Steak Dinner" every Thursday night starting at 6:00 p.m. This dinner includes a salad bar and dessert for only $12.95. For more information please visit www.pinecreeklodge.com or call 936-560-6282.

Bell, Book, and Candle

If your looking for a good laugh, then I've got the event for you. At the Lamp-Lite Theatre there will be a play entitled Bell, Book, and Candle. This comedy features performances by Lori Golden, Ken Untiedt, Sarah McMullan, Keith Aiavolasiti, and Chris Englert. Perfomances will be held onSeptember 19, 20, 26, and 27 at 7:30 p.m. and then September 21 and 28 at 2:00 p.m. To kick off this years up-and-coming acts at the Lamp-Lite Theatre they will also be hosting the Annual Gala. For more information please visit http://www.lamplitetheatre.org/ or call 936-564-8300.

Shop Late Till Eight, Downtown the Original Shopping Center

Nacogdoches - The Nacogdoches Main Street program is looking forward to the next First Friday Night event, which returns to the “Oldest Town in Texas” on September 5, 2008. First Friday Nights started over a year ago, and after recently being revamped is sure to provide a relaxing and exciting evening out on the town for shoppers.

The First Friday Night of each month, downtown merchants and storeowners stay open late until eight. We encourage everyone to come downtown and bring the family this First Friday night. “We are thrilled to be continuing First Friday Nights,” said Main Street Manager Sarah O’Brien. “It is an opportunity for people of all ages to come enjoy our lovely brick streets and quaint shops in the evening, while also getting the chance to eat dinner or catch a movie.”
We have several exciting things going on in September. The Nacogdoches Convention & Visitors Bureau will be open late, offering shoppers a place to pick up a list of participating stores and a place to make a rest stop. Merchants are also going to start offering in store specials, discounts and demonstrations to help entice shoppers to come downtown.

Shelley’s Café and Bakery located at 112 N. Church Street will be serving dinner; you can call Shelley’s at 936-564-4100 to make a reservation. Also the Cole Art Center at the Old Opera House at 329 E. Main Street will continue their First Friday Night Film Viewing showing Andy Goldsworthy working with time. “RIVERS AND TIDES” at 7:30p.m. This mesmerizing film captures artist Andy Goldsworthy in the midst of constructing his trademark masterpieces made entirely of materials found in nature.

For more information you can call 936.468.1131. The Cottage, at 114 N. Church Street, is having a very special Open House on September 5, from 10am - 8pm. The Cottage is celebrating the store's very recent makeover, which combines the best of the old with the best of the new. Stop in to enjoy the wonderful and sumptuous items that the Cottage will be sampling; and be amazed at the wide range and sheer number of kitchen items available.

If you or anyone you know has any questions concerning First Friday Nights feel free to contact Sarah O’Brien at 926-559-2573 or send her an email at obriens@ci.nacogdoches.tx.us.

Flooding potential Monday night and Tuesday

KTRE meteorologist Conley Isom brings this Hurricane Gustav update:

"Besides the winds gusting up to 50 mph, flooding is a big concern with Gustav. Our in house, computer model is showing the possibility of 6-8 inches across Lufkin and Nacogdoches. There could also be a few spots higher than that. Higher amounts could fall to our northwest around Center and towards to Shreveport. I would advise against traveling too much on Tuesday. Remember, if you approach a road that has water over it, turn around and don't drown!
We will be here through out the night and plan to have updates on KTRE.com. Also, look for a live chat later where you can submit questions, comments, and concerns. On air, we will do cut ins about once an hour as new data comes into the weather center." Posted by Conley Isom at 4:12 PM

Wind and rain for Nacogdoches and Lufkin area

Hurricane Gustav is tearing into Louisiana and evacuees are streaming into Nacogdoches, Lufkin and points beyond. The storm will continue marching into our area, in a diminished form.

According to meteorologist Conley Isom with KTRE television in Lufkin, here's the Monday/Tuesday outlook as of Monday mid-day.

Tropical Storm Wind Warnings will be in effect for Lufkin and Nacogdoches from 7PM Monday through 7PM Tuesday!
As hurricane Gustav continues pounding southern Louisiana, we will begin to see the effects later this evening as some of the outer rain bands arrive. The storm is expected to slow down as heads towards East Texas and the current forecast has the center of circulation over Toledo Bend by Tuesday morning.
The winds will be strongest to the east of Lufkin and Nacogdoches, around Center, San Augustine, and Hemphill. There winds could gust up to 60 mph. For the rest of us, winds will be gusting up to 40-50 mph. Make sure you have any loose items tied down or put away so that they do not blow around.
Another big concern is the potential for flooding. Since the storm is expected to slow, rain totals could easily reach 6-10 inches, with some isolated amounts higher than that. Remember, never cross a flooded roadway!

Keep up with changing conditions by following KTRE's updates.

Hurricane Gustav Evacuee Info

Online Hurricane Awareness - City of Nacogdoches

GUSTAV EVACUEES ARRIVE
Nacogdoches has received a number of evacuees fleeing Hurricane Gustav. Two Red Cross Shelters are currently in operation.As of 9:00 a.m. CDT this date, Nacogdoches is sheltering approximately 275 evacuees. The local evacuee check-in point is open at the Fredonia Hill Baptist Church, 1711 South Street (Business US 59).Persons seeking shelter are asked to report to this location where they will receive sheltering instructions.

Do not report directly to a shelter.The Nacogdoches Emergency Operations Center was activated at 10:00 AM Saturday morning, and remains operational on a 24-hour basis.The American Red Cross is in need of volunteers to work at evacuee shelters in Nacogdoches. Anyone wishing to volunteer should report in person to the Nacogdoches Recreation Center at 1112 North Street. Please, no telephone calls.

The City of Nacogdoches emergency telephone bank is also in operation. Persons needing information should call the telephone bank at 936-559-2510. The telephone bank is operational 24 hours.

For more info and updates go to this site:

www.ci.nacogdoches.tx.us/