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If Mineola ISD is to develop a $4 million to $5 million regional hub for Career and Technical Education (CTE), the time to do so is now, say proponents of such a project.
The point of a CTE hub is to train young people to meet the needs of the workplace while lifting wages and promoting the overall economic wellbeing of this region of Texas. The Mineola Foundation, a stalwart supporter of CTE, believes skills training can play a vital role toward that end.
Already, the school district has secured a $258,000 Texas Workforce Commission grant for welding equipment and a pledge of $500,000 from the Mineola Economic Development Corp. It intends to seek additional grant funding from the federal government and is pursuing a $636,000 Texas Education Agency grant for HVAC education and training. School districts in Grand Saline, Lindale, Yantis and Alba-Golden have signaled interest in sending students to a regional CTE hub, and two potential sites have been identified. Morton Salt and Sanderson Farms from the private sector are on board, as is Tyler Junior College, which would work in tandem with the MISD to staff the center, according to the project’s backers.
For Mike Holbrook, a group of local high school students literally brings music to his ears – his and many more.
Those 12 kids from Mineola, four from Quitman, two from Sulphur Springs and one from Harmony display the skills demanded by Lake Country Symphonic Band’s repertoire of concertos, suites, marches, show tunes, pop songs and variations of well-known classics.
“The kids who are playing with us – for their age group – are on top of their game,” said Holbrook, director of the Lake Country Symphonic Band.
“The bar is loaded!”
These are the words spoken at a powerlifting meet to indicate the declared weight is on the bar. A newcomer to powerlifting will often become a powerlifter after watching their first meet, explained Mineola powerlifting coach Nick Shutak. “If you are interested in it and go to that first meet…kids just buy in. It helps kids develop that competitive spirit,” Shutak commented.
In his second year as the Yellowjacket’s powerlifting coach, Shutak speaks with conviction about the value of powerlifting to the development of a young athlete’s body.
“Everyone wants two things regardless of the sport,” he explained, “to become faster and to become stronger. We make people stronger.”
Mineola senior Shaw Franklin achieved a co-MVP selection from a poll of District 12-3A basketball coaches. Franklin shared the title with Edgewood’s Sean Joyce.
Franklin’s court awareness, leadership and soft jump shot led the Yellowjackets through a remarkable season on the hardwood. His effort and will to win were joys to watch.
Fellow senior Devion Sneed received the distinction as Defensive MVP for his strong and relentless defending...
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