Events

Southeast Texas Regional Planning Commission (SETRPC( will hold a public meeting on Thursday, January 27th to gather public input for updating the Regional Hazard Mitigation Plans for Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, and Orange Counties. The meeting is at 5:30 p.m. at the South East Texas Regional Planning Commission (SETRPC), 2210 Eastex Freeway, Beaumont, TX 77703 in the Nagel Room. The public is invited and encouraged to attend the meeting.

There will also be a Microsoft Teams option for those who are unable to attend in person but are still interested in getting involved in the process. Click here for that option.

The purpose of the public meeting is to provide a project overview from H2O Partners, Inc., the consultant to the project, and solicit information from citizens. Public input will help the project team to analyze potential hazards affecting residents and recommend possible actions to reduce their impact. Hazards included are flood, dam failure, tornado, thunderstorm wind, drought, hail, wildfire, winter storm, lightning, extreme heat, hurricane, and coastal erosion.

A public participation survey is available here.

The goal of the Hazard Mitigation Plan is to minimize or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from known hazards by identifying and implementing cost-effective mitigation actions. Mitigation is defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as sustained actions taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from hazards and their effects.

Questions about the Hazard Mitigation Plan should be addressed to H2O Partners, Inc., planning consultants for SETRPC; Attn: Heather Ferrara, Project Manager by email at heather@h2opartnersusa.com.

Join the Stark Museum of Art and The Couse-Sharp Historic Site for a virtual tour of the Eanger Irving Couse home on Friday, January 21, 2022, from Noon – 1:00 p.m. (central standard time)

Take a noon break and travel west to Taos, New Mexico to take a closer look at Couse’s personal home and studio. Davison Koenig, Executive Director and Curator of The Couse-Sharp Historic Site, will guide the live virtual tour and provide insights about how the west truly became home both personally and professionally for the artist. Advanced registration is required for this FREE program. Registration will close on Friday, January 21, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. (central standard time).

The program will be facilitated live through Zoom at the Stark Museum of Art. Participants are encouraged to download Zoom prior to the event. For more information, including tutorials for using Zoom, please visit the Resources page on the Zoom website.

The live program will be recorded and available at a later date on the Stark Museum of Art website and Stark Art & History YouTube channel.

To register, click here.

Columbanus Motor Sports, located at 3500 I-10 West in Orange, is sponsoring its first Annual Chil Cookoff to benefit United Way of Orange County on Saturday, January 29 at their location.

The tasting will run from 11 AM – 1 PM. Purchase of a $10 armband will permit participants to taste and vote in the People’s Choice award. All winners will be announced at 2 PM, including 1st place Judge’s Choice and 1st place People’s Choice. A trophy will be awarded to the first-place winners.

Teams must submit a completed entry form (no entry fee) by Saturday, January 21. After that date will be a $10 late registration fee.

For an entry form and rules, please email jennifer@columbanus3500.com.

Lutcher Theater is presenting Freedom Riders, Tuesday, January 25, 2022, with performances at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Freedom Riders, a new play with original songs and music, explores the valiant and courageous personalities behind one of the most critical chapters in the history of the U.S. Civil Rights movement. The unforgettable heroes, and the facts behind the events portrayed in Freedom Riders, are essential to a full understanding of the Civil Rights era and American history.

Set in 1961, fifteen years after the United States Supreme Court had outlawed segregation, bus lines and cities throughout the South still enforced a rigid system of separating black and white citizens. The Freedom Riders, both black and white Americans, from the North and the South, decided to travel together on buses that crossed state lines despite the hateful segregation and racism that had a stronghold in so many parts of the United States. Freedom Riders demonstrates the importance of working together to affect change and specifically how non-violent protests were used to focus attention on the cruelties of segregation.

Tickets for groups of 10 or more are $5.00 each, ideal for school field trips and homeschool groups. Individual tickets are $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children. Freedom Riders is part of Lutcher Incredible Kids Events, but patrons of all ages are invited to experience the story of the Freedom Riders. Call the Box Office at (409) 886-5535 for more information or to purchase tickets.

Lutcher Incredible Kids Events create “Page to Stage” experiences for thousands of students and educators throughout Southeast Texas & Southwest Louisiana. Lutcher Theater performances prompt students to explore world cultures, make connections with important works of literature and discover a variety of performing art forms.

Lutcher Theater welcomes back to Orange, TX the artists of Mad River Theater Works who seek out subjects that reflect the rich diversity of our common heritage and make shows that combine the rhythms and folkways of everyday life with tales about extraordinary individuals. The resulting body of work is a vivid tapestry that weaves together live music, storytelling, and drama, exploring the grit and humanity of characters from the past.

Educators and parents are encouraged to make plans to enjoy the Lutcher Incredible Kids Events Spring 2022 Season! Visit Lutcher.org for show dates, descriptions, and study guides. The Lutcher Incredible Kid’s Events series is generously underwritten by INVISTA, Gopher Industrial, Inc., Lutcher Theater Service Guild, and the National Endowment for the Arts.