Columns

April 7, 1960

Benny Ray Getty, 1958 graduate of Van school, was killed instantly Sunday afternoon when his car collided head-on with another car on farm to market Road 733, four miles north of Ben Wheeler. Twenty year old Getty was driving his 1954 Ford when the accident occurred on a hill the other car in involved with the 1954 Chevrolet. The death of the young man brought to two the number of fatalities from highway accidents in Van Zandt County in 1960. 

Three Canton aldermen were returned to their host by local voters in the Tuesday city election. Only nine voters went to the polls own uncontested city election each candidate received nine votes. No write-in votes were recorded incumbents reelected included C. Travis Coleman, John H. Reynolds and B. R. Mahaffey. In the school trustee election James Beggs and B. J. (Doc) Dawson were reelected Beggs received 45 votes while Dawson told 46.

Walking breath is a good thing

I have been walking briskly every day for 10 years. A brisk walk for me is about 20 minutes a mile. That pace is pretty slow, but works for me. That is well over 27,000,000 steps. That is a bunch of time to think, tweak, learn, change and improve. I have not missed a day, and have not had a “feeling bad day” or been sick.

The first big decision was to wear very good running shoes about 90% of the time and rotate four pair. Next time you are in a hospital, notice that top surgeons and their staff are moving at a fast pace and most wear very good running shoes.

Early in the game, I started drinking more water and less sugar drinks. Somewhere around four years ago I stopped drinking sugar drinks, PERIOD.

Walking breath is a good thing

I have been walking briskly every day for 10 years. A brisk walk for me is about 20 minutes a mile. That pace is pretty slow, but works for me. That is well over 27,000,000 steps. That is a bunch of time to think, tweak, learn, change and improve. I have not missed a day, and have not had a “feeling bad day” or been sick.

The first big decision was to wear very good running shoes about 90% of the time and rotate four pair. Next time you are in a hospital, notice that top surgeons and their staff are moving at a fast pace and most wear very good running shoes.

Early in the game, I started drinking more water and less sugar drinks. Somewhere around four years ago I stopped drinking sugar drinks, PERIOD.

It’s spring!  And that means it’s time for spring cleaning.  Once again the city of Canton will offer heavy

trash pick up the week of April 11-15.  All you have to do is to get your junk to the curb by the evening of April 10! This allows the recyclers and pickers time to take what can be kept it out of the landfill which is always good.   Your junk may not be picked up by the sanitation company on your regular trash day, but it will be gotten sometime during the week.  Remember, this is the ONLY week city ordinance allows you to have your trash out for more than 24 hours.   If you need help in hauling it to the curb, please call city hall at 903-567-2826.

April cool and foggy, a wet month with showers;

Sometime a nice warm day, to prepare for out May flowers.

You hear some outrageous tales out of school;

You are wondering about them, then you hear “April Fool”.

Some days the fog is so thick, you can’t see a thing;

Just wait for the sun to shine, what a day it will bring.

We are so blessed to work in our flower beds;

Can’t wait for those beautiful flowers to raise their lovely heads.

By April, spring is here, the Dogwoods are in bloom;

A drive through the country will dispel your gloom.

We shed our winter clothes, gloves, scarves and coats;

We are ready for warm weather, time for fishing boats.

A trip to the beach, not far in the future;

This school year soon over, what a lovely picture.

Not only lovely flowers, fresh vegetables appear;

It's Spring, and you may have noticed that Honey Bees are flying from dawn to dark now, visiting every flower bloom they can find.

   Honey Bees are a very important part of our agriculture, and a part of our East Texas traditions.  For many of us, we have fond memories of going to grandma's house and eating hot, buttered biscuits drizzled with honey.  But do you know where it really comes from?  It is the nectar from many kinds of wild flowers, mixed and processed by honey bees to convert the sugars to a sweet mixture of mostly glucose and dextrose- two sugars that are among the easiest to be used by us humans.

Friends of the Van Zandt County Library have firmed up the design for the sign that will call attention to the Library, and fundraising has begun in earnest. 

One attorney made the initial donation of $500.  

The building has been at the present location nearly 25 years, and still people say,”I thought that was a residence.” 

Any contribution is welcome.  Be sure to mark your donation as “SIGN.”

The regular monthly meeting of the Friends is at 10 a.m. on April 11.   Officers will be elected, and other important business transacted.

A celebration of the work of volunteers in the renovation of the library will follow at 1 p.m.  Do you want to come to that?  Get in on the final days of work.  There are still things to do.

Annual meeting of the Friends Corporation is at the May 9 meeting, and officers will be installed.

Canton Herald March 30, 1950:

Do Miller’s Humble Service Canton will hold its formal open house all day Saturday, April 1. There will be corsages for the lady visitors and key rings for the men, with balloons and bubble gum for the children.  Mr. Miller will employ two full time employees, they will be J. P. Lambert, sales clerk and Charlie Jones will be in charge of washing a car. 

Miller was born in Wills Point, the son of Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Miller.  He graduated from the local high school in 1935.  He married the former Doris Fincher in 1936.  They have two children, Jerry Don, age 11 and Dianne age three.

J. W. Terry, city secretary, announced to the press this week that the Lone Star Gas Company has approved the gas franchise for the city of Cant.  The company approved the application for the franchise Monday, March 27.  Work on the project is expected to start by July 1 and be completed by next winter.

Be a two percenter

About 70 percent of Americans are overweight. About 30 percent of them are obese or medically obese.  Every year since high school I had a New Year’s Resolution to get “un fat.”  For 76 years I moved from overweight to medically obese. I was an expert in diets. I wrote “Give Up the Fat the Diet Fat to Fit Kit,” traveled the country giving seminars and selling the book.  Finally, I took the book off the market and quit the seminars. I got fat again.

Being a quitter was my way of life until age 76. Something happened. Not sure exactly how or why it happened, but it sure happened.

I was standing knee high in the Gulf of Mexico, after my daily afternoon nap and started talking to myself. “If I keep on eating and drinking like I am right now and If I keep spending the bucks for magic diets, pills, doctors, and weird foods, and herbs, where will I be in five years?” “I will be dead.” I said to myself.