News

The AARP Driver Safety Program and the Van Zandt County Library, 317 First Monday Ln. in Canton, are sponsoring a driver safety class from noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 8.

The course is designed for drivers 50 years of age and older primarily. 

The course helps drivers learn to compensate for the effects of passing years have on eyesight, hearing and reflexes. 

Most participants will qualify for the insurance premium reductions of up to 10 percent off their policy cost for the next three years, organizers said.

Cost for the class is a nominal fee for materials only. 

To enroll for the class, contact Marv at 903-848-7023.  Class size is limited.

The annual Christmas Party for Special People will be from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5,

at the Methodist Church Fellowship Hall on Buffalo Street.

 Donations of cookies would be appreciated, organizers said.

To donate cookies or for more information contact Bubba Downey at 903-567-1229.

For more stories like this one, subscribe to the Canton Herald or pick up a copy from one of our vendors. 

Van High School Project Graduation’s 2015 Christmas Parade of Homes will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. Dec. 12. 

Tickets will be available for purchase starting Nov. 30 at all Van ISD campuses, Bouquets and Bows and Vandal Nation Station.  Cost is $10 in advance or $15 at the door.  

“Proceeds will help our Van seniors have a fun-filled, safe celebration the night of their high school graduation,” said coordinator Sara Crenshaw. “Come enjoy a festive evening with us!” 

For more stories like this one, subscribe to the Canton Herald or pick up a copy from one of our vendors. 

The East Texas Council of Governments has announced that $87,623 in grants has been allocated to continue the CodeRED emergency notification system for a seventh year.

On Nov. 5, the ETCOG executive committee approved the funding for CodeRED which is a reverse emergency notification system, for the East Texas region as part of its public safety program.

The CodeRED system, which is funded by a Homeland Security grant, is a telephone communication service that allows Van Zandt Fire Marshal Chuck Allen or other emergency management coordinators to quickly notify citizens about emergency situations such as tornado or storm events, drinking water contaminations, utility outages, evacuation notice and routes, missing persons, fires or floods, bomb threats, hostage situations, chemical spills or gas leaks or other emergency incidents where rapid and accurate notification is essential.

Young woman grateful for early detection

This Thanksgiving Destiny Olds doesn’t have to think twice about what she’s thankful for. Olds, 32, is thankful she’s cancer-free.

Olds knows what it’s like to lose a mother to breast cancer.

Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40 and died from the disease a few years later.

That’s why Olds was tested for the BRCA gene test – a test that looks for a specific genetic mutation that often causes breast cancer. Her test was negative.

But that’s not the end of her story.

“Surprising it came back negative,” Olds said. “It is just chance I also had breast cancer.”

It was her husband Roy who first found the pea-sized lump.

The Chapel of the Lake will host the fifth Sunday Gospel Sing from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29.

The event brings together singers and musicians from many of the local churches around the area.

‘This is an inter-denominational event and everyone is welcome to join us.  So whether you want to have a chance to sing and play with other musicians or would just like to hear some good old fashioned gospel music, come on over to the Chapel of The Lake,” organizers said..

Chapel of the Lake is located at 742 VZCR 3829 in Wills Point. 

For information call 903-560-0144.

Refreshments and light snacks will be served after the event.

Van Zandt County has had some set backs in the past year but still has an optimistic future, Dr. M. Ray Perryman told those gathered for a county economic outlook program Nov. 19.

Perryman is founder and president of the Perryman Group. Based in Waco, the Perryman group provides economic forecasting and overviews. The Canton Chamber of Commerce hosted a dinner to hear the results of the economic outlook paid for by the county’s economic development corporations.

Perryman gave an overview of the national and state economic prospects and then talked about Van Zandt County.

“What happens at other places affects us every day,” he said.

He said recent world events have shown the need for a local planning.

“People don’t want to travel overseas or travel in airplanes,” he said. “They want to travel in cars.”

Van Zandt County is fortunate, he said, because there is a monthly event – First Monday – that automatically brings visitors to the area.

Festival of Trees contest continues 

Entries, sponsors and volunteers are needed for the 2015 Canton Chamber of Commerce Christmas parade set for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 12.

The theme for the twilight parade is Candy Land.

Entry fee is $25.

Prizes to be awarded include Best in Parade – first through third places carrying cash prized of $200, $150 and $125; Best Youth, Best Auto and Best Animal/Horse with prized of $75 each.

Sponsors are needed for each of the prize categories.

Parade participants will not be allowed to throw candy or other items from their floats or vehicles, per city ordinance, chamber officials said. “During so can result in being ineligible to win prized and not being allowed to participate in future parades,” according to the chamber’s entry form.

Business owners on The Mountain are considering legal action against the city for what they believe to be unfair enforcement of building codes.

Steven Cash, general manager of Old Mill Marketplace, spoke to the Canton City Council Nov. 17 detailing the problem some shop owners are facing since a fire Oct. 17 destroyed about 60 of The Mountains structures.

Cash said city inspectors are citing buildings not damaged in the fire and “asking for upgrades and things that would be required if they were doing new construction or updating electrical” wiring.

 “The fire didn’t touch any of these buildings and yet code enforcement is going around pointing out things in these buildings inside and out,” he said.

The Mountain, a complex of structures with an Old West theme, started in 1994 and was annexed into the city limits of Canton in 1998.

Show and Tell will be the program for the November meeting of the Van Zandt County Genealogical Society for Saturday, Nov. 28.

The meeting will be at the main county library on Highway 859, in the Buchanan room, at 2 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring a family keepsake to share. Suggestions of keepsakes include a quilt, a precious book a special dish, or picture, maybe an old letter, 

The meeting will be the last one for the year. It is always considered a fun meeting, members said.   

For further information on society membership or activities call the Van Zandt County Library of Genealogy and Local History at 903-567-5012, or visit the library in the courthouse annex in Canton. Library hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Monday-Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.