News

The Van Zandt County Humane Society has several fundraisers on tap during the last few months of the year. 

“Our annual Thanksgiving bake sale has been fun for us in the past,” President Carol Whatley. “We offer a lot of homemade goodies for your holiday tables. With all our collective years of cooking experience, why not let us help you out with your Thanksgiving meal? We will have cakes, cookies, pies, breads and specialty treats available.” 

The bake sale will take place from 10 a.m. “until everything is gone” Saturday, Nov. 21 at Ace Hardware on Hwy. 243 in Canton. 

Another upcoming event is the annual Photos with Santa.  "This is another event we look forward to.  The managers and team at Ace Hardware are kind enough to let us come and have photo sessions with all the pets,” Whatley said. “Dress up your cat, dog, guinea pig or bunny rabbit and have his picture made for your Christmas card!”

The American Cancer Society, the nation’s leading voluntary health organization, is looking for a few good volunteers for its national signature activity, Relay For Life. 

Walkers and runners, cancer survivors, community leaders, team captains are needed for the America Cancer Society Relay For Life of Van Zandt County.

The first committee meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, in the American National Bank of Texas – Canton Community Room.  Currently, volunteers are needed to organize and recruit teams, seek community support and help in our fundraising efforts.

Relay For Life is an eight-hour event that brings together teams from local businesses, schools, churches and families for fun, food, music and entertainment while team members take turns walking or running on a track.

It was bit of déjà vu and disbelief that The Mountain in Canton once again caught fire Oct. 17.

Almost two years to date, The Mountain, with its cafes, theatres and shops, was consumed by rampant fires that destroyed an area almost twice as large as the November 2013 fire.

In the November 2013 fire, it looked as if a crater had struck the center of The Mountain, hollowing out the heart of the market.

Whereas now, a large, right dog-legged section that encompassed multiple structures is now completely gone.

Gone are the dinner theatres, eateries and dreams that the people of The Mountain called home.

Jan Ashley was one of the hopeful few who turned their eyes and dreams to The Mountain, only to be left with crushed dreams and burnt realities.

Jan Ashley, her daughter, and living partner Darnell Smith owned and operated the Dodge City Dinner Theatre.

A Swing for Heather Massey Golf Tournament will be held Oct. 24 at Twin Lakes Golf Course, 300 VZCR 4205, Canton.

A shotgun start at 1:30 p.m. will kick off the four man scramble. The cost is $100 per player and $400 per team. Green fees, a cart and range balls are included in the costs.

The tournament will include the longest drive contest, closest to the pin contest, a ball drop and silent auction.  Registration will be at noon and lunch will be at 12:30 p.m.

Sponsorship opportunities include hole sponsors for $250; golf cart business advertisements at $500; and donations for Swing For Heather at $1,000.

To register contact Cindy Nance at 214-906-7722, tcnance@prodigy.net; Lori Anderson, 903-203-5136, loriisabella@gmail.com; or Janet Denton at 903-880-6286, janetdenton09@yahoo.com

Spring rains may have helped keep things green but the inability to get into fields to fertilize and cut caused the quality of Van Zandt County hay to suffer, County Extension Agent Tommy Phillips told hay producers last week.

Van Zandt County hay growers met Oct. 8 for the 2015 Hay Clinic hosted by the Van Zandt County Livestock/Forage Committee. County hay producers can submit a hay sample to be tested and scored upon its crude protein content (dry matter basis) and acid detergent fiber.

Crude protein is defined as the measure of the total nitrogen content of the forage multiplied by 6.25. ADF is the portion that remains after treatment with an acid detergent. This figure includes the cellulose, lignin and silica in a sample. As the ADF increases, the forage becomes less digestible. ADF increases with advancing maturity of forages.

There will be a fundraising event – Creep Out Cancer – to aid Chelsea Shaver in her fight against breast cancer from 3 p.m. to midnight Oct. 24 at the Star Dust Barn in Frutivale.

The event will include live performances by Paul Wane, Luke LaPrade, Briley Vaughan, ISH Beats, FreeKillEm, EvanRay, Hazardous Children 5, Mellie Mel, Mars Direct and Palace Saints.

There will be costume contests, a silent auction, hayrides, a bounce house, face painting, baked goods and barbecue, massage and photography available.

The event is BYOB and security will be strictly enforced, organizers said.

Admission is $1 per person with kids under age 3 free.

Chelsea, 27, has Stage 3 Triple Negative Breast Cancer. The single mother of two is currently undergoing chemotherapy. Upon completion of chemo, she will have a double mastectomy.

The Star Dust Barn is located at 198 VZCR 1113 in Fruitvale.

Boo at the Park at Lake Tawakoni State Park will be from 6 to 10 p.m. Oct. 24.

Enjoy a full evening of creepy fun at Lake Tawakoni State Park, organizers of the event said.

There will be pumpkin carving and trick or treating from campsite to campsite and this year some special entertainment is also planned at the camp’s amphitheater.

The park will limit vehicle traffic within camping loops from 6 to 8 p.m. to provide children with a safe trick or treating experience, officials said.

The pumpkin carving contest will be at 7 p.m. and storytelling at the amphitheater will be at 7:30 p.m.

The GriefShare ministry of First Baptist Church of Canton will hold a seminar, “Surviving the Holidays” from 9:30 a.m. to noon Nov. 14.

“There is help for those dealing with grief during the holidays.  No matter how long it’s been since your loved one died, grief can make the holidays a painful time,” organizers said.   

“Surviving the Holidays” books/materials are made available for the participants. 

To register for the seminar and more information, call First Baptist Church at 903-567-4157 by Nov. 11.

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

Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) has appointed current chairman of the Texas House of Representatives Pension Committee, Rep. Dan Flynn (R-Van), as co-chair of the Joint Interim Committee to study the Teacher Retirement System Benefit Plans. 

“I appreciate the confidence the speaker has in me to work directly with the Senate in performing a task that will ensure the Teacher Retirement Systems Healthcare plans are solvent and more user friendly,” Flynn said. “This is vitally important with one in 20 Texans being covered by some type of retirement plan and so many of us being directly involved with family members who count on this type of support.” 

Miles, 4, and Roy, 7, dig into their father Craig Drinkall’s, homemade ice cream Oct. 10. 

To see more photos from the Autumn Festival, subscribe to the Canton Herald or pick up a copy from one of our vendors.