News

Beginning its 2015-16 season of entertainment at the West End of downtown Edom, The Old Firehouse has announced its lineup of concerts and films.

Independent film screenings begin Sept. 26 with “Seeds of Time,” a film documenting a race against time to protect the future of our food.

According to information from the theater, the film addresses a global concern facing the future of our major food source. “With seed banks around the world crumbling, crop failures producing starvation and rioting, and the accelerating effects of climate change affecting farmers globally, farmers are embarking on passionate and personal journeys that may save the one resource we cannot live without: our seeds.”

Now through Nov. 8, YesterLand Farm is open weekends to the public.

The farm is celebrating 16 seasons in business and the fifth season for its corn maze. This year's maze design is honoring fire fighters and police. "YesterLand Farm is proud to stand in support of fire fighters and police who bravely serve our communities" says Kama Bozeman, owner of YesterLand Farm. "They have a difficult job and we want to extend our gratitude to them.”

At Yeterland Farm “After Dark,” in addition to the corn maze, there will be the Horrid Hayride and Swamp Zombie Paintball.

A More Excellent Way Community Resource Center has plans to reopen its thrift store and resource center at 1580 S. Buffalo St. by the first week in November.

 “We still need to do so much needed repairs to the building in order for it to accommodate our store and resource center.  The flooring is a must for safety reasons and the walls need retextured and painted to provide a clean and comfortable shopping experience.  Plus several other smaller improvements we deem important for our mission,” Muriel Rogers said.

To help raise funds for the improvements, the center is holding a sale Sept. 24, 25 and 26 at the Buffalo Street location.

“Please come to our sale,” Rogers said, “not only will you find some really great deals but you will be serving your community as well.”

September designated ‘blood cancer’ awareness month

When the city lost management control of the First Monday Arbors in 2008, its balance sheet took a $250,000 hit, City Manager Lonny Cluck told councilman Sept. 15.

“We were making $250,000 a year to manage those,” he said. “We took a $250,000 hickey the next year. One of our goals was to try to make that money back … I wanted to get that $250,000 revenue back but did not want to go up on our vendors any.”

Five years later, the city’s has made up for the last revenue and a whole lot more, Cluck said.

“We are making $655,000 more than what we made when we managed The Arbors and we’ve done that without going up on our vendors,” Cluck said. “We’ve done that by giving our vendors a lot more choices, choices to do this, choices to do that. We’ve changed our venues. We’ve tried to manage our property better. I think First Monday has done very well.”

First Baptist Church of Canton’s Women’s Ministry will present “Set Apart” with speaker Christi Bullard Sept. 26.

The day will begin at 10 a.m. with a brunch in the gym followed by a drama “Mirror, Mirror” and the special program in the worship center.

Tickets are $10 and are available in the church office, 303 Athens St. 

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

The East Texas Chapter of Texas Master Naturalist will meet Thursday, Sept. 24, for its regular monthly meeting. 

Dr. Lance Williams, University of Texas at Tyler biology professor, will present the program, “Conservation of Fish and Mussels in East Texas Rivers."  The meeting will be held in The Nature Center at 11942 FM 848 in Tyler.

The meeting begins at 6:45 pm. The program will start at 7 p.m. 

The public is invited to attend.

​Williams' program will offer information about measures that have been taken to conserve the native fish and mussel populations in East Texas rivers. 

The Van Zandt County Genealogical Society’s annual all day genealogical seminar is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26 at St. Teresa Catholic Church Fellowship Hall located at 14786 FM 859 South, in Canton. 

The deadline for registering is Thursday, Sept. 24.

The fee for the event is $40 which will include a continental breakfast and a catered luncheon by Laurie’s Kitchen.

Newspaper research, Republic of Texas, American Revolution and Civil War research will be topics with Lynna Kay Shuffield of Houston, a well-known genealogist and lecturer, as the featured speaker.

Advanced registrations are now being taken at the Library of Genealogy and Local History located in the courthouse annex in Canton.  

Texas State Rep. Dan Flynn was recently honored by the 36th Infantry Division Association for his passage of House Bill 923 which allowed for the creation and sale of commemorative T-patch license plates honoring the historic 36th infantry division.  

At the event, a model of the license plate was revealed to members of the division and their families.

Among the guests there were Assistant Division Commander, Brigadier General Richard Noriega and 36th Infantry Division Commander Major General Lester Simpson who presented Flynn with his own T-Patch license plate and bayonet.  

Flynn served with the 36th Infantry Division which included many notable members such as World War II's most decorated soldier, Audie Murphy