News

That nice-looking new building on State Highway 64 in Canton, across from the FM 1255 intersection, is the soon-to-be new home of East Texas Water Well and Pump Service.

Tim and Patti Michels are the owners, and the building is the result of a steadily growing water well drilling business that Tim started 12 years ago.

Michels also owns the Best Western Canton Inn. He has been running the water well business from storage buildings near the motel, but decided it was time to relocate and make the business more convenient for customers.

“I set out with the idea that this business was going to make it on its own, without loans, and pay its own way,” Michels said. And it has, making the new building – which will open early in 2018 – a testament to that success.

A new Van Zandt County Emergency Coordinator for the nationwide amateur radio service known as Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) was recently named.

David Pulley of Canton took over the position on June 20 as the man he is replacing, Jon Palmer, made the announcement in a recent interview with the News.

“Basically, David and I are switching roles,” pointed out Palmer. “He was my assistant and now I am going to be his assistant.”

Pulley said that he is ready for the challenges that his new position will bring as he works with the 171 ham radio operators in VZC.

Once again, moving the “The Trade” statue to its final location was up for discussion during the Canton City Council meeting Oct. 17. During the meeting, the council discussed moving the statue to a downtown location in the Pocket Park, which is a centralized and empty area across from Buttermilks restaurant on Buffalo Street.

Canton Mayor Lou Ann Everett requested discussion on the location, stating that a resident had brought up an idea to her stating, “a lot of people would see it and it would be a focus point for the new Pocket Park.” Mayor Everett added that the “base could be made from the brick of city hall to tie it all in.”

The Pocket Park is set to undergo a $110,000 renovation, with funds coming from both the Canton EDC and City of Canton.

Canton EDC Director Julie Seymore said she wanted to make sure it would “fit well with the plan for downtown.”

The Van Zandt County Library will celebrated its 25th anniversary Oct. 31 in its current location at 317 First Monday Lane in Canton, but the history of the library dates back to its humble beginnings in 1933.. From its modest start in a dark room in the basement of the county courthouse, the library has grown into a 10,000-square foot facility with 45,000 items available for use.

“In 1933, the Canton area had 533 students in area schools. The library started as a resource center for rural school teachers,” said VZC Library Director Susie Pulley. “There was a county school superintendent who was the supervisor of all the common rural school districts within the county.”

The Old City Lake of Canton is in “pretty bad condition,” according to Assistant City Manager Andy Wolfe who presented findings to the Canton City Council Oct. 17. Wolfe said there were two main problems with the lake, an invasion of American Lotus plants and hydrilla verticillate, an aquatic weed.

The American Lotus has overtaken a majority of the lake, with heavy foliage at the west end. Wolfe gave information on the American Lotus, which Wolfe said, “rises above the water two to three feet and produces a yellow flower.”

“That flower produces 15-20 seeds per year. So, 50 percent of seeds will come back. Unfortunately, fish will not eat the plant. You can mechanically remove it, but that is not feasible. It not only reproduces from the seeds it drops, but the rhizomes in the stem, which also reproduces. So, even if you pull them from the water, they still come back each year,” stated Wolfe.

The Van Zandt County Veterans Memorial is a proud monument to those who have bravely fought in wars throughout the decades. Visitors flock to the memorial to remember loved ones, experience the attractions and to pay homage to those who have served. However, behind the memorial is a treasure-filled trove of history and memorabilia of wars of the past.

The Veterans Memorial Gift Shop and Welcome Center is exactly that, a museum and shop filled with artifacts of world wars and conflicts and photos of veterans, stocked with merchandise to help support the Memorial.

Despite the obvious intent of gift shop and museum, veterans of Van Zandt County often come to share stories, to find help and fellow veterans.

Due to budget cuts, Workforce Solutions will be closing its office on State Highway 19 in Canton effective Dec. 31.

The announcement was made Oct. 18 by Wills Point City Administrator Pam Pearson, who also serves on the Workforce Solutions of East Texas board, as she spoke to the VZC Commissioners’ Court during their regular meeting.

“A couple of years ago, Workforce Solutions took a look at the operations of their offices in Canton and Emory,” pointed out Pearson, a three-year member of the board, who was appointed to the board by the VZC Commissioners’ Court. “The decision was made to share employees and close the Canton office two days a week and the Emory office three days a week. Later, the decision was made to close the Emory office and keep the Canton office open five days a week.”

In the past year, less than 200 clients came through the doors at the Canton office, according to Pearson.

At 410 Etheridge Rd. in Canton, John and Kimberly Kroha along with their daughter, Caroline, host one of the prime Halloween and Christmas events in Canton, The Light Show on Etheridge Road.

Since 2012, the Krohas have held a light show during the holidays at their home, which includes themed decorations beginning Oct.1 until Halloween and then Christmas decorations from Thanksgiving until New Year’s Eve.

Motivated by childhood memories, Kimberly said that inspiration behind the massive light show was “two-fold.”

Following a lengthy discussion, the Van Zandt County Commissioners’ Court voted to table an agenda item regarding the borrowing of $750,000 for the remainder of the calendar year.

The decision to table the measure took place during the regular meeting Oct. 18 of the VZC Commissioners’ Court.

VZC Auditor Freddy Thomas introduced Jake Lawrence of Government Capital who made the presentation to the commissioners’ court regarding the borrowing proposal.

If approved, the $750,000 would have been deposited into the county’s general fund account on Oct. 27 and the loan would have been required to be paid back by January 31, 2018.

“I don’t want to borrow money if we can get by without it,” emphasized VZC Judge Don Kirkpatrick.

VZC Pct. 2 Commissioner Virgil Melton Jr. expressed concerns to Lawrence about the amount of money in the proposal for a financial adviser ($15,000). “That is too much,” said Melton.

Several Van Zandt County officials were given the opportunity to share their thoughts about the recent tax rate increase approved by the VZC Commissioners Court during an Oct. 9 meeting of the VZC Tea Party held at Edom City Limits.

The VZC Commissioners Court voted 4-1 on Sept. 12 to increase the county tax rate by three cents which is beyond the rollback rate.

A petition drive is currently underway in the county to attempt to get the VZC commissioners court to call for a tax rollback election in 2018.

Dr. Dwayne Collins, the founder and director of the VZC Tea Party, welcomed the crowd of around 60 to the meeting in Edom which exceeded two hours.