Tis the season to be jolly, but it is also the season to be wary of burlary, theves, pickpockets, and other grinches which can ruin our Christmas spirit by making us the victim of a crime. Unfortunately, these lawbreakers view the holiday season as an opportunity to burlarlize you home for cash, credit cards, personal property, and gifts.
The following tips can assist you in hardening your home against becoming a crime target:
—Be extra cautious about locking your doors and windows when you leave your home or appartment, even for a few minutes.
—Don’t openly display your Christmas tree and gifts in the front window so it’s easily visible from the street. It’s too tempting for a potential criminal to smash the window and grab the wrapped packages. Or plan a later break-in based on their earlier observation.
Splash Kingdom is proud to serve Texas and Louisiana-area families with exciting and safe waterpark fun. We are also very thankful for the brave and honorable men and women in “blue” that work hard to keep our neighborhoods safe. With many friends and even a few family members protecting and serving our cities every day and night, we at Splash Kingdom would like to make sure that they have a fun and safe place to spend their time off this summer with their families. With that in mind, Splash Kingdom will make November 28th- December 3rd “Splash the Blue” week at our 5 Texas and Louisiana locations. We are inviting ALL of our area City, State and National law enforcement officers to come by any of our locations from 9am – 5pm, Monday November 28th – Saturday December 3rd, show us your badge, and we will make you a free 2017 season pass photo ID, good at any of our family waterpark locations. This is our way of saying thank you for all you do for our commu
The inaugural First Responders Banquet was held Nov. 12 with 713 first responders and guests filling the Canton Civic Center to highlight and show appreciation for first responders in Van Zandt County.
For every First Responder that attended, a specially-minted challenge coin was provided to them along with a T-shirt to commemorate the banquet.
There was 840 pounds of brisket served to attendees, and MC Jim Fuller remarked, “we served 13 people in 29 minutes. Now, that has got to be a record.”
Entertainment for the night was provided by Buddy and the Flashbacks.
Kathy Smith from the Van Zandt County Crime Stoppers presented the “table set for one.”
The “missing man” table is also known as the fallen comrade table in memory of fallen, missing or imprisoned military service members. The table was displayed on the stage during the banquet.
After 41 years of serving the Dallas and Van Zandt areas with top-quality home furnishings, appliances, and electronics, Quality Furniture is launching a restructuring of its operations at both locations in Canton and Mesquite which will include the addition of new furniture lines as well as improved value, to bring customer satisfaction to a new, even higher level.
The process will include a $3,000,000 furniture, appliance, and electronics liquidation sale, open to the public beginning Friday, Nov. 25.
Greater East Texas Community Action Program announces energy assistance services for Van Zandt, Anderson, Henderson and Kaufman counties.
The agency is administering funding for 2016 which was served by Community Services Incorporated.
Greater East Texas Community Action Program is a private non-profit corporation established in 1965 to offer a variety of programs and services to assist low-income individuals and families.
Families are encouraged to apply as the 2016 program year is coming to an end.
Greater East Texas Community Action Program administers the program in 16 counties.
More than 150,000 volunteers including families, churches and other groups are linking arms across the country to contribute to the largest Christmas project of its kind.
In 2016, Operation Christmas Child hopes to collect enough shoebox gifts to reach 12 million children, with 9.5 million coming from the United States.
During Nov. 14 – 21, caring people around the country will transform 9.5 million empty shoeboxes into gifts of hope filled with school supplies, hygiene items, notes of encouragement and fun toys, such as a doll or soccer ball. Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, will deliver these shoebox gifts to children overseas living in extreme poverty or affected by war, disease and natural disaster.
The Marine Corps Reserve will keep in tradition and provide toys for families in need from Thanksgiving until December.
“We rely on donations from citizens and businesses to make this happen. Every dollar collected turns into $3 due to the generosity of toy companies who give deep discounts to the program,” said Jerry Prsall.
The Marine Corps League of Terrell is responsible for the collection and distribution of toys for Terrell, Quinlan, Kaufman, and all rural areas, including Van Zandt County.
Community projects are on the agenda for the Canton Economic Development Corporation, with several projects on tap for the city of Canton.
The Dallas Street sidewalk Project will be underway soon. Bids were opened mid-November. Construction of the project is estimated to take about 3 months. The project will affect businesses in downtown Canton on Main Street, but will provide upgrades to the sidewalk on Dallas Street.
Schlotzsky’s held a ribbon cutting Nov. 9 and a grand opening Nov. 10 in Canton.
The restaurant is located at 17279 I-20 Frontage Rd., Canton. Owners of the restaurant are Robert and Stacy Hurst.
The CEDC discussed the Country Inn and Suites Hotel and Conference Center in executive session with their attorney. They did report that the underground portion of the hotel is in.
Castillian Lodge No. 141, A.F. and A.M. will host a Thanksgiving dinner from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 24. The Lodge is located at 1284 W. Highway 64 in Canton.
The dinner will be prepared by Senior Steward David Harmon III and will be a traditional Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings. Although donations will be accepted, the dinner is free and the public is cordially invited, organizers said.
Masons believe in brotherly love, relief and truth and use these moral and ethical principles to serve mankind. More than 175 Masons belong to the Canton Lodge and provide other services to the community in the form of scholarships for Canton High School Seniors, Together Against Drugs, backpacks for the Canton Elementary School, monthly donations to Manna, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, and other anonymous good works.
