News

Oct. 8 declared Aviation Day

County commissioners took to business Sept. 27, taking the bull by the horns to speak as they approved three resolutions of opposition regarding unfunded mandates passed by the State legislature.

“Unfunded mandates are a big topic in the State, and they just keep getting handed down to the counties,” said County Judge Don Kirkpatrick.

In general, the resolutions opposed the laws that were enacted by the State Legislature that have the effect of imposing mandatory financial obligations of all Texas counties. The commissioners approved the resolution while also discussing state funding for indigent criminal defense and opposing the appraisal caps and revenue of the state.

“These mandates have to come under control,” Commissioner Pct. 4 Tim West said.  “Last year, the county spent over $600,000 in criminal indigent defense that should have been spent by the state.”

We are all very excited about the new Schlotzsky’s opening up soon on I-20 in Canton.

Last week the CEDC board presented a check for $10,125 to owners Bob and Stacy Hurst and son Matt Hurst at their new location. The check from the CEDC is an incentive for the renovation and occupation of a vacant commercial building.

This incentive was originally applied for and approved by the board on Sept. 22, 2015. It was a first in CEDC's new program to encourage the renovation and occupation of commercial properties that have been vacant for longer than a year in high profile areas. The Hurst family were the first to apply and we are very excited about it. Our desire is to partner with existing and new businesses to enhance underutilized areas and hopefully spur revitalization in the Canton area.

Many books, movies and stories have been told about the struggle our nation has gone through to provide and protect our freedoms and that of other countries. Now, it is your turn.

The Van Zandt County Genealogy and Local History Library is looking for veterans’ stories. from World Wars I and II Vietnam, Cuban Crisis, Haiti, Desert Storm, Iraq, etc.

Maybe you did not serve in a time of crisis but still you have a story and we would like to include it in our records. Maybe you never left the United States or maybe you were on the front lines. You have a story and we would like to place that story in our library for future generations to be able to learn what part you played and what you endured for our freedoms,” Jones said.

First Monday zoning brings new changes

The Mountain in Canton has been hammered with bouts of fire but the Canton City Council voted to allow businesses to continue on The Mountain during the October First Monday Trade Days.

Compliance issues regarding code enforcement on The Mountain in Canton were thoroughly discussed by the council Sept. 20.

After lengthy discussion, the council voted 4 to 1 in favor of allowing businesses on The Mountain to stay open for the October First Monday. Councilman Shawn Stewart was against allowing the businesses on The Mountain to open for the October First Monday.

Stewart said, “To me the elephant in the room is not when the contract was signed or how much rock they have out on the roads in the fire lanes. The question being is are we going to allow that property to operate during First Monday given what we know in terms of the hazards?”

The generous donations of a Yeti Hooper 20 cooler from Texas Bank and Trust and a Bison cooler from Higginbotham Brothers Ace Hardware will help the Canton Main Street organization to raise funds for downtown improvements. 
Ticket holders can win one of the coolers during a drawing to be held during the 16th annual Canton Main Street Autumn Festival Oct. 8.  The coolers can be seen at the Main Street office in the old Plaza Theater Building at 119 N. Buffalo in Canton.
Tickets can be purchased from any Canton Main Street board member or at the Old Plaza Theater Building and are $5 each or five tickets for $20.   Tickets can also be purchased at the Autumn Festival until the 8 p.m. drawing.  Winners do not need to be present to win.    
For more information on the Autumn Festival or the Canton Main Street Program, call 903-567-1849 or visit the office in the old Plaza Theater Building at 119 N. Buffalo.

Students of Canton Independent School District gathered around flagpoles in prayer for the annual See You at the Pole event. Canton High School students join hands in a circle during prayer. 

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

The Van Zandt County Genealogical Society will present a genealogy workshop for the Root Seekers Genealogy Society at the Cedar Creek Lake Library from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 16.

Registration fee is $20 for those who preregister and $25 at the door. 

A syllabus is included in the registration fee.  Various topics in genealogy research will be discussed, organizers of the event said.

Registration and coffee will be at 8:30 a.m. and the morning session will begin at 9 a.m. 

To pre-register, make check payable to Root Seekers Genealogy Society and mail to President Margaret Ann Trail, 18500 CR 4057, Kemp, Texas 75143. 

For more information, call 903-880-7133, or contact the Van Zandt County Library of Genealogy and Local History at 903-567-5012.

The Cedar Creek Library is located at 410 E. Cedar Creek Parkway, Seven Points.

The Texas Comptroller’s office returned a record $270 million in unclaimed property to rightful owners during the past fiscal year,  said Comptroller Glenn Hegar Sept. 15. This breaks the previous record of $248 million returned in fiscal 2015.

“This record is a tremendous achievement and a testament to our award-winning efforts to return more money to more Texans,” Hegar said. “It highlights our ongoing commitment to reuniting unclaimed property with rightful owners. I encourage all Texans to visit ClaimItTexas.org to see if the state is holding some of their unclaimed property."

The Comptroller's office has returned more than $2 billion to its owners since Texas' unclaimed property program began in 1962.

In fiscal 2016 — Sept. 1, 2015, through Aug. 31, 2016 — the Comptroller’s office received more than 300,000 claims.

Van Zandt County voters will take to the polls in the primary election on Election Day, Nov. 8. Voter registration deadline by mail or at the VZC Courthouse is Oct. 11.

 To be eligible to vote, a person must be at least 18 years old by Election Day, a resident of Texas, and a U.S. citizen.

Persons are not eligible to vote in Texas if they are on parole for a felony conviction or convicted of a felony; or have been legally declared mentally incompetent by a court. If a person has been previously convicted of a felony crime, they may vote in Texas if their voting rights have been restored.

To register to vote in Texas a person should have a Texas driver’s license or state/non-driver ID number.  A list of accepted supporting forms of ID can be found at www.votetexas.gov.

Mule takes top checks, prizes in cutting competitions

Standing at 13.1 hands high, 5-year old Miss Lucy the mule is taking prize purses and top checks in t cutting horse competitions. Miss Lucy is a “freak of nature,” according to her owner Tommy Francois.

Francois, 76, of Canton has been training and showing Miss Lucy with his wife Ruby throughout the state and beyond. 

“This mule is a freak of nature. I’ve never started a horse that learned as quick as this mule. A mule is not supposed to have the cow sense that Miss Lucy has or the ability to read a cow like she does.  Normally it would take a cutting horse 14 to 16 months to get to where she’s at.” 

Francois added that Miss Lucy has been training for only four months and she is winning competitions and the hearts of spectators.