Abundant Life Church in Canton is inviting the public to worship with them at 3 p.m. Sundays at PJ’s Place. 24900 Hwy. 64.
According to information from the church, “it is a family oriented, full gospel interdenominational church with spiritual worship and anointed preaching.”
Do you remember when the Van Zandt County Veterans Memorial first began? It all started with an idea and dream of Red Montgomery.
We had no idea where it would be built, but a lot of spirit and faith and determination led the way.
We started with an empty lot of dirt. We held many fundraisers such as the still-continuing balloon release. We kept going to raise the much needed money to see this dream come into reality for all of Van Zandt County to admire and be proud for everyone to come visit and encourage others to see.
Our veterans can be proud to have this much respect shown to them through a Memorial such as we have in this county. Their honor, courage and loyalty to us all can be seen and felt every day someone drives by and looks up at the large flag and other tributes on display.
Help us finish this project with the final item to be added, the kneeling soldier. It will be bronzed and placed on its pedestal in the Memorial Plaza.
Photo courtesy of Lisa Werner
Ethan Werner, 4, visits the American Mammoth Jacks at his parents farm on Highway 64.
By Britne Hammons • Staff Writer
Van Zandt County farm producing Mammoth donkeys
A new breed of mammoths can now call Van Zandt County home. But the mammoths, not the shaggy elephant of pre-historic times, but rather the large American Mammoth Jacks, have landed a place to call home on a private farm of Brian and Lisa Werner.
The Werners and their two boys, Ethan and Evan, live in the eastern part of Van Zandt County along Highway 64 and are raising Mammoth Jacks.
Mammoth Jacks, as the name implies, is a breed of donkeys that are colossal in size. They are the world’s largest breed of donkey and were developed in the United States through cross-breeding of imported, large European (predominately Spanish) breeds. The males range in size from 56 to 58 inches tall, about the same height as a horse.
Mike Malouf, left, presented Canton ISD Superintendent Jay Tullos with a check for the district Feb. 15. The $500 donation was from Wills Point Ford and Chevrolet.
The Van Zandt County Fair Spelling Bee, sponsored by the Canton Rotary Club, will be at 6 p.m. April 6 in the todd Berry Building on the Van Zandt County Fair Grounds.
Entry deadline is March 31.
The contest is open to fourth, fifth and sixth grade students. Each county school district or home school group may enter one contestant per grade. Those students qualifying for the county fair spelling bee competition will be determined by their individual schools.
Entries should be mailed or emailed by March 31 to: Brian Cummins, 3462 VZCR 2301
Constable hopes to centralize county-to-county communication
In January, the Smith County K-9 cop Ogar was fatally shot while on chasing down an armed man who fled into the woods after a traffic stop.
Michael Paul Koch of Grand Saline has since been caught and placed in the Smith County Jail.
VZC Constable Pct. 4 Pat Jordan told commissioners that communication with Smith County was a necessity and he hopes it now can be a reality.
Jordan said he was the first officer on the scene from VZC and that since that time, he has been working to establish a way to communicate with Smith County.
Up in the air so bright What do you do on a sunny, windy Spring like day? Fly kites, of course.
The Smith family visited Canton’s Two-Acre Lake last Saturday to take advantage of the open fields, clear skies and gusting winds. Cassidy, 5, gets advice on keeping her kits afloat from mom, Joy. Right, Alexis Deleon, 9, takes a break from kite flying with her family.
Courtesy photo
Manna Director Kathy Silver wields a big fork while volunteer Ann Whitehead hoists an overly large spoon for the Manna Food Bank groundbreaking Feb. 21. Participating in the celebration were members of the Manna board of directors and officials from Grace Bible Church.
By Pam Millican Correspondent
Manna Food Bank has broken ground for their new building which will be adjacent to the existing building at 17897 FM 1255.
Grace Bible Fellowship has leased Manna a track of land for 30 years for $1 with another 30-year option. That means Manna has a permanent home for the next 60 years.
The groundbreaking ceremony was opened with prayer by Frankie Trimble, youth pastor at Crossroads Church. Melody Paluch of Grace Bible Fellowship read a message from Pastor Dan Tarno, who was out of town, about his passion and involvement with Manna. The ground breaking was attended by approximately 40 members of the community including Canton Mayor Lou Ann Everett.
Manna Board President Dick Patterson gave Manna’s history since being formed in 1984.
Patterson read the names of the original board members and the seven churches involved in forming Manna. Today Manna is supported by 40 churches in Van Zandt County.
At the February Canton Council meeting, Mayor Lou Ann Everett recognized “two very special people” –– Firefighter of the Year Josh Mims and CFD Capt. Brian Horton.
Mims was named firefighter of the year at a CFD banquet earlier this year. When describing his qualifications for the honor, Fire Chief Bud Sanford said Mims was “idea for the CFD because he cares. He ha grown as an individual and absorbed everything he needed to learn. We can use a young man like this in the Canton Fire Department for a very long time.”
Everett expressed the city’s appreciation. “Thank you,” she said. “We are happy to have you here as part of our Canton Fire Department and our community.”
Horton was recognized because of an honor he received from another community. Van recently honored the fireman for his help after the May 2015 Mother’s Day tornado hit the city.
