Canton Postman Scott Brooks retired from the Canton Post Office Jan. 22. Brooks, left, served in the Navy for 18 years and began his postal career in Corsicana. He then transferred to Canton and worked as a distribution/window clerk and then retired from the position of city carrier. Postmaster Dana Hoffman, right, presented Brooks with an award for his years of service to the post office.
The Whitton Community will host an election rally for candidates in the March primary at 2 p.m. Feb. 13, at FM 1651 and VZCR 2410.
The public is invited to attend. There will be a meet and greet the candidates after the rally.
Questions can be submitted to moderators Andrew Vaughan or Timna Rutledge.
The candidates will have five minutes to introduce themselves, share their goals and plans for the office they are seeking, followed by a question and answer session. Each candidate will have a five minute closing statement, organizers said.
Refreshments will be served.
For more information call Bobby Whitton at 903-848-9226 or Owen Cantrell at 903-848-0159.
Van Zandt County bailiffs have taken a step to prioritize citizen’s safety by asking for approval from commissioners to allow color coded vests to be worn by those who frequent the courthouse.
In the Jan. 12 commissioners meeting, Van Zandt County Bailiff Terry Jackson asked the court to consider colored vests to be worn by volunteers, maintenance workers and probationers to help increase courthouse security.
Bailiff Jackson said that the recent theft of two computers from the courthouse basement prompted preemptive action.
The Canton Chamber of Commerce’s annual membership meeting will be at noon Tuesday, Feb. 2, at The Bunker at the Van Zandt Country Club.
As part of this meeting, members will vote on changes proposed to chamber bylaws.
“In addition to the vote, you can expect to learn more about ways the chamber can help your business and areas where you can become more involved,” said Chamber Administrative Assistant Laura Mendoza. “We are all very excited about our progress as we work together to increase the level of value to our members.”
Van Zandt County Crime Stoppers has approved more than $7,500 in rewards for anonymous tips that have led to numerous recent arrests.
There were 20 separate rewards approved, a total of $7,525, with individual amounts ranging from $200 for relatively minor crimes to $1,000. The $1,000 reward was authorized for a tip that resulted in the arrest of a man and woman in connection with a case of arson, burglaries, child endangerment and drugs.
Some of the rewards were given for successful tips that were originally phoned in several months ago. A new Crime Stoppers coordinator, who is also a deputy in the Van Zandt County Sheriff's Office, has done diligent work to track down older tips that had been previously overlooked, Crime Stoppers officials said.
Filing for local city council and school board seats continues through Feb. 19.
Council
Seats up for election are currently held by Cindy Malouf, Scott Perkins and Shawn Stewart.
According to City Secretary Debra Johnson, at the end of business Jan. 25, Stewart had filed for re-election.
Candidate applications are available during business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday) at Canton city offices, 24980 Hwy. 64, Ste. 1, or by mail P.O. Box 245 Canton TX 75103.
According to the Secretary of State’s office, to be eligible to run for a council seat, a person must have been a resident of Texas for one year and a resident of Canton for six months prior to the filing date. They must also be 18 years of age and be a registered voter in the city by the end of the filing deadline. That means anyone who is seeking a council seat must be registered to vote by Feb. 19.
The Van Zandt County Political Forum will be hosting a debate at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 1 at the Old School Museum in Grand Saline. Both Precinct 1 commissioner candidates, both TAC candidates, and all four sheriff candidates are expected to attend. The public is asked to submit questions for the candidates to DMason0305@gmail.com. For more information see Van Zandt County Political Forum on Facebook.
After an appeal hearing Jan. 19, the Canton Council agreed to “reset the clock” and give the owners of 901 W. College St. – the old Heritage Manor Nursing Home site – another chance to restore the building before a city-ordered demolition takes place.
Canton Building Official Dwight Lancaster had deemed the building substandard and the city was making plans to tear down the structure.
The facility has been closed since 2013 and has been the target of vandals, transients and drug users.
The hearing was an unusual one for Canton, City Attorney Ron Stutes said.
“This (process) is not something that Canton has well established,” Stutes said. “Our ordinance provides that the building official can make the decision and that decision can be appealed to the city council. You start from scratch and make a complete decision on your own.”
Feb. 13 Canton’s Two-Acre Lake (behind the Wal-Mart Super Center by Mill Creek Lake) will be the site of a Kids’ Trout Fishing Day.
The event, which is sponsored by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, the city of Canton, local merchants, civic organizations, and many individual contributors, will run from 1 to 4 p.m.
Soft drinks and hot dogs will be provided, and there will be drawings for door prizes for participating kids.
Anglers are encouraged to bring their rods, reels and bait so they can have a chance at catching some of the 2,852 rainbow trout that will be stocked by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Whole kernel corn, Berkley power bait and small spinners are generally the favorite baits for trout, organizers said.
The Van Zandt County Political Forum will be hosting a debate at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 1 at the Old School Museum in Grand Saline. Both Precinct 1 commissioner candidates, both TAC candidates, and all four sheriff candidates are expected to attend. The public is asked to submit questions for the candidates to DMason0305@gmail.com. For more information see Van Zandt County Political Forum on Facebook.
