Columns

A critical shortage of cotton pickers and the second largest staple crop in the state’s history has brought a plea for pickers from the Texas Employment Commission.

Contracts for the construction of four roads were awarded Friday, Sept. 9, in the office of Judge Leon Cox. One contract was awarded the Austin Construction Co., two to Dew Construction Co., and one to Reynolds and Huff Construction Co.

 The Wills Point Tigers will encounter the Royce City Bulldogs Friday night on the Bulldogs gridiron, in Royce City and will be seeking their first victory of the season as well as avenging a 13-6 defeat at the hands of this club last season.

Commerce-Seventeen students from Van Zandt County will graduate from East Texas State College at Commencement exercises Sunday, Aug. 28. Around 750 candidates will receive degrees, the largest graduating class in the history of the 60 year old college. John Ben Shepperd, Gladewarer attorney and past president of the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce, will deliver the commencement address at 3 p.m. At 11 a.m. the baccalaureate sermon will be given by Rev. Franz Alford, pastor of the First Christian Church of Commerce. Students of Van Zandt county receiving degrees are John Charles Beard, Amos B. Pitt, Violet Cartright, Forest E. Griffin, Royce C. Dodd, Lue Ella Brewer, Dale C. Palmer and Daphna Murphrey of Canton; Bertha Callan Ice, Raymond Roy Stallings, and W.H. Thompson of Van; Lavada H. Box, Joe Crosby Moore of Edgewood; Mildred Baldwin of Fruitvale; Mrs. Charlie Lee Simmons of Wills Point, Shirley Brock Lancaster of Martins Mill and Gladys Miller of Ben Wheeler.

Coach Glenn (Red) Adams announced Thursday that practice for football will begin next Monday when the lads will report at 8:30 a.m. at the gym for a physical examination and receive their uniforms. Coach Adams stated each boy reporting out for football will be given a physical examination by Dr. H.A. Baker and Dr. J.M. Shields, a service they are performing for the football team without charge.

Mrs. Ruth Jarvis received severe flesh wounds on both legs Monday when she was attacked by two dogs at the home of G.H. Miracle in the Cedar Grove Community. Mrs. Jarvis was making a business call at the new home that is under construction when attacked. Carpenters working at the house rescued her from the animals. A number of stitches were taken to close the wounds in her legs at Baker Clinic where she was carried for treatment. During her absence her nephew, Elgin C. Moughon is keeping her office.

A “72-Hour Emergency Kit” is portable, has basic supplies and tides a couple of people over for 72 hours.

 It may take that long for local, county, state, and non-profit agencies to respond to a disaster or emergency. Until then, you’re on your own.

A commercial kit can cost hundreds of dollars. A truly comprehensive 72-hour kit requires a truck to haul it.

If you’ll settle for a smaller, homemade kit, you can make one for around $20. Here’s what you need:

• Carrying bag. Use eight grocery store plastic bags, stuffed to make two bags four layers thick. You could use a school knapsack or a backpack.

• 3 gallons of water per person, for three days. Carry the water in three 1-gallon plastic jugs. These weigh 25 pounds, and a kid’s little red wagon or suitcase with wheels could haul them. For two people, that’s 6 gallons or 50 pounds of drinkable water.

The initial step needed to complete highway No. 243 from Canton to Kaufman was taken this week by the Highway Commission in Austin when it authorized construction of grading and structures on, the highway from nine miles east of Kaufman to the Van Zandt County line. When this strip is completed and topped, the highway will furnish a nearer route to Kaufman and give East Texas another route to Dallas. The amount approved for this work was $161,000. Also approved in the meeting was a $36,000 appropriation for placing an asphaltic leveling course on U.S. 80 from the junction of State 64 in Edgewood, a distance of 6.6 miles.

The traffic light at the intersection of U.S. 80 and south Fourth Street, which was damaged by a truck several weeks ago, has been replaced by a new light and is now in operation.

Trinity Drilling Co. of Dallas is to start within a few days on a Woodbine or deeper exploration just south of here on acreage obtained from Humble Oil and Refining Co. Location is to be on the Woolverton heir’s farm near the north corner of the W.D. Roberts survey. Although agreement calls only for a Woodbine and test, the Paluxy may be explored if structural conditions are favorable. Humble holds a block of about 2,000 acres east, southeast and south of here. The acreage was leased by A.L. Tisdale. Leasing of lots in Wills Point has been heavy for several days since the strike at Cedarvale in Kaufman County recently.

The colorful, 30 piece Shrine Band from Hella Temple, Dallas, will honor Wills Point Shriners with a 15 minute concert, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, July 14, at the Wills Point train station. The band will be accompanied by the 25-member, Shrine Drum and Bugle Corps, the smart Shrine Drill Team of 28 members and the Shrine Patrol with its 36 members. The units are traveling on the special Shriner train, carrying about 200 Shriners from Dallas to the organization’s Imperial Council in Chicago. (See newspaper for complete article.)

Rotarians heard an explanation of the newly passed Gilmer-Akin school law which completely changes the school set-up over the state. The discussion was given by George D. Station, program chairman and local superintendent of schools.

When the tornado hit Van on Sunday, May 10, one family I know crowded eight people into the bathroom of their home until the tornado passed over their home. Why the bathroom?

The way their home was designed, the bathroom is in the middle of their home. It’s on the first floor, which is the only floor they have, since like most homes in East Texas there is no second floor. Because their home is pier-and-beam construction, there is no basement. Even if their home had been built on a concrete slab, there would have been no basement.

Because their bathroom is in the middle of their home, the rest of the home outside the bathroom would need to be destroyed before the destruction reached the bathroom. If your bathroom is on the outer wall of your home, you may want to choose a different small room near the center of the house. It could be a closet, for example.