News

Several donations and settlements were announced by the Van Zandt County Commissioners Court Nov. 1 during its regular meeting as the court barely had a quorum present.

VZC Judge Don Kirkpatrick, Commissioner Virgil Melton Jr. (Pct. 2) and Commissioner Tim West (Pct. 4) were present with Commissioner Brandon Brown (Pct. 1) and Commissioner Keith Pearson (Pct. 3) being absent.

Brown was with his wife, Melissa, in the hospital as she continues to recover from injuries suffered in a recent automobile accident and Pearson was in Kilgore representing the county in a meeting of the East Texas Council of Governments, according to Kirkpatrick.

Jane Butler, dressed as a little old lady, was one of 27 entrants into the 0-3 age group at the BOO on the Bricks Costume Contest.

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Following a lengthy discussion, the Van Zandt County Commissioners’ Court voted to table an agenda item regarding the borrowing of $750,000 for the remainder of the calendar year.

The decision to table the measure took place during the regular meeting Oct. 18 of the VZC Commissioners’ Court.

VZC Auditor Freddy Thomas introduced Jake Lawrence of Government Capital who made the presentation to the commissioners’ court regarding the borrowing proposal.

If approved, the $750,000 would have been deposited into the county’s general fund account on Oct. 27 and the loan would have been required to be paid back by January 31, 2018.

“I don’t want to borrow money if we can get by without it,” emphasized VZC Judge Don Kirkpatrick.

VZC Pct. 2 Commissioner Virgil Melton Jr. expressed concerns to Lawrence about the amount of money in the proposal for a financial adviser ($15,000). “That is too much,” said Melton.

Children and parents will be able to get their fill of Halloween fun in the coming days, with BOO on the Bricks, BOO at the Park and Hallelujah Night at the International Outreach Church all planned locally.

BOO on the Bricks

The 8th annual BOO on the Bricks celebration will return to the brick streets in downtown Oct. 28. Family friendly events are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., and stretch into the early afternoon.

The overall event schedule is set to include arts, crafts and food vendors and a Kid’s Zone set up on High Street and the Harvest Health Fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the community center.

Additionally, Trick or Treat and Trunk or Treat events will be held from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. through the health fair and downtown area.

A kid’s Costume Contest sponsored by STEPZ All-Star Gym and a Pet Costume Contest sponsored by Blair Dog Center is scheduled for noon.

The city of Wills Point issued another ordinance reminder to the public earlier this week, clarifying the rules governing the placement of signs on city, TxDOT and/or Union Pacific rights-of-way.

A post on the city’s official Facebook page Oct. 23 reads in part:

“With Highway 80 Sale and numerous events recently, many signs were placed in city, TxDOT, and/or Union Pacific rights-of-way. As described in Chapter 30-8 e) of the General provision below.

These signs are in violation of City Ordinance and were removed today. Code enforcement will strictly enforce all future signs placed in rights-of-way.

“Wills Point City Ordinances - Chapter 30 - SIGNS Sec. 30-8. - General provisions.

“(a) Content. The City does not regulate the content of signs; however, no sign shall contain any obscene, indecent or immoral words, pictures, descriptions or other such matter.

The Rose Fountain, more commonly referred to as the Rose Monument by locals, has long been an icon of the Wills Point landscape, standing guard in the downtown area since it was gifted to the city by former resident Isaac Edward “Ike” Rose in 1916.

There will be seven amendments for Van Zandt County voters to recognize on the Nov. 7, 2017 uniform election ballot called by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. This election is not ordered by Van Zandt County.

In order for an amendment to become part of the Texas Constitution, it needs the support of the Legislature and a majority of Texas voters. But the amendments must make it to the ballot by a way of joint resolutions which receive more than two-thirds of the vote in both chambers of the Texas Legislature. So, a minimum of 100 votes in the Texas House and 21 votes in the state Senate.

The Texas Secretary of State’s office will randomly assign each resolution a ballot number ahead of the election.

Early voting will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23, – Friday, Nov. 3, at the old Canton City Hall building located at 290 E. Tyler St.

Due to budget cuts, Workforce Solutions will be closing its office on State Highway 19 in Canton effective Dec. 31.

The announcement was made Oct. 18 by Wills Point City Administrator Pam Pearson, who also serves on the Workforce Solutions of East Texas board, as she spoke to the VZC Commissioners’ Court during their regular meeting.

“A couple of years ago, Workforce Solutions took a look at the operations of their offices in Canton and Emory,” pointed out Pearson, a three-year member of the board, who was appointed to the board by the VZC Commissioners’ Court. “The decision was made to share employees and close the Canton office two days a week and the Emory office three days a week. Later, the decision was made to close the Emory office and keep the Canton office open five days a week.”

In the past year, less than 200 clients came through the doors at the Canton office, according to Pearson.

Van Zandt County Regional Airport, the once destitute airport in Wills Point, came alive Saturday as attendees, aircraft, classic vehicles, food, and fun abounded at the annual Fly-In.

The day kicked off with the posting of colors by the Trinity Valley Young Marines, prayer by Doyle Ethridge, and Lloyd David Foster singing the National Anthem. DJ 1 Time, aka Officer Benny Jones, kept the crowd in the groove with music throughout the day. Civil Air Patrol TX 214 served breakfast and lunch while children played on the slide and bounce house.

Unique aircraft flew in and out of the airport all day, with a flour bombing event at noon. Six aircraft competed in the event and Darryl Reynolds was the winner in his Hughes 300.

Claire Hiler, joined by her father Russell Hiler and 2016 WPHS Homecoming Queen Gaby Gonzalez, was crowned 2017 WPHS Homecoming Queen Oct. 13 at Ken Autry Davis Field.