Community-Henderson County Now

County mayors take part in Mayors for Meals Day

Malakoff Mayor Delois Pagitt (seated right) took part in the Mayors For Meals Day event today. Standing is longtime Malakoff Meals on Wheels Site Manager Wanda Shackleford. (COURTESY PHOTO)

Meals on Wheels press release

Meals on Wheels Ministry (MOWM) announced today that it will be holding Mayors For Meals Day as a part of its March For Meals campaign. Mayors from all over the six county MOWM service area will be participating in the event to show their support for our community’s homebound and hungry seniors.

Participating mayors from Henderson County to date include: Mayor Paul Eaton (Gun Barrel City); Mayor Elicia Sanders (Eustace); Councilman Nelson Wright (Tool); Mayor Delois Pagitt (Malakoff).

March For Meals is a national campaign during the month of March, initiated by the Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA), which seeks to raise awareness of senior hunger and to encourage action on the part of the local community.

Senior Nutrition Programs across the United States, like MOWM, promote March For Meals in their local communities through public events, partnerships with local businesses, volunteer recruitment and fundraising initiatives. Mayors For Meals Day is a component of March For Meals that utilizes the involvement of local Mayors and other local elected officials.

About Meals on Wheels Ministry

Meals on Wheels Ministry currently serves over 3,000 seniors and homebound individual in 30 communities across six counties including Gregg, Henderson, Smith, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood counties. Meals on Wheels Ministry is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing good nutritious meals, daily contacts, and other support services that enable senior citizens and disabled persons to remain independent and living in their own homes as long as possible. More information on client services, volunteer opportunities and much more may be found online at www.mealsonwheelseasttexas.org.

Blessings for Belle t-shirts available

(UPDATE 9 p.m.: Removed some contact info.)

(UPDATE 4:45 p.m.: Hold put on shirt sales to let the vendor catch up.)

By mvhannigan

The agriculture community is rallying around the family of Belle Mills, 8, who was kicked in the head by a horse Monday night.

According to reports Wednesday morning, Belle remained in Dallas Children’s Hospital where she is in an induced coma for now. The family is spending all of its time between the hospital and a hotel, which is understandably draining their resources quickly.

An account has been set up at Citizens National Bank and donations can be made to the Belle Mills Accident Fund.

Also, Blessings for Belle t-shirts have gone on sale to raise money for the family. The shirts are through East Texas Screen Printing, and are $10 each. To order, text name, color and sizes to Bonnie Elledge at 903-477-1950. (SHIRT SALES ARE ON HOLD UNTIL THE HENDERSON COUNTY LIVESTOCK SHOW.)

DAR hears about American Flag

Marsha Head (left), Claire Grant (seated at table), Billy Burford and Perry Holcomb at the recent DAR meeting. (COURTESY PHOTO)

By Fred Head, Special to HCT Now

Americans love their flag! Texans love their flag! The members of the Daniel McMahon Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution love their flag!

At their Feb. 20 George Washington Tea, held at the Fellowship Hall of the First Presbyterian Church of Athens, members and guests showed their love for Old Glory as they enjoyed a program concerning the American Flag by DAR member Marsha Head.

In her presentation, Head discussed the flag and explained the meaning of the folding of the American Flag at military funerals. She was assisted with a folding demonstration by two local veterans, each with many years of military service, Billy Burford, career Air Force retired and Perry Holcomb, career Navy retired, as they slowly proceeded through the 13 separate folds while Head explained each of these folds to the large crowd in attendance.

In closing her presentation, Head said, “In the future, you’ll see flags folded and now you will know why. Please share this with our children and all those you love as we strive to keep our country strong and free.”

Outstanding area students were honored for their essays and their good citizen behavior by DAR member Claire Grant as she presented certificates and monetary awards to each of the winners.

Daily Brief: Monday, Jan. 21

Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day AND happy Inauguration Day.

The Henderson County Black Rodeo Association held a well-attended parade Saturday. See photos from the event here.

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DON’T FORGET: The Henderson County Black History Committee will be hosting its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Candlelight Vigil tonight in Malakoff starting at 7 p.m.

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Congratulations to Bill Hunt of Texas Ragtime Inc. on being named the Athens Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year at the chamber banquet last Friday night.

You can find a list of the other award winners here, as well as our Facebook photo album with pictures from the event here.

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Not everything this weekend was happy. Sunday night, a candlelight service was held at Malakoff High School in honor of Jamiya Givens Williams and her daughter, Alahna Williams. who were killed in a car accident Sunday, Jan. 13.

We were there for the vigil.

Funeral services were set for today at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church on Mitcham Street in Malakoff under the direction of Huckabee/Tomlinson Funeral Home, Malakoff.

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Rich Flowers over at the Review has the first interview with new Athens City Council member Monte Montgomery. Mr. Montgomery took Mayor Jerry Don Vaught’s spot when Mr. Vaught became mayor.

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Average retail gasoline prices in Texas have fallen 2.0 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.14/g yesterday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 13,114 gas outlets in Texas. This compares with the national average that has increased 0.7 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.26/g, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com.

Including the change in gas prices in Texas during the past week, prices yesterday were 9.7 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago and are 10.9 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. The national average has increased 1.9 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 8.9 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago.

Awards presented at Chamber of Commerce banquet

Bill Hunt of Texas Ragtime Inc. (left) was named the Athens Chamber of Commerce 2012 Citizen of the Year. He is pictured with incoming Chamber Chairman Mark Allen.

(UPDATED WITH NOMINATION LETTER – JAN. 22)

Bill Hunt of Texas Ragtime Inc. was named the Athens Chamber of Commerce 2012 Citizen of the Year Friday night at the annual chamber banquet.

The award was presented by last year’s Citizen of the Year, Judith McGilvray.

Outgoing Chamber Chairman Tony Kalawe stepped down and welcomed new chairman, Mark Allen.

Other award winners included:

Reindeer Games: Don Lawyer
Ambassador of the Year: Kim Hodges
Small Business of the Year: The Ship Shop
Large Business of the Year: First State Bank

Check out our Facebook photo album.

The nomination letter for Hunt follows:

We proudly nominate Dr. Arch William (Bill) Hunt for Athens Citizen of the Year 2012.

Bill is an outstanding individual who exemplifies a strong leader grounded in good
morals, sound judgment and consistent drive. He arrived in Athens in 1996 and has
been deeply involved in community affairs for the past 16 years. His background as
a college professor (University of Texas-Austin), a restaurant
entrepreneur (Fuddrucker’s start-up) and as a trained physicist has allowed him to
excel on many fronts. Some of his accomplishments that we feel have been important to Athens are as follows:

1. He brought to Athens an international company (Texas Ragtime) which consistently
employs approximately 50 people and adds about $1,000,000 each year to the Athens
economy. This was done without the aid of incentives or tax abatements. He took
all the risks and now owns a very successful company.

2. He has served on numerous community boards, including committees to better our
public schools (speaking out for passage of school bonds and improved standards)
and is currently very active as a member of the Cain Center Board (has supplied
very innovative ideas to the Board, and has seen some of them successfully executed).
As a member of the Board of the Athens Country Club his ideas precipitated changes
which have been permanently adopted and are generally acknowledged to be good.
It is evident that if Bill is on a board, he is going to be an active contributor.

3. He served as President of the Athens Rotary Club and on its Board.

4. He is a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Athens and has served on several
committees with distinction.

5. He has been generous in his financial contributions to the needs of Athens.

For these and other accomplishments that may be overlooked, we feel Bill Hunt would be a worthy Athens Citizen of the Year 2012.