Downtown Howe-lloween a monster-mash hit

Anyone who's ever put on an event understands that nothing is guaranteed - especially the first time an event is held The Chamber of Commerce's Downtown Howe-lloween was the brainchild of several individuals and organizations and the result was an amazing turnout for a two-

Most vendors that lined up in the streets ran out of candy to hand out The First United Methodist Church brought many games and much candy and helped make the event the success that it was

It appears now that this is an annual event after the successful

Local Church Calendar

Times are subject to change. Please check with each church for any possible changes

Monday, October 30, 2017

Fond memories with my Grandparents

Dr. Billy Holland

An older man was telling a story the other day about his grandparents and it caused me to think back to when I was a kid and the relationship I had with my mamaw and papaw Now that I’m older, I realize that grandparents look forward to spoiling their grandchildren and are usually just as excited When I was growing up, my dad and his dad worked together in their own construction business and every so often in the summer, my papaw would take me home with him Sometimes, I would stay for a whole week and those adventures were some of my most cherished childhood memories On the way to the country, it was not uncommon for me to become car sick because the roads were so curvy, but hanging my head out the window did bring some relief When we arrived, I would feel weak and my grandmother would say I looked as white as a sheet, but with her administering every remedy she could think of, it didn’t take long for me to recover You see, I was the first child and the first grandchild, so with being the center of attention you could say I was a little spoiled They were always squeezing me and kissing me so much that I could hardly breathe, but it’s a good feeling to know you are loved

To a boy of seven or eight years old, houses and yards seem huge, but have you noticed when you grow up how everything seems to shrink? I drove by a few years ago and hardly recognized the place It was so tiny and even the land which seemed like a vast plantation to me back then was actually more like five acres. As a kid, their house looked beautiful to me but it was really just an old farmhouse that my papaw had tried to patch and piece together The front yard seemed as big as a football field and I remember one day my papaw wanted to see if he could beat me in a foot race from the driveway to the garden I can still feel the hot summer air against my face while out of the corner of my eye I could see his bare feet flying past me I slowed down and started laughing as I knew he was not feeling well He had a debilitating kidney disease and I discovered later that even though he did not say anything that day, the overexertion caused him a lot of pain and we never did that again He did it because he loved me and just wanted to play and have some fun with me. In behind the house, the yard steeply dropped off into what many people call a holler, and if you were willing to climb down a steep cliff, you would find yourself on the bank of the Kentucky river Across the road were fields of tall grass as far as you could see sprinkled with patches of large trees and if you were real quiet sometimes you could hear them majestically sway in the wind along with the lonely sound of a cawing crow

I remember one time, they drove their old station wagon in the creek and parked it right in the middle We rolled up our pants and waded out into the cold water They started washing the car while I was thrilled to explore and see what I could find My papaw would also take me fishing in his old wooden boat and then after he cleaned our catch, my mamaw would fry them and make cornbread as they were so delicious At bedtime I would sleep with them in a massive feather-bed It was such a feeling of security like I was in an enchanted castle where everything felt magical and larger than life In the winter I loved to throw paper wads in the fireplace and can still see the red-hot chunks of coal I really miss them both and know in my heart they truly loved me Every time my mind goes back to these special times, my eyes cannot hold back the tears Someone said, “Grandparents make the world a little softer a little kinder and a little warmer” They must have had grandparents like mine

Dr Holland lives in Central Kentucky where he is a Christian minister, author and community chaplain Check out his website at: billyhollandministries com

Learn about antiques and collectibles with Dr. Georgia Caraway

ke a close inspection of ect for damage, condition, ulness aside items when you ow what you are looking at thought of asking for k someone younger than ok things over with you folks often pick out items ng and desirable that are by the older generation to old junk ” en you have limited space t dispose of items, beauty, uality, and age may not be tant as the size of the item items you decide to keep d repairs, get them fixed rs will not value pieces chipped or broken or items d reupholstered ance your emotional ent with your practical needs

I recently visited the XYZ group at First Baptist Church in Howe to talk with them about the topic “What to Keep [of your antique possessions] that Might Have Value ” They wanted to know if there were certain items, that most of them probably have accummulated over the years, that should be tossed away and what items should they hang onto for their heirs or for themselves as they downsize their homes

We all have items we cherish because they were left to us by our parents or grandparents or other family members Or over the years, we may have purchased items, especially from our early marriage days, which we have a hard time letting go

I gave the XYZers a few ideas for assessing their possessions before making a toss-or-keep decision

It was a joy to be with the XYZers and to see the treasures with which they decorated the tables And I was especially tickled to see Barbara and Bill Stambaugh Three years ago Barbara loaned me her historical collection of Howe photographs and documents to study I asked her to let me see them again since I am now gathering materials for the Howe history I hope to write She came to Howe Mercantile within an hour with her amazing family history items They included pages from a 1920s Howe newspaper that ran an ad for Stockton’s store (now Howe Mercantile at 107 E Haning) The ad read “a complete line of sundries and a 1,000 other things that you can buy cheap ” Howe Mercantile has more than a 1,000 items that you can buy at great prices!!!”

I appreciate her entrusting these precious pieces to my care while I scan and copy pertinent items for future use Thank you Barbara!!

Dr Georgia Caraway, former director of the Denton County Museums for 14 years, and her friends opened the Howe Mercantile at 107 East Haning Store hours are Thursday through Saturday noon until 8 p m She has written five Denton history books

She hopes her next book will be the history of Howe If anyone has photographs or documents that she can copy, please bring them to Howe Mercantile

Downtown Howe has two gift and antique shops Howe Mercantile and Stark Farms Gifts SHOP LOCAL We can show you Howe!

Howe PD arrests two individuals

The Howe Police Department arrested a Grayson County couple early Monday morning after a traffic stop on U S Highway 75 that netted nearly ten pounds of marijuana and more than $3,000 in retail merchandise that is presumed to have been stolen

Ricardo Lara, 33, of Denison, and 25-year-old Karla CovarrubiasHuerta of Sherman were booked into the Grayson County Jail for Delivery of Marijuana (5 to 50 pounds) and Tampering with Physical Evidence

The arrests resulted from a traffic stop during which the occupants of the vehicle driven by Lara attempted to discard the marijuana from their moving vehicle Howe officers are working with retail establishments to determine the origin of the merchandise found in the vehicle to determine if additional charges are warranted

The officer was Howe officer Brando Ozuna Van Alstyne Police Officer Colton Raper

Dr Bridges is a Texas native, writer, and history professor He can be reached at drkenbridges@gmail com

A young man escaping the poverty of a foreign land, dreaming of a better life, and becoming a hero for his adopted nation may seem too fantastic for a jaded age, but it is the true story of Medal of Honor recipient Macario Garcia, an immigrant and World War II veteran Like many of his generation, he fought with courage on the battlefield and at home to defend the United States and its ideals to build a better nation

He was born January 2, 1920, in Villa de Castano, a tiny village in Mexico Garcia was one of ten children born to destitute farm workers In 1923, to improve their fortunes, they came to the United States, like so many other immigrants from so many other lands They settled in the Sugarland area, just outside Houston. As soon as he was old enough, Garcia joined his parents working in the fields Like many other farm workers, he worked hard, but his education was sporadic

In 1942, Garcia enlisted in the army America had become his home, and his home had been attacked He was determined to serve in its defense An infantryman, he was wounded at the Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day in 1944 Awarded the Purple Heart, he soon returned to duty He later earned the Bronze Star as well.

In November 1944, as American troops were beginning to push into Nazi Germany, Garcia and his men found themselves in a desperate battle They were pinned down by machine gun fire, and Garcia was wounded He carefully crawled to a position near the machine gun nest, hurled a grenade, and shot three enemy troops to take out the gun A second machine gun opened fire, and Garcia again