Learn about your antiques and collectibles with Dr. Georgia Caraway

To provide fun activities inside the house during this brutal Texas heat, some folks turn to jigsaw puzzles I know that I have one going right now that is a map of the state of Texas It has 1000 small pieces, but enough identifying landmarks that I can find an occasional interlocking piece and not get too frustrated

There are lots of jigsaw puzzle collectors who put them together and then have them laminated or fitted into special frames to use as wall art Others construct and then dismantle them to store in their boxes Some folks collect by topics: scenic, humor, railroads, buildings and landmarks, landscapes; by the type of manufacturing: hand cut, machine cut, non-interlocking, irregular borders; by other collecting interests: Coca Cola, Hershey chocolates; and others want children’s; or those featuring animals or food items Specialist puzzle collectors may want puzzles designed by particular artists (Norman Rockwell, Thomas Kincaid) or manufactured by specific companies (Springbok, Parker Brothers, Milton Bradley), or material (glass, cardboard, wooden, paper, plastic), and others want them based on the date they were manufactured.

The first jigsaw puzzles were produced in the 1760s when European mapmakers mounted maps onto wood and cut pieces out with a marquetry saw John Spilsbury, an engraver and mapmaker, is credited with creating the first jigsaw puzzle in 1767. The first great era of jigsaw puzzles started in England and migrated to the U S around 1900 Lithographers such as McLaughlin Brothers of New York City made simple wood jigsaw puzzles. Then puzzle makers began to experiment with smaller pieces, more appealing to adults, usually with scenes of people or families They celebrated American achievements like warships, steamboats, and Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders charging up San Juan Hill, Cuba Children's puzzles moved from geography and history lessons to entertainment, showing subjects like animals, nursery rhymes, and

Modern Tales Of Super Heroes

There was also a revival in the 1930s during the Depression Puzzles were given away as advertising premiums and became hugely popular as cheap entertainment (most cost 10 cents) Early puzzles were very challenging Most had pieces cut exactly on the color lines, so there were no transition pieces with two colors to signal a change in the picture; the pieces did not interlock; and adult puzzles had no guide picture on the box

Some major names of jigsaw puzzles include Parker Brothers, Milton Bradley, Raphael Tuck and Sons Ltd of London, Arteno (intricate, hand cut puzzles), Springbok, Par (high-end puzzles), and BV Leisure that makes photomosaic puzzles Photomosaic puzzles are jigsaws that have very many tiny images that can be found when looking closely, but collectively the pieces form a completely different image when viewed from further away

Puzzles provide entertainment not only during the dog days of summer but during the blustery days and nights of winter So pick up your favorite thematic puzzle and enjoy this good family fun Have a Happy Summer

"I always said it was like getting a job for the mob because I went into the office and met the principal and Thomas told him that he'd be good and wanted him to coach," said McCormack "Then the principal asked me if I wanted a job there coaching and teaching and I said, 'yes, that'll be fine' and he pulled out a piece of paper out of his desk and said sign this and I signed it and he put it back in his desk and that's how I got my first job "

McCormack coached and taught at his hometown school for five years During his time there Cushing hired an athletic director and head football coach named Bill Jehling After two seasons at Cushing, Jehling convinced him to go to Lumberton where both were assistant coaches. When Jehling went to Hamshire-Fannett as AD and head coach, he brought McCormack with him Perhaps no one can talk about what kind of coach Howe is getting better than the man who has been on the field with him for five years football Now, he eats and breathes football, but he's not going to hurt baseball or girls sports He's for every sport and even the band or UIL events He's the best AD I've worked for"

When Jehling arrived at Cushing, they hadn't won a football game in two or three years according to McCormack They won one game in Jehling's first year and four in a row in his second year

"I've gone with him everywhere because he's easy to work for and he's across the board for everybody," said McCormack

McCormack said that Cushing was running a spread offense and didn't have the skill set to do such When Jehling landed the job, he changed the offense to match the talents of the kids

"He'll adjust to what the kids can do," said McCormack "His number one things is - what's good for the kids?"

Dr. Georgia Caraway, former director of the Denton County Museums for 14 years, and her friends operate the Howe Mercantile at 107-109 East Haning. Store hours are Thursday through Saturday 12 noon until 8 p m She has written five Denton history books and one book on taking care of your antiques and collectibles All of her books, including her latest, North Texas State Fair and Rodeo, are available at Howe Mercantile She hopes her next book will be the history of Howe SHOP LOCAL We can show you Howe!

"Some guys are just straight football Bill's not," said McCormack "You'll see us at every volleyball game, softball game - he's the kind of guy that goes to all of the sporting events so the kids can see him and know he's supporting them He's about building athletes and letting them play what they want Not just

Howe is planning to go with a wing-T style of offense with the quarterback in the shotgun on certain sets McCormack says it's hard to defend especially when the quarterback turns his back to the defense

Coach

"We'll throw the ball some because you just have to," said McCormack "We're going to make a run at the playoffs Yeah, they were 1-9 last year, but I don't care - that was 2017 We're going to crank it up "

The summer workouts have produced 80-85 athletes per day which excites Howe's new assistant coach About 35 of those are high school boys.

"They're here every day," said McCormack "Every school we've been to we always have one or two kids that you knew that weren't giving 100 percent We've only got two days left and no one has slacked off or jogged They have worked their tails off and we work them for two hours solid. And the girls are working out like crazy They have done an excellent job "

The McCormack family has found a home on Maple Street He and his wife care for his 84-year-old mother that lives with them

"I moved her in with my last year at Hamshire-Fannett so that was a concern about finding a place to live and a place for her," said McCormack "We found a house in June that was completely redone and it was perfect This is the first place that I've moved to that I had neighbors come over and introduce themselves "

Ned and Connie Culp are neighbors and McCormack says he has thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them

"I couldn't have got a better set of neighbors They came over with a big pan of cookies and gave me their home phone number and cell phone numbers," said the new coach "They are extremely good people He tickled me to death "

McCormack talked about the hours that a football coach puts in which

Continued from page 7 is extraordinary The schedule is virtually 7 am to 10:30 or 11 pm at night

"I told one of the younger coaches today to go home and kiss his wife and tell her you love her because you won't see her again until November," McCormack joked

He then talked about a t-shirt he had seen that stated 'I love my wife for letting me coach football ' Most fans and parents don't understand how much time it takes to do what they do

"We'll work all day Saturday but Sunday we won't come in until around 2 pm because he (Coach Jehling) wants everyone to go to church and have that opportunity to be with their family on Sunday morning."

His experience in Howe has been a great one so far as he was highly impressed with the friendliness of the staff at Howe Mercantile and raved about Howe's two downtown restaurants as well as Palio's Pizza Cafe

Even with Howe coming off of a 19 season, McCormack said that he was excruciatingly surprised at the number of athletes attending workouts and the quality of athlete that they are

"They are lifting and getting stronger, but the participation level is outstanding," said McCormack "You can still show up and not do much but these kids are working "

It's one thing to learn about an athletic director and head coach by what they tell you It's a completely different thing to learn about an athletic director and head coach by what someone says tell you Especially one who has been in the trenches with them for many years It appears that Howe has hit the jackpot on not just quality coaches, but quality human beings

Baker

originally as they were trying to get closer to the Ada area due to the loss of Virginia’s father Baker began seeking employment in Oklahoma and couldn’t find work He did actually find a position in Durant but decided not to take the job due to the extensive travel requirements that it presented He then found a job in Sherman with Grayson Climate Engineers where he spent one year before transferring to Betts Air Conditioning

While looking for housing in the North Texas area he was suggested by the wife of Bill Corbin that he speak with Marshall Robertston about a rent house on E Tutt Street Robertson owned Robertson’s Texaco station on Highway 5 at the corner of Tutt Street and was moving to a new location on the southeast corner of US 75 and Haning Street Baker eventually purchased the home and the former gas station from him and started Baker Service Co in 1970 in the building in which they still operate Baker Air Conditioning & Heating from The Baker business actually began prior to 1970 as an insulating company that he would work while still employed in Sherman He initially began as a Friedrich air dealer before switching to Lennox Now Baker uses Rheem Air Conditioners and the business is operated by his son-in-law Mark

Continued from page 6

Hemperley Baker walked in to work when he turned 80-years-old and told Hemperley that he was quitting

“I was only working part-time, three days a week,” said Baker “He had run the business for about four or five years or so I just walked in and said, ‘I quit’ and I told him that he could quit when he turns 80 ”

Baker served on the city council on two separate occasions in two separate decades

“We didn’t have anything (in the 1970s) – no policemen, no backhoe, no nothing,” said Baker “We had a nightwatchmen walking up and down Haning Street ”

The council used to meet in the old fire station which is now a free parking lot across from City Hall. Behind the 1947 fire truck, the business of the city was conducted on a monthly basis It was there that under Baker’s first term that the Howe Police Department initially considered.

“They were breaking into buildings on one end of Haning Street when the nightwatchman was on the other end,” said Baker

The local grocery store owners were against starting the police force due to the taxes that it would create Baker also said that Howe had an issue with people paying their taxes as it was local pay in those days and not collected at the county level

“Our city clerk wasn’t doing what he should have done, but we straightened that out,” said Baker “He had been here a long time and he knew people and if they didn’t pay the bill he didn’t say much about it We didn’t have any money so we had to straighten that out ”

In Baker’s second term on the council, projections were being made that Howe would reach a population of 5,000 within a short period of time He also served during that time on the Planning & Zoning Commission where they reorganized all city zones

“We worked a lot of hours up here at night hashing all of that out and making sure everything was right,” said Baker

He was also on the council during the time the city helped fund the Howe Public Library (now the Howe Community Library)

Baker says that the city wasn’t so much anti-growth back during those times, but they were guarded

Baker

against what he called “fly by nights.” “What we wouldn’t do is promise all of this free stuff,” said Baker “They (businesses) wanted us to furnish the sewer and water for free We were supposed to pay them to come here. And also, we had people wanting to come here and put trailer houses all over everywhere and we passed an ordinance that only certain areas could have it ”

The council in those days passed the ordinance that allowed mobile homes to only be allowed east of the railroad tracks in the Quinlan Street area and in the mobile home park

“The park was just coming in out there and they didn’t need somebody taking business away from them so we protected them somewhat,” said Baker “On my second time around on the council we started hiring people to do inspections to keep us up to snuff ”

Baker has had as good of a business over the last 50 years in Howe as any He has seen the local ecosystem through high times and trying times In the 1970s, houses were being built and he had grown the business to over five employees But when the housing dried up in the 80s, the business fell to just Baker and Hemperley alone

“I built a garage for a friend because I didn’t have anything to do,” said Baker “I put in a pecan business for five years to supplement my income We didn’t have any business and it took us five years to recover I bought some rent houses and fixed them and rented them I bought and sold property so I could survive.”

The banking industry was in disarray and interest rates hiked beyond imaginable At one point interested rates went from 10 percent to 18 percent on a floating land loan that forced him to sell

“Everything went south Things were going nowhere,” said Baker “All of that happened and you just survive and go on The banks quit loaning money and the whole thing just quit Loans were being called in If you owe money on your house, the bank that carries the note can come ask you for that amount and you’ll have to negotiate another loan to pay them A lot of the people that I did business with - the bank required their money”

During that time, Howe went from three grocery stores in the downtown area to having none

The downtown Haning Street lively scene of the early 1980s became a ghost town and an backdrop for a scary movie by the early 1990s

In the mid-1990s, Baker said the economy started to pick back up and slowly improved

“Even when it improved, I paid my help, but I didn’t get any money”

One person he was able to pay was his son-in-law Hemperley who he had hired in 1981 upon entering the family by marrying Baker's daughter Brenda Hemperley’s father was a vice president for the Katy Railroad in Denison where son Mark was working on the line welding About the time of layoffs of the railroad, Hemperly was hired and sent to the Lennox school

“The rest is history,” said Baker “It was no time before he was running service for us No time at all I sent him with the serviceman and the serviceman came back mad because Mark had suggested he do something differently It made him mad because Mark was right ”

Baker said his son Larry wanted to become a police officer and did so starting with Denison and later Garland He then was recruited from Garland to go to Casper, Wyoming where he’s a retired officer working for the U S Marshall in the courthouse Baker gloated about a grandson who is a detective for the same department

The 86-year-year old Baker can now be seen working on his city block that he owns that extends from Highway 5 to Hughes Street and O’Connell Street to Tutt Street The property once had the Interurban Train running through the middle of it, but now just a train full of memories The block once housed the former First Methodist Church where a lot of the wood from church now beautifully dawns the ceilings of his study in his house where he likes to sit and read and look out at the beautiful trees on the lot

It’s been 50 years in Howe that have included heartache, hard times, good times, prosperity, good family and a good family business Baker Air Conditioning & Heating is a staple in the Howe business community They’ve

How can I save money on AC this summer?

2 Smart fanning Fans are helpful, but lots of the time it feels like they’re just pushing hot air into your face. That all changes when you put some ice in front of the fan and cool the air down If you get a shallow container, fill it with ice and water, and put it right in front of the fan, the breeze will collect cold air off the melting ice and send it your way Make sure you’re keeping the freezer stocked with ice cubes and not just bedsheets

Taylor Kovar

Hey Taylor - I’ve set a goal for the summer, and that is to avoid hating the entire season The heat usually overwhelms me and I refuse to run the AC nonstop and waste all my money Any ideas for how I can accomplish this goal? -

Morgan

Hey Morgan - As far as I’m concerned, there should be “beat the heat” support groups on every block I have the same struggles as you do each summer, though I’ve come up with a couple ways that make it a little easier to survive

1 Make things cold You might not be running the AC, but the fridge and freezer will stay on There are all sorts of things you can chill for a couple hours that will help you stay cool later on Depending on how bad the heat is that you’re trying to escape, you can put your bedsheets in the freezer for a few minutes before going to sleep; not long enough to make them damp, but enough time to provide a comforting chill at the end of the night You can also take a hot water bottle and put it in the freezer, using the water resistance to make sure you don’t get your blankets soaked

3 Freeze your feet The pulse points in your body generate extra heat, and there are two such points in your feet and ankles At any point in the day, kicking off your shoes and socks will take down your body temperature If you want to take it a step further, dunking your tootsies in a bucket of cold water is a good move as well This is especially useful if you’re too hot to fall asleep at night

4 Make cool meals Fire is hot, and using heat to cook your food is only going to make your house warmer Buy things that are precooked or get into eating cold salads and sandwiches on the days that are too hot to bear Aside from keeping your house cooler, you’ll avoid putting toasty food in your mouth

Hopefully one or two of these work for you, Morgan If you think of any other clever ways to beat the heat, please send them my way!

Taylor Kovar - Family Man Wealth Manager. Author. Speaker. Serial Entrepreneur. Travel Lover. Chick-Fil-A

Fanatic Kovar is the CEO and founder of Kovar Capital Management LLC of Lufkin, Texas.

Holland

it’s wonderful to train our mind to be a positive thinker However, in our quest to live in “happy land” there are also difficult realities whether we choose to accept them or not In Hebrews 4:12, God’s word is described as a two-edged sword which has the power and wisdom to know all things including our conscience We are called to praise Him not only in the good times of blessing and peace, but also to humble ourselves and submit to Him in situations we would rather not think about or deal with

Humanity has always been gullible to confusing evil with good because our old human nature loves to justify and excuse our guilt Adam and Eve were the original pioneers of agreeing with Satan and did not hesitate to defend and justify their disobedience Since then, this world has drifted so far from the shores of honesty it can hardly see land and still remains in denial about the danger Is it any surprise that most of the world is still trying to blame others for their own decisions? When the compass of God’s truth is thrown overboard and guidance is left up to those who are spiritually blind, there are going to be serious problems If evil were not made to appear good, there would be no such thing as temptation or deception and allow me to add that when people are more concerned with being politically correct than obedient to God, we can guarantee that society is destined for failure “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter” Isaiah 5:20

A common word I hear on a regular basis is “balance” and in fact, I use it myself from time to time but I’ve discovered that we can also use this concept as an excuse to justify our own ideas If we study with the intention of learning about our spiritual responsibilities, we will discover challenging demands from the Lord which require us to make painful decisions We do not hear this taught often but God operates in simple terms He is filled with mercy and long-suffering, but He is also strict when it comes to obedience For example, when He says, “do not look back” He means what He says, as Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt reveals I realize this is not a happy ending but nonetheless a valuable lesson to be remembered

We are seeing a trend in this day and age where Christianity is being projected as an image of soft and easy lifestyles that describe God as a sympathetic old man who is overly lenient This really becomes noticeable especially at funerals where everyone no matter who they were are now suddenly declared as a devoted saint This message seems to imply that if we sing the old hymn, “When we all get to heaven” we can rest assured that we will all end up there Another uncomfortable subject are scriptures that command us to take up our cross and follow Him, which includes being transformed and completely changing who I am My carnal human nature does not waste a moment trying to persuade me that it knows how to handle these religious concepts without any degree of sacrifice or suffering even though the Bible clearly explains that becoming a follower of Jesus will cost me everything

So, with love and grace we willingly accept that the sword of God’s truth has two edges and that all Biblical instruction is not hotfudge cake Saul before his conversion in Acts chapter 9 was a fierce enemy of Christ, but after he encountered the living Jesus on the Damascus road, he fell in love with the one he so fervently rejected Verse 18 says, “there fell from his eyes something like scales ” He did not just focus on the happy verses, attempt to compromise, justify, negotiate a deal, or try to escape his personal responsibility He simply trusted in God’s truth (even the difficult parts) to make him free

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Verse of the Week

“God has made everything BEAUTIFUL and appropriate in its time” (if I stand in heart faith and do not give up)

Ecclesiastes 3:11a (AMP)