MISD launches ChooseToCare Program
Special to The Monitor
MABANK–Mabank Independent School District’s ChooseToCare program is in place!
ChooseToCare is a program that allows Mabank ISD to make proactive decisions by involving students, parents and community members to share in the maintenance of a safe learning environment by reporting unsafe, at-risk situations without identifying themselves.
Processes have been established to ensure that information received through ChooseToCare is communicated directly, securely, and confidentially to designated school district officials.
ChooseToCare provides two methods (phone line and e-mail) to anonymously report drug and alcohol use and distribution, bullying, and other negative issues that would impede the learning process or put students or teachers in an unsafe situation. For more information, log on to www.mabankisd.net  or www.ChoosetoCare.com,  or call toll free (877) 277-3812.
 

CCL Rotarians learn aging is not a bad thing
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
GUN BARREL CITY–The idea that retirement signals the beginning of the end of life, is just another myth and there are statistics to back up the actual facts.
Rev. Eston Williams presented the reality of life after 65 to members of the Rotary Club of Cedar Creek Lake at the club’s Friday luncheon.
Numbers designed to dispel the youth oriented prejudice against aging in our culture were surprising to many.
“The fears of aging are groundless for most people,” Williams said.
“Only 7 percent of those 75 to 84 need help with personal care and only 25 percent of those over 85 need help,” he added.
Today, nearly 80 percent of Americans will live past age 65, and 28 percent of those will live to be 90. By 2050, we can expect 42 percent of those over 65 will live well past 90.
Williams is scheduled to teach a 10-week course starting Friday, April 1, on “Guided Autobiography,” an exercise in writing your own story.
Williams can be contacted by calling Aley United Methodist Church.
In other business, Rotarians:
• presented a $1,500 check to the Friends of the Library at Cedar Creek Lake board president Nan Creel.
• presented books to children at Kemp Primary School.
The free books are for the children to take home and keep as their very own.
Rotarians are hoping this will encourage the children to develop a love of reading.

Monitor Photo/Barbara Gartman
Pre-schoolers at Kemp Primary School take a quick look as they circle the table covered with books to chose from. On the second time around they get to pick a book to keep.

Master Gardener Spring Conference to be held April 21
Special to The Monitor
ATHENS–The annual Henderson County Master Gardener’s Spring Conference will be held on Thursday, April 21, 2011 at the First United Methodist Church in Athens.
The speaker will be nationally known horticulturist, naturalist and garden writer, Greg Grant.
He is co-author of Home Landscaping-Texas (2004), writes the popular column “In Greg’s Garden,” for Texas Gardener magazine and contributes to Neil Sperry’s Gardens magazine.
An extensively revised edition of Heirloom Gardening for the South, which he co-authored with Dr. William Welch, will be available this spring.
His presentation will be titled “Heirloom Plants for the South”.
His knowledge of the subject is vast having spent many years developing improved selections of native plants, introducing Texas hardy annuals and perennials to the Texas nursery industry.
Two of his rose introductions Marie Daly and Nacogdoches have been named “Earthkind” selections. He was presented the Superior Service Award by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service and the Lynn Lowry Memorial Award by the Native Plant Society of Texas for horticultural achievement in the field of Texas native plants.
Grant lives in Arcadia, deep East Texas, in the dogtrot home of his great-grand parents, which he has lovingly restored.
The gardens surrounding the home have been planted with many heirloom plants that have withstood the test of our blazing summers, periodic drought, and fickle winters.
We hope to feature many of Grant’s most popular introductions at our annual plant sale, held in conjunction with the Conference.
Mark your calendar for the evening of April 21, and join us for a memorable speaker, a grand dinner and a spectacular plant sale.

 

Come Adopt Us At The Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake

We have many animals at the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake in Seven Points in dire need of a good home. Please call or stop by the Humane Society today and rescue one of these forgotten animals. The Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake is located on 10220 County Road 2403 in Seven Points. For more information, please call (903) 432-3422 after 11 a.m. We are closed on Wednesday and Sunday.

For further information visit our website at petfinder.com