People, Places & Events

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East Cedar Creek Freshwater Supply District meets at 12:30 p.m. the third Wednesday of each month at the ECCFSD office on Hammer Road just off Welch Lane in Gun Barrel City.
Eustace City Council meets at 7 p.m. in the Eustace City Hall the first Thursday of each month. For more information, please call 425-4702. The public is invited to attend.
Eustace Independent School District meets at 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at the Eustace High School Library. For more information, please call 425-7131. The public is invited to attend.
Gun Barrel City Council meets in Brawner Hall at 6 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. For more information, please call 887-1087. The public is invited to attend.
Gun Barrel City Economic Development Corporation meets at 1831 W. Main, GBC, at 6 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month. For more information, please call 887-1899.
Henderson County Commissioner’s Court meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 9 a.m. in the Henderson County Courthouse in Athens. The public is invited to attend.
Henderson County Emergency Services District #4 meets at 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at 525 S. Tool Dr. in Tool.
Henderson County Historical Commission meets the first Wednesday of each month at 1 p.m. in the HC Historical Museum.
Kaufman County Commissioner’s Court meets the first, second, third and fourth Monday of each month at 9:45 a.m. in the Kaufman County Courthouse in Kaufman. The public is invited to attend.
Kemp City Council meets at Kemp City Hall at 7 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month. For more information, please call 498-3191. The public is invited to attend.
Kemp Independent School District meets the third Tuesday of each month in the Board Room in the Administration Building. For more information, please call 498-1314. The public is invited to attend.
Log Cabin City Council meets the third Thursday of the month in city hall. For more information, please call 489-2195. The public is invited to attend.
Mabank City Council meets at 7 p.m. in Mabank City Hall the first Tuesday of each month. For more information, please call 887-3241. The public is invited to attend.
Mabank Independent School District meets at 7:30 p.m. the fourth Monday of each month. For more information, please call 887-9310. The public is invited to attend.
Payne Springs City Council meets at city hall at 7:30 p.m. every third Tuesday of each month. For more information, please call 451-9229. The public is invited to attend.
Payne Springs Water Supply Corp. meets the third Tuesday of each month at 1 p.m. at the Payne Springs Community Center, located at 9690 Hwy. 198.
Seven Points City Council meets at 7 p.m. in Seven Points city hall the second Tuesday of each month. For more information, please call 432-3176. The public is invited to attend.
Tool City Council meets at 6 p.m. in the OranWhite Civic Center the third Thursday of each month. For more information, please call 432-3522. The public is invited to attend.
West Cedar Creek Municipal Utility District is held at 5 p.m. the fourth Monday of each month. For more information, please call 432-3704. The public is invited.

New owners open McDade’s Nursery
Four-day spring grand opening set for March 18-21
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
TOOL–With new hopes, new plans, and a new theme, “Dedicated to Beautiful Gardens,” new owners Shirley and Stephen Gent are restocking McDade’s Nursery.
The couple have two children, Travis, 15 and Rachel, 20.
The business could be considered a family Christmas present, since it was purchased by the couple Dec. 29, 2009.

Monitor Photo/Barbara Gartman
Stephen Gent checks a spiraling Juniper carried at McDade’s Nursery. He and his wife, Shirley, recently bought the business and are in the process of stocking and expanding it.

A spring grand opening is set for Thursday through Sunday, March 18-21.
The four-day event will include fun, free food, special promotions, educational sessions and door prizes, with the main celebration set for Saturday, March 20 – the first day of spring!
Plans include staying open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“We plan to have a fully stocked nursery,” Stephen Gent said, as he told of the trucks due to make deliveries.
“We will carry bedding plants; vegetables and flowers, all the annuals, and also trees and shrubs,” he said.
“During the spring we will be receiving deliveries daily and I even intend to go after some loads myself,” he promised.
“My wife and I are really looking forward to serving the community,” he added.
Popular varieties of plants will be available such as the Knock-Out roses and Encore azaleas.
The Knock-Out roses are from Shambly Nursery in Tyler, and of course, he plans to carry other varieties, both bush and climbers, as well.
“It’s a little too early to bring in the azaleas. I want them to be making their blooms when they arrive. I will get them from growers in Canton,” Gent explained.
Along with building up their stock, the couple plan to refurbish the buildings as they get established.
“I plan to increase our supply of decorative garden items, such as bird baths and other ornaments,” he said.
“At some point, I want to put in ‘theme’ areas, such as a Texas garden, Japanese and rose gardens, a formal Italian area and a drought tolerant area,” Gent said.
“And we will be building up the organic selections with more earth friendly products as well,” he added.
The nursery is planning to participate in its own method of being earth-friendly by recycling its leaves, grass clippings and coffee grounds in a compost heap, he added.
“There are 2.8 acres in the parcel that belong to the nursery but only about one-third of an acre is currently in use. That will give us plenty of room for the specialty gardens,” Gent said.
Also under development is a website. The nursery newsletter currently offers advice on gardening and related growing needs.
In addition to the co-owners another well-known married couple will be helping the gardening clientele, Kim and Shannon Killebrew.
The couple held their wedding at the nursery. Shannon is the go-to-person for all gardening needs.
Both Shannon and Kim are Texas Certified Nursery Professionals. Both can answer those sometimes difficult questions concerning gardening in Texas.
In addition, Kim uses her skills in designing to create beautiful container arrangements.
Employee Tammy Boyd is also a returning employee. She is a plant lover, having never met one she didn’t like.
Shirley Gent is from West Texas, where gardening is a little tougher.
Customers will soon realize that Stephen has an accent from across “the great pond,” Nottingham, England.
He considers himself at least half-Texan, another soul that got here as soon as he could.
Some customers might wonder how the couple found their nursery in the little town of Tool.
“I was at a horticultural trade show in Harrisburg, Pa,” he said, admitting he had a little free time and was a bit bored.
“I worked for Branch-Smith Publishing. They produce four horticluture publications,” he explained.
That being his background he was aware of nurseries for sale.
“The nursery had its ‘soft opening’ Feb. 18, and “we are delighted to be here,” Gent added.
The nursery is located at 1000 Tool Drive (State Highway 274), Tool and may be reached by calling (903) 432-0106.

Wellness program set for mid-April
Special to The Monitor
KAUFMAN–Finding reliable resources of health and wellness information can be a challenge.
Since 1906, Texas AgriLife Extension Service has provided Texans with guidance on various health issues, and is now training volunteers to provide more communities with the education and tools needed for healthy living.
The Master Wellness Volunteer Initiative is an AgriLife Extension program that will provide volunteers with 40 hours of training in health and nutrition education. In return, the volunteers agree to give back 40 hours of service.
The volunteer opportunities are diverse – giving presentations for local community groups, assisting with periodic cooking schools given by Texas AgriLife Extension Service, passing out information at health fairs and much more.
No previous health or wellness training is required, only an interest in living healthfully and helping others do the same.
“We have five active Master Wellness Volunteers currently trained in Kaufman County,” Kaufman County Agent, Family and Consumer Sciences Katie Phillips said.
“We have lots of fun learning new things and sharing our knowledge with the residents of Kaufman County,” she added. “I am looking for extraordinary volunteers to support me in spreading the Extension Spirit to assist our county residents to become better, healthier families.”
Volunteer training for the program will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays from April 13 through May 11.
The training will focus on physical activity, nutrition, food safety and food demonstrations, child health, various AgriLife Extension health programs and more.
Those interested in participating may call the Kaufman County AgriLife Extension Office at (972) 932-9069 or e-mail kmphillips@ag.tamu.edu   for more information.

Come Adopt Us At The Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake
The domino effect is a chain reaction that occurs when a small change causes a similar change nearby, which then will cause another similar change, and so on. My name is Domino, and I got my name not only because I’m black and white like a domino tile, but also because my outgoing, cheerful personality causes my doggie roommates to smile. This also causes our human friends to smile, which even causes the kitties in the cat room to smile. I am an 8-month-old male Pointer/Terrier mix. I love children, other dogs, and even get along great with kitties. I’ve had all my shots and am ready to be adopted. If you’d like to experience the domino effect, I am sure to put a forever smile on your face when you take me to my forever home. I currently live with a foster family, so if you would like to meet me, call my friends at the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake at (903) 432-3422 to make an appointment. You can also email them at dogshsccl@yahoo.com.
	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