People, Places & Events

Lake Area
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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.

Monitor Photo/Barbara Gartman
Robert Blaase, president of the Rotary Club of Cedar Creek Lake, presents a ceremonial check for $1,500 to Tri-County Library director Claire Stout Friday. Stout was the keynote speaker at the Rotary club’s weekly luncheon, and accepted the check on behalf of the downtown Mabank library.

“Those volunteers put in 2,779 hours (in 2009),” she said. “More than 26,000 people went through the library last year.”
The library has a total 19,966 items (books, videos and other media), “plus a cat named Whisper,” she said.
The well-petted cat’s upkeep does not come from library funds, as people who come to the library donate to Whisper.
“Whisper has his own ‘stash,’ she assured her audience.
Programs offered by the library are varied, from children’s reading programs and story hours to a very successful genealogy program.
Tracing one’s family history is a popular activity for library visitors. Members of the Rootseekers Genealogy Society (which meets at the library every third Monday night) offers assistance to newcomers just learning the tricks of research.
Another very popular “help” program is the free income tax assistance offered by appointment, she said.
“And I really want to thank ‘anonymous’ for the donation of two new children’s computers,” Stout said. “Whoever ‘anonymous’ is, I really appreciate their donation. Their children are already using them and they love them.”
The library has 10 computers people can work on, and there is a website paid for by The Friends of the Library, she explained.
At the end of the program, the club presented a check for $1,500 to the library.
In other business, Rotary members:
• heard Rotarian Mike Moore give a report on the recent visit to the area by eight Japanese teenagers as part of Rotary International’s cultural exchange program.
The teens played soccer and other games, visited museums in Corsicana, the Wiley opera theater in Dallas, and “happened” on a rehearsal when they visited the Myerson Symphony, he recounted.
Rotarian Barbara Turner described the fun of eating out at some of the local establishments, including a trip to the Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Dallas for a real Texas steak dinner and a visit to a Japanese sushi restaurant.
• heard a short list of upcoming Rotary events, including the Foundation Dinner at Mt. Pleasant Saturday, April 3.
Two weeks later, there will be a training event for new officers, followed by the District Conference in San Antonio April 29-May 2.
• heard there will be no luncheon meeting Good Friday, April 2.

Area residents can win big with ‘Bonus Bucks’ program
Special to The Monitor
GUN BARREL CITY–When people living in and near Gun Barrel City open their newspapers April 7-11, perhaps the best news won’t be on the front page, but on a Gun Barrel City Economic Development Corporation insert.
Readers of The Monitor, the Lake Area Leader and the Cedar Creek Pilot newspapers should watch for “Bonus Bucks” coupons in a full-color insert, beginning Wednesday, April 7.

When shoppers redeem the coupons for goods and services at participating Gun Barrel City businesses, they could get more than just a discount on their purchases – they just might win a $500 cash prize.
Some 80 businesses are partnering with the Gun Barrel City Economic Development Corporation in the program, which runs from April 7 through May 9.
The Bonus Buck coupons are for $5, $10 and $20 off on purchases of $20 or more, $50 or more and $100 or more, respectively.

Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
AT RIGHT: Solar Screen on State Highway 198 south is among the 80 Gun Barrel City businesses participating in the GBC Economic Development Corporation's “Bonus Bucks” program. City secretary and GBC Chamber Branch president Christy Eckerman (left) and EDC member Christy Spiegel join Solar Screen owner Fred Kurlander (center) in sponsoring “Bonus Bucks,” where coupons included in The Monitor and the Lake Area Leader can be redeemed for discounts on purchases.

Shoppers who provide contact information on the back of the coupons will automatically be entered in a drawing for the cash prize.
“This insert will be easy to spot, but readers need to cut out and use the coupons to take advantage of the savings,” GBC-EDC board member Linda Rankin pointed out.
“As the current recession deepened, people had less money to spend, and we saw businesses close,” she added. “We wanted to do something to help both businesses and consumers in hard economic times. This is a win-win program for everyone.”
Although only Gun Barrel City businesses are participating in the Bonus Bucks program, anyone who has access to the newspaper insert and coupons can cash in on the savings.
“We would love to have people from the whole Cedar Creek Lake area come see what a pleasure it is to shop in Gun Barrel City,” Rankin said.
For more information about the program, please call the GBC-EDC at (903) 887-1899, or stop by the EDC office at 1831 W. Main Street (across from city hall).
A list of participating Bonus Bucks businesses will appear in GBC-EDC newspaper advertisements prior to the launch of the Bonus Bucks program.
The Gun Barrel City Economic Development Corporation is part of a community team dedicated to attracting new investment and helping expand existing businesses within the city.

Coins to be collected for Presley Reed
Special to The Monitor
KEMP–A community Coin Drive is being held for Presley Reed, a Kemp area child who needs a lifesaving liver transplant.
The Coin Drive is an attempt to turn everyday change into lifesaving dollars for children like 1-year-old Presley.
She is listed for a liver transplant at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas.
Funds are being raised to assist with transplant-related expenses.
Pennies, nickels and dimes do add up.
According to Coinstar, a national coin redemption machine manufacturer, a gallon jug filled with coins can net as much as $228.34.
Coin canisters have been placed at Harvey’s Exxon in Kemp, La Fuentas Restaurant in Kemp, Point 1 Beverage-State Highway 274 south of Kemp, McClain’s Restaurant, Scotties Exxon, Kidd Jones all in Seven Points, Groom and Sons’ Hardware and The Salon both in Mabank.
Others will be placed throughout Kemp, Seven Points and Mabank businesses with their permission.
Presley was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia. The Reed family needs an estimated $50,000 to pay the expenses.
The family and friends of Presley Reed want to encourage everyone to support our Community Coin Drive and help give her a second chance at life.
Every coin collected will assist with transplant-related expenses.
For more information about the Coin Drive, or other fund-raising and volunteer opportunities, please contact Patty Reed at (903) 498-8810, or pattyreed2@embarqmail.com.
Presley’s family has asked for assistance from the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA), a national charity based in Bloomington, Ind.
COTA is dedicated to organizing and guiding communities in raising funds for transplant-needy patients.

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