People, Places & Events

Model A Club shows automotive history to Mabank students

Monitor Photo/Pearl Cantrell
Cedar Creek Model A Club member Walter Hellebrand lets Mabank High School ninth-grade automotive student Brady Semmen take a turn behind the wheel of his blue 1930 Ford Model A sedan Wednesday, while his classmates watch.

Model A club member Ola Powell (in cap) shows fellow member Dr. Roberto Loar (left) and MHS automotive students how the distributor works to put fire to the plugs.

Cedar Creek Model A Club members Joe Creecy (left) Ola Powell and Bill Wittner (right) compare the size of an original spark plug to the replacement plug available for these cars now.

Sophomores (from left) Jeffrey Renfrow, Orlando Garcia, Jacob Flores and Ricardo Robles examine a tan 1928 Model A Ford convertible Roadster with optional etched wind wings, rumble seat and exterior leather trunk owned by Bill Wittner.

David “Shorty” Johnson, 86, points out the route his 1925 Model T traveled in 2001 from Gun Barrel City to Alaska, a trip of 12,000 miles. "We had trouble all the way," he jokingly recounted. Shorty is also referred to as the car doctor for these older models.

Cornbread Festival set for April 25
Monitor Staff Reports
MALAKOFF–Pull out those cornbread recipes … its festival time again.
The 12th annual Cornbread Festival will be held Saturday, April 25 in downtown Malakoff.
Along with all the regular festival favorites, the Malakoff Chamber of Commerce is adding the “Strutt your Mutt” parade, which will begin at 3 p.m. and wind through all the booths and end up at the KCKL Entertainment Stage for the Pet Contest. There is no entry fee for the parade, but your pet must be on a leash and be up-to-date on shots.
Another new event will be an old-fashioned cake walk.
“This is always a crowd pleaser,” said Chamber Secretary/Treasurer Pat Isaacson.
Officials will also crown the King and Queen of the Corn again this year.
Regular events like the Cornbread Cook-off Contest, the Hat Contest, the Cornhole Tournament and the 5K “Run to the Corn” are all returning.
Radio station KCKL 95.9 FM will be hosting the entertainment stage, which will be located on the parking lot next to Cedar Lake Nursing Services.
Chamber officials said plenty of vendors have signed up, but there is still room for more. Booths can be set up between 6:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. Vendors must furnish their own tables. Mitcham Street will be closed at 8:30 a.m.
This is a rain or shine event.
Contact the chamber at 903-489-1518 or email malakoffcofc@embarqmail.com  for more information.
Festival Schedule
• 8 a.m. – 5K “Run to the Corn” starts at the First Baptist Church on Mitcham St.
• 10 a.m. to 3:30p.m.– Cornhole Tournament
• 10 a.m. – Drop off entries for the Cornbread Cook-off
• 11 a.m. – Cake Walk at Entertainment Stage
• Noon – Cornbread Cook-off judging begins; Little Mr & Miss Niblett Contest (talent/costume) begins at Entertainment Stage
• 1 p.m. - 3rd & 5th grade Malakoff Elementary Students
• 2 p.m. - King & Queen of the Corn at Entertainment Stage, followed by live entertainment.
• 3 p.m.– “Strut your Mutt” Parade begins at the First Baptist Church, followed by the Pet Contest at Entertainment Stage
3:45 p.m. – Hat Contest at the Entertainment Stage.

Fear of the ‘lightning god’
By L. Schroeder
Special to The Monitor
MABANK–Anyone who has had the privilege of living in Texas for a time knows we get some really heavy and noisy thunderstorms.
The lightning will light up the night as bright as day, followed by some of the strongest house-jarring booms you have heard, all the while there are buckets of rain crashing down from the sky.
Many of us older ones like these noisy storms, as long as they do not disrupt our TV watching or tear up our roof.
Yet, over the years, I have met some folks who are deathly afraid of these storms.
One lady came to a church baseball game. A thunderstorm came up in the western sky. Rain was coming, but we had a while before it hit.
It was this lady’s turn to bat, but we could not find her. After searching, we found her in a car. She refused to come out until the storm had passed.
In fact, her fear was so bad she would even hide in a closet while at home during a lightning storm.
I also knew a man who was so dreadfully afraid of lightning he would hide in a meat locker where he worked. He did have a good reason – he had been struck twice before.
The first time was when he was a boy bringing in the cows. Lightning struck a wire fence next to him and jumped across, knocking him off the cow and to the ground.
The second time, lightning came through an open window, bore a hole in a wall and struck him in bed.
This is why he would hide, because he knew the “lightning god” was out to get him, and he didn’t want to give him another chance.
I can understand why some have a fear of lightning because I came real close to being hit myself.
I was running in the rain in an open field and started to pass through a metal gate. Just then, lightning arced across the opening in front of me. I was not hit but every hair on my face, head and arms was singed from the heat.
Maybe the same “god” was after me. Sure glad he missed.
Statistics show being struck by lightning is rare, but in our country each year, about 150 folks are killed.
What most of us don’t know, everyday there are hundreds of electrical storms in progress. The experts figure each storm has 600 flashes, of which 100 strike the earth.
That means millions of lightning bolts touch down every 24 hours.
I can see why some folks are hit. It’s like we are being shot at from some big lightning gun in the sky.
With this kind of danger, maybe my friends are playing it safe by doing crazy things.
Storm safety experts do suggest during a storm to keep away from open windows, and don’t be out in a field or on a lake. If you are, get to land and in a car.
Also, try to keep away from wire fences or metal buildings.
You know, if we apply these safety tips, we might keep out of the “lightning god’s” gunsights.
Still, there is one part of a thunderstorm I enjoy with all the danger.
I love to see the sky light up with breathtaking colors. In fact, I think the whole spectacle is better than a Fourth of July celebration.
So, the next time a Texas-size thunderstorm rolls by, play it safe, but also sit back and enjoy the show, for you are in for one swell eye-tickling treat.