People, Places & Events

Mabank family ‘adopts’ raccoon family group
Special to The Monitor
MABANK–Raccoons are smart. They know how to steal food from humans, and don’t mind doing some damage while they’re at it.
John Wilson reported raccoons in his Mabank neighborhood (the 500 block of S. First Street) were tearing shingles off his roof and continually getting in the family’s garbage cans to scrounge a meal.
“After the third time (having to fix the roof), I decided it was time to declare war,” Wilson said.
Thinking there was a single raccoon involved, Wilson reported he tried to trap the ’coon.
Raccoons don’t have natural burglar masks for nothing – Wilson said the varmints continually stole the bait without getting caught in the trap.
“We decided to put a deer feeder on our back property to try to keep him away from the house,” Wilson reported in an e-mail to The Monitor.
“What we didn’t expect was the large number of raccoons that showed up to eat,” Wilson added. “We have had as many as 12 to 15 at one time.”
One of the raccoons showing up regularly is an albino, which the family named Snowball, Wilson said.
Young ones, old ones and a couple of huge ones (40 to 50 pounds) are routine visitors, Wilson said.
“We now feed them every night – corn, cat food and table scraps,” he said. “They seem to be happy, and haven’t bothered our roof or trash cans in a while.”
Wilson said the family put up four floodlights to illuminate the feeder, and often sit in the dining room at night to watch the raccoons chow down.
“We have the west-side ’coons and the east-side ’coons,” Wilson said. “Sometimes, they arrive at the same time, and have a stand-off for the food.”
The family (John, wife Nancy, and the youngest of four boys, a junior at Mabank High School) now take pictures of the raccoons feeding, which doesn’t seem to bother them.
“The one we call ‘Freckles’ is the camera clown,” he said.
 

25th annual model railroad show set
Special to The Monitor
FORT WORTH–The Lockheed Martin Model Railroad Activity (LMRA) railroad clubs 25th annual model train show will be held Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 13-14.
The train show will turn gyms 1, 2 and 3 of the LMRA Sports Fitness Center, located at 3400 Bryant Irvin Road, southwest Fort Worth, into a hub of model railroading fun.
Admission is $6 per person with children under 10 admitted free. It is an ideal event for children.
There will be 180 dealer tables as well as several local area modular clubs.
The local clubs will be the Heartland RR from Dallas, the Trinity N-Trak Club of Fort Worth and the Tex-N Modular from Dallas.
In addition, the award winning modular club from Shreveport, La. the ArkLaTex Modular RR Club will be attending the show.
This club makes many appearances during the year at train shows, hospitals and malls throughout East Texas and Louisiana. It will have a display the right height for small children to see.
Children will delight in seeing the Thomas the Tank miniature trains running on the modules.
There will also be a new Thomas the Tank play area for children this year, where they will be able to build layouts and run battery powered Thomas the Tank engines and watch Thomas videos.
A special attraction this year will be a gathering of Circus Model Builders, Inc. and the Carnival Historical & Model Builders Society.
These two organizations will be displaying circus trains, miniature circuses and carnivals and other types of circus memorabilia.
Members represent the states of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Texas.
In addition to the traveling modular clubs, the fabulous LMRA club’s permanent layout will be open both days of the show.
You will want to visit the club room located in the clubhouse building and see all the changes that have been made to the layout since last year’s show.
The city of St. Charles has been completely rebuilt.
The Mountain States refinery has been improved with a lot of detail.
In addition, the Red Mesa Mountain area is just about finished. Signals and many new details have been added to other areas.
Come to the show and see the many changes that have been made since last year.
While at the show, visit one of the many dealers. They will have many railroad items to sell, such as trains, videos, prints, memorabilia and RR books.
In conjunction with the model train show, the LMRA is sponsoring Pottery in the Park in the picnic area.
On display will be items made by the stained glass, rock hounds, ceramics, pottery and camera clubs.
Stop at the Pottery in the Park as you are going to the railroad show.
Also, visit the Holiday Jingle Arts and Craft show being held in the LMRA clubhouse Trinity Ballroom. (There is an additional fee to attend the arts and craft show.)
Bring the whole family and spend the day at LMRA.
For more information on the Model Railroad Show, contact Bob Bray at (817) 713-6887 or LMRA at (817) 732-7731.

Low-cost pet vaccination clinic set for Saturday, Oct. 20
Special to The Monitor
GUN BARREL CITY–Friends of the Animals will hold a low-cost vaccination clinic for pets of area residents, 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20.
It will be held at the Friends’ clinic in the southeast corner of State Highways 198 and 334 in Gun Barrel City in the red brick office strip behind the Chevron station. No appointment is necessary.
Dogs must be on a leash and cats must be in carriers.
A rabies shot will cost $10. The annual vaccination for dogs or cats to protect from five different diseases will cost $15. The feline leukemia test and vaccination will be available as well.
Although these low-cost vaccinations are usually only available to its spay/neuter clients, this vaccination clinic will be open to everyone.
The clinic will also offer microchipping for cats or dogs. A tiny chip is inserted into the scruff of the pet, which can be read by a scanner available at shelters everywhere. Your lost pet comes home. Cost for this is $20, which includes the permanent national registration.
Also available for sale will be Frontline Plus, the monthly flea and tick prevention.
Frontline Plus costs $26 for a 3-month supply for a cat and ranges from $28 to $31 for a 3-month supply for dogs.
These products are actually available to anyone year ‘round at the Friends’ clinic on Tuesdays.
There is a rabies epidemic in Texas – and anyone who has had a dog with parvo or distemper knows the suffering that animal goes through – and that it is very contagious to other dogs.
Friends of the Animals Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic has been open since July 2002 and has neutered more than 12,000 animals in that time, saving and preventing literally millions of little lives. Surgery is done by appointment only.
Prices for surgery range from $25 for a male cat to $65 for a giant breed female dog.
If you would like to volunteer, have questions, or make an appointment, call (903) 887-PETS.