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carla@vanzandtnews.com The City of Canton is continuing with a statewide 57-year tradition known as ‘Keep Texas Beautiful’ during the week of April 15. In 1967, the State Department of Highways and Public Transportation, now known as the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), created the Beautify Texas Council to help give Texas a facelift for the upcoming 1968 HemisFair in San Antonio.

There will be a rabies clinic, annual vaccines, and microchipping services offered to the citizens of Van Zandt County (excluding shelters and rescues) by Operation Kindness from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 19 at Trade Center #1 on the First Monday Grounds in Canton.

Finding missing parents: That was the focus of the March 23 meeting of the Van Zandt County Genealogical Society at the VZC/Sarah Norman Library in Canton. Mary Jamba, a DNA genealogy specialist, gave a presentation on ‘Finding Unknown Parents and Grandparents with Genetic Genealogy.’ Ms.

The public is invited to attend the unveiling of a bronze plaque commemorating the historic ‘Victory or Death’ letter authorized by William Barret Travis at The Alamo in 1836. The event will take place at 10 a.m.

A ‘Certificate of Appreciation’ was presented to Frances Hyde by the Van Zandt County Commissioners Court during their regular meeting March 27 on her retirement after 28 years of service as a part-time VZC Pct. 2 employee. The presentation was made to Hyde by VZC Pct. 2 Commissioner Virgil Melton Jr., who was presiding over the meeting in the absence of VZC Judge Andy Reese.

On the morning of Friday, March 22, the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) Unit removed 17 allegedly cruelly treated dogs from a property near Canton.

In advance of the solar eclipse event Monday, April 8, Van Zandt County Judge Andy Reese has ‘Declared a Local State of Disaster’ for VZC in a letter sent to Texas Governor Greg Abbott April 1. The local state of disaster declaration by Reese reads as follows: ‘Whereas, the county of Van Zandt on the 5th day of April 2024 has the potential for a number of hazardous conditions including, but not limited to, injury, or loss of life or property (or there is imminent threat of same) resulting from a mass infl ux of visitors to VZC for the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024, and whereas, we do not have the public safety resources to adequately protect the citizens of VZC or our visitors and; ‘Whereas, the Judge of the County of Van Zandt has determined that extraordinary measures must be taken to provide adequate protections of people and to protect or rehabilitate property and to request resources and enact temporary orders, ordinances, and measures to protect the same; ‘Now, Therefore, Be It Proclaimed by The Judge of the County of Van Zandt: ‘That a state of disaster is declared for the County of Van Zandt.