Bert Cooper, director of Community Seeds of Lone Oak, says because of the threat of the coronavirus the annual fund-raising Christmas dinner hosted by the organization at 6 p.m., Thursday (Dec. 3) will be a "backward parade." In other words, cars of supporters will pass through the National Guard Armory parking lot on Jack Finney Bouldevard, viewing holiday lights and other holiday attractions, and receive a prime-rib dinner to-go as they leave. Supporters of Community Seeds should indicate

Wayne Bowman, Hunt County Master Gardener, offers his tips for cleaning up fall gardens and preparing for the start of gardening in the spring, including caring for tools.

Pud Kearns of Housewarmers of Greenville says among the many Thanksgiving weekend events in Greenville and Hunt County will be "Small-Business Saturday" (November 28) when holiday shoppers are urged to patronize their homesown small businesses. The Uptown Forum in downtown Greenville has a full schedule of events scheduled for the day. Among many other events, the Clark Street Christian Church in Greenville will host its traditional free Thanksgiving dinner beginning at 10:30 a.m. Thanksgiving

Carol Taylor , chairman of the Hunt County Historical Commission, says Texas had two official Thanksgivings from 1941 to 1957. President Lincoln set the last Thursday of November as the official Thanksgiving Day in 1863. President Franklin Roosevelt signed legislation changing the official holiday as the fourth Thursday of November in 1941, in a move designed to expand the Christmas shopping season.

With the 57th anniversary of the John F. Kennedy assassination having passed on Sunday (Nov. 22), Rick Parent of Commerce relates how he happened to acquire a vintage Mannlicher Carcano rifle , the weapon Lee Harvey Oswlad allegedly used to kill President Kennedy.

Alice Reese, Herald-Banner movie reviewer, reflects on a new trend in which movie theaters are renting themselves to groups of 20-30 people, including Dallas theaters such as the Angelika and Alamo Drafthouse. The cost is as little as $99. Alice reviews "The Last Vermeer," a World War II drama in which soldier investigates a renowned Dutch artist who is accused of conspiring with the Nazis.

Commerce Mayor Wyman Williams says the City Council this week passed a tax incentive plan that should be the final action necessary to bring the Chinese company Huaru to Commerce. Huaru will manufacture plastic pipe in the old Zurn building on Highway 11, on the east side of the city. The tax incentive plan will extend over 10 years, the mayor says.

Steve Killian, superintendent of Cooper Lake State Park , says the park is seeking designation as a "dark sky" park whene the night skies are dark enough to see much of the Milky Way galaxy. He says the park has installed new, less glaring parking lot lights to improve the dark-sky effect and make stars even more visible at night.

Kim Saenz, director of the Hunt Regional Emergency Centers in Commerce and Quinlan, says even as an upsurge of coronavirus cases is being seen in Hunt County, the number of flu cases is also increasing. She encourages as many people as possible to take the flu shot.

Carol Taylor , chairman of the Hunt County Historical Commission , relates the story of Horsehead Pass , the only usable way to cross the Pecos River in West Texas on the way to California in the mid-1800s. The pass was also used by cattlemen John Chisholm, Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving on cattle drives into New Mexico, Colorado and further north.