On Sunday, May 5 at 4:48 pm, Howe Police Officer Brandon Ozuna stopped a vehicle on northbound U.S. Highway 75 at Haning Street for a traffic violation and found that the 25-year-old driver, of Dallas, was wanted on outstanding Dallas County warrants for Theft of Property > $2,500 and Evading Arrest with a Motor Vehicle. Ozuna arrested him and then spoke with the other occupants of the vehicle. While doing so, Ozuna smelled the odor of Marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. A subsequent search revealed a useable amount of Marijuana. The 24-year-old passenger, also of Dallas, was arrested for Possession of Marijuana < 2 Oz.
Expectations for Howe’s Annual Founders Day Festival have never been higher. The event that starts at 2 pm on Saturday will see a record number of vendors that will be set up all over the two-block area of downtown stretching from O’Connell Street to Davis Street. Vendors will not only be on the sides of Haning Street downtown, but also in the middle of the street. All in all, nearly 80 spaces will be filled with those selling all kinds of items from jewelry to funnel cakes. Two bands will provide entertainment during the event’s entirety and kids will have bounce houses, and a kid train to keep them occupied.
This year’s event will feature a Summit Gardens BBQ dinner (to be held at FBC Howe), silent auction (held at Summit Gardens), and live auction (at the EDC/Chamber office). Also, there will be a 6U Ferguson Field Founders Day Classic game between two Howe teams. Former Howe Youth Baseball Commissioner Ray Bledsoe will be recognized before the game for his contributions to Ferguson Field 48 years ago.
Donna Jarma will be inducted to the Howe Hall of Honor tonight.
But for the fifth consecutive year, the Founders Day Festival will actually kick off tonight with the Howe Area Chamber of Commerce’s Howe Hall of Honor and Awards Celebration at 6:30 pm. Donna Jarma, Bobby Sollis, Marion Allison, and Lowell Thompson will be enshrined into the illustrious Hall of Honor just after the chamber announces awards such as the Norma J. Citizen of the Year, the Business of the Year, and the Volunteer Organization of the Year. That event will take place in the Howe EDC/Chamber office at 101 E. Haning St. and tickets are $15.
On Saturday night at 7:30 in the same location, the Summit Gardens organization will hold their final live auction with Clint Catching serving as auctioneer. The chamber wants to thank all of the sponsors that are helping make this a great looking Founders Day Weekend. Torque Plumbing and The Girls Next Door have sponsored the main stage area where the bands will perform. Baker A/C & Heating is the sponsor for the 65′ inflatable obstacle for the kids. Sandy Setliff of JP & Associates is the sponsor for the bounce house for the kids. Star Auto Body of Howe is the sponsor for the Interurban Kid Train that will run the same route as in year’s past. Advantage Business Machines has once again sponsored the lawnmower race, but a location for the race has yet to be determined due to large amounts of vendors.
The 1986 Sesquicentennial event was the beginning of Howe’s Founders Day Festival.
The Founders Day Festival sprung its roots from the 1986 Texas Sesquicentennial celebration. First held on May 10, 1986, and organized by the Sesquicentennial Committee headed by Jim Utley, the celebration featured a parade, horseshoe tournament, a one-mile run, a 5-mile run, and egg toss, a tobacco spitting contest, bubble gum blowing contest, cow chip throwing contest, and a beard contest.
Since then, Howe’s Founders Day has been a staple each May, but there were a few years that it was canceled due to either weather or to not enough interest. But since 2014, the event has grown each year and has been the largest attended to date. This weekend the streets will be full of people.
Schedule of events:
Friday at 6:30 pm – Howe Hall of Honor and Chamber Awards
12 pm – Haning Street is blocked off and vendors begin set up
2 pm – Founders Day Festival Begins. Bent Creek begins playing on the to Torque Plumbing and The Girls Next Door Stage.
Summit Gardens silent auction begins at Summit Gardens
Star Auto Body Interurban Kid Train begins route
3 pm – 6U Howe Baseball players parade through downtown from Ferguson Field and back.
3:30 pm – Festivities begin at Ferguson Field recognizing former Howe Youth Baseball Commissioner and former Mayor Ray Bledoe. Hall of Honor inductee Donna Jarma will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
4 pm – Founders Day Ferguson Classic begins.
4:30 pm – Limbo contest in front of the Torque Plumbing and The Girls Next Door Stage.
5:20 pm – Lawnmower race to begin at Ferguson Field (sponsored by Advantage Business Machines).
5:30 pm – Summit Gardens (Save the Church) BBQ dinner begins at FBC Howe’s Fellowship Hall.
5:30 pm – Montecito begins playing on the Torque Plumbing and The Girls Next Door Stage.
7:00 pm – The Star Auto Body Interurban Kid Train shuts down.
7:00 pm – Summit Gardens silent auction ends
Jean Norman assists during the 2017 Save the Church live auction.
7:30 pm – Summit Gardens live auction begins at the EDC/Chamber office downtown.
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NORMAN EDWARD DICKEY was born Jan 24, 1940 in Gunter, Texas in a small home on his grandfather Reed’s land. His parents were James E Dickey and Alla Jean Reed Dickey. He was raised in Gunter in a simple manner that instilled and incorporated his love of God, life, family, and sports. After working on the farm, milking the cow, hauling hay, and picking cotton, Norman chose to go to college to be able to always be near his love of sports by becoming a coach.
After a successful athletic career at GHS, he graduated in 1958 and went to Cisco Jr. College on a football scholarship. After playing college football for 2 years, he transferred to and worked his way through Austin College and played football and baseball on scholarship there for 2 more years. He graduated from Austin College in 1962 with a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education. His first teaching and coaching job was in Mesquite High School, Mesquite, Texas. Howe ISD school board sought him out for head coach and athletic director in 1964 and so he started his 31-year stint at HHS. There he became the “winningest coach in HISD history” and was recently recognized at a community pep rally for that honor.
During his career at HISD he taught math, coached, and served as interim principal and superintendent, was Director of Special Services, and retired as Assistant Superintendent. The first Howe athletic field house was built during his tenure and he loved caring for and improving the Howe football field.
In 1965, Norman married Joanne Berglund Dickey whom he met at Austin College. They’ve been married nearly 55 years. Their children are son, Gary Don Dickey (Retired US Army Lt. Col.) and Lisa Joy Dickey Newton. He is survived by wife, Joanne of Howe, son Gary Don Dickey (Susie) of Killeen, Texas; daughter, Joy Dickey Newton (Mike) of Diana, Texas; Grandchildren: Michael Dickey of San Antonio, Texas, Kaydee Dickey of Killeen, Texas, Jess Newton, Joelle Newton, Jaymin Newton of Diana, Texas; sisters Ladonna Lue Dickey Sparks of Italy, Texas, Calla Dickey Robinson (Gary) of Denison, sister-in-law Libby Dickey of Gunter; Derenda Dickey, mother of Michael and Kaydee; sister and brother-in-law Barbara and Bill Worthley of Arkansas; many cousins and nieces and nephews and cherished friends. He was predeceased and joins in heaven his parents and beloved brother and fellow athlete Don Dickey, grandparents Lee and Laura Reed and James Epp and Lillie Dickey.
Norman’s simple pleasures in life included enjoying a good meal, watching sports both live as well as on tv, visiting with friends and family, playing dominoes, playing outlaw volleyball, church basketball, fast pitch softball, working outside, staying busy, and his favorite, being with or even just calling the 5 grandkids of whom he was so proud. That simplicity in life is to be admired as his life brought glory to God. Because he was a Christian, he often referred to “The Good Lord’s plan”. That faith and the resulting strength and peace will be missed.
Visitation will be Wednesday, April 10, 2019 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00. p.m. at Scoggins Funeral Home in Van Alstyne, Texas. Memorial service will be Thursday, April 11, 2019 at 2:00 at First Baptist Church. Burial will be at Gunter Cemetery following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to First Baptist Church Howe, PO Box 247, Howe, Texas 75459.
Funeral services are under the direction of
Scoggins Funeral Home & Crematory, 637 W. Van Alstyne, Pkwy. Van
Alstyne, TX; 75495. 903-482-5225. You may sign the online register book
at www.scogginsfuneralhome.com.
It was confirmed today that Norman Dickey, former Howe Bulldogs football coach and athletic director has passed at approximately 4 pm Sunday afternoon, April 7, 2019.
Dickey was hired by Howe schools in 1964. He took a football program that was on the verge of collapsing due to the lack of willing participants and grew it to a district, bi-district and regional champion team just six years later. After 12 years as head coach of the Howe Bulldogs, he holds the most wins of any football coach in school history with 51.
After spending time as a coach, math teacher, counselor, interim principal, interim superintendent, and three-time interim athletic director, Dickey retired from the school district in 1996. In addition to his accomplishments, Dickey spent countless hours mowing Bulldog Stadium, working on the scoreboard, running the clock, officiating junior high games, keeping the stats and everything in between.
Dickey was raised in Gunter, Texas and graduated from Gunter High in 1958. After earning his first degree at Cisco Junior College, he transferred to Austin College where he played football.
The Howe Bulldogs were built by Dickey in the 1960s where he recruited 24 kids to play football his first year at Howe. Two years later, the Dogs kicked off a stretch of six seasons without a losing record including a regional championship in 1970 which was as far as a team could advance.
In 2016, Dickey was named to the Howe Hall of Honor. In August, he was recognized by former Howe Bulldogs Head Coaches at the Howe Community Pep Rally. The Norman Dickey Award was established many years ago to recognize the most outstanding female and male athlete of the year.
The Howe Area Chamber of Commerce will host the 33rd Annual Founders Day Festival on Saturday, May 4 from 2 pm to 8 pm in the historic business district of Howe on Haning Street. But the event may be expanded to another street due to the number of vendors who have preregistered. With a little over a month to go, the chamber has announced that there are 62 retail spaces as well as five food and drink vendors. In comparison, last year’s vendor total was 53 retail vendor spaces and four food and drink vendors. The chamber is currently having discussions about expansion to another street in the downtown area if vendors continue to sign up.
There will be many things to do for the Founders Day patron as two other organizations are also having events in and near downtown. The nearly-completed Summit Gardens wedding and event venue will hold a silent auction in the EDC/Chamber office from 2 pm – 7:30 pm. They’ll host a BBQ dinner at FBC Howe’s Fellowship Hall starting at 5 pm and then a live auction at Summit Gardens at 7:30 pm.
The annual lawnmower race is hosted by Advanced Business Machines and it is scheduled for 5:20 pm for a location to be determined due to Haning Street being full of vendors.
MUSIC
Musical entertainment will be provided by Bent Creek from 2 pm – 4 pm. This is the third consecutive year that they’ll be performing on stage at the Howe Founders Day. At 5 pm, Montecito will begin their live performance which will conclude at 8 pm.
BASEBALL
Howe 6U baseball players are ready for action.
The Howe Youth Baseball organization will host the First Annual Founders Day Ferguson Classic which will feature a Howe vs. Howe 6U baseball game at the newly remodeled Ferguson Field (within walking distance from downtown). A parade of Howe 6U players will stroll through downtown at 3 pm with pre-game festivities at 3:30 pm including a ribbon-cutting, a ceremonial first pitch by Howe Mayor Jeff Stanley, and special recognition of former Howe Youth Baseball Commissioner Ray Bledsoe. Game time is 4 pm. Tyson Foods has sponsored the event which will feature $2 burgers at Ferguson Field.
KIDS
The Interurban Kid Train is hoping to return to Founders Day. The chamber is seeking sponsorship.
For the kids, the chamber is seeking sponsors to provide the extremely popular Interurban Kid Train to return. It was first introduced in 2017 and has been one of biggest features of the festival. If sponsored, it would run from 3pm – 7pm pulling kids down the same trail the of the former 1930s passenger train. Also, the chamber is seeking sponsors for the main stage and 65′ inflatable obstacle course. JP&Associates REALTORS – Sandy Setliff has sponsored a bounce house for the kids.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
65′ obstacle course
The Howe Chamber has opportunities for business to be highly visible on the day of the festivities. The main stage has room for banners and the Kid Zone has multiple opportunities. If interested, you can contact the Howe Area Chamber of Commerce at info@howechamber.com or at 903-532-6080.
HOWE HALL OF HONOR
Harold Taylor was inducted in 2018. He is shown here with Howe Chamber President Robert Cannaday.
The Founders Day Festival actually kicks off the night prior at the EDC/Chamber office when four members will be inducted to the Howe Hall of Honor at 6:30 pm on May 3. Donna Jarma, Bobby Sollis, Marion Allison, and Lowell Thompson are this years inductees. The event will also reveal the Norma J. Citizen of the Year, the Business of the Year, and the Volunteer Organization of the Year.
