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Photos by Keri Harvey

Howe citizens are receiving letters regarding a failure to properly test for lead and copper in the water system.  TCEQ requires municipalities to send out letters any time a failure in testing occurs.  The City of Dorchester also failed to send in the testing to TCEQ and they are sending letters out also.

Howe Mayor Jeff Stanley released the following statement.

“To the citizens of Howe:

Most of you received a letter form the Public Works Director, David Wortham, that the city violated the monitoring and reporting requirements set by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality(TCEQ).

The test that were missed were for Lead & Copper, and have been missed for the past two years. When this happens a notice has to go out to the water users. It does not mean that your water is not drinkable, it is just a notice that has to go out by law. A test has been scheduled for January 1st.

2014 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report CCR)

 

Dear Santa,

I want a tractor, a car with a truck, a game Mindcraft for my ds, frosty the snowman movie. I will leave you carrots and apples because when Santa was here he said his reindeer like apples and carrots.

Love,

Aydan Chantaca

 

Dear Santa,

I am five years old. What I want for Christmas is a remote control boat, two fish, a stuffed animal ducky, a monster truck, an IPhone 4, an I pad and two real fish. I will leave you chocolate chip cookies to eat and milk to drink.

Love,

James Henry Delavan

 

Dear Santa,

I want an I pod touch, an I pad, computer, a Kindle, a Leapfrog and that is all. There will be a gingerbread house at my house for you. What do you like to drink?

Love,

Noah Ryan Fox

 

Dear Santa,

I want a princess and a little Monster High and a big Monster High and I want… hum, a Santa sleigh and a movie

that is called the Three Musketeers. I love you.

Lilliane Raley Freeman

 

Dear Santa,

I want a Super Mario game, a game for my DS, and a movie about Super Mario Luige movie.

I am going to leave you cookies to eat.

Love,

Javier Guiterrez

 

Dear Santa,

I want a Barbie, a princess, a frosty the snowman movie,and a key chain. I am going to leave you shape cookies and milk. They will be on my table in my living room.

Love,

Hannah Ingram

 

Dear Santa,

I want a Ipad, a truck, and magnets. Chocolate chip cookies will be on my table for you to eat.

 Love,

Dylan Mayhue

 

Dear Santa,

I want an IPhone 4 to call my dad and play games, a lot of games on them. I would also like a white cat named Fluffy. I want Frosty the Snowman movie. I will leave you some vanilla ice cream to eat.

Love,

Ethan Potter

 

Dear Santa,

I want a teddy bear, a monster truck toy, a tractor toy, and a horse toy.    I will be leaving you chocolate cookies.

Love,

Yahir Rangel

 

Dear Santa,

I want for Christmas is Junie B. Jones books, a toy fish, a toy dog, and Lego friends and sockins.  I will leave you cookies on my living room table.

Love,

Alex Reed

 

Dear Santa,

I want a PSP, a 3 DS and a game called Smash.

I am leaving you probably chocolate chip cookies and carrots and apples for the reindeer.

Love,

Malachi Simpson

 

Dear Santa,

I want a Monster truck with a controller, a Santa sleigh, a reindeer, snowman, and a person who has a fishing pole and a fish. I am going to leave you pepperoni and carrots and candy canes and carrots.

Love,

Bob Wilson

 

Dear Santa,

I want two elves and a trampoline and an IPhone 4 and a cookie maker and an ice cream maker and that is it. A gingerbread cookie will be left on the bricks on the chimney on the front of it.

Love,

Kalynne Wilson

 

Dear Santa,

I want high heels, a Barbie house, Barbie, and a Monster High Barbie. I am going to leave you Chinese and Mexican food to eat.

Love,

Brinley Zolfaghari

In a year that saw Howe restart its chamber of commerce, hire a full-time economic development president, land three new retail businesses and a new apartment complex, the State Comptroller Glen Hegar revealed that Howe has eclipsed the previous high in sales tax with a 2015 total of $308,689.11 which is up 12.44 percent equating to $34,163.72 from 2014’s total of $274,525.39.

The 2014 total was the previous high of any year since the 1992 recordings. The largest jump from one year to the next happened from 1997 to 1998 when the revenue increased by $51,212.86. That year’s increase was due to the adoption of the 4B sales tax funding, therefore making this year’s increase the largest jump with all things equal.

Howe’s 12.44 percent change ranks the city 265 out of 1152 Texas communities. In comparison to other surrounding communities, Van Alstyne increased 8.27 percent, Anna increased 7.25 percent, Denison increased 4.45 percent and Sherman increased 2.10 percent.

By percentage growth in sales tax revenue, Howe compares to nearby communities of Princeton, 12.61 percent; Wylie 12.82 percent; Leonard 13.34 percent and Whitewright, 13.47 percent.

Howe and Whitewright’s sales tax revenue numbers are nearly identical on a monthly revenue basis and a year-end total. The total of $309,799.20 shows an increase for Whitewright above their $273,020.36 from 2014. However, Whitewright is just now coming back after a massive fall off of $420,888.59 total in 2011 to $271,629.03 in 2012.

“This is only the beginning of what will be an economic transformation of Howe.” says Howe’s President of Economic Development. “Being located on US 75 gives us a great opportunity in the next 10 years to go from this new accomplished goal of $300,000 to $1,000,000 by 2025. I really feel like we are on track and can look 14 miles to the south to back up those goals.” Anna went from $353,781 in 2005 to $1,472,317 in 2015.

The north to south US 75 corridor in sales tax revenue:

Denison, $5,896,065, +4.45%
Sherman, $18,336,491, +2.10%
Howe, $308,689, +12.44%
Van Alstyne, $984,349, +8.27%
Anna, $1,472,317, +7.25%
Melissa, $1,706,728 -0.65%
McKinney, $43,383,455, +7.50%
Fairview, $3,045,766, +4.22%
Allen, $35,478,210, +0.44%
Plano, $77,558,042, +2.87%
Richardson, $31,751,701, +5.48%
Dallas, $272,645,990, +6.11%

Howe’s annual Christmas parade will take place on Saturday at 4:30.  It will begin on Beatrice Street by Charles R. Thompson Gymnasium and make a round trip back by way of Highway 5 and through downtown.  Floats are to line up on Beatrice Street starting at 3:45.  The Howe Church of Christ will have cookies available while a vendor will be selling hot chocolate.  Paris Palacios will emcee the parade and all downtown businesses will be open.

The parade will feature:

*Keep Howe Beautiful
*JLTD Racing/Bauer Motorsports
*Christian Motorcyclist Association
*Howe Enterprise
*Howe 3rd/4th Youth Football
*Bobbie Peterson Cate for Grayson County District Attorney
*Howe Cub Scouts
*97.5 KLAK/93.1 KMKT/102.5 Mad Rock
*Jeff Whitmire, Grayson County Commissioner
*Girl Scouts of Howe
*Bob Utter Ford
*New Beginning Fellowship
*Howard Day for Sheriff
*Howe Boys Athletics
*Howe Girls Athletics
*JD’s Babbitt Bearings
*Joe Brown, Grayson County District Attorney
*Eva’s All Season Glass
*Scott Renfro for County Commissioner
*Chill Out
*Howe PTA
*Women Rock
*Fierce Motion in Dance
*Diannah Walke
*Howe Fire Department

If you’re wanting to enter into the parade for free, you can register here:  http://howechamber.com/event/howe-christmas-parade/

The Howe Community Library and Peggy’s Porch are hosting a holiday shopping spree on Monday, Dec. 14 at the Howe Community Library.  There will be a wide assortment of items available for students to shop through for Christmas/Hanukkah presents for their families.  The students will receive “Peggy’s Porch” bucks that they can use for purchasing items (items will only cost one “buck” each).  There will be a gift wrapping station for wrapping their presents.

Library Director Becky Hogenson says that donated items would be greatly appreciated.  Garage Sale types of items – especially toys, stuffed animals, jewelry, tools – really need gifts for men. Library staff and Peggy’s Porch volunteers will be setting up items on Saturday morning, Dec. 12. Those interested in helping can drop off items at the library any time.    Hours for the shopping spree are 8:00-4:30 – Monday only.  The sale will be held at the Howe Community Library.

 

The Howe Fire Department will host a “Breakfast with Santa” event tomorrow (Saturday) at the Howe Elementary/Middle School Cafeteria.  The event will be from 8:0o – 10:30 am.  The entry fee is $5 or a wrapped gift.  http://howeenterprise.com/?p=17470