Mount Vernon Optic-Herald (Mount Vernon, Tex.), Vol. 138, No. 51, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 19, 2012 Page: 2 of 12
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Page 2, Section A, July 19, 2012
Mount Vernon Optic-Herald
Miller is recipient of Golden Trowel Award
H.H. “Cotton” Miller was presented the
Masonic Golden Trowel Award in ceremonies July 14,
while flanked by his daugher, Rosalyn Bethea and
grandson Todd Bethea, both of Alabama, close friend
Burnis Covington and award presenter J.R. Duckworth.
H. H. “Cotton” Miller
was the recipient the Golden
Trowel Award from Mount
Vernon Masonic Lodge #691.
The award was presented in a
fonnal ceremony at the local
lodge hall Saturday, July 14.
The Golden Trowel is the
highest, most prestigious
Award a Lodge can bestow
upon a fellow Mason. Newly
installed Master of the Lodge
James Duck served as master
of ceremonies. Presenter for
the award was current lodge
secretary and past Deputy
District Grand Master J. R.
Duckworth.
Both the MC and presenter
lauded Mr. Miller as exempli-
fying the service to the lodge
and the community for which
the Golden Trowel Award
was established in 1989. It
was forged to give recogni-
tion to those who do the daily
work of spreading brotherly
love. This is done through
the often overlooked tasks of
facilities maintenance, kitchen
duties, care for the widows,
disabled and many other such
actions without thought of
themselves.
Mr. Miller can be found
at the Saturday Scholarship
Breakfast each month. He is
always the first one to arrive
so he can get his famous gravy
started for the breakfast. Cot-
ton has also served on many
Building Committees for the
Lodge. He seldom misses a
Lodge meeting and is will-
ing to help in all areas of Ma-
sonry, including community
projects.
Cotton Miller was installed
as an Enter Apprentice Mason
Jan. 24, 1953, and a Fellow-
craft Mason on July 6, 1953.
After traveling and working
in five states for a period of al-
most twenty years, he returned
to Midland to complete his
Masters work in Masonry on
Dec. 5, 1972.
Mr. Miller retired in 1980
after 40 years of service with
Gulf Oil. A large portion of
that time was spent as su-
pervisor for a large gaso-
line terminal in Midland. He
later moved back to Mount
Vernon, where he received
a dual membership with the
Saltillo Lodge #631 on May
12, 1980.
He is a 32nd Degree Scot-
tish Rite Mason and a Shriner
at the Suez Temple in San
Angelo. He spent three years
as the Flag Carrier of the Foot
Patrol in the all state competi-
tions with the Suez Temple.
Mr. Miller is a Past Mas-
ter of Acacia Lodge #1414 in
Midland and a Past Master of
Saltillo Lodge #631. He has
served a total of 26 years as
various officers of a lodge. In
addition, he served three times
as Past Patron of Saltillo East-
ern Star.
Mr. Miller served eight
years on the Mount Vernon
City Council, four years as
Mayor of the City of Mount
Vernon, and four years on a
City Council in Mississippi.
A U.S. military veteran, Mr.
Miller will celebrate his 93rd
birthday on Tuesday, Aug. 21
of this year. He was accompa-
nied for the Masonic ceremony
by his daughter, Rosalyn Gail
Bethea, and grandson, Todd
Bethea, both of Huntsville,
Alabama. Also attending was
his friend since high school,
C. W. DeShazo, who with
Mr. Miller went to the state
baseball tournament with the
Saltillo Lions baseball team
in 1936.
Burnis Covington, Past
Master of Lodge #691, pre-
sented him with a certificate
style print of a poem “I’d
Rather See A Sermon.”
The poem by the English-
born American poet Edgar
A. Guest summed up the
life lived by Mr. Miller, ex-
plained Mr. Covington.
More than 60 attended the
ceremony and buffet style
dinner prior to the presenta-
tion.
- Lillie Bush-Reves ’12
James Duck is local
Masonic Master
James Duck was installed
as the Master of the Mount
Vernon Masonic Lodge #691
Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons on Saturday, July 7,
at the local lodge hall.
James F. Brumit, Grand
Master of the Masonic Grand
Lodge of Texas was the in-
stalling officer. Joel Bumpass,
Dist. 6 District Deputy Grand
Master was the Installing
Marshal. The Grand Master
was accompanied by Grand
Marshal Billy Clark Stephen-
son.
Grand Master Brumit is a
long time friend of outgoing
Lodge Master Burnis Coving-
ton. Eddie Turner, Mason and
interim administrator for the
City of Mount Vernon, pre-
sented Grand Master Brumit
with a proclamation of James
F. Brumit Day in the city. The
proclamation was adopted by
the city council July 10.
Other officers installed
during the ceremony and the
office which they hold with
the local lodge were Senior
Warden Thomas Shiels, Junior
Warden Bill Guy, Treasurer
Ronnie Moore, Secretary J. R.
Duckworth, Chaplain Richard
Lee, Junior Deacon Burnis
Covington, Senior Steward
Mike Ramsey, Junior Steward
Murray Collins, and Tiler Roy
Carr. Senior Deacon Clint
Hopkins was unable to at-
tend, but will be installed this
week.
A home-cooked meal, pre-
pared by the new Master’s
family, preceded the installa-
tion ceremony.
- Lillie Bush-Reves ’12
New officers for Mount Vernon
Masonic Lodge #691 were installed by the
Grand Master of Texas James F. Brumit
Bucket Brigade underway to
remodel restrooms at the park
A brigade of buckets have
been placed around town to
help collect donations for the
renovation of the restrooms at
Little Creek Park.
People are urged to collect
their loose change and drop it
in bucket next time they visit
downtown.
As of Tuesday, July 17
$3,275 had been collected
from private donations and the
buckets. After a collection of
$4,000 has been made, work
will begin on the roof of the
restrooms at the park.
The estimated cost to get
both bathrooms operational,
up to standards for the handi-
capped, repair the building, and
the roof is around $10,000.
Individuals, businesses and
organizations are urged to help
with funding. Tax deductible
donations can be made to the
Little Creek Park, c/o Saun-
dra Dunn, 704 Miller Street,
Mount Vernon, Texas 75457.
Donations can be dropped
off at the Mount Vernon City
Hall. Donors should make
their checks specifically for
the Little Creek Park Bathroom
Project.
- Marie Dacus ’12
Input sought for "Healing
Through the Arts" programs
The Franklin County Arts
Alliance will be holding a
meeting at the Cultural Arts
Center at 9 a.m. Friday, July
27, about Healing Through
the Arts.
The arts have proven to be
an effective way to facilitate
healing, physically, mentally
and spiritually. Countless art
forms have proven effective,
including painting, writing,
sculpting and even cooking.
At the July meeting, FCAA
committee members and staff
and interested persons from
the community will be dis-
cussing ways to move forward
with this program.
“We would love input from
members of our communi-
ty,” stated Jeannie Pamplin,
FCAA president. “Age is not
a factor here, nor is member-
ship in our organization. We
just want to hear what you
have to say.”
The CAC is located on the
southwest comer of the inter-
section of Rusk and Dallas
streets, just one block west of
the Courthouse in downtown
Mount Vernon. Those unable
to attend may send their writ-
ten recommendations to ei-
ther FCAA, P. O. Box 1276,
Mount Vernon, Tex. 75457
or by e-mail to franklincount-
yarts@gmail.com .
- Lillie Bush-Reves ’12
Governments are required to publish their decisions in the
newspaper - including their intent to build a structure
nearby that you might not want. But sonic officials want
to bury public notices on little seen, rarely visited
government websites.
If it is not in the newspaper,
how will you know?
L
Call iis to learn more: Mount Unman (®ptic-3Henili> 903-537-2228
J
Voting precincts are
consolidated for runoff
Only one voting location
will be open election day for
the party Runoff Election.
Franklin County received a
letter of no objection from
the United States Department
of Justice after requesting to
consolidate the county’s eight
voting precincts into one poll-
ing place on election day.
The early voting location
will also be the consolidated
voting location on election
day. The south lobby of the
Franklin County Law Enforce-
ment Center was selected for
both for easy access by the
handicapped, its central loca-
tion and plenty of parking
space.
Registered voters who voted
in the Primary can vote in the
same party’s Run-Off election.
If a registered voter did not
vote in the General Primary
they may vote in either party’s
Run-Off election.
In addition, the United
States Department of Justice
did not make any objections
to the consolidation of these
voting precincts for any future
runoff elections in which no
local candidate is on the bal-
lot for either the Democratic
or Republican parties.
Franklin County Clerk Betty
Crane made the DOJ request.
She noted that the request was
supported by letters from both
local party’s county chairper-
sons and the county judge.
“This just makes sense, and
will save the county money,”
noted Clerk Crane.
This should reduce the
number of election workers
to six or eight compared to as
many as 60 currently used on
election day. The taxpayers
will save between $7,000 and
$10,000 each time they are
able to consolidate voting pre-
cincts in runoff elections.
Almost all of the savings
are from election worker sala-
ries. The rest of the savings,
according to County Clerk
Crane, are from a reduced
number of ballots, program
and testing for two electronic
help machines instead of 18
help and counting machines,
and not having to pay workers
to transport and set up the ad-
ditional voting machines.
- Lillie Bush-Reves ’12
GOING OUT OF BUSINESS-Final Day Soon
After 22 years, Mt. Vernon Floors will be closing their
doors. Everything must be sold- inventory, tools, ware-
house shelves, racks, forklift - everything!
For the next two weeks, we can sell you material only at
great savings-we will help you find an installer.
We thank those who have supported us over the years
and we will see you again in some other setting.
May God Bless Mt. Vernon, Franklin County, our state
and nation.
With love and respect,
Malcolm and Lucy Davis
Pit Stop
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Bush-Reves, Lillie. Mount Vernon Optic-Herald (Mount Vernon, Tex.), Vol. 138, No. 51, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 19, 2012, newspaper, July 19, 2012; Mount Vernon, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth831138/m1/2/?q=green+energy: accessed July 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .