By CINDY ROLLER,
Bowie Community Development
This year is all about Candy Canes for celebrating the season in Bowie.
Bowie Community Development Board, staff and volunteers have decked downtown and the Bowie Knife to prepare everyone for the upcoming festivities including Candy Cane Sip & Stroll With Me and the 33rd Fantasy of Lights Candy Cane Christmas Festival and Lighted Parade.
The first weekend in December begins the Christmas Festival in Bowie. It was one of the first parade to feature lighted entries more than 30 years ago, and continues to grow each year.
Sip & Stroll continues to encourage supporting local as many downtown participating locations host mini-open houses on Dec. 6. Read the full story on this part of the festival on page 8A.
Saturday, Dec. 7
Saturday morning begins early with Breakfast with Santa from 7 a.m. – 10 a.m. at the Bowie Fire Hall, 203 Walnut Street in downtown Bowie. The City of Bowie Fire Department and its ladies auxiliary welcomes families to enjoy free pancakes and a visit with Santa Claus.

Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.

There is still time to sponsor a wreath on a veteran’s grave in Elmwood Cemetery this holiday season.
These wreaths will be provided through the Wreaths Across America program coordinated locally by the Bowie Amity Club. During recent years more than 300 wreaths have been laid to remember all these veterans during Christmas.
Individuals who wish to sponsor a wreath can do so for $17. A family can purchase four at $68, 10 for $170 and a corporate sponsorship of 100 can be made for $1,700.
Sponsorship forms are available on the club’s Facebook page or call Angela Short at 940-841-1315 with questions.
The annual ceremony to remember veterans and lay the wreaths will be at 11 a.m. on Dec. 14 at Elmwood Cemeteries. Those wishing to help lay wreaths are invited to make this a family tradition to follow the program’s creed of “Remember, honor and teach.” Each time a wreath is laid the volunteer is asked to say the veteran’s name out loud. This program usually features a speaker and the raising of the flags, before the laying of the live evergreen wreaths.

On Monday afternoon north of Ringgold dozens of workers with heavy equipment were on the scene of a train derailment that occurred reported about 1 p.m.
According to a report from the Montague County Emergency Communications Team, 28 cars of a Union Pacific train derailed near Pump Station Road, not far from the Red River bridge. The company stated no hazardous materials were involved and there were no injuries.
Clean-up was projected to take about 48 hours. Along U.S. Highway 82, just east of the wreck site the roadside was filled with heavy-duty pickups and large trucks carrying things like excavators and backhoes.
Workers wearing orange and yellow safety vests were everywhere as the train cars were cleared.
They worked throughout the night. Flashing safety signs were placed along the highway, but it was never closed.
The town of Ringgold is located along on the Union Pacific’s Duncan Subdivision about two miles from the Texas-Oklahoma state line.

Top photo – Dozens of workers and pieces of heavy equipment arrived on the scene Monday afternoon to begin clearing debris at the train derailment at Pump Station Road north of Ringgold. (Photo by Josh Rowe and KFDX/KJTL)