Multipe events scheduled for Memorial Day weekend

Brad Kellar, Rockwall County Herald-Banner, Greenville, Texas
·3 min read

May 26—Many of us are looking forward to a long weekend as the Memorial Day holiday ushers in the unofficial start of summer.

Local veterans are wanting to remind the public of the meaning behind the holiday and are taking steps to remember their fallen brothers and sisters.

For those planning to drive during the break, law enforcement agencies across Texas are urging motorists to stay safe behind the wheel.

— All federal, State of Texas, Hunt County, Rockwall County and City of Rockwall offices will be closed Monday. Republic Services will perform their garbage and recycling collection schedule as normal. Most banks will be closed, as will the U.S. Postal Service, with no mail delivery scheduled. The business offices of the Herald-Banner will also be closed Monday and will reopen for regular hours Tuesday.

— Rest Haven Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 2500 Highway 66 East, Rockwall is hosting a Memorial Day Ceremony starting at 10 a.m. Monday, presented by the Terry Fisher American Legion 117 and Lakeshore Composite Civil Air Patrol.

— The Royse City American Legion Post No. 100 plans to place wreaths and/pr American flags on the graves of all veterans to honor and remember their service and sacrifice. The event is scheduled at 8 a.m. Monday at the Royse City Cemetery, 928 Cemetery Rd, Royse City and at 9:30 a.m. at the Post namesake at Rest Haven Funeral Home and Memorial Park in Rockwall.

— The national Carry The Load Walk New England Route, which began May 3 in Burlington, Vt., is scheduled to pass through North Texas, including Rockwall County, this weekend on its way to its final destination in Dallas. The relay is scheduled to reach the Royse City High School stadium, 700 S. FM 2642, at around 9 p.m. Saturday, then Soulman's Bar-B-Que, 818 I-30 Frontage Road, Royse City, at 10 p.m. Saturday.

The trek is expected to pass through Rockwall early Sunday morning reaching the Fate Fire Department, 128 East Fate Main Place in Rockwall at midnight, proceeding to the Rockwall County Courthouse,1111 W Yellow Jacket Lane at 2 a.m. and Chase Bank, 6602 Dalrock Road in Rowlett at 4 a.m. and continuing on through Garland.

Carry the Load is a non-profit, founded by former Navy Seals to raise funds and awareness for veterans and their surviving families.

Organizers say Carry The Load was designed to rejuvenate the true meaning and purpose of the Memorial Day holiday as a way to honor those who served and died in service to the United States.

Additional information about the relay is available at the Carry The Load web site at carrytheload.org.

— The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is reminding drivers to celebrate Memorial Day safely.

The Texas Highway Patrol, Royse City Police Department and other law enforcement agencies are participating through Monday in Click It or Ticket, as well as Operation CARE (Crash Awareness Reduction Effort).

Click It or Ticket is an enforcement campaign that encourages people to wear their seat belts. Operation CARE is a specialized campaign in which Troopers look for drivers who are speeding, intoxicated or violating other laws. Troopers will also watch for drivers not complying with the state's Move Over, Slow Down law.

"We know Memorial Day is a busy time on the state's roads, and we encourage people to just take a little extra time, obey the traffic laws and watch out for each other," said DPS Director Steven McCraw. "By following traffic laws, paying attention to other drivers and buckling your seat belt, we all get to have a safer holiday and that's really what's important."

During the 2022 Memorial Day campaign, Troopers issued more than 66,700 citations and warnings. This includes 4,790 citations for speeding; 1,184 for no insurance; and more than 718 citations for individuals without seat belts or child seat restraints. DPS also arrested 195 people on DWI charges, 175 fugitives and 296 people for other felony charges.