HOMETOWN EVENTS

WESTSIDE — Santa at Gentry Library

Hot chocolate and coffee will be served at the Gentry Public Library Community Center from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., on Saturday, Dec. 11, before the Christmas parade.

Booked for Lunch at Gentry Public Library

Gentry Police Chief Keith Smith will talk about personal safety during the holidays from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 13, at the Gentry Public Library. Attendees should bring a sack lunch. Cookies from the Wooden Spoon and drinks will be provided. Everyone is welcome. A drawing will be held for the Gooseberry Patch 101 Christmas Recipes book following the program.

Decatur Elementary Christmas Program

Third and fourth grade students will be performing in the Decatur Northside Elementary School Christmas program at 1:45 p.m., Dec. 17. Parents, grandparents and community members are invited to attend.

Decatur City Closings

The Decatur City Hall will be closed Dec. 17 while the interior of the building is painted and the carpeting is replaced. City Hall will also be closed Dec. 24 for Christmas Eve.

Love Lights a Tree

Donations for the “Love Lights A Tree” to fight cancer are still being accepted. The project raises funds by lighting a tree in Centennial Park with sparkling red, white and blue lights. Area residents donate funds for lights. A $5 donation is suggested. All funds go toward cancer research and service programs by the Northwest Arkansas unit of the American Cancer Society. White lights represent those memorialized, red lights honor the survivors, and blue lights are for military personnel and others to be remember during the holiday season. Donors should include their names, the names of those to be honored on the tree, the colors of lights to be displayed, and their relationships to the persons honored. A lighting of the tree will be held in the park located in downtown Gravette at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 10, at which time all names will be read during the ceremony. The tree will remain lighted throughout the holiday season. Contributions may be mailed to Ruth Foster, Box 1076, Gravette.

Gravette Community Choir

The Gravette Community Choir will be presenting “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” at 7 p.m .,Dec. 10, and 2:30 p.m., Dec. 11, at the Gravette Assembly of God Church on Highway 72.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

A community Christmas Eve Candlelight Service will be held at 6 p.m., Dec. 24, at the Gravette United Methodist Church. The public is invited to the brief service to usher in the Christmas Eve spirit. The program will include congregational singing, scripture readings and will end with a candle lighting ceremony as those attending go into the night to their homes and families.

Decatur Winter Concert

The Decatur High School Band will be holding a Winter Concert at 7 p.m., Dec. 14, in the High School Cafeteria. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.

Gravette School Dance

The Gravette Middle School Ambassadors and SOTM (Students of the Month) are hosting a Winter Wonderland Dance at the Gravette Civic Center on Friday, Dec. 10. The Middle School students’ dance will be from 6-8 p.m. The High School students’ dance will be from 8-11 p.m. Students may dress formal, but formal dress is not required. Admission is $5 per student. Pizza and drinks will be available for an additional charge. One free single or group picture will be available. Additional pictures will be available for a small fee. For more information, contact Roger or Janna Sharp at 787-4193.

OCH Angel Tree and Coat Drive

Ozarks Community Hospital in Gravette has an Angel Tree in the hospital lobby again this year to benefit children from the Gravette Upper Elementary and their siblings. People may stop by and select their angels. All wishes and donations need to be returned to the OCH office by Monday, Dec. 13. The hospital is also conducting a coat drive, and new and gently used coats (in all sizes) are needed. It is requested they also be delivered to the hospital front office by Dec. 13. For more information, contact Jayna Cardetti at 344-6464.

New Bible Study

The Gentry Church of God (Holiness) is holding a new Christmas Bible study: “Advent of the Savior.” Those who participate receive a free book. The studies are at 7 p.m. on Wednesday nights through Dec. 22. The church is located just north of the Gentry police station, at 104 North Collins. For more information, call 787-5787.

Address Markers Service Project

Joseph Allen, as a part of his Eagle Scout project, is putting up green address signs for Gravette-area residents. The signs make it possible for emergency responders to quickly locate an address when dispatched to an emergency there. The signs can be attached to mailboxes or other permanent locations. Allen is offering to place the signs for a $10 donation to cover costs of the sign and materials. To contact Allen or learn more about the project, call 531-1676 or e-mail [email protected].

Maysville Church Food Baskets

Maysville Missionary Baptist Church is preparing food baskets available for the holidays. The baskets will be available for pickup at the church, located north of Maysville on Highway 43, on Sunday, Dec. 19, between the hours of 1 and 3 p.m.

Gravette Library Bake Sale

The Gravette Public Library will hold a bake sale, beginning at 8:30 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 11, in front of Tina Crose’s “And Me” shop on Main Street. All proceeds help fund library programs and services.

Gravette Christmas Parade

The Gravette Christmas Parade will be held at noon on Dec. 11. The parade lineup starts at 11:30 a.m. on Charlotte Street. There will be free pictures with Santa and sweet treats following the parade at the Bank of Gravett. Parents are encouraged to bring their cameras.

Decatur Christmas Parade

The Decatur Christmas Parade will be held at 6 p.m., Dec. 10, with a theme of “A Country Christmas.” Lineup will begin at 5:15 p.m. at the city hall. School or non-profit organizations will be awarded $200 for the best float and $100 for second place. After the parade, children can visit Santa and Mrs. Santa in the Decatur Fire Station for free pictures. The Decatur General Store will be open late to provide shelter from the cold and refreshments, as part of a customer appreciation night.

Gentry Christmas Parade

The Gentry Christmas Parade will be held at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 11, with a theme of “A Storybook Christmas.” The parade will begin at Curran Feed Store and travel west down Main Street. Santa will be visiting with children from 3 to 6 p.m., on Dec. 11, in the Gentry Chamber of Commerce lobby. Photos withSanta are encouraged if parents wish to bring their own cameras.

Decatur Home Decorating Contest

The Decatur Chamber of Commerce is holding a Christmas light decorating contest and will be awarding prize money to the top two homes. Homes within Decatur city limits will be judged the week of Dec. 10. The first-place home will be awarded $50 in “Decatur Dollars” to be spent at any Decatur business. The second-place home will be awarded $25 in “Decatur Dollars.” Feed a Homebound Senior Drive

The Billy V. Hall Senior Activity Center in Gravette is holding a feed a homebound senior drive until the end of December. Donations of $3 can feed a homebound senior for a day, $15 for a week, $30 for two weeks, $45 for three weeks and $60 for four weeks through the Meals on Wheels program. With some seniors forced to cancel meals because they can’t afford them, donations are needed to keep the meals coming to those homebound seniors who need them. To make a donation, or for more information on the Meals on Wheels program, call 787-5950.

Library Commission Meeting

The Gravette Public Library Commission will hold a short meeting Tuesday, Dec. 14, at 5 p.m. Items on the agenda include election of officers for 2011, setting goals for 2011 and possible library remodeling. Commission members, library staff, volunteers and honorees are invited to a potluck at 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 18, at the Bank of Gravett hospitality room.

Old Computers Needed

The Gentry Lions Club is collecting and refurbishing older computers and laptops and giving them to students in need of a computer. Older computers and laptops - up to about 10 years old - are being accepted. Hard drives are reformatted and a lighter Linux-based operating system and programs are installed. For more information or to donate a used computer to the Lions Club, contact Randy Moll at 233-0081.

Collecting Old Car Batteries

The Gravette FFA Chapter is asking the community to donate old car batteries for recycling. Car batteries can be dropped off at the Agriculture Department, behind the Gravette High School. Proceeds earned by the local FFA in recycling thebatteries will be used to fund future student scholarships. For more information, call 787-4194.

Faith Baptist Heritage Reunion

Faith Baptist Church of Sandusky, Okla., will hold a Heritage Reunion Sunday, Jan. 9, beginning with Sunday School at 10 a.m. Morning worship and “looking back” activities will be at 11 a.m., followed by a meal served by the church at 12:30 p.m. After lunch there will be a recap of church history and other “looking back” activities. Services will dismiss at 2:30 p.m. For more information, call Shelia Amos Bode at 524-2429, or Fred Adler at 736-8962.

Gentry Lions Club

The Gentry Lions Club meets from 6:30 until 7:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. The club is now meeting in the Gentry Public Library’s community room. Visitors are always welcome.

VFW Meetings

The Gentry/Decatur VFW Post meets on the first Tuesday of each month - at 7:00 p.m. New members and guests are welcome. The facility is 3 miles east of Decatur on Arkansas Highway 102, right on Tilly’s Hill Road, and the first building on the right.

Gentry Senior Activity Center

Gentry Senior Activity Center, at 121 East Main Street (just east of the Gentry Public Library) is open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Meals and rides to the center and activities are available Monday through Friday by calling Jackie Bader, the center’s manager, at 736-0378.Van routes are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday - Gentry, Highfill and Springtown; and Tuesday and Friday - Gentry and Decatur.

Gravette Senior Activity Center

The Billy V. Hall Senior Activity Center, at 1870 Limekiln Road, is open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Center is one of seven operated by the Office of Human Concern, Inc. in partnership with the Area Agency on Aging of NW Arkansas and United Way of NW Arkansas. Many activities are scheduled and lunch is served every weekday. For information on hot home-delivered meals for Gravette, Decatur and Sulphur Springs, frozen home-delivered meals for Maysville homebound seniors or other services the center offers, call Mary Kay Kelley, director, at 787-5950.

Singing Services

Monthly singing services at Falling Springs Church are held at 7 p.m., the first Friday of each month. The church is located northwest of Gentry and west of Decatur on Falling Springs Road.

Address Markers

Gentry Fire Department has reflective address markers available to help responders locate a home or apartment quickly in the event of an emergency. The reflective address markers are only $10 and are made to last for years. For more information, call 228-0694. The signs are also available from the Highfill Volunteer Fire Department. Those in the Highfill Fire District may obtain the signs for $10 by calling 736-5711 or stopping at the Highfill City Hall.