HOMETOWN EVENTS

Decatur Class Mementos

Decatur High School juniors and seniors can now order class rings, caps and gowns, and graduation announcements. Information packets will be sent home from school on Nov. 27. Graduate Sales will be at the school at 9 a.m., Dec. 14, to take orders. For more information, call the high school office at 752-3983.

Falling Springs Christmas Program

The Falling Springs Church will hold its Christmas Program at 7 p.m., Dec. 1, at the church. Everyone is welcome.

Santa Claus Holiday Circus

A Santa Claus Holiday Circus will be held Friday, Nov. 30, at the old gym (middle school) in Gravette. There will be two performances of the circus, one at 5:30 and one at 7:30 p.m. Advance tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children. Tickets at the door will cost $12 for adults and $8 for children. Advance tickets are available at the Gravette Public Library, Arvest Bank and Bank of Gravett.

“Love Lights a Tree”

The annual “Love Lights a Tree” ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, in Centennial Park at Gravette. Red, white and blue lights will be lit and a $5 donation is suggested for each light. Donations may be sent to Ruth Foster/Love Lights a Tree, P.O. Box 116, Gravette, AR 72736, or contact ColeenDickinson or Mary Beth Mitchell. “Love Lights a Tree” is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

Chili/Potato Soup Dinner

Gentry Senior Activity Center is having a chili/ potato soup dinner from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7. Area residents may support their community seniors by buying a ticket from any member senior citizen. Tickets are a donation of $5 for adults and $3 for children.

Decatur Methodist Christmas Bazaar

Decatur Methodist Church will hold its annual Christmas Bazaar from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7. Lunch, consisting of soup, sandwich, dessert and drink for $5, will be served. There will be many gift items from local venders and from the church members. All proceeds will go to local charities. The church is also holding a nonperishable food drive focusing on the following: tuna, canned chicken, ravioli, spaghetti and other meal-type foods for the food pantry.

Santa in Gentry

Santa Claus will be in Gentry the afternoon of Saturday, Dec. 8, at the Gentry Chamber of Commerce building, 212 East Main Street in Gentry. Santa will visit with children between 3 and 6 p.m. Each child will also receive a goody bag.

Gentry Christmas Celebration and Parade

“It’s a Wonderful Life” isthe theme of the annual Christmas celebration planned for Dec. 8. The parade will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the intersection just west of the railroad tracks and travel west to the Gentry City Park. There is no pre-registration or cost to be in the parade. There will be float awards for the best music, best theme representation, best lights and a grand prize for the best overall. For additional information, contact Bev Saunders at 736-2358.

Decorate Your Mind with Reading

The Gravette High School book fair will be held from 7:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., Dec. 3 through 7, at the GHS Library Media Center, with books for all ages. Book fair volunteers will be setting up for “The Teacher Sneak Peek Party” scheduled at 3:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 30. Mollie Hendrick, GHS art teacher, is sponsoring the book fair poster contest. Students in her art classes are creating posters for the poster contest. First-, second- and third-place winners will receive book fair dollars to spend during fair. The winning posters will be displayed at the media center entrance. Poster contest entries will be displayed for students, parents and the community to view. All proceeds go toward purchasing new books for the Gravette High School Library.

Christmas Tea

A Christmas tea is planned for 9:30 a.m., Dec. 1, in the fellowship hall of the Gentry First Baptist Church. Tickets are $3. More information is available by calling the church office at 736-2646.

Planning Commission Openings

The city of Gravette is seeking applicants for the Gravette Planning Commission. There are six openings available, four positions within city limits and two outside the city limits. Please send or drop off a letter of intent and brief resume to Mayor Byron Warren, 604 First Ave. S.E., Gravette.

Highfill Planning Commission

Anyone interested in serving on the HighfillPlanning Commission is asked to submit a letter of intent and brief resume to Highfill’s mayor, Stacy Digby, at the Highfill City Hall or by emailing it to stacy. [email protected].

Christmas Craft Fair

A Christmas Craft Fair to benefit the Gravette Fire Department will be held Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Gravette Civic Center. Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Booth space is $10, with all proceeds to benefit the department. For information or to reserve a booth, contact Tina Crose, 787-0510. There will also be a booth judging contest to determine the best-decorated booth.

Decatur Food Pantry

United Christian Charities has opened a food pantry in downtown Decatur for anyone needing food in the northwest Arkansas area. The hours of operation are Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. The point of contact is Tina Holt, 435-5699.

Feed My Sheep Hours

The Feed My Sheep food pantry in Gravette is open each Thursday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Reading Program Suspended

The Gravette Public Library has suspended the Tuesday Reading Program temporarily. Many other activities conflict during the winter months but the program will be reinstated in the spring.

Area Quilt Class

The next monthly meeting of the quilt class at the Gravette Church of Christ will be held at 12:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1, at the church annex, 202 Irving St. S.W. Instruction will be given on a quilt block and a craft, and there will be a show-and-tell time. Anyone interested is invited to attend. Bring completed quilts or projects in progress and a snack to share.

Holiday Express Train

The Kansas City Southern Holiday Express train will make a stop in Decatur at 4 p.m., Dec. 10. Tours of the train and visits with Santa will be free and open to the public. The Decatur Museum and Cabin will also be open for the event. More information is available on the KCS website, www.kcsouthern.com, or by calling the Decatur City Hall at 752-3912.

Decatur City Council

Decatur’s December city council meeting has been moved from its usual date on the second Monday of the month due to a conflict with the Decatur Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade. The December meeting will be held at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 11. For more information, call 752-3912.

Maysville Food Pantry

Maysville Missionary Baptist Church opens its food pantry, Our Healing Hearts, every fourth Sunday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. for those in need.

Praise and Worship

Maysville Missionary Baptist Church holds a praise and worship service at 6 p.m. every third Sunday night, with refreshments following.

Gravette Community Choir

The Gravette Community Choir is rehearsing each Monday evening from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at First Assembly of God Church on Hwy. 72 west of town. Persons with questions should contact Gabra Stewart at [email protected] or call 787-1010. The musical drama “A Family Reunion Christmas” will be performed at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30, and again at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the church. There is no admission.

Care and Share Vouchers

Care and Share vouchers are only issued on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., at the Care and Share Specialty Shop, 103 Huntington Street S.E., off Hwy. 59 South in Gravette. In an emergency, appointments may be made. Call 344-6114.

GED Classes

GED classes meet Monday and Tuesday evenings from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Gravette Public Library. The classes are provided by the NWACC adult education program, which also administers the official GEDtest at the Center in Rogers. Classes will continue on the above scheduled days through Dec. 14. For information, call the library at 787-6955.

Tired Iron of the Ozarks

Regular meetings of the Tired Iron of the Ozarks are held at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Tired Iron clubhouse located at the club’s show grounds on Taylor Orchard Road southwest of Gentry. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, Dec. 18.

Gentry Lions Club

Gentry Lions Club meets at 6:30 p.m. the second and fourth Thursdays of each month in the McKee Community Room at the Gentry Public Library. Guests are welcome.

Gravette American Legion

Gravette American Legion Post 20 meets the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center. All veterans are encouraged to attend. The next meeting is Dec. 18.

Gravette Kiwanis

The Gravette Kiwanis Club holds breakfast meetings at 7 a.m. each Friday at the cafeteria in Ozarks Community Hospital. Guests are welcome.

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.

Men's Fellowship

First Baptist Church of Gentry has a monthly men's fellowship gathering at 8 a.m. on the third Saturday of each month. All men are welcome to come for food and fellowship. Guests are welcome. For more information, contact Madden Waits at 736-5009.

VFW Meetings

Decatur VFW Post 9834 meets at 7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month. New members and guests are welcome. The facility is three miles east of Decatur on Arkansas Highway 102, right on Tilly’s Hill Road, and the first building on the right.

News, Pages 2 on 11/28/2012