Community news
VETERANS OFFICES: The Mahoning County Veterans Service Commission Office will be closed to the public in observance of New Year’s today and Monday. The office will reopen on Tuesday.
ASSOCIATION TO MEET: Reservations are due Saturday for the Mill Creek Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association Jan. 10 meeting at A La Cart Catering in Canfield. The cost is $18. Reservations may be made by calling Darlene at 330-755-9089 or Marilyn at 330-726-2527. Networking begins at 6 p.m. with dinner at 6:30 p.m.
Community news
WWII GROUP TO MEET: The World War II Heritage Group will meet 6:15 p.m. Monday at A La Cart Catering in Canfield. The presentation is Pearl Harbor and Beyond by David Luther of Howland. He will bring his father-in-law, George Coler, who is a WWII veteran. For reservation for a buffet meal before the program, call David Frank at 330-757-0515. Members are reminded that dues of $15 can be paid along with the meal.
SOCIETY TO MEET: Poland Historical Society will have a Christmas party for its members on Tuesday. Membership dues are $20 per person or $30 per couple residing at the same household. Send to Poland Historical Society, P.O. Box 5052, Poland, OH 44514. For information visit polandhistoricalsociety.com
CHRISTMAS EVENT: The Holy Family Seniors Group will celebrate Christmas together at a luncheon at noon Monday at Holy Family Parish, 2729 Center Road, Poland. Cost is $12 per member and $16 for nonmembers. Attendees are asked to bring a $5 gift for a gift exchange. There will be cards and bingo. No other meetings are planned during the winter months.
HANUKKAH EVENT: The Jewish Community Center of Youngstown will host a community Hanukkah event 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at its winter campus, 505 Gypsy Lane. “Hanukkah on Ice” will include open skating on the JCC’s synthetic ice rink, a Hanukkah story and sing along, food, games, crafts and lighting of a 9-foot menorah.
The event is free for JCC members and $5 for nonmembers. Registration is required by Wednesday. Visit jccyoungstown.org/wintercam pusevents to register.
FOOD PANTRY OPEN: Temple Emmanuel, 108 W. Indianola Ave., Youngstown, will host a food pantry 1 to 2 p.m. today. For more information, call 330-788-9796.
BOXED HOLIDAY DINNER: Lauren McNally, 5th Ward Counilwoman, and Anita Davis, 6th Ward Councilwoman, have organized a community outreach Holiday Ham Dinner Box giveaway, providing residents with a ham for their holiday dinner as well as an apple pie, cans of corn and beans and a box of hot chocolate.
The councilwomen worked with Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation and Glenwood Grounds, a locally-owned coffee shop in the Glenwood Corridor, to make the dinner boxes and will be handing them out between 2 and 4 p.m. Tuesday at Glenwood Park. Residents also will be able to get a hot dog and drink courtesy of Glenwood Grounds. Everything is on a first-come, first-served basis.
HELPING HANDS: Helping Hands Closet at Western Reserve United Methodist Church, 4580 Canfield Road, Route 62, Canfield, has new and gently used clothing for the family from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays.
PEACE LIGHT: The Peace Light or Nativity of Bethlehem flame, symbolic of the Light of Christ especially evident at Christmas, is available for people in the Mahoning Valley.
The light promotes peace, harmony and unity among all people of the world. The light is available at JMJ Spiritual Connection store, 3434 Canfield Road, Cornersburg. The store will host the light for the public to receive the flame through Jan. 6, during normal business hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, except holidays. For more information, call 330-270-5657.
Anyone wishing to receive the light and a message of peace at the store should bring a windproof candle or lantern, or even a new candle to have it lit by the flame and let it burn for a couple of minutes.
Community news
DESTINATION IMAGINATION: A meeting about the forming of a Destination Imagination team for Youngstown city schools will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Denny’s on Belmont Avenue in Liberty. Dinner is at 6:30 p.m. on your own. Anyone interested in forming a DI team or wanting information can attend. For information, call Jeanne at 330-719-6585 or Bob at 330-565-8772.
SANTA BREAKFAST: Youngstown Parks and Recreation will host Breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 903 Otis St., Youngstown.
Santa’s elves will be serving breakfast. Santa and Mrs. Claus will share their favorite stories of the North Pole and will listen to childrens’ holiday secrets.
Ages 10 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets are free, but there is limited seating. Stop in at the Youngstown Parks and Recreation Department, 26 S. Phelps St., Youngstown, or call 330-742-8711 for information or to reserve a spot.
RAILROADERS BREAKFAST: All railroaders are invited to a breakfast meeting at 11 a.m. Thursday at EJ’s Restaurant in Chester, W.Va. Any questions, contact Rocco at 330-853-3045.
POP-UP FOR DOG RESCUE: The sixth annual one-day holiday Small Biz Pop-Up to benefit All About the Pawz Dog Rescue will be 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Austintown Plaza, 6000 Mahoning Ave. There will be 50 raffle baskets to benefit All About The Pawz.
Also benefiting will be the Youngstown Blue Coats. The Blue Coats will be collecting sleeping bags, coats, dry boots, warm gloves, blankets, tents, new socks and other winter items.
More than 40 vendors and local small businesses will be set up inside the former Goodwill location. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be on-site for cellphone photo opportunities from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
FREE FOOD GIVEAWAY: Bethel Church of God in Christ, 3147 Glenwood Ave., Youngstown, will have a free food giveaway at noon Wednesday.
Community News
WREATHS FOR VETERANS: Blackstone Funeral Home in Girard, along with the Girard American Legion Post No. 235, for the fourth year are participating in the Wreaths Across America event at noon Dec. 17 at Girard City Cemetery.
The first year, in 2019, volunteers placed 275 wreaths on fallen veterans’ graves and last year, they placed 1,100. The funeral home and American Legion are hoping to place 1,400 wreaths this year so that every veteran in Girard City Cemetery has a wreath on their grave.
Wreaths are $15 and can be ordered by calling Blackstone Funeral Home at 330-539-5955 or sending a check to Wreaths Across America c/o Blackstone Funeral Home, 672 Churchill Road, Girard, 44420. Wreaths also can be purchased at www.WreathsAcrossAmerica.org using the location ID: OH0307 so that the purchase goes to Girard City Cemetery. Wreaths also can be purchased at the funeral home between 9 and 10 a.m. Dec. 17.
The ceremony will take place in front of the cemetery chapel, and will be followed by volunteers placing the wreaths on graves.
HOLIDAY EVENT: The second annual Christmas on Seventh Street will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday at St. Jude Catholic Church, 180 Seventh St., Columbiana.
The event will feature a live reindeer and petting zoo, a Cookie Walk where patrons visit a cookie buffet, a visit and free photos with Santa, free children’s crafts and face painting.
There also will be aChristmas Gift Marke, a pancake breakfast served 9 a.m. to noon. The cost is $6 per person; children 5 and under are free.
For information, contact Alexis Folino Gallo at 330-271-1548.
Community news
COAT DRIVE AND CHILI COOK-OFF: The Phipps Family Memorial Coat Drive is being held through Dec. 10. Distribution will be through Struthers schools and preschools.
Collection sites include Struthers City Hall, Youngstown AMVETS and various businesses throughout Struthers.
¯ The Phipps Family Memorial Chili Cook-Off is being held 3 to 6 p.m. Dec. 11, at the AMVETS Post 44, 305 Elm St., Struthers. Bring your best batch of chili for a chance to win bragging rights as well as 50/50 raffle, basket raffle and more.
All donations, tips and 10 percent of the bar will go toward helping the children of Struthers.
PAW SMARTZ: Paw Smartz, a community outreach event on pet health and safety, hosted by the Youngstown State University Pre-Veterinary Society Student Group and Buster’s Brigade, will take place at 3 p.m. Dec. 10, at the Debartolo Hall on the YSU campus. It is free and open to the public.
Speakers on pet care, grooming, handling, working dogs and more, will be included. There will be activities and games with prizes for children and snacks.
Sponsored by the Marjorie Hartman Family Foundation.
Free parking at the M70 lot on Fifth Avenue. No pets allowed.
Community news
GUERRIERI TO PERFORM: The East Palestine Memorial Public Library will welcome guitarist Tyler Guerrieri at 6 p.m. today, to perform classic Christmas music and holiday favorites. All ages are welcome to attend. For more information about this event, contact the library at 330-426-3778.
STRUDEL SALE: Orders are due Tuesday, for Sts. Peter and Paul UOC Orphanage Mission Ministry’s Strudel Sale to benefit Ukrainian orphans who have been relocated to Poland.
Order apple or cherry for $9 or cherry with cheese for $10 each.
Pick-up will be 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, at the Orthodox Cultural Center, 1025 N. Belle Vista Ave., Youngstown.
Monetary donations are welcome and will be sent to the UOC of USA Consistory then forwarded to the director of the orphans.
To make an order or for more information, call: 330-792-6699 or 330-799-7911.
Also, the Ministry’s monetary donation drive to benefit Ukrainian Orphans relocated from the war zone to Poland is ongoing. The group has raised $8,000 since April and their “goal” is to reach $10,000 by year-end.
Community news
PEACE LIGHT: The 2022 International Peace Light will arrive Monday in the Mahoning Valley. The Great Trail Council of Boy Scouts of America, which serves Scouts in six counties including Mahoning and Trumbull, will host the light.
The light will be brought Monday to the JMJ Spiritual Connection store, 3434 Canfield Road, Cornersburg, by the Cub Scouts and Scouts from St. Christine Church at 5 p.m. for a short ceremony.
The JMJ store will host the light for the public to receive the flame through Jan. 6 during normal business hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, except holidays. For information, call 330-270-5657.
The light promotes peace, harmony and unity among all people of the world.To offer to host the Peace Light in Mahoning and Trumbull counties, contact Mike Kupec, coordinator, at 330-519-3988 (text or call) or mike.kupec@gmail.com or Bob Granchie at bobgranchie@sbcglobal.net.
Peace Light details and information can be found at www.peacelightnorthamerica.org.
URSULINE PERFORMANCE: The Ursuline High School Theater Department will present “Peter and the Starcatcher” at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Diebel Morley Arts Center at the Ursuline Campus. A matinee also is set for 2 p.m. Dec. 11. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for students and senior citizens. Tickets may be purchased at the door. For ticket reservations or information, call 330-744-4563.
CANFIELD SCHOOLS MEETING: The Canfield Local School District will host a community awareness meeting 6 p.m. Wednesday at Canfield High School. The public will be able to hear and discuss facility plan options to satisfy the educational needs of the students and the community. There will be discussion on the condition of each school building and tours of the schools. The event is open to any Canfield resident.
FUNDRAISER CONCERT: The Youngstown Area Community Band and the Stambaugh Chorus will host the 13th annual Holiday Concert of Giving at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 11 at Stambaugh Auditorium. The concert will benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley. Admission to the concert is a cash or check donation of any amount. Staff members of the food bank will be at the door collecting donations. No food donations will be collected at the concert. To date, the concert has raised $43,000 for the food bank.
FALL OPEN HOUSE: Model trains of all shapes and sizes can be seen at the Youngstown Model Railroad Association Fall Open House noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Dec. 11 , and at the club, corner of Raccoon Road and Four Mile Run Road in Austintown.
The Youngstown Model Railroad Association is one of the few clubs in the country that has two complete displays, ‘O’ scale and the smaller ‘HO’. Both extensive layouts feature over 100 scale miles of track each.
Entry is $5 per person. Children 11 and under with an adult are free.
For information, call Bruce at 330-318-3254 or Dean at 330-507-9295 or email: yomodelrrclub@yahoo.com.
HELPING HANDS: Helping Hands Closet at Western Reserve United Methodist Church, 4580 Canfield Road, Canfield, has new and gently used clothing for the family. It is open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays.
Community news
WREATHS FOR VETERANS: The Mahoning County Master Gardener volunteers have been able to place wreaths on veterans’ graves for the past 15 years. The wreaths are meant to honor their sacrifices and teach younger generations about the high cost of freedoms. The tradition is for a ceremony where each veteran will have a wreath placed upon their grave. This year’s Wreaths for Our Veterans ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday at Eckis Cemetery, 2381 S. Newton Falls Road, North Jackson. Tax-deductible donations are also being accepted. For those interested in donating, call 330-533-5538. To learn more, visit: https://go.osu.edu/wreathsforourveterans2022.
GIRARD CELEBRATES: Girard residents will be able to celebrate the holidays with the annual tree lighting 4 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The parade will start at 4 p.m. and the tree lighting will be at 5:15 p.m. by the city municipal building. Attendees are invited to bring an ornament to decorate the tree and a letter to send to Santa and the North Pole. There will be food trucks, music, arts and crafts, vendors and holiday performers. The tree lighting will take place in the open grass lot across from Farmers National Bank by city hall.
SANTA ARRIVES: The Girard Free Library will welcome the arrival of Santa Claus at 6 p.m. Monday via fire truck. An evening of family festivities will take place, including photos with Santa and Christmas decorating.
HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: Ozer Ministries will host a holiday open house 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday in conjunction with the East Palestine Snowflake Festival. The ministry will be decorated for the holiday season.
Ozer will provide gift bags for the first 150 attendees, along with light refreshments and cookies. A decorated Christmas tree and themed gift baskets will be included in raffles.
For information, contact John or Daryl Hersh at 330-426-2147.
SANTA COMING TO TOWN: Join the Hubbard community as Santa Claus comes to town for a Christmas parade to ring in the holiday season. The parade begins at 5 p.m. Saturday by Hubbard High School. For information or to participate, call the mayor’s office at 330-534-3090.
LIBERTY TREE LIGHTING: The Liberty tree lighting will be 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday at the gazebo behind the administration building. There will be caroling and hot chocolate and pictures taken with Santa.
Community News
TREE LIGHTING: The Wickliffe Circle Christmas Committee Inc. will hold their 35th annual Austintown Community Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony today at the Wickliffe Circle Fire Station, 4102 Mahoning Ave., Austintown.
There will be caroling at 6:45 p.m. followed by lighting of the tree at 7 p.m. and then Santa Claus arrives on a fire truck. After Santa’s arrival, everyone is invited into the fire station to visit with Santa. Hot chocolate, red punch, coffee, cookies and candy will be served free of charge.
FLEA LAUNCHES CARD CAMPAIGN: The Youngstown Flea has launched “Believe! Youngstown,” a love letter card campaign in partnership with the nonprofit, We Are A Generation, to give people the chance to send letters of love and deliver well-wishes to the residents of Youngstown.
Friday through Sunday every letter of love sent online at youngstownflea.com/believe/ or hand-written card dropped in the “Believe! Youngstown” mailbox, the Youngstown Flea will donate $1 (upto $1,000) to WeAreAGeneration and its community efforts to empower the people of Youngstown.
The mailbox will first be located at Flea On Phelps on Friday and again at The Youngstown Flea Building, 365 E. Boardman St., on Saturday and Sunday.
Additionally, anyone can purchase a We Are A Generation bracelet for $1 at weareageneration.com/bracelet/ with proceeds benefiting We Are A Generation.
For more information, contact Derrick McDowell at youngstownflea.com, info@youngstownflea.com or call 330-565-5483.