Donegal Community Center seniors plan tour of Italy

Join the Donegal Community Center Senior Citizens for a tour of Southern Italy and Sicily May 10-21, 2012. The tour features Taormina, Alberobello and the Amalfi Coast with optional four-night Malata post tour extension. If you are interested in finding out more about this exciting trip, attend an informational meeting 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Donegal Community Center, 113 Community Center Lane. For more information, call Joseph Sarnelli 724-593-2001.

Are you, or someone you know, interested in finding out more about Champion Christian School• The Champion Christian School Community Visit Day will be held 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday. Everyone in the community is invited to come and see the preschool through 12th grade programs. It's designed to be casual. Just stop in anytime to look around and talk to teachers and administrators. The South Campus in Indian Head houses the preschool through fourth grade; the North Campus in Donegal has preschool as well as fifth to 12th grades. At 7 p.m. there will be a kindergarten readiness seminar at the South Campus only. This is for any parent regardless of where they want to send their child for school. If that day doesn't work for you, call Barb Skinner in the development office at 724-455-2122, ext. 104 or e-mail her at barb_skinner@champion.org to set up another time. Check out the website at www.champion.org/ccs where you can find information about accreditation, staff, curriculum; they even have a financial aid estimator on the Web to give you an idea of cost. There is free bussing from six surrounding school districts: Connellsville, Uniontown, Mt. Pleasant, Ligonier, Somerset and Rockwood.

Stop in to Highlands Hospital's front lobby 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Dec. 2 for its Festival of Trees. A $2 donation buys a chance on a 7-foot, fully decorated tree and what is underneath it. Proceeds will benefit the hospital.

A bluegrass open stage and jam session with be held at the Wooddale Grange, beside 914 Pleasant Valley Road, Mt. Pleasant, from 7 to 10 p.m. Dec. 3. This is on Route 982, between Laurelville and Connellsville. Doors open at 6 p.m. Food and beverages will be for sale. A jam session will be downstairs and the stage upstairs. The event will repeat the first Saturday of each month except January and is based on previous events, which were held in the past starting at White and moving to Donegal, Indian Head then Ohiopyle. Springtime Hill Barn Band will host and provide the sound. Friends and volunteers will be helping. For more information or to schedule stage time, call Bill Springer at 724-455-3919.

Come enjoy the Wonder of Christmas from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Donegal Area Community Center, 113 Community Center Lane. The event features the Parade of Trees, a live Nativity, Santa, Yogi, Cindy and Boo Boo, Ronald McDonald, Caddie Shak Gopher, Frosty the Snowman, music, crafts, a 50-50 drawing, Chinese auction and lots of good food. Admission is free. Event is sponsored by Chestnut Ridge Historical Society and the Donegal Area Community Center.

Saltlick Township children age 12 and younger are invited to come see Santa from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Saltlick Township Volunteer Fire Department Fire Hall, 2009 Indian Head Road, Indian Head.

Christian Family & Children's Center would like to invite you to celebrate this Christmas season with them. Join them for some of their Christmas activities and help them to keep Christ in Christmas:

• Dec. 1, Sight & Sound Theatre -- there is still room on the coach bus to see "The Miracle of Christmas" at the Sight & Sound Theatre in Lancaster. The bus will leave the North Campus at 7:30 a.m., the play will start at 1 p.m. and dinner will be held at 4 p.m. at Miller's Smorgasbord. Call 724-593-9200, ext. 100 for more information.

• Dec. 2, "Return to Bethlehem" -- step back into Bethlehem and take a walking tour of the night Jesus was born at Word of Life Ministries in Greensburg. The bus will be leaving the North Campus at 6:45 p.m. For more information or to let them know you would like to attend, call 724-455-2122, ext 101.

• Dec. 5 and 6, Billy Graham Library and Samaritan's Purse -- visit the Billy Graham Library and tour the Samaritan's Purse World Headquarters in Charlotte, N.C. The bus will leave the North Campus at 6 a.m. Dec. 5 and stay overnight at the Wyndham Hotel in Charlotte, N.C. You can find a trip itinerary at www.champion.org/events/trips . For more information or to reserve your spot on the bus, call 724-455-2122 ext. 101.

• Dec. 8, CCS annual Christmas Program -- come celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior with the Champion Christian School students as they put on their annual Christmas program at the Town Hall in Ligonier. The program will start at 7 p.m.

The last sign-up for Marine Corps Reserves Toys for Tots program in Fayette County will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Uniontown Mall. Toys will be given to children through age 12 who are residents of Fayette County. To register, applicants must bring these items: EBT/medical card for parent and children, proof of birth date for the children, photo identification for the parent registering children, ACCESS card and proof of Fayette County residency. Do not call Uniontown Mall for sign-up information. There is no phone registration for the Toys for Tots program.

If you are looking to save some money for the holidays, come grocery shopping at the Bullskin Township Volunteer Fire Co. Fire Hall on Keefer Road at 11 a.m. Dec. 10. The doors open at 10 a.m. There will be discounted meat, cheese and food for sale. Up to 50 percent less than retail price for hams and various meats, frozen food, fresh dairy case products and potatoes. The products are from Ray's Meats.

Last week's trivia question was: What makes pink flamingos pink• Dink Critchfield, Debbie Wiltrout, Clara M. Miller, Bill Weiss, Earl Porterfield, Jim Shawley all called or e-mailed to answer, it is what they eat. Their pink or reddish color comes from the rich sources of carotenoid pigments (like the pigments of carrots) in the algae and small crustaceans that the birds eat.

This week's question is asked by Betty Bando: What food did the early settlers and Native Americans use to dye fabric and use as a medicine that is also a side dish at Thanksgiving?

Happy birthday wishes to Kim Geyer, who celebrates her birthday on Tuesday.

I hope you had a very blessed Thanksgiving, got all of your Christmas shopping done today and saved tons of money at the Black Friday sales.

If you have news for this column, give me a call at 724-455-7746 or e-mail at briklyn@lhtot.com by 6 p.m. Monday to have your news appear that Friday.