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COUNTRY JAM
Country Jam at the Howard Fire Hall will be held on Sunday, Nov. 26. Hosted by the Back Porch String Band, the Country Jam is held on the fourth Sunday of each month (except in December). Bring your instrument and strum along or just sit and enjoy the music. Bring a snack to share for the afternoon of toe-tapping, hand clapping tunes from 2-6 p.m. A donation basket is passed with the funds collected benefiting the Howard Fire Company.
There will not be a Country Jam in December because of Christmas.
TREE
LIGHTINGS
Snow Shoe will be having their Light the Night activities on Sunday, Nov. 26. Beginning at noon there will be food and craft vendors set up all day, games, crafts and a bounce house for the kids, a photo booth and Chinese auction.
At 1 p.m. there will be the Winter RUNderland 5K race. Registration for the race is at 12:30 p.m.
At 2:45 p.m. there will be a Christmas Parade. Line-up is at 2 p.m. on E. Sunset Ave.
At 4 p.m. Mike Yeaney will be bringing his music live to Snow Shoe and at 5 p.m. all will gather round for the Christmas Tree Lighting.
Snow Shoe is also having a Christmas House Decorating Contest. Registration can be done at the Tree Lighting event on Nov. 26 or for more info and rules, you may email snowshoelightthenight@gmail.com.
You must provide a photo of your decorated Christmas house, uploaded to the Facebook page before Dec. 15 to qualify. Winners will be chosen the week of Dec. 18.
Bald Eagle Valley Community Church will hold their annual Community Christmas Tree Lighting at the church grounds on Friday, Dec. 1. The event kicks off at 6 p.m. with fun, games and free snacks before the tree lighting ceremony and carols at 7 p.m. This is an outdoor service so bring your lawn chairs and dress warm.
BENEFIT BINGO
There will be a Benefit Bingo for Jake Weston on Dec. 8 at the Milesburg Community Center. Doors and the kitchen will be open at 4:30 and Bingo starts at 6 p.m. Tickets are $25. In addition to Bingo there will be rip tickets, 50/50's and a basket auction.
Weston suffered a stroke in October and was life-flighted to Hershey Medical Center. Jake is a husband and father of four. He's a self-employed small business owner and the only source of income for his family.
MILLER PARTY
The descendants of Wilson and Hazel Miller will gather for their annual Miller Christmas Party on Dec. 2 at Brotherhood Park in Marsh Creek. Bring a hot and cold covered dish to share for the meal at 6 p.m. Table settings and drinks will be provided. After the meal Santa will be coming so bring a wrapped gift for your children. There will also be prize drawings so bring some cash to participate.
The family takes turns to organize the party and reunion. This year it's the family of Ray and Isabelle Miller who will be hosting the event. For more info or questions call Lorraine at 814-777-4176 or Evon at 814-777-2734.
FREE MEAL
Howard United Methodist Church is offering a free community holiday meal at the church on Saturday, Dec. 2. Meals are available by take-out or by dining in, but there are certain times for being served.
Take-out meals must be preordered and can be picked up only from 4-5 p.m. Meals must be preordered before Sunday, Nov. 26, by calling Patti at 814-625-2182.
Dine-in only meals will be served from 5:15-7 p.m. in the church fellowship hall located at 144 W. Main St., Howard. The meal includes roast pork, mashed potatoes with gravy, filling, vegetables, cole slaw, apple sauce and a dessert.
LIONS NEWS
Howard Area Lions will host an American Red Cross Blood Drive on Dec. 6 at the J. K. Yearick Center in Howard from 1:30-6 p.m. Appointments can be made by visiting the Red Cross blood drive site. Walk-in donors are welcome. Please become a regular blood donor at the fire hall.
Howard Area Lions will hold their next Bingo on Dec. 14 at the Beech Creek Fire Company social hall. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and Bingo starts at 6:30 p.m.
The Lions Club has several fundraisers going on that help them raise money to support individuals and groups in our area. Weis gift cards can be purchased for the face value and then used at the local Weis stores. The Lions earn funds for each gift card they sell.
The Lions also have their 2024 Lottery calendars on sale. The calendars are $10 each and are good for winning during the whole year. Contact Lion Lloyd at 814-355-1776 for Weis cards or lottery chances or see any Lion member for them.
The Lions Club is always accepting new members who want to become involved with the Lions and to serve in their community. Our local Lions Club is now open to both men and women for membership. The former Bald Eagle Valley (Lady) Lions Club had disbanded because of a low membership count, so those five ladies have become a part of the Howard Area Lions Club.
If you are interested in becoming a Lion you can get an application from any club member.
CANDLE WALK
Marsh Creek BIC Church will be having their Christmas Candle Walk service on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 6 p.m. This tradition was started more than 70 years ago by Cora Buckwalter. Service organizers are asking that each of "the girls" who participated in any of the candle walks over the years be a part of the service. Last year the candle walk was rekindled with great participation and a really nice service.
For more info contact Kathy at 814-880-8744 or Lois at 814-441-7053.
CHRISTMAS
AT CURTIN
A daylong fundraiser at the historic Eagle Iron Works and Curtin Village on Dec. 3 will begin with holiday photos with Santa and end with the first-ever evening reception, LED lanterns tours and a holiday lighting ceremony.
The public is invited to take holiday photos from noon to 4 p.m. in the Curtin Mansion, which will be decked out with vintage decorations and Christmas trees typical of the 1950s and the 1850s. Santa Claus has confirmed that he will be there. No registration or sign up is needed for holiday photos.
An evening reception begins at 5 p.m. with lantern tours of the mansion followed by the 6 p.m. reading of Dylan Thomas’ “A Child’s Christmas in Wales," and the 6:30 p.m. lighting ceremony of the mansion. Tickets must be purchased in advance at curtinvillage.com for the evening events. Tickets are $30 per person and cover the cost of finger foods and a complimentary glass of wine, local cider or a non-alcoholic beverage.
The evening fundraiser is limited to 50 tickets/persons due to limited space in the mansion. To RESERVE and purchase your ticket(s) for the evening reception, go to the DONATE page at curtinvillage.com, scroll to the bottom of the page, hit “Donate Now” for the online transaction portal. This site works best with the Internet Explorer or Chrome browsers. Be sure to RSVP with your names at https://forms.gle/JYmKfvjC1yivV81DA . Please INVITE a friend and share!
All proceeds benefit the Roland Curtin Foundation and its efforts to save the expansive and historic iron furnace industrial site and its associated residential village and ironmaster's home built in 1831. Tax-deductible donations are always appreciated and accepted online at curtinvillage.com.
For more information, visit curtinvillage.com, the Facebook page or call Sue at 570-220-9290.
FIRE CO. NEWS
Centre Hall Fire Company's monthly Bingo will be held at the fire station, 134 N. Witmer Avenue, on Friday, Dec. 1, and will continue to be held on the first Friday of each month through May 2024. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Early bird games are at 6:30 p.m. and regular Bingo starts at 7 p.m. Food and rip tickets are also available.
Mark your calendar for Breakfast with Santa at Centre Hall Fire Company and also at Walker Township Fire Company on Dec. 16.
SPONSOR A RESIDENT
Centre County's RSVP is looking for volunteers to bring a little joy to residents at Eagle Valley Personal Care Home in Milesburg this Christmas season. There are 49 residents at Eagle Valley PCH and each has provided a list of three things (totaling about $25) that they would like to receive as Christmas gifts. Some of the resident's suggestions were body wash and lotion, hair brush, Chapstick, fuzzy socks, candy, Word Search books, puzzles, etc.
If you would be interested in choosing a name and providing gifts for that resident, please contact Amber at RSVP by calling 814-355-6816 or send an email to aebrownson@centrecountypa.gov. Gifts should be taken to RSVP, Willowbank Building, Room 245 in Bellefonte before Dec. 15.
CHEER CLUB
Senior Cheer Club met on Nov. 2 for lunch and their monthly meeting. Club President Larry Butler welcomed those 22 members to the meeting and said the table grace for the luncheon. There is always so much good food to enjoy at the luncheons. Following the meal, Larry called the business meeting to order and all stood to pledge to the flag and to recite The Lord's Prayer.
Judy Cain provided the devotions, taken from Psalm 148, verses 1-14. Jane Confer held the roll call of attendance and read the minutes from last month's meeting. Each of the attendees paid their $2 monthly dues, which covers the cost of providing the paper plates and helps to pay the hall rental for the year.
We sang 'Happy Birthday' to Fred Yost, Sue Gibson, Sarah Graham, Brenda Etters and Judy Cain who were having November birthdays.
Members shared some of the things they are thankful for since November represents Thanksgiving. Jane Confer is thankful (and blessed) with another great-grandson, Bennett Cameron, born in mid-October, who lives in New York. Bonnie (and Gene Auman) are thankful that the chemo treatments are working.
Others of our club including Peggy, Marilyn, Bonnie and Judy need our prayers for their health concerns, medical tests and surgeries that are coming up.
Veteran's Day is in November as well, and Tami VanHorn was thankful for all of our veterans who have sacrificed for our freedom. We want to remember each veteran in our prayers, especially for their safety, and for the well-being of their families who support the veterans.
The door prize was brought by Tami VanHorn and was won by Brenda Etters who will bring the door prize to the next meeting.
Each member signed up to bring a covered dish for the Christmas meal that will be held on Thursday, Dec. 7, at noon. Jane Confer has the list so if anyone forgets what they signed up for you can call her at 570-962-2406.
Larry is going to make some phone calls and invite all those members who haven't been able to come to recent Cheer Club meetings. We'd like to see all members be able to attend the December meeting. There certainly will be plenty to eat!
There will be a gift exchange. Men should bring a wrapped gift for a man and ladies should bring a gift for a lady. The gifts should be in the $10 range. We'll have some Christmas games to play, too.
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Howard Happenings is written and compiled by Tammy Coakley who can be reached by email at tammysue0115@gmail.com or by telephone at 814-625-2684.