Woody Jones, State Farm Insurance, will sponsor two Red Cross blood drives in December at the Lincoln Sports Complex. The hours for the Dec. 6 drive will be from noon until 6 p.m. Hours for the Dec. 20 drive will be from noon until 5 p.m. The Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital will host a drive on Dec. 13, with hours from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

In November, Jim Brown reached a goal of four gallons donated; Gary L. Minder and Cheryl Greer, two gallons each; Cindy West, Tammy Banister and Brian Yakey, one gallon each.

The American Red Cross Heart of America Blood Services Region hosted its annual recognition event Monday, Nov. 13, in Peoria. Dean Cates of Mount Pulaski was given special recognition for donating 25 gallons of blood. Logan County received two certificates:  for operations at goal and achieving efficiency goals. Also, the local Red Cross received a plaque for first place in having type-O donors during the past year. Thanks to the efforts of hundreds of volunteers throughout the region, 114,735 units of blood were collected at the Heart of America Region last year.

Yes, Mason City will be the place to enjoy the Christmas spirit.  Sunday evening Dec. 3, the annual Parade of Lights will again twine its way through the streets of town.  Many entries are expected to be all aglow as they walk, ride and bike along the parade route. 

Following the parade the public is invited to make their way to the Civic Center for special treats.

A new event, Parade of Trees, will be aglow throughout the Museum and the Civic Center.  Santa has been invited to pop in and visit with the children if his schedule allows.  The public will have a chance to vote for their favorite decorated theme tree among the eight entries on exhibit in the museum. The trees are being sponsored by the Women's Club, Mike's Pizza, the Mason City Historical Society, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the C. L. U. B., Boy and Girl Scouts, and the city clerk’s office.

There will be eight additional trees decorated in and throughout the Civic Center.  These trees will not receive a vote but will serve a very good purpose.  As a service project the Brownies Mitten Tree will afford warm gloves, hats and scarves for underprivileged folks.

Added to that will be trees decorated and given away to homes that would otherwise go without a tree this year.  Sponsors signing up for these trees to date include Mason City Nursing Home, Mason City Police, Mason City Pharmacy, Little Cougars, Dr. Marion Ring, the Dr. Means family, plus Johnson Hardware and McEntire Appliance Center.

The Parade of Trees will add a lot of Christmas cheer to the streets of downtown Mason City and many worthy homes.  The Parade of Lights has become an enjoyable and eagerly awaited festival time for Mason City.  Mark your calendar for Dec. 3 in downtown Mason City.

The Salt Creek Prairie Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Mason City, will meet at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 25, at the town fire station, located at the corner of Pine and Perry in Mason City.  Kevin Meyer, local volunteer fire chief, and paramedics Kent and Darla Meyer will give a program on their services, plus a tour of the station and viewing of the newest equipment.  Mrs. Harold William Mangold will give the national defense report.  Mrs. Gordon Meyer and Ms. Marian Stone will serve as hostesses.  Guests are welcome to attend.

    The Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital Auxiliary announces their fourth annual "'Tis the Season" luncheon and card party. The event this year will be Friday, Dec. 1, at noon at the Lincoln Depot. After the luncheon, those attending are welcome to stay and visit with friends or join games of bridge or pinochle in another room.

Space is limited, and reservations are required by Friday, Nov. 24. Tickets may be purchased between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the ALMH Gift Shop. All ticket sales will be in advance; no ticket sales at the door.

Celebrating America Recycles Week

The average American generates nearly 1,500 pounds of trash each year, creating more than 200 million tons of waste annually in the United States. However, because more Americans are recycling, the nation’s recycling rate is now more than 28 percent. This means the steel, aluminum, paper, glass and plastic we place at curbside or drop-off sites are really making a difference in reducing our nation’s waste.

The week of November 13-18 is America Recycles Week. Millions of Americans are going to celebrate and commit to keep recycling. Communities across the country, including our own Logan County in Illinois, are encouraging residents to recycle more, recycle more often and communicate that there’s one more step we need to take — buying recycled.

Buying recycled is easy to do. There are thousands of recycled-content products —everything from bicycles and appliances to laundry detergent bottles and carpeting. Recycled-content products are equal in quality and usually cost the same as products made from non-recycled material. However, buying recycled helps conserve resources, reduce waste, and create opportunities for economic development in Illinois and across the nation.

Participation by you is key to reaching our state-mandated goal of 25 percent recycling rate. All communities in Logan County have drop-off containers for newspapers, magazines, plastics, aluminum cans and tin cans. Check your local bulletins for locations and instructions.

If there are any recycling questions, please call Kenny Schwab at (217) 732-9636.

The fifth annual Festival of Trees will be Saturday, Nov. 24, through Sunday, Dec. 3, in the historic Logan County Courthouse in downtown Lincoln.

The lavishly decorated trees, wreaths and swags can be viewed on the first floor of the courthouse Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sundays from noon to 6 p.m., and Thursday, Nov. 30, until 9 p.m. Visitors will have the opportunity to place a silent bid on the trees, wreaths and swags; vote for their favorite designs; and purchase raffle tickets for a 7½-foot tree. Admission is free.

New additions to the festival include: sounds of the holiday season from local choirs; candlelight tours of the courthouse, as well as holiday caroling on Tuesday, November 28 from 6 to 8 p.m.; and a special dedication of an 8-by-16-foot mural by famed artist Lloyd Ostendorf and local artist Lee Dowling at 7 p.m. The mural was recently relocated to the courthouse as a gift from Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital. Local residents will read their favorite Christmas stories to youngsters at the children's story time, sponsored by Logan County Farm Bureau. This event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 24; Saturday, Nov. 25; and Saturday, Dec. 2.

The festival will again feature the 18-foot Logan County Christmas Tree in the rotunda of the courthouse. The tree is decorated with ornaments donated by businesses, organizations, families and individuals in Logan County. The tree will remain in the rotunda throughout the holiday season.

The final bids for trees, wreaths and swags will be taken at the Festival of Trees Gala at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Lincoln on Friday, Dec. 1. Proxy bids will be accepted. Tickets for the gala are available by calling the Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation office at 217-732-2161, Ext. 433. The cost is $50 per person and includes dinner and entertainment.

The proceeds from the Festival of Trees support projects and programs of the Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation and Main Street Lincoln.

The premier sponsor is Lincoln Land Communications Inc., an authorized Cellular One Agent.

For more information about the Festival of Trees, call (217) 732-2929.

[ALMH news release]

Ladies, are you a career person or a stay-at-home mom? Are you looking for a break in your routine? Do you enjoy singing? If your answer is yes to all of these, you are welcomed to visit the Nov. 28 rehearsal of the Bloomington chapter of Sweet Adelines. They rehearse every Tuesday, 7 to 9 p.m. at the First Christian Church, 401 W. Jefferson in Bloomington. The building is wheelchair accessible. For more information, telephone (309) 473-2285.

Saturday, Nov. 11, with fair but cool weather conditions, seven brave Garden Angels and two Angel husbands helped to get 600 spring bulbs into the ground before the snow comes. Mason City Rotary Club donated the flowering bulbs and sought two clubs to do the plantings.

Two hundred red hybrid tulips were donated for the local Salt Creek Prairie Chapter of Daughters of American Revolution to plant at the Soldiers Monument in Memorial Park.  Four hundred daffodils were donated to be divided and planted at the Mason City Gordon Buehrig welcome signs on Route 10.

The few Garden Angel members and spouses turning out were able to complete all planting jobs.  Those giving their time included Pam Agrall and husband Dan, Diane Bergman and husband Dave, Pat Elmore, Miriam Greene, Edna Jones, Bev Purvis and Kelly Tucker.

Come spring, the Mason City Rotary and these folks will deserve all the credit for this additional beauty helping make Mason City "The Best Blooming Town Around."