Pre-holiday events wind down in Chinook

Pre-holiday events are beginning to wind down in Chinook. There are school concerts and programs still to come, but soon the focus will be on last minute shopping, gatherings for friends and family and, finally, special Christmas Eve church services and family get togethers on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The final week of community events in Chinook was busy as the countdown to Christmas began.

Sweet Memorial

Nursing Home Bazaar

Sweet Home hosted its 13th annual bazaar last Saturday. The event was a combination of vendors offering Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers, lunch and special holiday baked treats and a new event, a garage sale. Activities Director Jeanne Buffington said, "The number of vendors was good, with 20 here for the bazaar. This year many vendors contacted us, which tells us the bazaar is going well and vendors find it worth making the effort to participate."

Vendors had varied items for sale. Mikayla Snell and Lecia Pronto, from Chinook High, were selling baked items to support an upcoming student trip to Belize. Carson Ottinger, a fourth grader from Malta, was manning a vendor's table with an array of very cleverly made and painted "aluminum can flowers." Ottinger said, "This is my second time at this bazaar, I didn't get to come last year." He said sales were good.

At the entrance to the bazaar Nancy Birnell was working on some embroidery work while tending to customers for her jewelry, sweaters and embroidery display. Of special interest was Birnell's tattoo of a group of violets-on the top of her head. She explained, "I began to lose my hair several years ago. I told my family when I reached a certain number of hairs on my head I would shave my head and get a tattoo." And she did, just this week. She added, "This is my 31st tattoo."

A new event for the nursing home was a garage sale, held out in the new maintenance and shop building behind the main facility. Joni Myhre, a nurse at the home, said, "We're raising money for our Relay for Life (American Cancer fundraiser) team." She waved her hand at the tables laden with items for sale and said, "All this was donated so it's all profit for our team. What's left will go to various charities and organizations in the area." It was, well, a collection much like you would see at a garage sale, a really big one, and folks were enjoying finding some rare treasures they liked. Myhre said sales were good.

Edwards' Funeral

Home Remembrance

For more than 15 years the local funeral home has been hosting a Sunday afternoon remembrance for those who have died during the past year. About 30 people attended the remembrance ceremony. It was conducted by Rev. Valerie Putt, pastor of the local American Lutheran Church. She chose as her theme a "Blue Christmas." She explained it was service to help people deal with their hurt in what is usually a joyous time of the year. It was a service of liturgy, scripture reading and music.

Since the remembrance service began it has been a tradition to provide a Christmas ornament, in memory of each person who died during the year, to be hung on a Christmas tree at the front of the room where the service is held. This year there were 60 ornaments and many family members hung the ornaments to commemorate a loved one. During the program there was a time for attendees to light a small votive candle in memory of a loved one who has passed. Guests then moved next door where Cherie Edwards and family members had prepared snacks and a time to fellowship with other people at the annual gathering.

Chinook Community

Christmas Program

The Chinook Ministerial Association held its third annual community Christmas program on Sunday night. Six churches make up the ministerial association which coordinates community worship services and provides help to people in need. This year's program was well attended and there was a variety of musical presentations, scripture reading and congregational singing of traditional Christmas carols.

Rev. Val Putt, of the American Lutheran Church in Chinook, brought a short message. Musical groups from various churches, individual soloists and the Ecumenical Echoes, the local hand bell choir, all performed musical selections. Santa Clause was present and introduced each part of the program.

After the program the ladies of St. Gabriel's Catholic Church hosted coffee and refreshments brought by the congregants of the six churches. The event was held at St. Gabriel's Church.

Pre-holiday events wind down in Chinook