MAHONING COUNTY Santa will stroll into Sebring

Santa will turn on the new village Christmas lights for the first time.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
SEBRING -- Santa Claus is coming to town.
The Santa Stroll, a new event to kick off the Christmas season, will be at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 1, sponsored by the Sebring Area Chamber of Commerce.
Dorothy Allcorn, chamber secretary, said the chamber used the money from the Save Our Sebring community improvement fund to buy new Christmas lights for the downtown area.
The lights feature three holly leaves and holly berries, and they are on light poles along 15th Street from Maryland Avenue to Oregon Avenue, she said.
Meet and greet
During the Santa Stroll downtown, visitors are invited to meet Santa in front of village hall at 6:30 p.m., then follow him to Schreckengost Park at the corner of 15th Street and Oregon Avenue. There, Santa will turn on the new Christmas decorations for the first time.
Allcorn said the downtown shops and restaurants will remain open after the lighting ceremony. Santa will be at Images x 3 after the Santa Stroll and will be available for photographs.
She said chamber officials hope to raise money to buy more decorations. They would like to light up Ohio Avenue from 14th to 16th streets next, she said.
The S.O.S. funds were generated with donations for the downtown revitalization project, then the funds weren't needed for that project, she said. There was about $5,000 in that fund, Allcorn said.
"We try to do all we can to make our town a nice place to live, work, and shop," Allcorn said.
Community Thanksgiving
The chamber, downtown merchants and The Concern, a nonprofit organization that distributes food to the needy and operates a second-hand store, are sponsoring a community Thanksgiving dinner from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at The 15th Precinct restaurant, Allcorn said. She emphasized the dinner is available to anyone who wants to attend, not only low-income individuals and families.
Any donations given will be used for charity, she emphasized.
Allcorn said the chamber is also sponsoring the residential Christmas decorating contest. Sebring residents are invited to decorate their homes and compete for cash prizes, she said.
Residents who want to compete must submit entry forms to be considered for the prizes of $50 for first place, $25 for second place and $15 for third place, she said. Entry forms must be returned by Dec. 12 and judging will be Dec. 17, she said.
Forms are available at Ashton's 5 & amp;10, Leonard's Ace Hardware, Images x 3, or village hall.
After all the entries are received, the chamber will publish the list of entries and directions so people can take a driving tour of the decorated homes, Allcorn said.
The chamber is also preparing for the annual Christmas dinner and annual meeting to be 5:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at Tall Oaks banquet center. Reservations are needed by Nov. 28.
Chamber officials will announce the citizen of the year and the business of the year, and elect officers.
For more information about the banquet or to register, call Elva Summers, chamber president.