Austintown briefs

Come see a live nativity

The Knights of Columbus, Council No. 3930 and the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Community will host a live nativity scene with animals Dec. 19 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in front of St. Joseph and Immaculate Heart of Mary School, 4490 Norquest Blvd.

Caroling will take place from 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. and food and refreshments will be provided by the Knights of Columbus.

Help gather toys for tots

Quaker Steak and Lube in Austintown will host it final “Baby It’s Cold Outside” bike night Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. to raise donations for Toys for Tots.

Anyone donating a $5 unwrapped toy or money will be entered for a chance to win a grand prize that includes a 42-inch Vizio LCD HD flatscreen, Sony Blu-Ray DVD player, cable connector and $25 Walmart gift card, The drawing will take place at 10 p.m. and the winner must be present.

There will be a 50/50 drawing for those who can’t stay.

Special guest stars at the event include Fast Freddie and April from 93.3, Hairy George from Fast and Hairy Bike Show and the Toys for Tots Marines.

Career center students make honor roll

Austintown’s Dezirae Bires, Britney Bodendorfer, Kaylin Camp, Katherine Caradin, Heather Johnson, Tamara Talarico, Danielle Walter, Kenneth Walter and Jordan Woolley made the honor roll at Mahoning County Career and Technical Center for the first nine weeks.

Take part in a tall tales night

Youngstown Executive Toastmasters No. 408 will host a Tall Tales Night Monday from 6:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. in the grand ballroom at Shepherd of the Valley Facility, 301 W. Western Reserve Road in Boardman.

Admission is free and arrive early for a good seat.

Put on a red scarf and run

The Nick Dubos Red Scarf Invitational 2.2-mile fun run and 1.1-mile run/walk is scheduled for Dec. 26 at Roosevelt Park, 351 Tenney Ave. in Campbell.

The entry fee is 6 to 12 cookies or a handful of leftover Christmas cookies or fruitcake. Canned goods to be donated to the Mahoning Valley Food Bank will also be accepted.

Lunch, coffee, cookies and drinks will follow after the race.

To make a reservation, e-mail marke919@msn.com or call Mark at 216-392-8935.

Doctor’s title was mis-stated

Ted Suzelis, whose Boardman office is located in the Southbridge Executive Park at 725 Boardman-Canfield Road, Suite K-4, is a Naturopathic Physician, not a chiropractor. His title was mis-stated in the Dec. 4 edition.

Remember a lost pet

For the Dogs Rescue is accepting donations for its Holiday Pet Remembrance Trees.

For a minimum $5 donation, an ornament with a photo of your pet, past or present, will be placed on a tree at one of four locations.

Remembrance trees are on display at Home Savings, 32 State St. in Struthers, Family Video, 4385 Kirk Road in Austintown and Judy Conti Dance Studios in both Austintown at 1747 S. Raccoon Road and Boardman at 1393 Boardman-Canfield Road. For an order form, visit www.ForTheDogs.Petfinder.com, e-mail ForTheDogsTree@aim.com or visit a tree location.

Library closed for holiday

All public libraries in the Mahoning County system will be closed for the holidays on Dec. 24, 25, 31 and Jan. 1.

Bowling is for the dogs

For the Dogs Rescue will host a bowling fundraising event on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Camelot Lanes, 628 Boardman-Canfield Road, Boardman.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children under 12.

The donation includes shoe rental plus two hours of unlimited bowling, billiards, darts and more. A basket and 50/50 raffle are also planned.

For information, visit www.ForTheDogs.Petfinder.com.

Get moving with a story

Tire out the young and restless with an active story time at the Austintown library on Thursday at 11 a.m.

The program is developmentally-appropriate for children 2 to 5. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Horticulture students open shop for holidays

Canfield students in the Horticulture Program at the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center will host their annual Holiday Open House through Dec. 17 featuring an array of holiday floral arrangements for sale.

Horticulture students have prepared fresh mixed pine wreaths, fresh arrangements, permanent arrangements and wreaths, pine roping, centerpieces and poinsettias for the open house.

The floral shop will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. The shop is also accepting special orders. To place an order or for information, contact Horticulture Instructor Mary June Emerson at 330-729-4000, extension 1672.

Celebrate human rights

Grace Lutheran Church, 162 S. Raccoon Road, will host the Youngstown Unit of Church Women United’s worship service for its 2010 Human Rights Day Celebration today.

The theme will be “Living the Challenge: Differently Enabled, Uniquely Called.” Honorees for this year’s event will be Dawn Burton, Penny Wells and Sonya Williams.

Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. and the service at 10 a.m. A potluck lunch will follow.

For information, call 330-792-4117.

Bond with babies and books at library

Join the Austintown library for developmentally-appropriate books, songs, rhymes, finger play and other activities for babies 6-23 months Thursday at 10 a.m.

The program is designed to make children successful readers. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

The library will host a similar program for children ages 2 and 3 Wednesday at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Wilson Class of ‘78 to celebrate

Wilson High School Class of 1978 will celebrate its 50th birthday with a party at Rusty’s South Side Grill in Boardman Dec. 18 at 6:30 p.m.

The cost is $25 per person and $45 per couple.

Checks can be made payable to “WHS Class of 78” and sent to Linda Uhl at 272 Saw Mill Run Canfield, OH 44406.

Light a candle and remember

The Mahoning County-Youngstown Chapter of Bereaved Parents of the USA will host a candlelight memorial service to remember and honor children who have passed away Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Youngstown at First Presbyterian Church, 201 Wick Ave.

To RSVP or for information, call Diane Hunter-Copeland at 330-770-2686.

Play Bingo for the cats

Second Chance Animal Rescue will host its next Bingo session today at St. Nicholas Church, 764 Fifth St. in Struthers.

Doors open at 5 p.m., Early Bird starts at 6:50 p.m. and regular games begin at 7 p.m.

Featured games include: $500 Coverall, $250 Picture Frame, $150 Night Owl, $125 Crazy C, $125 X Game and $125 Double Postage. Single games pay $100 and Double games pay $120.

Master Sets can be purchased for $10, $15 or $18 and Special Sets for $10. Pull Tabs, including IRS and Bingo Babies, will be available.

All proceeds benefit Second Chance Animal Rescue, a nonprofit shelter located in Austintown run by volunteers, with a focus on kittens and cats. For information visit, www.secondchanceanimalrescue.org or call the shelter at 330-505-3575.

Mooney grad honored at Gannon University

A local student at Gannon University, Erie, Pa., was recently honored for his participation in the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (LECOM) Research Day.

Gregory R. Delost, of Struthers, took second place for his poster presentation, “Holistic Approach to Combating Staphylococcus aureus through Photobiomodulation via Light-Emitting Diodes (405nm).”

Another Gannon student, Amanda E. Stolz, was a co-author in the project, which is being conducted with Troy Skwor, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology at Gannon, and includes collaborations with Janis Eells, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Delost is the son of Raymond M. and Maria E. Delost and is a graduate of Cardinal Mooney High School.

Buy holiday baked goods

Come to Western Reserve United Methodist Church’s community cookie walk today from 10 a.m. to noon at its 4580 Canfield Road location and forget about holiday baking. Cookies, homemade soups and crafts will be available.

Make cookies for Santa Dec. 20

Children can make cookies for Santa at the Lariccia Family Community Center at Boardman Park from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 20.

Purchase tickets at the park office. Cost for Boardman residents is $5 and for nonresidents it’s $7. No tickets will be sold at the door.

Railroad layout at local museum

The Western Reserve Modular Railroad Club is featuring its large modular layout at the National Packard Museum in Warren through Dec. 29.

New site for shoe boxes

Tabernacle E.P. Church, 2432 S. Raccoon Road, is the new ‘Relay Center’ for Operation Christmas Child in the Austintown area.

Mulholland Hall, the church’s social hall, will be used to collect ‘Shoe Boxes.’

Call Sandy at 330-565-8057 or Linda at 330-360-2307 for details.

Curves offers Silver Sneakers classes

Free Silver Sneakers classes are offered Monday through Saturday for eligible women over 65 at Curves in Austintown. The 30-minute classes are designed to improve strength, flexibility and overall health. For information, call 330-793-9802.

AARP meeting planned

The Austintown AARP, a group that has been serving the community for more than 20 years, is still going strong. The group meets on the second Tuesday of each month at Grace Lutheran Church. The organization is known for its bus tours and entertaining at nursing homes through its choir.

For more information, contact Harriett Jones at 330-792-3425.

Great food program offers affordable meals

Smith Corners United Methodist Church, 3000 S. Canfield-Niles Road, Austintown, is the local site for the Great Food For All program.

Each big value box costs $30 and comes complete and ready for pick-up.

The family variety box is available for $36. Cash, money order or cashier’s checks are accepted at the time the order is placed. No checks are accepted.

Credit cards are accepted with a $1 convenience fee.

Go to www.greatfoodforall.com, type in zip code 44515, and scroll down until Smith Corners UMC pops up. Then pick up the ordered food boxes at Smith Corners UMC.

For information, contact the church office at 330-799-9390.

Take the best drive in the park

Original drawings, vintage photos and equipment of Mill Creek Golf Course will be on display in the Melnik Musuem at Fellows Riverside Gardens through December.

Nature photography exhibit at Riverside

The annual Nature Photography Exhibit will be displayed at Mill Creek MetroParks Fellows Riverside Gardens in Weller Gallery Feb. 13 through March 20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Deadline for entries is Jan. 23. Applications will be available for download at http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=9907335&msgid=59588&act=GE80&c=770900&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.millcreekmetroparks.org”www.millcreekmetroparks.org in January. Call Ford Nature Center at 330-740-7107 for information.

Join a celebration of family, friends and life

Help support Karen Rohan in her fight against breast cancer Jan. 16 from noon to 5 p.m. at St. Maron’s Church Antioch Hall, 1555 S. Meridian Road, Youngstown.

She was diagnosed with large globular differential carcinoma in June 2010.

The benefit includes a spaghetti dinner, Chinese auction and 50/50 raffle.

The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 10. Carry-out is available and tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door.

To donate for the Chinese auction, call Bill Rohan at 330-398-3232 or Nikki Martin at 330-652-6630.

Senior fun days at Boardman Park

Seniors can gather for lunch and activities from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Lariccia Family Community Center at Boardman Park on Thursday and Dec. 23.

Cost is $1. Call Karen at 330-965-0482 or the park office at 330-726-8105 to RSVP.

Winter Celebration: Holiday Scent-sation

Visit Fellows Riverside Gardens at Mill Creek MetroParks for the holidays and be greeted by the scent of cedar, fir and cinnamon through Jan. 2, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The decorated trees and seasonal flowers throughout the Davis Center will display the “Holiday Scent-sation” theme. Make sure to see the Rainforest Room, stop by the Shop in the Gardens for unique holiday gift ideas and catch the view of Lake Glacier while dining in the Garden Caf .

Gardens by candlelight

Twinkling lights and luminaries will brighten the frosty night as families take a wintry walk through Fellows Riverside Gardens at Mill Creek MetroParks Sunday from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Complete the evening by warming up in the Davis Center with music, cocoa, and sugar cookies. Bring a nonperishable food item to donate to the Rescue Mission.

Learn about ravens Sunday

Edgar Allen Poe’s poem, “The Raven,” was set in bleak December. Attend this unique scavenger hunt at Mill Creek Parks Ford Nature Center Sunday at 2 p.m. to learn more about these creatures and their resident relatives, the crows. This 3-mile hike is moderately difficult.

Search Autumn’s leftovers

Fall is nearly over and lean months lie ahead for wildlife. Hike with Mill Creek MetroParks and for clues to what they may be eating Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. Hikers meet at the Ford Nature Center for the moderately-difficult one and half-mile hike.

Explore the winter woods

Need a respite from the holiday rush? Join Bill Whitehouse on an exploration of the peaceful Hitchcock Woods at Mill Creek MetroParks Dec. 26 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Parking is available on Deerpath Drive. This 2-mile hike is moderately difficult.

Health and wellness walks offered

Join Mill Creek MetroParks for several walks throughout December. All walks start at 9 a.m.

Meet at MetroParks Bikeway Trailhead at MetroParks Farm Wednesday for a moderately-difficult 2 or 4-mile hike.

Meet at the Golf Course overflow parking lot on West Golf Drive Dec. 29 for an easy 1 or 3-mile walk.

Breakfast botany: Umbrella “Pine” family

Start your morning with a brisk walk through Mill Creek Parks Fellows Riverside Garden Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Return to the Garden Caf for a light breakfast and learn about plants in the umbrella “Pine” family. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens at 330-740-7116 to register.

The cost is $7 for residents and $9 for nonresidents.

Do yoga in the gardens

Join yoga instructor Heidi Suraci at Mill Creek Parks Fellows Riverside Garden Tuesdays in December from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. for beginner classes and from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. for intermediate classes. All level classes are Thursday and Dec. 30, 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Bring a mat and small blanket. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens at 330-740-7116 for information. The cost is $10 per class.

T’ai Chi step one in the gardens

Ease stress, improve health and increase vitality at Mill Creek Parks Fellows Riverside Garden with Marie Lew in warm-ups, breathing exercises and selected movements from a classic Chen T’ai Chi form Wednesdays in December from noon to 1 p.m. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens at 330-740-7116 for information.

The cost is $10 per class.

Preschool nature hour is for the birds

Preschoolers ages 3 through 5 and their families can liste to a winter story and create edible ornaments for the birds at Mill Creek MetroParks Ford Nature Center Friday at 10 a.m. or 12:30 a.m. or Dec. 18 at 10 a.m. Help decorate an evergreen tree and take an ornament home for the birds in your backyard. Preregister at Ford Nature Center by calling 330-740-7107.

Cost is $2 per child for residents and $3 per child for nonresidents.

Make a snowman wreath today

Children ages 6 and older can learn to identify evergreens at Mill Creek MetroParks Fellows Riverside Gardens today from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. There will be refreshments while each child with an adult assembles a unique holiday wreath of mixed greens topped with a snowman and velvet bow. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens at 330-740-7116 to register.

The cost is $10 for residents and $13 for nonresidents.

A loose knit group to meet

Help fellow crafters “Warm Up America” at Mill Creek MetroParks Fellows Riverside Gardens Friday from 10 a.m. to noon by making afghans and other projects to donate locally. All helping hands are welcome, both experienced and anyone wanting to learn to knit or crochet. Donations of yarn and needles are appreciated at any time. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens at 330-740-7116 for information.

View the wldlife art of John A. Ruthven

Wildlife artist John Ruthven paints what he knows and loves. Often called the modern day Audubon, Ruthven thoroughly studies his animal subjects and paints them in their habitats with technical detail. His work will be on display at Mill Creek MetroParks Davis Education and Visitor Center daily through Jan. 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.