Boardman Community Briefs

Boardman Poland Junior Women’s League to meet

The annual Christmas Social of the Boardman Poland Junior Women’s League will be on Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. at Nicolinni’s Restaurant, located at 1247 Boardman Poland Road in Boardman. Officers for the 2016 year will be installed at a candlelight ceremony. Members are to bring their wrapped and tagged donations for a selected family in need. The Boardman Poland Junior Women’s League is open to all women 18 and up, residing in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties who are interested in friendship, fun and community involvement. The group’s mission is to provide a creative outlet for women interested in providing community service in areas of arts, conservation, education, home life, international affairs and public affairs. Women interested in joining or receiving more information can contact Membership Chairwomen Nina Lowery at 330-506-9473 or Sperry Rongone at 330-770-3880.

Area chapter receives national award

The Mahoning and Shenango Valleys Chapter (MSVC) of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) received a 4-Star Level of Excellence (LOE) Award on Oct. 31 at the MOAA National General Meeting in Orlando, Fla. by General Tony Robertson, USAF, Ret., MOAA’s chairman of the board. Receiving the LOE Award was Colonel Dick Calta, USAF, MSVC board member. MSVC, one of seven MOAA chapters in Ohio Council of Chapters and one of over 400 chapters of MOAA nationwide. Four-star streamers were given out to 114 chapters or councils. Five-star streamers were given to 165 chapters or councils. The criteria for award of LOE was based on maintain active chapter programs, tracking legislative issues and supporting military and veteran activities. This is the second straight year that the chapter has won the award after receiving their charter in 2012. The Mahoning and Shenango Valleys Chapter are made up of active, reserve/guard, retired and former military officers in Mahoning, Columbiana and Trumbull counties in Ohio, and Lawrence and Mercer counties in Pennsylvania. Their next activity will be the chapter Christmas Party where donated wrapped gifts are auction to benefit the aid assistance program administered by the Youngstown Air Reserve Base Community Council.

Friendly Squares to host monthly dance

Niles Friendly Squares monthly dance will take place on Dec. 12 from 7:30-10 p.m., at Niles Senior SCOPE Center, located at 14 E. State St. in Niles. For additional information, call Gene Hammond at 330-534-4426 or 330-506-3370.

Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue

The Ohio Naturopathic Wellness Center in Boardman will be hosting a free natural health seminar titled, “Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue: Putting the Pieces Back Together” on Dec. 10 at 6:30 p.m. In this seminar, you will learn about the causes and therapeutic options to recover from these chronic and debilitating health issues. Dr. Ted Suzelis, ND, and Valentina Khoury Dubasik, ND, LAc, will parse the truth from the hype to help you find a road map to recovery. The seminar will take place at the Ohio Naturopathic Wellness Center, located at at 755 Boardman-Canfield Road, Suite D3 (Southbridge West Complex). For more information or to reserve your seat call, 330-729-1350 or go to OhioND.com. The seminar is free, but RSVP is required.

Tales and talk for 2s and 3s

Join the Boardman library for developmentally appropriate books, songs, rhymes, finger plays and other activities that will help your child (ages 2-3) become a successful reader. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Tales and Talk for 2s and 3s will take place on Dec. 16, 23 and 30 at 10 a.m.

Bonding with babies and books

Bonding with Babies and Books is for caregivers and their little ones who are 6-23 months. The Boardman library will host 20 minutes of language enrichment including rhymes, songs and stories, followed by time to play and socialize. Children must be accompanied by an adult. This event will take place Dec. 8, 15, 22 and 29 at 10 a.m.

Reader’s Choice book club

This month’s Reader’s Choice Book Club will be at the Boardman library at 7 p.m. on Dec. 7. This month’s discussion will be about “Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah. Share your favorite books and find out what new ones are being published. They will preview January’s book, “Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain.

Friends of PLYMC - puzzle swap

Bring your once created puzzles to swap at the Boardman library at 4 p.m. on Dec. 9. Limit six per person. Sponsored by the Friends of PLYMC.

Blood pressure screening

The Mahoning Chapter of the American Red Cross will be giving blood pressure screenings at the Boardman library from 12:30-2:30 p.m. on Dec. 7.

I Read YA book club

This event is for adult fans of Young Adult Literature from ages 18-118. Join the Boardman library group at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 15 to talk about why you like YA. This month they will be discussing “The Impossible Knife of Memory” by Laurie Halse Anderson.

Couponing and smart saving tips

Join the Boardman library at 10 a.m. on Dec. 12 for an informative session on couponing and many other ways to save money! Be prepared to share your tips with others. To register, call 330-744-8636 and ask for Information Services or register online using the events calendar.

Holiday workshop

For the entire day of Dec. 12, the Boardman library will be transformed into a DIY holiday workshop with numerous crafts, ornaments or gifts for kids to make and take. This workshop is for children of all ages; those under 7 must be accompanied by an adult.

All about yarn

Bring in your crochet, knitting, plastic canvas, or “anything with yarn” project and learn from one another at the Boardman library at 11 a.m. on Dec. 14. Participants are encouraged to bring all yarn UFOs (unfinished objects).

Check into chess

Join the Boardman library as they play chess at 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 13. If you would like to learn to play, they’ll be happy to teach you. All ages are invited to play chess.

ID the candy

How well do you know the insides of your candy bars? Ten candy cross-sections will be on display at the Boardman library during regular library hours in December. Correctly identify all 10, and you’ll be eligible to win king-sized versions. This event is for teens in grades 7-12.

Hour of code

The Hour of Code‚Ñ¢ is an opportunity for every student to try computer science for one hour. Spend an hour at the Boardman library on Dec. 10 from 6-7 p.m. learning how to write code and earn a certificate of completion. This event is for tweens and teens in grades 4-12.

Night Owl story time

Join the Boardman library at 6 p.m. on Dec. 15, 22 and 29 for Night Owl Story Time, an evening story time for children ages 3-5. Each child must be accompanied by an adult in this 30 minute program featuring finger plays, stories and a craft activity.

Fitness fun story time

Join the Boardman library at 10 a.m. on Dec. 9 for stories and activities selected from the Eat, Play, Grow program. There will be good fun and good nutrition. Prizes and snacks will be given. Fitness fun story time is for children ages 2-5, and is sponsored by the Mahoning Valley Kids Coalition.

Armor up for Abbey

Abbey Lipinsky, a former Boardman student, is battling a rare form of children’s cancer called clear cell sarcoma. Many fundraising efforts are underway including a T-shirt. As a school, Boardman will be soliciting items for gift baskets from Robinwood staff and families for a Dec. 13 spaghetti dinner at St. Charles Church.

Gamblers Anonymous meetings

Gamblers Anonymous, a 12-Step fellowship of compulsive gamblers who want to recover from their gambling addictions, will meet twice this week in the Youngstown-Warren area. A Gamblers Anonymous meeting takes place every Friday at Westminster Church, located at 119 Stadium Drive in Boardman, and another takes place every Sunday at Christ Church Presbyterian, located at 3425 Hopkins Road in Cornersburg. Both meetings begin promptly at 7:30 p.m. and last about one and a half hours. Those who believe gambling has affected any part of their lives are urged to attend.

14th International Exhibition of Botanical Art and Illustration

The Hunt Institute of Pittsburgh brings the work of 35 botanical documentation artists from around the world to the Weller Gallery at Fellows Riverside Garden. The exhibit will run through Jan. 10 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

BMS celebrate the season with a little jazz

The Boardman Middle Schools proudly present two holiday band concerts on Dec. 10 and 11. The fifth- and seventh-grade bands holiday concert, featuring the combined Center and Glenwood seventh-grade jazz ensemble, is Dec. 10. The sixth- and eighth-grade bands holiday concert, featuring the combined Center and Glenwood seventh-grade jazz ensemble, is Dec. 11. Both concerts are at 7 p.m. in the Boardman High School Performing Arts Center. These concerts will showcase the combined efforts of Boardman Center and Glenwood Middle School band programs. Each concert will open with a performance by jazz ensembles. The eighth-grade jazz ensemble is directed by high school band director Thomas Ruggieri. Many students are featured on improvisation solos in various musical styles from both Center and Glenwood Middle Schools. Admission/donations are accepted at the door: adults $3, students $2, senior citizens and children under 10 receive free admission.

Dealing with stress through mindfulness

Learn what causes stress, what you can do to reduce it, how mindfulness plays into the equation and simple exercises to do at work or at home at the Boardman library at 6 p.m. on Dec. 17. Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Julie Lenyk will demonstrate how mindfulness and simple techniques like breathing can start to reduce the stress and strain of the holiday season. This event is co-sponsored by Meridian Healthcare. Reservations are needed. This event is for adults.

Doctor Who and Sherlock program – WhoLock

Calling all Whovians and Sherlockians! Come celebrate Christmas like a “Doctor” at the Poland library at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 17 - make sure your holidays are “Sherlocked.” This program is for anyone who has ever wanted to visit 221B Baker Street or take a ride in the TARDIS. There will be themed crafts, activities, games and prizes. This event is for teens and adults only.

Library closings for the holiday season

All libraries in the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County system will be closed on the following dates for the holidays: Dec. 24 and 25, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

Playaway Launchpad learning tablets for children

The Library is now offering Playaway Launchpad learning tablets for children. They are currently available for checkout on Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County adult full-service library cards at Main library and the Austintown, Boardman, Newport and Poland branches. Playaway Launchpads are designed just for children and are pre-loaded with high-quality, ad-free apps that are both fun and educational.

For more information, visit www.libraryvisit.org.

Downloadable magazines and newspapers

Magazines and newspapers are now available on the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County website through the Digital Catalog and Download Center powered by Overdrive. The magazines and newspapers are available for digital checkout and can be read on a Nook or Nook app on smartphones and tablets. Magazines from Zinio are no longer available through the library. For more information, visit www.libraryvisit.org.

YWCA receives grant from Second Harvest

YWCA of Youngstown received a $6,500 Ohio Benefit Bank Tax Assistance Capacity Building Grant from Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley. The grant will allow the YWCA to continue assisting members of the community with free filing of income tax returns and other benefits. In 2015, the YWCA has assisted 146 clients through the Ohio Benefit Bank.

The Bistro at MCCTC open to the public

Student-operated restaurant, The Bistro at Mahoning County Career Technical Center, is open for lunch hours to the public. The Bistro will be open Tuesdays-Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. for dine-in or carry out through the winter. The Bistro is run by students enrolled in the Culinary Arts Program at the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center. This gives students the chance to gain experience in all facets of working in the restaurant industry, from working as kitchen staff, line cooks and the Sous Chef to waiting tables and hosting. The Bistro schedule is as follows: Dec. 1-3, 8-10; Jan. 5-7, 13, 14, 20, 21. The restaurant will also be open in February and March with dates being announced soon. Call the restaurant for more information or to make a reservation.

Giant Eagle Foundation awards grant to Second Harvest Food Bank

The Giant Eagle Foundation awarded Second Harvest Food Bank $10,000 to be used to help feed families in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

Summer Kent State graduates

Kent State University awarded nearly 1,700 degrees, with more than 350 accompanying institutional honors, and including 833 bachelor’s degrees, 414 master’s degrees, 65 doctoral degrees, 344 associate degrees and 16 educational specialist degrees during during the 2015 Summer Commencement ceremony. Local graduates include Chelsea Billock, Magna Cum Laude, with a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Arts and Sciences; Ashley Haladay, Summa Cum Laude, with a Bachelor of Science from the College of Arts and Sciences; Katherine Hartman with a Master of Architecture from the College of Architecture and Environmental Design; April Hill with a Master of Education from the College of Education, Health and Human Services; Whitney Joy with a Master of Public Administration from the College of Arts and Sciences; William Klein with a Master of Music from the College of the Arts; Michael Kohuth with an Associate of Arts; Jennifer Leyko, Summa Cum Laude, with a Bachelor of Radiologic and Imaging Sciences Technology; Samantha McMahon with a Master of Education from the College of Education, Health and Human Services; Brianna Prusak with an Associate of Arts; Jacqueline Shaffer with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the College of Nursing; and Nancy Wolfgang with a Doctor of Philosophy from the College of the Arts.

Bits and Pieces of Our History

Through December, the Melnick Museum at Fellows Riverside Gardens will showcase the Bits and Pieces of Our History exhibit, which takes a look at the very early years of Mill Creek Park. The exhibit is open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Bits and pieces of history

Take a look at Mill Creek Park throughout the early years at Fellows Riverside Gardens-Melnick Museum now through December from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Bits and pieces of Mill Creek Park

Now though December 2015, visit the exhibit at Fellows Riverside Gardens-Melnick Museum that takes a look at the very early years of Mill Creek Park. The exhibit is open everyday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.