Poland Community Briefs

Wreath ceremony in Poland cemetery

The old Poland Village Cemetery adjoining the Presbyterian Church has again been selected as a site for a Wreaths Across America ceremony on Dec. 12. The Poland Village Hine Fund is hosting the event. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. and will involve the placement of a pine wreath at the headstone of each of the veterans buried in the graveyard. There are 13 veterans of the Revolutionary War, 13 from the War of 1812 and 10 Civil War veterans buried in the graveyard. The public is invited to attend. Wreaths Across America is a national nonprofit organization. They will be placing wreaths at the headstones of fallen veterans at nearly 1,000 locations across the country and overseas on Dec. 12.

Fun time for 4s and 5s

Join the Poland library at 1 p.m. on Dec. 17 for developmentally appropriate books, songs, rhymes, finger plays and other activities that will help your child become a successful reader. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Local business is Toys for Tots drop-off location

Larry’s Drive Thru and Mini Mart is a proud sponsor of the Toys for Tots program and needs your donations to help make a child’s Christmas happier. For your convenience, this location’s toys for Tots box is located in the drive thru so you do not have to get out of your car to donate. Just bring in a new, unwrapped toy, drop it off and help make this magical season a brighter one for those children in need. No gift is too small. Larry’s Drive Thru and Mini Mart is located at 3305 Center Road in Poland. If you have any questions, call them at 330-953-0512.

‘Celebrate Short Fiction Day’ at Barnes and Noble

If you love short stories, join short story author Nancy Christie and other area writers at the “Celebrate Short Fiction” Day event, scheduled for Dec. 21 from 6-9 p.m. at Barnes & Noble Booksellers, located at 381 Boardman-Poland Road. Those interested in participating can reach Christie via email to nancy@nancychristie.com. A list of current readers and details about the event can be found online at http://tinyurl.com/CSFD2015.

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.

Home Mortgage moves branch in Boardman

Home Mortgage, a direct residential real estate lender, announced the moving of a branch office in Boardman. The Boardman branch has been in Boardman since they were established in 1948. The Boardman office, which officially moved to the new location on Nov. 25, is located at 1240 Boardman Canfield Road, Suite 4C. Branch manager Ryan Cuffle will be joined by loan officer Mark Chuey, loan officer Phoebe Horvath, loan officer Jimmy Ament, loan officer Mark “Skip” Weber, loan officer Becky Stephens, loan officer Jeri Blackburn, loan officer Randall King, loan officer Amy Shaw-Moody, loan officer and underwriter Jill Jacubec, and processors Mary Jo Kollat and Mary Ann Pollock.

Fifth annual Holiday Concert of Giving to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank

The Youngstown Area Community Concert Band and Stambaugh Chorus will host the fifth annual Holiday Concert of Giving to raise money to feed hungry families in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties on Dec. 13 at 4 p.m. at Stambaugh Auditorium. Admission is a cash donation to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank. You can also make an additional donation in the upper lobby to win a chance to conduct “Sleigh Ride” on stage with the Youngstown Area Community Concert Band. For every $1 given at the concert, the Food Bank can distribute $11 worth of food to families that need it most this holiday season. Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley, a member of Feeding America, provides food to those in need in the tri-county area through 148 programs provided by hunger-relief organizations, which include church pantries, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, shelters for battered women and after-school programs. In 2014, the Food Bank distributed 9.5 million pounds of food, including 2 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables in the tri-county area. For more information on the Food Bank, visit www.mahoningvalleysecondharvest.org or call 330-792-5522.

Tales and talk for 2s and 3s

Join the Poland library for developmentally appropriate book, 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. 17 at 10:30 a.m.

Read, rap and snack

Join the Poland library teen book club at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 15. For the December meeting, we will discuss a book chosen at the November meeting. Look for postings with the book title after the November meeting. They will also leave time to discuss any of your favorite books/music/movies/TV shows so feel free to attend even if you haven’t read the chosen book. Snacks will be provided. This event is for grades 7-12.

Unwrap the gift of reading

Santa dropped in and left some presents at the Poland library. Stop by the library during regular hours in December to grab a gift. On the gift tags are a synopsis of what’s behind the wrapping to give you a hint. Sometimes it’s just fun to be surprised! This event is for tweens, teens and adults.

Launchpad learning tablets for children

The Library is now offering Playaway Launchpad learning tablets for children. They are currently available for checkout by 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.

Holiday painting party

Create your own Christmas painting during this paint along program at the Poland library at 6 p.m. on Dec. 14. Snacks will be provided, and this event is for tweens and teens, grades 4-12. Space is limited and sign up is required. Register by calling 330-744-8636 and ask for the Poland library.

Gingerbread house holiday program

Sip hot chocolate and listen to Christmas music while you build and decorate a miniature gingerbread house using graham crackers, icing, gumdrops and more at the Poland library on Dec. 22 at 6:30 p.m. This even is for children of all ages, children under 7 must be accompanied by an adult. Registration is required. Stop in the Poland library or call 330-744-8636 and ask for the Poland library to register.

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.

Bonding with babies and books

Bonding with Babies and Books is for caregivers and their little ones who are 6-23 months. The Poland 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. 16, 23 and 30 at 10 a.m.

Carlozzi Financial Services hosts sixth Annual Funds and Food Drive

Carlozzi Financial Services is helping local families in need this holiday season. The public is invited to join Carlozzi Financial Services and their clients to give a monetary donation or a non-perishable food item to Second Harvest Food Bank. Monetary donations or non-perishable food items can be dropped off at Carlozzi Financial Services, located at 831 Southwestern Run, Suite 1, in Poland. For more information, visit www.CarlozziFinancialServices.com.

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.

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 of Youngstown receives grant from Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley

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 Mahoning County Career and Technical Center 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: 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 Gina Burns with an Associate of Arts; Joseph Diorio with a Master of Public Health from the College of Public Health; Sarah Dwinnells with a Master of Arts from the College of Education, Health and Human Services; John Hoffman with a Doctor of Philosophy from the College of Arts and Sciences; and Maeson Latsko with a Master of Arts from the College of Arts and Sciences.

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.

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 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 every day from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.