WinterFest kick-off set Nov. 22

WinterFest is set to kick off on Saturday, Nov. 22, and the Festival of Trees will begin at 7 p.m. following the Parade of Lights in Portland. The trees will be on display at the Jay County Courthouse, and there is no admission charge to view the trees.

The Portland Area Chamber of Commerce is asking local businesses to fully decorate an artificial Christmas tree that is at least four feet tall for the display. The trees will be auctioned on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m., with the proceeds going to the PACC for future projects.

There also will be a production of “Merry Christmas, Mr. Bailey” in the courthouse auditorium on Nov. 22 and 23, and again on Dec. 5 and 6. Show time is 8 p.m. Tickets are $8 or adults and $6 for students and senior citizens.

The Business Holiday Walk also will be held Nov. 22 from 1 to 4 p.m. during WinterFest. Most local businesses will have light refreshments. The theme of the holiday walk is “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

Other WinterFest events on Nov. 22 include: Breakfast with Sponge Bob Square Pants, from 8 to 11 a.m. Adult tickets are $2.50, and children’s tickets are $5. The ticket includes meal, photo and gift bag. It will take place at East Jay Middle School.

There will be free carriage rides from 1 to 4 p.m. on Meridian Street. Donations will be accepted for the Community and Family Services Food Bank.

HOSTING SAFETY EVENT

Moser Motors, 1509 N. Meridian St., is hosting Commitment to Kids, a free child safety event, today from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Children’s photos will be taken, and parents will receive a complimentary digital ID kit. The kits provide a digital photo of the child, immediate access to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and emergency safety tips.

CANDIDATES LUNCHEON

Bruce Hosier and Maxine Lewis, both candidates for mayor of Portland, will be the featured speakers at the Portland Chamber of Commerce Luncheon on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at noon in the conference rooms at Jay County Hospital.

Luncheon reservations are $8. Individuals planning to attend should contact the chamber at (260) 726-4481, or via e-mail at [email protected].

FLU SHOTS AT LOBILL

LoBill Foods in Portland, located at 218 W. Lincoln St., will offer flu shots on Thursday, Oct. 9, from 9 to 11 a.m. The cost is $20 for flu shots, and pneumonia vaccines are available upon request.

The vaccines will be administered by Coming of Age and Preferred Home Health Care registered nurses.

Medicare Part B customers receive the shots at no charge, and PHHC and Coming of Age will file the paperwork for the customer.

The shots will be given to anyone six months and older. People under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian present. Children from six months to nine years must have received a prior vaccination shot that resulted in no reaction.

ERGONOMICS MEETINGS

The Jay County Safety Council is sponsoring two meetings on ergonomics in October.

An office ergonomics meeting will be held Wednesday, Oct. 8, from 8 a.m. to noon at Jay County Hospital. A manufacturing ergonomics meeting will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 15, from 8 a.m. to noon, also at JCH.

The instructors at both meeting will be Joe Van Camp, Jeff Clinger and Brian Nixon, all of the Midwest Health Strategies of Jay County.

The meetings are free for members of the Jay County Safety Council. If non-members would like to attend, the cost is $50 if registered before Oct. 1 and $75 after Oct. 1. The fee includes membership in the Jay County Safety Council.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

The Employer-Incumbent Worker Council will meet in executive session Tuesday, Sept. 30, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. in room 532 at Ivy Tech State College in Muncie.

The session is being held to review the proposals of vendors interested in providing Work Keys Profiling to East Central Indiana employers.

HEALTH AND FITNESS EXPO

There will be a Women’s Health and Fitness Expo on Friday, Oct. 3 and Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Muncie Mall. The purpose of the meeting is the educate the family on health issues, with an emphasis on women’s health.

The expo will include healthy eating advice, exercising tips, personal coaching and stress relief.

The hours on Friday are 3 to 8 p.m., and on Saturday the expo will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Ivy Tech State College’s East Central Region will offer continuing education classes in cosmetology from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays, Oct. 13 and Oct. 20 in Portland at the John Jay Center for Learning, 111 N. Meridian St.

The courses are being offered to help cosmetology licensees meet the requirement for 16 hours of continuing education over a four-year period to maintain licensed status.

Required courses cover OSHA regulations, communicable disease, disinfecting and sanitation and Indiana license law. Elective courses include trend make-up, long hair, hair color and skin care.

Fees are $125 for all eight courses or $20 per course. A current, valid Indiana cosmetology license is required to participate.

For course and registration information, contact Vickie Schuhmacher or Melanie Troxell at JJCL at (260) 729-5525. Or, contact the Office of Student Affairs at one of the following Ivy Tech State College campuses: Anderson, (765) 643-7133; Marion, (765) 662-9843; or Muncie, (765) 289-2291; or call toll-free (800) 589-8324.

ATTENDS SHOWS

Jane Ann Widman, director of marketing for Mind's Eye Graphics in Decatur, recently attended the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) Business Forum Show and The Motivation Show in Chicago. The PPAI Show showcased promotional product exhibitors, including apparel manufacturers and advertising specialty suppliers.

The emphasis of the PPAI show is to build relationships between distributors and suppliers and exhibit their product line and new offerings for 2004. The Motivation Show focuses on promotional packages.

Mind's Eye Graphics specializes in apparel decorating (screenprinting and embroidery), signs and banners, auto and window decals, and promotional products.[[In-content Ad]]