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HOLIDAY
HAPPENING
NC symphony sets
Lincolnton concert
The North Carolina
Symphony will present its
annual holiday pops concert
on Thursday, December 12,
2002 at 8 p.m. at the Lincoln
Citizens Center, 115 W. Main
St., Lincolnton.
Conductor Jeffrey Pollock
will lead the symphony in a
concert of new and seasonal
music.
Tickets cost $20 for adults
and $8 for students. For
information, call Steve
Gurley at (704) 735-2041.
The program is sponsored
by the Lincoln County
Chapter of the North
Carolina Symphony Society.
Gaston theatre to
host holiday classic
Gaston Dance Theatre will
present the traditional
holiday ballet, "The Nut-
cracker,’ during four perfor-
mances this month at Gaston
Day School in Gastonia.
Show dates are Friday,
December 13,2002 at 8 p.m.,
Saturday, December 14, 2002
at 10:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. and
Sunday, December 15, 2002
at 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $15
for adults and $10 for
students and senior citizens.
Group rates are available
and a special children's rate
will be offered for the
Saturday morning perfor-
mance.
For more information and
ticket reservations, call (704)
865-5943.
Christmas party
set for senior adults
Gaston County Parks and
Recreation will sponsor its
annual senior adult Christ-
mas party on Friday, Decem-
ber 20, 2002 from 1 - 3 p.m.
at the Gaston County :
Citizens Resource Center in
Dallas.
The event is free and
sponsored by Alan G.
Cloninger, Attorney at Law,
and Partners Medicare
Choice. Seniors age 60 and
older are invited to enjoy an
afternoon of entertainment,
refreshments and door
prizes.
For information, call (704)
922-2160. Any large groups
planning to attend should
RSVP the recreation office.
Holiday parades
set for this weekend
Christmas parades in
four local communities will
step off this weekend.
The Dallas Christmas
Parade will be held on
Friday, December 13 at 4
p.m. in the downtown area.
The Cherryville Christmas
Parade will be held on
Saturday, December 14 at
10:30 a.m. along Main St.
The Bessemer City
Christmas Parade will be
held on Saturday, December
14 at 1 p.m.
The Lincolnton Christmas
Parade will be held on
Sunday, December 15 at 4
p.m. in downtown
Lincolnton.
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By TODD HAGANS
Republic Newspapers staff
While last week's ice storm
may have delayed local
folks’ selection of a Christ-
mas tree, the time is here to
choose the perfect tree and
begin decking the halls.
Make-shift Christmas trees
lots have popped up around
town while area grocery
stores and garden centers
offer a wide array of trees,
including the popular Fraser
fir.
While some people select a
tree brought to a tree lot or
garden center, some venture
to farms to choose and cut
their own tree. To assist
with the process, the North
Carolina Department of
i Agriculture and Consumer
i Services has compiled a
directory of choose-and-cut
tree farms across the state.
The tree farm directory is
available on the Internet at
www.ncgreenindustry.org or
in book form by calling the
Asheville Farmers Market at
(828) 253-1691. The direc-
tory lists information about
the tree farms including
available varieties, hours of
operation and directions.
State agriculture commis-
sioner Meg Scott Phipps said
the many tree farms across
the state give a boost to the
Tar Heel economy this time
of year and adds to the
holiday season by allowing
residents to walk around the
farm and select a tree.
“Purchasing a choose-and-
cut Christmas tree not only
supports local farmers and
ceeess seeessssesssnnttssntrrnsenrne
‘HOMES TOUR
Tour changes
to Sunday in
Bessemer City
Power outages in Bessemer
City forced organizers of the
annual Christmas Tour of
Homes to postpone the
event until Sunday, Decem-
ber 15, 2002 from 2 -6 p.m.
The tour sponsored by the
Bessemer City History and
Arts Society was originally
scheduled for Saturday,
December 7.
This year's tour includes
six destinations including
the homes of Jessie and
Janice Putnam at 111 W.
Ormand Ave., Gay and
Sandy Stinnett at 601 E.
Maryland Ave., Tim and
Leigh Ann Rhinehart at 112
W. Washington Ave., Grady
and Phyllis Herman at 402
W. Virginia Ave. and Curtis
and Renee Williams at 407
W. Virginia Ave. The
sanctuary of First Wesleyan
Church located at 510 E.
Alabama Ave. is also fea-
tured on the tour, where
refreshments will be served
to tour participants in the
family life center.
For ticket information, call
Sarah Cash at (704) 629-2163
or Patsy Lindsay at (704)
629-2533.
Peet ItetetetertetstettettetntttetttttsnnstesRIIIItscRTIenatatattnte
Sessa atitetettenettttetstterttattseettetttrttatessttttteestsetttrrenes
Use the Classifieds!
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704-449-9014
the state, but it adds a sense
of tradition to the holiday
season,” said Phipps.
The Tar Heel State has over
50 million Fraser firs grow-
ing on some 25,000 acres
with many of the trees found
on tree farms in 14 mountain
counties. Colorado blue
spruce, Norway spruce,
Scotch pine and white pine
are also grown in western
North Carolina.
While the Fraser fir may be
the most popular species for
Christmas trees, Fraser fir
and other varieties are
grown in 80 of North
Carolina’s 100 counties. In
the eastern counties, popular
varieties include white pine,
Virginia pine, Eastern red
cedar and Leyland cypress.
Last year, more than four
million trees valued at $98
A
For details about choose-and-cut Christmas
tree farms in the Gaston, Cleveland and Lincoln
region, visit on-line at www.ncgreenindustry.org.
Directories are available in book form by calling
the Asheville Farmers Market at (828) 253-1691.
Kings Mountian Herald, Bessemer City Record
million were harvested from
North Carolina farms. The
state is the second largest
Christmas tree producer in
the United States behind
Oregon. ;
To promote the choose-
and-cut idea, Gov. Mike
Easley declared the first
week of December as
‘Choose-and-Cut Christmas
Tree Week’ in North Caro-
lina.
When it comes to decorat-
ing a live Christmas tree,
3
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residents should keep safety
in mind. Officials with the
state fire marshal’s office in
Raleigh say the pairing of
greenery with lights can
make for a hazardous
situation.
December is the peak
month for candle fires with
nearly twice the average
number of incidents. Christ-
mas tree fires cause an
average of $21 million in’
property damage each year
in the United States.
December 11 & 12, 2002 B
Time is now to select Christmas tree
When it comes to Christ-
mas tree safety, officials
advise residents to turn off
tree lights before going to
bed or leaving the house.
Decorate the tree using on
UL-approved lights and
cords. Residents should
inspect lights for possible
exposed or frayed cords,
loose connections or broken
. sockets and never overload
extension cords with lights.
Use only one string of lights
on one extension cord and
never place an extension
cord under carpet. When
using artificial greenery,
make sure that it is flame
retardant.
In North Carolina alone,
nearly 100 residential fires
were caused by Christmas
tree lights and other lighted
decorations.
So
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