Christmas Eve

Sun offices closed for Christmas Eve The Winchester Sun will be closed Friday for Christmas Eve and will reopen on Monday. There will be no newspaper on Saturday, Christmas Day, but the Friday paper will be a morning edition that should be on the stands and delivered by 8 a.m. Library closed Friday Clark County Public Library will be closed Dec. 24, 25 and 26 for Christmas and Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 for the New Year’s holiday....

Local people in and around Boyle County are helping a Livingston family after its home caught fire Christmas Eve.  About 9 a.m. Tuesday, Neal James of Stanford, Turtleman's sidekick on the “Call of the Wildman” show on the Animal Planet channel, sent out a request on Twitter and Facebook for ideas on where to get toys on Christmas day.  Amy Cromer and her three children lost everything in the fire at their house, including their Christmas...

Ice from last week’s ice storm glistened on tree limbs on Hedges Station Road Monday morning. Despite an overnight snowfall, much of the ice and snow should melt today with forecast highs around 36 degrees. More winter weather is expected to give us a good chance of a white Christmas this weekend. Snow is forecast to begin falling late in the afternoon Christmas Eve and continue on Christmas Day.

Orthodox Church to celebrate Nativity Saint Athanasius Orthodox Church will have a prayer and worship service in preparation and celebration of the Nativity of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ. Service times are as follows: Friday, Dec. 23, 9 a.m. Royal Hours Christmas Eve: 9 a.m., Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom 4 p.m., Vigil: Great Vespers/Matins Christmas Day: 8 a.m., Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great Breaking of the Fast (finger foods only)

Grace Baptist hosts Christmas events Grace Baptist Church, 5990 Lexington Road, is hosting Christmas Eve and Christmas day worship services. The Christmas Eve service will be at 5 p.m. Saturday and the Christmas day service will be at 10:45 a.m. Sunday. Ark of Mercy Christmas dinner Ark of Mercy Church of God will host its community-wide Christmas dinner at 12:30 p.m. Christmas Day at the church located at 240 Winn Ave. Christmas Eve service at Central Baptist There will be a Christmas Eve candlelight and Communion service Dec. 24 at 5 p.m. at Central Baptist Church.

Mr. and Mrs. William Jenkins held their family Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve with about 40 family members present. Mr. Ron Terry's two daughters visited him on Saturday before Christmas. They are Tina and family of Hall's Gap Estates and Brenda and family of Lexington. Mrs. Evelyn Hill and Mrs. Effie Pendleton spent a week over the holidays with Effie's son, Tommy Pendleton and family at Willisburg. On Christmas Eve, Mrs. Ron Terry had as guests her children, Kenneth Correll and family, and Connie Waldroup and family for a Christmas meal.

The Danville Salvation Army had collected $72,500 during its kettle campaign as of Sunday, according to Lt. Dan Nelson, co-commander of the local army. That amount leaves the army $17,500 short of its 2009 campaign goal of $90,000. That goal is $5,000 more than the record $85,000 collected last year. The kettle campaign began the day after Thanksgiving and will end on Christmas Eve. Kettles are set up at eight stores in Danville, Harrodsburg, Stanford and Liberty. "We're almost there," Nelson said.

Christmas Eve candlelight service A candlelight communion service will be held at the Stanford Presbyterian Church on Christmas Eve at 7 p.m. The service of Lessons and Carols will reach its high point around the communion table to celebrate the Lord's Supper. All are welcome to participate in the service and communion celebration. Calvary Hill to host singing Jackie and Teresa Johnson will sing at Calvary Hill Baptist Church on Sunday, Dec. 30 at 6 p.m. Everyone welcome.

MONDAY, DEC. 24 - Christmas Eve. - Emmanuel Episcopal Church, West Lexington Avenue, 5 p.m, Holy Eucharist; 10:30 p.m., special music; 11 p.m., Holy Eucharist. Open to the public. TUESDAY, DEC. 25 - Christmas Day! - Emmanuel Episcopal Church, West Lexington Avenue, 10 a.m., Holy Eucharist. Open to the public. MONDAY, JAN. 7 - The national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, George J. Lisicki, will visit local VFW Post No. 2728, 116 Sterling St., at 1 p.m., Monday, Jan. 7. Clark County Judge-Executive Henry Branham and Winchester Mayor Ed Burtner are among the local dignitaries expected to attend.

Paul and Laura Conkwright renewed their marriage vows in observance of their 25th anniversary on Christmas Eve 2008 at the Winchester Church of God Cathedral in Clark County. Robert Gayheart officiated at the ceremony and Pastor David Douglas gave the couple a marriage blessing. Paul and Laura have three daughters, Barbara, Heather and Nelda Conkwright. Following the ceremony, a reception was held at the church with many family and friends. Paul is the son of the late Asa Conkwright Sr. and Barbara King of Clark County.

Christmas comes with many faces. Over the years, it seems like every year when I get my cup of hot tea and honey and sit back to mull and reflect it all, one thing, one event will pop out to mark it as special. It doesn't have to be big or spectacular and, in fact, usually is just the opposite. This year was no different. Let me tell you about the specialness of our Christmas 2012. The story really begins more than a year and a half ago. Gene and I, after finally gathering all the necessary documents, went down to the little office in Salida to obtain a Colorado drivers license.

Well the last gift has been opened and the last hugs, goodbyes and thank yous have been given at our house and another Christmas has come to an end. It was a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with family that we will always remember. We had no sooner finished opening the last gift than my grandson announced to his cousin, “It will be 365 days” until Christmas comes again. The child that announced this bit of information seemed to be upset by this news. The rest of us looked a little tired.

Local people in and around Boyle County are helping a Livingston family after its home caught fire Christmas Eve.  About 9 a.m. Tuesday, Neal James of Stanford, Turtleman's sidekick on the “Call of the Wildman” show on the Animal Planet channel, sent out a request on Twitter and Facebook for ideas on where to get toys on Christmas day.  Amy Cromer and her three children lost everything in the fire at their house, including their Christmas...

It's not uncommon for workplaces to hold office parties complete with the annual secret-Santa events around Christmas time. Typically that is true for the employees at the Nicholasville Zaxby's restaurant. But this year, an idea from two employees caught on like wildfire, and as a result, Christmas morning was a bit brighter for 13 Jessamine County kids. “Instead of having a secret Santa, we all decided that we all already had everything that we needed, and we decided that we wanted to help the less fortunate,” shift manager and organizer Danica Risen said.

This is the one slow week of the year at the library. We'll be closed today, Tuesday and Wednesday; we'll reopen at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 27, and be open regular hours through Sunday, Dec. 30, then closed again Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. What's happening now is Christmas Eve, a magical day and night, and, for myself one of the merriest and most wondrous, always. All of us at the library wish Clark County a merry Christmas and happy holidays. happy Solstice, from me, specifically, too; it's been a mild winter, so far, but I like the thought that we're into the first turn toward spring.

Church hosts 5K training course Lancaster Baptist will be hosting a “Run for God” course beginning on 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 5. The course will include a running plan that will help participants walk/run a 5K in 12 weeks and a weekly Bible study.  All are invited to participate.  Please call (859) 792-2781 with questions.     Holiday services and events scheduled Trinity Episcopal Church Christmas services -   5:30 p.m. Christmas Eve, Children's Pick-up Pageant and Holy Eucharist Rite II; 11 a.m. Christmas Eve, Holy Eucharist Rite II with special music.

When I asked two of my elderly friends what their first Christmas memory was, I could tell it was a question they had never thought about before. I posed this question to Verne Orndorff, who is closer to 100 years of age than 90. He told me that every year his father would go out on Christmas Eve and cut down a Christmas tree. He said he usually went alone to get the tree. It had to be a fir tree. He would climb to the top of a very tall fir tree, cut down the tree, then bring it back to the house.

I am actually looking forward to a new year and the wonderment of it all. I am glad I didn't know what last year held in store for me because I would have been wanting to hold on a little longer to the year. Six of my relatives passed away last year. That can reduce a family quickly.   For now, Christmas is over and the tree is taken down and every ornament tucked away, and so are the special memories for another year. It was a good one. Christmas Eve was a special brunch with Keith and Julie as our hosts.

Editor's note: The writer recounts a Christmas memory in this piece. The wind cuts briskly through the hair at the back of my neck as snowflakes swirl around the street lights lining either side of the pathway through the middle of the street, where my footsteps are being covered almost as quickly as I step out of them. I worked late at the drugstore tonight. We always stay open on Christmas Eve, in case those last-minute shoppers come in for the bottle of perfume or a bracelet from the jewelry counter.

Grace Baptist hosts Christmas events Grace Baptist Church, 5990 Lexington Road, is hosting Christmas Eve and Christmas day worship services. The Christmas Eve service will be at 5 p.m. Saturday and the Christmas day service will be at 10:45 a.m. Sunday. Ark of Mercy Christmas dinner Ark of Mercy Church of God will host its community-wide Christmas dinner at 12:30 p.m. Christmas Day at the church located at 240 Winn Ave. Christmas Eve service at Central Baptist There will be a Christmas Eve candlelight and Communion service Dec. 24 at 5 p.m. at Central Baptist Church.