Christmas

In recent years, The Nature Conservancy of Kentucky has offered the public the opportunity to obtain free Christmas trees from its Jim Beam Nature Preserve in Jessamine County. The popular event has been so successful in clearing unwanted cedar trees from a meadow where the conservancy has planted hardwood seedlings that there are not enough trees left to hold the event this year.  The conservancy will consider other locations in the Palisades region where there are easily accessible cedar trees so that the event could be resumed in the future.

Winchester resident Jacqueline Kohl contributed a creative non-fiction work, “The Christmas Chair,” to the anthology “Kentucky's Twelve Days of Christmas: A Wealth of Kentucky Holiday Tales.” The newly-released anthology spans decades and includes a wide range of pieces written by literary legends and contemporary masters from across the state. As the book's editor, James B. Goode, writes in his introduction, the selections he chose appealed to him because they covered “a range of themes from those that wax nostalgic to those that examine the dark side of holiday dysfunction.” “Christmas stories, poems and songs were being written by Kentucky writers almost from the beginning of the Commonwealth in 1792,” Goode wrote.

Christmas came early this year for director Judy Crowe and Clark County Community Services in the form of a large donation of merchandise from local businessman Rankin Paynter. Paynter purchased the remaining inventory of the Winchester Kmart, which closed May 6, and donated it to Community Services. He also rented a vacant downtown building to store the massive amount of clothing, shoes, housewares and other items until Crowe and her helpers can sort though and organize the items.

Please let me thank you for the letter in Friday's, Jan. 6, Voice of the People about the Salvation Army. On behalf of prisoners and inmates throughout the state of Kentucky, I want to thank people like Lt. Dan Nelson and Capt. Sarah Nelson, Angel Tree affiliates and the support of our communities and the volunteer support of time and resources that provide all of this for us. I have experienced first-hand and witness so many prisoners who are locked up in the Kentucky penal system who have literally cried and thanked God for providing a Christmas or just a small gift to a family member, who could be a child or a grandchild, or simply a loved one. However, so many of us don't realize the many hours and work that people and organizations put into this service.

Lady Patriot center Kourtney Belcher lofted in the game-winning shot off an Emily Fox assist with 5 seconds left to put the cap on a hotly-contested game. Lincoln jumped on top 8-0 and held a 24-17 lead after the first quarter, but it was a dogfight the rest of the way as Holy Cross rallied to challenge the Lady Patriots. “I thought we came out well the first three or four minutes,” said Lincoln coach Cassandra McWhorter. “We got three turnovers, three quick scores, they had to call timeout.

Three Nicholasville families woke early Christmas morning to find their properties on fire. As the last few minutes of Christmas Eve ticked by on the clock, flames spread through a barn at 401 N. 3rd St. The fire engulfed the barn and reached two garages on the property before expanding to homes at 100 and 104 Stellar St., city fire chief Charles Brumfield said. While firefighters were working to extinguish the flames at the residential properties, a police officer directing traffic called in reports of flames coming from a delivery truck inside the lumber yard at Stratton Lumber, located at 306 N. 3rd St. The fire was contained to just the truck at the lumber store.

All year long I try my best to write informative articles to educate pet owners about serious and sometimes devastating diseases of dogs and cats. So, at Christmas each year I like to have fun with a lighthearted approach to one of the more well known holiday songs. Most of us who are pet lovers enjoy a little pet humor from time to time. For anyone who doesn't know, Marlo is our 3-year-old, three pound Yorkshire Terrier who suffers from a bad case of “little dog syndrome” that causes her to think she is as big and bad as any other dog she comes into contact with.

This Christmas will be one Kristy and David Aldridge and their four children will never forget. The Aldridges just returned home from Taiyuan, China, where they welcomed the newest addition to their family: 2-year-old adopted daughter Lynnlee.  “This is the best Christmas present ever,” David said. “This is the culmination of an unbelievable prayer experience for us.” The Aldridges already had three children, Lauren, 14, Keaton, 11 and Karlee, 6, but Kristie said she long wanted to adopt a child, and last November she and David felt like they were led to do so. “Adoption was always a part of our life because Lauren was adopted from a previous marriage, and I had always wanted to adopt a child,” Kristy said.

Christmas is a time of renewed hope, faith and belief. I want to start this column with a Christmas miracle .... for me! A week ago today I decided the time had come for me to do a bit of Christmas shopping. Not much, just a little. My first stop was the Dollar Tree as my brother shops there all the time and is always most complimentary of the store and its staff. Anyway I went in, made my purchases and was at the check-out lane. When I searched for a pen in my purse, a young lady behind me graciously handed me a pen and told me to keep it as she had several in her purse.

Santa Claus quietly goes about his business of delivering Christmas presents amid a dazzling array of lights and a snowman on Estes Drive, top photo. A flowing stream of lights lead to a lighted manger scene that can be seen by travelers along Old Boonesboro Road across from Stoney Brook Drive, right photo. James Mann/jmann@winchestersun.com