Saturday, Dec. 1

COMMUNITY · The City of Fort Oglethorpe Christmas Parade will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1. The theme is “Old Fashioned Christmas.” The parade will gather in the Office Depot parking lot on Battlefield Parkway (Ga. 2), travel west along the highway, then turn south onto U.S. 27 and travel to the Barnhart Circle area. According to city council member Louis Hamm, the makeup of the parade will be comparable to last year's event with many floats. Mayor Lynn Long invites everyone to come out and enjoy this holiday event. For more information or to obtain a parade entry form, call Fort Oglethorpe Fire and Rescue at 706-861-4194 or 706-861-4059.

COMMUNITY · A Community Christmas Bazaar will be held from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at Cherokee Ridge Elementary School in Chickamauga. Students will sing, there will be photos with Santa and kids activities, food vendors, and the school PTO will sponsor a Santa Shoppe. Free shuttle service will be available at Oakwood Baptist Church for overflow parking.

COMMUNITY · The 9th annual ATV Four Wheel Parade will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1. Donations of a toy or cash will be accepted to benefit the Walker County Stocking Full of Love program. The event is sponsored by the Chattanooga Valley Lions Club. A cash prize will be awarded for the best decorated four-wheeler. A chili supper will be served afterwards. Call Leon Ellis at 706-931- 2551for more information.

CHURCH · Cove Methodist Church will hold a Candlelight Christmas Service at 7 P.m. Saturday, Dec. 1. Cove Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is five miles south of Chickamauga on Highway 341 (Cove Road). For more information, visit covemethodist.com.

ENTERTAINMENT · “A Christmas Carol: The Broadway Musical” will be performed at The Colonnade, 264 Catoosa Circle in Ringgold. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, with a 1 p.m. matinee on Dec. 1. Tickets cost $18 for adults, $15 for seniors (age 55 and older), $15 for students, and $13 for groups of 15 or more. Please call 706-935-9000, for more information or visit the website www.colonnadecenter.org

COMMUNITY · Catoosa County DFCS will hold its annual Food Drive to restock the food pantry from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Battlefield Church of the Nazarene near Wal-Mart. Items requested are canned, non-perishable food items, formula, and diapers. For more information, call 706-866-9387.

COMMUNITY · The Rossville Library will host a Grinch Coloring Contest: Submit a holiday coloring sheet for a chance to win holiday treats. Pick up a coloring sheet at the library starting Saturday, Dec. 1. Fill out the form on the back. Open to ages 1 –18; Categories: Ages 1 – 5, 6 – 12, and 13 – 18. All submissions must be turned in by Dec. 18. One winner will be chosen from each category on Dec. 19.

COMMUNITY · The race for Catoosa Stocking of Love and the Chattanooga Food Bank will be held Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Brainerd Optimist Dragstrip, 745 Scruggs Road in Ringgold. Gates open at noon. Admission is $10 per person, children age 12 and younger are admitted free. Bring a new unwrapped toy or canned food. For more information, call 706-891-9831.

CHURCH · The youth of Lookout Baptist Church, 8645 Highway 193, in the High Point Community will have an inside yard sale in the Family Life Building on Saturday, Dec. 1, from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Proceeds will help the youth attend a state wide youth retreat in Macon. For more information, call Nadine Carden at 706-820-9452.

ENTERTAINMENT · “Miracle on 34th Street” will be performed live on stage at The Colonnade in Ringgold. Performances are Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 1 at 1 p.m. Tickets are $11 adult admission, $9 seniors (age 55 and older), $9 students, and $8 for groups of 15 or more. Call 706-935-9000, ext. 103, for more information or visit the website colonnadecenter.org.

COMMUNITY · Jason Long is opening a new State Farm Insurance office on Saturday, Dec. 1, in La Fayette. The office is at 2611 North Highway 27, next to Wal-Mart. Jason is excited about the opening of his new office, and invites you to drop by anytime for a visit. He can be reached at 706-638-0008.

COMMUNITY · Students at the Performance Learning Center created metal yard art to donate to the Children’s Fund. Their fanciful objects will be for sale on Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Ace Hardware of Ringgold on Poplar Springs Road from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. All of the proceeds will be donated to help Catoosa students. The Catoosa County Children’s Fund is a 501C3. All of the money donated is tax deductable, all stays in Catoosa County and all of it helps students. You can help by making a purchase at the Christmas Yard Art Sale or by making a donation to the Catoosa County Children’s Fund, PO Box 130, Ringgold, GA 30736.

ENTERTAINMENT · “A Christmas Carol: The Broadway Musical” will be performed at The Colonnade, 264 Catoosa Circle in Ringgold. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, with a 1 p.m. matinee on Dec. 1. Tickets cost $18 for adults, $15 for seniors (age 55 and older), $15 for students, and $13 for groups of 15 or more. Please call 706-935-9000, for more information or visit the website www.colonnadecenter.org

COMMUNITY · Christmas Tour of Homes, will be held Saturday, Dec. 1 from 6-8 p.m. Tour five homes in Chickamauga decorated for the holidays. Tickets are $15 per person. Tickets can be purchased at the Chickamauga Public Library beginning Nov. 13. All proceeds go to the Friends of the Chickamauga Public Library for projects and programs at the Library.

COMMUNITY · The Chattanooga Zoo’s 12 Days of Christmas for the Animals will begin on Saturday, Dec. 1. For 12 days, the Zoo will feature a different animal on its Facebook page and what he or she would like for Christmas. Guests of the Zoo can bring their gift to the Zoo Gift Shop anytime during the month of December and receive a small gift in return from the Chattanooga Zoo. To view the list, visit www.chattzoo.org/support/12-days-of-christmas. Guests can watch the animals open their gifts during the Zoo’s annual Holiday Lights on Dec. 14, 15, 21 and 22. For more information call 423-697-1322.

COMMUNITY · Parkridge East Hospital (in East Ridge, Tenn.) will offer parents and guardians an Infant/Child CPR Class from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3. Cost is $15. Practice on mannequins is included. The class is not a certification for healthcare or daycare workers. To register and for more information, call MedLine at 800-242-5662 or visit ParkridgeEastHospital.com.

COMMUNITY · Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will close the following monuments for the winter season starting Saturday, Dec. 1: Wilder Brigade Monument, the Highway 27 picnic area, the Sanders picnic area and the Signal Point restrooms. These areas will reopen in mid-March, pending weather conditions. For more information, call 706-866-9241 or 423-821-7786 or visit nps.gov/chch.

ENTERTAINMENT · The Chattanooga Boys Choir's Singing Christmas Tree will be performed at the Tivoli Theatre on Saturday, Dec.1 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The choir will be joined by Ballet Tennessee, musicians from the CSO Youth Orchestra, and an alumni choir formed for this special event. Visit chattanoogaonstage.com or call 423-642-TIXS for tickets.

Sunday, Dec. 2

CHURCH · The LeFevre Quartet will be in concert at Gospel Tabernacle, 703 N. Main Street, LaFayette, on Sunday, Nov. 11, at 9:45 a.m.

CHURCH · Crosspointe Church in Ringgold will present a modern, realistic Christmas play “of faith, hope, love, and joy,” with two showings at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. each Sunday in December, beginning Dec. 2. and running through December 23. A choir and band will add to the performance. For more information, call 706-935-2000 or visit my-crosspointechurch.org.

COMMUNITY · The Catoosa County 25th annual Toy Run (motorcycle ride) will be held Saturday, Dec. 2. Riders should meet at 2 p.m. at 1503 LaFayette Road in front of Big Lots in Fort Oglethorpe. The run will begin at 2:30 p.m. and end at Ringgold High School. Non-participants wanting to help can drop off toy donations at First Volunteer Bank branches in Ringgold and Fort Oglethorpe. For more information, call Mike Gard at 706-937-6546 or Dr. Dave at 423-236-4100.

ENTERTAINMENT · The Battlefield Pilot Club presents its 2012 Christmas Tour of Homes on Sunday, Dec. 2 from 2-4 p.m. The three homes being shown this year are all located in Chickamauga. Advance ticket sales have begun with prices being $10 in advance or $12 at the door. Tickets may be purchased from any Battlefield Pilot Club mem-ber, by contacting the club Facebook page, or email: battlefieldpilot@comcast.net, or call 423-309-9979 or 706-639-7001.

COMMUNITY · Walker County Schools’ Smith Planetarium will be open to the public Sunday, Dec. 2, at 2:30 p.m. The planetarium is at 409 Pond Springs Road south of Chickamauga. No admission is charged for public programs. Total time in the planetarium is about 55 minutes. For more information, call 706-375-3493.

COMMUNITY · Starting Jan. 1, 2013, Georgia Farmers will need to apply and obtain a GATE (Georgia Agriculture Exemption Card) from the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture. This is the result of HB 386 which was passed this year by the legislature which allows Georgia farmers to take advantage of additional sales tax exemptions. If you are a farm producer with $ 2,500 in Ag income, you need to prepare to obtain a GATE card. Contact the Walker County Farm Bureau Office at 706-638-3237 if you have questions concerning the Georgia Agricultural Exemption Card.

COMMUNITY · Registration deadline for the North Georgia Community YMCA Christmas Break Camp (Dec. 26-28 and Jan. 2-4, 2013) is Tuesday, Dec. 18. The camp is for children ages 5-12. Cost is $25 per day for members, $30 per day for non-members. The camp will be held at Fort Oglethorpe United Methodist Church gym. To register, call 706-935-2226 or go to ngaymca@ymcachattanooga.org.

Monday, Dec. 3

COMMUNITY · A Bariatric Support Group will be offered from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3, at Erlanger Chattanooga Lifestyle Center in Chattanooga. Support group meetings are for individuals scheduled to have Bariatric surgery or who have already had weight loss surgery. Call Erlanger’s HealthLink at (423) 778-LINK (5465) for more information.

COMMUNITY · Entry deadline for the City of LaFayette Christmas Parade 2012 is Monday, Dec. 3. The parade will begin at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7. Participants will line up for the parade at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 7. The parade route starts at 512 South Main Street (Ace Hardware) and travels north on Main Street, through the square, turing left onto Margaret Street to the LaFayette Sixth Grade Academy parking lot to disband. This year’s theme is “A Christmas Wonderland.” To register, apply at the LaFayette Recreation Department. Call 706-639-1590 for more information.

COMMUNITY · Calhoun Composite Squadron #134 of the Civil Air Patrol-U.S. Air Force Auxiliary currently has openings available for a safety officer, communications officer, and emergency services officer, among others. Cadet slots (ages 12-17) are also open. The Calhoun Composite Squadron meets at Calhoun Airport on Saturdays from 8-10 a.m. For more information, contact Capt. Hayden Collins at htcollins@earthlink.net.

COMMUNITY · Registration deadline for North Georgia Community YMCA adult, children and youth athletic programs (includes basketball, indoor soccer, volleyball, swim lessons, water aerobics and karate) is Dec. 8. Most seasons begin January 2013. Cost varies for members and non-members. To register, call 706-935-2226 or go to ngaymca@ymcachattanooga.org.

COMMUNITY · AARP Tax-Aide, a free, volunteer-run tax preparation and assistance service, is seeking volunteers in Walker County to help taxpayers who are seeking assistance preparing and filing their 2012 tax returns. Volunteers do not need to be an AARP member or a retiree to participate. AARP Tax-Aide volunteers should have some computer experience, such as e-mail and internet browsing. Also needed are volunteers who have management experience. AARP Tax-Aide volunteers receive free IRS-certified tax training and are reimbursed on a limited basis for qualified program-related expenses. For more information, visit aarp.org/tavolunteer8 or call 1-888-OUR-AARP. Deadline for application is Dec. 15.

COMMUNITY · Catoosa Citizens for Animal Care, Inc. is selling Adventures in Dining Coupon Books for $35. The books contain 87 buy-one-get-one free coupons for dining and entertainment in Chattanooga, north Georgia and Cleveland. The total value of the book is over $1,100. The group receives a $10 commission for each book sold. Books are available at the following locations: Ringgold Telephone Company and Tille Town in Ringgold; and The Animal Medical Center in Ft. Oglethorpe. CCAC is a non-profit volunteer organization formed to improve animal care awareness in Catoosa County. Its mission is to promote the humane treatment of animals through responsible pet ownership by: 1) reducing animal over-population through a spay/neuter program; 2) educate the community about the humane treatment of animals; and 3) help connect animals in need of homes with families. Call 24-hour Help Line (706-937-2287) or visit www.catoosacitizensforanimalcare.org.

COMMUNITY · Registration deadline is Jan. 8, 2013, for North Georgia Community YMCA Homeschool P.E. The course is for ages 5-15. Classes are held daily from Jan. 15-Feb. 21, 2013, at Fort Oglethorpe United Methodist Church gym. Cost is $15 per session for YMCA members and $40 per session for non-members. For more information, call 706-935-2226 or visit ngaymca@ymcachattanooga.org.

COMMUNITY · Registration deadline for the North Georgia Community YMCA Father/Daughter Dance (Friday, Feb. 8, 2013) is Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013. for girls ages 5-11. Cost is $75 per couple, $35 for each additional daughter. The dance will be held at the Colonnade in Ringgold. To register, call 706-935-2226 or go to ngaymca@ymcachattanooga.org.