Happy holidays from Masaryktown

Nazdar,

A blessed holiday season to all of you. Vesele Vianoce.

Please note: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church food pantry, which feeds the needy, will not be open on Christmas Day. It will be open New Year's Day. Also, Candlelight Service will be held at 7 p.m. Christmas Eve: Christmas Day Worship and Communion will be on Dec. 25 at 10 a.m.

At St. Mary Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, on Christmas Eve at 4 p.m., there will be Vigil Mass, with Living Nativity Tableaux at 7:30 p.m. There will be Christmas carols at 8 p.m.; Solemn Mass on Christmas Day, which is a Holy Day of Obligation; Mass will be at 10:30 a.m.

The music for Christmas concert at St. Mary's had a good turnout. On the program was Sylvia Chai, church organist and program coordinator, along with John Allen, Soloist Cecile Tondre and St. Mary's Choir. Following the concert, light refreshments were served and Chai signed autographs.

The MAC Club Christmas Party meets today from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Masaryktown Community Center on Lincoln Avenue for ages 12 and under. There will be games, Santa and his sleigh, with whom you can have a picture taken care of a photographer who will be available, face paintings, goodie bags and punch.

Visitors from Wisconsin

I had a brief overnight visit with Dennis Krause and his son-in-law Rick Debaere of Appleton, Wis. They flew down to Jacksonville last Saturday, rented a car and drove over late afternoon. Dennis is Melanie Olson-Arsenault's Godfather, whom she has not seen in about 10 years.

By mid-morning Sunday, they returned to Jacksonville (actually May Port), where the USS Enterprise was to dock at 3 p.m. They were going to go aboard. Krause's grandson is in the U.S. Navy, E-3 Brad Ver Hagen. He was invited to sail on the USS Enterprise, so they came down to do so.

This aircraft carrier is four football fields long and 15 stories high. They will sail to Norfolk, Va., get off the carrier and fly back to Wisconsin. What an opportunity. And also for us, a very short but very happy visit after so many years.

Becky Evans and her daughter Alli bid farewell to "Hubby and Dad" who is U.S. Air Force Major Mark Evans left for Afghanistan last week. Our prayers are with him for a speedy return.

Warm welcomes

Welcome to town new residents - Wayne and Tami Pynn and his mother Isabel Pynn have lived on the East Coast of Florida for over 30 years, originally from Bedford, Mass.

At last Tuesday's community meeting, it was approved they will replace the roof on the concession stand and work on the retention pond.

Births, birthdays, anniversaries

Congratulations to Jacob George Pappas, who made his debut on Dec. 11 at Spring Hill Regional Hospital. Jacob weighed in at 9 pounds 5 ounces and is 21-and-a-quarter inches long. His proud parents are Kenneth Morse and Theresa Pappas; proud grandparents are Joy Rudisill of Brooksville and Scott Rudisill of Ridge Manor, and Marie and Jim Pappas of Citrus County.

Happy birthday to: Jim Zrimsek, Dec. 26; C.J. Toland, Dec. 27; Larry Hollaway, Dec. 29.

Wedding anniversary wishes to: George and Diana Rodriguez will celebrate 35 years on Dec. 26; Larry and Vikki Farrow, Dec. 27.