The Community Christmas Concert held a planning session last week and will hold the concert on Dec. 20 at the Coldspring Shelter. Shelley Thompson chaired the meeting, which was well-attended with some members sending apologies due to prior commitments.
This is truly a concert for all of our community. If you are interested in being a part of it, as a singer or instrumentalist, call Shelley at (469) 500-7575. Rehearsals will start in November but organizing this event will be ongoing since it will be bigger than last year.
The concert has received sponsors who have donated to the event. The Bank of San Jacinto is one and an anonymous donor has also given. The concert will be free to the public but some sound and musical equipment will be needed.
Organizing the facility is being handled by Rob Freyer, Assistant DA, while Shelley will be Master of Ceremonies and Jessica Rutherford is Treasurer. Andrew, who was in charge last year of the Cantata details, will do so again. Everyone at the meeting offered to help in one way or another, another example of community spirit creating together.
•I mentioned recently that both Coldspring and Shepherd Senior Centers had been gifted 500 pounds of hamburger meat through the work of Kinsley Bailes. She went to the SJC Farm Bureau and asked them to partner with her, which they did, and the centers received a whole steer.
Since the senior centers will be operating under their own auspices from Oct. 1, they will be using some of this for the meals to go programs which they could not do under the previous administration.
•Judi Benestante celebrated her 75th birthday by inviting her family and friends to her party, held at their gathering place by the vineyard. Her cake was spectacular, and guests enjoyed barbecue or chicken with the trimmings as they mixed and mingled.
Judi's husband, Mayor John Benestante, was busy greeting and helping throughout as well as having time to talk to their family. Judi invited everyone to come next year to help harvest the grapes. This is a lovely venue for larger groups of people and the weather cooperated by being cooler and a light breeze made it even better.
•Shepherd Library relies on volunteers for a lot of the programs they put on. One volunteer, Debora Navoy, celebrated her first year as a volunteer last week. Library Administrator Terri MacIntyre had ice cream on hand for the occasion.
Both libraries hold many different programs from craft work, Bingo, Tiny Tots Tales and Teen Night to name a few. Debora also wears her Chicky costume at Easter time. She was in a photo with me this year though she had to have breaks now and then to cool off.
Friends of Shepherd Library will hold a Trivia Night on Nov. 8. This is a fundraiser for the library as is the Murder Mystery Dinner to be held on Oct. 4 for Coldspring Library. This is a sold-out event. I will post photos of this next week.
Trivia Night will be held in Coldspring Community Center. For information call the Library at (936) 628-3515.
•Women's League will hold a Fall Bingo Night at Coldspring Senior Center on Friday, Nov. 14. Tickets are $25 for 10 games. You can buy tickets at the Senior Center from Charline Smith or call President Mary Anne Pittman at (713) 823-6820.
The Garden Club will have guest speaker Phyllis Campbell to talk on "Hummingbirds and preparing our feathered friends for winter." The meeting starts at 1:30 p.m. at Coldspring Community Center. Members are welcome to lunch together at the Senior Center before, if they wish.
•I mentioned the Child Welfare Board last week. They serve to help children caught up in serious circumstances. The Board President is Anna Thorpe who told me that the board is composed of residents appointed by Commissioners Court on the basis of leadership and concern for children. Go to their Facebook page for more information.
•Congratulations Coldspring Volunteer Fire Department. Eight of their members have officially passed their EMR class. This is the Emergency Medical Responder class and is a great achievement for the VFD.
Contact the Shepherd Chamber of Commerce at (210) 995-7420 or the Coldspring Chamber at (936) 653-2184.
Yvonne Cones is president of the Shepherd Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Coldspring Chamber of Commerce.
