Wally Decker
Friday News for December 08, 2023
13 days till WINTER (Dec 21). 17 days till Christmas. Above normal temperatures for the weekend. A thunderstorm on Sunday????
Today is national CHRISTMAS TREE day…
When it comes to REAL Christmas Trees: The North Carolina Christmas Tree Industry is ranked second in the nation in number of trees harvested and cash receipts. North Carolina produces a quarter (26%) of the REAL Christmas Trees in the U.S. https://ncchristmastrees.com/our-story/about-real-trees/
Family ‘disagreements’ and Christmas trees?
#1 What kind (real or artificial)
#2 How tall?
#3 WHERE to place our tree?
*Honorable mention: White or multi-colored lights on the tree… https://www.thegardnernews.com/story/lifestyle/2023/11/28/christmas-traditions-debate-real-vs-fake-tree-how-long-to-leave-it-up-holiday-cards-tree-topper/71604190007/
The 2nd Annual Salemtowne Non-Profit Christmas Tree Contest is underway! Some of the non-profits participating include Salem Pregnancy, City Lights Ministry, Sunnyside Ministry, the Winston-Salem Street School and HOPE of Winston-Salem. You can vote one time each day thru DEC 14. Link https://form.jotform.com/232366461876162.
The winner, to be announced on December 15th, will win $1,000 dollars. *The trees are on display at the Babcock Health Care Center on the 2nd floor at Salemtowne.
Due to a steady increase in respiratory virus cases in our communities, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and Cone Health have implemented (temporary) visitor restrictions for children ages 12 and younger. Additionally, masks are strongly encouraged in patient rooms and other designated areas.
Details at www.wakehealth.edu/patient-and-family-resources/preparing-for-your-visit/visitor-guidelines
Stat of the Day: Brandon Lake = Most played artist on Christian AC (radio) in 2023, according to Mediabase.
High School Football (Saturday Championship games)
https://www.wxii12.com/high-school-sports
*Mount Airy vs Tarboro at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill
State 1-A Championship Game (DEC 9) at noon
The Granite Bears are making their 14th appearance in a state championship game.
*Reidsville vs undefeated Clinton at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.
State 2-A Championship Game (DEC 09) at 3pm
For the 7th time in the last eight years, the Reidsville Rams are heading back to the state championship game.
American Red Cross: Local Blood drives this week…
TODAY (Dec 8)
Atrium Wake Forest Baptist at Piedmont Plaza (1st Street) WS = 9:30 – 3pm
Forsyth Medical Center (WS) = 7am – 4pm
*Schedule your blood donation appointment TODAY at https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/
It’s ‘Winter Weather Preparedness Week for North Carolina’
Check out the news blog for more helpful information to keep you and your family safe during the Winter months. Learn more about Winter Driving Tips. Prepping your home for Cold Weather. Navigating Ice and Excessive Cold temps. https://www.weather.gov/rah/winterprep
With renovations underway at the Stevens Center in Winston-Salem, the UNC School of the Arts production of the Nutcracker all performances are happening at the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts in Greensboro this weekend. Ticket sales —14,000 to date for the five performances — have outpaced previous years.
*The tradition that began in 1966 has grown into a production with nearly 200 handmade costumes, and $7,000 dollars’ worth of pointe shoes!
*Each year UNCSA’s The Nutcracker typically generates some $200,000 dollars in scholarship funds.
College Hoops
Men’s basketball: Wake Forest at home this Saturday night (8pm).
Dec 21 (7pm) and Dec 21 (3pm)
Sad news from the racing community. Davidson county native Ralph Brinkley, one of the most dominant drivers at Bowman Gray Stadium in the 1970s’ and ‘80’s, passed away on Wednesday. Brinkley was 84. Brinkley had been battling some health issues the last four months. Ralph Brinkley, who won eight Modified championships driving his blue Hayes Jewelers #9 racecar, had 64 victories in his career
Funeral arrangements: https://www.davidsonfuneralhome.net/obituary/ralph-brinkley
FedEx along with the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation is rolling down the highway to deliver Christmas joy to military families across America in the annual Trees for Troops program. Nearly 16,000 farm grown Christmas trees will be delivered this month to families at over 90 military bases across the U.S.
*A special milestone with the program this year, tree number 300,000 was delivered during a special celebration at Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg) here in North Carolina.
BTW: FedEx drivers have logged over 600,000 miles to deliver the holly-jolly trees since 2005 (18 years). https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/fedex-delivers-300000-free-christmas-tree-to-military-families/
“Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He is the Father who is compassionate and the God who gives comfort. He comforts us whenever we suffer. That is why whenever other people suffer, we are able to comfort them by using the same comfort we have received from God.” -2 Corinthians 1:3-4
