Wellsburg Chamber to hold Christmas events
By WARREN SCOTT, Staff writerWELLSBURG - The Wellsburg Chamber of Commerce will help to ring in the Christmas season with two special events.
The most familiar, the chamber's annual Christmas parade, will begin at 4 p.m. Friday at 27th and Charles streets and proceed to the Wellsburg Town Square. Participants are asked to line up at the corner at 3 p.m.
"The theme for the event will be 'Home for the Holidays,' which is appropriate because the event is one of the many things Wellsburg residents, past and present, associate with holiday celebrations in their home town," said Debbie Baker, the parade's coordinator.
Baker said several local businesses and groups have announced plans to enter floats in the procession, which also will include the Brooke High School and Wellsburg Middle School marching bands, fire and rescue departments from throughout the county and other units.
A special guest will be Santa Claus, who will visit with area children and assist Mayor Sue Simonetti in lighting the square's Christmas tree.
The Brooke High School Madrigal Choir will perform.
Serving as parade marshal will be Brooke County Commissioner Bernie Kazienko. He and the late Julie Caldwell, a former Wellsburg councilwoman, were named the chamber's 2008 Citizens of the Year. The 2009 citizen of the year will be named early next year.
In addition to his service as a Brooke County sheriff's deputy, sheriff and commissioner, Kazienko was selected for his efforts in collecting toys for children of local families in need.
Kazienko said donations of toys are appreciated and may be brought to the Brooke County Courthouse between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.
To lend a hand to that effort and the Holy Family Catholic Mission food pantry, the chamber has planned a new event. The Festival of Trees, a Business After Hours event involving a silent auction for Christmas trees, wreaths and other holiday decorations, will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Pier 12 Restaurant.
Barbara Finley, the chamber's executive director, said most of the trees will be artificial, allowing winners to display them for as long as they wish, but there also will be a live tree donated by a local nursery that may be planted after Christmas.
Santa Claus also will be on hand from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and photos with him will be available for $5 each.
Vocalist-keyboardist Jack Giacomel will provide music from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., courtesy of the Top of West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau. There also will be taped Christmas music throughout the event, refreshments and door prizes.
Admission is $2. Anyone interested in donating a tree or other item for the occasion may call Finley at (304) 479-2115.
Finley said she's looking forward to meeting the public in her new role as executive director. The Steubenville resident has worked for Wellsburg accountant Richard Krisak, a chamber board member, for several years.
(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com)
