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Tree Lighting Ceremony, Parade The City of Victoria invites residents to downtown Victoria the first weekend of December as we light up downtown in celebration of the most wonderful time of the year. Friday, Dec. 6, the City and the Victoria Fine Arts Association will kick off the holiday season with the traditional lighting of the H-E-B Christmas Tree at 5:30 p.
m. at De Leon Plaza. The tree lighting will include performances by Crossroads Jazz Combo and the Trinity Episcopal School Choir.
The ceremony will also be livestreamed on Facebook at City of Victoria, Texas – Government. The 30-foot Christmas tree will remain on display through January and will play a musical light show every half hour during the evenings. Lighted Christmas Parade Saturday, Dec.
7, the City will host the Lighted Christmas Parade downtown, featuring more than 100 businesses, school bands, churches and car clubs who will make the streets of downtown merry and bright. Food trucks and children’s activities will open starting at 5 p.m.
and the parade will begin at 6 p.m. The parade will be livestreamed on Facebook at City of Victoria, Texas – Government and will be broadcast live on TV15 (cable channels 15 and 115 and online at www.
victoriatx.gov/tv15 ). What’s next Saturday, Dec.
14, the City of Victoria Main Street Program and Mother Cluckers Downtown will host Merry on Main, featuring vendors, food trucks, activities and entertainment. Tuesday, Dec. 31, the City will host the second annual New Year’s Eve fireworks show in Riverside Park.
To view upcoming events hosted by the City and other local organizations, visit www.discovervictoriatexas.com .
Decora Study Club The Decora Study Club met Nov. 12 at the Women’s Club House in Victoria. James Wearden, the developer of Mitchell Artisan Market and Cultural Center, spoke to club members.
Wearden bought Mitchell school two years ago because he wanted to restore a historical property. Mitchell school was built in 1901 and was designed by a prominent architect named Jules Leffland. It became the first Anglo high school in Victoria, and it was named Central High School.
After students were sent to Patti Welder in 1918, the school was renamed the Third Ward School. It was renamed again in 1922 after JD Mitchell, a VISD trustee at the time. Wearden showed us early pictures of Mitchell school.
There were classrooms on floors one and two. The third floor was an auditorium. Three fires between 1935 and 1943 almost destroyed Mitchell, but it was rebuilt after each fire.
After the last one, the third floor was removed. Additional alterations have been made over the years to meet the needs of the facility. Mitchell School has served as an elementary school, guidance center and Artisan Market.
It is now a facility for independent salon operators. The school was given a Texas State Historical Marker designation in 1995. Helen Hultquist reported that the Women’s Clubhouse was cleaned by a team of volunteers last month.
The volunteers spent all day washing windows, cleaning flower beds, and power washing sidewalks. The motion was made and approved that the Club Members will work at the Food Bank for our National Day of Service which will be January 29, 2025. Members were encouraged to continue bringing donations for the Twice Blessed Donation Project.
Community Thanksgiving Services Americans pause from their busy schedules to give thanks to God for the many blessings that have come their way. The national day of Thanksgiving was established for just that purpose. Various communities will be holding Community Thanksgiving Services for members of various churches to attend—to sing songs of praise, to offer prayers of thanksgiving to God for God’s protection and care, for the strength, courage and faith to weather the literal and figurative storms in life, to pray for peace in the world and in our nation, and to hear a message of encouragement and hope.
Area clergy will be participating and leading in the worship services. Upcoming dates and locations for Community Thanksgiving Services in the tri-county area include: Weimar — Sunday, Nov. 24, 6:00 p.
m.: Faith Lutheran Church, Host; Father Chase Goodman, Preacher Moulton — Monday, Nov. 25, 6:30 p.
m.: Zion Lutheran Church, Host; Father Gabriel Mason, Preacher; followed by a meal Sign up to get our free daily email of the biggest stories! Hallettsville — Tuesday, Nov. 26, 7:00 p.
m.: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Host; Pastor Herb Beyer, Preacher Retired School Personnel The Victoria County Retired School Personnel ( VCRSP) met Thursday, Nov. 14.
The program centered on Books for Bingo. Retired personnel donated books for their entry to play bingo. The next meeting is set for Dec.
12 at noon for their annual Christmas luncheon. Victoria City Thanksgiving Closings • All nonemergency City offices, including the Victoria Public Library, will close Thursday, Nov. 28, and Friday, Nov.
29, for the Thanksgiving holiday. • The library will close early at 5:30 p.m.
Nov. 27 and will reopen for regular hours Nov. 30.
• Riverside Golf Course will close Nov. 28 and reopen Nov. 29.
• The landfill and the compost/brush site will close Nov. 28 and reopen Nov. 29.
Solid Waste Collection Schedule • Garbage normally collected on Thursday will be picked up on Wednesday, Nov. 27. • Yard waste and recycling normally collected on Thursday will be picked up on Saturday, Nov.
30. • Friday collections will continue as scheduled. Residents are reminded to always leave at least five feet of clearance between the cart and other obstacles, including additional carts, to accommodate the automated pickup system.
For more information about Environmental Services collections, contact the City’s Solid Waste department at 361-485-3220. Victoria Regional Airport From Atlantic to Pacific, gee, the traffic is terrific—but the Victoria Regional Airport is helping residents rise above the traffic with extra flights during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons. The airport has added flights to and from Houston on the following dates: • Saturday, Nov.
30 • Tuesday, Dec. 3 • Saturday, Dec. 21 • Thursday, Dec.
28 These flights are in addition to the airport’s regular daily flight schedule. Residents can view available flights at www.flyvictoriatx.
com . The schedule was enhanced through collaboration between the City and the County to provide residents with convenient options when planning holiday travel. The airport will be adding flights in 2025 to accommodate travel around spring break, Memorial Day and Labor Day and throughout the summer.
More information will be provided as it becomes available. Fly Victoria Texas The Victoria Regional Airport is served by SkyWest Airlines, branded as United Express, and offers flights to and from George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. The service uses a 50-passenger jet plane with air conditioning and a flight attendant.
SkyWest Airlines’ affiliation with United allows residents to book United flights from Victoria to anywhere in the world. The airport also offers free parking to passengers flying out of Victoria. To book a flight, visit www.
flyvictoriatx.com or use the United app. Victoria Lions Club Grant The Victoria Lions Club gave a grant of $1,000 to the VISD Foundation on October 17 at our regular meeting at noon at Aero Crafters.
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