Crowd gathers for lighting of the tree

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Fact Box

Christmas in the City 2008

Event Schedule

Dec. 6 - Breakfast with Santa will get underway from 9-11:30 a.m. at the Masonic Temple at 422 Broadway. The event is sponsored by Crystal Chapter 18 OES. The cost is $6 for breakfast with Santa, Santa's workshop and a photo.

Dec. 6 - Carnegie Library will hold a "Food for Fines" event all day. A donation of a $1 can of food will go toward $1 in fines. All food donations go to the Salvation Army. Refreshments will be served.

Dec. 6 - A Kids History Fun Event will be held at the Museum of Ceramics. Kids can enjoy games, stories and songs of Christmas between 10:30 a.m. and noon. The event is free with regular admission.

Dec. 6 - The East Liverpool Christmas Parade will take place at 6 p.m. The line-up starts at 5 p.m. The parade is sponsored by the Jaycees with the help of the East Liverpool Christmas Parade Committee. There will be hot chocolate and coffee provided by local churches along the parade route and Joan Witt is the grand marshal.

Dec. 6 - Tours of the Thompson House will be given from 6:30-8 p.m. The home is decorated for the Christmas season.

Dec. 12, 19 and 26 - Light-up Night at Thompson Park has returned and the "Circle of Lights" will be on display for the three nights. The seasonal displays are sponsored by various committee groups.

Dec. 13 - A Sandwiches With Santa event will take place from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Crockery City Cafe. Sponsored by the Tri-State Pottery Festival Committee, hot dogs, chips, a drink and dessert will be available along with face painting and a place to drop off letters for Santa among other events. The cost is $5 per child and $2 extra for a photo with Santa.

Dec. 14 - A Thompson House Open House event will take place between 1-3 p.m.

EAST LIVERPOOL - Some think the Christmas season is ushered in with day after Thanksgiving sales.

But for East Liverpool Mayor Jim Swoger and a few others, it happened Saturday at around 5:52 p.m. with the lighting of the downtown Christmas tree.

"This is the real kickoff to the Christmas season," Swoger said.

Wearing a heavy jacket and a tie to mark the official occasion, one small child in the crowd did not quite recognize Swoger. Talking to a parent, Carson Graham, 9, referred to the mayor as "Mr. Rogers."

In keeping with the spirit of the season and wearing a smile that would not go away, the mayor did not seem to mind the minor snub.

A lot of people were smiling at The Diamond despite the cool temperatures.

Glen Cornell of Bara Book and Bible, hosted the event which featured not only the tree lighting, but also music from East Liverpool High school choir director Lisa Ensinger and several of her talented students.

The tree, a 25-foot Blue Spruce from Randy Stowers' property along Calcutta-Smith Ferry Road, was officially brightened by this year's parade marshal, Joan Witt.

The activities were coordinated by the Jaycees with the help of the East Liverpool Christmas Parade Committee.

For the first time, a "Little Miss Snowflake" and a "Little Mr. Jack Frost" were named. The two winners came from a pool of six candidates total.

According to Doreen Marshall and Ruby Weymouth with the Jaycees, the six candidates put out tin cans and collected donations which turned into votes.

All told, the six kids raised $509. The top two candidates who collected the most money were given this year's honorary title.

Hannah Adkins, 4, a preschool student at the YMCA was crowned Little Miss Snowflake. North Elementary student Dawson Wiley, 7, was named Little Mr. Jack Frost.

The two - along with the other four children who participated - will get to ride in a horse-drawn sleigh during the Dec. 6 Christmas Parade.

"A lot of the money they collected will go toward the horse and sleigh in the parade, but the rest will go toward parade expenses," Weymouth said. "It's just something we thought would be a good idea and fun to do."

The "Christmas in the City" events will continue throughout December.

"It's all about the kids and having a good time during this special time of year," Swoger said.