Have a Holly Jolly Christmas!- Mrs. Claus is shown enthusiastically waving to the crowd of the Weaubleau Christmas Parade Saturday, Dec. 1, She was sitting next to her husband Santa in a sleigh pulled by a large John Deere Tractor driven by Paul Harryman of Harryman Farms. Santa and Mrs. Claus were the second to last “float” entry in the parade and were followed by State Representative Warren Love on horse back. This year, there was a 37 entries into the parade, which traveled south from the school, east on Highway 54, and then north on Broadway Street to the Weaubleau Community Building. Emceeing for the event was Chad Baker, and judges for the float contest were Weaubleau Superintendent Eric Wilken and Mayor Dennis Determan and his wife Laurie. Winners for the parade included, in first place, Collins Christian Church. Second place was the Nunn/Ott Family with their Grinch display, and Hawthorn Bank was third with their blue bird mascot. Leading the parade was Sheriff Brian Whalen, followed by the American Legion, who presented the colors for the National Anthem. There was also a fly over performed by Allen Carney. Afterwards, everyone gathered at the community building where kids met Santa. Pulled pork sandwiches were sold by the Weaubleau Senior Class, who also held a pie auction to raise money for class activities. The Malvin family sold hot chocolate to raise money for the Salvation Army.

Light it up!- Pictured above is a group of kids racing out from under the archways of the newly lit up Cross Timbers square Saturday, Dec. 1. The traditional event has been going on for 45-46 years, where the community is invited out to see the first lighting of the square for the Christmas season. Local kids have a chance to meet with Santa Claus. All guests can enjoy homemade cookies, hot cocoa, and sing Christmas Carols while listening to the story of Christmas.

A time of giving- Jay Raber, center, made his seventh annual toy donation to the Toys For Kids Program Saturday, Dec. 1, at St. Bernadette Catholic Church. This year, he donated over 200 items, estimated at a cost over $3,500, to the program in hope of making Christmas bright for some the children in Hickory County. Raber travels all the way from his home in Orlando, Fla. to his other home here in Hickory County to make the donations. He says it’s a family project, and that they believe in paying their good fortune forward. He also wants to encourage those who are able to make donations to the program as well, stating that “one toy can make a child very happy.”