The Arcanum Public Library Board invites you to celebrate the retirement of Director Marilyn Walden. An Open House/Reception will be held this Thursday from 2 to 7 p.m. in her honor.
Stop by and have a piece of cake and wish Marilyn the best in her retirement. Marilyn has served our library for the past 30 years and will retire on December 31. Congratulations and happy retirement, Marilyn!
Arcanum-Butler Local Schools and the Alumni Association will again be honoring our Distinguished Alumni and Honorary Trojans to recognize and honor those individuals who have made a significant impact through achievements, actions and contributions within their communities and professions and serve as exemplary role models for Arcanum students. The Alumni Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized at the Arcanum Alumni Homecoming set for April 22, 2017. Nomination forms are available in the alumni section of the website or can be picked up in the board of education office. Completed forms are due by Feb. 1.
Congratulations to Brooklyn Merriman and Aiden Psczulkoski! Brooklyn won first place in the elementary spelling bee and Aiden won first place in the middle school spelling bee. Both will represent Arcanum-Butler at the county bee this January!
The following students placed in the top three for each building: Elementary – Brooklyn Merriman, Elizabeth Parks and Aidan McCombs; and, middle – Aiden Psczulkoski, Charlie Rippee and Zeke Wright.
Congratulations to Butler Middle School who recently won the “Momentum Award” as recognized by the Ohio Department of Education! The award is given to schools that have exceeded expectations for student growth, earning straight A’s on all value added testing measures. Butler Middle School was the only Darke County School to receive the award and one of less than 200 in the state. Congratulations on a job well done!
Arcanum High School held their National Honor Society Induction ceremonies earlier this month. Congratulations to the following students who were “tapped” for induction/membership: Samantha Aukerman, Makayla Bailey, Andrew Baker, Brendin Gillem, Madison Goubeaux, Julia McCullough, Kayla Riegle, Wills Troutwine, Alex Weiss, Madison Wilson, Pierce Lindemuth, and Madison O’Daniel. In order to be considered for membership, students must be in grades 10 through 12, have a 3.5 or higher GPA and demonstrate outstanding character, leadership and service. Following the induction ceremony, a reception was held for all members, family and faculty.
Congratulations McKenzie Sharritts! Arcanum High School senior basketball player tied her own school record with six 3-point shots and finished with 22 points against the Bethel Bees last Thursday. McKenzie is the daughter of Mike and Kristina Sharritts.
The Winter Lights are on in Ivester Park! The park is lit up every night in December for everyone’s enjoyment. On Saturday night, the event will host the second Candy Cane Hunt starting at 6 p.m. Special candy canes with numbers will be hidden in the lighted part of the park for the children to find; prizes will be awarded to those found with winning numbers. Please remember to bring a flashlight to play! Our local fire department will be hosting a bonfire for everyone to enjoy.
The season is upon us and all the lights and decorations make the town look so festive! Thank you to the Arcanum Garden Club for decorating the flower pots on each corner uptown and the addition of the new decorations in Generation Park in front of the Fieldhouse; everything looks great!
It’s 13 days before Christmas. Seems impossible to believe that the most wonderful time of year will soon be here and then over. During this time, I often reflect on some of my favorite Christmas music, specifically carols and find it interesting where they come from, who authored them, when they were written. As a church musician, there are some that are very old and sometimes not the most popular secular carols that we hear on the radio. One in particular that I played last Sunday goes like this – “There’s a song in the air! There’s a star in the sky! There’s a mother’s deep prayer and a baby’s low cry! And the star rains its fire while the beautiful sing, For the manager of Bethlehem cradles a King!”
Josiah Holland was the founder of Scribner’s magazine and he wrote the poem “There’s a Song in the Air” for an 1874 Sunday School Journal and was reprinted that year in Complete Poetry Writings. In 1904, Karl Harrington was editing a new hymnal that was to be printed for The United Methodist Church. Harrington was flipping a poetry book that contained Holland’s poem, and when he came across this Christmas poem he decided it should be set to music, so he went over and sat down at an organ and began playing a tune while studying the words the poem. In 1905 that new carol was first published in the new hymnal and is now one of the carols we cherish.
Again this year, I would like to announce your church’s Christmas Eve services in my column; Please contact me via email or telephone to have your information included.
