Cold weather, Santa arrive as community celebrates

By DONNA RYDER
Associate Editor
Santa rolled into town, sending cold weather before him, as the Union City Jaycees sponsored the annual Union City Christmas Parade Thursday night.
Children of all ages bundled up to ride in the parade or stand along the parade route. Temperatures dropped from a high of 46 on Thursday to a low of 24 overnight.
The parade followed the highly-anticipated lighting of the community Christmas tree at the Obion County Courthouse. The annual event is sponsored by Main Street-Union City.
Joe Ward served as master of ceremonies and Union City councilman Billy Jack Cranford welcomed those in attendance, while the Rev. Eddie Mallonee of Second Baptist Church in Union City had the invocation.
Miss Obion County Fall Fest Madison Hilliard; Obion County Children’s Chorus, under the direction of Jeanne Foster; Union City Elementary Chorus Kids, under the direction of Linda Harrelson; and Voices of UCES, under the direction of Nolin Cloyd, provided the entertainment.
Audri Forrester, in the absence of 2010 Pride of Obion County recipient Al Creswell, flipped the switch to turn on the tree lights. This is the 10th year the lights have been turned on this actual tree, which is provided by the Union City Electric System. Prior to that time, live trees were donated by area residents, but the trees were getting harder to find, Cranford said.
Students who won an ornament contest at their respective schools and who placed their ornaments on the tree, along with a school representative, were Isaac Darnall with principal Sheila Stone from Black Oak Elementary, Jacob Daniel with Amanda Hayes from Hillcrest Elementary, Alexis Lewis with principal Dennis Buckelew from Lake Road Elementary, Aubrey Hammond with vice principal Joshua Nance from Ridgemont Elementary, Halle Gore with principal Elise Braswell from South Fulton Elementary, Owen Tucker with principal Michael Paul Miller from Union City Elementary, Andrew McGuire with Kelly Spivey from South Fulton Middle and Jonathan Ryder with vice principal Renee Flood from Union City Middle.
In addition to the tree-lighting ceremony, Main Street is staging a Tour of Homes Saturday from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 each and are available at the Main Street office, Suedell’s and the Obion County Chamber of Commerce, all in Union City, or from any Main Street board member.
Parades continue in the county tonight when Obion hosts its annual event at 7. Line-up will begin at the ballfield at 6. Refreshments will be served and prizes awarded after the parade at the Obion Community Center. Samburg’s parade will be at 6 p.m. Saturday. Those who wish to participate can start lining up at 4 on Lakeview Street across from Eagle’s Nest Motel. Samburg Assembly of God will be the place to be after the parade, when Santa will visit with each of the children and hand out toys. Refreshments will be served and prizes awarded.
Christmas parades in Hornbeak, Kenton and Troy will be held Dec. 11.  Breakfast with Santa will be held in Fulton this year at 9 a.m. on Dec. 11 at Pontotoc Community Center.
Associate Editor Donna Ryder can be contacted by e-mail at dryder@ucmessenger.com.

Published in The Messenger 12.3.10

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