The 4th Christmas Chinese Auction was held recently in Dept. 8 at Starretts. The 176 items, donated by Starrett employees and local businesses, netted $3,525. Proceeds are distributed equally between the Athol Santa Fund, Orange Santa Fund and Children’s Hospital, Boston.
■The Athol Santa Fund received a boost of $342 to bring the total to $3,121. The goal is $11,000.
■Merchants in downtown Athol will offer late-night shopping Friday night, when many of the stores will stay open until 10 p.m. to accommodate last-minute shoppers. Armed with a cache of candy canes, Santa will also be on Main Street to visit with shoppers and businesses. Christmas carolers will circulate along Main Street.
■Sixty-five area singers will participate in a performance of Handel’s Messiah at the Starrett Memorial United Methodist Church. Diane Cushing of Gardner will direct the combined chorus, seven-piece orchestra, harpsichord and organ in the traditional Christmas oratorio.
■Athol Memorial Hospital posted a positive bottom line for the fifth consecutive year. The hospital is continuing to study the possible acquisition of the Kontro Building on West River Street, Orange, primarily for use as a physician office building.
■Valerie Hamlett of Athol Travel has recently returned from a travel agent educational tour to Ireland. Hamlett joined 30 travel agents from across the United States for a sightseeing program including the latest visitor attractions and hotel inspections.
■Two students from Gould’s School of Tae Kwon Do in Gardner were awarded trophies at a recent tournament at Keene State College. James Robideau, Jr. of Orange took first in men’s red belt division of fighting while Kirt Rielly of Athol took third in men’s green belt division of fighting.
■The Orange Fire Department, including EMTs and on-call firefighters, were chosen by the Orange Revitalization Partnership as citizens of the month for November. The department has 4 full-time firefighters, 25 EMTs, 12 of whom are also on-call firefighters and 39 on-call firefighters.
■The Orange Santa Fund received $967.50, bringing total contributions to $2,387.50 towards its goal of $7,000.
■The second grade at Fisher Hill School recently held a reenactment of the “Farewell Ball” sponsored by the Enfield Fire Department on April 27, 1938. The reenactment was the culmination of the school’s study of the Quabbin.
Members of the Athol Rotary Club have presented the pediatric ward of Athol Memorial Hospital with a new, green, artificial Christmas tree. Children helped decorate the tree, which was placed in the playroom.
■Department 8 at the L.S. Starrett Co. recently conducted a drive for the Athol Santa Fund and $100 was turned over to fund sponsors. There are approximately 87 workers in department 8.
■The Quota Club mitten tree, standing in the First National Bank, downtown is set up annually to receive mitten contributions. Trees also stand in the bank’s uptown branch and in Franklin County Trust Co., Orange.
■The litter baskets are up. Selectman H. Thomas Colo made good on his word and, with several volunteers, completed the task of installing the baskets within three hours.
■John Casella became the first 18-year-old to register to vote in Athol. With him was Miss Roberta Whitehouse, the town’s first 19-year-old registered voter.
■Troop 40 Boy Scouts have decorated a 10-foot Christmas tree for the elderly at Colonial Acres, Orange. The blue spruce, a gift of Mr. and Mrs. William Whitehouse, was set up and decorated. According to Mrs. Whitehouse, the scouts feel a special interest in the housing project since they paved the way for the building by tearing down the old Millers River Grange building.
■North Orange Grange opened the Christmas meeting with a supper prepared by Robert Gale and C. David Gale. At the business meeting, conducted by C. David Gale, Master, an offering was given to purchase gifts for children in the Kurn Hattin Home for Children.
■Mahar’s Swinging Senators Band will step out in Harvard Stadium at halftime when the Boston Patriots and the Minnesota Vikings go to their dressing rooms for the halftime break in a nationally televised National Football League game, blacked out in the Boston area. This is the second time Mahar’s Mighty Marching Band has been singled out to perform at a Patriots game halftime.
■The Pioneer Junior Woman’s Club was recently organized in Orange, 10 members enrolled in a meeting at the First Universalist Church. Women from 18 to 40 years of age are eligible to join.
■Construction is underway on three single family homes to be built by Rural Housing Improvement Inc. of Westminster on Memorial Drive in Tully. Rural Housing said it would assist individuals in purchasing the homes through a home ownership program of the Farmers Home Administration.
Winter weather descended with thermometer readings in the Athol-Orange area going as low as 10 below. This is the lowest recorded this winter.
■Athol High School seniors will sponsor a “Santa’s Ball” in the high school gymnasium.
■The matter of better safeguarding of children sliding on restricted Athol Streets, was taken up at the meeting of the Athol Exchange Club by the New Projects Committee of the club. It was decided to sponsor a program and steps were taken to have some wooden horses and caution signs made to be placed at intersections on streets designated for sliding.
■The Edward H. Phillips Post voted to start remodeling the barn at the Legion Home to be used as a meeting room and dance hall. Twenty-one new members were elected to membership, 20 of whom are World War II veterans.
■Thirty new members were received into the fellowship of Starrett Memorial Methodist Church at impressive rededication services of the church edifice after 25 years of service. Bishop Lewis O. Hartman of the Boston area of the Methodist Church, who also preached the sermon, administered the baptism to 10 children and four adults.
■Lt. Leonard W. Fowler, Chaplain Corps, U.S.N.R., formally accepted the call to become pastor of the Athol Congregational Church.
■Plans to set aside a day for a memorial service for the 40 Athol men who gave their lives in World War II and another homecoming celebration for returning servicemen, were launched.
■The large new poultry house of Joseph H. Latham, on the Tully Road, was badly damaged by fire, and over 1,500 full grown chickens were destroyed in the fire.
■Orange has exceeded its Victory Loan quota of $297,420 by $101,729. The total sales of all types of bonds to date amount to $399,149.
■Wendell townspeople presented to the governor of the Commonwealth, other state officials, power company officials, officials of neighboring towns and numerous visitors a fine celebration and exhibition of community spirit when they gathered in a building more than 125 years old to make known their appreciation to Gov. Maurice J. Tobin for his help in bringing electricity to Wendell.
■The recent Massachusetts state census showed the following towns in this area as follows: Athol, 11,804; Orange, 5,762; Phillipston, 475; Petersham, 743; Royalston, 750; New Salem, 364; Warwick, 401; Erving, 1,315; Wendell, 348; Templeton, 4,435.