Eastport community notes, December 10

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With the thermometer hovering at 32 degrees, the crowd waited for the festivities to begin. It was Sunday, December 6, in the early evening by the King Kullen in Manorville. It was the fifth annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and a large crowd gathered for free hot chocolate and doughnuts, some holiday music and a visit from Santa.

The Eastport South Manor High School Show Choir warmed the crowd up with a few medleys of familiar holiday tunes. They sang and danced up a storm with the boys all dressed in black and the girls in cozy long sweaters. The tree was lit and Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived on a fire truck. Kids ran around with headbands with reindeer antlers on them and people stamped their feet and tried to stay warm. An American flag was draped across the entrance to the shopping center reminding everyone to remember what our country stands for.

There’s nothing like a tree lighting to get you in the spirit of things, and I’ll just bet that almost everyone who was there Sunday evening walked away with an old or a new carol ringing in their head.

The music of the season is one of the best parts of the holidays, I think. Bing Crosby singing “White Christmas” and Dean Martin singing “Let It Snow” or, the one that always gets to me, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” The songs bring back memories of Christmases past and help to fill the heart with joy.

The Choral Society of the Moriches will present Handel’s “Messiah” at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Quiogue on Sunday, December 13, at 3 p.m. This performance is free and open to the public. If you can’t make it that day, you can see them perform on Sunday, December 20, at the Presbyterian Church in Center Moriches at 3 p.m.

The Eastport Bible Church has a full holiday schedule of music and other festivities planned for this month. On Sunday, December 13, from 4 to 6:50 p.m., there will be a live nativity followed by the Sunday School Christmas Program that will begin at 7 p.m. On Sunday, December 20, from 4 to 6:50 p.m., there will be a live nativity followed by a Choir Christmas Worship Concert that will begin at 7 p.m.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Services will be held on Thursday, December 24, at 7 and 9:30 p.m. There will be a live nativity on Christmas Eve, from 4 to 6:50 p.m., and from 8:15 to 9:20 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

The Westhampton Presbyterian Church will hold Christmas Eve services on Thursday, December 24, at 5:30 p.m., at the church, and at 11 p.m. at the Quogue Chapel.

Everyone is invited to the grand opening of Frank Latorre’s Art & Soul Gallery on Sunday, December 20, from 1 to 6 p.m. The gallery is located at 495-A Montauk Highway in Eastport. Visit the gallery’s website at artandsoul-gallery.com.

Volunteers are needed to ring the bell at the Salvation Army kettle in Eastport this holiday season. If you can give an hour or two of your time, please call Joyce Kelley at 325-1582. Also, if you happen to visit the bottle and can recycling center at the store during the time that someone is ringing the bell at the kettle, please consider donating your change to the Salvation Army.

If everyone did this, just think of the difference our community could make!