Where to find Santa Claus in Polk County

By Ethan Nahté

Santa Claus, along with Mrs. Claus, the occasional elf, and even the Grinch, will be appearing throughout Polk County over the next few weeks.

Here are the Santa sighting and picture opportunities where you can get a photo and talk to Santa and Mrs. Claus:

Friday, Dec. 1

- Mena Christmas Parade of Lights,

6 p.m.

- Santa House after Parade of Lights, Janssen Park

Saturday, Dec. 2

- Santa House, Janssen Park 8:30 am to noon. Toys for Tots drop off with CMA, 10 a.m.

- Vandervoort Community Building, 3-5 p.m., games, milk and cookies while supplies last, bring your own phone or camera for pictures with Santa.

Saturday, Dec. 9

- Pictures and visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus - Calvary Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 2100 Hwy 375 W from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

- Cove Christmas Parade, followed by a meet and greet at the Town Hall, 2 p.m.

- Pictures and visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus - Shady Mount Events, Hwy. 375 E, 4-6 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 16

- Toys for Tots, Elks Club, Hwy. 375 E, 8 a.m. to noon

- Santa House, Janssen Park, 1-3 p.m.

- Toys for Tots, Q on Main (Suzy Q’s), 4-6 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 20

- Mena Fire Department Party, 6-8 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 21

- Union Bank Santa and the Grinch, 2-4 p.m.

By Ethan Nahté

Time to lick your chops for the Mena Regional Auxiliary Annual Christmas Breakfast. The fundraiser breakfast is here once more with “celebrity servers” for either a dine-in meal at the Mena Regional Health System cafeteria, or a carry out box.

The menu includes Belgian waffles, biscuits, chocolate and white gravy, sausage links, bacon, scrambled eggs, yogurt bar, and coffee, all for a donation. If you are a MRHS employee, the donation can be deducted from your payroll if preferred.

The annual event is one of the group’s signature ways of fundraising for their annual scholarships, which has typically been $1,000 per scholarship granted to a student enrolled in a medical-related field.

The breakfast is in the hospital cafeteria from 7-10 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 7.

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The night before Thanksgiving I had a terrible scare. I heard a loud swoosh. I looked up and a curtain in my doorway was literally on fire and spreading fast.

I grabbed the curtain, threw it to the floor then realized my arm was on fire and running up to my neck, then my hair caught fire.

I got the fire on me out but continued to put out the remaining fire with wet bath towels.

At that point I called 911.

The dispatcher told me to get out of the house. I told her I can’t because I have to put the fire out.

The flames were going up the wall, across the floor and jumped to my bed.

I grabbed the burning bedspread and electric blanket off and stamped them out.

The box springs was burning but I managed to get it out and saved the mattress.

At that point I could barely breathe from the smoke, so I went outside to breathe and wait for firemen.

Two Deputies, ambulance, Potter Volunteer Fireman then the fire truck arrived.

I stayed outside while they checked the area.

They used a giant fan to remove the smoke.

The ambulance driver looked at my burns and said I did not need hospital care.

The firemen came out and said I did a good job putting the fire out.

I was not clothed when the fire jumped on my body, if I had been I would have ignited and may not be here to tell this or in the hospital with very bad burns.

I do not recommend anyone doing what I done, but the good Lord and maybe some angels as well gave me the strength to fight the fire and not lose everything.

An oil-filled heater is what caused the fire. Four years ago one of my puppies chewed the chord in half. A guy I was dating took an extension cord and wired it to the original chord to make it longer because the original was so short.

After all these years the inevitable happened.

The fireman said the cord got too hot where it was spliced together and literally caught fire.

He said never splice a heater wire but instead throw the heater away if you can’t replace the whole cord.

For four years this could have happened while I was not home and my whole house would have perished.

Thanks to all the Fireman, EMT, Deputies and Dispatcher for your assistance.

Please check your heaters and dispose of any damaged ones.

Sherry Malone, Mena

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