A CLOSER LOOK — Eight-year-old Samantha Fluharty of Weirton took a closer look at one of several nutcrackers displayed in the Follansbee Community House during Follansbee Christmas in the Park. The nutcrackers were lent to the festival by the Nelson family, who are behind the many life size figures seen at the Nutcracker Village in Steubenville. -- Warren Scott

A CLOSER LOOK — Eight-year-old Samantha Fluharty of Weirton took a closer look at one of several nutcrackers displayed in the Follansbee Community House during Follansbee Christmas in the Park. The nutcrackers were lent to the festival by the Nelson family, who are behind the many life size figures seen at the Nutcracker Village in Steubenville. — Warren Scott RINGING IN THE HOLIDAYS — The Follansbee Christmas in the Park festival offered visitors an early taste of Christmas, with many vendors selling decorations and potential Christmas gifts and holiday music played by a local disc jockey. — Warren Scott FOLLANSBEE — While the weekend’s brisk weather reminded many area residents winter is not far away, Follansbee Christmas in the Park encouraged them to embrace the upcoming holiday season.

Visitors to the festival could be found shopping for Christmas decorations and potential gifts or listening to Christmas music from various eras while taking a break for some hot food.

Verna Tarr, one of many members of Follansbee United Methodist Church, said the weekend’s cool temperatures boosted chili and coffee sales for the church.

Tarr said the booth has been a good fundraiser for the church, which invited visitors to enter free drawings, held every 90 minutes, for prize packages ranging from puzzles to personal care products.

The volunteer committee behind the festival held its own drawings to raise money for the Follansbee R.E.A.C.H Program, a local food pantry; and two children with special medical needs.

RINGING IN THE HOLIDAYS — The Follansbee Christmas in the Park festival offered visitors an early taste of Christmas, with many vendors selling decorations and potential Christmas gifts and holiday music played by a local disc jockey. -- Warren Scott

Last year the event raised $3,000 for such causes.

Many also lined up for fish sandwiches and french fries sold by members of the Osiris Shrine Tin Lizzie Patrol.

Jeff Hawkins, illustrious potentate of the local shrine, said proceeds from the sale help to cover fuel and other costs for the group to ride their three-wheeled motorcycles in local parades.

Hawkins said the local Shriners and many others work hard to support Shriners Hospitals for Children and such appearances help to raise awareness of that effort.

Children could visit with Santa Claus and play at the park’s playground, and everyone could step inside the Follansbee Community House to see several life-size nutcrackers on loan from the Nelson family, creators of the many figures found at the Nutcracker Village in Steubenville.

Also at the Community House were staff from Trinity Health System, a major sponsor for this year’s festival, who offered a battery of health screenings; and Hood’s Pharmacy and the Follansbee Pharmacy, who provided flu vaccinations.

Bill and Theresa Snyder, leaders of the Follansbee Lions Club, also were on hand, selling chances on a drawing for tickets to the Steelers-Raiders game on Dec. 24 and to recruit new members for the group, which meets there at 6 p.m. on the last Thursday of each month.

They said as part of Lions International, the group supports the treatment of pediatric cancer and diabetes and provides eyeglasses and other aid to the visually impaired in the U.S. and abroad.

Theresa said she became involved with the group after receiving financial support from Lions International for treatment of a condition that threatened vision in one of her eyes.

‘I said this is the organization for me. I can’t say enough about the Lions,” she said.

Bill said the Follansbee Lions have established a collection box for used eyeglasses, to be recycled for those in need, at the Brooke County Senior Center and plans to add others.

Among many other vendors on hand was Terri Schaefer, who owns an apiary consisting of three bee hives with her husband, Bill, near Bethany.

Schaefer was selling honey and other products derived from the hives, including lip and foot balm and beeswax -coated cloths used to cover dishes of food for storage.

Schaefer said in addition to sticking easily to the dishes, they can be washed and reused.

She said she and her husband researched bees before establishing the apiary five years ago and learned many interesting things.

Schaefer said only female bees sting and it results in their deaths, but the stinger also is accompanied by a pheromone, an odor producing substance, that identifies the recipient as a potential threat to other bees.

It’s the reason someone who has been stung should leave the area they are in as soon as possible, and why Schaefer needed to quickly change her suit after a bee attempted to sting her.

She had for sale varieties of honey in different shades which reflect the flowers from which the bees collected pollen. Bees frequent certain flowers at different times of the year and do so under the direction of the hive’s female members, said Schaefer.

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