IN OUR COMMUNITY

The 9th Annual “A Village Christmas,” sponsored by the Metamora Area Business Association (MABA),  is set for Sunday, December 5th from 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.   

Businesses and organizations on or near the Metamora Square offer Christmas cheer, free make-and-take crafts, treats, smores, pictures with Santa Christmas caroling, and more!  For a full list of activities and a map of participants, visit https://metamorabusiness.com/a-village-christmas

Christmas at the Fields takes the stage on December 3rd through the 5th at Metamora Fields! Featuring the talents of Mary Rose Smith, Curtis D. Rowden, Anita Rowden, Elizabeth Rowden, Tyler Smith, David L. Snook, and Colin Hicks.  The cast is rounded out by a choir featuring high schoolers from the Central Illinois area. 

You’ll see and hear Elvis, Southern Gospel Quartets, A Dancing Hippo, tap-dancing, Santa and Mrs. Claus, and much more.   They have created an evening that will make you laugh but also reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. 

With a beautiful venue and delicious buffet too, Christmas at the Fields is the perfect show for you and your family to be filled with the Christmas spirit!

For tickets, visit: metamorathespiansociety.org

Tickets are still available for the MTHS 46th Annual Madrigal Dinner!  Three shows will be performed:  Friday, December 3rd at 6:30 pm; Saturday, December 4th at 6:30 pm; and Sunday, December 5th at 3:30 pm.

Ticket purchases may be made via email (akimbro@mths.us) or phone (309-367-4151 x574) to Angie Kimbro. Tickets are $28 per person.

MTCO is a drop-off location for the Woodford County Heartline and Heart House Tree of Hearts program that provides Christmas gifts to low-income people in Woodford County.  They are looking for new, unwrapped gifts for children ages newborn through high school.  Ideas include toys, games, arts and crafts, Legos, bedroom décor, clothes, sports items, cologne/perfume, wallets, etc.

Donations will be accepted at MTCO (220 N. Menard St., Metamora) until Friday morning, December 10th.   In 2020, five gifts per child were given out to 118 families (316 children)!

The MTHS preschool has openings for children in their laboratory preschool, which is February 22nd  through May 6, 2022.  This ten-week preschool will meet Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:20 a.m. – 9:45 a.m., and only costs $20.

MTHS high school students will teach programs under the supervision of Mrs. Galpin. Children will have the opportunity for free play, storytime, lessons (math, writing, science, social studies), art, games, and music.  Your child must be 3-5 years old and not eligible for Kindergarten and potty-trained.  Visit the laboratory preschool website at http://mthspreschool.weebly.com/

For more information please call the high school at 309-367-4151 x 131 or email Lisa Galpin at lgalpin@mths.us.

The Germantown Hills Middle School is hosting the 2021 IESA Class 8AAA Girls State Basketball tournament!   The eight sectional winners will play on Saturday, December 11th starting at 10:00 a.m.  The winners of these four games will advance to play in the semifinals that evening at 5:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.  

The third-place game will take place on Thursday, December 16th at 6:00 p.m., followed by the state championship game  at 7:30 p.m.

Get your Christmas photos with Santa on Saturday, December 4th from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at Anytime Fitness in Germantown Hills.  While photos are free, a donation of cash or supplies towards the Woodford County Special Education Association is encouraged.

“Am I too old?”  “Don’t you all have an age limit to apply?” “Wait, you take applications for people in their mid-40’s?”

These are questions the Illinois State Police receive often regarding age.  Their age requirements are between 21 and 60.  (An applicant 20 years of age may apply if they have  completed an associate’s degree or 60 credit hours at an accredited college or university.) Troopers must retire by the age of 60.

To find out more, visit www.illinoistrooper.com

Past years of MTHS band and choir concerts and grade school Christmas plays will air during December with extra replays during the week of Christmas!  Below are the initial broadcast times for the soon to be recorded 2021 events:

MTHS Band & Choir Concert

Dec. 10th at 7pm

St. Mary’s Christmas Program

Dec. 16th at 7pm

Check your digiMAX TV on-screen Guide for all broadcast times.

You can also subscribe for free to the MTCO digiMAX YouTube channel to watch Redbird Replay content.  Future replays will be posted as they become available at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl15E-S__8hE7ttELKl_Jqw 

That’s correct - enjoy a full week of all the HBO and Cinemax channels for FREE!  The free preview starts at 6:00 a.m. on Friday, December 24th, and runs until the clock ticks down on 2021 at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, December 31st.

During this window, there will be several series finales along with 11 Warner Bros. theatricals, including Wonder Woman 1984, The Little Things, Tom and Jerry, Godzilla vs Kong, Mortal Kombat, and more.

Get ready for a Wild West Christmas—with your favorite Christmas movies and shows, in the spirit of the season!  Tune in to INSP on digiMAX channel 587 for The Waltons: The Best Christmas and The Children’s Carol, Cheyenne: The Angry Sky, Wagon Train: The St. Nicholas Story, and more.

Plus, watch John Wayne movies all month long with “Duke the Halls!”  View the full TV lineup at https://www.insp.com/insp-christmas-guide/?utm_source=insp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=comingdec21&mi_u=071f86858f6a656f4b424d81caf4c6134a44d9ff

Monday, December 6th

9:00 p.m. – (NBC)

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas from six years ago: Michael Bublé is coming back to NBC for a new holiday special.

Michael Bublé’s Christmas in the City will air December 6 at 10 p.m. ET and will repeat on December 22 at 10 p.m. ET.  The special will originate from Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center, which is the same studio where Saturday Night Live happens each week.  So far, no special guests have been announced for the special, which will mix comedy and music, but it’s probably likely that one or two SNL cast members will show up for the festivities.

This will be Michael’s first Christmas special since 2015’s Michael Bublé’s Christmas in Hollywood and his sixth one overall.  He’s returned to TV to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his record-setting 2011 album, Christmas, so you can expect music from that project to take center stage, along with other Christmas favorites.

Sunday, December 5th

8:00 p.m. – (CBS)

CBS Presents the 23rd Annual “A Home for the Holidays at the Grove”, featuring uplifting stories of adoption from foster care and raising awareness of this important social issue. 

The special, which filmed at famed retail, dining and entertainment destination The Grove in Los Angeles, will enhance the inspirational stories of several American families with performances by extraordinary artists, including Justin Bieber, Kane Brown, Alessia Cara and Darren Criss. In addition, Kane Brown will introduce the Rodriguez family for a special live adoption.

The idea for “A Home for the Holidays” was pitched to CBS by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and the Children’s Action Network to build awareness of the thousands of children who are waiting to be adopted from foster care. The annual primetime special shares stories of foster care adoption and has featured performances from some of America’s most popular music artists, including Gwen Stefani, Kelly Clarkson, Faith Hill, Jennifer Hudson, Mariah Carey and more.

Wednesday, December 8th

7:00 p.m. – (CMT) 

CMT today announced its star-packed holiday slate featuring two all-new Christmas-themed music specials, “CMT Crossroads Christmas: Brett Young & Friends” and “CMT’s A Tennessee Kind of Christmas,” premiering back-to-back on Wednesday, December 8th for a full night of holiday cheer exclusively on CMT. 

“We’re excited to ring in the holiday season with our very first Christmas-themed Crossroads along with an all-new music special starring some of country music’s greatest voices,” shared Margaret Comeaux, Vice President of Production, CMT & Executive Producer. “The Christmas cheer begins with hitmaker Brett Young and a variety of special guests both in and out of genre, followed by an incredible lineup of classic country legends in a Tennessee-themed holiday special. It will be a can’t-miss night of music filled with traditions both new and old alongside amazing renditions of our favorite holiday hits.”

Win a holiday room makeover from Hallmark Channel! Enter at bit.ly/3BmJ0d8 for a chance to win a $2,500 home shopping spree in the Deck the Halls Holiday Sweepstakes.

Tuesday, December 7th

8:30 p.m. – (ABC)

In this workplace comedy, a group of dedicated, passionate teachers—and a slightly tone-deaf principal—are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do — even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.

Sign up for SHOWTIME from now until December 24, 2021, for only $10.99 per month for 12 months and get $25 cash back!  Call MTCO for more details or to sign up at 800-859-6826.