By Steve Roark
Volunteer Interpreter, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
The smell, look, and feel of a live tree creates a strong Christmas tradition that many folks (and me) cannot do without. But with that comes the concern of the tree drying out and becoming a fire hazard. There is an amazing number of water additives suggested for helping keep the tree fresh, but I have seen little research to back them up. Here are a few.

I first learned about Operation Christmas Child (OCC) from Missy Middleton. She has packed OCC shoeboxes for several years and has a contagious excitement about the shoebox ministry. Missy was eager to share with me the impact a shoebox can have on a child and his/her family. Children don’t just receive a shoebox of gifts, but they also learn about Jesus and what He did for them. The children can share this knowledge with their families and the Word of God can spread through villages!

I have no problem admitting that I’m a geek. Why? Well, there are many reasons, but one of the big ones is my love for dinosaurs.

Even as a small child, they fascinated me. I guess you can say I loved dinosaurs before they were cool. Any time a dinosaur show or movie was on TV, I watched it. Let me tell you, I never missed an episode of “The Land of the Lost” on Saturday mornings. Also, I read every book on dinosaurs I could get my hands on. Unfortunately for me, that wasn’t as often as I would’ve liked.

Q: Is chiropractic treatment ongoing?
A: The hands-on nature of the chiropractic treatment is essentially what requires patients to visit the chiropractor a number of times. To be treated by a chiropractor, a patient needs to be in his or her office. In contrast, a course of treatment from medical doctors often involves a pre-established plan that is conducted at home (i.e. taking a course of antibiotics once a day for a couple of weeks).

Geese are often perceived as awkward, rather silly creatures that waddle around honking off key. “He doesn’t have the sense of a goose” is an old put down. But I contend that geese have an intellect and team approach that humans would do well to emulate.

Have you ever felt like a piñata, and that everyone you meet is a stick? Or consider the opposite—have you ever felt like a stick and that everyone you meet is a piñata that needs the candy beaten out if it?

Every time I see a piñata I think of my sixth and seventh grade social studies teacher, Ann Crass. I think of Ms. Crass very often, especially during election years.

We all know and love the cheese dip made with Velveeta cheese. There are only three ingredients in that dip. This recipe is longer, but you are more apt to have all the ingredients in your pantry and fridge. Be sure to add the cinnamon. That spice goes especially well with chili powder, Three cups is a lot of dip, but it will go fast.

Let's say you want hashbrowns for supper, but there aren't any in the freezer. With no time to go to the store, you will have to grate your own potatoes if that is what you'll have for supper. Try this recipe.

The Union County Farmers Market sponsored the first Holiday Market Nov. 21. The day was gorgeous and perfect for outdoor shopping. Vendors were plentiful, but shoppers were few.

In October, I noticed a new business, Letner & Company, advertising its services on the Union County Speaks Out Facebook page. As someone with a strong background in sales and marketing, I appreciate the effort in making one’s available services known, so I wanted to learn more about this new company. Over the years I have heard several people comment on the difficulty in finding people to fill service positions in this area, and thought I would use this forum to introduce them to the community.