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• THURSDAY June 20, 2013 F

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

From parades to Christmas tree lightings to holiday home tours, the next few weeks will offer plenty of events to keep the spirit of the season going strong. For a list of holiday theatrical productions, check out Wednesday's GoTriCities page; seasonal concerts can be found on Friday's GoTriCities page.

BIG STONE GAP, VA.

* The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park will present its annual "Breakfast with the Grinch" at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., Dec. 1 in the museum's Victorian Parlor. Guests will join the Grinch and Cindy-Lou Who to dine on green eggs and ham while enjoying a reading of the Dr. Seuss classic "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Cost is $10 per person; the reservation and payment deadline is Nov. 27. Call (276) 523-1322.

BLOUNTVILLE

* Historic Blountville's annual Christmas Tree Lighting will be held at 6 p.m., Dec. 7 in front of the Sullivan County Courthouse in downtown Blountville. Immediately following the tree lighting, the Blountville Middle School Choir will perform a variety of Christmas songs, from traditional Christmas carols to more modern selections, including "Believe" from the movie "The Polar Express" and Justin Bieber's "Mistletoe." Call 323-4660 or visit www.historicsullivan.com.

* Christmas at the Old Deery Inn will be held from 7 to 9 p.m., Dec. 7 and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Dec. 8. Visitors to the 1800s-era inn will see yuletide decorations and hear seasonal music, including selections by pianist Cameron Dean from 7 to 9 p.m., Friday, only. Tours are available by donation at the door. Groups are encouraged to make reservations. Call 323-4660 or visit www.historicsullivan.com.

* Blountville Ruritan's annual Christmas Parade will kick off at 2 p.m., Dec. 8 in downtown Blountville. Parade lineup begins at approximately 1 p.m. at Keystone Drive. The parade will end at the Sullivan County Courthouse. To register a holiday-themed float or for more information, call 323-4660 or visit www.historicsullivan.com.

BRISTOL

* The 30th Annual Country Christmas Craft Show will wrap up from noon to 5 p.m., today at Viking Hall Civic Center in Bristol. A variety of gifts will be available for purchase, from wooden reindeer made from sassafras logs to hand-crafted jewelry to scented candles to home-made fudge. The event will also feature holiday music, book signings, door prizes and more. Admission is $5 per person. Call the Viking Hall box office at 764-0188 or visit www.countrychristmasshow.com for more information.

* The 16th Annual Bristol Christmas Tour of Homes will be held from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m., Dec. 2, with seven private homes and a church included on this year's itinerary. The featured homes, all in Bristol, Tenn., are 1320 7th Ave., 609 Haynes St., 401 Maryland Ave., 711 Taylor St., 716 Kentucky Ave., 423 Pennsylvania Ave., and 519 Alabama St. First Baptist Church is located at 1 Virginia St., Bristol, Va. Tickets for the self-guided tour are $10 per person in advance or $12 the day of the tour. Tickets must be presented at each home and can be purchased at each residence the day of the tour. Comfortable, low-heeled shoes should be worn during the tour. The event is a benefit for the East Hill Cemetery. Call Jewell Williams at 652-0163.

* Broadmore Senior Living will host its annual "Spirit of the Season Bazaar" from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Dec. 7 and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Dec. 8 in the Broadmore community, located behind Bristol Regional Medical Center at 826 Meadowview Road. The event will feature vendors, book signings by local authors, baked goods, door prizes and more. Call 764-4622 or email info@broadmore-bristol.com.

DUFFIELD, VA.

* Natural Tunnel State Park's annual "Christmas Lighting of the Tunnel" will continue from 6 to 9 p.m., Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 and 22. Visitors will see thousands of Christmas lights as they make their way down the chairlift and out to the tunnel, where they will be greeted by hot cocoa and live entertainment. New this year, guests can also hike to the Carter Cabin and listen to stories about the history of the Carter Fort. Cost for parking is $3. Chairlift admission is $3 per person; children 6 and younger ride free. For more information, call (276) 940-1643.

ELIZABETHTON

* Spend a candlelit evening in the oldest frame house in Tennessee during Christmas at the Carter Mansion, to be held from 6 to 9 p.m., Dec. 7 and 8 at the historic home in Elizabethton. The mansion will be decorated with greenery and filled with music, refreshments and costumed interpreters acting out scenes from an 18th-century Christmas. Call 543-5808.

GATE CITY, VA.

* "A Storybook Christmas" is the theme of this year's Gate City Christmas Parade, sponsored by the Gate City Fire Department. Gate City Mayor Frances Perry will serve as the grand marshal for the parade, which begins at 7 p.m., Dec. 1 at the Gate City Middle/High School complex and will make a left turn onto Jones Street, then a right turn onto Kane Street, continuing to the intersection of West Jackson and East Jackson streets before turning left at the stoplight onto West Jackson. The parade ends at the Gate City Municipal Parking Lot on Water Street. Call 335-8821 for more information.

JOHNSON CITY

* Johnson City's 2012 Christmas Parade, organized by Friends of Olde Downtowne and the Johnson City/Jonesborough/Washington County Chamber of Commerce, will begin at 4 p.m., Dec. 8. The parade's staging area will open at 2:30 p.m. on West State of Franklin at University Parkway, and the parade will move east toward downtown, turning left onto Buffalo Street, then right, traveling through the 200 and 300 blocks of East Main Street before ending at the intersection of East Main Street and Legion Street. Entry applications are due by Dec. 3; cost to participate is $25 for non-profit groups and $75 for business/corporate organizations. For applications or more information, visit www.downtownjc.org.

JONESBOROUGH

* Christmas in Olde Jonesborough will continue Saturdays through Dec. 15. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitors to Tennessee's Oldest Town can enjoy caroling, visits with Santa, music, storytelling and extended holiday shopping hours. The public is also encouraged to bring a new or gently used gift for St. Nick to deliver to less fortunate children in the area. A holiday market featuring homemade Christmas decorations, trees and wreaths, as well as crafts and holiday items, will be available on the Plaza at the International Storytelling Center. Santa will also be on site at the downtown Courthouse each Saturday for pictures and visits with children. Youngsters are asked to bring letters to Santa and drop them off in the mailbox located in front of the Courthouse by Dec. 15 to receive a reply from the jolly old man himself.

* Humorists Bil Lepp, Andy Offutt Irwin and Kim Weitkamp will present "A Not So Silent Night," an encore of the International Storytelling Center's popular Storytelling Live! series, at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 29, and at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 in the Mary B. Martin Storytelling Hall in Jonesborough. Tickets are $20 and include admission to a post-performance reception. Call (800) 952-8392, ext. 221 or (423) 753-2171 for reservations or more information.

* Jonesborough will come alive with a Whoville Christmas featuring the Grinch and other beloved Seuss characters from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Dec. 1 in the downtown district. Dress as your favorite Whoville character and receive a special treat from the Grinch himself. Children will also be able to construct gingerbread houses at the International Storytelling Center beginning at 11 a.m. The event is free to children ages 5-12; pre-registration is required by calling 753-1010.

* The Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia's annual Progressive Dinner will return for its 35th year Dec. 3 and 4, with a variety of seating times. Guests will be escorted to five historic structures in Jonesborough during the evening, with each location featuring a different course of the meal along with live holiday music. Tickets are $78 per person. Reservations may be made by calling 753-1010 or online at www.heritageall.org.

* Children can have their picture made with Santa and Mrs. Claus during At Home with Santa, set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Dec. 8 at the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center. Other activities include cookie decorating, carriage rides, storytelling and games. Children can also purchase and wrap gifts for family members at the Santa Mart.

* "Christmas Night of Lights" is the theme of the Jonesborough Parks and Recreation Department's 2012 Jonesborough Christmas Parade, which will begin at 6 p.m., Dec. 8 on Boone Street and proceed to Main Street and historic downtown, ending at the Washington Avenue intersection. For an entry form or more information, call 423-791-3869 or visit www.jonesboroughtn.org.

* A Spirit of Christmas stroll through Jonesborough will be held from 1 to 3 p.m., Dec. 15. Churches in the downtown historic district will open their sanctuaries, which will be decorated for the holidays and filled with music. Horse-drawn sleigh rides will be available for a minimal charge.

KINGSPORT

* Visitors to Exchange Place Living History Farm in Kingsport on Dec. 1 will find fresh greenery and trees, handcrafted wreaths and roping, unique folk arts and handcrafts, herbal products and traditional holiday foods during Christmas in the Country, happening from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the historic farmstead. The celebration also features hands-on activities for all ages and demonstrations of hearthside cooking and baking. The traditional Yule Log Ceremony with carol singing around the bonfire and a cauldron of wassail begins at 4:15 p.m. Admission is free. Call 288-6071 or visit http://exchangeplace.info.

* Entries in the Downtown Kingsport Association's eighth annual Gingerbread House Contest will go on display at Regions Bank on Broad Street after an awards ceremony recognizing the winners, beginning at 7:45 p.m., Dec. 1 at the bank, immediately after downtown Kingsport's Christmas Tree Lighting. The gingerbread houses will remain on display through Jan. 3. 2013.

* Kingsport's Netherland Inn will present its annual 1818 Christmas Party, featuring seasonal music, food and period decorations provided by Kingsport-area garden clubs, from 6 to 8 p.m., Dec. 7 and 8, and from 2 to 4 p.m., Dec. 9. New this year, the inn is partnering with the Sons of Confederate Veterans, John S. Mosby Camp of Kingsport, to remember the 1864 Battle of Kingsport. Featured events will include historical reenactors, encampments and a special remembrance ceremony. Tickets are $10 per person -- children 6 and younger get in free with a paying adult -- and are available at the door or in advance at Town and Country Realty, River Mountain Antiques, the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce and P&J Antiques. Call 246-3263 or 246-1104 for more information.

* "Christmas: Neighbors Helping Neighbors in the Spirit of Giving" is the theme of the Bloomingdale Ruritan Clubs' 2012 Christmas Parade, which will begin at 10 a.m., Dec. 8. Lineup starts at 9 a.m. at Ketron Elementary School. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three floats, and the top three vehicles will receive ribbons. To participate, call 288-4576 or 288-4176.

NICKELSVILLE, VA.

* Nickelsville, Va., will host a full day of holiday activities on Dec. 2. Beginning at noon, Meals of Love will sponsor a free soup and sandwich lunch at the Old Town House Restaurant, where crafters will be selling their wares. The Old Nickelsville Hotel will feature children's activities, quilting demonstrations and Ol' Saint Nick himself. Nickelsville's parade will begina t 3 p.m., with lineup starting at 2:30 at Nickelsville Elementary School. Children are encouraged to bring their favorite teddy bear for the Teddy Bear Parade. The day's events will wrap up with a Christmas cantata at Nickelsville Methodist Church. Call (276) 479-2021.

PINEY FLATS

* Rocky Mount Historical Association's annual Candlelight Christmas tours will be held Friday and Saturday evenings, Dec. 7, 8, 14 and 15 at the living history museum in Piney Flats. The tours, led by traditionally dressed interpreters, begin with a short orientation in the auditorium, then depart every 15 minutes beginning at 4:30 p.m. The last tour will leave at 8 p.m. Re-enactors portraying Mr. and Mrs. William Cobb and their family members will welcome guests into their home with music, stories and Christmas traditions common in 1791. Cost is $8 for adults and $6 for children 6 and older. Reservations are strongly recommended. Call 538-7396.

SNOWFLAKE, VA.

* Creation Kingdom Zoo will hold its annual "Christmas at the Zoo" from 6 to 9 p.m., Dec. 7 and 8. The zoo will be decorated with thousands of lights. Guests can visit with the animals, see Santa and roast marshmallows over a bonfire. Call (276) 690-5450.

Street Talk - What's happening now

• madcat_1 comment on Washburn Bantum Bass For sale Steven Johnson Art Series - 6 days ago

  http://tricities.craigslist.org/msg/3801890942.html
  
  
  I have a Washburn Bantam Bass Series BB4SJK 4-String Bass for sale. Price is 300.00 dollars cash. It is in mint condition. I have only played this interment out 4 or 5 times. There is nothing wrong with it just doesn't have enough strings for me i play 5 and 6 string bass on most days. Has original case from Washburn I bought it local at he Washburn dealer here in town. I can get more pics if you desire or can meet within reasonable distance to see.
  
  email above or call 423-921-7692 with any questions.

• goemtu comment on WGTはあまり競争力R1ドライバーはありますか？実証的調査 - 2 weeks ago

  この短い研究では、私はレベル98で、または上記のプレイヤーが利用可能、この新しいクラブの導入は、任意の測定可能な程度にゲーム内での競争力をシフトしているかどうかを判断するために、R1ドライバーの影響で経験を見てみましょう。私の調査結果では、R1ドライバ（この調査の時点でツアー伝説の34％だけが利用示し、レディゴーによって測定されるよう以下のレジェンドと（<1％）のはるかに小さな割合は、競争力のある気候変動に大きな影響を与えているトーナメント活動。
  I.INTRODUCTION
  R1ドライバーとゲームへの影響についての話はたくさんあり​​ました。多くのクラブがまだ支配的支配的なプレーヤーの小さなグループを作ったので、選手の大半のためのWGTはあまり競争力行ったことの懸念を表明しました。私は真実が何であるかを参照するための詳細な実証的な見てみることにしました。
  レディ·ゴー（ "RG"）トーナメントで正常に競争するためには、それは1つが、少なくともいくつかの規則性でトップ5内に配置する必要があるということができる。トップ30の場所は報酬を受け取るされていますが、それは1つが彼らの信用エントリーでハンサムなリターンを見ているトップ5内に配置することによってのみである。だから私は、どのようにそれらの重要な上位5位入賞の多く見てRGのト​​ーナメントの数百のトップ5の場所を見てレベル98または上記であった。3月上旬にR1ドライバーの導入前と後の両方で。
  II.DATA
  R1の導入前に、レベル98以上のすべての階層に開かれているすべてのRGであったトップ5入賞の割合は60.5パーセント（RG 1000、または約3から605）であった。導入後はこの割合は68.7パーセント（1075年の738から、またはRG当たり約3.4）に上昇した。低エントリのRG（以下300クレジットと）、この割合は57.8％から67.8パーセントに上昇した。類似した増加はサンプルサイズが制限だった50クレジットRGSの、以外のすべてクレジットエントリーレベル越え発見された。 （これを読んでどんな数学の人のデータは3.47の信頼水準で有意性のZスコアを示した - 非統計のため基本的に任意の合理的な疑いを超えた証明を示す）。

• stararif46 comment on Do You Want to Visit Dubai, UAE? - 3 weeks ago

  Do You Want to Visit Dubai, UAE? One of the seven United Arab Emirates, Dubai is more like a city-state, and is the most independent, progressive and modern emirate among all seven. Dubai has undergone a rapid transformation with its rather unique events and ambitious projects. It is a cosmopolitan city that has much to offer tourists. It is not only centrally located but also politically stable and safe with good education and healthcare facilities. Although it is a relatively new and still young tourist destination, its popularity has still been growing constantly over the years and has become one of the most popular locations for holidays. Having given many ‘firsts' to the world with its many iconic structures and rapid growth, Dubai is home to many popular places that attract thousands of tourists every year. There are various heritage sites despite the many modern structures that arise almost every other day like the Dubai Creek and the Al Fahidi District.
  
  The sun shines almost every day in Dubai, therefore making it the perfect place for some fun and relaxation on the beach or exploring the many locations of the natural outdoors. Dubai offers many activities to keep tourists entertained. Tourists can discover wrecks in the ocean or attending a concert of a diva. Visitors could also try their hand at belly and salsa dancing or go swimming with the dolphins. Tourists can also have the unique experience of skiing in the desert. Dubai is an extremely exciting place to live in or even spend a holiday in where something new happens almost every other day. Shopping in Dubai is also a form of entertainment in and of itself. Visitors can also go to Gold souk which is a historic market that is entertaining not only for shoppers but also for sightseers. Dubai is usually considered synonymous with shopping with its huge shopping events like the Dubai Shopping festival where almost all shops put up a sale.

• stararif46 comment on Do You Want AEM Air Intakes? - 3 weeks ago

  Do You Want AEM Air Intakes? The AEM cold air intake systems were specifically designed to give your vehicle the extra boost in power and performance you've been looking for. At Autoplicity.com we offer a wide range of Airaid Air Intakes and AEM air filters so you can find exactly what you need for your vehicle.
  
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• stararif46 comment on Are You Looking AEM Air Intakes? - 4 weeks ago

  Are You Looking AEM Air Intakes? The AEM cold air intake systems were specifically designed to give your vehicle the extra boost in power and performance you've been looking for. At Autoplicity.com we offer a wide range of Airaid Air Intakes and AEM air filters so you can find exactly what you need for your vehicle.
  
  These high quality air intake systems deliver a blast of cold, clean air into the engine to aid the combustion process, immediately increasing horsepower, torque, and throttle response. These performance modifiers are comparatively easy to install and will make a huge difference in your driving experience. A high performance machine requires high performance auto parts, and we have everything you need to customize or repair your vehicle, from AEM gauges and intakes to suspensions and brakes. Take a look at our selection and order your aftermarket auto body parts today.

• stararif46 comment on Do You Want to Visit The City of Flowers? - 4 weeks ago

  Do You Want to Visit The City of Flowers? The third largest city of Indonesia situated in the western region of Java, Bandung is known for possessing sophistication like that of Europe because of its recognition as Paris of Java during the colonial times. The place is perfect for people who wanted to escape the stress that the work environment can stimulate. The temperature due to its perfect altitude along with its pristine backdrop, surely you will feel regenerated and re-energized after a week of work. Get around the famed city of flowers. Shop! Eat! Visit the city's most alluring travel destinations! This dormant volcano has been a popular tourist destination because tourists are allowed to hike up to the edge of the crater and have a glimpse of the hot water spring and boiling mud and have a taste of the eggs cooked on the hot surface. This volcano last erupted as early as February 21, 2013.
  
  Factory Outlet Shopping in Bandung is one of the few things one should always do. When looking for the best outfits, price and quality are always the two primary considerations. So when shopping in Bandung, just take time to wander around and make some comparisons. There are many branded items in the Factory outlets of Bandung. Some local brands are also some of the items to consider. Among the best factory outlets to drop by are the Rumah Mode, Rias Factory Outlet, and the Secret. Warungs, kaki limas and rumah makans are some of the best local food in Bandung although it mostly relies on frying, so as tourists, it is best for you to mix up the food that you take in to avoid oil overload. There are wide ranges of places for you to have some of Bandung's best eats. There are restaurants that serve European cuisines like the Origin and Gianni; however, there are also restaurants that serve traditional Sudanese cuisines like Warung Cepot.

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