Meals on Wheels weekly menu
Meals on Wheels offers take-out lunch at the Sweet Home Community Center to seniors over 60 at noon on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.
The Senior Center serves a separate lunch on Wednesdays.
Suggested donation is $3.50. All meals are served with milk, coffee or tea upon request and diabetic desserts are available on request.
The menu on Friday, Dec. 17, is a holiday special featuring a rotisserie-style chicken breast or sliced ham with raisin sauce, whipped sweet potatoes, green beans, French bread and a cranberry crunch bar.
The menu on Monday, Dec. 20, is a holiday special featuring a homestyle turkey patty or an herbed chicken patty, both with gravy; creamed potatoes, broccoli, herb French bread and a key-lime bar.
The menu on Tuesday, Dec. 21, is a cran-walnut chicken salad or chickpea salad half-sandwich, potato salad, minestrone soup with whole wheat bread, and a golden fruit cup.
For more information, contact Norene at (541) 367-8843.
Leaf collection ends this Friday
The City of Sweet Home is collecting leaves on city streets through Friday, Dec. 17.
Residents are asked to put loose leaves in piles on the street, away from parked cars and a foot away from the curb to allow for water drainage. Leaf piles should be larger than a 90-gallon debris can and must not contain limbs, yard debris or any type of bagging materials.
City crews will collect the leaves upon request.
To schedule a leaf pickup, please submit a work request through the Mobile311 Citizens Portal (https://bit.ly/3jdmSvu) or call Public Works Maintenance at (541) 367-6359.
Church hosts Dec 28 blood drive
The American Red Cross is holding a blood drive from 1 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 28, at Community Chapel, 42250 Ames Creek Road.
Call Bridget Schaffer at (541) 367-5106 or search for the sponsor code SweetHomeComm at redcrossblood.org.
Spaghetti feed, auction fundraiser
A spaghetti feed fundraiser and silent auction will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17, at Community Bible Church, 2600 Stoltz Hill Road, Lebanon, to support the family of Thomas Radley, who is battling cancer.
Dinner will be served all evening. Two silent auctions will be held during the feed, the first from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and the second from 6:30 to 7:30. All proceeds will go to the family. Thomas, 13, is being treated for alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.
Tennessee train lights show
Tennessee Thunder Railroad is offering Holiday Train Lights at 37672 KGAL Drive, Lebanon, through Dec. 22.
Ride the quarter-sized train through a four-acre park decorated with thousands and thousands of lights. The train runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays.
For more information, visit http://www.ttsrailroad.com.
Drive-through Storybook fun
Christmas Storybook Land welcomes people of all ages to its 45th presentation through Dec. 17 at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road E., Albany.
This year will be a drive-through experience featuring indoor and outdoor Christmas forest wonderlands with more than 100 scenes of characters from Mother Goose rhymes, children’s fairy tales and family movies, two elaborate model train displays, a Victorian village, and the North Pole with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Entry is free, and candy canes will be passed out for the kids.
Canned food donations will be accepted during the event. For more information, visit ChristmasStorybookLand.org.
Candy Cane train rides available
Santiam Excursion Train is hosting one-hour Candy Cane Express train rides through Dec. 19 with Santa and Mrs. Claus, hot cocoa, candy canes, and an arts and crafts station.
Bar beverages and popcorn can be purchased. Tickets are $20-$27; no cost for active military and veterans.
A limited number of tickets are available for a more intimate, two-hour VIP event on Friday, Dec. 17, which includes a catered buffet, hot cocoa, sweet treat, VIP gift, and a visit with Santa Claus. Tickets are $50-$85; cost for active military and veterans is free on coach only.
Meet at the train station, 750 S. Third St. Purchase tickets ahead of time online at http://www.dynamicticketsolutions.com/set/index-responsive.cfm?pgfn=calendarList (or visit santiamexcursiontrains.com, click on “Tickets,” and make selections from the drop down lists).
Virtual fun run for B&G Club
Western University of Health Sciences COMP-NW will hold a virtual 5K run fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club of the Greater Santiam from Dec. 17 through Jan. 3.
The race is a virtual 5K, to be completed on your own time, on your own route. Participants who complete the race and upload their timed results or click the “I finished, but did not time my run,” on the race website under the “Results” tab, will be entered to win one of three $25 Amazon gift cards.
The entrance fee is a donation. Sign-ups are free.
For more information, to sign up, and to donate, visit runsignup.com/Race/Info/OR/Lebanon/WesternUDashaftertheHolidayBash.
Ugly Sweater train ride Dec. 18
Santiam Excursion Train will host an Ugly Sweater Express adults-only train ride from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18.
Find the ugliest Christmas sweater to wear for this Tickets are $25-45, and include appetizers and music. A full bar will be available.
Meet at the train station, 750 S. Third St. Purchase tickets ahead of time online at http://www.dynamicticketsolutions.com/set/index-responsive.cfm?pgfn=calendarList (or visit santiamexcursiontrains.com, click on “Tickets,” and make selections from the drop down lists).
Cascade Lights through Dec. 31
Lebanon Mayor Paul Aziz is hosting his traditional annual Cascade Lights display on the southeast corner of Sherman and Williams, just a few blocks from the Christmas in the Park Lights at Ralston Park, through Dec. 31.
The computer-controlled display is set to music (set your car radio to 100.9 FM to hear the lights) or listen to the outdoor speakers until 10 p.m.
Emceed by an animated snowman, the show features more than 60,000 LED lights. Donations are accepted in the box out front. Show runs till 10 p.m. weeknights and till 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Pajama Ride on train Dec. 24
Santiam Excursions will host a one-hour Christmas Eve Pajama Ride at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 24, with Santa and Mrs. Claus, hot cocoa, candy canes, and an arts and crafts station.
Bar beverages and popcorn can be purchased. Tickets are $20-27; no cost for active military and veterans.
Meet at the train station, 750 S. 3rd St. Purchase tickets ahead of time online at https://www.dynamicticketsolutions.com/set/index-responsive.cfm?pgfn=calendarList (or visit santiamexcursiontrains.com, click on “Tickets,” and make selections from the drop down lists).
Red Cross blood drive Dec. 27
The American Red Cross is holding a blood drive from 1 to 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 27, in Activities Room A at the Veterans Care Center of Oregon, 600 North Fifth St., Lebanon.
To schedule an appointment or for more information, call (800) RED-CROSS or visit RedCrossBlood.org (sponsor code: ORVeteransLebanon).