Congratulations to Harrison Elementary School on its 70th year! Construction on the school began October 17, 1938 and was completed on June 11, 1939. It was the last school to be built under the WPA program. Harrison opened that fall with six faculty members and 191 students. During World War II, the school was used as an agency to register soldiers and issue rationing stamps. The school survived a minor fire in 1948, which destroyed the stage curtains, a piano and other equipment. Bathrooms were installed in the 1950s at the rate of one fixture per month! As the student body grew in the 1960s and 1970s, four classrooms, a larger cafeteria and library and more bathrooms were added to the school. Harrison Elementary continues to thrive and provide an excellent education to the children of the community. Happy birthday, Harrison!

A neighborhood-wide garage sale will be held in Lake Hills on June 6 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 20 families are scheduled to participate. Directional signs will be placed at multiple neighborhood entrances on Jersey Pike and on Hwy. 58.

In a beautiful setting, decorated in a Grecian garden theme, Central High School recently held its annual Senior Day program. The most anticipated portion of the ceremony was the coronation where Keith Pruett and Amellia Hickman were honored by being crowned the 76th Mr. and Miss Central. Members of the court were Bethany Barclay, Brittany Palmer, Bethany LaFoe, Patsy Thrasher, Ben Long, Bubba Sirhan, Cy Turner and Michael Williams. This year's faculty dedicatory was Mr. Robert Long.

The Lake Hills Area Neighborhood Association encourages residents to attend its meeting on May 12, where experts will explain how to develop a successful Neighborhood Watch program. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at Northminster Presbyterian Church on Hal Drive. For more information about this event, call 893-5448.

The Seventh Annual Connie Hay Invitational Golf Tournament will be held at Eagle Bluff Golf Club on May 9, starting at 8 a.m. It is four person select shot, and the cost is $85 per person or $340 per team. Lunch will be served at 1 p.m. There will be goody bags, door prizes and other prizes given for closest to pin, longest drive and first and second place in each flight. Deadline for registration is Saturday. For more information, contact Gary Woodall at 423-344-0303 or 423-309-1734.

Harrison Elementary School is fortunate to have such good neighbors in our community. Recently, each staff member at the school received a spring goody basket from the members of Harrison United Methodist Church. The baskets contained items such as candy, pens, pencils, notepads and other small gifts that made our day a little brighter! Last week, members of Bayside Baptist Church treated every student to an ice cream sundae as a reward for completing four days of TCAP testing. Students enjoyed decorating their sundaes with chocolate syrup, candy sprinkles, whipped cream and M&Ms. Thank you to both churches for showing such kindness and generosity!

The Harrison Ruritan Club has a pancake breakfast and rummage sale scheduled for Saturday from 7:30 — 10:30 a.m. Tickets are only $5, and they will be available at the door. Proceeds will benefit community service projects, which include scholarships for graduating high school seniors and citizenship awards for graduating fifth graders.

Northminster Presbyterian Church will host a Community Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. All children under the age of 11 are invited to come and enjoy a fun and exciting time on the church grounds. The church is located off Highway 58 behind CVS pharmacy. The egg hunt will be canceled if there is rain.

This week, I am proud to bring attention to a group of third- through fifth-grade students at Harrison Elementary School who are learning to be good citizens in their community through their club, CHAMPS. CHAMPS stands for Children at Harrison Are Making People Smile, and they meet with their sponsor, Dawn Parks, every other week. More than 35 students are currently members of the club.

FSG Bank at 4535 Highway 58 is pleased to offer their third business networking breakfast event on March 31 from 8:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. Bring your business cards, and enjoy free coffee and a light breakfast while networking to grow your business. RSVP as soon as possible at 423-308-2140 to reserve your spot, and feel free to bring someone with you.

Southeast Street Toys Car Club is sponsoring a Benefit Car and Bike Show (Cruise-In) on March 21, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Happy Days Pizza and Ice Cream at 4976 Highway 58. All proceeds will benefit a local family who has lost their home due to the father’s job loss.

The Lake Hills Area Neighborhood Association encourages residents to attend its meeting on March 10, where a variety of issues, including neighborhood safety, will be discussed. Security experts from ADT will educate residents about security awareness. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at Northminster Presbyterian Church on Hal Drive.

It's supposed to be cold this weekend, so why not warm up with a good bowl of chili? This Saturday, the Harrison Ruritan Club will have a Chili Cook-Off and Supper from 5-8 p.m. Several club members will be making their best chili recipes, and you can cast a vote for your favorite. Tickets are only $5, and the money goes toward scholarships and community projects.

Students at Lakeside Academy recently had fun celebrating the 100th day of school by participating in activities that dealt with the number 100. Activities included separating trail mix and graphing the results, seeing how many times someone could jump rope or hula hoop in one minute, marking where 100 steps would take you in the hallway, and creating Valentines for nursing homes decorated with hundreds of hearts. Great job, Lakeside!

It’s carnival time at Lakeside Academy! Come join the fun on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m.