Voting Open for Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest

Triad Goodwill accepting entries

through December 14

"Voting is now open on Facebook for Triad Goodwill’s DIY Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest. The first place prize is $250 Visa gift card and there is still time to submit your ugly creation. Entries are being accepted through noon on December 14 at contest@triadgoodwill.org or Facebook Messenger. See rules at iLoveGoodwill.org/Holiday to enter. The public can vote now by “liking” their favorite sweaters on Triad Goodwill’s Facebook page until noon on December 18. Contestants are encouraged to enter early to give voters more time to see and like their photo. Entrants may also share the photo album to encourage their Facebook Friends to vote for their Ugly Holiday Sweater look.

On December 18, a panel of judges will select the top three Ugly Holiday Sweaters from the 10 submissions with the most Facebook votes. Judges include the winner of Triad Goodwill’s employee sweater contest and representatives of area media outlets. Prizes are:

1st Place: $250 VISA gift card

2nd Place: $100 Triad Goodwill gift card

3rd Place: $50 Triad Goodwill gift card

To be eligible to win, entries must include receipts showing at least 75% of items used to create the Ugly Sweater were purchased at Triad Goodwill stores in Alamance, Caswell, Guilford, Randolph and Rockingham Counties, North Carolina. Ugly Sweater designers can mix and match materials from any of the departments in Triad Goodwill stores to create a one-of-a-kind look. Individual and group photos are eligible and you may submit multiple photos with an entry, but can only win once. Photos posted directly to Triad Goodwill’s Facebook Timeline will not be included in the contest. A how-to video can be viewed on iLoveGoodwill.org/Holiday or on the Triad Goodwill YouTube channel.

For the latest news on free employment training, career fairs, store events and the Rock the Runway fashion fundraiser, follow Triad Goodwill on Facebook.com/TriadGoodwill (subscribe to Events), @TriadGoodwill, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. We Put People To Work!

About Triad Goodwill:

Triad Goodwill (Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina, Inc.) promotes the value of work by providing free career development services and work opportunities for people with employment needs. In the past year, Triad Goodwill served 17,179 people in the community and helped place 3,556 workers in competitive employment. 85 cents of every dollar earned at Triad Goodwill’s retail stores goes into job training for residents of the Triad. TriadGoodwill.org"

- A Press Release

HIGH POINT BALLET BRINGS NUTCRACKER TO TWO TRIAD CITIES

"The Triad may hope in vain for a real white Christmas, but High Point Ballet’s production of Tchaikovsky’s classic Nutcracker promises all the beauty and joy without all the wet and cold. Thanks to the theatre magic of designers Howard Jones and Aaron Porter, the sets and lighting of this year’s Nutcracker are ready to enchant just as thoroughly as the dancing. As always, artistic director Gary Taylor has thoughtfully spruced up the choreography of this classic ballet to best tell the story through music and movement, while highlighting the skills of his individual dancers. Snow falls in a spellbinding cascade, candy comes alive to dance before your eyes, and fairies fly with the grace of angels in this visual feast, sure to delight young and old alike. 

This year, High Point Ballet brings its production to two Triad cities: a triumphant return to High Point at the High Point Theatre and a continued relationship with the Civic Center in Lexington. Performances run in Lexington on December 11 at 7:30PM and December 12 at 2:00PM at the Edward C Smith Civic Center, 217 S Main St., Lexington. Performances run in High Point on December 18 at 7:30PM and December 19 at 2:00PM at the High Point Theatre, 220 E Commerce Ave., High Point. Ticketing information may be found at www.highpointballet.org. Tickets prices are $30.00 for general admission, $27.00 for seniors & students.

Educators and parents of young children looking to introduce students to the classic ballet are encouraged to bring their classes to our special school-day performance, Thursday, December 10 at 9:15AM and 10:45AM in Lexington, or Friday, December 18 at 9:15AM in High Point. This synoptic abbreviation of the Nutcracker ballet is tailored for students and their teachers, featuring a readily available, Common Core Compliant study guide for all your education needs."

- A Press Release

Recycle Your Christmas Tree

       

"The city will collect Christmas trees and put them to good use as mulch for its parks and roadsides.

        Residents in single‑family homes inside the city limits can put their Christmas trees at the curb for pick-up during the regular city brush collection. All lights, decorations, stands and nails must be removed from trees. Please be aware that it may take several weeks to collect all the trees.

        People who live in apartments, who live outside the city limits or who want to dispose of their trees quickly can take them to the following recreation centers for recycling through January 31:

• Crawford Park, 4226 Oak Ridge Dr.
• Hanes Hosiery Recreation Center, 501 Reynolds Blvd.
• Hanes Park (tennis court parking lot), 625 West End Blvd.
• Little Creek Recreation Center, 610 Foxcroft Dr.
• Old Town Recreation Center (tennis court parking lot), 4550 Shattalon Dr.
• Parkland Park (tennis courts), 1660 Brewer Rd.
• Polo Park (swimming pool parking lot), 1850 Polo Rd.
• Salem Lake (at the gate), 1001 Salem Lake Rd.
• Sprague Street Recreation Center, 1350 E. Sprague St.
• Winston Lake Park, 3535 Winston Lake Rd.

For more information, call CityLink 311."

- A Press Release

PHOTOS: Two arrested protesting deportation at Sen. Hagan's office

Two immigration activists connected to the NC Dream Team were arrested Thursday for refusing to leave US Sen. Kay Hagan's Greensboro office. The two women were protesting the scheduled deportation of single mother Maria Juana Perez, pictured in the center (in a chair wearing a dark coat).

Perez, who lives in Greensboro, has two young daughters (also pictured) who are US citizens. She was arrested for driving without a license and has been in the country since 2000.

Over 20 supporters, including her sister (the woman in blue seated right) assembled at Hagan's office, some meeting with her staff and others holding banners outside. Perez is scheduled for deportation to Mexico on Dec. 27, two days after Christmas — which coincidentally is her birthday.

The two activists who were arrested around 6:50 pm did so as an act of civil disobedience while supporters and reporters looked on. Below, Elisa Benitez can be seen in red through the window in Hagan's office while a police officer (in yellow) talks to the other Dreamer being arrested. More coverage in the next issue of YES! Weekly, available in print and online Wednesday.

Photos and reporting by Eric Ginsburg.