I and my fellow Rotarians are in mourning this week, having lost the competition with the Soroptimist International of Wallowa County to see who could raise the most money for the Community Connection Food Bank in Wallowa County.

This friendly rivalry has been going on for some years. Rotary really took a beating this year.

The real winner, of course, was the food bank, which received in excess of $4,000 from both clubs including a generous match from Community Bank.

If you are so inclined, the food bank is in need of money more than nonperishable goods at the moment. Community Connection can stretch a dollar further than anyone when it comes to maximizing monetary donations.

WE TOOK some time Friday evening to attend the Jingle Through Joseph Block Party. A group of a dozen or so businesses along Main Street opened their doors to all comers, dimmed the lights and served food and drinks.

It was a terrific event. Kudos to the organizers.

For us, it was our first time visiting several of the stores, and we came away impressed. The warm and friendly atmosphere coupled with an amazing selection of gift ideas made for an enjoyable experience. Turnout appeared to be strong.

If you missed it, you missed one of the season highlights in Wallowa County.

A QUICK glance at our community calendar on Page 2 of this edition will let you know emphatically that we are in one of the busiest periods of the year. There are holiday events and activities everywhere you turn.

Please take a moment to check the schedule and see which of the events you might wish to attend.

Thanks to all of the organizations who took the time to submit events so we could provide this unique listing for our readers.

If your group, club, church or organization has a holiday event upcoming, please email the details to editor@wallowa.com. We’d love to hear from you.