By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
It was family night for the City of Bowie Fire Department as members gathered for the annual pre-Thanksgiving awards dinner this week.
Firefighter of the Year awards, service awards and officers and firefighters were pinned with their new badges.
Fire Chief Doug Page opened the evening with a remembrance of a fallen firefighter, James Dunham who died 25 years ago on Nov. 18. This Saint Jo firefighter was responding to a car accident at Forestburg and after he arrived suffered a heart attack. Page noted his daughter is auxiliary member Renee Hart.
Chad Long, member of the department for one year and one month received the Firefighter of the Year Award. Kelly Tomlin, nine-year member, was selected by the volunteers to receive the Roy Gene Williams Award.

Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.

Top photo- New lieutenants Michael Burrows and Chad Gerlach received the oath from Mayor Gaylynn Burris. (Photo by Barbara Green)

The Candy Cane Sip & Stroll With Me kicks off Fantasy of Lights Christmas weekend in Bowie on Dec. 6.
Bowie’s popular strolling event will be from 5-8 p.m. on Dec. 6 throughout downtown. Participating merchants invite strollers to enjoy wine or other drinks and holiday munchies as they shop stores and visit retailers. There will be live music, a holiday photo booth and carriage rides.
Wristbands may be purchased at any of the participating merchants for $15. Strollers will receive a wine glass with their wristband, but they also are welcome to use a previous glass.
Proceeds go toward downtown beautification projects by the Bowie Community Development Board.
Participating merchants are: Rooted Souls Studio, Brandi’s Hair Salon, Beauty Bar + Co., Sharing the Love of Dolls, Broke Gals Boutique, Culpepper’s Trading Post, Hwy. 59 Boutique and Gifts, Studio 81, Wheat Jewelry Design, Mowens Slingin that Wax, Wise Street Mercantile, Silver Bullet Web Solutions and Cross M Beef, Hat Rack Hair Styles, Reboot Tech Repair, R&K Sound and Entertainment, Kimber Creek Gift Store, Sister Act Connection, The Element Salon, TScott designs, The Cactus Flower, The Wildflower Downtown, Rustic/Wings/Belle Rose, Thrift Angels Thrift Store, H&R Block, LaBelle Vintage Mall and Bowie Smoke Shop.
Sip & Stroll is a prelude to the Fantasy of Lights Christmas Festival on Saturday that has activities throughout the day, and a Christmas home tour on Sunday afternoon.

For 58 years the Bowie Young Homemakers have been helping build families and community through its activities and support. While its signature event today is Santa’s Workshop, their efforts have touched many through the years.
The club was launched on Nov. 1, 1967 after being organized by two Bowie home economics teachers. Waunita Schaffner served as club advisor 40 years and left the post when she retired after 39 years of teaching, 31 in Bowie.
As she retired in 2006, she told The Bowie News she and Francis Stewart thought this type of club would be good for young people. It was originally associated with the state association, but later left that group when they wanted to exert control over how local funds were spent.
The initial thrust of the organization was to encourage young homemakers and help them accomplish their goals.

Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.

Top photo- Colorful Christmas decorations are a trademark of Santa’s Workshop.