The award-winning Gladiator Regiment Band will be performing their annual Christmas Concert on Thursday, December 16 starting at 6:00 p.m. inside the Italy Coliseum dome.

Twelve Italy Gladiators received All-District honors for their efforts on the grid-iron this past season. The Gladiators finished with a 5-5 record, under third season head coach Craig Bales, and made an impact with the All-District selection committee during their return to 2A football.

Friday night at Trinity Mission the staff members were holding their Tree of Memories Holiday service. The service was in remembrance of the residents that passed away this year, 2010.

Thanksgiving dinner was over and Josh Droll went to bed and woke up at about 2:00 am on Saturday having difficulty breathing. He called 911.

In Milford it has become tradition for Santa Clause to come wish everyone Merry Christmas a top a beautiful red fire engine. The highway is cleared as the siren is sounded and lots and lots of Milford residents greet Santa.

Peri Patterson has been teaching for about thirty years. She loves what she does and loves to help teach and nurture as many students as she can. She has been teaching at Stafford Elementary for approximately twenty five years, she has taught kindergarten and now teaches third grade and just loves Stafford Elementary. She was chosen for the “Teacher with Heart” award for the second six weeks of school.

The Italy City Council will conduct its regular monthly meeting tonight, December 13, 2010. The meeting will be held in the Council Chambers at 105 Main Street, Italy, Texas and will begin at 7:00pm.

Doris Mitchell and her crew are helping the community on Christmas Day and have done the same for years. Doris said, “We had 93 people come eat with us last year.” Italy residents that don’t have a family to share dinner with or just want to see a friendly face, can come to the Uptown Cafe on Main Street in downtown Italy and share in the potluck dinner being served.

The Geminid meteor shower peaks this year on December 13th and 14th. Forecasters say meteor rates could exceed 100 per hour for observers under dark rural skies. For best results, start your meteor watch on Monday night, December 13th, around midnight.

The Italy Gladiators and the Italy J.V. Gladiators seem to be hitting their strides and hitting plenty of shots in the process. In Rice, both Italy teams shot their way to early leads and then coasted in the second halves.

On December 4th Santa’s Little Helpers were in town to help Santa and Mrs. Claus set up shop for their Christmas time visit to Italy, Texas. Santa’s Little Helpers joined forces with Italy High School’s Art Department to make the fireplace in order for Santa and Mrs. Claus to greet all the children of Italy in North Pole style.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas! Yes, it is that time again, Christmas time and this is the time for giving to those who are less fortunate. Italy’s First State Bank is trying to do just that by hosting an Angel Tree.

The Italy ISD Board of Trustees will have their monthly meeting on Monday, December 13. The meeting will be at 7:00pm and will be held in the Italy High School Band Hall. Immediately following the regular meeting there will be a work session with Rick Cohagan regarding the superintendent search for the district.

Merry Christmas everyone! That is what the city of Milford wants for all the boys in girls in their town, to have a merry Christmas, hence, the Angel Tree.

An amazing three days of basketball, the 2010 Italy Invitational Tournament ended with both the Italy Lady Gladiators and the Gladiators Varsity teams winning Championships.

The 3rd Annual Italy Christmas Festival came and went without a hitch. Well, almost without a hitch suggested Ronda Cockerham.

The sixth annual Reading Marathon is in full swing this week December 6-10 at the Italy High School Library! Students, faculty and staff are participating in a week-long event that has someone constantly reading in the “Reading Parlor” in the library from 8 a.m. Monday morning until school dismisses at 3:20 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10.

The Lady Gladiator Varsity Basketball Team will travel to Venus tomorrow, December 9, for their first game in the Venus Subway Classic Basketball Tournament. Game time on Thursday will be 6:00pm. Coming off of their tournament championship last weekend these ladies have their sights set on another trophy. The Ladies’ JV team will play this Saturday, December 11, in a one-day tournament hosted by Itasca. See brackets.

The Italy Ministerial Alliance hosted the Christmas Tree lighting event with a live Nativity, hot chocolate, kids singing and a glorious service that included a message that spoke to the heart. This is what Christmas is all about.

When you look around our pretty little town you realize that Christmas is just around the corner. So many houses are all decked out for Christmas with beautiful lights and Christmas scenes. You don’t have to look too hard to find Santa and Frosty the Snowman.

Do you remember writing letters to Santa? Do you remember the excitement it stirred inside you? It was such a fun thing to do and made you feel like you had a chance to get at least one thing on your Christmas wish list.

It is that time again at Stafford Elementary. Time to recognize the teachers that did not miss a single day in the second six weeks of school.

Just as your heart has returned to its normal rhythm from last weekend’s tournament championship the Gladiators will be battling on the hardwood again this weekend in West. The Kolache Klassic Invitational Tournament is set to begin this Thursday, December 9, with the finals on Saturday, December 11. Enjoy the ride!

Elizabeth Compton Chenowth died November 28, 2010 in Corsicana, Texas and is survived by one brother W.A. Compton, Jr. and his wife Helen of Irving as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

The 2010 Lady Gladiators Volleyball Team received well deserved recognition for their efforts this season. Seven separate Lady Gladiators made the All-District list including four Academic All-District performers.

W. Odell Kelley, age 97, of Italy, passed away Friday, December 03, 2010 at Trinity Mission Health and Rehab. He was born June 27, 1913 in Birome, Texas to W. O. and Etta McCrakken Kelley. Odell was a lifetime member of the Italy Church of Christ.

The fall of leaves and frost on the pumpkin reminds you the temperature is changing and the holidays are coming. Heat up the hot chocolate, light the fire and put carols on the stereo. There might even be a little time for traveling in the mix. Where could the winding paths of Texas take you?

Thank you to everyone who came Friday morning and bought Krispy Kreme Doughnuts to support our youth. We apologize for selling out of doughnuts so quickly and would like to prevent this from happening again by asking for pre-orders. If you would like to guarantee your doughnuts this Friday Morning December 10th, please pre-order.

What better way to encourage students to strive harder than giving them incentives such as “Tiger of the Month?” Who doesn’t want to go down the hall and see their picture up on the wall letting everyone know, “job well done?”. Well, that is what is happening at Stafford Elementary.

The sixth grade at Stafford Elementary came up with a school creed, “Believing in ourselves today…Achieving great things tomorrow.”

The annual Italy Invitational Basketball Tournament will begin this Thursday, December 2 and run thru Saturday, December 4. Both Italy varsity teams (boys and girls) will be competing in this tournament. See brackets for game times.

It is that time again! Christmas is right around the corner and it is time for Italy’s Annual Christmas Festival.

After the holiday break, Italy’s Junior High basketball teams returned to the hardwood against the Whitney Wildcats on Monday. The boys teams competed in Italy while the girls teams battled for bragging rights in Whitney.

November birthdays at Trinity Mission was an all ladies birthday month. Not one man had a birthday in the month of November. But the month was very well represented.

The Yearbook Staff invites students and parents to submit photos for the yearbook. If you have great photos of school and community events, or pictures you and your friends just having fun, we would like to see them.

There will be back to back meetings for the Gladiator Band Boosters and Gladiator Athletics Booster Clubs on Wednesday, December 1. Band Boosters will meet at 5:30pm followed by the Athletic Boosters at 6:00pm. These meetings will be held in the Italy High School Library. All supporters of the Italy High School Band and Athletics programs are welcomed to attend.

Travis Warren Ferguson, age 53 of Italy passed November 19, 2010.

The Italy ISD Board of Trustees will have a called meeting on Tuesday, November 30, 2010. Per the agenda the school board members will be interviewing persons to conduct the Superintendent search. The meeting will be held in the administration office at 300 S. College Street. Meeting time is 5:00pm.

The Italy Gladiators, under first year head coach Aidan Callahan, got their 2010-2011 season off to a positive start with a decisive win over the Hubbard Jaguars last Friday in Hubbard. The JV Gladiators saw action also as both Italy teams hope to duplicate some of the magic from last season.

Meals-on-Wheels celebrated the 30th Annual National Philanthropy Day on November 18th by honoring the Jack Burton Family at a luncheon held at the Omni Hotel in Fort Worth. The annual event was sponsored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

The Italy ISD 8th grade class will be raffling off an iPad during the Italy Christmas Festival on December 4. Students are currently selling these chances and will also have them available during the festival.