PARIS!

FOR THE HOLIDAYS 2021

On The Cover: BPU’s Elf Barry has to wait to open his Christmas gift, but he can’t resist a little shake to guess the contents. See his story on page 17. PARIS! wishes to thank Lura Lee’s Gift Shoppe and Crove Media for their help during the photo shoot.

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Smantha and daughters in Christmas Joy scene

Editor’s Notes

Happy Everything!

As I perused this fun, holiday issue with stories on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year plus our community’s bicentennial, I decided to simply wish readers a Happy Everything!

I love Thanksgiving, as we gather with loved ones and count our blessings. This year, we continue to hold our medical community, first responders, educators and those affected by COVID close to our hearts.

Karen Geary offers an article on Thanksgiving this year filled with readers’ Thanksgiving memories that are both funny and poignant. Elyse Bell shines the Spotlight on the Second Harvest Food Bank, while Garden Guru John Watkins writes of unsung garden heroes with an entertaining, spot-on story.

Barry Hart’s article takes readers around the world with family stories of holidays in unlikely locales. Meanwhile, back in Henry County, Tommy and Mary Ann Claxton share tips on building a vast village, a Christmas village, that is! And the Painter family, perennial favorites in the Atkins-Porter Neighborhood’s Gift of Light, reveals the touching stories behind their decorations.

From the Madrigals to Elvis, Krider Performing Arts Center Director Rhonda Stanton invites us to impressive, upcoming Christmas performances. TVA/Kids.com offers “edutainment” for the youngsters during this long break. Finally, BPU Elf Barry Hart tells us about his funny, mischievous, holiday role.

Shannon McFarlin is our magazine’s historian – in this issue she brings us a bicentennial story, as well as terrific photos from Christmases long-ago.

Thankfully, our community’s future is as promising as its past. Check out the momentum in Around Our Town and in the latest Paris Podcast.

Ready to ring in 2022? A Couple Of Travelers suggest a First Day Hike at Paris Landing State Park, complete with a ranger for your guide.

Don’t miss the Events Calendar, Faces and Places, and Paris Cuisine! Happy everything,

Smantha

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In This Issue

Read online or get your copy.

DOWNTOWN UNWRAPPED EVENTS

Click more for a page full of events going on downtown during the holiday season. See visitdowntownparis.com for more information, and see our calendar for more events in the Paris-Henry County region during the holidays.
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THE PAST 200 YEARS - CLIFTY: Site Of First Henry County Court House

By Shannon McFarlin

Nestled in the tiny community of Clifty are the beginnings of the history of Henry County. Small as it was (and is), Clifty was the home of Henry County’s first courthouse – a log cabin which conducted county business on one side and sold liquor and pies on the other.
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REMEMBER WHEN

Nostalgic photos that are part of an ongoing series by PARIS! Magazine for the Henry County’s Bicentennial.
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AROUND OUR TOWN - Chamber Momentum

By Travis McLeese

December 1st marks four years since I accepted the position of the Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, and it has been a whirlwind since Day One.
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FEATURE - O, Little Town

By Karen Geary

As the expression goes “it takes a village…,” but at the home of Tommy and Mary Ann Claxton of Buchanan, it certainly does take a village, and another village, and then another one to decorate for Christmas. What started as an after Christmas purchase has now turned into a fantasy under-taking with no sign of stopping.
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MERRY & BRIGHT - Christmas Love Lights

By Karen Geary

In a scene from the modern Christ-mas movie classic, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” Chevy Chase’s character, Clark Griswold, is gingerly escorting an elderly woman up the walk to his home. As they approach, she says, “Is your house on fire, Clark?” He replies with a sigh, “No, Aunt Bethany. Those are the Christmas lights.”
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FEATURE - Elf Barry

By Meaghan Hart

If you have a young child, it’s likely that prior to Christmas 2020 you had already heard of Elf on the Shelf®. But for those of you without a little one in the house, you may not have heard of Elf on the Shelf®…well, until last Christmas that is.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT - CHRISTMAS AT THE KRIDER: Music & Entertainment For The Whole Family

By Rhonda Stanton

Krider Performing Arts Center is hopping as the holiday season approaches and we pre-pare for several events. Check out our great opportunities and mark your calendars because we know you’ll want to join us.
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A COUPLE OF TRAVELERS - Your NEW, Favorite HOLIDAY TRADITION

By John Nichols & Susan Jones

The holidays are like an enormous, colorful package. The contents include traditions like Thanksgiving at Grandma’s, church and school Christmas programs, visiting Santa in his house on the square, downtown open houses, and coff ee with old friends visiting from out of town.
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JUST FOR FUN

Test your word skills with this fun Christmas crossword puzzle!
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FEATURE - Christmas Around the World

By Barry Hart

People travel during the holidays for various reasons, and tradition is one of them. I used to think that being home for Christmas was the norm, but over the years my family has been scattered around the world, and you know the old saying, “When in Rome do what the Romans do!”
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SPOTLIGHT SECOND HARVEST - Providing Food To Our Neighbors

By Elyse Bell

Have you ever noticed the Second Harvest semi-trucks driving through our com-munity and wondered what they were doing? Their purpose is to provide a central distri-bution center for companies, groups and individuals who wished to help provide food for the hungry people of Middle Tennessee.
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PARIS CUISINE - Santa's Favorite Cookies

Ahhh…Christmas time. Lights strung up along windows and walls, Christmas dresses adorned with colorful ornaments, carols that start being played a little too early – each of these things is characteristic of that wonderful season. Every item on that list carries with it a strong sense of nostalgia…at least for me.
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FEATURE - We Gather Together

By Karen Geary

Often advertising people portray Thanksgiving as a Norman Rockwell scene with a big baked turkey and all the fixings spread out on a huge table. People of all ages are talking politely among each other while waiting for the pumpkin pie. But true to life, not all Thanksgivings turn out so idyllic.
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IN THE GARDEN - Thank You Notes from John

By John Watkins

If you haven’t heard Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” a thousand times already, let me just say that despite what she says in the song, the definitive answer this year is not “You.” (Sorry, Mariah) I’m thinking this year, “All I want for Christmas is a little rest and relaxation and a little less stress.” (I know, not nearly as catchy and doesn’t even rhyme, but seriously.)
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FEATURE - BORED NO MORE Thanks to TVA/Kids

The arrival of the holidays brings plenty of excitement, but with school not in session, there are also long stretches of down-time for children, punctuated by the groan, “I’m bored!” Parents often look for fun activities to fill these voids, and TVA/KIDS (TVA.com/kids) can help.
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OUR NEIGHBORS - IT'S CHRISTMAS YEAR 'ROUND with Travis McLeese

Paris Podcast

There’s no shortage of delicious local dining in our area! Please peruse our restaurant guide and drop in for a meal. *Beer and/or other alcohol available. Check with your restaurant about indoor dining restrictions during the COVID outbreak.
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