‘Unmasked Gala’ to present at The Historic Howell Opera House on Jan. 9
    The Key Project, a non-profit organization with the goal of raising awareness about human trafficking in our area, will present the ‘Unmasked Gala’ on Saturday, January 6th from 7-10 PM at The Howell Opera House. 
    The evening will be a formal/ semi formal dance focused on a fun night for all ages in the community to learn how to stop human trafficking from thriving. There will be booths for informational guides on how human trafficking advances, how to prevent it, and how to stop it, if you see it. Organizers will even have fair trade product available for purchase.
   This event is an opportunity for the public to better understand human trafficking and its effects, with speakers who understand the particular challenges and possible solutions to this problem in the state of Michigan. 
    “This night is designed for you to feel confident about how to be a freedom fighter,” noted Mariah McDonald, President of the Key Project.
    The event is free to the public but reservations are required – please contact info@thekeyproject.org or visit http://unmaskedgala.eventbrite.com. Any money donated will go towards the effort to stop human trafficking in Michigan. 

St. Agnes Knights of Columbus looking for Chili Cook-off Contestants
   The Knights of Columbus #8605 at St. Agnes Catholic Church are looking for contestants for their upcoming All-You-Can-Eat Chili Dinner on Saturday, Jan. 13 at the Parrish Hall. St. Agnes Church is located at 855 E. Grand River, Fowlerville.
   Categories will once again be: Blazing Hot, Spicy Medium and Saucy Mild with the public voting on their favorite entry. Cash prizes for first place in each of those three classes will be awarded.
    Contestants can enter their best chili recipe for the cook-off by calling Nelson Cypher at 517-294-6366 or Todd Conti at 517-819-7330.
  The Cook-off is part of an overall event that includes a Euchre Tournament along with the Chili Dinner.

Plans underway for upcoming ‘Salute to the Stars Celebrity’ Dance Competition
    The Livingston County Catholic Charities 14th annual ‘Salute to the Stars with the Celebrity’ Dance Competition will be held on Saturday, March 3, starting at 6:30 pm at Crystal Gardens in Howell. Join us for an exciting evening including strolling food stations, cash bar, 50/50 raffle, honoree presentation, exciting dance competition and goodwill offering with an open dance floor after the competition    2018 Dance Teams are: Leslie & Sam Johnson, Tracy Patterson & Branden Cathey, Lynne Smelser & Michael Gackler, Kelly Roth & Eric Guerin, and Peggi & Michael Bourke.     Dance competition and voting proceeds support Liv. Cty. Catholic Charities programs serving low income and home-bound county seniors.
     Great music, fun and entertainment! Visit our website to view dance team videos and vote for your favorite dance teams starting on Feb. 11 - Mar. 2 ($5/vote). Tickets can be purchased now at www.livingstoncatholiccharities.org through Feb. 23rd.
    Platinum Sponsors: St. Joseph Mercy Health System, Dr. Edward Loniewski, Garrison Enterprises LLC

Livingston Centre Historic Society starts new year with meeting on Jan. 4 
    The Livingston Centre Historic Society has had a very productive year. The Spring Gramma's Attic Sale resulted in greater profits than the previous year. The Historic Village welcomed many new and returning visitors during the Fowlerville Family Fair, with docents offering tours every afternoon. September's Fall Fest was well attended and the annual raffle brought even better profits than previous years. 
    Because of these successful events and an increase in volunteers to help, restoration and improvement to the property has been increasing. A few more items on the priority list have been accomplished, including completed repairs on two roofs, a new picket fence near the Coughran School and the recently re-opened Kirkland House, as well as on-going improvements inside the Pere Marquette Depot. 
    The entire volunteer staff is encouraged by the success of this past year and are already beginning plans for the May, 2018 Gramma's Attic, the next Fowlerville Fair and the September Fall Fest. Among the goals for the coming year is increasing the open dates for the Village to offer more opportunities for visits. Select buildings continue to be available for wedding, shower, party and event rental; information is available through the Fair Office. 
    The first meeting of 2018 will be held Thursday, Jan. 4, 7:00 p.m. in the Fair Office. Newcomers, and new ideas, are always welcome!

Upcoming Programs at the Fowlerville District Library
    All Programs are intended for Fowlerville School District residents only unless otherwise stated.
    Registration usually opens 2 weeks prior to the event.
   Follow us on Facebook & www.fowlervillelibrary.org.
Phone: 517-223-9089

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The Fowlerville District Library will be closed Saturday, December 23rdand reopening Wednesday, December 27th at 9:30am to observe Christmas. We will also be closed Saturday, December 30th and reopening Tuesday January 2nd to observe the new year. We wish you joyous and safe holidays. The Little Free Library is available for your reading needs during this time and any materials to be returned can be placed in the blue drop box. Thank you.

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From A to Z with Mrs. D Winter Registration begins Wednesday, January 3rd
Classes start Tuesday, Jan. 9th and Wednesday, Jan. 10th
Kids 2-4 years and their adult helper.  This pre-school program is designed for the 2-4 year old child and taught in a small, play-based group setting. This program focuses on early literacy and social development but also includes many activities such as science, small and large motor skill play, stories and songs based on a chosen theme, all while having fun.  We offer four groups; Tuesdays at 10am and 11am and Wednesdays at 10am and 11am. *Spaces are limited and filled on a first-come first-served basis.

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Travel Talk: Iceland - Thursday, January 4th at 7pm
Adults. Highlighting the sights, sounds, life-changing encounters, and humorous stories of world travel while at the library! Start the journey with an inexperienced first-time traveler and end with an around the world year-long seasoned traveler! Presentations will include question & answer sessions and refreshments. *Register in person to attend. Registration begins December 21st and includes a refundable $5 cash deposit. 

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Beyond the Book: The Outsiders - Thursday, January 11th at 7pm
Adults. Featuring a book and its film adaptation, and some great discussion! Movie-style refreshments will be served. *Register in person to attend. Registration begins December 21st. Books will be given while supplies last.

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Steampunk Craft Night - Friday, January 12th at 5-8pm
Teens 6th-12th grades. Come celebrate the invention of steam power at the library! We’ll make some awesome steampunk crafts and watch an adventure-filled steampunk movie! *Registration is required and includes a 2017-2018 signed Program Permission Form. Registration begins December 29th. Register by January 10th to attend.

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Pop-Up Library - Monday, January 15th
10am at Rolling Meadows
11am at Livingston Greene
12pm at Glenwood Apartments
We bring the library to you! You can get a library card; check in and out large print or audio books; get help with the Axis 360 app and eBooks; get your library questions answered; and get one-on-one technology help with your tablet or other small device. You can also visit with Lola, our Therapy Dog.

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Snowman Craft - Thursday, January 18th at 7pm
Adults. Make a one-of-a-kind snowman that you can display at home and share with a friend! You are welcome to bring some personalized “bling” if you’d like, however all materials for the class will be provided. *Register in person to attend. Registration begins January 4th and includes a refundable $5 cash deposit.

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Author Visit: Ruth Barshaw - Wednesday, January 24th at 5:30-6:30pm
Kids 2nd-8th grades. Meet the author of the popular Ellie McDoodle series and learn how she creates cool doodle diaries in a hands-on workshop! A limited supply of books will be available for purchase at this event. *Participation is limited. Register in person to attend. Registration begins January 10th.

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Stained Glass Heart Hanger Workshop - Thursday, January 25th at 2:30pm
Adults. No experience required for this hands-on workshop taught by an instructor from Delphi Glass. You will be taught basic stained glass construction including cutting, foiling and soldering from an expert. Create a stunning heart shaped suncatcher with a bevel center. *Special time and class size. Registration begins January 11th and includes a refundable $5 cash deposit.

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Fowlerville Library Writers Group Begins Wednesday, January 31st at 2:30pm
Meets Weekly January 31st-March 21st
Adults. Do you want feedback on your writing projects? Are you interested in exploring different writing exercises? If so, then join our 8-part Winter 2018 session. You are invited to bring a 1-page sample for feedback from the group.
*Registration begins January 17th. No late entries.

Dansville Community Center to hold Euchre & Bunco Nights this month
    Do you like to play Euchre or Bunco? The Dansville Community Center at 1317 Mason Street in Dansville will be having Euchre Night on Saturday, January 6th and 20th starting at 7pm and Bunco on Saturday, January 13th at 6:30pm. A donation of $5 per person is asked to help pay for expenses for the night. Prizes will be awarded. Beginners are welcome. For more information contact 517-521-4547.

Fowlerville First United Methodist Church to feature Children’s Program on Christmas Eve
    Fowlerville First United Methodist Church will feature a Youth-led Program at its early Christmas Eve Service, starting at 7p.m. A highlight of the program is a Black Light Hand Mime Show with a religious theme. These participants will be wearing white gloves and using them to form different words and images with their hands against a black light background. The show is accompanied by music.
    The young people will also perform instrumental and vocal selections, along with playing a song using bells. There’s also a skit.
   The church will also have a Candlelight Service at 11 p.m. It’s located at 201 S. Second St.