Curt Seeden: Fountain Valley will honor military at Veterans Day ceremony
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9557 will hold its annual Veterans Day ceremony at 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 11 at Veterans Park in Fountain Valley.
The ceremony usually attracts 200 to 300 people, and there is ample seating for all.
VFW Post 9557 was created through the consolidation of several posts: Post 4048 of Seal Beach, Post 9756 of Westminster, Post 11548 of Huntington Beach, Post 11549 of Midway City and, of course, Post 9557 of Fountain Valley.
This year’s ceremony will feature a keynote speaker as well as comments from local, county and state dignitaries.
If you attend, be sure to check out flowers and flags that have been placed on the Veterans Memorial. Longtime local patriot Peggy Kane each year places the flags and flowers on the memorial in remembrance of fallen service men and women prior to the city’s Veterans Day and Memorial Day ceremonies
Peggy is well known in this community. Recently, during a Fountain Valley Police Department badge ceremony, Police Chief Kevin Childe honored her as a “local hero” for her support of veterans and active-duty military.
Incidentally, VFW Post 9557’s auxiliary has kicked off its annual Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest. Local students in grades 9-12 can compete for $29,500 in national scholarships. Students must submit an original two- or three-dimensional piece of artwork. Digital art, photography and jewelry are not accepted.
Students begin competing at the local VFW auxiliary level. The first-place winner advances to a district competition with district winners advancing to the state competition.
State first-place winners compete for their share of the $29,500 national award. National scholarships of $15,000 (first place), $7,500 (second place), $3,500 (third place), $1,500 (fourth place) and $500 (fifth through eighth place) are available.
Veterans Park is adjacent Fountain Valley Library, 17635 Los Alamos St. More information: Call Laura Chermak at 714-968-3104.
Also, mark your calendars:
The Ladies of the Knights of Columbus will host its 24th Christmas Boutique from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 2 in the church hall at Holy Spirit Catholic Church,17270 Ward St., Fountain Valley.
Residents are invited to bring their children to see Santa and do all their Christmas shopping with local vendors.
Vendors will be selling homemade tamales, Vietnamese foods, baked goods, jewelry, jams and jellies, plus crafts and gifts. There will be numerous raffle opportunities, with all profits going to local charities.
Vendor spaces are sold out. For more information, call Bev White at 714-963-9275.