The Bellevue business district was treated to a preview of the upcoming Northgate Middle - Senior High School holiday choral concert as the North Suburban Chamber of Commerce kicked off a day of seasonal celebration last Friday afternoon. The students will present “A Joyous Night of Song” on Thursday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium. Chorus alumni are invited to join the students on stage to sing “This Christmastide.” Admission is free. Bellevue’s celebration concluded Friday evening with a tree-lighting, horse-drawn carriage rides and additional entertainment.

Three young men from the North Boroughs will be remembered forever for their sacrifice in Iraq, as a memorial honoring their military service was dedicated on Veterans Day in Bellevue. Pictured here, Midge Hall and Patricia Kenny place a wreath beside the monument that bears the names of their sons, Robert Hall of Bellevue and Patrick Kenny of Emsworth, along with that of Thomas Vandling Jr. of Bellevue. All three were killed while serving with the military in Iraq. The memorial was constructed by Bellevue Boy Scout Brian Halligan for his Eagle Scout project.

Or it will be next spring, thanks to Girl Scout Troop 54259, who planted 100 bulbs in front of the Avalon borough property on California Avenue as part of the clean-up day sponsored last Saturday by the Avalon Quality of Life Association. The number of bulbs is significant, representing the Scouts’ 100th anniversary. Gardeners pictured here, from left, are Breanna Conners, Madeleine Ebaugh, Elizabeth Grubbs, Paige Emery, grandparent helper Randy Stillwagon, and Isabella Kirk. The clean-up day also included a number of other residents who picked up litter, swept, trimmed and painted.

Some 265 volunteers helped “Improve the ‘Vue” by taking on projects throughout Bellevue, including work pictured here at the Bellevue Dog Woods site, soon to be home to an off-leash dog park open to all.

Members of Bellevue High School's Class of 1941 gathered recently, some traveling from as far as Florida, for their 70th, and what they have agreed will be their final, reunion. Pictured at left, from left, are: top row -- Bob Roberts, Dick Wilhelm, Bud Lawton, Bob Fryer; middle -- John Ries, Erv Deuber, Jack Neenan, Betty Besser Haughin, Espy Longabaugh; seated -- Eleanor Jordan Gerwig, Virginia Kuhl Loether, Olive Tishlarich Corbett.

"School's out for summer!" Alice Cooper sang decades ago, with the lyric becoming a timeless paean for school kids of all ages. However, there have been some exceptions of late, two of them being found among Avonworth middle and high school students and teachers, who happily and voluntarily traded in vacation time for learning time.

Avalon Volunteer Fire Company honored two longtime members and firefighters Monday evening. Receiving their pins for 25 years of service and becoming life members of the fire company were brothers Jim and Jeff Carroll. Life member Ed Werner applauded the two for their continued active service, both in fighting fires and serving in various offices and on a number of committees within the fire company itself. Pictured above from left are Werner, Jim Carroll and Jeff Carroll.

Tiny Mia, the grand-dog of Jane and Mike (pictured) Braunlich of Bellevue, makes a new friend while waiting for the start of the Pampered Pooch Promenade in Bellevue last Thursday evening. The annual event was part of the Summer Solstice Spectacular sponsored by Enjoy Bellevue. Proceeds of the walk will go to the Bellevue Dog Woods, an off-leash dog park being built by volunteers and private funds in Memorial Park.

Bellevue Elementary second graders in teacher Lynn Tennant Heffley’s class led the way in a school-wide coin collection to benefit the Bellevue Dog Woods, an off-leash dog park being built with private funds in Bellevue’s Memorial Park. In one week, the school raised nearly $800, with the second graders pictured here bringing in a heavy 30.8 lbs. of coins to lead the primary grades and the entire school. In the upper grades, two fourth grade classrooms -- taught by Gail Bernauer and Wendy Santelli -- tied with 17.8 lbs. collected by each.

As Americans prepare to acknowledge the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed thousands, a piece of that tragedy has found a home in Bellevue.

Pictured above, Bellevue firefighters Jack Davin and George Malloy display a piece of one of the girders that gave form to the World Trade Center in New York City, brought down by planes that crashed into the towers on Sept. 11, 2001.

Volunteers from Goodwill Industries help Bellevue resident Dennis Bowman unload his car during the “E-waste” recycling event sponsored by Enjoy Bellevue last Saturday. Part of Earth day clean-ups that went on across the North Boroughs, the collection filled a huge truck with an assortment of hard-to-recycle electronic equipment such as computers, copiers and old cell phones. Goodwill trains people to repair the equipment, adding an extra benefit to the effort.