News About Town: The Town of Matthews named American Legion Post Commander Phil Mowry the Matthews Veteran of the Year. A Gulf War-era veteran, Phil served ten years in the United States Air Force. Now Phil is District Commander for American Legion Department of North Carolina District 20 (Mecklenburg County, NC), and Judge Advocate for American Legion Department of North Carolina Division IV. Thank you for your service, Commander Mowry.

News Around Town: According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Advisory, the Thanksgiving holiday sees an uptick in traffic accidents and fatalities. Approximately half of the fatalities during Thanksgiving holiday travel was attributed to simply not wearing a seatbelt. Over the next several days, Matthews Police will be on Independence Blvd. monitoring unsafe driving practices. Buckle up, drive sober, pay attention, and drive safe this holiday weekend.

One Fun Thing: Join Park and Rec on December 7 for a gingerbread house decorating workshop. For $10, Maria Tavares will have all the materials you need to build and decorate one small house, and she will teach the techniques to take your gingerbread house to the next level. This event is suitable for the entire family, but you must reserve a spot ahead of time.

Don’t Forget: This Small Business Saturday (November 30), support small businesses at the Loyalist with a pop-up market hosted by Good Cup. The event runs from 1 to 4 pm; all sorts of makers will be there selling beautifully handmade, original works of art and craft.