4-H Christmas Tree Festival Thursday

LAS CRUCES - The Go Green 4-H is sponsoring a Christmas Tree Festival at

5 p.m. Thursday at the nature park at Mesquite Elementary, 205 New Mexico 228, Mesquite, N.M.

Businesses can purchase a tree to decorate for $50 and youth can decorate one for free. The finished trees will be judged during the festival, with the winner receiving a prize. There are around 29 15- to 20-foot trees and a few smaller ones, said Larry Sedillo, organizer of the event. If they choose, businesses can donate the decorations to Go Green 4-H, which will sell them for additional funds.

Proceeds will fund improvements to the park, which has fruit orchards, walkways, native plants, a vegetable garden and other vegetation.

5th-grader wins school spelling bee

LAS CRUCES - Fifth-grader Drake Williams won first place in the Jornada Elementary School spelling bee, which was held Dec. 10, said Assistant Principal Sabina Aguilar.

Finishing second was fourth-grader Trey Burk. In third place was fifth-grader Ruben Zacarias-Kinderman. Williams and Burk will compete in the city spelling bee in January.

FFA holiday plant sale ends Friday

LAS CRUCES - The Las Cruces High School Future Farmers of America is selling poinsettias, mistletoe and trees through Friday, said LCHS teacher and FFA sponsor Patrick Howard.

The club is selling poinsettias for $8, four-foot trees for $35, six-foot trees for $45, eight-foot trees for $75,

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and mistletoe for $5.

To place an order and schedule a time to pick it up, call Phil Beard at (575) 649-7750 or Patrick Howard at (575) 649-5373.

Foundation aids local educator

LAS CRUCES - The LCPS Foundation has awarded more than $9,731 in grants to 22 teachers or counselors at 13 schools through its 2011 Educator Competitive Grant Program, said Foundation Executive Director Leslie Cervantes.

The Foundation has awarded more than $55,000 in teacher grants in the past four years, Cervantes said.

Shoe store gives children new shoes

LAS CRUCES - Thanks to a grant in excess of $7,000 from Rack Room Shoes, every third-, fourth- and fifth-grade student at Booker T. Washington Elementary School received a new pair of shoes in November, said school nurse Chuck Colwell.

"Through its 'Shoes That Fit' initiative, Rack Room Shoes strives to help provide children in need with comfortable shoes," said Rack Room Shoes media consultant Beth Konney. "There was a tremendous outreach this year and through the generous help of customers and employees, the company raised $471,886 - 68 percent more than last year - impacting local communities nationwide," she said.

Shoes That Fit is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping underprivileged children. Rack Room Shoes, headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest privately owned shoe companies in the United States, operating more than 390 stores in 26 states.