December should be a great month for finding the planets, and one of the dwarf planets.

On Saturday, place Propus (the little toe of Castor in Gemini) in the center of the field of a pair of 7 x 50 binoculars. At the 1 o’clock position, you’ll see Ceres, the largest asteroid, now classed as a dwarf planet.

Jupiter will shine brightly, still near Alde­baran, the eye of Taurus. At 8 p.m., Saiph, the right knee of Orion, will be on the eastern horizon. On Christmas Day, the waxing gibbous moon and Jupiter will be less than 1 degree apart.

Mercury and Venus will be conspicuous in the dawn sky, and on Saturday, Mercury, Venus, Saturn and Spica (the brightest star in Virgo) will form a diagonal line across the southeast horizon. On the nights of Dec. 9-11, the sliver of the waning crescent moon will move through this lineup, beginning on Dec. 9 less than a degree from Spica, and ending up on Dec. 11 about a degree from Venus. By month’s end, Venus will remain visible as a “morning star.”

Mars will move through Sagittarius this month, and Saturday will be within 2½ degrees of Nunki, the second brightest star in the Archer. By month’s end, Mars will move into the constellation Capricornus, the Water Goat.

At 8 p.m. Dec. 2, place the waxing gibbous moon at 1 o’clock in your binoculars, and Uranus will be a pale green spot at 4 o’clock. Neptune will be found fairly easily at 8 p.m. Dec. 17. Place the waxing crescent moon at the 1 o’clock position in your binoculars, and Neptune will be a pale greenish-blue dot about 10 o’clock.

The Geminid meteor shower will peak at midnight Dec. 13, and will be quite regular in its timing. The meteor shower will appear to originate from Gemini. It is formed by bits of the debris trail from 3200 Phaethon, the rocky remains of a comet that lost most its mass after eons of close passes by the sun. A new moon that night will provide excellent views of the year’s last major meteor shower.

The winter solstice will be Dec. 21, and a minor meteor shower, the Ursids, will peak that night. A waxing moon will obscure good viewing until it sets about 1:30 a.m. Dec. 22, and might produce the greatest number of meteors between midnight and dawn of the next day. As many as 100 meteors per hour have been seen in short bursts, but usually five to 10 meteors an hour can be expected, appearing to radiate from the Little Dipper.

Q&A

Q: What is a good, inexpensive telescope to buy for the kids for Christmas? — R.K., Akron

A: Using the words “good,” “inexpensive” and “telescope” in the same sentence is tricky. We get this question often so I am going to suggest a couple of websites that give a very good overview of the subject.

The Heretic’s Guide to Frequently Asked Questions About Telescopes at http://findascope.com/FAQ.html#child is fairly lengthy, but very comprehensive. Also, click on “Choosing Your first Telescope” at www.skyandtelescope.com/equipment/basics.

I have never used or seen one, but the Orion “FunScope” just might be the first and only good, inexpensive telescope, at least for kids about 12 or older. (Younger children tend not to be able to manage a telescope.) A product of the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, you can find this 3-inch Newtonian tabletop scope for $40.

It is equipped with a decent finder, an adequate eyepiece, and can be mounted on a tripod. Use a sturdy one, not the one you use for your camera. And, please, don’t just hand it to your child. Read the instructions, and learn a bit about the night sky so you don’t waste time and energy freezing in the dark trying to figure out how to proceed. Visit the planetarium, learn a bit about what’s up, and don’t hesitate to talk to the planetarium staff after a presentation.

Program

The Hoover-Price Planetarium begins Solar Max on Jan. 2. The sun’s 11-year cycle will be at its high point. What will the Earth experience, and what problems may loom for human technology? Shows are at 1 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. The planetarium is included with admission to the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum. Call 330-455-7043 for more information.

David L. Richards is director of the Hoover-Price Planetarium at the McKinley Presidential Library and Museum, 800 McKinley Monument Drive NW, Canton, OH 44708, www.mckinleymuseum.org. He can be reached at 330-455-7043 or email hooverpriceplanetarium@hotmail.com.

The expectant mother peered anxiously at the ultrasound monitor for signs of life.

Just 24 hours earlier, she lost her left breast to cancer. She could only pray that she didn’t lose her baby, too.

Six months after exchanging their wedding vows, Michelle Lang-Schock and her husband, Harry Schock, are facing more challenges than many couples face in a lifetime.

Together, they’re fighting to save her life while anticipating the birth of their child in May.

“I think God gave me this baby,” she said, “so I could concentrate on something positive instead of sulking in the negative.”

Michelle, or “Missey” as many of her friends and family members call her, was going through a divorce after a 12-year marriage in February 2010 when mutual friends introduced her to Harry, who also was divorced.

The two grew close, spending time together and with their children — three for her and two for him. He stayed by her side and patiently comforted her for months when she mourned the death of her ex-husband, the father of her two youngest children, in a house fire.

On May 5 of this year, they exchanged wedding vows while surrounded by family and friends in Urbana, where most of Michelle’s family lives. The couple then spent six blissful days honeymooning in Florida before returning to their home in Wadsworth, which they share with his daughter, Alaina, 17; and two of her children, Max, 9; and Isabella, “Bella,” 6. His son, Trevor, 8, also visits.

The honeymoon didn’t last long.

By the end of the month, Harry lost his job as a restaurant manager, joining Michelle in the ranks of the unemployed. After years in the restaurant industry, he decided to pursue a new career and go to truck driving school.

When Michelle started to grow increasingly tired, she figured it was from all the stress.

That stress only increased in August, when she found a lump in her right breast.

Unexpected family addition

She instantly panicked. The branches of her family tree were weighed down by cancer, including several relatives with breast cancer.

Because the couple were unemployed and didn’t have health insurance, Michelle qualified for a free mammogram through the Breast and Cervical Cancer Project (BCCP), also known as the “Pink Ribbon Project.”

The state-sponsored program provides free mammograms and cervical cancer screenings to qualified uninsured women. If cancer is discovered, BCCP helps enroll the women in Medicaid to make sure all their needed care is immediately covered.

Before giving Michelle a free mammogram to rule out cancer in her right breast, the ultrasound technician at Akron General went through all the typical questions.

“Is there any chance you’re pregnant?”

Michelle laughed.

She’s 41 and he’s 52. With five children ages 6 to 20 between them, adding a baby to their blended family wasn’t something the couple intended.

“Well, there’s always a chance,” she chuckled, dismissing the thought.

The newlyweds were relieved when the mammogram and an ultrasound determined the lump Michelle had felt was simply a fatty tumor, not a cancerous mass. Nevertheless, a nurse case manager from BCCP recommended she still follow up with a doctor just to be safe, given her family history.

The day before her appointment with Dr. Lee Anne Sprance, medical director of the Breast Care Program at Summa Barberton Hospital, Michelle continued to feel tired and forgetful.

A trip to the drug store and $9 later, a home pregnancy test revealed Michelle and Harry were expecting a surprise addition to their family.

Facing a cancer diagnosis

Still getting used to the idea of being pregnant, Michelle wasn’t too concerned when she went to her appointment with the breast specialist.

“While you’re here,” the doctor said, “let me look at your breasts.”

During the exam, she told Michelle to lift her arms over her head.

Sprance agreed the lump in Michelle’s right breast wasn’t a problem. But she paused as she examined the other breast.

“There’s something here.”

The “something” Sprance saw was a small, barely noticeable dimpling under Michelle’s nipple, which only was visible after she lifted her arms.

A subsequent ultrasound and biopsy in the days that followed confirmed the diagnosis: Michelle has breast cancer, which spread to at least one of her lymph nodes.

Had the cancer not been detected, it likely would have continued to silently grow and spread, fueled by the hormones of her pregnancy, until it was too late.

The couple agreed they would fight to beat the cancer while preserving the life of their unborn child.

Harry made one exception.

“If it comes down to losing you to keep the baby,” he told her, “I want you.”

That evening after learning she has cancer, Michelle and Harry had a family meeting and broke the news to their children.

Max fell on the floor and burst into tears.

“I already lost my daddy,” he sobbed. “I can’t lose you, too.”

“I’m not dying,” Michelle reassured him.

Her oldest son, Jacob, 20, embraced her.

“I’m not crying,” he said, “because I know you’re going to be OK.”

Cancer rare in pregnancy

A breast cancer diagnosis while expecting is rare, occurring in a range estimated at one in every 1,000 to one in every 10,000 pregnancies, according to the American Cancer Society.

In Michelle’s case, both her pregnancy and cancer treatments are being covered by Medicaid, a joint state and federal program for low-income residents.

Her high-risk obstetrician, Dr. John W. Stewart Jr., has faced the challenge of caring for a pregnant woman with cancer a handful of times during his 20-year career.

“You’re always having to weigh maternal benefit versus fetal risk,” he said. “You’re treating two patients, not just one. Obviously, if bad things happen to moms, then it affects the babies.”

His recommendation: Be as aggressive as safely possible with the cancer treatment.

“We need to take care of the mom first,” he said. “We don’t necessarily delay treatment. We’re not trying to deliver orphans. We want that mom to be able to take care of that baby.”

Surgery couldn’t wait

Michelle’s doctors consulted to determine the best way to preserve both lives.

Sprance wanted to keep the surgery and anesthesia to a minimum. So Michelle’s plans to have her right breast and ovaries removed to prevent another cancer diagnosis were put on hold until after her baby’s birth.

But delaying the mastectomy for the left breast wasn’t a viable option. In those months, the cancer could grow, with devastating consequences.

As long as Michelle got enough oxygen throughout the two-hour procedure, Stewart had assured them, the baby should be fine. But knowing Michelle would need to see for herself, he offered to perform an ultrasound after surgery so she could know her baby’s heart was still beating.

As she waited in the pre-op area at Barberton Hospital in late October, surrounded by family and close friends, Michelle clutched a small stuffed cat named Ringo that her son Max gave her to keep her company. He took an identical one to school with him that day.

Before she left for surgery, her pastor joined her in prayer.

“It’s going to be fine,” she said confidently to the anxious group.

Relief in a heartbeat

The surgery went as planned, but the recovery was rough.

Because of her pregnancy, Michelle couldn’t receive all the typical mix of anti-nausea drugs to counter the effects of the anesthesia.

After a mostly sleepless night at Barberton Hospital, she was discharged to rest at home for a few hours before Harry, her mother and her aunt brought her to Stewart’s office in Akron for an ultrasound.

With Harry standing by her side, Michelle took a deep breath as the sonographer eased the transmitter over her barely swollen belly.

“There’s a heartbeat!” she cried out, pumping her fist into the air. “Thank God!”

“She just took a little nap yesterday,” Michelle joked to Harry.

Though they didn’t know the gender yet so early in the pregnancy, Michelle already was referring to their baby as a girl, while Harry called the baby a boy. Other times, he compromised and called the baby “shim,” short for “she/him.”

“I’m good now that I know the baby’s there,” Michelle said with a smile.

Radiation not required

Harry took care of the cooking and cleaning while Michelle recovered. But the stress on her body, combined with the typical bouts of morning sickness, took their toll, causing her to lose 11 pounds in a week.

Michelle and Harry returned to Barberton Hospital the week after her surgery so Sprance could inspect her incision and share pathology results.

The news, overall, was good. Only three of the 18 lymph nodes removed during her surgery had cancer cells.

“It’s under four, which means no radiation,” Sprance told them. “I’m really happy.”

The short time between diagnosis and surgery proved critical. If one more lymph node had cancer, Michelle would have needed radiation, which would have waited until after her baby’s birth.

“Good,” Michelle nodded. “Just chemo.”

The tumor was a little larger than originally estimated — 2.2 centimeters instead of 1.8. The slight difference moved her from stage IIA to IIB.

“I still can’t believe I have cancer,” Michelle said, tears welling in her eyes.

“I know,” Sprance said, placing a comforting hand on her patient’s shoulder. “But we’re getting it taken care of.”

Four weeks to wait

Women typically need to wait about four weeks after a mastectomy to begin chemotherapy. The body needs time to heal before being bombarded with drugs that target fast-growing cells.

When Michelle starts her chemo treatments next week on schedule at Barberton Hospital, she will be 14 weeks pregnant — far enough into her second trimester that the baby growing inside her will already have developed organs.

By waiting until the second trimester to start chemotherapy, the potential problems for the developing fetus are minimal, Stewart said. “Most of the cancer therapies don’t significantly affect growth.”

Every three weeks until about a month before her scheduled due date, Michelle will receive two chemotherapy drugs through a port in her arm. She’ll rely on family and friends to help her through the treatments when Harry’s new job as a truck driver takes him out on the road.

The chemo will cause her to lose her hair but — if all goes as planned — not her baby.

“Every time I get sad,” she said, “I concentrate on my pregnancy.

“Being pregnant, it gives me a reason I have to fight, because I’m fighting for two lives.”

Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or cpowell@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow Powell on Twitter at twitter.com/abjcherylpowell.

This Week

Thursday

Pregnancy Care of Summit County Annual Christmas Auction — 5:30 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Family Center, 610 W. Exchange St., Akron. $25. Buffet dinner, dessert bar. www.pregnancycareonline.org.

Friday

Akron Marathon Charitable Corporation Blue Tie Bash — 6:30 p.m. at Quaker Station, 135 S. Broadway, Akron. Proceeds benefit Akron Marathon Sustainability Fund of Akron Community Foundation. $150, $250 VIP. 330-434-2786 or www.bluetiebash.akronmarathon.org.

Charity Auction for Project St. Nicholas Returns — 9 p.m. at Frank’s Place on Market, 549 W. Market St., Akron. 330-703-6845.

Saturday

Inner-City Hope Youth Crisis Mission Children’s Winter Swap — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Balch Street Gym, 22 S. Balch St., Akron. For every two items you bring, Inner-City Hope Youth Crisis Mission will give you one ticket to swap it for something equal that your child might need and give the other ticket to a family in need.

Canton Ballet Nutcracker Ball — 6-10 p.m. in Canton Cultural Center’s Great Court, 1001 Market Ave. N., Canton. To provide support for the school and performing company, financial aid for students, educational outreach for area school students, and more. $75. 330-455-7220 or www.cantonballet.com.

Deadline

Women’s Board of Akron Children’s Hospital 110th Annual Charity Ball — 6 p.m. Dec. 28 at Goodyear Hall, 1144 E. Market St., Akron. Forty-one young women will participate in the 60th presentation of debutantes. All proceeds benefit Akron Children’s Hospital. $175, Patron $300, Grand Patron $500. Reservation deadline is Saturday. For tickets, call 330-543-8424.

Send information about social and charity events to The Scene, c/o Lynne Sherwin, Features Department, Akron Beacon Journal, P.O. Box 640, Akron, OH 44309. Or email lsherwin@thebeaconjournal.com with “The Scene” in the subject line. Event notices should be sent at least two weeks in advance. Merits of all organizations have not been investigated by the Beacon Journal, so potential donors should verify the worthiness of a cause before committing.

Urban legends aren’t supposed to be true.

For generations, Summit County residents have handed down a strange tale about entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. and a fateful incident involving an Akron motorist.

When we tried to debunk the story, however, we were surprised to learn that it isn’t a legend. It really happened.

In November 1954, Davis was a nightclub performer on the rise. The 29-year-old had appeared on NBC-TV’s The Colgate Comedy Hour as a singer and dancer with the Will Mastin Trio and had just released his first hit song, Hey There, on the Decca label.

Following a late show at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas, Davis decided to drive back to Hollywood, where he had a recording session scheduled, instead of reserving a room for the night. He and his valet, Charley Head, took turns steering Davis’ new Cadillac Eldorado on U.S. 66 as it snaked through the starlit desert.

The valet finished his shift, climbed into the back seat and dozed off while Davis drove the black convertible south in the predawn gloom.

Somewhere in the distance, an Akron woman was trying not to get lost.

Helen S. Boss, 72, was the widow of Frank Boss, who had served as Akron police chief from 1930 to 1938. After her husband died in 1944, Mrs. Boss moved out of their Brown Street home to a smaller residence on Birdland Avenue in Coventry Township.

Her lasting legacy was selling nearly 2 acres to the city to establish Boss Park between Allyn and Sumner streets. She also donated $500 in playground equipment.

Mrs. Boss liked to spend winters in Van Nuys, Calif., but the cross-country trip was too long to drive on her own. She took out a Beacon Journal classified ad for travel companions to share the ride and expenses.

Practical nurse Bessie Roth, 69, of Good Street, Akron, responded to the ad, thinking that a vacation in sunny California would be the perfect anti­dote to another Ohio winter.

Thomas McDonald, 22, of Crouse Street, Akron, also responded. He wanted to go to Lancaster, Calif., to visit his brother, Eugene, at Edwards Air Force Base.

The older women let McDonald handle the bulk of the driving in Boss’ Chrysler. The vehicle rumbled west to Chicago and veered south on U.S. 66 toward Southern California.

Several days later, McDonald reached his stop. He stepped out of the car and bid farewell to the women, who continued the drive to Van Nuys.

Mrs. Boss pulled the car onto the highway. As the sun rose Nov. 19 over San Bernardino, Calif., she realized she had missed her turn at the infamous fork at Cajon Boulevard (U.S. 66) and Kendall Drive.

She stopped the car and began to back up. She didn’t see the Cadillac in her rearview mirror.

Weary Davis was almost home after a long night’s drive. He arrived at the fork in the road but didn’t notice the other car backing up into his lane. There was no time to swerve.

“The grinding, steel-twisting, glass-shattering noise screamed all around me,” Davis wrote in his 1989 Why Me? “I had no control. I was just there, totally consumed by it, unable to believe I was really in an automobile crash. I saw the impact spin the other car completely around and hurl it out of sight, then my forehead slammed into my steering wheel.”

The impact catapulted Davis’ sleeping valet, who suffered a broken jaw among other injuries. The Akron women were thrown into their back seat and suffered broken bones.

Seat belts were not yet standard equipment in cars. It’s a miracle that no one was killed.

Davis wanted to make sure the other crash victims were OK, but horror-stricken onlookers held him back, saying he had to go to a hospital. Only then did he realize that his left eye was mangled.

He lost consciousness.

Davis woke up in San Bernardino Community Hospital, not knowing where he was. His head was wrapped in bandages. He called out for help.

Dr. Frederick Hull stepped into the room to discuss the crash with the patient.

“Doctor, please,” Davis pleaded. “Will I be able to dance? Am I blind?”

The doctor replied: “You’re not blind. You’re going to see. You’ll be able to dance and sing and do everything you ever did. But I removed your left eye.”

A one-eyed entertainer? Davis thought his career was over.

Worried celebrities rushed to the hospital, including Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh and Eddie Cantor. Nurses swooned when Frank Sinatra arrived.

“You’re going to be all right,” Sinatra told Davis.

Davis didn’t know that the crash had been front-page news across the country. Press agent Jess Rand kidded him: “This was a great little publicity stunt you dreamed up.”

A rabbi chaplain stopped by to offer comfort to the entertainer. The visit was more inspirational than expected.

“Lying flat on your back in the hospital for eight days, you are bound to think about serious things,” Davis later told the Associated Press. “And I couldn’t get over how lucky I was. God must have had his arms around me. Otherwise, I would be blind today.”

While recuperating from his injuries, the entertainer converted to Judaism.

In December, Davis filed a $150,000 lawsuit, alleging that Mrs. Boss’ reckless driving caused the crash. He wanted compensation for medical bills, damages and lost earnings.

Mrs. Boss responded with a $120,000 countersuit, alleging she suffered severe shock and injuries when Davis crashed into her car. Mrs. Roth sued Davis for $75,000.

Jurors cleared Davis of any wrongdoing in the crash.

Wearing a silver eye patch, Davis made his first public appearance a month after the crash, joking with Marilyn Monroe and Mel Torme at a ritzy Hollywood nightclub.

He returned to the stage in a one-man show in January 1955, performing for a crowded house that included Humphrey Bogart, Judy Garland, Donna Reed, Liberace, Dick Powell and Ricardo Montalban.

“This is more than wonderful,” he told the applauding audience. “Only in show business could it happen.”

After he was fitted for an artificial eye, Davis stopped wearing the patch.

His career hadn’t ended. It was just beginning.

Davis appeared in movies, musicals and TV shows, recorded dozens of hit songs, toured the country, became a top draw in Las Vegas and joined Sinatra’s “Rat Pack” with Dean Martin, Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford.

In Northeast Ohio, he appeared at Kent State University, Blossom Music Center, the Richfield Coliseum and Front Row Theater, performing more than 50 shows.

When he died of throat cancer in 1990, Davis was praised as a show-business legend.

Las Vegas dimmed its lights.

The Akron women in the car crash had quiet farewells.

Mrs. Roth passed away in her sleep in December 1955, a little more than a year after the accident. She was 72. Mrs. Boss was 84 when she died at Middlebury Manor in 1966.

Their lives all briefly intersected on a desert highway in California, turning an up-and-coming star into a household name and creating an Akron legend that endures to this day.

Beacon Journal copy editor Mark J. Price is the author of The Rest Is History: True Tales From Akron’s Vibrant Past, a book from the University of Akron Press. He can be reached at 330-996-3850 or mjprice@thebeaconjournal.com.

egan McGuire was overcome with emotion Sunday as she walked down the center aisle at St. Michael the Archangel Byzantine Catholic Church to receive communion.

“It was tough knowing this was the last time I would walk down this aisle,” said McGuire, 30, of Akron. “I had hoped to walk down it to get married, but I guess that won’t happen.”

McGuire was among more than 150 people who crowded the sanctuary of the Akron church for the parish’s final Mass, a highly emotional service in which parishioners shed tears and shared hugs.

The Rev. Robert Stash fought back tears as he thanked parishioners for their support and friendship during his seven-year tenure as pastor. He urged them to be strong in their faith as they move forward.

“We have a very beautiful heritage and a lot of traditions. St. Michael’s will never die,” Stash said. “We have to keep focused on Christ. We have to continue to pray. … I will pray for you and you pray for me — I need it. Thank you very much for all you have done for me. I hope that one day I can see another St. Michael in this area.”

The story behind the closing of the church at 845 Crouse St. is a familiar one — an aging, dwindling congregation that can no longer afford to maintain the property.

Its closing marks the end of a Byzantine Catholic church presence in the city. Most of its parishioners are expected to go to St. Nicholas Parish in Barberton.

“It’s regrettable, but the people of St. Michael, who have continued here for more than 100 years, should feel no shame. They now have an opportunity to become part of a larger community to work in at St. Nicholas,” said Bishop John Kudrick, who heads the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma.

The eparchy includes 35 churches and missions in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. Kudrick said St. Michael is the third parish in the eparchy that has closed since 2002.

History of church

St. Michael’s traces its roots to the early 1900s when 30 families, who called themselves Carpatho-Russians, organized in the Akron area. In 1906, the group established a fraternal lodge of the Greek Catholic Union. Two years later, it started a campaign to form its own church.

By 1909, the group garnered $750 and purchased two lots on Ackley Street. On Labor Day 1911, the group dedicated its first small wooden church there. The church building cost about $1,950. The church was actually incorporated as St. Michael’s Greek Catholic Church in 1910, according to church records.

More than five years later, a disagreement was sparked between a group of Orthodox Christians and the Byzantine Christians who had been worshipping together at St. Michael’s. The Orthodox Christians wanted the church to be administered by an Orthodox priest while the Byzantine Catholics wanted to continue under the jurisdiction of Rome. The argument was settled by a court decision in 1916, which established St. Michael Byzantine Catholic Church.

Nearly 14 years later, on April 27, 1930, parishioners decided to build a new church on Crouse Street. On Labor Day that same year, the basement — the only portion of the church that was completed — and a parish house were dedicated.

It wasn’t until May 30, 1941, that the church was dedicated at its current site on Crouse Street. In 1958, the congregation purchased two lots on East Exchange Street for a parking lot.

A decade later, an expansion, which included a social center, was completed. The parish center also was used as a school for 134 children enrolled in religion classes.

In the early 1970s, the first icon screen was installed in the church. A complete church renovation was started in 1980. A rededication of the newly renovated church and a ceremony for the burning of the mortgage on the parish center took place Nov. 1, 1981.

In 2002, the congregation installed two 580-pound, gold, onion-shaped domes at the main entrance of the church.

Attendance dwindles

In its heyday, the parish claimed more than 350 families, most of which included five to seven children, Stash said. In recent years, that number has fallen to about 70 families, with an average of 55 people attending Sunday worship service.

John Blike, McGuire’s grandfather, remembers the days when church services were filled with worshippers. As a lifelong parishioner, he also recalls attending services in the basement before the church building was completed. He and his late wife, Helen, and his late parents, Julia and Michael, were married at St. Michael’s.

“Our family has a lot of memories here, so it’s hard to see it close,” said John Blike, 80, of New Franklin. “It’s sad but we have to face reality. We don’t have enough people to generate the income to operate the church.”

Sunday’s closing Mass attracted former parishioners and the pastor (the Rev. Miron Kerul-Kmec) and parishioners from St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church at 1051 Robinson Ave., Barberton.

The icons and sacred items from St. Michael’s are being packed up for use by other churches. Stash, who will remain at the parish to help with the transition to St. Nicholas, will be reassigned at some point by the bishop and the parish property will be put on the market. A DVD memoir is being prepared for former parishioners.

“This is the place where my family always came together — my grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles. It’s the place where I was baptized, received my first communion and was confirmed,” McGuire said. “I’m going to miss the singing. I’m going to miss everything about it.”

For more information about the Parma eparchy, visit www.parma.org. More information about St. Nicholas can be found at www.stnickbyz.com or by calling 330-753-2031.

Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com.

People Helping People is a list of charitable causes in our area that need donations or volunteers. The Beacon Journal has not investigated these causes, so donors should verify their worthiness and the tax-deductibility of contributions. A link to a form for submitting requests to People Helping People can be found at www.ohio.com/charity, along with tips on researching charities and a list of causes already published.

Questions about submitting information? Call Mary Beth Breckenridge, 330-996-3756.

Good Neighbors, headquartered at 1453 Goodyear Blvd., Akron, OH 44305, provides groceries and clothing to the needy families at seven locations in the Akron area. In 2011 it provided food to more than 50,000 individuals.

The organization is asking for volunteers and donations of money and food.

For information, call the office at 330-733-1453, email Gcami92@sbcglobal.net or visit www.good-neighbors.org.

Hattie Larlham’s Constant Companions, 1402 Boettler Road, Suite A, Uniontown, OH 44685, teaches people with disabilities how to nurture domestic animals in an effort to improve the participants’ physical and emotional health and improve their quality of life.

The program is seeking volunteers and donations of animal supplies such as cat food, cat treats, cat litter, cat toys, cat trees, rabbit and guinea pig food, hay and tropical fish food; cleaning supplies such as paper towels, hand soap, dish soap, hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, facial tissues and window cleaner; craft supplies such as markers, crayons, paper, coloring books, glue and beads; children’s books and movies; and holiday decorations.

Donations may be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays.

For information, contact Stacy Timm at 330-899-9067 or stacy.timm@hattielarlham.org, or visit www.hattielarlham.org/v/constant-companions.asp.

Starting Over Airedale Rescue, 178 Water St., Wadsworth, OH 44281, saves, rehabilitates and finds homes for abandoned and abused Airedale terriers. SOAR is asking for pet store gift cards and gas cards. It also needs foster homes and volunteers to transport the Airedales.

For information, visit www.soar-airedale-rescue.com, call Lynn O’Shaughnessy at 517-546-8303 or email airejake@gmail.com.

Heads up, parents.

A proposed state law would require all young athletes — everyone from flag football players and T-ballers to soccer players and gymnasts — to get clearance from a doctor or other medical expert before returning to competition if they show signs of concussion.

The plan, backed by Akron Children’s Hospital and other medical groups and hospitals across Ohio, also would require youth coaches and referees to complete free basic online training about head injuries.

In addition, the Ohio Department of Health would develop a fact sheet about the signs and symptoms of concussions to distribute to parents.

“The brain is the last organ system in the body to develop,” said Dr. Joseph Congeni, director of the Sports Medicine Center at Children’s. “In these younger kids, it’s even more important.”

Congeni is among the supporters scheduled to testify before an Ohio Senate subcommittee this week in support of the concussion legislation, House Bill 143.

The bill already passed the Ohio House, with some changes in the Senate, said Charlie Solley, director of government relations and external affairs for Children’s Hospital. The goal is to have the new rules approved before year’s end.

Ohio is one of only nine states without back-to-play rules to protect youth athletes from concussions.

Awareness about concussion prevention and proper treatment has increased at all levels of sports in recent years as more becomes known about risks and long-term effects. Even after headaches subside, silent symptoms can linger that put an athlete at risk for serious — even fatal — consequences from a second concussion.

The proposal for youth sports in Ohio closely mirrors rules already enacted in 2010 by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA).

Under those standards, student athletes can’t return to play after a suspected concussion without a release from a doctor or athletic trainer.

Last school year, 336 athletes statewide were removed by officials from sporting events after showing signs of concussions, according to the OHSAA. Wrestling had the most removals for potential concussions (111), followed by football (102).

The numbers don’t include concussions sustained during practices.

The existing rules only apply to about 40 percent of school-age athletes because they don’t cover youth sports and activities not sanctioned by the OHSAA, such as lacrosse, Congeni said.

Athletes 14 or younger with developing brains are at even greater risk, in part because they don’t have the same muscle strength as older athletes, Congeni said.

Kiera Shanklin, a mother of four from Massillon, supports the proposal, especially after seeing the impact of head injuries in her own family.

Her oldest son, Zachery, 15, suffered a concussion during football practice last month that left him sidelined for the rest of the Tigers’ season.

Zachery tried to return to practice the following day. The coaches took his pads away, saying he couldn’t come back unless cleared by a doctor.

Even a month later, he still suffered balance problems.

Shanklin said the same protections that kept Zachery out of the game should apply to her younger son, Justin, 8, who plays youth football.

“If they’re diagnosed with a concussion, they should have to sit out, just like the high school students,” she said.

Until changes were made to add liability protection for coaches and referees, the Ohio Alliance of YMCAs had concerns about the plan, Executive Director Beth Tsvetkoff said.

Most volunteer coaches and referees for the more than 155 YMCAs statewide have no medical training, she said. “The NFL doctors often have difficulty seeing the signs and symptoms of concussions.”

The group now supports the proposal, she said. Educating coaches with free 30-minute online training “is the right step to take in order to protect the kids involved with youth sports.”

The proposal doesn’t include penalties or methods for enforcing the rules, Children’s Solley said. However, coaches and refs could open themselves to legal troubles if they fail to follow the rules and an athlete has problems.

Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or cpowell@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow Powell on Twitter at twitter.com/abjcherylpowell.

People Helping People is a list of charitable causes in our area that need donations or volunteers. The Beacon Journal has not investigated these causes, so donors should verify their worthiness and the tax-deductibility of contributions.

A link to a form for submitting requests to People Helping People can be found at www.ohio.com/charity, along with tips on researching charities and a list of causes already published.

Questions about submitting information? Call Mary Beth Breckenridge, 330-996-3756.

Cats Having Alterations Professionally Inc., P.O. Box 211, Akron, OH 44309-0211, provides monthly, low-cost spay/neuter and vaccination clinics for family-friendly stray and feral cats. It also provides education on care for pets and feral cat colonies.

CHAP is seeking donations of 45- and 65-cent postage stamps; new or used cat carriers; small, unscented puppy pads; writing paper and stationery; pet care items to be given to low-income pet owners; 48-by-36-inch wire cages for feral cat recuperation; and monetary donations to sponsor a spay ($60) or a neuter ($40) for a low-income or military family.

It’s also looking for volunteers and a person willing to donate his or her services to create a website. Volunteers must be 18 years old and have transportation.

To obtain more information or to schedule a pickup of donated items, call 330-724-6181 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Information is also available at cattwood@juno.com.

Big Brothers & Sisters of Portage County, 705 Oakwood St., Suite 103, Ravenna, OH 44266, matches children in need of mentors with adult volunteers. It is seeking the following:

• Monetary donations to support mentoring relationships. One match costs $75 a month. Donations can be made by cash, check or credit card.

• Volunteers to serve as Big Brothers and Big Sisters. The volunteers must commit 12 hours a month for one year, be at least 18 years old and be out of high school.

• Volunteers to serve on the advisory board, which meets at 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month.

• Donations of running or nonrunning vehicles.

For information, contact Andrea Neidert at 330-296-6655 or andrea.neidert@bbsportage.org.

The organization’s website is http://bbsportage.org.

Time is running out for seniors to make changes to their Medicare coverage for 2013.

Consumers have until Dec. 7 to enroll in the optional plans or switch coverage. Changes are effective Jan. 1.

The Ohio Department of Insurance’s Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program is offering free help during Medicare Check-Up Days in every county.

The last event in the Akron area will take place at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Twinsburg Senior Center, 10260 Ravenna Road.

Counseling to provide individual help selecting a plan will be available after the presentation from noon to 3 p.m. Call 330-963-8722 to schedule an appointment.

The nearly 2 million Ohio residents covered by Medicare can select from among 33 Medicare prescription drug plans, also known as Medicare Part D plans.

Dozens of Medicare Advantage managed-care plans also are available that provide help paying for doctor visits, hospital stays and other medical services.

The Medicare Part D prescription drug plans are offered statewide; the Medicare Advantage managed-care plans vary by county.

Both types of plans are available — but not required — for everyone covered by Medicare, the federal health insurance program for people 65 and older and some younger disabled Americans.

For those who can’t attend Wednesday’s event, help is available by calling the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program at 800-686-1578 or visiting www.insurance.ohio.gov.

The Medicare program also provides personalized assistance by calling 800-633-4227 or going online to the site at www.medicare.gov.

Free health event

Win prizes while learning about your health during the Let’s Make a Deal Game from 1 to 2 p.m. Thursday at the Quirk Cultural Center, 1201 Grant Ave., Cuyahoga Falls.

Fruit pizza and coffee will be served.

Event sponsors include Gardens of Western Reserve, Crossroads Hospice, Altercare and Visiting Angels Home.

Reservations are required by calling the Quirk Cultural Center at 330-971-8425.

Free oral cancer screening

Mercy Cancer Center is offering free oral cancer screenings from 2 to 4 p.m. Dec. 12 at Mercy Dental Services, located on the second floor of the Canton hospital’s surgery and cancer center building.

Registration is required by calling Mercy’s Healthcare Connection at 330-489-1333 or 800-223-8662.

Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or cpowell@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow Powell on Twitter at twitter.com/abjcherylpowell.

DAYTON, OHIO: A new national report says expanding Medicaid eligibility in Ohio under the Affordable Care Act would reduce the number of uninsured residents by half.

It would also cost the state an additional $3.1 billion in the next decade.

The Dayton Daily News says the numbers come from a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a Washington-based nonpartisan health care policy research organization.

The report says that if the state changes Medicaid eligibility to 138 percent of the poverty line or below, about 457,000 uninsured Ohioans would gain health care coverage by 2022. About 2.2 million Ohioans currently participate in the taxpayer-funded health insurance program.

State officials are still trying to figure out how it would pay its share of the increase.

COLUMBUS: An Ohio bill to crack down on high-volume dog breeding operations, dubbed puppy mills, is headed to the governor’s desk.

The Ohio Senate signed off, 32-1, to House changes. A spokesman for Gov. John Kasich says he plans to sign it.

The measure bolsters regulations on the care and treatment of animals housed in large-scale establishments and distinguishes the facilities from traditional dog kennels. Those considered “dog retailers” will have to be licensed.

The bill creates an advisory board to provide guidance on care standards for the facilities. It also allows the director of the state’s agriculture department to contract with local veterinarians to conduct inspections.

Animal rescues would have to register with the state, raising concerns from one nonprofit rescue in Cleveland that the bill would be onerous.

The Haymaker’s Farmers Market in Kent has begun a full season of indoor winter markets this year.

The markets are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through May 18, except Dec. 22 and 29, when the market will be closed for the holidays.

The Haymaker Holiday Markets will be Dec. 8 and 15, also from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., when vendors will be stocked with items for making holiday meals and for giving as holiday gifts.

All of the winter markets are at Junction 211, 211 Cherry St., corner of Franklin Street in Kent.

Cookie walk for cancer club

The Falls Cancer Club is hosting a cookie walk from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 8 to help raise money for its organization.

The cookie walk will be at the First Christian Church, 2253 Third St., (intersection of Second and Third streets and Stow Avenue) in Cuyahoga Falls. Cookies will be baked and ready to go and available for purchase by the pound.

Falls Cancer Club is a nonprofit group of volunteers who donate 100 percent of their fundraising profits to help cancer patients with doctor bills, prescriptions, hospital beds and other treatment.

For more information call 330-929-2796.

Cooking demo in Hudson

Clevelander Maria Isabella, author of the new book In the Kitchen with Cleveland’s Favorite Chefs: 35 Fabulous Meals in About an Hour, will hold a cooking demonstration and book signing at 7 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Hudson Library, 96 Library St., Hudson.

In her book, Isabella posed the same challenge to 35 local chefs: If you were suddenly to get a call at home from good friends who wanted to stop by, what would you prepare for them in one hour or less? Her book is filled with the recipes that were their answers.

Reservations are required and space is limited. Copies will be available for purchase at the event. Call 330-653-6658, ext. 1010 or register online at www.hudsonlibrary.
org.

New wine bar opens

Susan Mozingo, owner of Regency Wine Sellers, 115 Ghent Road, Fairlawn, has announced the opening of her new wine bar.

The Wine Bar at Regency is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. The retail wine shop remains open.

The new bar features small plates by Raphael Vaccaro, owner of Vaccaro’s Trattoria in Bath Township.

Two holiday tasting events are set: From 2 to 7 p.m. Dec. 1, 20 new wines from Traderman Distributors will be offered at $1 per taste. From 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 6, another tasting will feature a selection of vintages for $25 including appetizers. Reservations are required for the Dec. 6 event. Phone 330-836-3447.

Gingerbread contest is on

The Stark County District Library is accepting entries for its 10th annual Gingerbread House Contest.

The contest is primarily for children, but adult entries are welcome too. To enter, simply decorate a gingerbread house and bring it to the Main Library Children’s Department, 715 Market Ave. N., Canton, by Dec. 4.

Winners will be announced and prizes awarded on Dec. 6 at the annual Light Up Downtown. Entries will be judged based on uniformity of baking, design and construction, decoration and imagination.

Categories include Children’s Creations, Family or Group Projects and People’s Choice. Children in fifth grade or younger may create a house from pre-baked goods such as graham crackers, but contestants older than 10 are asked to bake their own gingerbread.

For complete contest rules, visit www.starklibrary.org or phone 330-450-0665.

Lisa Abraham can be reached at 330-996-3737 or at labraham@thebeaconjournal.com. Find me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter @akronfoodie or visit my blog at www.ohio.com/blogs/lisa.

LEMONY WHITE BEAN DIP

3 packed cups arugula, stems trimmed and discarded

3 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled

2 to 3 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 (15-oz.) can white beans, such as cannellini or Great Northern, preferably low-sodium, drained

Lemon slices (optional for garnish)

Whole wheat crackers, pita chips or toasted pita bread for serving

Combine the arugula, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice with ¼ teaspoon salt in a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Add the beans and pulse a couple of times until they are just chunky, not pureed. Scrape into a serving bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with a few lemon slices.

Serve with crackers, pita chips or toasted pita.

From 100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know, by Cindi Leive and the editors of Glamour magazine (Hyperion, 2011).

— Charlotte Observer

Q.: This week I have been cleaning kitchen cupboards and putting in new shelf paper. One shelf contained all my cookie cutters and decorating supplies. I have numerous jars of colored sugar and other seasonal sprinkles. Do these decorating supplies have a shelf life? I have not made Christmas cookies for the past two years and have had the supplies for a while.

— Linda Sullivan,

Wadsworth

A.: Colored sugar, sprinkles and other similar cookie decorations have an indefinite shelf life, as they are made of pure sugar for the most part. Sugar does not support bacterial growth, so it rarely goes bad. Unless there are clumps in your sugars that would indicate moisture has found its way into the bottles or containers, they should be fine to use for a long time to come.

Lisa Abraham can be reached at 330-996-3737 or at labraham@thebeaconjournal.com. Find me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter @akronfoodie or visit my blog at www.ohio.com/blogs/lisa.

It seemed like a tall order. I wanted an edible gift that was fast and easy to make, inexpensive, wouldn’t spoil or need to be refrigerated, and that kids could be involved in.

With so many caveats, the field is pretty narrow. I’m not a fan of baking mixes, such as muffins or pancakes. Too much measuring and printing of recipes so recipients know how to use them. Spice rubs are a good choice. Trail mix is another. But I’ve done those before and this year I wanted something different, something a little less expected.

The solution I came up with — seasoned salts. The concept is simple. Blend salt with various seasonings, then package them nicely. The kids can even get in on decorating the jars.

There are just a few things to remember as you do this. Most important is that seasoned salts — whether prepared or purchased — are intended as finishing salts. That means they should be used to season finished dishes, not during cooking. Most of the nuanced flavor of a seasoned salt would be lost if used for cooking.

For gift purposes, I suggest planning for two kinds of salt — powdered salt, which is intended for use on popcorn, and flaked salt, which is for sprinkling over finished savory foods.

First, the powdered salt. The powdered part of this is key. Movie theater popcorn tends to be perfectly salted because vendors use powdered salt; this adheres to the corn kernels far better than even fine grain salt does. This is why your homemade popcorn usually is unevenly salted, and why you end up with a sea of salt on the bottom of the bowl.

Making powdered salt is simple. Use inexpensive kosher salt (usually about $1.50 for a 3-pound box), then run it through either a food processor or blender (you also can use a mortar and pestle for smaller batches) until it reaches the consistency of powdered sugar. Seasonings can be mixed in by hand after the salt is ground, or simply added to the processor or blender at the same time.

When selecting seasonings for popcorn salt, don’t hesitate to get creative, even mixing sweet and savory flavors. But always aim to use seasonings with a similar texture as the powdered salt (in other words, finely ground seasonings such as cinnamon, paprika, garlic powder, etc.).

For flake salts intended to use on savory foods, you’ll need to start with pricier flaked sea salt. You usually can find bargains on this variety at places such as Trader Joe’s and similar retailers. With these salts, you simply mix them with the seasonings you want, then bottle them. Even easier than powdered salts.

You also have more choice when it comes to seasonings. No need to worry about matching the texture of the salt, which in this case tends to be large and coarse. Finely ground seasonings or more robust dried herbs, or a blend of the two, all work well.

I’ve outlined a few suggestions for each variety, but this is a creative effort, so just explore your spice cabinet. Be sure to label your salts and include hints on what to use them on.

Popcorn salt combinations (each makes enough for 4 to 6 gifts, depending on jar size):

• 1 pound kosher salt, six 3-inch cinnamon sticks, 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (grind everything together).

• 1 pound kosher salt, 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice blend (mix the spice blend into the salt after it is ground).

• 1 pound kosher salt, 4 teaspoons garlic powder, 4 teaspoons smoked paprika (mix the spice blend into the salt after it is ground).

• 1 pound kosher salt, 2½ tablespoons Sichuan pepper (grind everything together).

Savory salt combinations (each makes 1 to 2 gifts, depending on jar size):

• ½ cup flaked salt, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried basil, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes.

• ½ cup flaked salt, 1½ tablespoons fennel seed, 2 teaspoons cumin seed, 2 teaspoons mustard powder.

• ½ cup flaked salt, 2 teaspoons curry powder.

A few weeks ago, a co-worker stopped by my desk and asked, “Could you use any eggplants in the Test Kitchen?” She had extra and didn’t want them to go to waste.

Of course, I’d take them. Rarely do I pass up extra ingredients. And I had no problem finding something to make with the globe beauties.

When cooked just right, eggplant has a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth hearty flavor.

I’ve roasted eggplant to make baba ghanoush, a Middle Eastern spread; grilled slices to place on top of pizzas or serve as a layer for a veggie sandwich, and cut slits in the flesh to stuff it with a mix of chopped sun-dried tomatoes, fresh parsley and seasonings.

Eggplant is a fruit, although it’s thought of and treated like a vegetable. It’s a member of the nightshade family — like tomatoes and potatoes. I think eggplant goes unnoticed a lot because people don’t know how to cook it.

With my new stash of eggplant, I opted to try a different take on the traditional eggplant parmigiana.

The basic eggplant parmigiana recipe calls for frying the eggplant slices. That, of course, adds fat and calories. But the real issue is that eggplant is like a sponge and absorbs oil quickly. Often you can end up with an oily mess.

So many recipes suggest salting the eggplant — and weighting it — before frying it. Doing so removes bitterness and rids it of excess moisture so it doesn’t absorb much oil when you fry it.

In How to Peel a Peach, author Perla Meyers addresses the issue. She writes that “the eggplant releases the oil within 15 minutes of cooking, so let the cooked slices drain on a double layer of paper towels for 15 minutes.”

With this recipe, the eggplant slices are not pan-fried, but rather fried in the oven. It’s a neat technique when roasting any kind of vegetables: Drizzle oil on the baking sheet and place in the oven while the oven preheats. The oil gets hot and the vegetables sizzle immediately when you place them on the baking sheet.

There are many varieties, shapes and sizes of eggplant. The large globe or pear-shaped eggplants with green cap-like stems are most common. Baby or Italian eggplants are smaller versions of the globe.

Choose eggplants with a smooth shiny skin that show no signs of deterioration. Store them in a cool dry place or in the refrigerator for longer storage. Try to use eggplant within a few days because as it ages it tends to get bitter.

It’s not necessary to peel eggplant because the skin holds it together during cooking.

To slice eggplant, a serrated knife works best.

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA MEDALLIONS

2 eggplants (about 1 lb. each), washed

Kosher salt

¼ cup olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

2½ to 3 cups favorite tomato-based pasta sauce with basil

Fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade, optional

6 to 8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into 12 slices

6 tbsp. grated Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

¼ cup toasted bread crumbs

To prepare the eggplant: Slice off the stem end and bottom end of the eggplant. Using a serrated knife, slice each eggplant into 6 even slices — about 1½ inches thick. Place the slices on a baking sheet and sprinkle each slice with salt. Let it set 30 minutes. Rinse the slices thoroughly and pat them dry. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pour the olive oil on a sided baking sheet and place it in the oven while the oven preheats.

Once the oven is preheated, carefully remove the baking sheet and place the eggplant slices on it.

Return to the oven and bake about 12-15 minutes. Turn the slices over when they are nicely brown, after about 6-8 minutes. Bake the slices until they are just tender, but firm enough to hold their shape. Transfer to a platter. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Arrange 6 of the largest eggplant slices in the bottom of a baking dish. Spread ¼ cup of the sauce over each slice, and, if using, sprinkle with a few shreds of basil. Top with 1 slice of the mozzarella and sprinkle with about 2 teaspoons Parmesan. Top with 6 more slices of eggplant and repeat the layering.

Sprinkle toasted bread crumbs over the top.

Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the cheese melts and tops are lightly browned. Serve the eggplant medallions hot, warm or at room temperature.

Makes 6 servings.

Bison is an alternative red meat that is showing up at more grocers nationwide. (This is the meat of the American buffalo, which is actually a bison and more closely related to a cow than a true buffalo, but people tend to use the terms interchangeably.)

Once, bison were hunted to near extinction. But these days they are raised primarily for consumption. Bison meat (which is raised without hormones or antibiotics) can be incredibly tender and flavorful, with a sweet, rich beefy flavor.

It also happens to be amazingly lean, packing fewer calories and less fat than beef and even skinless chicken.

That low-fat profile comes with a price. Bison has a tendency to cook quickly, so it’s easy to overcook it and make it tough.

Though bison is available in most of the same cuts as traditional beef, the most common varieties are ground and steaks. You can use bison much as you would beef. The trick is to modify the cooking method to account for the leanness.

When cooking ground bison, it’s best to work in some sort of liquid flavor to keep the meat moist. This might mean eggs or tomato paste for a meatloaf, or some sort of pan sauce or gravy if you are browning it in a skillet. That also makes it ideal for meatballs simmered in sauce or for chili.

For bison steaks, think fast and furious. Season them, then pop them under the broiler or on the grill for just a few minutes per side.

— J.M. Hirsch

Associated Press

The Cucina at Gervasi Vineyard, Canton, www.gervasivineyard.com.

Sparkling Wines for the Holidays, with Dave Baloun, 7-9 p.m. Thursday. $55.

Quick Puff Pastry 101, with Carla Snyder, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. $75.

A Christmas Feast, with Bob Sferra, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. $79.

Demystifying Wine Tasting, with Todd Steiner, 7-9 p.m. Dec. 6. $50.

Down-Home for the Holidays, with Scott Fetty, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 8. $75.

A Scrumptious Winter Brunch, with Marilou Suszko, 11 a.m to 2 p.m. Dec. 9. $75.

Fishers Foods, North Canton, 440-729-1110, www.lpscinc.com.

World Taco, with Chef Tim McCoy, 6 p.m. Dec. 6. $45.

Sparkling Holiday Brunch, with Chef Loretta Paganini, 6 p.m. Dec. 11. $45.

An Italian Christmas Eve, with Chef Loretta Paganini, 6 p.m. Dec. 17. $55.

Linda’s Kitchen, Tallmadge, 330-630-8117.

Holiday Bake/It Take It 2012 (20 Dozen Cookies), 11 a.m to 3 p.m. Saturday. $110.

Holiday Bake It/Take It 2012 (40 Dozen Cookies), 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. $198.

Holiday Bake It/Take It 2012 (10 Dozen Cookies), 6-9 p.m. Tuesday. $55.

Michaels craft store, Cuyahoga Falls, 330-929-2012.

Wilton cake-decorating classes, $22.50 each; call for times.

Today’s Kitchen Store, Wooster, 330-601-1331, www.todayskitchenstore.com.

Annual Cookie Exchange, 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday. $5, plus cookies to exchange.

Western Reserve School of Cooking, Hudson, 330-650-1665, www.wrsoc.com.

Holiday Entertaining: Beef Tenderloin Workshop, with Catherine St. John, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday. $80.

Holiday Entertaining: Cheese Tasting Lecture, with Abbey Turner, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday. $50.

Holiday Entertaining: Ye Olde English Christmas Dinner, with Tom Johnson, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. $75.

Holiday Entertaining: Make Ahead Desserts for the Holidays, with Jennifer Brush, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Monday. $70.

Techniques & Theory of Cooking Part III: Grilling and Frying, with Catherine St. John, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesday. $65.

Holiday Entertaining: Make & Take Cookie Dough Workshop, with SynDee Bergen, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 7. $85.

Friday Night Date Night: Cooking with Champagne, with Anne Haynam, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Dec. 7. $75.

Entertaining with Healthier Fare; Elegant Vegetarian Dinner, with Betty Shewmon, 1:30-4:30 p.m. Dec. 9. $70.

Holiday Entertaining: Holiday Appetizer Workshop, with Catherine St. John, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Dec. 10. $75.

Thank Martha Stewart for Martha Wrap.

It marries parchment paper and foil — “aluminum insulates, parchment protects” — which gives you the nonstick properties of the parchment and the crimp qualities of foil, and the easy clean of both, which is a plus during this busy baking-cooking season. Oven and freezer safe, we liked how it worked roasting fish en papillote and lining cupcake pans for fruit-rich (read: sticky) muffins.

It’s $6 for a 40-foot roll at http://shop.marthastewart.com.

— Judy Hevrdejs

Chicago Tribune

Several years ago I read a report that said more people cook between Thanksgiving Day and New Year’s Day than any other time of year. It’s not surprising, really. Planning a special menu during the holiday season is fun and festive.

But it’s not the special menu that stresses me out. It’s dinner tonight! It seems I get even more desperate around those big “cooking” days than I do on the big day itself. I feel as if I spend so much time planning the special meal that my everyday dinners suffer.

Today’s recipe for a super-quick Cream of Vegetable Soup is just the ticket for a stress-free midweek dinner. It’s sized for two, although easily doubled or tripled if need be. It flies together start to finish in just 15 minutes, and it will soothe the soul and feed the hungriest of households.

Easy Cream of

Vegetable Soup

2 tsp. vegetable oil

1 cup each finely chopped onion, finely chopped carrots and finely chopped mushrooms, for 3 cups chopped mixed vegetables (see Note)

1 cup reduced-sodium, fat-free chicken or vegetable broth

¼ tsp. salt

⅛ tsp. ground black pepper

1 cup low-fat milk

2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (Italian-style preferred)

In a medium saucepan, saute the vegetables in the oil over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add milk; simmer to combine flavors. Stir in the parsley just before serving.

Makes 2 servings.

Note: Peppers and celery in combination with other vegetables are also delicious. Just make sure you have 3 cups of finely chopped vegetables for each 2 servings.

Each serving has about 165 calories, 7 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 6 milligrams cholesterol, 9 grams protein, 19 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams dietary fiber, 770 milligrams sodium.

Alicia Ross is the co-author of three cookbooks. Contact her c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106, email tellus@kitchenscoop.com, or visit http://kitchenscoop.com.