People wear masks every day, even though they probably don't realize it, Curt Hodge says.

The kitchen triangle shouldn't feel as mysterious as the Bermuda Triangle.

• East Ridge High School class of 1973 is planning its 40-year reunion for Saturday, Sept. 14. For more information, classmates should call 622-6432.

* James County Historical Society: Ooltewah United Methodist Church, 2:30 p.m., visitors welcome. Doug Roy will present program on the history of the Roy family. 238-5621, ext. 12.

Emily K. Payne is currently assigned to the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla., for training on the P3 Orion aircraft and its associated weapons systems.

Danny Gilbert started visiting auctions years ago to fill up the one-bedroom home where he lived after a divorce.

TODAY * College Goal Saturday: Cleveland State Community College, Career Education Building Room 108, Cleveland, Tenn., 9 a.m. Free event for future college students to learn financial aid information, receive assistance with filing Free Application for S

Berry College in Rome, Ga., has eight students selected to play in the All-College Band. The band performs this weekend at the Georgia Music Educators Association conference in Savannah.

Matthew Gonzalez, Tarik Issa and Justin Bridges will lead a crash course in the great works of The Bard — 37 plays in 97 minutes! — starting Friday, Jan. 25, at the Dalton Little Theatre.

Partnership for Children, Families and Adult's SARAH Project recently honored 18 of its partners in the judicial, law enforcement, social work and aging services communities.

With the cost of a new home in Chattanooga averaging $166,480 in December 2012, according to the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors, it’s most likely the single biggest investment you’ll make in your lifetime.

• Community line dance workshop: Allemande Hall, 7400 Standifer Gap Road, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., $5. Beginner's class teaches popular line dances to a variety of music. No experience or partner required. 309-6842.

Legendary jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong will come to life Friday night in a one-man musical written and performed by Danny Mullens Jr.

No one was more surprised than Lauren Alaina when her name was called as Best New Artist at the recent American Country Awards.

Mary Margaret Groves describes birthday cakes as iconic "symbols of days belonging to people."

Nestled in the back of a Harrison cul de sac, the home of Matt and Jena Burgin has the charm of a storybook cottage outside and the rustic design of a lodge inside.

SUNDAY * Fifty-Five Plus Club: Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church fellowship hall, noon, potluck vegetarian luncheon followed by program by professor John McCoy, dean of the School of Education and Psychology at Southern Adventist University. 591-47

• The 1963 class of Howard High School is holding a class meeting today at 5 p.m. in The Veterans Club, 2114 Wilder St., to plan for its 50-year reunion in August. For more information, call 693-7867.

What are the odds of turning a chance encounter at a yard sale into a national TV gig?

* Air Force Airman Andrew M. Leonard has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.

Last time Jerrod Niemann was in town, he lit up the Tivoli Theatre.

The beginning of a new year is inevitably paired with lists of forecasting trends, and home decor is no exception.

* Southern Jesters Comedy Show: Cloud Springs Deli, 4097 Cloud Springs Road, 6-7:45 p.m., $5. Family-friendly improv comedy group performs. 596-9102.

It's a new year and local and regional arts centers are lining up new exhibits and events, including a new speaker series at the Hunter Museum of American Art, a controversial political cartoon exhibit at the Jewish Cultural Center and a whimsical tribute to 1980s pop culture at the Arts Center in Athens, Tenn.

Located in the southwestern tip North Carolina, Hayesville offers visitors small-town charm with its quirky festivals and traditions as well as cosmopolitan dining and historical significance as the beginning of the Trail of Tears.

Four students at Berry College in Rome, Ga., have been named Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholars.

So the Mayans got it wrong and we will celebrate a new year on Tuesday.

After the family meal, the presents are open and the kids have worn out their toys, how will you cap today's holiday celebration?

They used to be called "theme trees."

Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols: Second Presbyterian Church, 700 Pine St., 5 p.m., free.

Today and Friday, Dec. 20-21, children and their parents/caregivers are invited to visit Creative Discovery Museum, 321 Chestnut St., at no charge between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Company's coming! Your home is twinkling in Christmas bling, but what's on the menu?

Deck the halls in ... leopard print and feathers?

TODAY * Catoosa County Democratic Party: Caffeine Addicts Coffee Shop, 7819 Nashville St., Ringgold, Ga., 9 a.m., visitors welcome. Program includes Secret Santa project, election of officers. 770-826-8644.

ArtsBuild, formerly known as Allied Arts of Greater Chattanooga, has announced the recipients of its newest grants initiative program, Community Cultural Connections.

Audiences attending the Roueché Chorale’s annual Candlelight Service of Lessons & Carols have grown steadily since the Christmas program began 12 years ago.

Have you watched "The Amazing Race" on television and thought, "I could do that"? Here's your chance.

When the tornadoes of April 2011 roared through this area, canceling school for several days, Sam Mauldin didn't just sit back and enjoy his unexpected vacation.

When Josh and Heather Penny launched their Operation Secret Santa Facebook page last month, they were hoping to find a few folks their family could help for Christmas.

* Virginia College Open House: Virginia College School of Business and Health, 721 Eastgate Loop Road, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free event for current and prospective students and their families.

Andrew and Tori Smith were named Lee University's 2012 Distinguished Alumni during recent homecoming activities.

A broad spectrum of regional artists will offer their work to the public eye this week — but one of them will eventually stand alone.

Seventy-two feet of garland and gold netting wound with 40 feet of beaded rope frames the arched entryway to Atmar and Tracy Thompson's home.

Many families will be decorating their homes for Christmas this weekend, but before getting your ho-ho-ho on, there are outdoor chores that should be done to ensure your patio furniture weathers the winter well.

* Holiday Safety Fair: Kohl's Department Store, Highway 153, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., free. Event sponsored by Kohl's and T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital at Erlanger's Safe and Sound Program; car seat demonstrations, bike and helmet safety, children's crafts and face painting. 778-9294.

The Chattanooga Boys Choir will mark the golden anniversary of its Singing Christmas Tree with a nod to its past as well as the premiere of a new piece.

U.S. Army veteran Amos J. Sanders of Palmer, Tenn., received a certificate of appreciation and an American flag posthumously from American Legion Post 159, which was accepted by his family.

Every December, Larry-Douglas Embury, house organist for the Fox Theatre, presents a Christmas concert on the Atlanta venue's majestic Moller organ, nicknamed "Mighty Mo."

Choral music lovers won't have another chance until 2015 to hear a concert like the one planned for Friday night.

For 50 years, three branches of Robert Dugan and George Randall Jr.'s families have formed part of a huge tree.