It’s time once again for The Times’ “Holidays Cash in the Hills” promotion.

Yes, the season is suddenly upon us. The Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Community Thanksgiving Service and the Town’s Turkey Trot get things going next week.

The holiday shopping season has already begun.

The annual Stroll in the Glow lighting ceremony is Saturday, Dec. 7.

The River of Time Museum’s Holiday Mart is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Dec. 21.

Getting back to the contest, be sure to sign up each week in as many stores and shops as possible in order to have your most chances to win.

There are five $25 prizes given away each week and three grand prizes of $200, $300 and $500 to be drawn on the final week of the contest period.

A total of 30 businesses are participating. The prize winners will be presented Fountain Hills Times dollars that can be cashed in for merchandise or services in those participating businesses. The first weekly drawing will be held on Friday, Nov. 29. Entries for that first drawing will be accepted until noon that day. The other three weekly drawings will be held on Thursdays, Dec. 5th, 12th and 19th.

I encourage the participating businesses to take the opportunity to demonstrate good customer service to anyone coming into your stores, especially the newcomers. It’s amazing what a smile and greeting can bring you in additional business. They may not buy when they come in this time, but the pleasant experience they had on their initial visit can bring them back when they are ready to buy.

So let’s have a good holiday shopping in Fountain Hills. And don’t forget Shop Small Saturday on November 30th. I’ll be talking more about that next week.

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Friday is the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Do you remember where you were when the announcement was made that the president had been shot. I was in my biology class at West Phoenix High School.

I remember my history teacher coming into the biology lab and saying, “Don’t anyone get upset until we find out more. I remember them saying that President Truman had been shot. I was about your age. It turned out to be a rumor,” said Don Johnson.

But as we later found out, it was no rumor. And there seems to be just as many questions asked about whether Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.

Well, we will get it all over again this week on TV.

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Finally, I want to congratulate my son, Brent, on his graduation last Saturday from the University of Phoenix.

He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Management. The ceremony was held at the University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale.

I was so proud of him going back to college, let alone graduating. He was never a student through his high school years. He hardly opened a book in high school, but managed to somehow get his diploma.

Now, 20 years later, and working two jobs, he graduated with a 3.0 grade point average. I’m very proud of you, Brent.

His mom, Bobbie Sternfels, held a party at her Scottsdale home in his honor after the ceremony Saturday.