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It seems there are important numbers all around us everywhere we look.
Certainly, the numbers on a clock are significant to just about everyone. They let us know just how much time we have to complete an assignment or when we need to be at a specific place.
The numbers we find on the calendar also are important -- they remind us of special events in our lives, let us know when we have an appointment or serve as a reminder about the relentless march of time.
And, while numbers in most cases are completely neutral, they can, sometimes, be exasperating to study, such as when a last-second field goal in a football game produces totals that bring pure elation to some people and an extreme sense of disappointment to others.
Here are some numbers that should be important to the people who live in our Tri-State Area: 27, 115 and 78. They go with events that help to bring area residents together.
The United Way of Jefferson County, for instance, is planning to hold the 27th edition of the Taste of Jefferson County Oct. 11 at the St. Florian Event Center in Wintersville. Scheduled to run from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., the popular event will give attendees an opportunity to sample local food prepared by area restaurants and chefs and to participate in multiple drawings.
While it's always an entertaining evening that offers a chance to relax and enjoy some good foot in the company of friends and neighbors, it also serves a very important purpose -- it's one of the major fundraisers on the United Way calendar, and proceeds will go toward helping local agencies that work to make a difference in the lives of everyone across the region.
All of that comes at an affordable cost -- tickets are $35 each and are available by contacting the United Way office at (740) 284-9000.
It's rare to find an organization that has served the community for more than 100 years, and that's one of the things that makes the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce special. The chamber will be celebrating its 115th-annual dinner and meeting Oct. 18 at St. Florian. The evening offers the chance to celebrate accomplishments from the past year and to recognize the individuals and businesses that work hard every day to improve our communities.
This year's keynote speaker will offer a timely presentation -- it's John Brown, who served as the executive director of the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission before his retirement. Brown will be speaking about the Wellsburg-Brilliant bridge, which finally opened on Sept. 20.
He was at the helm of BHJ when it conducted feasibility studies for the Ohio River crossing in 2000 and 2003.
Each ticket to the evening, which will begin with a wine and beer tasting at 4:30 p.m. that will lead up to the dinner at 6 p.m., costs $65, and reservations can be made by contacting the chamber at (740) 282-6226.
Taylor Steeves of Taylor Insurance will be honored as the young professional of the year, and Irene Moore, executive director of the Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District, will be recognized with the lifetime achievement award.
Which brings us to our final number, and the 78th-annual meeting and banquet of the conservation district, which is scheduled for Oct. 30 at St. Florian. The evening will include voting in the supervisor election and for the top finishers in this year's photo contest from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., as well the presentation of the organization's annual awards following the dinner, which will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $28 each and are available by contacting the district's office at (740) 264-9790.
And, while it's an event that has not been around nearly as long as these others, the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times will recognize this year's top finishers and name the winners in numerous categories Oct. 25 during the annual Best of the Best Reader's Choice awards gala at St. Florian.
Readers will have the chance to see for themselves who the top finishers were by looking for the special supplement that will be included in the Oct. 26 editions of the newspapers.
All of those numbers mean that October is shaping up as a busy -- and interesting -- month.
(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times.)