Current events

Mother's Day Out

St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church on Pleasant Home Road will open registration for its Mother's Day Out program today. Registration will be Aug. 3 in the church social hall after the 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Masses.

The program will offer four classes for 18-month-olds and 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds in refurbished classrooms at the church. The classes will be from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays.

For more information, call Nicole Durrwachter at 650-1159.

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Church homecoming

Bethesda Baptist Church, 5793 Old Augusta Highway, celebrates homecoming today with guest speaker Rev. Tommy Easterwood, pastor of Rhodes Chapel in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Easterwood was born in Augusta and attended Bethesda before moving to Alabama. Dinner on the grounds will be after the 11 a.m. worship service, with a performance by New Grace of Byron, Ga., at 1:45 p.m.

Revival services continue Monday through Wednesday at 7 p.m., with Easterwood as speaker. the church is located between Grovetown and Harlem, just off U.S. Highway 278 at Old Louisville Road. For more information, call 556-6818.

Hope Soap

Volunteers for Hope Soap will meet Tuesday at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta on Walton Way Extension to sort and package bags of donated toiletries, primarily hotel and travel amenities. The bags will be distributed to area shelters.

Three dropoff sites for Hope Soap are available: the Unitarian Universalist Church; Wild Birds Unlimited, in West Town shopping center in Martinez; and at The Columbia County News-Times office, next to Publix on Washington Road in Evans.

Other organizations and businesses interested in becoming additional community drop-off sites are being sought, as are tax-deductible monetary donations and volunteers. For information, call Evelyn Browne at 863-5863.

Girls Inc. registration

Registration for the after-school program at Girls Inc. of the CSRA, a nonprofit United Way agency, begins Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The program runs from Aug. 12 through May 21, from 2:30 to 6 p.m. It offers programs including computers, sports, economic literacy, character building, prevention classes and a choir, and a special program including van pick-up at select schools, evening neighborhood drop-off, a homework room with adult supervision and a hot evening meal.

For more information or to register, call 733-2512.

Homecoming

Riverside Baptist Church in Milledgeville will hold homecoming services today. Gospel singing will be held at 1 p.m., with special guest Wayne Williford and Good News from Sandersville. For more information, contact Jeanette Thompson at (478) 452-7560.

Genealogical Society

Dr. Sophia Bamford will discuss migration patterns of the large number of settlers from Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina who found their way to Wilkes County and Lincoln County in the 1790s, after the Revolution. This meeting will be at the Augusta Museum of History, Sixth and Reynolds Street, on Thursday from 7 to 8 p.m. The event is free. For more information, contact Carrie Adamson at 738-2241.

Tailgate anniversary

The Harlem High School Class of 1979 is planning a homecoming tailgate party in celebration of the 25th anniversary football season for the class. The homecoming game will be Oct. 17 vs. Richmond Academy. For more information, contact Class of '79 president Vic Johnson at radioactive@comcast.net.

Harlem reunion

The Harlem High School Class of 1983 is having its 20-year reunion Aug. 29 at Harlem High School. For more information, please contact Darryl James at 855-0544 (day) or 541-0681 (night).

Senior projects

Greenbrier High School will hold a parent informational meeting on senior projects at 7 p.m. Aug. 14 in the auditorium. General information will be presented about the senior project, and there will be time for questions and answers. For more information, contact Carol Shrout, English department chairwoman, 650-6043 extension 309.

Open house

Martinez Baptist Hearts and Hands Christian Day School will hold an open house at 6:30 p.m. Friday for K-2 through eighth grade. Limited space is available. A-Beka curriculum, daily Bible class, small class sizes, art, music, P.E., library availability, community mission projects and qualified teachers are offered.

The school is at 3632 Lynnwood Drive. For information, call 364-2859 or 294-0977.

Mother's Day Out

Saint Mary on the Hill Catholic Church, 1420 Monte Sano Ave., will hold fall registration for the 2003-04 Mother's Day Out Program for children ages 6 months through 4 years Tuesday from 9 to 11 a.m. and Wednesday, Aug. 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. at St. Anne's Hall.

For more information, contact Gina Craw at 262-2659 or smothnursery@earthlink.net

Mother's Day Out/preschool

The Church of the Most Holy Trinity is accepting registration for its Mother's Day Out/preschool program scheduled to begin Aug. 18. If you have children who are walking and no older than 4, call the P.R.E. Office at 722-4944, ext. 315, for more information.

Preschool registration

Registration for preschool and the Mother's Morning Out program at the Vineyard Church of Augusta is open. The preschool accepts children ages 2-5. The Mother's Morning Out program is open to 1- and 2-year-olds. Both offer classes weekday mornings. For more information or to register, call the church office at 863-9766 or Linda Shervette at 863-7414.

School councils

Lakeside High School: The council will meet at 7 p.m. in the front-office conference room of the school on Mondays during the school year on the following dates: Aug. 11, Sept. 8, Oct. 13, Nov. 10, Dec. 8, Jan. 12, 2004, Feb. 9, March 8, April 19, May 10 and June 14. School council members are principal Jeff Carney, parents Pam Dixon and Mark Balcer, business partners Debbie McMurtrey and John Smith, media specialist Bekki Matthews and teacher Melisa Poppell.

South Columbia Elementary School: School council meetings for 2003-04 are scheduled for Aug. 19, Sept. 16, Oct. 28, Nov. 18, Dec. 16, Jan. 13, Feb. 17, March 16, April 27, May 18, June 15 and July 20. The meetings will be held in the school media center beginning at 7:15 a.m. The meetings in June and July will be at 8:30 a.m.

Blue Ridge Elementary School: The 2003-2004 school council will meet Tuesdays at 7:30 a.m. in the media center on the following dates: Aug. 19, Sept. 16, Oct. 14, Nov. 18, Dec. 16, Jan. 20, Feb. 17, March 16, April 20 and May 18. For more information, call principal Joyce G. Long at 868-0894.

Dinner theater

Stage III Columbia County Community Theater will present Neil Simon's Rumors as a dinner-theater production Sept. 4-6 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 7 at 3 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center. For more information or reservations, call Fred or Maria Elser at 868-9663or 868-4329.

SCORE advice

The Service Corps of Retired Executives provides counseling and mentoring to business people who are starting up a new business or expanding an ongoing business. Volunteer counselors are retired executives. Affiliated with the U.S. Small Business Administration, SCORE is a nonprofit, public-service organization. There is never a charge for services. To contact SCORE's Augusta office, call 793-9998, Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon.

New location

Jay's Christian Supply, Columbia County's first Christian bookstore, has reopened in Merchants Village, 4115 Columbia Road, Suite 2. The store carries Bibles, books, music and church supplies and soon will carry two new gift lines: Holy Bears - bears with a Christian theme - and the Life of Faith doll line and products. For more information, call the store at 863-4935.

McDuffie Friends

McDuffie County Friends of Animals' Adopt-A-Pet Days are each Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. at SuperPetz on Bobby Jones Expressway in Martinez. To see pets that are available, call 556-9090 or go to petfinder.com, and go to the Dearing, Ga., section

Free legal help

Georgia Legal Services Program staff will be in Columbia County to meet with senior citizens wanting free legal help on civil (noncriminal) issues on a first-come, first-serve basis. A GLSP staff member will meet with seniors from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Aug. 20 at the Bessie Thomas Senior Center, 5913 Euchee Creek Drive, Grovetown. The GLSP office is at 209 Seventh St., Suite 400, Augusta. People ages 60 or older needing legal assistance may call there to ask for help with legal problems, or meet the staff during scheduled visits in Columbia County. For more information, call 721-2327, or toll-free outside the area, (800) 248-6697.

Cat show

The Masters Cat Club, a non-profit member of the Cat Fanciers' Association, is holding its 2003 cat show from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 23, at Riverview Park in North Augusta. Many breeds will be displayed before and after showing, with access to them up-close and the opportunity to talk to owners and breeders, many of whom have kittens for sale. The public is invited. Tickets cost $5 for adults and $3 for children and seniors and are available at the gate. For more information, call Sharon Butler at 860-6820.

Senior activities

The Bessie Thomas Community Center, 5913 Euchee Creek Drive, Grovetown, offers daily events for 55 and over residents of Columbia County including Bingo on Tuesday and Thursday, ceramics and other arts and crafts, trivia, devotionals and field trips. Transportation to and from the center is provided by the county's Rural Transportation Department. Call in advance to schedule the ride. All rides and center activities, not including trips, are free. For more information or to request transportation, call 556-0308.

Taste For Life

Taste for Life, a Bible study-based weight-loss program, will be at Wesley United Methodist Church on North Belair Road from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Mondays beginning Aug. 11, and from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays beginning Aug. 13. The cost for the fall session is $25. For more information, contact Gwen Gore at 738-8771.

Farmers sought

Main Street Augusta is seeking farmers and vendors in the Central Savannah River Area to market home-grown and homemade products in downtown Augusta on Saturday mornings from August to October. For specific vendor requirements and application, contact Chris Naylor at 722-8000 or Sheri Chambers at 664-1054. E-mail inquiries: cnaylor@augustadda.org or chatzi819@aol.com.