Get up and go

Rummage sale

Westside Christian Church will have its annual Parking Lot Sale Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Items for sale include mattresses, computer desks, couches and other furniture, clothes, books and more. All proceeds from the sale will benefit the church's youth ministry., The church is just east of the intersection of Belair and Columbia roads.

Harlem reunion

The Harlem High School Class of 1983 will have its 20-year reunion Aug. 29 at the high school. For more information, call Darryl James at 855-0544 (day) or 541-0681 (night).

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Back-to-school service

West Acres Baptist Church, 555 Gibbs Road in Evans, is holding a back-to-school praise and worship service at 7 p.m. Friday, featuring a concert with Selah and the RUSH reunion band. Tickets cost $10 in advance and $12 at the door, and are available at area Christian bookstores. For more information, call 860-6573.

Senior projects

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

Accountants' meeting

The CSRA Chapter of the Georgia Association of Public Accountants will hold their August meeting at 8 a.m. Aug. 21, at Athens Restaurant and Taverna, 246 Bobby Jones Expressway, where a representative of the Georgia Department of Labor will be the guest speaker. For more information, call Jerry Brigham at 650-1700.

Backpack blessing

The Church of the Holy Comforter will hold its second annual Blessing of the Backpacks on Sunday at the 10:30 a.m. worship service at the Savannah Rapids Pavilion at 3300 Evans to Locks Road. Pupils and school personnel are asked to bring their backpacks, briefcases, book bags and luggage pulls to receive a special blessing for the start of the school year. Participants in the Blessing of the Backpacks are asked to bring school supplies, which will be distributed to pupils in need. For more information, call 210-1133.

Police academy

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office will hold a residents' law enforcement academy beginning Sept. 18. Participants will be given an insight into the everyday operations of the sheriff's office, as well as firearms training. The free course is offered each Thursday evening from 6:30 to 9, and is open to Columbia County residents ages 18 or older.

Anyone interested in attending the class can contact Lt. Patricia Champion at 541-3970, or Capt. Jim March at 541-4027.

Taste For Life

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

Prostate screenings

University Hospital is holding a series of free prostate screenings, with the next stop in Columbia County at Lowe's on Bobby Jones Expressway on Aug. 23 from 8 to 11 a.m. Screenings are available for men over 50 and black men over 45. All participants will receive information, refreshments and giveaways, and are eligible for door prizes and gift certificates. The store will give away a grill valued at $500. No appointments are necessary. For more information, call 736-0847.

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.

Book sale

The Friends of Columbia County Libraries are holding a book sale at Gibbs Memorial Library, 326 North Bel Air Road, Sept. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hardbacks will cost $1 and paperbacks will cost 50 cents. Proceeds from the sale are used to benefit library programs and projects.

Preschool registration

Columbia County Christian Academy, 4004 Prescott Drive in Martinez, is accepting pupils for its Mother's Day Out program, and pre-K through sixth grade classes. A-Beka curriculum is taught in small classes. For more information, call 863-0535, or 863-6973.

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 Monday. 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

Grovetown Middle: The council will meet at 3:30 p.m. on the following Thursdays: Aug. 21, Sept. 18, Oct. 16, Nov. 20, Dec. 11, Jan. 15, 2004, Feb. 19, March 18, April 22, May 20 and June 3. The meetings will be in the school conference room. For more information, call principal Carolyn Fries at 855-2514.

Westmont Elementary: The council will meet at 7:30 a.m. in the school's media center on the following dates, beginning this week: Friday; Sept. 19; Oct. 24; Nov. 21; Dec. 12; Jan. 9, 2004; Feb. 20; March 19; April 16; May 14; June 18; July 16.

Lakeside Middle School: The council will meet at 1:30 p.m. in the school's staff lounge on the following Tuesdays: Aug. 19, Sept. 2, Oct. 7, Nov. 4, Dec. 2, Jan. 6, Feb. 3, March 2, April 13, May 4, June 1 and Jul 6. For more information, call Chairwoman Felicia Dumas at 855-6900.

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: 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.

Phi Beta Sigma

The next business meeting of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity is scheduled for 7 p.m. Sept. 12 at the fraternity house at 1002 Druid Park Ave., Augusta. All active, inactive and new brothers are invited. For more information, call 792-0456.

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.

Teen art advisers

The Morris Museum of Art is accepting Teen Advisory Council membership applications for the upcoming school year. Applications may be picked up at the museum at 1 Tenth St. at Riverwalk, or by calling 828-3865. The application deadline is Sept. 1. for more information, call 724-7501.

Cat show

The Masters Cat Club, a nonprofit 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.