Get up and go

Pretty Hat Tea

Gospel Water Branch Baptist Church will hold its second annual Pretty Hat Tea on Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. at the church fellowship hall, 703 Furys Ferry Road in Evans. The cost is $15, $10 for children ages 10 or under. The event will include skits, music and songs. Call 860-7091 for more information.

Booster drive

The Booster Club of Lakeside Middle School is holding a membership drive through Friday. The club's proceeds and membership dues fund programs including football, softball, band and cheerleading.

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Sign-up forms have been sent home with students, and are available at the school office. The homeroom in each grade with the most sign-ups wins a pizza party, and boosters who sign up by Friday will be entered in a drawing for a TV/VCR combo. For more information, call 863-7548

Labor Day collection

Martinez Fire Department personnel will collect funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association on Labor Day weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Firefighters will ask local residents to help fill their fire boots with donations for the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon at area grocery stores as well as Wal-Mart, Kmart and Lowe's stores in Columbia County.

The money collected will be used to provide medical services at the MDA clinic at the Medical College of Georgia Hospital and assist families with the purchase of wheelchairs and leg braces, as well as help fund a monthly support group at Walton Rehabilitation and a weeklong summer camp for children.

Last year Martinez firefighters raised a record-breaking $14,000 during the Labor Day drive.

Yard sale

The Augusta Chapter of the Embroiders Guild of America will host its annual yard sale Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at Marvin United Methodist Church at Wheeler and Belair roads. It will feature household items, craft supplies, yard and electronic items and furniture.

No early birds are allowed. For more information, call Natalie Farrell at 855-7916 or e-mail her at nfarrell@knology.net.

Faith Weavers

Registration is open for The Harlem United Methodist Church's Faith Weaver Friends program, which is a family-friendly weekly program for ages 3 through fifth grade. The program, every Wednesday from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., will include Bible stories, songs, teamwork-building games and special projects.

The program will run through the school year and enrollment is now open for the fall. Open house is from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3, and classes begin the following week. For more information or to register, call the church at 556-6885.

EHS computer class

An Introduction to Computers class will be at Evans High School from 6 to 9 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays beginning Sept. 15.

For more information, call 868-3663, extension 220.

Hardy crafters sought

Organizers of Harlem's Oliver Hardy Festival, scheduled for Oct. 4, is accepting applications for crafters and vendors. For information, contact Harlem City Hall at 556-3448, or e-mail harlemcityhall@charter.net, or go to harlemga.org.

Tree orders

The Georgia Forestry Commission is taking orders for seedlings for the upcoming planting season. Buyers are urged to order early, as many species will be sold out later in the season. Pine seedlings are available, as are sweetgum, redbud, red maple, green ash, catalpa and many other hardwoods. Most trees cost $20 for a pack of 10 seedlings. Premium slash pine is $42 per 1,000 seedlings; bicolor lespedeza is $30 per 500. Applications and other prices are available by calling 1 800 GA-TREES or on the Georgia Forestry Commission Web site, gfc.state.ga.us.

Bingo at Elmcroft

Elmcroft Assisted Living will hold Super Bingo at 2 p.m. Friday at the facility in Martinez at the corner of Furys Ferry Road and The Pass. The public is invited and refreshments and prizes will be provided.

For more information or to RSVP, call 855-6565.

Feline Fiesta

Happy Tails Rescue, an animal welfare group that places stray and abandoned animals in new homes, has set a new adoption schedule including its Friday Feline Fiesta. The next feline adoption will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 5 and Sept. 19 at SuperPetz on Bobby Jones expressway. Normal adoptions are from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 4 pm. Sundays at SuperPetz. For more information, call 863-5310 or 229-3212 or visit happytailsrescue.net.

Girl Scouts

Girl Scout troops are forming throughout the CSRA for girls ages 5-17, and the Studio 2B program also is available to girls ages 11-17. Girl Scout leaders also are being sought. For more information, call 774-0505.

Newcomer event

Fort Gordon will hold a newcomer event for active-duty military, family members and civilians to learn about Augusta and the Fort Gordon community. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 4 at the Gordon Club.

The event is free and will include refreshments, and lots of door prizes including restaurant and hotel gift certificates.

Harlem day care

The Harlem Neighborhood Development Daycare Academy, a nonprofit organization helping low-income families get financial assistance for day care, is accepting new pupils.

The program is from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday at the center at 280 West Forrest St., Harlem. Children age 6 weeks to 12 years are eligible. Activities include field trips, computer classes, games, movies and more.

For more information, call the Rev. Melvin Adams at 556-0209.

Harlem reunion

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

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.

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. 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.

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.

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

Teen art advisers

The Morris Museum of Art is accepting Teen Advisory Council membership applications. 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.

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.

School councils

Evans High: The council will meet at 10:45 a.m. on the first Monday of each month, except when holidays conflict. The first meeting will be at 10:45 a.m. Sept. 8, in Room 196 at the school.

Brookwood Elementary: The council will meet in the media center at 4:15 p.m. on the following dates: Sept. 23; Oct. 28; Nov. 18; Dec. 9; Jan. 27, 2004; Feb. 24; March 23; April 27; and May 25. The council will meet at 10 a.m. June 22, 2004.

Bel Air Elementary: The council will meet at 7:15 a.m. on the following dates: Sept. 2, Oct. 7, Nov. 4, Dec. 2, Jan. 6, Feb. 3, March 2, April 13 and May 4. It will meet at 7:30 a.m. June 1 and July 29. All meetings will be in the media center.

North Columbia Elementary: The council will meet at the school Thursday at 5 p.m.

Columbia Middle: The council will meet at 8 a.m. at the school on Columbia Road on the following Mondays: Sept. 8, Oct. 6, Nov. 3, Dec. 1, Jan. 12, Feb. 2, March 1, April 12 and May 3.

Riverside Elementary: The council will meet at 8 a.m. in the media center on the following dates: today; Sept. 24, Oct. 22, Nov. 19, Dec. 17, Jan. 28, Feb. 25, March 24, April 28 and May 26.

Greenbrier Middle: The council will meet Sept. 16, Oct. 21, Nov. 18, Dec. 16, Jan. 20, Feb. 17, March 16, April 20, May 18 and June 15.

Euchee Creek Elementary: The council will meet in the school conference room at 7:30 a.m. Sept. 10, Oct. 8, Nov. 12, Dec. 3, Jan. 7, Feb. 11, March 10, April 14, May 12 and June 9.

Grovetown Middle: The council will meet at 3:30 p.m. on the following Thursdays: 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: 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: 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.

South Columbia Elementary School: School council meetings for 2003-04 are scheduled for 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: 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.

Women's conference

Women Connecting Together in End-Time Ministry will hold its first women's conference themed Destroying Bondages and Loosing the Anointing. Seminars, with guest speakers and musicians, will be Thursday-Sunday at the host church, Faith Temple Missionary Baptist Church, 2411 Young Drive, Augusta. For more information, call 733-8003 or 796-6319.

Warehouse worship

Lewis Memorial United Methodist Church will kick off its new worship service, The Warehouse, at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7, in a warehouse behind the church at the corner of Columbia and Hereford Farm roads. The Warehouse will feature an "ancient-future" or "convergence" style of worship, where ancient Christian rituals and messages will merge on a canvas of electronic media, sound clips and artistic backdrops.

For more information about the church or new service, call 863-6795 or visit www.lewismemorial.com.

Marvin homecoming

Marvin United Methodist Church will hold its 112th homecoming Sept. 14 at 11 a.m. The Rev. Bill Griffin will preach. He is the director of the Georgia Commission on Higher Education. Dinner will follow the morning service. All former pastors and members are invited to attend. The church's revival begins at 7 p.m. on the same night and continues through Tuesday. The guest preacher is the Rev. Harold Lawrence, pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Milledgeville. Lawrence is a noted historian, writer and preacher. For more information, call the church office at 863-0510.