Get up and go
Ballots available
Absentee ballots for the Nov. 4 election for Grovetown City Council and the District 4 Columbia County Commission seat are available at the Board of Elections Office in the Columbia County Government Center. For more information, call 868-3355.
Dessert theater
The Greenbrier High School Drama Club will hold a dessert theater at the school at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday. The $5 admission supports the Drama Club's State Thespian Conference trip. For information, call 650-6040, ext. 335.
//
Trunk or Treat
First Baptist Church of Evans' annual Trunk or Treat Fall Festival will be 6-8 p.m. Saturday at the church, Washington Road at Belair Road. Donations of canned food for Columbia County Cares are appreciated. For more information, call 863-1228.
Spooky drive
Collections for It's Spooky to be Hungry, the all-volunteer, neighborhood-based food drive benefiting Golden Harvest Food Bank, will be Saturday. Volunteers also will be part of the national Make a Difference Day. For more information, call 863-5863.
Georgia Cares talk
The Rosemont Baptist Association will hold an Area Agency on Aging presentation by Wallace White at 10:15 a.m. Saturday at the Rosemont Multi-Purpose Building on Burks Mountain Road in Appling. White will describe the Georgia Cares program, which matches those 60 and over with prescription payment assistance options and Medicare guidance. For more information, call 832-0356.
Free legal help
Georgia Legal Services staff will offer free legal help on a first-come, first-served basis to residents 60 or older. A representative will be at the Grovetown Senior Center, 103 West Robinson St., 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday. For more information, call 721-2327.
Community market
The Concerned Citizens of Columbia County will hold a monthly Community Market at the Eubank Blanchard Community Center beginning Saturday. The group is seeking vendors - civic groups, churches, schools or nonprofit groups - to sell their wares at the market.
A percentage of any vendor's profits must be donated to a charity. For more information or a vendor registration form, call Oscar Taylor at 309-9451 or Dorothy Shank at 541-2884.
Mission fund-raiser
Martinez United Methodist Church, 3614 Washington Road, will hold a bake and yard sale from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday from to raise funds for missions. For more information or to donate, call 863-9395, or 855-6120.
Lewiston yard sale
Lewiston Elementary School will hold a multi-family yard sale at 7 a.m. Nov. 1 to raise funds for the school. For more information, call Julie Lanham, 863-8144.
Case managers meet
Those interested in helping start a local chapter of the case managers association are invited to a meeting 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Sister Mary Louise Room at St. Joseph Hospital. For information, call (803) 613-0703.
Elks Charity Ball
Augusta Elks Lodge 205, with the United States Amateur Ballroom Dance Association, will hold a charity ball at their facility off Furys Ferry Road Saturday. Tickets are $25. For more information, call 855-7162.
Glass Slipper Ball
The Augusta Players will hold the Glass Slipper Ball 8 p.m. Saturday at Sacred Heart Cultural Center. The Cinderella-themed event is black tie or period costume. Tickets are $50 for adults, $45 for seniors and $35 for children under 12. For more information or reservations, call 826-4707.
Church concert
Westside Christian Church will have an outdoor worship concert at 6 p.m. Nov. 1 at the church, 4352 Columbia Road in Martinez. Refreshments will be provided. For more information, call 592-1046 or 863-6281.
ACS fall fest
Augusta Christian Schools fall festival will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 1 at the 313 Baston Road, Martinez, campus. The event will feature a silent auction, rock-climbing wall, games and entertainment. For more information, call 863-2905, ext. 100.
Antique show
Historic Augusta's 11th annual Antiques Show and Sale will be 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, and noon to 5 p.m. Nov. 2. The event will be at the Old Medical College, 598 Telfair St., Augusta. For information, call 724-0436.
Dessert concert
The Augusta Children's Chorale will perform its 13th annual Dessert Concert, 7 p.m. Nov. 6 at Sacred Heart Cultural Center. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door. For more information, call Ann Roberts at 826-4718.
Pain conference
The Fibromyalgia/Chronic Pain Support Group and Pain Management Group will present a family conference 7-9 p.m. Friday in the University Hospital Levi Hill II Auditorium, 1350 Walton Way, Augusta. Guest speaker will be C. Luis McTier, a nurse practitioner with Augusta Pain Management. For more information, call 79-4232.
Sierra Club
Craig Byron, a Medical College of Georgia anthropologist, will show slides of his fieldwork in primate and human evolution as well as other living primates around the world at the Tuesday meeting of the Sierra Club, 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Church on Walton Way. For more information, call 863-2324.
Computer class
Introduction to computers will be offered at Evans High School Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 6-9 p.m., Oct. 28-Nov. 13. Call 868-3663, ext. 220 for more information.
Six Flags tickets
Half-price Six Flags coupons are available from the Columbia County 4H office in the Savannah Rapids Pavilion, 3300 B Evans to Locks Road, Martinez. For more information, call 868-3413.
Children's ringers
The Augusta Children's Ringers, a handbell and choirchime for children in grades 3-6, meets 4-6 p.m. Thursdays at the Westside Baptist Church Educational Building, 261 Flowing Wells Road. For more information, call 306-5247.
Foster parents sought
Foster parents are being sought to serve as substitute families for children in need. Those residing in Columbia County should call Christina Ruetz at the Columbia County Department of Family and Children Services, 541-1640; those residing in Richmond County should call Rosalyn Boyd, 721-7171.
Library meeting
Friends of Columbia County Libraries will hold its fall quarter business meeting at Gibbs Library's annex, 326 North Belair Road in Evans, at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Boy Scout golf tourney
The Doctors Hospital Annual Fall Classic Boy Scout Golf Classic, to benefit the handicapped and special-needs Scouting program, will start at 11 a.m. Tuesday at North Augusta Country Club. For more information, call 733-5277.
Youth party
The St. Mark United Methodist Church Youth Group will hold a party to raise funds for the family life center 6:30-10 p.m. Saturday at the church, 2367 Washington Road, Augusta. Titleless will perform, and food and games are provided. Admission is $5.
Halloween dive-in
The Family Y's Spooky Splash dive-in movie will be 7-8:45 p.m. Friday at the Wheeler Branch's heated pool, 3532 Wheeler Road. Fees cost $3 for metro or branch members, $5 for bronze members and $7 for nonmembers. For more information, call 738-6678.
Howl-oween woods
Children ages 5-17 can enjoy an evening of spooky fun at the Family Y's Howl-oween Woods Adventure on Oct. 30 at Camp Lakeside on Lake Thurmond. Children will be dropped off at the Wheeler Branch, 3532 Wheeler Road, and bused to Camp Lakeside for activities that include a hayride, Halloween craft and marshmallow roast. The fee is $8 per person, and signups are available at any Family Y branch. For more information, e-mail Scott Rouse at srouse@thefamilyy.org, or call (706) 359-3153.
Jack-o-Lantern Jubilee
North Augusta will hold its annual Jack-o-Lantern Jubilee from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday on Georgia Avenue in downtown North Augusta. For more information, call 441-4300.
Golf tournament
The fifth Annual Rudy Goldman Memorial Friends of Youth Golf Tournament will be Saturday at North Augusta Country Club. The event is sponsored by the Martinez-Evans Optimist Club, Coca-Cola and Wal-Mart. The fee is $60 per golfer. For more information, call Scott Godefroy at 722-1588.
Brookwood sings
The third-grade students of Brookwood Elementary School will perform Brookwood Sings America Oct. 28 at 2:15 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the school, 455 South Old Belair Road. For more information, call Johnny Carr, 855-7596, ext. 217.
Aloha Augusta
The Junior League of Augusta will hold Aloha Augusta, a dinner with celebrity waiters, at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Old Richmond Hotel, 725 Greene Street. Sponsorships begin at $300 per couple and $600 per table.
All funds raised at the event benefit Junior League community projects, including the day shelter for homeless children, Habitat for Humanity, ACE Awards, and Service Weekends and Weeknights. For more information, call 736-0033.
Bayou Bash
The Aquinas High School Bayou Bash and Auction will be 6 p.m. Nov. 8 in the school gym, 1920 Highland Ave., Augusta. The silent auction will be from 6-8:45 p.m., with a live auction at 9 p.m. of items including artwork, vacations, a trip to France and a truck. Tickets are $50. For more information, call 736-5516.
ACT deadline
Nov. 7 is the deadline for college-bound students to register to take the ACT on the Dec. 13 national test date. Students can get information from their high school counselors or register online at www.act.org.
Chefs of Augusta
Augusta Mini Theatre will present its second annual Chefs of Augusta from 2-4 p.m. Nov. 9 at Julian Smith Casino. Tickets cost $15. For more information, call 722-0598.
Aid workshop
Lakeside High School will hold a financial aid workshop for parents, Show Me the Money, 7-8 p.m. Nov. 10.
The workshop will be led by career center specialist Teresa Fox, who will utilize the school's computer lab to show parents how to navigate Internet resources for college financial aid.
Cal Thomas to speak
Columnist and commentator Cal Thomas will be the guest speaker at Augusta Care Pregnancy Center's Fall Fundraising Banquet, 6:30 p.m., Oct. 27, at the Radisson Riverfront Hotel. For tickets or sponsorship information, call 724-5531.
Newcomers Club
The Augusta Newcomers Club helps new residents acclimate and make friends by offering a variety of activities, including lunch and a movie, dinner groups, bowling, golf and games. Monthly coffees for prospective members are the first Tuesday of each month. To attend or for further information, call Rickie Reinhardt at 650-3941, or Ruth Pearl at 650-1400.
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. For information, call the Columbia County Forestry Unit at 556-3962.
Fire safety review
The Columbia County Unit of the Georgia Forestry Commission is offering free advice to county residents on whether their home is danger from brush or woods fire. Call 556-3962 for more information.
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.
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
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.
Foster volunteers
Community volunteers are needed to become advocates for children who are found by the court to be abused and/or neglected, and to assist at the Kids Restart visitation center, 508 Broad St. Training will begin Oct. 14. For more information, call 828-0180.
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.
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.
Scholarships available
Applications are being sought for 2004 graduates seeking scholarships to attend Georgia's military colleges. Students are nominated from each of Georgia's U.S. congressional districts, and are nominated by state senators in those districts. For more information, call the state Senate office at 1 (800) 282-5803.
Recycling available
The following Columbia County elementary schools have newspaper and magazine recycling bins for public use: South Columbia, Grovetown, Bel Air, Evans, Riverside, Brookwood, North Columbia, North Harlem and Stevens Creek.
Recycling bins also are located behind Publix on Washington Road in Evans, Marvin United Methodist Church on Wheeler Road and St. Teresa Catholic Church on Pleasant Home Road.
Aluminum can recycling centers, to benefit the Southeastern Firefighters Burn Foundation, are located at Martinez Fire Department station 2 on Gibbs Road, Station 3 on Furys Ferry Road and Station 4 on Oakley-Pirkle Road.
For more recycling information, contact Metro Augusta Clean and Beautiful, 261-4390.