Current events

Book fair

A Scholastic Community Book Fair will be Dec. 1-3 at Greenbrier High School's Media Center. Books and educational products will be on sale for half price, with products from more than 150 publishers. The fair, open to the public, is open 7 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Dec. 1; 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 2; and 7 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Dec. 3. For more information, call 650-6040, extension 509.

Israeli artist

Bar Kocva, an Israeli artist from the city of old Jaffa, will present the works of Israeli artists and artisans at a showing Dec. 6-8 at the Augusta Jewish Community Center, 898 Weinberger Way in Evans. The showing opens at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6 with a preview party; admission is $25 per couple. Admission is free 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 7, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 8. Sales of the work helps offset the loss of income to Israeli artists from the downturn in tourism. For more information, call 228-3636.

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Fire department meeting

The Leah Volunteer Fire Department will hold its annual subscribers meeting Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. at Station No. 2 on Burks Mountain Road. The meeting will include information on the possible consolidation of the Appling, Leah and Winfield fire departments.

Thanksgiving donations

United We Care in Grovetown is seeking donations of turkeys, non-perishable food items and money for the agency's annual Thanksgiving dinners for those in need. Donations may be mailed or delivered to the United We Care office at 101 Newmantown Road, Grovetown, GA 30813. For more information, call Bill Campbell, 854-8852.

Happy Tails adoption

Happy Tails Rescue will hold pet adoptions each Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 4-6 p.m., and Sundays from 1-4 p.m., at Superpetz on Bobby Jones Expressway in Martinez. For more information, call 863-5310.

New cookbook

Stevens Creek Elementary School's first cookbook, "A Spoonful of Excellence," is available for sale. The book is compiled from more than 400 recipes submitted by the staff members and families, and costs $13. For more information, call Susan Proctor, 863-2489.

Holiday help

Agape Outreach Ministries of Thomson is seeking donations of money, food and toys to help needy families for Thanksgiving and Christmas. For more information, call (706) 597-8800.

Adoption Month

November is National Adoption Month. For more information about becoming a foster or adoptive parent, Columbia County residents 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.

New Tech class

Augusta Technical College's Thomson/McDuffie campus is accepting applications for the beginning air conditioning technology diploma program for winter quarter 2004. The program will be offered in the evening beginning Jan. 6, 2004. Financial aid is available for those who are eligible. For more information, call Julie Langham, (706) 595-0166.

Memorial service

United Hospice of Augusta is sponsoring a memorial service 3 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Church of Our Savior Episcopal Church, 4227 Columbia Road, for those who are experiencing the grief of losing a loved one. For more information, call 650-1522.

Purple Hearts

The CSRA chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart meets on the third Saturday of each month at 3856 Leigh St., Martinez. For more information, call 731-7210.

Cell-phone recycling

Metro Augusta and Columbia County Clean and Beautiful are collecting old cell phones for recycling. Phones may be dropped off at the Columbia County landfill, Richmond County landfill, Savannah Rapids Pavilion, Evans Government Complex, Augusta-Richmond County Municipal Building, Publix on Washington Road in Augusta, and at the Clean and Beautiful office at 418 Greene Street, Augusta.

For more information, call 261-4390.

Mining scholarship

Applications are being accepted for the Georgia Mining Federation's $500 scholarship, which will be awarded to a student at Evans High School. The deadline for applications is Feb. 28, 2004. For more information, call Jenny Maas, (478) 757-1211.

Fall bazaar

The women of Harlem United Methodist Church are sponsoring a Fall Bazaar 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 22 at the church, featuring a soup kitchen, baked goods, a flea market, arts and crafts, children's activities and more. For more information, call 556-6885.

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.

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.

Veterans sought

The Veterans History Project is compiling stories from World War II veterans. For more information, call 1-888-5848, or go to www.loc.gov/vets.

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. 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 elementary schools, and Evans High School.

Recycling bins also are at 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.