Current events
School forum
The first of five planned forums by Columbia County School Board members will be 10 a.m. Saturday in the Lakeside High School auditorium. Trustee Wayne Bridges will be the host of the forum, which will provide an opportunity for the public to present issues and concerns related to the school system.
Band boosters
The Harlem/Grovetown Band Boosters yard sale will be 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Harlem Middle School Gym, 375 West Forest St., Harlem.
Westside revival
This week's revival meetings at Westside Baptist Church, 261 Flowing Wells Road, Martinez, continue through Friday. Services each night are at 7 p.m., with the Steve Pettit evangelistic team. For information, call 868-5982.
Gardening at lunch
The Columbia County Extension Service will hold a seminar on herb gardening 12:10-12:45 p.m. today at the Columbia County Government Complex Auditorium. For information, call 868-3413.
Fort gun training
Soldiers from Fort Stewart, Ga., will conduct maneuver training with small arms fire in the Fort Gordon training area today through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. For information, call 791-5005.
Shamrock shots
Happy Tails Rescue is sponsoring a St. Patricks-Day themed photo opportunity for pets 1-4 p.m. Saturday at Superpetz on Bobby Jones Expressway. Bandanas and hats will be provided, with photos for $3. A bake sale and jewelry items for pet owners also will be available. Happy Tails also will sponsor a rabies and vaccine clinic 2-6 p.m. March 20 at Superpetz. For information, call 373-8348.
Bunnies for Babies
Jim Hudson Lexus and Evans High School FCCLA are teaming up to collect new toddler-safe bunnies for children at the Medical College of Georgia Children's Medical Center.
Participants may purchase bunnies and bring them to the Jim Hudson Lexus Dealership, 3520 Washington Road, Martinez, any time during March.
For more information, call 650-3203.
Grovetown heritage
Vendors are needed for the upcoming Grovetown Heritage Festival, to be held April 24 near City Hall.
The committee is soliciting participants, especially vendors and entertainers. Vendors can call 854-9319 for information. Those interested in participating in the auto show can call 868-8371.
For more information, call Rosa Lee Owens at 863-1867.
Car-wash fund raiser
The Evans High School Knights volleyball team will hold a car wash fund-raiser March 20 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Wallies, Belair and Cox roads. Donations of $5 will be accepted.
Chef's auction
The 12th Annual March of Dimes Chef's Auction will be 6 p.m. Thursday at the Radisson Riverfront Hotel Augusta. For information, call 733-8438.
Bingo blast
Elmcroft of Martinez Assisted Living will hold a Bingo Blast 2-4 p.m. Friday at the center, 515 The Pass at Furys Ferry Road in Martinez. Cost to play is $1, with proceeds benefiting the Jud C. Hickey Center for Alzheimer's Care. Prizes will be awarded and refreshments served. For information, call 855-6565.
Camp preview
The Girl Scouts' Camp Tanglewood will hold open house 9 a.m. to noon Saturday for its summer camp program. For information, call
774-0505.
ASU opera
The Augusta State University Opera Workshop production of Giacomo Puccini's Suor Angelica will be 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday 3/12-13 in the Grover C. Maxwell Performing Arts Theater. For information, call 667-4876.
Appraisal day
The Morris Museum of Art's Antiques and Collectibles Appraisal Day will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, presented by The Antique Mall and The Frame Shoppe. Specialists from Neal Auction Co. or New Orleans will appraise items for a $10 fee. For information, call 828-3805.
Lung screenings
The Neighborhood Improvement Project, Inc., is organizing Lung Function Screening Days 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, and 1-4 p.m. March 17 at the Harlem Library. For information, call 790-4440, Ext. 115.
Greyhound adoptions
GreytHound Love, a group that promotes adoption of greyhounds, will hold a meet and greet 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at PetSmart on Robert C. Daniel Parkway. For information, call 796-1708, or go to greythoundlove.org.
Casino night
The Augusta Junior Woman's Club will hold its fifth annual An Evening in Monte Carlo, 7 p.m. Saturday at the Belair Conference Center. For information, call 869-8936.
Alzheimer's symposium
The Augusta Alzheimer's Association will present its fifth annual educational symposium, titled Alzheimer's: A Puzzle in Progress, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Radisson Riverfront Hotel Augusta. Experts from Emory University and the Medical College of Georgia will present research updates and information for caregivers. For information call 731-9060.
Evangelism workshop
The Evangelism Ministry of Gospel Water Branch Baptist Church will hold an Evangelism Explosion Workshop 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, with the Rev. David Hopewell of Greenforest Baptist Church in Atlanta. Registration is required. Call 860-7091 for information.
Gem show
The 16th annual Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show sponsored by the Aiken and Augusta Gem and Mineral Societies will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Julian Smith Casino, 2200 Broad St., Augusta. For more information, call (803) 649-0959.
Home-school help
Home-schooled high school students and their parents who are seeking information about college admissions are invited to a free seminar and dessert reception at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Radisson Riverfront Hotel Augusta. For information, call 1 (800) 277-7020.
Hearing support
SHHH - Self Help for the Hard of Hearing - Group of Augusta will meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday in room 100 of the Adult Education Building at First Baptist Church of Augusta, 3500 Walton Way. Speech pathologist Mary Snyder will discuss speech reading tips for people who do not hear well. For information, call 738-2796.
Tomato class
The Evans High School Horticulture Department will hold a tomato class at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the high school. For information on the class and the Big Tomato Contest, call Charles Anderson, 863-1198, extension 250.
Interpreter training
The Georgia Commission on Interpreters will hold a two-day Interpreter Orientation Training Session March 19-20 at the Columbia County Sheriff's Office Training Center in Appling. The cost of the 16-hour session is $200. To register, call Carlos T. Lares Jr., at (404) 730-5441, or Lt. Gil Lopez at the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, 541-1044.
Fort Gordon yard sale
The spring edition of Fort Gordon's Great American Yard Sale will be 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 27 in the housing areas of the post. For information, call 791-9747.
Mosaic services
Mosaic United Methodist Church, a new Evans congregation, holds services each Sunday at 11 a.m. at the Evans High School theater. The service is informal and the worship leadership is casual. For information, call 877-6468.
Passion play
Tickets are no available for Abilene Baptist Church's Passion story, Bow the Knee, which will be presented at 7 p.m. April 1 and 2. The story portrays the life, death and resurrection of Christ from the perspective of the centurion who was instrumental in the crucifixion. For information, call 869-1774.
Writers conference
The 29th Annual Sandhills Writers Conference will begin at 11 a.m. March 18 in 101 Galloway Hall at Augusta State University, featuring Paule Marshall, novelist and recipient of the Guggenheim and McArthur Genius Award. The conference continues through March 20. For information, call 737-1500.
Garden festival
The 12th annual Sacred Heart Garden Festival will be March 19-21 at the Sacred Heart Cultural Center, 1301 Greene St., Augusta. For information, call 826-4700.
HR group meets
The Augusta-Aiken chapter of the Society of Human Resource Management will meet 7:30 a.m. March 19 at the Radisson Riverfront Hotel Augusta. The speaker will be Debbie Frame, president of The Coaching Group, who will present The Leaders Toolkit: Strategic Tools for Survival and "Thrival." Cost is $15, and pre-registration is required. For information call Connie Martin at 481-7457.
Medicare seminar
The University Hospital Seniors Club will hold What's New in Medicare 2004 noon-1:30 p.m. March 24 at the University Community Resource Activity Room, 4106 Columbia Road. For information, call 868-3231.
Eagle Club banquet
The Georgia Southern Greater Augusta Eagle Club spring banquet will be March 25 at West Lake Country Club. Social time begins at 6:15 p.m., with dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets are $18 in advance. For information, call Tammy Shepherd at 855-0671.
Civil War symposium
Picturing the Civil War, a symposium that explores the pictorial and literary record of the Civil War period, will be March 26-27 at the Augusta Museum of History, Augusta State University, the Woodrow Wilson House and the Morris Museum of Art. For information, call 737-1636.
Motorcycle ride
The second annual Kelsi Long Memorial Ride will begin at 10 a.m. March 27 at Polaris America on Washington Road, continue to Clarks Hill Lake and return to the MCG Children's Medical Center, where organizers will present a check for proceeds from the run. Riders interested in participating should call 860-1872 or 556-8427.
School musical
Brookwood Elementary School's fifth-grade students will present "Sleeping Beauty," a musical dinner theater, March 29-31 at the school, 455 South Old Belair Road. For information, call 855-7596, extension 217.
Fishing rodeo
Mistletoe State Park's Parent-Child Fishing Rodeo will be 7 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. April 3 at the park, with children and their parents competing for prizes while fishing from the banks of the lake. For information, call 541-0321.
Child-care first aid
SAFE Kids of East Central Georgia and the MCG Children's Center will present an emergency first aid and injury prevention program for child-care providers 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 17 at the main conference center of the Children's Medical Center on Harper Street. Cost is $10. For information, call 721-5437.
MomTime Get-A-Way
Evans Community Baptist Church is organizing a trip to Lisa Whelchel's MomTime Get-A-Way at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel in Atlanta, April 23-24. For information, call 854-1411.
WalkAmerica
Registration for the March of Dimes Columbia and Richmond County WalkAmerica will be 8 a.m. April 24 at GreenJackets Stadium, with the walk beginning at 9 a.m. For more information, call 733-8438.
Deputy training
The Columbia County Sheriff's Office will sponsor a Basic Peace Officer's course through the East Georgia Regional Police Academy for anyone interested in becoming a reserve deputy. The cost of the training is $2,850, and the HOPE Grant may be available.
Participants must meet all qualifications required to be a law enforcement officer in Georgia, including being at least 18 years of age, having a high school diploma or equivalent, and no prior criminal record. Participants are subject to an extensive background investigation.
Classes begin June 1. For more information, contact the Columbia County Sheriff's Office at 541-2856 or the East Georgia Regional Police Academy at (706) 592-1518.
Art festival
The Carolina Arts and Crafts Festival is accepting applications for exhibits. The show will be March 27 and 28 at the Hippodrome in North Augusta, and will benefit the St. Vincent DePaul Health Center. For information, call (803) 279-8017.
Y Easter event
The Family Y Easter Egg-stravaganza will be 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. March 22-26 and March 29-April 2 at Camp Lakeside on Lake Thurmond, for children in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. For information, call (706) 359-2153.
Scholarship day
Gospel Water Branch Baptist Church will hold Scholarship Day at 10:45 a.m. March 21. For information, call 860-7091.
ACE Awards
The Junior League of Augusta is accepting applications for the 2004-05 ACE Awards, which support and enrich classroom curriculum. Each recipient receives up to $500 for his or her project. The deadline is June 11. For information, call 736-0033.
Oscar winners at Fort
Two U.S. Army Signal Corps documentaries that won Academy Awards in the 1940s are shown daily at the Signal Corps Museum at Fort Gordon's Conrad Hall, Building 29807, next to Signal Towers on Chamberlain Avenue. Admission to the museum is free. For information, call 791-2818.
Academy registration
Registration is open for Columbia County Christian Academy, which has openings for fall 2004 in pre-K 2 through fifth grade. For information, call 863-0535.
Mother's Day Out
Grace Baptist Church of Evans, 4798 Hardy-McManus Road, is accepting registration for its fall Mother's Day Out program. Classes are available for ages 18 months to 4 years, and are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. For information, call Erin LaCroix, 868-9729.
GED classes
Augusta Technical College will hold GED/adult literacy classes at Marvin United Methodist Church, Wheeler Road at Belair Road. For information, call 860-8581.
Donations needed
The Harlem High School Drama Department continues to seek donations to fund its trip to the Scotland Fringe Festival in August. For information, contact Roy Lewis at 556-5980 or rlewis@ccboe.net.
MDO registration
The Church of the Most Holy Trinity, 720 Telfair St., is accepting registration for its fall 2004 Mother's Day Out/Preschool program, for children walking through age 4. For information, call 228-4887.
Donations sought
Riverfront Marine Detachment 1132 of the Marine Corps League is seeking donations of items to be handed out to Iraqi school children by Marine Corps units. For information, call Paul Brewer, 849-6632.
Burning permits
Columbia County homeowners who want to burn limbs and other yard waste must first obtain a permit number from the Georgia Forestry Commission. The permit number is free, and can be obtained by calling the Columbia County office at 556-3962, or on line at www.gfc.state.ga.us. Those obtaining a permit will be given information on weather conditions and rules governing outdoor burning.
Lewiston council
The Lewiston Elementary School Council will meet at 7:15 a.m. April 13 and May 4, and at 8 a.m. June 1 and July 29 in the school media center, 5426 Hereford Farm Road, Evans. For information, call 650-6064.
Class reunion
Hephzibah High School's class of 1984 is seeking class members for a 20-year reunion this fall. For information, contact Thomas Self at 592-4634, or Kim Edgar Stripling at 278-1001.
Park reservations
Starting April 19, reservations to Georgia state parks, including Columbia County's Mistletoe State Park, will be outsourced to a private company offering Internet reservations and expanded hours. For information, call (800) 864-7275, or go to www.gastateparks.org.
Chorale auditions
The Augusta Children's Chorale, with training and performance choirs for singers in grades 3-8, will fill a limited number of openings this spring for the chorale's 2004-05 season that begins in August. Call the ACC office at 826-4718 for an audition appointment.
Amnesty meets
Amnesty International meets at 7:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 3501 Walton Way. For more information, call 863-4270.
Advocate training
The Court Appointed Special Advocate program of Child Enrichment Inc. is seeking volunteers at least 21 years old to advocate for abused and neglected children in the juvenile court system.
Volunteers need no experience, and will be provided with specialized training. For more information, call 737-4631.
Parents sought
Foster and adoptive parents are being sought for Columbia and Richmond County children. For more information on the program, call Christina Ruetz in Columbia County at 541-1640, or Rosalyn Boyd in Richmond County, 721-7171.
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 to 4 p.m., at Superpetz on Bobby Jones Expressway in Martinez. For more information, call 863-5310.
AJCC classes
Classes for children and adults in art, nature, kindermusik, Spanish, yoga and karate are being offered at the Augusta Jewish Community Center, 898 Weinberger Way, Evans. For more information, call 228-3636.
Farm loans
Loans to socially disadvantaged applicants are available from the Farm Service Agency for applicants to buy and operate family size farms and ranches. For information, contact the Louisville, Ga., Farm Loan Office at (478) 625-7771, ext. 102.
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.
Depression, bipolar support
The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance meets the third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. in Room 105 of the Walton Building at First Baptist Church of Augusta, 3500 Wheeler Road. For more information, call 722-0010.
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 St., Augusta.
For more information, call 261-4390.
WW II registry
Names of veterans who served in World War II are being sought for the National World War II memorial in Washington, D.C. To enroll someone in the registry, call 1 (800) 639-4992 to ask for a registration form, or go to the memorial's Web site, www.wwiimemorial.com.
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.
Tree orders
The Georgia Forestry Commission is taking orders for tree seedlings. 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.
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.
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 Wesley United Methodist Church on North Belair Road, Marvin United Methodist Church on Wheeler Road, St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church on Pleasant Home Road and at Savannah Rapids Pavilion.
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.
New cookbook
Stevens Creek Elementary School's 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.