Current events
Traveling toilet
The Harlem Relay for Life traveling toilet is available, and can be placed in a yard for a donation of $10; recipients then pay $10 to have it removed, and all proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society. For information, call 556-0401.
First responders
An organizational meeting for those interested in participating in a First Responder course sponsored by Gold Cross EMS will be 6 p.m. today at 437 North Belair Road. For information, call 869-8940.
Microsoft seminar
Microsoft representatives will host a free half-day seminar Thursday for small and medium businesses wanting to learn more about technology options.
The TouchPoint Series seminar will be 8 a.m. to noon at the Regal Cinemas Augusta Exchange 20 Theaters, 1144 Agerton Lane, Augusta.
For information visit www.connect-ms.com/mstps or call (877) 359-5901.
International fest
Augusta State University's Fourth Annual International Festival will be 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday in the campus quadrangle. The focus this year will be music, arts and food of south Asia. For information, call 737-1411.
Writers conference
The 29th Annual Sandhills Writers Conference will begin at 11 a.m. Thursday 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 Saturday. For information, call 737-1500.
Garden festival
The 12th annual Sacred Heart Garden Festival will be Friday-Sunday 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. Friday 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.
Harlem Aglow
Harlem Area Aglow, part of the international Christian women's organization, will hold its regular monthly meeting 10 a.m. Saturday 3/20 at Harlem United Methodist Church. The speaker will be June Smith, Aglow's Southeast Love Your Neighbor coordinator. For information, call Elaine Rice at 556-1453.
Scholarship day
Gospel Water Branch Baptist Church will hold Scholarship Day at 10:45 a.m. Sunday. For information, call 860-7091.
Day in the Park
The city of Harlem and the Laurel & Hardy Museum will hold the inaugural gospel sing, A Day in the Park, noon to 7 p.m. Saturday at Harlem Recreation Park, Church Street off South Fairview Drive. Featured performers are New Jerusalem, Christian Harmony, Georgia Boys and Trinity Trio. Admission is free, and an offering will be taken. Bring blankets and lawn chairs. For information, call 556-0401.
Public Safety Day
The Columbia County Red Cross Heroes Campaign Team will present Public Safety Awareness Day 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in the Evans Wal-Mart shopping center parking lot, featuring public safety information and demonstrations, food and raffles prizes. Proceeds benefit the Augusta Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Rugby club
The Augusta Rugby Club plays Savannah 1 p.m. Saturday at Richmond Academy, with all proceeds dedicated to the American Breast Cancer Association. Augusta Rugby plays Hilton Head at 1 p.m. April 3 at Richmond Academy, with proceeds supporting the Medical College of Georgia Children's Hospital. The team practices at 7 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday at Richmond Academy. For information, go to augustarugby.org or call 951-5970.
Car-wash fund-raiser
The Evans High School Knights volleyball team will hold a car wash fund-raiser Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Wally's, Belair and Cox roads. Donations of $5 will be accepted.
Interpreter training
The Georgia Commission on Interpreters will hold a two-day Interpreter Orientation Training Session Friday and Saturday 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.
Golf tourney
The Alzheimer's Association Augusta Regional Office will hold its annual golf tournament Monday at The River Golf Club with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. For information, call 731-9060.
Hindu celebration
The Youth Group of the Hindu Temple Society of Augusta will present the cultural event Holi Mela on March 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hindu Temple.
The event will feature regional foods, traditional crafts, entertainment, games and sports of India. Volunteers also are needed to cook, perform and sell booth items such as saris, jewelry and crafts.
For more information, call Sonam Shah at 869-8472.
Easter performance
The Columbia County Choral Society will present the Easter portion of Handel's Messiah at 7:30 p.m. March 26 at First Baptist Church of Evans, Washington and Belair roads. Tickets are $8, or $6 for students and seniors. For information go to choralsociety.org, or call 650-8901.
Furniture sale
Fort Gordon's director of Morale, Welfare and Recreation will conduct a lodging furniture sale 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 26-27 in Building 2303 at 9th Avenue and 11th Street, in the old warehouse area near Gate 3. Items include beds, tables, chairs, mini- and micro-refrigerators, sofas and lounge chairs, and will be sold for cash only. For information, call 791-4110.
Community yard sale
Riverwatch Community Church will hold a community yard sale 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 27 at the church, 3701 Old Petersburg Road in Martinez. The Columbia County Sheriff's Office will provide child identification services 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and free hot dogs, chips and drinks will be available 10 a.m to 1 p.m. To reserve a table, call 267-735.
Fort access changes
Access to three of four Fort Gordon gates will change March 29. Gate 1 on Gordon Highway will continue to be open 24 hours a day. Operating hours at Gate 5 on Highway 1 will be 4:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, and 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on weekends. Both are open to all vehicles.
Gates 2 and 3 on Gordon Highway are open only to vehicles with fort decals, and are closed on weekends. For information, call 791-3127.
Special Olympics
The Georgia Area 9 Special Olympics will be 10 a.m. March 31 on Fort Gordon's Barton Field, featuring 950 Special Olympians from 12 Georgia counties. The rain date is April 1. For information, call 791-2599.
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.
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.
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.
Singin' in the Rain
The Greenbrier High School Players will present the 1950s musical, Singin' in the Rain, March 25-27 in the school auditorium. Showtimes are 7 p.m. each day, with a 3 p.m. matinee March 27. For information, call Steven 650-6040, extension 335.
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.
Golf membership
The Executive Women's Golf Association will hold its annual kickoff and membership drive 6:30 p.m. March 25 at the Jones Creek Clubhouse. The guest speaker will be Trelle Kite, Augusta State University Lady Jags head golf coach. For reservations, call 510-3253.
Mistletoe events
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.
April 6-8, the park will hold a spring break Junior Ranger program for children ages 8-12. For information, call 541-0321.
Easter service
Bible Cathedral, 1116 Furys Ferry Road in Evans, will hold an Easter sunrise service at 7 a.m. April 11. For information, call 863-7090.
Silent auction
Harlem's Purple Berets Relay for Life team will hold a silent auction, with items available for viewing April 15-17 at the Harlem Library conference room, and April 23 at the relay where bidding will end at midnight.
Artisans fair
The Annual Olde Towne Artisans Fair will be April 16-18 at the Living History Park in North Augusta. For information, call 279-7560.
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.
Golf tournament
The second annual Harlem Relay for Life Golf Tournament will be April 17 at Three Oaks Golf Course. For information, call Jerry Baldwin, 556-6262.
Driver safety class
The AARP Driver Safety Program will hold a driver safety class for drivers over 50 1-5 p.m. April 19-20 at Gibbs Library in Evans. Registration is required, and costs $10. For information call 863-1946.
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.
Yard sale
Donations are being sought for the Augusta Alzheimer's Association trash and treasure yard sale, to be held 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 27 at 851 Broad St. beside Augusta Common. For information, call 731-9060.
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.
Walk for Life
Augusta Care Pregnancy Center's Walk for Life will be 9-11 a.m. May 1 at Riverwalk Augusta. For information or to obtain a pledge form, call 724-5531.
Railroad Days
Vendors are being sought for Camak's Fourth Annual Railroad Days festival, 9 a.m to 5 p.m. April 3. For information, call (706) 465-2449.
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.