Current events
Fire department opens
The Martinez Fire Department will hold a dedication and open house 10 a.m. today at new headquarters building, 3910 Desoto Drive off Old Evans Road. Station tours will follow until 1 p.m.
GOP women meet
Mike Greenwell, Columbia County Board of Elections trainer and poll manager, will discuss electronic voting equipment at the Greater Columbia County Republican Women dinner meeting 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Dye's Souther Grille. For information, call 854-8470.
Soldier appreciation
The Laurel and Hardy Museum will hold soldier appreciation 6-8 p.m. Fridayto honor soldiers who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. For information call 556-0401.
Warrenton Christmas
Downtown Warrenton shops will celebrate "First Saturday" with Christmas in July Saturday along Main Street. For information, call (706) 465-9604.
Church anniversary
Gospel Water Branch Baptist Church, 703 Furys Ferry Road, Evans, will celebrate its 124th anniversary with several activities. A prayer and praise service and health walk will be 6:30-10 p.m. July 7; a senior citizen banquet 6:30-8 p.m. July 8; a picnic 10 a.m.-5 p.m. July 10 at Clarks Hill Lake; and a church celebration 2:30 p.m. July 11. For information, call 860-7091.
Greyhound meeting
Greyhound Lifesavers will hold a meet-and-greet at PetSmart in Augusta 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For information, call 796-1708.
Auditions set
Auditions for the opening production of Stage III's 2004-05 season, the Neil Simon comedy, The Odd Couple, will be 3 p.m. July 12 and 7 p.m. July 13 at 517 Granite Point, Martinez. The production will be Aug. 26-29, and roles call for five men and two women over 20 years old. For information, call 868-9663.
Free produce
The Golden Harvest Food Bank's Manna Truck with free produce for needy families will be at Gospel Water Branch Baptist Church 10 a.m. July 24.
SCORE advice
The Service Corps of Retired Executives, SCORE, provides counseling and mentoring to business people who are starting up or expanding a business. There is no charge for services. For information, call 9 a.m.-noon Monday-Friday, 793-9998.
Preschool registration
Trinity Baptist preschool, 4594 Columbia Road, is accepting registration for the 2004-05 school year. The program is open to 2-4 year olds, and begins Aug. 17. For information, call Shannon Story, 863-7523.
Cooling centers open
Three cooling centers are open for Columbia County residents:
Bessie Thomas Community Center, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday;
Patriots Park, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1-6 p.m. Sunday;
Wesley United Methodist Church in Evans, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Transportation is available through Columbia County Public Transit at 556-0308. For more information, call 868-3303.
Absentee voting
Absentee ballots for the July 20 primary are available at the Columbia County Board of Elections office in the Evans Government Complex, Building B. For information, call 868-3355.
Kids Club
The Laurel & Hardy Museum in Harlem holds Kids Club 1-4 p.m. each Monday during the summer. For more information, call 556-0401.
Mistletoe activities
Special programs are scheduled most Saturdays during the summer at Mistletoe State Park in Winfield, with educational programs on raptors, animal adaptation and water safety. For information call the park office at 541-0321.
Putt-Putt lock-in
Putt-Putt in Martinez will hold an all-night Christian lock-in 11:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. July 16. Admission is $15 per person. Each Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. is Can Day at Putt-Putt, with aluminum cans collected for the Southeastern Firefighters Burn Foundation in return for a free bumper boat ride or TotalPlay admission. For information, call 868-0083.
Emergency training
The Columbia County Emergency Management Agency will hold a training session for Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) Tuesday . For information on this and other CERT training sessions, call the EMA office at 868-3303.
Grants available
The Junior League of Augusta is accepting applications from CSRA non-profit agencies for community enabling grants to be awarded in November. The deadline is Sept. 10. For information, call 736-0033.
School supply collection
Miracle Making Ministries is collecting school supplies to distribute to inner-city children July 31. For information, call 722-8693.
Science Center camp
The National Science Center's Fort Discovery is holding summer camps for grades 3-6. Fort Discovery also will hold a "Hot Summer Fun" session 10 a.m.-5 p.m. July 3, with special activities and exhibitions. For information, call Lisa Golden at 821-0646.
Vacation Bible schools
Columbia County Christian Church will hold vacation Bible school for ages 3 years-fifth grade 6:15-8:30 p.m. July 18-22. The church is located at 4004 Prescott Drive, Martinez. For information, call 863-0535, or 863-6973.
Ship reunion
The 50th reunion of the shipmates of the Ashtabula, a U.S. Navy tanker that sailed from 1943-1982, will be Friday-Sunday at the Ramada Plaza Hotel on Broad Street in Augusta. For information, call 798-7868.
Car cruise
A classic-car cruise in will begin 1:30 p.m. July 10 on Humphrey Street in Lincolnton, and parade to McCormick, S.C., where winners will be awarded trophies. Entry fee is $10. For information, call (706) 359-7970.
Dance club
A social dance group meets each week at A World of Dance studio, 3497 Wheeler Road, Augusta, for dance lessons and practice. For information, call 650-2396.
Swamp Saturday
Volunteers from the Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy will lead a 2.5-mile walk through Phinizy Swamp starting at 9:30 a.m. July 3 and Aug. 7. For information, call 828-2109.
School council
The 2004 school council of North Harlem Elementary will meet at 4 p.m. Monday in the school's media center. For information call 556-5995.
Child safety seminar
SAFE Kids of East Central Georgia and the MCG Children's Medical Center will hold a seminar, Child Passenger Safety for the Child Care Provider, 6:30-8:30 p.m. July 7 at the Augusta Fire Department on Highland Avenue. Cost for the class is $5, and provides two hours of credit for child-care providers. For information, call 721-5437.
Grant workshop
A workshop for faith-based and community-based non-profit organizations seeking loan and grant funds will be 6:30 p.m. July 8 at the RSC Community Center, 821 MLK St. in Thomson. The workshop is sponsored by USDA-Rural Development. For information, call (706) 554-7001.
Hosts sought
Hosts are needed for visiting students from Japan and the former Soviet Union. The 4H program for fifth- and sixth-graders requires a host sibling, with Japanese students visiting July 21-Aug. 19. High-school age students from Japan and the former Soviet Union arrive in August and attend local schools for the full school year. For information, call 868-3413.
Lighthouse club
The newly formed CSRA Harbour Lights lighthouse collectors club is seeking members. For information, call 863-1970.
Harlem night
July 30 will be Harlem Night at Augusta GreenJackets stadium, with all tickets $5 and available at the Laurel & Hardy Museum or Harlem City Hall. For information, call 556-0401, or 556-3448.
Retirement seminar
A dinner seminar on planning for retirement, wills and trusts will be 6 p.m. June 30 at the Pinnacle Club, 699 Broad St., Augusta. The event is free, but reservations are required. For information, call 279-6065.
Harvest help
Golden Harvest Food Bank is seeking volunteer groups of 10-20 people, ages 13-up, for Saturday help in sorting donated products. For information or to reserve a time, call Laurie Harmon at 736-1199, extension 208.
Rape counseling
Rape Crisis and Sexual Assault Services offers group counseling to victims of rape, sexual assault and childhood abuse. All services are free. For information, call 724-5200.
Students sought
Rotary District 6910, which covers most of north Georgia, is interviewing youths interested in attending high school overseas for a year as part of an international exchange program. Local families also are being sought to house incoming students. For information, call Jim Heaney at (706) 495-7601.
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 information, call 868-3413.
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.
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 (800) 282-5803.
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.
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.