Current events
Animal control hours
Columbia County's Animal Care and Control center is now open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and closed on Saturdays. Pet adoptions at the center at 6337 Columbia Road in Appling are available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. For more information, call Manager Linda Fulmer at 541-4077.
Meteor shower viewing
Mistletoe State Park in Winfield will be the site of an early-morning viewing of the Perseid Meteor shower Thursday , 3-5 a.m. Participants will meet at the office, and should call for reservations. For information, call 541-0321.
Special ed picnic
The PTO of Columbia County Advocates for Special Education will hold a potluck picnic 4-7 p.m. Saturday at Evans Elementary School's playground. Hot dogs, buns and condiments will be provided. For information, call 860-9222.
Thomson Co. reunion
Former employees of Thomson Co. will hold a reunion 5 p.m. Friday at the depot in Thomson. Participants are urged to bring a guest and a covered dish, and pictures and other memorabilia.
Church sale
Westside Christian Church, 4352 Columbia Road in Martinez, will hold a parking lot sale 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday . A car wash and bake sale also will be held, and all funds will support the church's youth ministry.
Vietnam vets reunion
The 35th reunion of the 319th Vietnam Veterans Group will be Friday and Saturday at the Augusta Sleep Inn on Claussen Road. For information, call Frank Neal at 495-9580, or George Fuller, 863-2411.
Society meets
The Augusta Archaeological Society will meet at 8 p.m. Friday at Augusta Technical College, Building 100, Room 111. For information, call 863-7964.
Greyhound adoption
Greyhound Lifesavers Greyhound Adoption will hold a meet and greet at PetSmart in Aiken 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday . for information, call 796-1708.
Church homecoming
Sharon Baptist Church in Winfield will hold its 205th anniversary and homecoming celebration 11 a.m. Sunday , with former pastor the Rev. Richard Smith as guest speaker. Dinner on the grounds and games will follow. Participants are invited to dress in old-fashioned clothing. For information, call 541-1532, or 541-0164.
Pesticide test
The Georgia commercial pesticide review and test will be given at the Columbia County Extension Service Extension Office at Savannah Rapids Pavilion Aug. 17, starting with review at 9 a.m. and testing at 1 p.m. Pre-registration by Friday is required. For information, call 868-3413.
Family center opens
A ribbon cutting for the Fort Gordon Family Outreach Center, South Rice Road at Kilbourne Ave., will be will be 11:30 a.m. Friday . For information call 791-3880.
St. Jude Walk-A-Thon
Harlem will hold a Miracle Mile Walk-A-Thon for St. Jude Children's Hospital 9-11 a.m. Aug. 28. To participate, call 556-0401.
Girls sought
Girl Scout troops are organizing for girls 5-11, and Studio 2B groups are organizing for girls 11-17. For information, call 774-0505.
Ballet taught
The Augusta School of Ballet Evans branch, located at the Ballroom Dance Center on Evans-to-Locks Road, will offer an adult class and a Grade 1 class for 8-year-olds, and classes for children ages 3-7. All classes are taught by former Augusta Ballet principal dancer Julia Morgan. For information, call 733-5511.
Ringers needed
Augusta Children's Ringers rehearse 3:45-4:30 p.m. each Wednesday at the Westside Baptist Church Educational Building, 261 Flowing Wells Road. The community bell and chime choir is seeking children in grades 4-7 to participate. For information, call 306-5247.
Crafters sought
Spaces are available for crafters at the Oct. 2 Oliver Hardy Festival in Harlem. For information, call 556-0401.
Church anniversary
The ushers and usherettes of Moses Missionary Baptist Church, 112 Walker St., Augusta, will celebrate their 85th anniversary at 2 p.m. Sunday . The Rev. Nathaniel Irving of Storm Branch Church will be the featured speaker. For information, call 560-0899.
Da Vinci discussion
The Gibbs Library Book Discussion Group will meet at 7 p.m. Monday to discuss The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. For information, call 863-1946.
Writers meet
CSRA Writers will meet Monday 8/16 at Barnes and Noble Booksellers, 1336 Augusta West Parkway. Writers needing a support group are invited to attend and bring eight copies of a manuscript to be critiqued. For information, call 738-4114.
Church conference
Stevens Creek Community Church will hold Creative Worship Conference 2004 with a concert by Charlie Hall at 7 p.m. Aug. 21, and the conference 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 21. For information, call 863-7002.
Pretty Hat Tea
The Sisterhood Ministry of Gospel Water Branch Baptist Church will present the Third Annual Pretty Hat Tea 1-3 p.m. Aug. 21 at the Gordon Club at Fort Gordon. For information, call 860-7091.
Parkinsons group
The CSRA Parkinson Disease Support Group will meet at 6 p.m. Aug. 24 at St. John Tower's dining room, 724 Greene St. Lanelle Lovette, RN, will present a program on home health care. For information, call 855-7690.
Child safety seminar
A seminar on child passenger safety for child-care providers will be 6:30-8:30 p.m. Aug. 31 at Advent Lutheran Church, 3232 Washington Road. Cost is $5, and the class offers two hours of continuing education credit. For information, call 721-5437.
Peace Officer's Course
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 certified law enforcement officer. The cost of the training is $2,850, and the HOPE Grant may be available.
Participants must be at least 18 years of age, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and have no criminal record.
Classes are set to begin in the fall and will be held at the East Georgia Regional Police Academy in Blythe.
For more information, call 541-2856 or 592-1518.
Swamp walk
Volunteers from the Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy will lead a 2.5-mile walk through Phinizy Swamp starting at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 4. For information, call 828-2109.
Donations sought
Money, personal hygiene items and craft materials are being sought for a medical mission trip to Santana Bani in the Dominican Republic. The mission is a partnership of Church of the Holy Comforter in Martinez, Church of Our Savior in Martinez and St. Paul's in Augusta. For information, call 210-1133.
Newspaper recycling
Bins are available for newspaper recycling at the following locations in Columbia County: South Columbia, Grovetown, Bel Air, Evans, Riverside, Brookwood, North Columbia, North Harlem, Stevens Creek and Greenbrier elementary schools; Evans High School; St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church; Marvin and Wesley United Methodist churches; and Church of the Holy Comforter at Savannah Rapids Pavilion. For information and other recycling locations, call Metro Augusta and Columbia County Clean and Beautiful at 261-4390.
Diabetic network
The JDFR Family Network is available to families of children with Type 1 diabetes. For information, call 733-2034.
OSHA workshop
Augusta Technical College is sponsoring a free workshop on OSHA Safety and Health Management Systems for small- and medium-sized employers 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 19 and 20 in Building 600, room 612. For information call (256) 831-3139.
Transplant seminar
The Georgia Transplant Foundation will hold a conference for organ transplant candidates, donors, recipients and family members 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 21 at the Medical College of Georgia Alumni Center. For information, call 1 (866) 428-9411.
Women's conference
Trinity-on-the-Hill United Methodist Church will hold a community-wide women's event, Journey of a Godly Woman, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 11. Tickets are $10, and the registration deadline is Aug. 27. For information, call 738-8822.
Paratrooper reunion
Paratroopers who trained at Camp Toccoa and Currahee Mountain are invited to a reunion Oct. 8-10 in Toccoa. For information, call (706) 886-2132.
Class reunions
Glenn Hills High School class of 1972 will hold its 50th reunion Sept. 4. For information, call 863-3703.
The T.W. Josey High School class of 1985 is holding monthly reunion planning meetings at 6 p.m. each third Saturday at the Naval Marine Reserve Center, 2869 Central Avenue. For information, call 733-5810.
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.
Toastmasters
Georgia-Carolina Toastmasters meets at noon Wednesdays at The Clubhouse, 2527 Washington Road, Augusta. For information, call 854-0090.
Seedlings available
The Columbia County Unit of the Georgia Forestry Commission is accepting orders for tree seedlings for the 2004-05 planting season. For a list of prices and availability, call 556-3962.
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.
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.
Teen seminar
Understanding Your Teen-ager will be presented 6:30 p.m. Aug. 21 at First Baptist Church of Augusta, 3500 Walton Way. The speaker will be Duffy Robins, chairman of the youth ministry department at Eastern College in St. Davids, Pa. For information, call 733-2236, extension 204.
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.
Foster homes sought
Georgia SAFE Therapeutic Foster Care is seeking foster homes for at-risk children and teens. For information, call 210-3435.
Science Center camp
The National Science Center's Fort Discovery is holding summer camps for grades 3-6. For information, call Lisa Golden at 821-0646.
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.
Walk for autism
Walk for Autism-Augusta and Kids Care Connections will hold a Walk for Autism 10 a.m. Sept. 25 at Riverwalk Augusta, to raise money for autistic families. For information, call 863-8443.
Lighthouse club
The newly formed CSRA Harbour Lights lighthouse collectors club is seeking members. For information, call 863-1970.
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.
Six Flags tickets
Half-price Six Flags coupons are available from the Columbia County 4-H office in the Savannah Rapids Pavilion, 3300 B Evans to Locks Road, Martinez. For information, call 868-3413.
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.