Get Up and Go
Bands to battle
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The Lakeside High School Battle of the Bands will be held from 7-10 p.m. Saturday at the school gym. Tickets will cost $5 at the door.
History program
Fannie Flono, the associate editor of The Charlotte Observer, will sign her book, Thriving in the Shadows: The Black Experience in Charlotte Mecklenburg County, at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 25 at Gospel Water Branch Baptist Church, 703 Furys Ferry Road, in Evans. Call (706) 860-7091.
Vendors needed
Vendors are being sought for Columbia County's Farmers Market, to be held 8 a.m. to noon March 24, April 7 and 28, and May 12 at the Evans Town Center Park. For information, call (706) 312-7192.
Miss Harlem
The Miss City of Harlem 2007 Pageant will be at 7 p.m. March 17 at Harlem High School, with categories ranging from ages 2-18. Advance tickets cost $5, or $7 at the door. For information, call (706) 556-0401.
Recipe contest
The public is invited to sample recipes entered in the recipe contest sponsored by Gospel Water Branch Baptist Church Community Development Corp. from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the church fellowship hall, 703 Furys Ferry Road, Evans. For information, call (706) 860-7091.
School open house
Evans Community Preparatory School will hold open house for elementary and middle school students from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Monday at the school, next to Evans High School at 302 Byrd Road inside Evans Community Baptist Church. For information, call (706) 447-4113.
Black history talk
Dr. Rubye Braye, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and president of Wu Li Corp., will be the featured speaker at Fort Gordon's Black History Month program at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in Alexander Hall, on Chamberlain Avenue. For information, call (706) 791-2014.
Band yard sale
Donations are being accepted from 10 a.m. to noon each Saturday for the Lakeside High School Band yard sale, which will be held in the school commons area March 10. For information, call (706) 863-0027, ext. 225, or e-mail clhutchins@comcast.net.
Free tax help
AARP Tax Aide offers free tax help from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Monday through April 9 at the Columbia County Senior Center, and each Tuesday through April 10 at the Columbia County Library. For information, call (706) 210-3048.
Turkey shoot
The Sons of the American Legion Squadron 194, in Lincolnton, will hold a turkey shoot from 7-10 p.m. Saturday at the Legion Fairgrounds. Tickets are available drawing for a shotgun to be raffled. For information, call (706) 401-0911.
Parkinson group
The CSRA Parkinson Support Group will hold its February meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at St. John Towers dining room, 724 Greene St., Augusta. Dr. Kapil D. Sethi will discuss research funds. For information, call (706) 855-7690.
NASW meeting
The Augusta unit of the National Association of Social Workers will hold their annual meeting and awards banquet from 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. March 1 at Doubletree Hotel Augusta (formerly the Sheraton), 2651 Perimeter Parkway, Augusta. Feb. 22 is the deadline for advance registration. For information, call Susan Bell at (706) 556-6007.
Safety course
The American Red Cross of Augusta will hold a water safety instructor course starting March 2 at the Family Y on Wheeler Road. Cost is $175. For information, call (706) 724-8481.
GSU meeting
Head football coach Chris Hatcher will be the featured speaker at the meeting of the Georgia Southern University Alumni Association's Greater Augusta Eagle Club meeting at 6:30 p.m. March 9 at Savannah Rapids Pavilion. For information, call Matt Griffin at (706) 267-5294.
Electronics recycling
Keep Columbia County Beautiful will hold Electronics Recycling Day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 10 at the Columbia County Government Center. For information (706) 312-7191.
Quartet performs
The Dove Brothers Quartet will perform in concert at 6 p.m. March 11 at Martinez Baptist Church, 3632 Lynnwood Drive, in Martinez. A $5 donation is requested at the door. For information, go to www.dovebrothersquartet.com, or call (706) 651-8291.
Driving program
Parents Reducing Incidents of Driver Error (PRIDE) will meet at 6 p.m. March 13 at Wesley United Methodist Church, with a free program designed to help parents on new teen drivers. For information, call Rene Hopkins at (706) 721-7606.
Garden seminar
The Columbia County Extension Service Gardening at Lunch program will be held at 12:10 p.m. March 14 with a seminar on managing lawns. Upcoming programs include understanding fertilizers, April 11; propagating plants, May 9; and drying flowers, June 13. For information, call (706) 868-3413.
Weight group
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), a non-profit weight-loss support group, meets at 6 p.m. each Thursday at Grovetown United Methodist Church, 206 E. Robinson Ave. For information, call (706) 863-0726.
MDO openings
The Church of the Most Holy Trinity, in downtown Augusta, is accepting registration for the fall 2007 Mother's Day Out program, with spaces available for children walking through age 4. For information, call Cheryl Weinand at (706) 228-4887.
Tax center open
Free tax preparation for members of the military and their families is now available at the Tax Center in the Courtyard Recreation and Dining Center on Brainard Avenue, in Fort Gordon. Walk-in customers with military ID will be served from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays through April. For information, call (706) 791-7522.
Attic sale
The 55th Annual Junior League Attic Sale will be held from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 3 at the Augusta Exchange Club Fairgrounds. The preview party, a ticketed event, will be held from 7-10 p.m. March 2, with tickets available at the Junior League office in Surrey Center. For information, call (706) 736-0033.
Kidney screen
Bethel AME Church, with the National Kidney Foundation of Georgia, will hold a Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) screening from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 10 at the church, at 623 Crawford Ave., in Augusta. For information, call Iris Duffie at (706) 627-5464.
Jazz series
Columbia County Community Events will present the "Sounds of Jazz" concert series at the Jabez Sanford Hardin Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. each Friday from March 9-30. Individual concert tickets cost $10; series tickets cost $30. For information, call (706) 868-3484.
Baby sign class
The Sign, Say and Play baby-signing class, an eight-week class sponsored by the MCG Children's Medical Center to teach babies ages 6 months to 3 years simple gestures for communicating, will begin at 6:30 p.m. March 15 at Wesley United Methodist Church, 825 N. Belair Road, in Evans. Cost is $135 per baby. For information, call (706) 721-7606.
Farmers market
The Columbia County Farmers Market will be held from 8 a.m. to noon March 24, April 7, April 28 and May 12 at Evans Town Center Park on North Belair Road at Ronald Reagan Drive. For information, call (706) 312-7192.
Railroad festival
The town of Camak, Ga., in Warren County, will hold its seventh annual Railroad Days Festival from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 7, featuring music, games, rides and historic displays. Vendors may call (706) 465-1904. For information, go to www.camaksrailroaddays.com.
Food safety
A ServeSafe Food Safety Training Course will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 29-30 at Savannah Rapids Pavilion for food-service professionals. Cost is $125, and the deadline for registration is Feb. 28. For information, call (706) 821-2356.
Alzheimer's event
The Augusta Alzheimer's Association annual Night to Remember will be held from 6:30-10 p.m. April 13 at the Marion Hatcher Center, 519 Greene St., in Augusta. Tickets cost $50 each. For information, call (706) 731-9060, or go to www.alzga.org.
Class reunions
The Harlem High School Class of 1977 is planning a 30-year reunion for this spring. Addresses of class members are being sought. For information, call Dean Beasley at (706) 860-9231, or send names and addresses to HHS1977@comcast.net.
The Academy of Richmond County class of 1957 will hold its 50th reunion June 8-9. For information, call Linda Williams Beazley at (706) 736-8661, or Bill Force, (706) 733-3815.
Hope Soap
Hope Soap, a private, non-profit agency that collects toiletries and packages and distributes them to area shelters, has collection sites in the community. Donations, particularly of personal-sized items from hotels, may be brought to The Columbia County News-Times, in the Publix shopping center on Washington Road, Evans, and Wild Birds Unlimited, West Town Shopping Center, Martinez. For information and other drop-off locations, call (706) 863-5863.
New Hardy hours
Harlem's Laurel and Hardy Museum now has new hours of operation. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. The museum is closed Sundays and Mondays. For information, call (706) 556-0401.
Members wanted
New members are being sought for the MCG Children's Medical Center Red Wagon Society, to plan fund-raisers, volunteer at special events and play with children who are patients at the center. Membership costs $50 per year. For information, call (706) 721-4004.
Teaching ministry
Words of Life Teaching Ministries holds weekly Bible training classes from 7-9 p.m. Tuesday nights in Room A at the Columbia County Library. For information, call (706) 863-4271, or e-mail wordsoflifenow@aol.com.
Hosts needed
World Heritage is seeking families, couples or single parents to play host to high-school aged foreign exchange students for the 2007-08 school year. For information, call Kim Hines at (706) 228-4112.
Phone book recycling
Recycling bins for telephone books are available at the Columbia County Government Complex, 630 Ronald Reagan Drive, and at the Water Works Department, 4325 Evans-to-Locks Road. A collection box for old cell phones also is available in the Community and Leisure Services office, in Building B at the Government Complex. For information, call (706) 312-7191.
Preschool openings
Trinity Baptist Preschool, 4594 Columbia Road, in Martinez, has openings in the 3- and 4-year-old classes. For information, call Shannon Story at (706) 799-0637.
Clothes closet
The Marvin United Methodist Church Clothes Closet, at the church at Wheeler and Belair Roads, is open each Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Donations are accepted on the first day of every month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
MOPS group
West Acres Baptist Church, on Gibbs Road in Evans, is offering a Mothers of Preschoolers program. For information, call Abbie Character at (706) 868-5936, or e-mail wabcmops@gmail.com.
Steak dinner
American Legion Post 192, on Legion Drive off Owens Road, in Evans, holds a steak dinner each Friday from 7-9 p.m. For information, call (706) 863-8728.
Caregiver support
A caregiver support group for those caring for a spouse or parent is available at 6:30 p.m. every third Monday at the Friedman Branch Library, 1447 Jackson Road, Augusta. For information, call (706) 738-6115.
Singles fellowship
Area single adults are invited to a community-wide fellowship and Bible study, Tuesday Nights Together (TNT) at 7 p.m. each Tuesday in the administration building of First Baptist Church of North Augusta, 625 Georgia Avenue. For information, call Ty Lockridge at (803) 279-6370.
Six Flags tickets
Columbia County 4-H has discounted Six Flags tickets available. For information, call (706) 868-3413.
Volunteers needed
Volunteer opportunities are available at the Columbia County main library in Evans. For information, call Jessica Thompson at (706) 863-1946, or e-mail jthompson@columbiacountyga.gov.
Bricks for sale
The Evans Middle School PTSO is selling commemorative bricks to create a walkway and covered outdoor classroom and shelter for its new middle school site opening next year. To order, go to www.bricksrus.com/orders/ems, submit the order, and send the payment slip with payment to the school. For information, call Lisa Thompson at (706) 868-6330.
Hospital classes
Doctors Hospital offers a variety of classes each month. For information on all classes, call (706) 651-2450, or go to www.doctors-hospital.net.
Grief support
Portsbridge Hospice holds a free grief support group at 6 p.m. every other Tuesday at the hospice, located at 1365 Interstate Parkway, in Augusta. For information, call Chaplain Paul Richardson, (706) 860-7374.
Foster review
Columbia County Juvenile Court is seeking volunteers for the Citizens Panel for Foster Care Review. After training, volunteers meet once a month and review compliance with court-ordered foster care. For information, call Brian Stutts at (706) 860-0661.
Divers sought
The Columbia County EMA Dive Rescue and Recovery Team has openings for certified divers. For an application, go to www.columbiacountyga.gov/docs/diveteamapp2.pdf and submit it to the EMA office in the Columbia County Government Complex, Evans, or fax it to (706) 868-3342.
Donations needed
Camp Daniel Marshall, which is run by the Augusta Association of Baptist Churches, is in need of sports equipment. For donations, call Kathie Seago at (706) 359-3752, or email jkseago@nu-z.net.
Legion breakfast
The Sons of the American Legion Post 192 serves breakfast each Saturday from 9:30-11 a.m. at the post off Owens Road in Evans.
Free smoke detectors
Martinez-Columbia Fire Rescue now serves county territory previously covered by the Harlem Fire Department and North Columbia Fire and Rescue. Martinez-Columbia firefighters have free smoke detectors to distribute to any citizen in need of one, and will provide free home safety inspections. For information, call (706) 863-7745.
Crusade meeting
The Jesus is Coming Crusade meets at 5:30 p.m. each second and fourth Sunday at the Harlem Women's Club, 170 Milledgeville Road, Harlem. For information, call Joanne Jones at (706) 495-4357.
Drivers needed
The American Cancer Society's Augusta chapter is seeking volunteer drivers for its Road to Recovery program, which provides transportation to cancer patients. For information, call (706) 731-9900.
Christian singles
The Christian Social Association for Single Adults sponsors dances from 8-11 p.m. each Saturday at Westside High School on Patriots Way in Augusta. Admission is $5 for members, $7 for non-members and includes dance lessons from 7-8 p.m. For information, call Don Stephens at (706) 737-4944.
Fund-raising partnership
Cutie Pies Gourmet Cafe, in the Publix shopping center on Washington Road in Evans, donates 15 percent of all sales between 4-8 p.m. on the first Monday of each month to the Columbia County Foundation For Children.
Can collections
The Southeastern Firefighters Burn Foundation has an aluminum recycling collection bin in the Tracy-Luckey parking lot beside the Laurel and Hardy Museum in Harlem. For information, call (706) 556-0401.
Depression alliance
The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of Greater Augusta meets at 6 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month in room 105 of the Walton Building at First Baptist Church of Augusta. For information, call (706) 722-0010.
Toastmasters
Georgia-Carolina Toastmasters meets at noon Wednesdays at BJ's Restaurant in the Ramada Plaza Hotel, 640 Broad St. across from the Chamber of Commerce building. For information, call (706) 854-0090.
Speakers available
LifeLink of Georgia, the agency that coordinates organ and tissue donations for the state, has speakers available for civic groups, churches and schools. For information, call Gloria Dossett at (706) 854-0333 or (800) 544-6667.
Fire information
The Georgia Forestry Commission, Columbia County Unit offers advice to all Columbia County residents on whether their home is in line of fire from brush or wild land fires. For information, call the (706) 556-3962.
Newcomers meet
The Augusta Area Newcomers meet for coffee on the first Tuesday of each month. For information, call Carol at (706) 863-0037.
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 (706) 724-5200.
Beginner bridge
Augusta Jewish Community Center, located at 898 Weinberger Way in Evans, holds a beginner bridge game from 1-4 p.m. on the second and fourth Sunday every month. The cost is $5. For information, call (706) 228-3636.
Disability services
A Developmental Disability Services Sunday School is available for children and adults at Grace Baptist Church, 4945 Hardy McManus Road in Evans, at 9 a.m. on Sunday mornings. For information, call the church office at (706) 868-9729.
Rotary meets
The Rotary Club of Columbia County meets at 7 a.m. Wednesdays at the Brandon Wilde Clubhouse. For information, call president Lee Clark, (706) 863-2000.
Augusta striders
Augusta Striders is seeking members. Members enjoy group runs, newsletters, monthly meetings and more. For information, visit www.augustastriders.com.
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 (706) 737-4631.
Cancer support group
The MCG Breast Cancer Support Group meets on the second Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. in the mammography area, MCG Breast Health Services, on the first floor, MCG Medical Center. For information, call (706) 721-0246 or (706) 721-1466.
Stitchers needed
Girl Stitchers from the Heart needs volunteers to knit, crochet or quilt blankets, little sweaters and hats for babies in need. The items will be donated to hospitals all over the country. Patterns are available and donated material is appreciated. For information, call toll free (866) 472-6903.
NAMI meeting
The Augusta Chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill meets at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church on Walton Way. For information, call (706) 432-0021.
Diabetic network
The JDFR Family Network is available to families of children with Type 1 diabetes. For information, call (706) 733-2034.
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, (706) 793-9998.
Foster homes sought
Georgia SAFE Therapeutic Foster Care is seeking foster homes for at-risk children and teens. For information, call (706) 210-3435.
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 (706) 650-2396.
Lighthouse club
The CSRA Harbour Lights lighthouse collectors club is seeking members. For information, call (706) 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 (706) 736-1199, extension 208.
Hepatitis support
A peer support group for people with hepatitis C meets the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. in the Adult Education Building at Lakemont Presbyterian Church, 1000 Bluebird Road, in Augusta. For more information, call (706) 863-3216 or write hcvsupport@comcast.net.
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 (706) 541-1640, or Rosalyn Boyd in Richmond County, 721-7171.
Happy Tails adoption
Happy Tails Rescue holds 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 (706) 863-5310.