Current events
Council change
//
Harlem City Council has rescheduled its meeting to Oct. 25, starting with a work session at 6:30 p.m.
Church trip
Oakey Grove Baptist Church is sponsoring a bus trip Friday through Oct. 24 to Ocean City, Md., for fellowship with Williams A.M.E. Church. Call (706) 863-4215 today.
Ministries Day
Gospel Water Branch Baptist Church, 703 Furys Ferry Road, will celebrate its fourth annual Ministries Day at 10:45 a.m. today with the Rev. Helena Thomas of Mount Transfiguration Baptist Church of North Augusta. For information, call (706) 860-7091.
Cut for a Cause
Jon Ric Medical Spa and Salon, 229 Furys Ferry Road, will hold Cut for a Cause from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to benefit the University Hospital Breast Health Center. For information, call (706) 869-7755.
Writers meet
CSRA Writers will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Borders Books, 257 Robert C. Daniel Jr. Parkway. Writers are invited to bring eight copies of a manuscript to be critiqued. For information, call Steve Fox at (706) 836-7315.
Sierra Club
Political chairwoman Liz Johnson will lead a discussion on political endorsements at the Sierra Club's meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 3501 Walton Way Extension. For information, e-mail Judy Gordon at gordonjudith@att.net.
Driver course
The AARP Driver Safety Course, a six-hour classroom refresher for motorists 50 and older, will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at Patriots Park, 5445 Columbia Road. Cost is $14, and membership in AARP is not required. Participants should bring lunch. Registration is required by calling (706) 863-2865.
Civil War group
Historian and writer Tom Sutherland will discuss Berry Benson, whose statue is atop Augusta's Confederate monument, at the Civil War Round Table, 6 p.m. Tuesday at TBonz Restaurant on Washington Road. For information, call Jeanmarie Bronson at (706) 832-5326.
Medicare info
The Senior Citizens Council of Greater Augusta will hold a free seminar on Medicare Part A and B from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, and on Part C and D from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 26, at the Augusta Metro Federal Credit Union, 205 Davis Road, Martinez. For reservations, call (706) 868-0120.
Pop tabs wanted
Columbia County 4-H'ers are collecting pop-tabs to support Ronald McDonald House Charities. The tabs should be taken to any Columbia County elementary school by Nov. 1. For information, call (706) 868-3413.
Fair pageant
Contestants are being sought for the annual Miss Columbia County Fair Pageant, to be held Saturday at Greenbrier High School. Single area women aged 17-23 are eligible to enter. For information, call Pat Becton at (706) 863-7645, or e-mail pbecton@knology.net.
Church dance
Lewis Memorial United Methodist Church will hold a 1960s-themed dance with music from The Gray Cats 6-10 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free; an offering will be taken. For information, call (706) 863-6795 or go to www.lewismemorial.com.
Charity tourney
Evans Middle School PTSO and Chick-Fil-A at Mullins Crossing will hold a celebrity charity basketball tournament 6-8 p.m. Friday at the school gym. Tickets cost $6, with a $1 discount for canned good donations to the It's Spooky to be Hungry food drive.
SAT training
Evans Christian Academy, 213 S. Old Belair Road, Grovetown, will offer a SAT Training Session 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Cost is $40, limited to 15 students, with no refunds. For information, call (706) 364-3565.
Fundraiser
The Greenbrier High School girls basketball team will hold an Octoberfest fundraiser 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday with a car and bike show, chili cook-off, silent auction, basketball camp for third-fifth graders, entertainment and concessions. Spaces also are available for a yard sale. For information, call Julie Howard at (706) 831-0091.
Mosaic concert
The Traveling Troubadours will lead in worship at 9:30 and 11 a.m. Oct. 24 at Mosaic United Methodist Church. Admission is free.
Octoberfest
Washington Commons retirement community, located at 100 Washington Commons Drive, Evans, will hold a free Oktoberfest Celebration from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Oct. 24. For information, call (706) 860-0402.
Cut for a Cure
Retreat Spa & Salon, 4246 Washington Road, Evans, will hold Cut for a Cure 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 25 with proceeds benefiting the University Hospital Breast Health Center. For information, call (706) 364-8292.
Spaghetti supper
The Columbia County Cares Food Pantry will hold its annual spaghetti supper fundraiser from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 28 at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church, 4921 Columbia Road. Tickets cost $7, or $25 for a family of four or more, with take out available. For information, call (706) 541-2834.
Trunks of treats
Harlem United Methodist Church, 115 W. Milledgeville Road, will hold free "trunks of treats" Halloween festival 6-9 p.m. Oct. 30. The church's pumpkin patch is open afternoons until 7 p.m. through Oct. 31. For information, call 9706) 556-6885.
Pumpkin Patch
The annual Corner Pumpkin Patch at Marvin United Methodist Church, on Wheeler Road at South Belair Road, will be open from noon to 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, noon to 8 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 31. For information, call (706) 863-0510.
Teen Years 101
Superior Court Judge Wade Padgett will present the Teenage Years 101 seminars at 7 p.m. Nov. 1 for adults, and at 7 p.m. Nov. 3 for teens, at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on William Few Parkway. For information, e-mail teenageyears101@gmail.com, go to www.teenageyears101.com or call (706) 821-2835.
Pumpkin patch
Wesley United Methodist Church, 825 N. Belair Road, Evans, will hold its annual Pumpkins and Flowers with a Purpose pumpkin patch from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day through Oct. 31, with proceeds benefiting foreign mission programs. For information, call (706) 869-0888.
Chanukah Bazaar
The Augusta Jewish Community Center, 898 Weinberger Way, off Furys Ferry Road in Evans, will hold its annual Book Fair and Chanukah Bazaar noon to 4 p.m. Nov. 14, including a simulcast of "With Earth and Each Other: A Virtual Rally for a Better Middle East" at 1 p.m. For information, call (706) 228-3636.
Grants available
Applications for 2011 grants from Women in Philanthropy, for tax-exempt organizations located and providing services in Columbia or surrounding counties, are available through Nov. 15 at www.wipcsra.org.
Choral Society
Membership in the Columbia County Choral Society, whose season opens soon, is open to all area singers. Rehearsals are held at First Baptist Church of Evans on Belair Road at Washington Road. For information and rehearsal schedules, call (706) 650-2311 or go to www.ccchoralsociety.
Thrift store
The Helping Hands Thrift Store, operated by Columbia County Foundation for Children at 6347 Columbia Road, is open 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the first Saturday each month. For information, call (706) 541-2849.
Turkey shoot
The Grovetown Lions Club is holding its annual fundraiser turkey shoot every Friday and Saturday night through Dec. 11 at 1200 Old Louisville Road, off Harlem Grovetown Road.
Addiction help
Mosaic United Methodist Church's Celebrate Recovery program holds weekly group sessions at 7 p.m. each Friday at the church at 678 Columbia Industrial Blvd., Evans. For information, call (706) 877-6468, or go to www.mosaicumc.org.
Cancer group
The MCG Breast Cancer Support Group meets on the second Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the first-floor community room at the MCGHealth Cancer Center, 1411 Laney-Walker Blvd. For information, call (706) 721-4109 or go to mcghealth.org.
Turkey shoot
VFW Post 6445, at 6423 Wrightsboro Road, near Pumpkin Center, is holding a turkey shoot starting at 1 p.m. each Saturday through December. For information, call (706) 556-9194.
Christmas parade
Applications for participants in the Grovetown Christmas Parade, to be held at noon Dec. 4, are available at city hall, the city annex, Liberty Park, Grovetown Department of Public Safety or from www.cityofgrovetown.com. For information, call Laura McManus at (706) 868-9541.
Volunteers sought
The Augusta area AARP Tax-Aide Program is accepting applications to prepare income tax returns for low and middle income taxpayers, with special focus on those ages 60 and over. for information, call Lee Lane at (706) 736-6934 or go to www.aarp.org/taxaide.
Orchestras
The Columbia County Civic Orchestra holds weekly rehearsals 7:15-9:15 p.m. Mondays in the music suite at West Acres Baptist Church, 555 Gibbs Road, Evans. Returning and new musicians are welcome. The Youth Orchestra holds rehearsals 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays in the Augusta Christian band room, 313 Baston Road. For information, call Rob Nordan at (706) 860-6573, ext. 114, or go to www.columbiacco.org.
Christian singles
Augusta Christian Singles meets at the Ballroom Dance Center, 525 Grand Slam Drive, off Evans-to-Locks Road, from 7-11 p.m. each Saturday. Cost is $8 for members, $10 for guests. For information, call Barbara Nash at (803) 640-2075.
Holiday bazaar
Vendors are being sought for the Evans Middle School Holiday Bazaar, to be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 30 at the school, 4785 Hereford Farm Road in Evans. For information, go to www.evansmiddle.net or e-mail terri.gibbs@ccboe.net, or call (706) 863-2275.
Farm listings
The Georgia Farm Bureau Federation is accepting applications from farmers for listings in the 2011 Georgia Farm Bureau Quality Hay and Poultry Litter Directory and Georgia Farm Bureau Pollination Directory. Application forms for both directories are available at the Columbia County Farm Bureau office; the deadline for submission is Oct. 29. For information, call (706) 556-6258.
Brody night
Papa-n-Sons on Washington Road in Evans will donate 10 percent of all sales from 4:30 p.m. until closing on Nov. 1-2 to the Brody Johnson Fund.
Gardening series
The Columbia County Cooperative Extension Service's Gardening at Lunch series with Extension Agent Charles Phillips at the Columbia County Library in Evans continues at 12:10 p.m. Nov. 3 with a program on plants for shade gardens, and garden jobs by the month, Dec. 1. For information, call (706) 868-3413.
Book sale
Friends of the Library will hold a book sale in the lobby of the Evans library 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 6. For information, call (706) 863-8760.
Stream training
Columbia County Adopt-A-Stream will hold macro biological certification training from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 6 at Reed Creek Interpretive Center Park, 3820 Park Lane, Martinez. For information, contact Mike Reardon at gaccaas@hotmail.com, or (706) 421-8639.
Diabetes walk
The Walk to Cure Diabetes will be held Nov. 6 at Savannah Rapids Park. For information, contact Gretchen Daly at gvandaly@yahoo.com or (706) 955-8232, or Stephanie Fuller at s.j.fuller@comcast.net or (706) 541-0146.
Teams sought
The Augusta Alzheimer's Association is recruiting teams and individuals to participate in the 20th Annual Memory Walk, to be held Nov. 6 at the Augusta Commons. For information, call (706) 731-9060, or go to www.georgiamemorywalk.org.
Book fair
Barnes and Noble Book Sellers at Augusta Mall will hold a book fair for Greenbrier High School Nov. 9-10, with a percentage of every sale with a book fair voucher going to the school. Vouchers are available on the school's Web site and at the school. Greenbrier students will perform 5:30-9:30 p.m. both nights.
Art After Dark
The Artist Guild of Columbia County's annual art show, Art After Dark, will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 at Church of the Holy Comforter, 473 Furys Ferry Road, Martinez. Tickets cost $5. For information or tickets, go to www.artistguildcc.org.
Freedom Fest
Andy's Thank-A-Vet Freedom Fest will be held Nov. 13 at Gordon Park Speedway in Grovetown. Admission is $3 for adults, with children, active-duty military and veterans free. The event will feature music and a tribute to veterans. For information, go to www.andysthankavet.com.
Jazz series
The Fall Colors of Jazz series at the Augusta Jewish Community Center, 898 Weinberger Way, Evans, continues at 7 p.m. Nov. 11 and Dec. 9. Tickets cost $15 per concert, and are available at www.columbiacountyjazz.com or by calling (706) 228-3636.
Lecture
Dr. James O'Toole, from Boston College, will present a free lecture, "Passing for White: Race, Religion and the Healy Family, 1820-1920," at 11 a.m. Nov. 13 at St. Patrick Hall of Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Eighth at Telfair streets, Augusta.
Blood drive
Columbia County EMA and Shepeard Community Blood Center will hold a blood drive Nov. 17, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Government Complex Auditorium in Evans, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Roads and Bridges Department in Appling.
Scholarships
Ten scholarships to graduating seniors are available from the Georgia Farm Bureau for students planning to pursue a college degree in agriculture, family and consumer sciences or a related field. Download an application at www.gfb.org under GFB Programs, then FB Women, or call (706) 556-6258. Deadline for entry is Feb. 25.
Holiday House
Arts and crafts vendors will be available at Child Enrichment's Holiday House, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Riverwood Plantation barn. Admission is a monetary donation or a new toy for foster children. For information, go to www.childenrichment.org, or call Mandy Fox at (706) 737-4631.
Choral Society
The Columbia County Choral Society will perform Handel's Messiah with the Davidson Fine Arts Chamber Orchestra. at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17 at First Baptist Church of Augusta. Tickets cost $15, or $10 for seniors, students, active duty military and dependents and groups. For information, call (706) 650-2311 or go to www.ccchoralsociety.org.
Contests
The Georgia Farm Bureau is holding an essay contest for middle school students and an art contest for high school students, with cash prizes. Deadline for entry is Feb. 25. For information, call the Columbia County Farm Bureau at (706) 556-6258.
Warren preschool
Warren Baptist Church holds weekday preschool and mother's day out classes for ages 1 through preK 4. For information, call (706) 860-6878 or go to warrenbaptist.org.
Rape counseling
Rape Crisis and Sexual Assault Services is seeking volunteer advocates from area counties. Advocates must be able to respond to area hospitals within 30 minutes of being called. For information, call Dinah at (706) 724-2746 or e-mail volunteerrcsas@uh.org.
Preschool
Trinity Baptist Preschool, 4594 Columbia Road, Martinez, is accepting registration for the 2010-11 school year for 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds. For information, call Shannon Story at (706) 799-0637.
Marine League
The Marine Corps League Riverfront Marines Detachment 1132, meets the second Thursday of every month at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 1002 Carolina Ave., North Augusta, with dinner at 6 p.m. and the meeting at 7 p.m. For information, contact Paul Brewer at (706) 306-6667 or usmc1008@bellsouth.net.
Phones for soldiers
Starling Funeral Home, on Highway 78 in Harlem, is accepting donations of cell phones from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday for the Cell Phones for Soldiers drive, which raises funds to provided prepaid calling cards to deployed troops. For information, call (706) 556-6524.
Help group
Celebrate Recovery meets each Thursday evening at The Sanctuary Church, 302 Byrd Road, Evans. For information, call Matt Lever at (706) 421-0089.
Art reception
Twisted Fence Art Gallery, 214 N. Louisville St., Harlem, holds its Twisted Tuesday art reception from 7-9 p.m. on the first Tuesday each month.
Survivors
Fort Gordon's Survivor Outreach Services, for families of deceased soldiers, is available at (706) 787-4767 or at myarmyonesource.com.
Hearing loss
The Hearing Loss Association of Augusta meets at 5:30 p.m. on the third Monday each month at Room 100 of the Adult Building of First Baptist Church of Augusta. For information, call Debbie Rish at (706) 650-2496, or e-mail hlaag.rish@yahoo.com.
Alzheimer's groups
Three Alzheimer's caregiver support groups meet in Columbia County.
Lewis Memorial United Methodist Church, 5555 Hereford Farm Road: 7 p.m., second Tuesday each month. For information, call (706) 541-0085 or (706) 541-0185.
Morningside of Evans, 353 N. Belair Road: 11 a.m., second Saturday each month. For information, call (706) 228-4709.
Brandon Wilde, 4275 Owens Road: 7 p.m., third Tuesday each month. For information, call (706) 854-3519.
Preschool
Spaces are available at the Grace Baptist Preschool, 4945 Hardy McManus Road, Evans. For information, call (706) 868-9729.
Seat inspection
Safe Kids East Central Georgia holds free child safety seat inspections on the second Wednesday of each month at the Columbia County Sheriff's Office substation, 650 Ronald Reagan Drive, Evans. To make an appointment, call (706) 541-3970 or go to mcghealth.org.
TOPS groups
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), nonprofit weight-loss support groups, meeting on the following dates:
Harlem Baptist Church, 9 a.m. each Thursday; (706) 556-3309.
Grovetown United Methodist Church, 206 E. Robinson Ave., 6 p.m. each Thursday; (706) 863-0726.
Pine View Baptist Church, 119 Pleasant Home Road, 4:45 p.m. each Tuesday; (706) 863-6525.
Clothes closet
The clothes closet in the family life center at Marvin United Methodist Church, Belair at Wheeler Road, is open Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Clothing is free, but donations are welcome.
Hosts needed
World Heritage Student Exchange Program is seeking local host families for high school boys and girls for the 2010-2011 school year. For information, call Kim Hines at (706) 228-4112, or go to www.world-heritage.org.
Singers sought
The Augusta Choral Society (ACS) is seeking new members for its 2010-2011 season. For information, go to www.augustachoralsociety.org or call (706) 826-4713.
Women vets
The Women's Veterans Club meets at 11 a.m. the first Saturday of each month. Dues cost $24 per year. For information, call April Starks at (706) 868-5601.
Fencing class
Registration is now open for a 10-week class in beginning foil fencing at the Augusta Fencers Club. The class is designed for adults, but mature students as young as 13 may apply. The class meets on Thursdays from 6-6:50 p.m. at 134 Ninth St., Augusta, starting Sept. 9. Cost is $150, with equipment provided. For information, call (706) 722-8878.
Eyeglass help
The Grovetown Lions Club offers financial assistance for qualifying Grovetown individuals in the purchase of eyeglasses. For information, write to Grovetown Lions Club Eyeglass Program, P.O. Box 248, Grovetown, GA 30813.
Volunteers sought
The Grovetown Senior Center is seeking volunteer, licensed drivers with their own vehicles to deliver meals to shut-ins in the Grovetown area. For information, call (706) 210-8699.
Regency Hospice is seeking volunteers. Training is provided. For information, call Nancy Browning at (706) 868-4422.
Golden Harvest Food Bank is seeking volunteers to help sort donations in the warehouse. For information, call (706) 736-1199.
Safe Kids East Central Georgia is seeking volunteers to help with events, such as car seat and bicycle checks, and to lead ongoing programs that teach safety to children and teens. Training is provided. For information, call (706) 721-7606.
Volunteer opportunities are available at the Columbia County Library in Evans. For information, call Jessica Thompson at (706) 863-1946, or e-mail jthompson@ columbiacountyga.gov.
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.
Dulcimer lessons
The Garden City Dulcimer Club is offering free dulcimer lessons. For information, call (706) 868-0120.
Pet adoptions
Happy Tails Rescue holds pet adoptions from 1-4 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday at Tractor Supply, 596 Bobby Jones Expressway. For information, call (706) 955-0438.
Leah High search
The Columbia County Historical Society is seeking photos, information and artifacts related to the former Leah High School for inclusion in a historical display. For information, call Gary or Nancy Blanchard at (706) 541-0043.
Seniors sought
Senior citizens ages 60-older are being sought to work 20 hours per week to help children read. Positions receive an hourly stipend and mileage reimbursement. For information, call Jackie Kennedy at the Senior Citizens Council at (706) 868-0120.
Donations sought
Dropped Stitches, a group at Washington Commons that knits blankets for hospitals and soldiers, is seeking donations of yarn from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily at the retirement community on Washington Commons Drive off Washington Road across from Club Car. For information, call Holley Howard at (706) 860-0402.
WWII vets sought
The Augusta-Richmond County Historical Society is seeking veterans of World War II for videotape interviews as part of the veterans history project. Volunteers to conduct the interviews also are needed. For information, call (706) 738-8242.
Recycling
Drop-off containers for plastics recycling, newspapers, office paper and cardboard are now available at the Columbia County Government Complex.
Rotary meets
The Columbia County West Rotary Club meets at 12:15 p.m. each Tuesday at Lewis Memorial United Methodist Church on Columbia Road at Lewiston Road. For information, call Richard Swann at (706) 868-3559.
Hope Soap
Hope Soap, a private, nonprofit 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.
Coast Guard Auxiliary meets
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary meets the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Mi Rancho Mexican Restaurant, 4534 Washington Road, Evans. For information, call John VanOsdol at (864) 391-2170.
Optimists meet
The Martinez-Evans Optimist Club meets at noon each Thursday at the Jones Creek Clubhouse. For information, call (706) 830-5730.
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.
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 (706) 556-3962.
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.
NAMI meeting
The Augusta Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness 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. to 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.
Harvest help
Golden Harvest Food Bank is seeking volunteer groups of 10-20 people, ages 13 and up, for Saturday help in sorting donated products. For information or to reserve a time, call (706) 736-1199.