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Community Briefs

From staff reports

Published: October 15, 2008

Eastfield Elementary School's Improvement Team will hold a parent advisory meeting today at 3 p.m. in the media center. For more information, call 652-3730.

The 25th annual Marion Rotary Club auction will be held Thursday beginning at 6 p.m. in the Marion Community Building. Items will include new furniture, vacation home rentals, gift certificates and more. Food will also be for sale. All proceeds will go toward Rotary-sponsored charities.

The Corpening Memorial YMCA and Marion Christian Academy will hold a fall festival Friday beginning at 6 p.m., on the grounds of MCA's new campus, located on N.C. 226 South. Lots of entertainment, food, inflatables, trampolines, etc. For more information, call 659-9622. This year's theme will be Disney's "Cars."

The McDowell High yearbook staff is currently taking orders for the 2009 yearbook. To order, contact Wayne Greene at 652-7920. Also, senior baby ads will be accepted through this week and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Marion Moose Family Center will hold a turkey shoot every Saturday in Oct. and Nov. beginning at 10 a.m. The shoot is open to the public and proceeds will go toward the upcoming Christmas project.

Old Fort Elementary PTO will hold a yard sale on Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon. The cost is $10 to reserve a space. For more information, call 668-7646.
Sen. Marc Basnight and Congressman Heath Shuler will hold a oyster roast Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Tom Johnson's Camground in support of Sen. Joe Sam Queen. Come out for free oysters, ribs, shrimp, music and dancing. Fo rmore information, visit www.joesamqueen.com.

Descendants of Charles T. and Betty Staton Boyd will hold a family reunion Sunday at the Marion Community Building. Fellowship begins at 12:30 p.m. and lunch at 1 p.m. Utensils, paper products and beverages provided. Bring a well-filled food basket. For information, call Valorie at 442-7520.

The annual Levi and Eliza Jane Blankenship Fender reunion will be held Sunday at Hillcrest Free Will Baptist Church. A covered-dish luncheon will be served at 1 p.m. For more information, call 652-5402 or 659-5550.

Abundant Life Outreach's Marion campus, located at Corpening Memorial YMCA, will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday evenings. For more information, call 765-9935 or visist www.abundantlifeoutreach.com.

The following classes will be offered at MACA: a belly dancing class beginning Monday and running four weeks from 7 to 8 p.m.; and a beginner oil painting workshop class starting Tuesday, Oct. 21 and running four weeks from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For cost and registration, call 652-8610.

McDowell Technical Community College will offer a Medical Terminology I course beginning Monday and running each Monday, Wednesday and Friday for eight weeks from 9:30 to 11:20 a.m. Students can register at McDowell Tech and must have taken a placement test prior to enrollment.

The JobLink Career Center will hold the following classes for October: ABE/GED orientation on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., and Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 9 a.m. To register, call 659-6001, ext. 105.

The McDowell Senior Center offers line dance lessons each Tuesday from 6 to 7 p.m. Class is open to all ages at a cost of $25 for five weeks. To register, call 652-8953, ext. 315.

The McDowell Hospital's Community Outreach Program will administer flu shots at the following locations:; Wednesday, Oct. 22 at P.G. Baptist Church from 4 to 6 p.m.; and Friday, Oct. 24 at Crooked Creek Store in Old Fort from 1 to 3 p.m. Cost is $30 and free for those who bring their Medicare card.

North Cove Elementary has vendor space available for the upcoming fall festival to be held Friday, Oct. 24. The festival will begin with a pizza dinner at 5:30 p.m. and run until 8 p.m. To reserve a vendor space, call 756-4342.

A car show will be held at Nebo Elementary on Saturday, Oct. 25 with signups beginning at 10 a.m., and the show at 11. In the event of rain, the show will be rescheduled for Nov. 1. All makes and models are welcome. For more information, send an e-mail to info@nebovfd.com.

The Marion High Class of 1968 will hold a class reunion on Oct. 25 at Silver Creek Golf and Country Club, beginning at 5 p.m. For more information, call Phillip Tate at 652-7414.

The Whitehouse Community Center will hold a chicken pie supper Saturday, Oct. 25 beginning at 4 p.m. Cost is $7 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-12, and those under 6 eat for free. Menu items will include chicken pie, green beans, creamed potatoes, macaroni, slaw, biscuits, drink and dessert. Live bluegrass music will be performed by the Norris West family.
Sunrise Rehabilitation and Care Center will hold a cruise-in Saturday, Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. onsite. There will also be hourly drawings and free hot dogs. For more information, call 652-3032.

Sky Island Campground will have a haunted trail, children's costume contest, and pet dress up pageant beginning Thursday, Oct. 30 through Sunday, Nov. 2. Those who are camping at this time are encouraged to decorate their site. Prizes will be awarded. There will also be pumpkin painting and apple bobbing. For more information, call 668-4928. The campground is located on Flatlander Drive in Old Fort.

Anyone who was part of the McDowell High class of 1978 is asked to contact Jeff Price at (919) 201-6197 or by e-mail at bornheel@yahoo.com, in regards to the upcoming reunion in October. You may also contact Sandy Revis-Gibbs at 724-9139 or via e-mail at ncnature@yahoo.com.

The McDowell County Board of Commissioners is now accepting applications for one vacancy on the Jury Commission. Appointees shall be qualified voters of the county and serve a two-year term. Job duties for the Jury Commission include preparing a list of prospective jurors and minimal compensation is provided. Applications are available at www.mcdowellgov.com or may be picked up in the office of Clerk to the Board in Room 124 of the County Administration Building.

Helping Hands Thrift Store needs donations of resale items. Clothing, furniture, house wares or any other goods are greatly appreciated. All proceeds go to benefit Hospice. Drop offs may be made during regular store hours; every day but Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 659-1474

McDowell County Head Start's Sugar Hill Center has slots available for children ages 3-5. Cost is $90 per week. Child vouchers are accepted. For more information, call 652-3229 or visit the office at 2111 Sugar Hill Road.

McDowell County 4-H Shooting Sports Club is forming teams to begin practice for the upcoming state tournament. Those interested in joining are asked to contact Chad Ray at 652-8104.

Anyone interested in joining a support group for thyroid cancer patients, as well as their families and caregivers, is asked to call Terri Gates at 724-4849 or e-mail her at tlgates@verizon.net. A thyroid cancer survivor, Gates wants to hold positive, informal sessions.

The Reiki Healing Circle group will meet every third Wednesday of the month at Open Hands Natural Healing Center, located at 76 South Main St. The session will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information, call 527-2563 or 442-3314.

Mysticism, Mythology and Magic is seeking free thinkers for a discussion group. To join, call 527-7839.

The Bear Clan Medicine Lodge will meet on the second and fourth Sunday of each month at the Old Fort library, located on Mitchell Street. For more information, contact lavonneemery@yahoo.com or call 803-7269.

Little Tikes Enrichment Academy, located at the Corpening Memorial YMCA, is now enrolling for the 2008-2009 school year. Classes are 8 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday, for ages 2 to 5 years. The Y is also enrolling students for the afterschool program. For more information, call Lori Frommer at 659-9622, ext.115.

Isothermal Planning and Development Commission, along with the Department of Energy is offering a Weatherization Assistance Program to help low-income families save money on their energy bills. For more information, contact Becky McKelvey at (828) 287-2281, ext. 1238.

The McDowell Recreation Center's swimming pool is open Monday through Friday from 12 to 5 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for children.

Money is available to serve children 3 to 5 years old in need of assistance with dental care. Applications are available from the McDowell Partnership for Children & Families, located at 70 N. Main St. in Marion. Funding is limited. For more information, call 659-2462.

Children in the community who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect need a caring adult to look out for their best interests while in the court system. To find out how you can become a Guardian ad Litem, call 652-4632.

Al-Anon, a support group for families and friends of alcoholics and/or drug users, meets each Wednesday at 8 p.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church parish house, 339 S. Main St. Teens welcome. For more information, call 652-0088.

A Narcotics Anonymous group meets every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 8 to 9 p.m. and an Alcoholics Anonymous group meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from noon to 1 p.m. Both groups meet at the Hut of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church on West Court Street.

The McDowell Senior Center offers free computer classes taught by McDowell Tech for seniors 65 or older. Classes are offered on Monday and Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. To register, call Cheryl Woody at 652-8953, ext. 315.

A McDowell County Alzheimer's support group will meet on the first Tuesday of each month at the McDowell Senior Center from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. For more information, call (828) 254-7363.

Local information and services are now available at the Web site www.mcdowellinfo.com. Included are a calendar of events and Web listings for the arts, business support services, education, healthcare, local government, McDowell County facts, public support systems and tourism.

If you or someone you know is a veteran of World War II and currently living in McDowell County, the McDowell County veterans services officer requests you submit a letter with your name, address and phone number for a registry to be made of all survivors. Information will remain private. Information may be submitted to CVSO, 100 Spaulding Road, Marion, NC 28752.

The Marion group of Alcoholics Anonymous meets every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from 8 to 9 p.m. at St. John's Episcopal parish house located at 339 S. Main St.

The McDowell News has hundreds of old photos from its archives that are now available to the public. These photos are from 1985 to 2000 and include sports events, group photos and random shots of people and places throughout McDowell. You can buy three photos for $1. All money collected will go toward the Newspapers in Education campaign. You can stop by the office at 136 Logan St. and look through the pictures published in our newspapers throughout the years.

McDowell County Animal Shelter has applications for adoption dogs that have been spayed/neutered, vaccinated and completed an eight-week obedience training class issued by the N.C. Division of Prisons. The adoption fee is $150. For more information, call 652-6643.

HOPE, Helping Other People Excel, a non-profit organization for mentally and physically handicapped people, is looking for donations of money or time to start an activity center. For more information, call 652-5917.

Extra McDowell High yearbooks are available for sale, with the release date being Wednesday. Cost is $63.99 and books may be purchased by contacting the school at 652-7920.