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Community Briefs

From staff reports

Published: January 21, 2009

Corpening Memorial YMCA will waive their joining fee every Friday in January, for those interested in signing up for a membership. For more information, call 659-9622.

Emergency workers are in need of junk cars for training at the McDowell Fire & Rescue College. Anyone who would like to donate an old car should call the McDowell County Rescue Squad at 652-6033.

The JobLink Career Center will hold the following classes for January: ABE/GED orientation Tuesday at 9 a.m.; a workplace computer literacy course beginning Monday through Friday, Jan. 30 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.; A career planning and assessment course on Monday through Friday, Jan. 30 from 9 a.m. to noon; and a resume, application and job search course today through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. To register, call 659-6001, ext. 105.

The Transition to Kindergarten Task Force will meet today at 4 p.m. at the McDowell County Schools' Central Office. The meeting will be held in the boardroom. Interested parents, preschool and kindergarten teachers, and school administrators are encouraged to attend. For more information, call the Partnership for Children at 659-2462.

The McDowell County Partnership for Children & Families will have a board of directors planning meeting today from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the Business Services Building at The McDowell Hospital. Call 659-2462 for more information.

The McDowell County Republican Party will hold its monthly dinner meeting at Countryside Bar-B-Que on Thursday at 6 p.m. Future meetings will be every fourth Thursday of each month. Call 460-2400 or 442-8059 for details.

Sheriff Dudley Greene will hold a community meeting at Sugar Hill-Montford Cove Volunteer Fire Department on Thursday at 7 p.m. Members of the community are urged to meet with him about their concerns, needs and ideas.

The McDowell County Historical Society will meet Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Visitors Center to discuss business and elect officers.

Marion City Council will hold a special meeting Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Marion Community Building. The meeting is to give the public an opportunity to ask questions to city officials and utility providers. Duke Energy, Verizon, Charter Communications, PSNC Energy, N.C. DOT, UPS and more. For questions, call 652-3551.

Free computer classes are starting up again at the McDowell County Public Library every Thursday at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. Beginner's level in introduction to computing, Windows, word processing, digital cameras, Internet, e-mail, and other subjects will be offered. For more information, call 652-3858.

The American Red Cross will hold blood drives in McDowell at the following locations and times: Nebo First Baptist Church on Friday from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m.; Marion Community Building on Wednesday, Jan. 28 from 2 to 7 p.m.; and McDowell Tech on Jan. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For more information, call 652-6531.

Relay For Life will hold its annual kick-off Monday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the media center of McDowell High. Anyone interested in forming a team or learning more about Relay for Life is encouraged to attend. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the fund-raiser so come help "Party with Purpose".

Registration is currently being offered for the following MACA classes: "Music for Young Minds" for children ages 3 to 6 beginning Thursday, Jan. 29 at 11 a.m. or 5 p.m., and running eight weeks; guitar for beginners starting Monday, Jan. 26 at 5:30 p.m., and running four weeks (bring your own guitar); and a beginner's woodturning class held Jan. 27 to 29 at noon, 2:30 and 5 p.m. For more information, call 652-8610.

Fresh Start facilitators Sheree Bright and Mary Smith will hold a six-week smoking cessation support group beginning Tuesday, Jan. 27 to Feb. 24 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the McDowell Health Department Education Room. Space is limited, so call 652-6811, ext. 1336 or ext. 1334 to reserve a seat.

The Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program is taking applications for the 13-hour training session beginning Thursday, Jan. 29. Cost is $75. For more information, call 652-8104.

McDowell High's counseling department will hold a meeting Thursday, Jan. 29 from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. in the library. Information on high school registration and supporting your student will be shared, along with a free continental breakfast. Registration begins in February for all junior high and high schools. For more information, call Kendall Waugh at 652-7920.

McDowell High yearbooks are still on sale and can be purchased by calling Wayne Greene at 652-7920 or (866) 282-1516. Deadline is Jan. 30.

The McDowell Honeybees Chapter and N.C. Cooperative Extension Service are offering a beekeeping short course for new and experienced beekeepers during the following dates and times: Saturday, Jan. 31 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 1 from 1 to 4 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 8 from 1 to 4 p.m.; and Saturday, Feb. 14 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. The course will be held in the multi-purpose room of Corpening Memorial YMCA. Preregistration is required and can be done by sending an e-mail to Jane_McDaniel@ncsu.edu, or by calling 652-8104. Deadline is Jan. 28.

College scholarships are now available through the N.C. Extension and Community Association for 2009. High school seniors or adult students are encouraged to apply. For more information or to receive an application, call 652-7874. Deadline is March 1.

Hospice of Rutherford County, who cares for patients in McDowell County, is looking for volunteers to assist in a myriad of programs and services. Regardless of age, time, or talent, you can make a difference in someone's life. Those interested in volunteering are asked to contact Teresa Fowler at (800) 218-CARE or by e-mail at tfowler@hospiceofrutherford.org.

Fabulous Finds Thrift Store needs volunteers to help sort, hang clothes, and advocate to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. For more information, call 652-4843.

McSmiles Preschool has openings available. Those interested can call Dawn at 442-4534.

McDowell County Senior Center will offer a Zumba fitness class on Thursday evenings beginning Feb. 5 from 6 to 7 p.m. Cost is $5 per class or $20 for four weeks. To register, call 652-8953.

A mandatory meeting for McDowell County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council will be held Thursday, Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. in the boardroom of the school district's Central Office building.

The McDowell High Class of 1999 is planning a 10-year reunion. If you are a graduate and plan on attending, e-mail mcdowellreunion99@gmail.com.

A reunion for anyone who attended Marion High, formerly located on West Court Street, will be held June 27 at the National Guard Armory. Anyone who hasn't received a mailed notification is asked to contact Leon Daniel at (757) 867-4929 or by e-mail at rldaniel@cox.net.
Helping Hands Thrift Store needs donations of resale items. Clothing, furniture, housewares 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.

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.

Anyone interested in joining the newly formed Young Democrats group may do so by calling Joel at 460-0791.
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.

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.