Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010

Community Notes

Grief support group

Grief 101, a support group for those who have experienced the loss of a loved one, will be held from 10 a.m. till noon Saturday, Jan. 23, at Amedisys Hospice Services, 220 Fidelity Court, Garner. Refreshments will be served. For more details, call 773-4865 or e-mail aritter3225@amedisys.com.

Pruning fruit trees

A fruit tree training and pruning demonstration will be held at the Central Crops Research Station, 13223 U.S. 70 Business, Clayton, from 10 a.m. till noon Saturday, Jan. 30. Dr. Mike Parker will lead the workshop. For more details, call Shawn Banks at 919-989-5380 or e-mail shawn_banks@ncsu.edu.

King Day service

A celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 18, at First Missionary Baptist Church at the corner of Fourth and Caswell Streets in Smithfield. The Rev. Sterling Freeman, the church's interim pastor, will speak. He is a gradaute of Davidson University. The Jubilators of Durham, the First Missionary Male Chorus and Judge Robert Bryant will sing. Dinner will follow in the fellowship hall.

Farmers market

The Garner Revitalization Association will open a farmers market this spring. Anyone interested in selling locally-grown produce or other products should e-mail downtowngarner@nc.rr.com or go to downtowngarner.com and click the "contact us" link.

Blood drive

The American Red Cross will host a blood drive from 3 till 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, at St. Mary Mother of the Church in Garner.

The event is part of Garner's Day of Giving. The church is located at 1008 Vandora Springs Road. For more details, call Peggy Roberts at 779-4326.

Pageant, fundraiser

The Clayton Kiwanis Club will host the Miss Catastrophe all-male beauty pageant at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, at The Clayton Center, 111 E. 2nd St. Proceeds from the event help area needy children. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door. For more details, call 553-0462 or e-mail whittb@pyebarkerfiresafety.com.

Buying a home

A free homebuyer's workshop is scheduled from 6:30 till 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, at the Johnston County Workforce Development Center, 135 Bestwood Drive, Clayton. For more information, call 919-634-5206.

Flu shots ongoing

The Johnston County Public Health Department will offer the H1N1 flu vaccine to adults through Jan. 29. Hours are 8:30-11 a.m. Monday through Friday at the health department, 517 N. Bright Leaf Blvd., Smithfield. Citizens should bring their insurance information and card. The health department will be closed Jan. 18 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Blood drives

The Red Cross in Johnston County has scheduled the following blood drives:

Jan. 14 -- 2:30-7 p.m., Kenly Missionary Baptist Church, 306 E. 2nd St., Kenly.

Jan. 17 -- 12:30-5 p.m., Food Lion, 12330 N.C. 210 in the McGee's Crossroads community.

Jan. 19 -- 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Johnston Community College, 245 College Road, Smithfield.

Jan. 29 -- 3-7 p.m., Providence Presbyterian Church, 14664 N.C. 210 in the McGee's Crossroads community.

Jan. 30 -- Branch Chapel Free Will Baptist Church, 7438 N.C. 96 North, Selma.

Making herbal soap

A seminar on making herbal soap is scheduled from 6:30 till 9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20, at the Johnston Community College Arboretum, 1240 E. Market St., Smithfield. Participants will make soaps to take home. The cost is $25. For more details, call 919-209-2052.

King Memorial

A Martin Luther King Jr. memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 18, at the Richard B. Harrison Alumni Center, 605 W. Noble St., Selma. The service will feature a speaker, singing and instrumental music. Refreshments will follow.

Contestants sought

The Miss Johnston County Scholarship Pageant is seeking contestants. The pageant is open to women ages 17-24 who live in or attend school in one of the following counties: Johnston, Wake, Harnett, Sampson, Wayne, Wilson or Nash. The deadline to enter is Jan. 21. For more information, send an e-mail to MissJohnstonEd@aol.com. The pageant will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, in the Paul A. Johnston Auditorium at Johnston Community College. The winner receive scholarship dollars, and she will represent Johnston County in the Miss North Carolina pageant.

Separately, the Miss Johnston County Scholarship Organization is seeking contestants for Outstanding Teen pageants in Johnston County and Garner. Those pageants are open to girls ages 13-17. The deadlines and contact information are the same.

Fish fry Saturday

A fish fry is scheduled from 11 a.m. till 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 16, at the Richard B. Harrison Alumni Center, 605 W. Noble St., Selma. Fish plates are $7.50. Add chicken for $1 more. Takeout will be available.

Donations sought

The Youth Division of the Johnston County NAACP will visit the International Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro on Saturday, Feb. 27. The youth are seeking sponsors for the trip, which is $25 per person. To help, send an e-mail to youth advisor Gracie Wells Chamblee at graciechamblee@juno.com, call Chamblee at 919-553-8729, send an e-mail to the Rev. Russell Cotten at Info@russellcotten.org or call NAACP president Timothy Hodges at 919-780-1135.

Valentine Ball

Harbor Inc. will hold its annual Valentine Ball from 7:30 till 11 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, at the Johnston County Agricultural Center, 2736 N.C. 210, Smithfield. The night will feature food, drink and dancing to music by the Upbeats. The cost is $50 per person with beer and wine, or $45 per person without. For tickets, call Harbor at 919-938-3566.

Sleep apnea support

A sleep apnea support group will meet from 5:30 till 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, at Active Healthcare, 935 Shotwell Road, Clayton. The event is the quarterly meeting of the Johnston County group A.W.A.K.E. -- Alert, Well & Keeping Energetic. The speaker will be Dr. Benjamin Atkeson of Wake Heart and Vascular Associates in Clayton. CPAP Sleep specialists will be on hand to showcase the latest equipment and to provide educational resources. For details, call 919-870-8600.

Gardening seminar

The gardening seminar, Gardening 101: Growing Your Own Produce, will be held from 6:30 till 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3, at the Arboretum at Johnston Community College.

This hands-on class focuses on spring gardens, how to test and prepare beds, selecting spring vegetables and herbs, bed preparation, vegetable care and maintenance. Participants will leave with soil test kits, garden plans, and seed starts for a successful vegetable garden. The arboretum is located at 1240 E. Market St., Smithfield. For more details, call 919-209-2052.

TOPS to meet

Take Off Pounds Sensibly, or TOPS for short, will meet Tuesday, Jan. 26, at First Christian Church, 101 S. Crescent Drive, Smithfield. Weigh-in will be at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will follow at 6. Newcomers are welcomed to join the nonprofit weight-loss support group. A one-year membership is $26. The first meeting is free. For more information, visit tops.org or call Julie Gudac at 919-989-5500.

King Day service

A celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 18, at Shiloh Christian Disciples of Christ Church, 211 Durham St., Smithfield. Dr. Moses Goldmon will speak. He is director of special projects at Shaw University in Raleigh. The service will include the presentation of the Bishop F.J. Matthews Distinguished Service Award.