Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012

Community Notes

Black History in Garner

A Black History Month celebration is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, at the Garner Senior Center, 205 E. Garner Road, Garner. Mayor Ronnie Williams will issue a proclamation, and The Branchettes, "Mae" Perry and Wilbur Tharpe will perform.

Groundhog Day celebration

The town of Garner will hold its annual Groundhog Day celebration from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, at the White Deer Park Nature Center, 2400 Aversboro Road, Garner. Mortimer the Groundhog will make his prediction at noon. The day will offer educational activities, crafts and games for children, who will also have a chance to meet Mortimer.

Valentines for Veterans

Until Feb. 5, library visitors to Wake County libraries may make a Valentine greeting for veterans. Supplies are provided, and the cards will be delivered to area veterans centers and the Durham veterans hospital in time for Valentine's Day. The Garner library is at 908 Seventh Ave. For more information, call Connie Harr at 571-6661.

Steak Night

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10225 will serve its monthly steak dinner at 6 p.m. Friday, February 3, at the post, 1706 W. Garner Road, Garner. The cost is $13 and includes a steak cooked to order over charcoal, baked potato, salad and bread. Karaoke will follow with host Steve Pearsall.

Black History Month celebration

A Black History Month celebration is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Wake County Office Park. Free family events will take place in the Wake County Commons Building and Historic Oak View County Park with a hay wagon shuttle operating continuously between the sites. Children's activities include a quilting craft and a quiz wheel with prizes. Displays on genealogy and African-American history will be featured along with the Mollie Huston Lee collection. Door prizes will be awarded throughout the day. At Oak View Historic Park, Shaw University's WSHA-FM 88.9 will be doing a live broadcast and a jam session from noon to 3 p.m. African cuisine from Mawa's Taste of Africa will be available for purchase.

Teen poetry contest

Wake County libraries will accept online submissions for their Teen Poetry Contest from Feb. 1 through March 15 at wakegov.com/libraries. Students in grades 6-12 may submit as many as three original poems. Winners' poems will be published in an online chapbook, and the students will be invited to read in area libraries in April.

Citizens' Police Academy

The Citizens' Police Academy in Garner is accepting applications for the next academy, which will run from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays from Feb. 28 through May. 1. Learn how the police department works, meet officers who work in the community and learn more about what it means to be a police officer in Garner. The goal of this academy is to build relationships between officers and the community through better understanding of police jobs and functions. It is designed also to provide a forum for feedback and suggestions for improvement. The academy is for Garner residents ages 18 and older with no felony or misdemeanor convictions within the last year. To register, visit garnernc.gov/Departments/Police/CitizensAcademy.aspx.

GOP Women to meet

The Republican Women of Cary and Southwestern Wake will meet at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary. The social begins at 11:30, followed by the luncheon and program at noon. Tony Gurley, candidate for lieutenant governor, will speak. The cost for lunch is $15. To attend, call 303-8870. For more information, visit rwcsw.org.

Pork, chicken plates

The Garner Optimist Club will serve plates of barbecued pork and chicken from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, at the clubhouse, 2110 Vandora Springs Road, Garner. Takeout will be available.

Hopekids Preschool open houses

Hopekids Preschool will hold open houses at 10 a.m. Feb. 1 and Feb. 8 in the lobby of Newhope Church, 2967 Benson Road, Garner. Hopekids Garner is a half-day Christian preschool program. For more information, visit newhopenc.org and click on children/hopekids preschool; email hopekidsgarner@newhopenc.org; or call 779-6687.

Black history event

A Black History Month program is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield, 305 E. Market St., Smithfield. Admission is free.

Earl Ijames, a curator at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh, will speak on "Colored Confederates." Many people are not aware that men of color were soldiers in the Confederate Army.

Trees for sale

The Johnston Soil and Water Conservation District is taking orders for loblolly pines, Eastern red cedars and hardwoods. Available hardwoods include waxmyrtle, Eastern redbud, black walnut, common persimmon and baldcypress. Orders will be taken until supplies run out. Pines will be sold in bundles of 25. Cedars and hardwoods will be sold in bundles of 10. Seedling prices are $10 per bundle. Distribution of the seedlings will Wednesday, Feb. 8, at the Johnston County Agricultural Center, 2736 N.C. 210, Smithfield. To place an order, call 934-7156, Ext. 3.

Retirees to meet

The Johnston County chapter of the National Association for Active and Retired Federal Employees will meet at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, at Golden Corral on East Market Street near Interstate 95 in Smithfield.

NAACP seeks volunteers

The Johnston County NAACP is seeking volunteers for get-out-the-vote campaigns this year. To learn more, call 285-9654 or email pr@jcncnaaco.info.

Breakfast to benefit Kenly museum

A breakfast to benefit the Tobacco Farm Life Museum in Kenly is scheduled for 8 a.m. Friday, Feb. 3, in the Holshouser Building on the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. The cost is $20 per person. For reservations, or for information, call the museum at 284-3431 or email gayle@tobaccofarmlifemuseum.org.

Cornhole tournament

A cornhole tournament is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, in the Princeton High School gym. Proceeds will go to Cub Scout Pack 23. The cost is $40 and includes two event T-shirts and entry into the winner-take-all, double-elimination tournament. Hot dogs and other concessions will be available. For information, call Tracy Price at 273-6423 or email tprice45@nc.rr.com.

AARP tax help

The AARP is returning to Smithfield this year to prepare tax returns for older adults and low-income taxpayers. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays, tax preparers will be at the Community and Senior Services office, 1363 W. Market St., Smithfield. The service starts Feb. 3 and ends April 13. Filers must bring their Social Security card or Medicare card and last year's tax return. To schedule an appointment, call 934-6066.

Flapjack fundraiser

A pancake breakfast to benefit the Johnston County Mental Health Association is scheduled from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, at Applebee's, 1260 N. Bright Leaf Blvd, Smithfield. For tickets, call Marie Dodson at 934-0311.

Antiques Evening

An Antiques Evening is scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, at the Princeton Public Library, 101 Dr. Donnie H. Jones Jr. Blvd., Princeton. Bring one item for a nonbinding evaluation by Albert Kensac of Treasury Antiques in Selma. Admission is $10. For information, or to purchase a ticket, call 965-3627.

4-H club seeks members

The Clover Roots 4-H Club is looking for home-schooled children ages 5-10 who would like to join. The club meets at 2 p.m. Thursdays, once or twice a month, in the Rock Pillar Road area. Last year, meeting topics included culture, seashells, building a slip-and-slide out of recycled materials, incubating and hatching chicken eggs, tie-and-dye, a polygraph demonstration and fishing. For information or to join, call Teresa Byrd at 989-5380.