Tuesday, May. 12, 2009

Community Matters: May 13 - 20

Fair seeks exhibitors

A health fair in Selma is seeking exhibitors. The Community Health Fair is scheduled from 9 a.m. till 1 p.m. Saturday, May 30, at the Harrison Alumni Building in Selma. For more information, call Laveshia Johnson at 376-0019.

Writers’ group Garner area writers are invited to an informal meeting at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 14, at Swift Creek Coffee House. The coffee house is located at 5th Avenue at Forest Hills, Garner. For details, call 773-2001.

Rape defense class The Garner Police Department will host a rape defense seminar for women from 10 a.m. till 2 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at the West District Police Substation, 1809 Garner Station Boulevard. The State Bureau of Investigation reports that one completed rape occurs in North Carolina every four hours. This rape defense seminar focuses on the fact that women who resist an attack are less likely to be raped than those who don’t. Participants will be taught and allowed to practice methods on how to be mentally and physically prepared to resist the attack. To register, call Senior Officer Troy Young at 772-8810.

Prenatal fitness

Rex Wellness in Garner has scheduled a prenatal fitness class. Starting May 13, the class will meet from 7 till 8 p.m. Wednesdays through June 17. It will offer cardiovascular workouts, strength training and stretching. Written permission from your doctor is required. The cost is $54 for members and $66 for nonmembers. For more information, call 661-6100.

Overeaters Anonymous

Overeaters Anonymous meets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at Sovereign King Church, 110 Donmoor Court off of Mechanical Boulevard in Garner. For more information, call Dale at 630-2592.

Seminar series

The Johnston County Mental Health Center will offer “Live Your Life Well,” a seminar series, in May. Here is the schedule: May 13 — “Alcohol and Substance Abuse — How They Affect Our Community.” May 20 — “Tips for Parenting Teens.” May 27 — “Managing Stress During Challenging Times.” All sessions will run from noon till 1 p.m. in Wesley Hall at Centenary United Methodist Church, 140 E. Market St., Smithfield. Those attending may bring a bag lunch. The Mental Health Center will provide drinks and dessert. Registration is not required. For more information, call Pam Radford at 989-5500.

Volunteers sought

Basic Needs Ministry is seeking volunteers for its library in the Cleveland community. Volunteers may work from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m. Saturdays and from 6 till 9 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays. The library is at 5533 N.C. 42 West near Interstate 40. For more information, call 661-6585 or visit 4042needs.org/library/.

Free health seminar

A free seminar on hormone-replacement therapy is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, May 14, at Tom Jones Drug, 101 Timber Pointe Lane, Garner. Women will learn how to test their hormone levels and take control of their menopause symptoms. Seating is limited to the first 50 people. To reserve a seat, call 1-800-891-2640.

‘Hero Packs’

A Johnston County 4-H’er is filling backpacks for children of U.S. soldiers who are overseas. For her “Hero Packs,” the 4-H’er is seeking donations of stationery, journals, envelopes, stamps, pencil pouches, pens, pencils, colored pencils, markers, crayons, coloring books, stickers, rulers, stuffed animals, play cards, yo-yos, key chains, miniature Etch A Sketches, three-inch by three-inch photo albums, disposable cameras, photo frames, photo books, scrapbook supplies and small scrapbooks. Johnstonians may mail or carry their donations to the Johnston County Agricultural Center, 2736 N.C. 210, Smithfield. Mailed donations should be to the attention of “Hero Packs,” in care of Johnston County 4-H, Cooperative Extension Service.

‘Homegrown Jihad’

A screening of “Homegrown Jihad” is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, May 26, at the Garner Historic Auditorium, 742 West Garner Road, Garner. A trailer of the video is online at christianaction.org. Admission is free; the Raleigh chapter of ACT for America will accept donations.

Block party

The Cobblestone Homeowners Association in Clayton will host a neighborhood block party from 2 till 5 p.m. Saturday, May 16. The event will include a fire truck from the Clayton Fire Department, the Clayton Police K-9 unit and McGruff the Crime Dog, as well as other activities.

Kids’ safety day

A kids’ safety day will be held from 9:30 till 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 30, at JKO Karate in the Southside Shopper building, 2327 Timber Drive, Garner. The event will feature the Eddie Eagle gun safety program for pre-K through third-graders. The Garner Police Department will also teach bullying awareness and prevention for children and parents. All attendees must pre-register. Go to garnersafetyday.com to find out more.

‘Island’ auditions

The Clayton Youth Theater will soon hold auditions for its summer musical, “Once On This Island.” Auditions will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 28, and 1 p.m. Saturday, May 30, at The Clayton Center, 111 E. 2nd. St. The play is a re-telling of the traditional “Little Mermaid” story. Students interested must be in seventh- through 12th-grade during the 2009-10 school year. Class of 2009 high school graduates are also eligible. For details about the audition, call 553-1737 or go to claytonyouththeater.com.

Parenting workshop

A parenting workshop is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 20, in Room J1630 of the Public Safety Services Building at Johnston Community College, 245 College Road, Smithfield. Admission is free. Dr. Joyce Willard Teal of Dallas, Texas, will speak. She is the author of numerous parenting books, including “Are You Raising One of the Next Generation of Hoodlums?”

Cleveland Library

The Cleveland Library is now open from 6 till 9 p.m. Thursdays. Other hours are 6 till 9 p.m. Mondays and 9 a.m. till 6 p.m. Saturdays. The library is at 5533 N.C. 42 in the Cleveland community.

Sleep apnea support

A sleep apnea support group will meet from 5:30 till 7 p.m. Thursday, May 14, at the Clayton Center, 111 E. 2nd St., Clayton. The meeting, titled AWAKE — Awake, Well and Keeping Energetic — is sponsored by Active Healthcare. Dr. Kim Goring will speak on sleep apnea and its effects on hypertension, heart disease and diabetes. CPAP sleep specialists will be on hand to showcase the latest equipment and to provide educational resources. A meal will be provided. For more details, or to make reservations, call 870-8600, Ext. 250, or e-mail sleep@activehealthcare.com.

Senior Citizen Day

Senior Citizen Day is scheduled from 11 a.m. till 1 p.m. Friday, May 22, at The Clayton Center, 111 E. 2nd St., Clayton. The event will feature entertainment, food and door prizes. For more information, call 553-1555.

MOMS meet

The MOMS Club of Clayton invites new moms and moms new to the area to its next meeting at 9:45 a.m. Thursday, May 14, at Everett Chapel Baptist Church. The church is located behind the Burger King off U.S. 70 in Clayton. Snacks and drinks are provided. The group meets the second Thursday of each month. MOMS, an acronym for Moms Offering Moms Support, is an international civic group for mothers who have chosen to stay at home with their children, including those who work part time or out of their homes. For more details about membership, e-mail momsclayton@gmail.com or call 763-0522.

Contestants sought

The Johnston County Area Pageant is seeking contestants from birth to age 18. The pageant, scheduled for May 17 in Buies Creek, is a preliminary to the Little Miss North Carolina Scholarship Pageant. For an application, call Deborah Honeycutt-Johnson at 552-1531 or 796-2107 no later than May 10.

Benefit for children

Kuttin’ Up! Salon in Garner is hosting a charity massage day. Proceeds will benefit Childhelp, an agency that helps children who are victims of child abuse. The event will be held from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at the salon. A minimum donation of $20 is required, and appointments must be made. Call 696-4878 to make an appointment. The salon is located at 90 Technology Drive, Garner.

Dance show

The DanZe Zone dance studio in Garner will host its annual dance recital at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 30. The studio is located at 319 U.S. 70 E. in Garner. For more details, call 772-7755.

Community yard sale

Garner Parks and Recreation will host a community yard sale fom 7:30 till 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 30, at Lake Benson Park. Spots are 12-feet-by-12-feet and are available for $20. For details, call 772-4688.

Drug awareness event

A drug awareness event for parents of teenagers will be held at Johnston Community College from 6:30 till 8:30 p.m. Monday, May 18. The event, presented by Leadership Johnston, is free but registration is required. For more details, e-mail dnarron@pfcjc.org, or call 202-0002, ext. 241.

Work after 50

The JobLink Career Center in Smithfield will offer a workshop titled “Steps to Finding the Work You Want After 50.” The workshop is scheduled from 9 till 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 27, at Capital Area JobLink on the campus of Johnston Community College, 245 College Road, Smithfield. To register, call Lisa Ramsey at (919) 856-5998 or go to joblinkcc.com.

A chance to Volunteer

The Fuller Center for Housing, a nonprofit agency that works to end poverty, is seeking donations and volunteers. For more details, or to donate, e-mail Mike Steward at mstweard7@hotmail.com or call 669.8449. To learn more about the Fuller Center, go to fullercenter.org.

Industrial maintenance

Johnston Community College will offer an introduction to Programmable Logic Control, PLC. Starting May 18, the class will meet from 6 till 9 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays through July 27. Classes will meet in the Britt Building on the Smithfield campus, 245 College Road. The cost is $55. To register in advance, which is required, call Jackie Seare at 209-2595.

New-supervisor class

This summer, Johnston Community College will offer a four-session class for new supervisors. The topics are “The Role of the Supervisor,” “Communications Toolbox,” “Compliance and Legal issues in the Workplace” and “Performance Management.” The classes are free. To enroll, call Jackie Seare at 209-2595.

‘Budget Wise’

A free workshop titled “Budget Wise: Surviving a Tough Economy” is scheduled from 5 till 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 14, at the Johnston County Agricultural Center, 2736 N.C. 210, Smithfield. For more information, or to register, call Jayne Cubilla at 989-5380.