Military Wives Club to hold dance, luncheon
The Columbus Area Military Wives Club will hold a formal dinner dance Dec. 7 at Kensington Place, Lutheran Village, 1001 Parkview Blvd., Bexley.
For reservations or additional information, call (614) 231-0915 or (614) 527-9529.
The club also will meet for a luncheon Dec. 10 at Kensington Place. A social time will begin at 11:30 a.m., followed by lunch at noon. The Pickerington High School Chorale will entertain.
For reservations, call (614) 231-0915 or (614) 527-9529 before Dec. 3.
Reynoldsburg Police holding blood drive
The Reynoldsburg Division of Police is teaming up with the American Red Cross for a blood drive from noon to 6 p.m. Dec. 10. The holiday season tends to be a critical time for blood donations throughout the United States.
To schedule an appointment, contact Cheryl Kristy at (614) 322-6932. Appointments will run every 15 minutes beginning at noon and ending at 5:45 p.m. Appointments also can be made by calling the American Red Cross at 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.
Authors to sign books at Historical Society
Ten local Columbus authors, including Columbus Messenger Managing Editor and Southeast Messenger Editor Rick Palsgrove will gather at the Columbus Historical Society from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20 to sign copies of their books.
The Columbus Historical Society is located at 51 Jefferson Ave. For more information, e-mail info@columbushistory.org.
Participating books and authors include:
• "Columbus in Vintage Postcards: 1898-1950" (Richard E. Barrett)
• "Columbus: The Musical Crossroads" (Arnett Howard)
• "Baseball in Columbus" (James R. Tootle)
• "Mount Calvary Cemetery" (C. L. Miller)
• "Grove City" (Janet Shailer and Laura Lanese)
• "Upper Arlington" (Stuart J. Koblentz and Kate Erstein)
• "Railroad Depots of Central Ohio" (Mark J. Camp)
• "Groveport and Madison Township" (Richard Lee Palsgrove)
Red Cross offers classes
The American Red Cross of Greater Columbus is offering several courses in December, including the two listed below. Visit columbus.redcross.org for the full calendar of courses available.
Standard First Aid with CPR/AED – Adult teaches American Red Cross Adult CPR, Basic First Aid and AED essentials. Students will learn how to recognize and respond to breathing and cardiac emergencies and other emergencies caused by injury or sudden illness, as well as when and how to use an AED. Cost is $72 and is payable prior to the course date.
The class is offered from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 2 at the Vineyard Church of Columbus in Westerville, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 15 at the American Red Cross in Columbus, or from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Dec. 16 and 18 at the American Red Cross in Columbus.
The Standard First Aid with CPR – Adult Plus CPR – Child and Infant class helps students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to prevent and provide basic care for injuries and sudden illnesses until advanced medical personnel can arrive and take over. Learn to recognize a breathing or cardiac emergency in adults, infants and children. Learn about the role of the Automated External Defibrillator. Cost is $82 and is payable prior to the course date.
The class is offered from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 10 at Dublin Community Church in Dublin, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 13 at Worthington United Methodist Church, or from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Dec. 16, 17 and 18 at the American Red Cross in Columbus.
For more information, call (614) 251-1444.
Winter Break Camp at JCC
Looking for something fun to do for your children over winter break? Come to the JCC of Greater Columbus, where the Children, Youth and Camping Department offers Winter Break Camp.
"We will be going on trips to Supergames, United Skates, Gym Extreme, Galaxy Golf and Games, Chiller, Bowling, and Graters, and we will also be swimming everyday," said Cori Bloch, JCC Children and Youth Program director. "We are going to have a lot of fun."
Week one runs from Dec. 22-26 (No camp on Dec. 25; however, a Family Day is being planned). Week two of Winter Break Camp runs from Dec. 29 through Jan. 2 (No camp on Jan. 1).
Members may register for one week at a discounted rate of $42.50 per day (must register for week one or week two to receive discount). Register for two weeks at a discounted rate of $40 per day (must register for both weeks to receive discount). Individual days of camp are $45 each.
Non-members may register for one week at a discounted rate of $52.50 per day (must register for week one or week two to receive discount). Register for two weeks at a discounted rate of $50 per day (must register for both weeks to receive discount). Individual days of camp for non-members are $55 each.
For more information or to register, contact Cori Bloch at (614) 559-6266 or Sue Vail at (614) 559-6251, or visit the JCC Web site at www.columbusjcc.org.
Maccabi athletes participate in winter Mitzvah Project
The JCC of Greater Columbus’ Maccabi Team Columbus is performing a unique mitzvah (good deed) by collecting new and gently used Winter coats and jackets for the Columbus Blue Jackets’ "Jackets for Jackets" program. Coats donated from now until Nov. 30 will benefit those in local Columbus homeless shelters.
Donation boxes will be set up in the JCC’s lobby, as well as at the JCC North and JCC New Albany Preschools. For more information, contact Shira Hurwitz at shurwitz@columbusjcc.org or (614) 559-6212.
‘Two-fur-one’ adoption
The Capital Area Humane Society has many wonderful cats and kittens up for adoption. For the month of November all cats are eligible for a special Two-FUR-One adoption fee. The public can adopt cats from the shelter and receive two for ("fur") the price of one cat adoption.
This means that every cat will receive the following services for the price of one adoption fee:
• Spay/neuter surgery
• First vaccinations
• Rabies vaccine if the animal is old enough
• Deworming medication
• Flea control
• Feline leukemia test
• Microchipping and microchip registration
"Cats remain our greatest challenge. There is no protection under Ohio law for cats who are lost, unlike dogs which are subject to required holding periods mandated and funded by county dog licenses and tax support," said Jodi Lytle Buckman, executive director of the Capital Area Humane Society.
The Capital Area Humane Society is an open admission shelter for cats, the only shelter in a 100-mile radius with this policy. With an estimated 1 million stray or feral (wild) cats in Central Ohio, the Capital Area Humane Society is most often the only option available for lost and homeless cats. In 2007, the agency sheltered or provided services for 10,342 cats and kittens.
Career center offers help
Need help getting a job? New Directions Career Center (NDCC), a non-profit, United Way agency, offers men and women assistance with professional transitions. Services include but are not limited to professional assessment, career development, networking, job search techniques, interviewing skills, financial literacy, individual counseling and placement services.
November classes are filling up fast. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to get the expertise necessary in today’s competitive job market. NDCC assists individuals regardless of their ability to pay. Bring in this newspaper announcement and attend a class for $5. Scholarship programs are also available.
For more information, or to register for one of three November classes – New Directions, Advanced Career Techniques, and Creating Career Options – call (219) 849-0028, ext. 100.
Bexley leaf collection dates
The Bexley Service Department has begun its annual leaf collection program, which will end Dec. 19.
Leaves should be placed on the back side of the curb and not raked into the street or placed on the park beds under any circumstances. Leaves left in the streets slow collections, can cause street flooding, create traffic hazards and can clog the city’s storm water collection system. It is unlawful to place leaves in the street and violators can be cited. No leaves will be picked up from the alleys.
One leaf collection crew will begin on the west side of each section of the city. How quickly the leaves are collected will depend on the weather and the volume of leaves placed out for collection.
Residents can visit the city’s Web site at www.bexley.org or call the hotline at (614) 559-4202 for a daily schedule of collection activities.
Fall Turkey Shoot Sundays
The Reynoldsburg Lions Club will host their Annual Fall Turkey Shoot every Sunday now through Nov. 23 at 13685 Basil Road. Take U.S. 40 East nine miles east of Reynoldsburg and turn south on York Road for two miles. York turns into Basil Road.
The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shots are $2.50 each with prizes of bacon, turkey or cash. Special shoots are available for $4 to $7 with great prizes of special cut of meats such as rib eye steaks.
The Lions Club also will host some great food and beverages on site so come hungry and enjoy the day. A "Turkey Shoot" is shot gun bingo in which targets are used, and no live turkeys are involved. Bring your shot gun, but no sleeved guns please.
This is one of the largest fundraiser of the year for the Lions Club. The Reynoldsburg Lions Club is a non-profit organization that raises money for local charities including Reynoldsburg Special Olympics, Reynoldsburg Helping Hands and to assist with the prevention of blindness. Proceeds from this event will benefit local charities.
For any additional information, contact Bob Martin at (614) 861-8811.
Hotline volunteers needed
Caring volunteers are urgently needed to answer the Suicide Prevention Hotline. Because the hotline is answered 24 hours a day, it is vital to recruit and train enough volunteers to cover all shifts.
Volunteers at Suicide Prevention Services will receive 50 hours of training before they begin to answer the hotline. Volunteers make a commitment to answer the hotline for six hours a week for six months and many volunteers choose to continue working once they have completed their original commitment.
Volunteering for Suicide Prevention brings special rewards: training that will prove useful in many life situations, the chance to meet and work with an incredible group of caring people and the opportunity to save lives.
Training for the fall class of volunteers will begin in late November. Volunteers then work their weekly shifts from December through May.
To learn more about the program or to volunteer, call Mary Brennen-Hofmann or Susan Jennings at 299-6600.
JCC winter cruise
The JCC Travel Group is planning a Caribbean cruise on board the Emerald Princess for 10 days beginning Feb. 8, 2009.
The cruise will depart from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and include ports of call at Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Thomas, and Princess Cay, Bahamas. Pricing starts at $970 for an inside cabin, $1,250 for an ocean view cabin, and $1,599 for a balcony cabin. Prices are per person, double occupancy, and include 10 nights on board the Emerald Princess, all cruise features on board the ship, and all meals and entertainment. For information, contact Tour Leader Peggy Kaplan at (614) 235-8813 or (614) 560-5652.
Short term radon kits
The city of Bexley, in conjunction with the Franklin County Board of Health, has free, short term radon testing kits available for residents to check radon levels in their homes.
Radon is odorless, tasteless, and invisible, but it could be a problem in a home. Radon comes from the natural decay of uranium found in nearly all soils. According to to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, indoor radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. and leading cause among non-smokers.
To pick up a free radon testing kit, visit the Bexley Muncipal Building, 2242 E. Main St., Monday through Friday during normal business hours. For information call the Franklin County Board of Health at (614) 462-3859 or visit www.franklincountyohio.gov/health
