Bexley Book Club to hold book fair Dec. 13 at Easton
Bexley Community Book Club will hold its annual book fair from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Dec. 13 at Barnes & Noble Booksellers at Easton.
On that day, The Bexley Education Foundation will receive up to 20 percent of proceeds from Barnes and Noble sales to those presenting Bexley Community Book Club book fair vouchers. Vouchers will be available at all Bexley City School buildings, Bexley Public Library and Bexley City Hall. Several businesses also have vouchers available. Go to www.bexleyeducationfoundation.org and click on the Bexley Community Book Club link to find locations.
Featuring a day filled with activities to draw community members into the store, the BCBC Barns and Noble Book Fair was designed to showcase arts programming at Bexley City Schools and involve Bexley students of all ages. Student writing, visual art and performing activities will be featured throughout the day. Gift wrapping services will be provided by Bexley-area volunteer groups.
Proceeds from Bexley Community Book Club, through sponsorships, ticket sales and book sales, will help support literacy, performing and visual arts facilities and program for the Bexley City Schools through the Arts Endowment Fund of The Bexley Education Foundation.
Self defense class offered
Bexley Police Department will sponsor a self defense course to all interested females from 7 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 10 and 11. The class is free and will be held at Jeffrey Mansion.
The class will focus on survival tactics and attack techniques. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.
This program is sponsored by Chief Larry Rinehart and the Bexley Police Department. Trained Bexley police officers will instruct this program to insure safety and provide the most curent safety protection guidelines.
The program will focus on attitude, awareness, avoidance and attack, and will include both classroom and hands-on self-defense maneuvers. Topics will include both mental and physical self-defense.
Class space is limited. Call the Bexley Recreation Department at (614) 559-4300 to reserve a spot.
Cookie Walk Dec. 13
Church of the Redeemer United Methodist will once again tempt you with the delicious tastes of our 2008 Cookie Walk at 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 13. Select your own homemade cookies at $6 for small box and $18 for large box. The church is located at 235 McNaughten Road. For more information, call (614) 861-7160.
Berwick native wins stock championship
Craig Marshall, son of Bob and Brenda Marshall of Berwick, has won the IHRA 2008 World Super Stock Championship. This was concluded at the Oct. 20 race in Rockingham, N.C. This is his second World Championship after winning the Stock elminator in 2004. Marshall is 27 years old.
Fairfield Elementary holding toy drive
Fairfield Elementary in Pickerington will hold a gift card and toy drive from Dec. 1-17. Interested families are asked to donate gift cards or a new toy for a child between 5 and 10 years old. Toys and gift cards may be dropped off in Mrs. Trexler’s office, located next to the gym.
If Fairfield receives more gifts than are needed to help the families at Fairfield, the additional toys will be donated to the local fire department’s toy drive.
Pickerington Garden Club to hold holiday celebration
A Christmas holiday celebration, dinner and gift exchange (not to exceed $10) will take place at 6 p.m. Dec. 17 at the Pickerington Garden Club’s monthly meeting.
New members and guests are welcome to attend. For more information and reservations, call Libby Stearns at (614) 837-4455 or Barbara Kochick at (614) 837-3951.
Eastpointe to present ‘Journey to Bethlehem’
Eastpoint Christian Church will celebrate the season with its annual Christmas program, "Journey to Bethlehem." The program allows visitors to use all their senses and experience the Nativity Story in a rustic, outdoor setting.
Admission is free for the event, which will take place on the campus of Eastpointe Christian Church from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 12 and from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 13. Multiple journeys will depart throughout the evening.
Eastpointe is located at 745 N. Waggoner Road in Blacklick. For more information about this interactive Christmas program, call (614) 501-8594 or visit www.eastpointe.cc.
Breakfast with Santa
The Knights of Columbus Council 5253 of St Pius X Catholic Church, 1061 Waggoner Road, Reynoldsburg, is sponsoring its Breakfast with Santa from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Dec. 13 in the school cafeteria.
Breakfast will include pancakes, sausage and various beverages. Price is $3 for adults and $2 for children. Photos with Santa also will be offered. Proceeds will benefit area Children with Disabilities.
Holiday pancake breakfast to take place Dec. 13
The Bexley Historical Society and the Bexley Recreation Department are continuing a popular holiday tradition by holding their annual "All You Can Eat" Pancake Breakfast from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Dec. 13 at Jeffrey Mansion. The cost to attend is $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and younger.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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
