Be sure to read the Westside Messenger to find out what’s going on in your neighborhood! To submit events and announcements to this section, e-mail information to westside@columbusmessenger.com.
Free Spanish as a Second Language courses
Spanish as a Second Language classes will be hosted weekly for a period of eight weeks by two Westside United Methodist churches. There is no cost for the classes, though free will offerings to cover the cost of the service and supplies will be gratefully accepted.To register for the classes, call Westgate UMC at 274-4271 or St. Mark’s UMC at 878-6520.
The classes will be offered the following days and locations:
•On Tuesdays at St. Mark’s UMC, 5200 Sullivant Ave., from July 10-August 28. Classes will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
•On Fridays at Westgate UMC, 61 S. Powell Ave., from July 14-August 25. Classes will be held from 9-10 a.m.
SWCS now holding summer registration
The South-Western City School District will be holding summer registration for all elementary, intermediate, middle and high school students new to the district.
Students must be registered prior to attending classes in any South-Western City School location.
Registration will be held from July 16 through August 10 at the South-Western Career Academy, 4750 Big Run South Rd., in Grove City. Enrollment times are Monday from 1 to 3 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday from 8 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m.
Parents or legal guardians must present the following documents in order to enroll their child(ren) in South-Western City Schools:
•Original birth certificate, or original hospital certificate or original baptismal certificate
•Proof of residency in South-Western City Schools (current signed lease, deed or two current utility bills in the parent/guardian’s name)
•Custody documents, signed by a judge, designating the custodial parent (in cases of divorce)
•Immunization (shot) records
If a parent/guardian is enrolling a child for the first time in the United States, proof of a negative tuberculosis (TB) test must also be presented.
For further registration information, call 801-8985 or visit the district Web site at www.swcs.us.
SWCS Head Start and Public Preschool programs
The South-Western City Schools Head Start and Public Preschool programs will be holding open enrollment from July 17 through August 16 at the Head Start offices, 4308 Haughn Road in Grove City.
District parents can enroll their children by either making an appointment or walking into the office between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
The South-Western City Schools Head Start and Early Childhood Education program is for income eligible three and four- year-old children. South-Western City Schools strives to meet the social, intellectual, emotional, and physical needs of each child. It provides parent involvement opportunities for families and stresses positive attitudes instrumental in developing individual abilities.
The following documents are necessary for enrollment: birth certificate, verification of income (most current pay stub, 1040 tax form or OWF statement), proof of residency (current signed lease, deed or two utility bills), shot records, custody or court guardianship papers (if applicable), name of doctor and dentist, names and telephone numbers of three local emergency adult contact persons.
Fore more information, visit the South-Western City Schools Web site at www.swcs.us or call 801-8438 (English) or 801-8429 (Spanish).
PTSC holds free seminar
The Prairie Township Senior Center, 4656 W. Broad St., is holding a seminar called “Heart Healthy Eating” with Shelby Hartmann, registered dietician at Mt. Carmel West. on July 23 at 1 p.m. This seminar is free and open to the public.
4-Day Art & Play
The Columbus Recreation and Parks Department is sponsoring new “4-Day Art & Play” mini-camps. These traveling camps will take place in seven parks throughout the city this summer, moving to a new one each week.
The camps are free for children ages 6-12, Mondays through Thursdays, from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Each day will feature different activities, including tie-dying, one bounce fly, moving mazes, painting ultimate frisbee, singing/drumming, kickball, barbeque, water games, along with wacky inventions. Free breakfast and lunch will also be provided.
Dates and locations of the four-day camps are:
•July 23-26, Saunders Park, 1380 Actheson.
•July 30-Aug. 2, Strawberry Farms Park, 3591 Watt Rd.
•Aug. 6-9, Scioto Woods park, 1605 Bendalow Dr.
For more information, call 645-7000, or visit the department’s Web site at www.columbusrecparks.com.
Westland Volleyball Camp
Westland Volleyball Youth Camp will be held July 23-26 from 4-7 p.m. at Westland High School, 146 Galloway Rd., in the main gym. The camp is for students from the fifth to the eighth grade. Cost is $50 and includes a T-shirt. Bring your own drink and come a half-hour early to register.
The high school Lady Cougars camp will be held July 23-27 from 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Be sure to bring water.
For questions, contact Brian Web at bryangna@yahoo.com or call 851-0982.
Free Finance Workshops
“Make the Most of Your Paycheck” kicks off a series of free personal finance workshops beginning July 24 at 7 p.m. at the Hilltop Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. This workshop will focus on creating a spending plan, identifying financial goals and learning savings strategies. It is aimed at helping people learn basic money management skills and gain information on important financial issues.
Spomsored by the Central Ohio Chapter of Credit Unions and taught by Consumer Credit Counseling Service staff, this series of monthly workshops will be presented July through November on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 7-8:30 p.m.
The dates and topics of seminars are as follows:
•July 24, Money Makeovers Start here
•Aug. 28, Getting Ready to Buy a Home
•Sept. 25, Understanding Credit Reports and Scores
•Oct. 23, Smart Ways to Manage Credit and Debt
•November 27, Financial Planning 101
St. Margaret Festival
St. Margaret Cortona Catholic Church, 1600 N. Hague Ave., will hold its annual Parish Festival at 6 p.m. July 27 and 5 p.m. July 28. The festival will feature rides, games, food and raffles. There will be musical entertainment Friday night featuring Ray Massa’s Eurorythyms and Saturday night featurinf the Danger Brothers. The parish’s traditional street procession of patron saints will begin after the 10:30 a.m. Mass July 29.
Dodge Senior Center
The Dodge Senior Center, 667 Sullivant Ave., is offering the following events for the month of August:
•Big Dog Days of Summer Cook-Out & Potluch, Aug. 15, 11:30am. The cost will be $3 for hamburgers & hot dogs with trimmings. The reservation deadline will be Aug. 13. Let us know what dish you are bringing.
•Health Care in Your Home, Aug. 21, 1 p.m. Presenter: Tracy Imhoff. No cost. No Reservation.
•Senior Card Parties, Pinochle is played at 12:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wdnesdays and Fridays, and Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m. are Euchre.
•Free Hearing Screenings, Aug. 16, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. For reservations call Hope at 261-5452. No Cost.
•Ohio State Fair Trip – Senior Day, Aug. 7. Call center, 645-3176, for details. We are limited to a number of tickets for the special show.
Free health fair
The Ohio Medicaid Managed Care Enrollment Center will host a free health fair open to the public on Aug, 1 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services West, 314 N. Wilson Rd.
Vendors who participate in the fair will provide free services such as blood pressure, vaccinations, pregnancy information, HIV/AIDS education, diabetes screening and much more.
Those interested in vaccines for their family must bring current immunization records to receive vaccines.
For more information about the Health Fair or the Ohio Medicade Enrollment Center, call Susan Reidelbach toll-free at (800) 605-3040.
Westside golf outing
The second annual Westside Free Store Ministries golf outing is scheduled for Aug. 11 at Phoenix Golf Course. The cost to play in the four-person scramble is $60 per golfer. Tee times start at 8 a.m. Proceeeds benefit operating costs of the Westside Free Store, serving those in need on the Westside of Columbus. To participate or for more information, contact Kathy Donavan at 370-5000.
Columbus Literacy Council
The Columbus Literacy Council is holding an information session about tutoring and other volunteer opportunities on August 16, from 6-7:30 p.m. The session will be held at the Columbus Literacy Council Office, 195 N. Grant Ave. Register at www.columbusliteracy.org or call Norma Wetzel at 221-5013.
Summer Music Festival
The Potters House Church of God, 3220 Lowell Dr., will hold the 3rd Annual Summer Music Festival featuring Mercy’s Mark Quartet and the Pfeiffers on Aug. 18 at 6 p.m. There is no charge to attend this event. For more information, call the church at 279-2311.
New county maps
Franklin County Engineer Dean Ringle has announced that the new 2007 Franklin County maps are now available through the engineer’s office and at other county, municipal, and state facilities.
The new map features more than 1,000 additions or changes to public roads, annexations, parks, and points of interest from the 2005 edition. The four color, 43 by 37 inch map shows 11,858 roads, which are listed in an index, and 948 points of interest. Also available is a 104 page county atlas in book form.
“The new map and atlas reflect the many municipal and township boundary changes that occurred due to annexations,” said Ringle. “Approximately 2,270 acres were annexed since 2005. The biggest gains occurred in Dublin (716 acres) Columbus (693 acres), Grove City (250 acres) and Lithopolis (244 acres).”
The county map is distributed free of charge and the atlas is available for $1.
For information visit www.franklincountyengineer.org.
PTSC exercise programs
The Prairie Township Senior Center hosts excercise programs free of costs throughout the week. The schedule is as follows:
•Mondays – 10 a.m., Low Impact Aerobics
•Tuesdays – 9:30 a.m., Gentle Stretchers
•Wednesdays – 10 a.m., Conditioning Exercise
•Fridays – 10 a.m., Gentle Stretchers
These programs are provided through a grant from Mt. Carmel hospital. For additional information, call 878-5110.
12 Step Recovery program
Friends Worship Center, 3030 Clime Rd., will host “12 Step Recovery: Celebrate Recovery” for all addictions including co-dependency every Thursday from 7-9 p.m. Come early, stay late for fellowship. For more information, call 279-1892 or 395-6309.
