LOCAL CALENDAR

Wednesday Thursday September 26-27

To have your event included, please submit information in writing at least one week in advance by email to recorder@ portervillerecorder.com, Attn: Community Calendar, or by fax to 784-1689. For information, call 784-5000, Ext. 1071.

CLUBS

THURSDAY Porterville Exchange

Club meets at noon on Thursdays at Giovanni’s Pizzeria & Arcade, 45 N. Second St. For more information call 789-3929.

Porterville Optimist Club meets at noon on Thursdays at RJ’S Cafe, 81 W. Putnam Ave. For more information, call 781-5764.

Porterville Breakfast Rotary Club meets at 6:30 a.m. each Thursday at Jenny Lynn’s Cafe, 670 S. Plano St. For information, call 3592695.

CLASSES

WEDNESDAY Exercise at the Porterville Senior Nutrition site is from 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Monday through Thursday at 280 N. 4th St. Lunch is available each day at noon. Call the day prior for lunch reservations. For more information, call 7824725.

Healthy Hearts Senior Exercise meets at 9 a.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday, excluding holidays, at the Porterville Church of the Nazarene. Pilates-yogilates classes are held on Mondays and Wednesdays at Balance by Design CORE Fitness,109 N. Main St. in Porterville. Call Michele Stewart-buller at 310-1155 for class times.

Crack O’ Dawn Country-western Line

Dancing classes are held from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday at the Old Santa Fe Depot (Senior Center), 280 N. Fourth St. All ages are welcome. Beginners on Monday and Wednesday; intermediates on Tuesday and Thursday. Cost is $5 per day or $100 for 24 sessions. For more information call Sylvia at 202-9105.

THURSDAY Orientation for becoming a CASA volunteer advocate is held Mondays at 5:30 p.m. and Thursdays at noon, except for holidays. Call for orientation location. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. For more information, call 625-4007 or www.casatulareco.org.

Parenting Class in Spanish is at 6 p.m. each Thursday at the Family Crisis Center, 211 N. Main St., Porterville. For more information, call 781-7462.

ENTERTAINMENT

WEDNESDAY Mexican bingo or loteria at the Senior Nutrition site is from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at 466 E. Putnam Ave. The game uses images on a deck of cards instead of numbers on ping pong balls. Lunch is available each day at noon. Call the day prior for lunch reservations. For more information, call 782-4725.

An open studio for budding artists is offered by the Porterville Art Association from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Wednesday at the Art Association office at 151 N. Main St. It will be open to experienced and inexperienced artists who are interested in painting with others or are interested in learning new or different types of techniques or materials. An art instructor will be available for individual instruction and to critique work. There will also be a show of the work every six months. The open studio is open to anyone. For more information, call Rebecca Haigh at 784-1766. The Porterville Art Association gallery is located at 151 N. Main St. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and admission is free. Art work is changed every two months. The gift shop features items hand-crafted by members. For more information, call 784-4323.

SUPPORT

WEDNESDAY A Bereavement Support Group — Understanding Your Grief — meets each Wednesday morning from 10 a.m. to noon at the First Baptist Church, 101 N. G St., Porterville. For more information, call 784-1620 or 783-2183. AA meets each Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. at Porterville 12-Step Recovery Club at 186 N. D St. at the corner of D and Walnut. For more information, call 539-3814. THURSDAY AA Springville meets Thursdays from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Lighthouse Chapel at 35811 Rio Vista Dr. For more information, call 542-0800. Al-anon meetings are held Thursdays, except holidays, at 5:30 p.m. at 348 N. G St., Porterville. The Porterville Public Library has Al-anon and Alateen books available. Call 784-8636 if you have any questions. This meeting is for adults only. AA meets each Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Porterville 12-Step Recovery Club at 186 N. D St. at the corner of D and Walnut. For more information, call 539-3814. Gamblers Anonymous meets at 6 p.m. each Thursday at Porterville Church of the Nazarene, 2005 W. Olive Ave. For more information, call Dave Snow at 359-1365.

ONGOING

The Porterville Historical Museum, is located at 257 N. D Street. As of September 1st the Museum’s Winter hours are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 10 am - 4 pm. The Porterville Historical Museum is located at 257 N. D Street. Admission is $5.00 for Adults, $1.00 for Student and children six under are free. Friends of the Museum and Sponsors are also free. For more information call 784-2053, you can visit our website: www. portervillemuseum.org or check us out on Facebook. The Zalud House Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. Admission is $2 for adults and 50 cents for children. The garden is available for special events. For more information, call 782-7548 or the Heritage Center at 791-7695. The Porterville Art Association gallery is located at 151 N. Main St. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and admission is free. Art work is changed every two months. The gift shop features items handcrafted by members. The PAA gallery is located at 151 N. Main St. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and admission is free. For more information, call 784-4323. Residents without air conditioning at home or work can escape the heat at four day-time cooling centers. The Heritage Center at 256 E. Orange Ave. is open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. City Hall at 291 N. Main St. is open Mondays through Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The Porterville Transit Center at 61 W. Oak Ave. is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The Porterville City Library at 41 W. Thurman Ave. is open Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sergeant Shepherd, the new costumed mascot for the Porterville Police Department, is available to appear at youth-oriented meetings and events. The mascot’s purpose is to spread the motto — “Stand Up and Speak Out!” According to the Police Department, Shepherd will be encouraging the community to “Stand Up” for family, friends and community, and “Speak Out” against drugs, bullies and crime. To check Sergeant Shepherd’s availability for events targeting youths in the community call Sgt. Rick Carrillo at 782-7563. The Porterville Youth Center offers free recreation for youths during the summer. The center is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and is located inside the Heritage Center at 256 E. Orange Avenue. The Youth Center offers a stimulating environment for youths ages10 to 18 and there are no registration fees or monthly costs. The Youth Center’s game room features pool and pingpong tables, game consoles, foosball, board games and more. Members can also enjoy arts and crafts, organized sports and regular adventure trips. Access to the Margaret J. Slattery Children’s Library located inside the Heritage Center offers students a computer lab with Internet access. The other thing going on at the Heritage Center is Summer Day Camp. Kids ages 5-12 are supervised from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Visit the Youth Center for a tour, or visit the City of Porterville website or call 791-7695 for more information.

UPCOMING OCTOBER 3

Blood Drive. Donate blood at the Springville Community Blood Drive on Wednesday, October 3rd from 3 p.m. - 5:30 pm at the Springville Veterans Memorial Building. The Central Valley Blood Bank is always in need of donors. Blood donation takes less than an hour. For more information call Phyllis Taylor at 559359-1135.

OCTOBER 6

Clothing Closet. The First United Methodist Chruch, located at 344 E. Morton in Porterville, will be holding a Clothing Closet event Saturday, October 6, from 3:00-4:30 p.m. They will also be accepting donations at that time