Writers Guild to hear author COMMUNITY DIGEST
Legislative briefings
The Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce will host three state legislators for briefings on Feb. 23 and March 30 in the Chamber Board Room, located at 101 N. Mt. Olive. The briefings will begin at 10:30 a.m. and end by noon. Arkansas State Rep. Robin Lundstrum (District 87) will “anchor” the meetings, and she will be joined by State Rep. Dan Douglas (District 91) and State Sen. Jim Hendren (District 2). The legislators will make brief opening statements on current issues at the State Capitol followed by a Q&A session from the audience. For more information, contact the chamber at 524-6466.
The Siloam Springs Writers Guild will hear author Nancy Grace in its meeting on at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 11 at First Baptist Church, located at 2000 Dawn Hill Road. Grace will be speaking on “The Heart of a Writer,” emphasizing devotional writing. February assignments due by Feb. 1 via email to sswgsisp@gmail. com are as follows: Prose — a devotional (300 words), and Poetry — Free verse on Winter. All interested writers are invited to attend. Please enter from the west side parking lot.
Siloam Springs Chess Club
Members of Siloam Springs Chess Club will meet at 6 p.m. on Tuesday evenings at Pour Jon’s in Siloam Springs. For more information, contact bgsivils @gmail.com or by text at 479-530-1855.
English classes
First Baptist Church Siloam Springs is offering English classes for adults. Classes are from 6 to 7:45 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday. All who enroll are evaluated the first time they attend. They will be in classes which will fit their needs. Some students come with no English, while others speak English and want accent reduction. There is no cost for the classes, although each student will pay for their book at cost over several weeks. There are activities for children of all ages on Wednesday. No childcare is provided on Monday. Children do not attend the classes with their parents as this makes it harder for parents to learn English. English classes meet in Room 122 on the lower level of the church building. Enter from the lower parking lot on the west side of the building. There will be signs posted. Teachers are trained and certified through the National Literacy Partnership and the North American Mission Board. This will be the third consecutive year of the literacy program at First Baptist under the direction of C.L. Pickle. She has previously led literacy programs in Virginia, Georgia and Texas. Pickle is a statewide trainer under the Arkansas State Baptist Convention. For more information, call C.L. Pickle at 479-373-1426 or Stewart Pickle at 479-228-1298. People from any language background are welcome. Sí, hablamos español.
SSRH Auxiliary volunteer drive
Siloam Springs Regional Hospital Auxiliary is looking for willing volunteers for the information desk, obstetrics department, radiology department, surgery department and materials management. The Auxiliary offers an opportunity to help the community while working three or four hours a week. Stop by the front desk of the hospital for an application or call Donna Conger for more information at 479-373-6428.
Coffee with the Commander
Each Saturday morning from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Siloam Post 29 of the American Legion hosts “Coffee with the Commander.” A time for those who served to enjoy the camaraderie that they experienced during their time with “Uncle Sam.” The event is held in the basement of the American Legion Community Hall located at 110 N. Mount Olive St. The coffee and donuts are fresh; the conversation is usually lively, jolly and informative. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet and greet local veterans who are still serving their veteran community. For more information, visit SiloamPost29.org or contact Jim Wilbanks at 850-520-0225.
Coat drive
New and gently used coats and sweaters of all sizes, especially children’s sizes, are being collected for those in need. They will be distributed at the clothing giveaway at Eastgate Church of Christ from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on the first Friday of the month. Items also are offered to nursing home residents and students at local schools. All coats will be cleaned by Snappy Dry Cleaners. Coats can be dropped off at the office of Dr. Susan Vaughan at My Family Eye Care located at 820 Stateline Road in West Siloam Springs or Snappy Dry Cleaners located at 618 S. Holly St. or at Eastgate Church of Christ located at 1997 East U.S. Highway 412. For more information, call Joyce at 918-422-5811.
Yoga classes
Bridges to Wellness and the Siloam Springs Parks and Recreation Department are sponsoring Yoga classes. Classes will be 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday nights at the Moss House located at 311 S. Mount Olive St. The cost for classes is $3. For more information, call Sarah Losh at 479-549-3143.
Fire Department feedback
The Siloam Springs Fire Department offers an Emergency Medical Services Customer Survey that will allow individuals who have been treated by a city ambulance to provide honest and confidential feedback about their experience. Customers can provide valuable insight and feedback into the Fire Department’s performance.
“Our goal is to constantly strive to improve the quality of the services that we provide to the citizens,” said Siloam Springs Fire Department Chief Jeremey Criner. “The feedback that we receive will be an integral part of our quality improvement program.”
If you’ve had any interaction with the city’s EMS crews, please take a few minutes to fill out the EMS Customer Survey located on the Fire Department page of the City’s website, www.siloamsprings. com/199/Fire.