MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Wednesday, Feb. 26

The Southern Lit Book Club will meet at Caffeine Addicts, 7819 Nashville Street in Ringgold, on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 6 p.m. The featured book will be “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens. For more information, call Donna Greeson at 706-935-2810.

Lyerly United Methodist Church is selling it its “Feeding the Flock” cookbook for $10. It can be purchased from any church member, at Pine Ridge Outdoor Supply or at Gilliland’s Island in Lyerly. The cookbook can also be ordered by mail by sending $13, which includes $3 shipping and handling, to Lyerly United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 152, Lyerly, GA 30730. For more information, call Jo Ann Mitchell at 706-895-2636.

Thursday, Feb. 27

The popular Painting for a Purpose art class will return to the 6th Cavalry Museum, 6 Barnhardt Circle in Fort Oglethorpe, on Thursday, Feb. 27, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The combination art class and social event will feature Tennessee teaching artist Kati Schmidt and will lead participants through completing a painting called “Field of Flowers.” No art experience is necessary. The class is specifically designed for people who want to try painting. The cost is $40 and includes dinner, canvas, painting supplies and instruction so that each guest leaves with a completed 16x20-inch work of art. Food is served at 5:30 p.m., the class begins at 6 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring the adult beverage of their choice and an apron or old shirt to protect their clothes. Those interested in participating in Painting for a Purpose may register online at www.6thcavalrymuseum.org or call the 6th Cavalry Museum at 706-861-2860.

The Outreach program of LaFayette Presbyterian Church, 107 N. Main St., is beginning a new program open to anyone in the community. The weekly conversation group,

Conversations on Faith, is especially for doubters, seekers, nonbelievers, nonsectarians, persons from any religious tradition, and persons looking to examine what a life of faith would look like. It is not a Bible study although the Bible will be available. The first gathering will be on Thursday, Feb. 27, from 7-8 p.m. in the educational building. Leaders will be David Boyle and Pastor Clay Gunter, both of whom hold degrees in Bible and religion and are experienced pastors. To register or for more information, contact dboyle1946@ comcast.net, call 706-764-2801, or send a message on the Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/Lafayette-Presbyterian-Church-116541731703616/.0

Robert L. Gilliam, a Chattanooga native and Vietnam veteran, is 100% disabled with heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, bad knees, a hip replacement, tinnitus and PTSD. He wants to give something back. So he will be teaching, to the best of ability, an art class for

veterans. This class will be considered a therapy group for the vets. Chattanooga Vet Center’s director will be there as a counselor. He calls it Paint To Slay Demons (PTSD). In a relaxed atmosphere, he says, “maybe it will be easier to talk about our problems. If I can help them, then, they will be helping me.” Any veteran who would like to attend, should call Kristina Stevens at 423-855-6578 to apply for a spot. The first class will be on Thursday, Feb. 27, at American Legion Post 214, 540 Park City Road, Rossville, Ga., from 5-7 p.m. The first classes will be done with watercolors. When it is time to move forward, Ralph Miller will teach the use of acrylics. Later, he and Gilliam will give knowledge about oils. Miller studied under Helen Van Wyk as did Gilliam’s teacher, Brenda Wright. Gilliam also studied watercolors with Wayne Wu at the Hunter Museum in Chattanooga.

Beginning Feb. 27 through March 25, parents of 4-yearold children who live in Catoosa County may enter their child’s name in the drawing for the lottery-funded Georgia pre-kindergarten classes. A public drawing to award available Pre-K assignments will be held at the Catoosa County Board of Education Office, 307 Cleveland St., Ringgold, on Tuesday, April 28, at 9 a.m. Applicants, parents and/or guardians do not need to be present for the drawing but are welcome to attend. Parents or legal guardians who would like to have their child’s name entered in the drawing must complete and return a “Request for Enrollment” form between Feb. 27 and March 25. Any request received after March 25 will be placed on the school system’s waiting list after the lottery drawing is completed. The Request for Enrollment form is available at all primary and elementary schools in Catoosa County (8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) and may also be completed at the Student Enrollment Center, 108 High St., Ringgold, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed for lunch from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) Monday through Friday. Pre-K enrollment is open and nondiscriminatory, based on a public lottery among those eligible to participate. Children will not be denied participation on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability. Currently, a child must be born between Sept. 2, 2015, and September 1, 2016, to be eligible for Georgia Pre-K services, and the child must be a Catoosa County resident at the time of the drawing. Georgia residents outside of Catoosa County will be placed on a waiting list until all children within the district are enrolled.

Friday, Feb. 28

CHI Memorial’s mobile health coach will provide mammography screenings at CHI Memorial at Parkway 4700 Battlefield Parkway in Ringgold on Friday, Feb. 28. Appointments are available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. All women should have one screening mammogram between the ages of 35-40. After age 40, a screening mammogram is recommended every year. Any woman who meets these age guidelines and has not had a mammogram in the past 12 months may participate, with or without insurance. For those with insurance, you must bring your insurance card and a photo ID, such as a driver’s license. Insurance will be filed for you. If you do not have insurance, you may qualify for financial assistance. The MaryEllen Locher Breast Center partners with the Georgia Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention Program and the Susan G. Komen Foundation provide eligible uninsured and under-insured women with breast and cervical screenings. If an abnormality is discovered, the diagnostic workup is covered and a financial plan is provided for any follow-up care. Women need to know their doctor’s first and last name. To schedule a screening, call 423495-4040 or 866-591-2254.

Saturday, Feb. 29

Guitars for Garrett, a benefit concert hosted by country entertainer Robby Hopkins, is Saturday, Feb. 29, from 4-8 p.m. at the North Georgia Fairgrounds, 500 Legion Drive in Dalton, Ga. The event will include opportunities to donate with a meal, raffle and auction. Admission is free and all ages are invited. Donations are welcome. For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/ events/2633893276730347/, or contact Donna Hopkins by phone at 706-260-5793 or email donnahopkins1@rocketmail.com.

On Saturday, Feb. 29, at 2 p.m., Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will present a special 1-hour rangerled program discussing the experiences the Cherokee Tribe endured as they made a new life in Indian territory.

This program will take place at the Brown’s Ferry Federal Road Trail at 707 Moccasin Bend Road in Chattanooga. It was a region within the land purchased by the United States from France. The name for this place came from the indigenous peoples forced here from their native lands with the passage of the Indian Removal Act in 1830, this was Indian Territory. The Cherokee had established strong communities in their native lands in the Southeast. When they arrived in Indian Territory, they were determined to reestablish those same type of communities. There would be challenges though. The removed tribes, including the Cherokee, would face pressures in their new home. Hostile confrontations, theft, and tensions were building between the new tribes forced here and the American Indian tribes already established here for centuries. For more information about upcoming programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, contact the Lookout Mountain Visitor Center at 423-821-7786, the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-866-9241, or visit the park’s website at www.nps. gov/chch.

Sunday, March 1

Ernie & Jason Couch Revival will be held Sunday, March 1, at 10 a.m. at Cedar Grove/Kensington United Methodist Church, 6356 West Cove Road. The pastor is Mike Howard, 706-996-5057, bromike1212@aol.com.

Cedar Grove Methodist Church, 6356 W. Cove Road, Chickamauga, is hosting two gospel

singing concerts in March. On Sunday, March 1, at 10 a.m. Ernie Couch and Revival from Nashville and on Sunday, March 22, at 6 p.m. a well-known local group, Press ‘N On. For more information: Pastor Mike Howard at 706-996-5057.

Monday, March 2

From March 2 through April 18, the Crossroads: Change in Rural America exhibit will be on display at the historic depot, 119 E. Washington St., Summerville. Operating hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 3:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday special events and 12-5 p.m. Sunday. For more information on the exhibit, visit the Summerville Depot’s Crossroads: Change in Rural America Facebook page or call 706-728-0456. Admission is free, and special group bookings are offered.

Thursday, March 5

The Catoosa County Democratic Party will be qualifying candidates to run for county offices on Thursday, March 5, and Friday, March 6. The hours on March 5 are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on March 6 from 9 a.m. to noon. The location is Caffeine Addicts, 7819 Nashville St., Ringgold. For more information, contact Cathy Amis Griffith, Catoosa County Democratic Party chair, at cagdemocrat@gmail.com.

Saturday, March 14

Get out your tiara and your ball gown and get ready to meet Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle and more at the Princess Party at the LaFayette-Walker County Library on Saturday, March 14, from 3-5 p.m. Bring your cell phone and get pictures with all the princesses, sample some delicious treats, make princess crowns and dance the afternoon away at the party. Tickets are $5 per family. This is a fundraiser sponsored by the Friends of the LaFayette-Walker County Library. For more information, contact the library at 706-6382992; or contact Rachel Oesch Willeford at 706-200-8099 or email her at racheloeschwilleford@gmail.com.