calendar

ONGOING Writers Guild Meeting

BATESVILLE — The White River Writers Guild has a new meeting time and location for May through July: 10 a.m. to noon on the third Tuesday of the month at the Ramsey Mountain Citizens Bank Annex at the top of the mountain, on the right, by the service station. Everyone interested in writing or hearing authors read is invited. For more information, call (870) 528-4946 or email emersong@centurylink.net.

GED Testing

NEWPORT — The Adult Education Department at Arkansas State UniversityNewport will offer the twopart GED test two more times during the spring 2012 semester. The following are Monday/tuesday dates with the test beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Mondays and at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays: May 14-15; and May 21-22. Candidates must register and fulfill preliminary testing requirements prior to taking the official GED exam. Contact the Adult Education Center at (870) 512-7824 to determine eligibility.

MONDAY UACCB Commencement

BATESVILLE — The University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville will hold commencement at 7:30 p.m. Monday in Independence Hall.

Independent Tea Party meeting

KENSETT — The White County Independent Tea Party will meet at 6:30 p.m. at Country Kitchen Restaurant. Speakers will include Jeanette Robertson, a Court of Appeals candidate; and Carlton Saffa with retirepryor.com. The meeting is open to the public. For more information, call Ernie Blount at (501) 278-9413 or visit itpwca.org.

TUESDAY Crosspointe Preparatory Informational Meeting

SEARCY — Crosspointe Preparatory in Searcy will hold its monthly informational meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Downtown Church of Christ, 900 N. Main St., in Room 254, upstairs in the children’s wing. Parents of prospective students must attend an informational meeting for students to be considered for fall 2012 enrollment. For more information, visit www. crosspointeprep.org.

Portfest Talent Contest

NEWPORT — The 2012 Portfest Talent Contest will begin at 6: 30 p.m. at the Asu-newport Center for the Arts. The entry fee is $25, with three age divisions to enter: kindergarten through sixth grade, seventh through 12th grade, and ages 18 and older. Winners from each division will be awarded a $50 Stage gift card, and a cash prize of $200 will be awarded to the overall winner. The price for spectators will be $3 for students and $5 for adults. The application deadline is Monday. To enter or for more information, visit www.portfest.org.

THURSDAY DAV Mobile Service Office

SEARCY — The DAV Mobile Service Office will be at the Carmichael Center, 801 S. Elm St. in Searcy, at 9 a.m. Veterans within 75 miles of Searcy may visit the mobile office for assistance. Free hot dogs will be provided. For more information, call (501) 230-9385.

Retiree Reception

CABOT — Cabot School District retirees will be honored at a reception from 4-5 p.m. in the Central Administrative Office Board Room. For more information, call Eileen Poss at (501) 843-3797.

Business Expo

JACKSONVILLE — The 2012 Business Expo will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Jacksonville Community Center. Admission and parking are free. For more information, call (501) 982-1511 or visit www. jacksonville-arkansas.com.

FRIDAY Batesville Driver Safety Course

BATESVILLE — A four-hour driver safety class will begin at 8:30 a.m. at First Community Bank, 1325 Harrison St . in Batesville. The class is sponsored by AARP. No test will be given. Those age 55 or older who complete the course will receive a mandatory discount on their auto-insurance premiums. The cost of the class is $12 for AARP members and $14 for nonmembers. Seating is limited. To preregister, call (870) 307-0110.

Heber Springs Driver Safety Class

HEBER SPRINGS — An AARP Driver Safety Program class will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Administration/ Student Services Building at Arkansas State University-heber Springs. Upon completion of the course, people age 55 and older will qualify for a three-year discount on their automobileinsurance premiums. The cost is $12 for AARP members and $14 for nonmembers. To reserve a place, call ASU at (870) 362-1273 or email jlrath@hebersprings.asu. edu.

SATURDAY

SAME Café

SEARCY — The SAME Café will be open from 4-6 p.m. at the West Side Church of Christ, 709 W. Arch St. in Searcy. The SAME Café is open to anyone in the community who would like a free warm meal. For more information, email d.dawson@cablelynx.com.

Fish Fry

CABOT — The Tri-community Fire Department will hold a fish fry from 4-7 p.m. The menu will include catfish, chicken, hush puppies, french fries, slaw and homemade desserts. All proceeds will go to the Fire Department. The event will be at the new Fire Station No. 1 on Arkansas 321 at Bear Road. For more information, call Linda Baldwin at (501) 843-3336.

The Wizard of Oz

Auditions

CABOT — Cabot Community Theatre is looking for actors for its summer musical production, The Wizard of Oz. Show dates will be Aug. 9-11 and 16-18. Auditions will be from 9-11 a.m. Saturday. Those wanting to audition should come prepared to sing a short song with CD accompaniment, or a cappella, and do a cold reading from the script. Children and adults are needed. For more information, call (501) 941-2266.

Welcome Home Iraq Veterans

CABOT — American Legion Post 71 in Cabot will hold a Welcome Home Iraq Veterans event at the National Guard Armory in Cabot. Seating will start at 9:30 a.m., and the ceremony will start at 10. Food will be served after the ceremony. All activities will end by 2 p.m. All are welcome to attend, especially veterans and their families.

Pearl-stringing Workshop

POWHATAN — Powhatan Historic State Park will offer a a pearl-stringing workshop from 9 a.m. to noon. Participants will have the opportunity to make necklaces, bracelets or earrings, as they prefer, and learn about the history of the freshwater pearling industry on the Black River. The registration fee is $20 per necklace, $10 per bracelet and $5 per earring set. Class size is limited. To reserve a space, call (870) 878-6765 or email

powhatan@arkansas.com.

UPCOMING Searcy Driver Safety Course

SEARCY — Arkansas State University-searcy will host an AARP Driver Safety course from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 21 at Asu-searcy in Room 127 of Technology East. Parking is at the rear of the building. The cost is $12 for AARP members and $14 for nonmembers. To register for the class, call Twany Meza at (501) 207-6249.

NAMI Meeting Cancellation

SEARCY — The National Alliance on Mental Illness meeting scheduled for May 22 has been canceled because of election day. The next meeting will be at 6 p.m. June 26 in the Cypress Room at White County Medical Center South. Dr. Jeffrey Rains, a psychiatrist with Behavioral Medicine, will be the speaker. For more information, call Pat at (501) 268-7686.

Open Arms Shelter Dedication

LONOKE — The Open Arms Shelter will dedicate its new 7,000-squarefoot wing with an open house at 5:30 p.m. May 24 at 1500 Navajo Trail in Lonoke. For more information, call Nancy Hamlin at (501) 676-6166.

Garage and Craft Sale

CHEROKEE VILLAGE — The opening of the spring farmers market will feature a communitywide garage and craft sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 25 and 26 at the Spring River Farmers Market, 2 Tekakwitha. The cost for a booth space is $10 per person. For more information, call the Cherokee Village City Hall at (870) 257-5522.

Apple Pie 5K

SALEM — The Fulton County Homecoming Festival Mark Thomas Memorial Apple Pie 5K Run will be held May 26. Race forms are available at local businesses in Salem or can be obtained by calling Sherry Jackson at (870) 895-6226 or emailing sjackson@naeci.com. The entry fee is $15. Preregistration is encouraged; however, entries will be accepted until 7:30 a.m. the day of the race. For more information, contact Jackson or Holly Pate at (870) 895-6209.

Scholarship Application Deadline

SEARCY — The deadline for applying for the White County Single Parent Scholarship Fund Inc.’s summer scholarships is June 1. For information on how to apply, contact Dan Newsom, executive director, at (501) 230-2414 or visit www.aspsf.org /county_white. html.

Beginning Crochet Workshop

POWHATAN — Powhatan Historic State Park will offer a beginning crochet workshop from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 2. The registration fee is $10 per person and includes all tools and materials. The class size is limited. For more information, call (870) 8786765 or email powhatan@arkansas. com.

CHS Class of 1972 Reunion

CABOT — The Cabot High School Class of 1972 will hold its 40th-year reunion from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 9 in the Cabot Junior High North cafeteria. A catered lunch will be served from noon to 1 p.m. Anyone who graduated or taught in 1972 is invited to attend. The event will be a casual occasion. For more information, contact Helen Graham Schroeder at (501) 831-1829 or hele ngrahamschroedeer@yahoo.com, or Daryl Isaac at (501) 259-8404 or dkisaac@gmail.com.