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COMMUNITY EVENTS IN THE RIVER VALLEY & OZARK AREA

MONDAY Adult Fall Softball Divisional Meeting

RUSSELLVILLE — The Russellville Recreation and Parks Department will have a divisional meeting for teams competing in the fall softball league at 6:30 p.m. in the Hughes Community Center. A representative from each team needs to attend the meeting. For more information, call the Hughes Center at (479) 968-1272.

Audubon Society Meeting

RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas River Valley Audubon Society will meet at 7 p.m. in the Visitors Center at Lake Dardanelle State Park. Featured speaker Free Kashon will present a program on the spatial and behavioral ecology of prairie lizards. He is a graduate student of Chris Kellner at Arkansas Tech University, pursuing a Master of Science degree in fisheries and wildlife science. Refreshments will be served, and the public is invited.

THURSDAY

QuickBooks Desktop

Basics & Beyond RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas Tech Small Business and Technology Development Center will present QuickBooks Desktop Basics & Beyond from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Arkansas Tech University. This interactive workshop is for those using or planning to use QuickBooks Desktop (Pro, Premier or Enterprise) software. A computer to use and a takehome workbook will be provided. The cost to attend is $130. Registration is required by Wednesday by calling (479) 356-2067 or visiting asbtdc. org/russellville-events.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

Singing Convention

HOLLAND — The 141st annual session of the Faulkner County Singing Convention will take place at 7 p.m. Friday and at 10 a.m. Saturday at Holland Baptist Church, 673 Arkansas 287. After Friday’s session, refreshments will be provided, and lunch will follow the session on Saturday. Officers for the convention are Robert Clark, president; Jonathan Sawrie, vice president; Robert Morrow, chaplain; Raymond Bush, sergeant at arms; and Martha Wilcox, secretarytreasurer. The public is invited to attend.

ONGOING

Downtown Conway Farmers’ and Crafts Market

CONWAY — The Downtown Conway Farmers’ and Crafts Market, 718 Parkway St., is open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays through October, also on Tuesdays and Thursdays, June through September, when products are available. All items sold are grown or created by local vendors, including produce, honey, meats, eggs, jams and jellies, baked goods, handmade crafts and more. See the organization’s Facebook page for vendor specifics.

Faulkner County

Tea Party Luncheons

CONWAY — The Faulkner County Tea Party has weekly luncheons from noon to 1 p.m. Thursdays at Larry’s Pizza, 1068 Markham St. Check the group’s Facebook page for scheduled speakers. All are welcome to attend.

Painting Class

FAIRFIELD BAY — Jim Tindall’s painting class will meet with a new subject from 10 a.m. to noon every Tuesday at the Fairfield Bay Community Education Center, 130 Village Lane, Suite 5E. Each class costs $45, and all materials are provided. The center also offers Tindall’s once-a-month evening class from 5:30-8, with dates to be announced. For more information, call the center at (501) 884-4440 or visit the center’s Facebook page.

Heber Springs TOPS Meetings

HEBER SPRINGS — TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets each Monday at the Church of the Nazarene, Eighth and Quitman streets. Weigh-in begins at 7:30 a.m., and a support meeting emphasizing weight loss and healthy living takes place from 9:30-11 a.m. Prospective members are welcome to attend. Enter the church through the back entrance. For more information, call Geneva Earles at (501) 827-1243 or Janiece Brierly at (501) 250-5087.

Conway TOPS Meetings

CONWAY — TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets each Tuesday at Peace Lutheran Church, at the corner of Donaghey Avenue and Dave Ward Drive. Weigh-in begins at 9:15 a.m., and a support meeting emphasizing weight loss and healthy living takes place from 10-11 a.m. Prospective members are welcome to attend. Enter the church from Donaghey Avenue. For more information, call Peggy at (501) 514-0823 or Sandy at (501) 329-0558.

Neighbor’s Table

RUSSELLVILLE — Neighbor’s Table is a free meal from noon to 1 p.m. every Saturday at All Saints’ Episcopal Church, 501 S. Phoenix Ave. The doors open at 11:30 a.m. with free coffee. All are welcome to attend. Neighbor’s Table also sends home sack lunches with guests. All Saints’ has a Loaves and Fishes Ministry, which accepts Sunday-morning offerings of nonperishable food and toiletries, to be distributed at Neighbor’s Table. For more information, call (479) 968-3622.

Humane Society Benefit Bingo

GREENBRIER — Bingo, sponsored by the Humane Society of Faulkner County, is played every third Friday at the Melton Cotton City Event Center, 5 Lois Lane. Pregames start at 5:30 p.m., with full games at 6:30. Proceeds benefit the Sloan-Swindel Spay and Neuter Memorial Fund. For more information, email rescuethestrays@yahoo.com.

Bluegrass Music Night

HEBER SPRINGS — Heber Springs Christian Church, 1101 N. Broadway St., offers a bluegrass music night from 6:30-8:30 every Tuesday. Musicians are invited to participate. Free coffee is available. For more information, call the church at (501) 362-2389.

Yoga Class at the Library

CONWAY — Danny Mize, a registered yoga instructor, teaches a yoga class at 7 p.m. Thursdays at the Faulkner County Library. Yoga practitioners of all skill levels are welcome to attend. All library programs are free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482 or email nancy@fcl.org.

Faulkner County

Coin Club Meetings

CONWAY — The Faulkner County Coin Club meets the second Tuesday of each month at the Ola and John Hawks Senior Wellness and Activity Center, 705 E. Siebenmorgen Road. The 5 p.m. dinner is optional, and a $6 donation is suggested for those 60 and younger. A fellowship time takes place from 5:30-7 p.m. with educational speakers, show-and-tell, news and door prizes. For more information, call (501) 514-0785.

VFW Tuesday Night Bingo

QUITMAN — Tuesday Night Bingo takes place each week at the Veterans of Foreign Wars, 1295 Bee Branch Road. Doors open at 5:30 for bonanzas, and regular play starts at 6:30 p.m. Food is available. For more information, call (501) 362-9979.

American Legion Friday Night Bingo

HEBER SPRINGS — Friday Night Bingo takes place each week at the American Legion Hall, 49 Park Road. Doors open at 5:30 for bonanzas, and regular play starts at 6:30. For more information, call (501) 362-9979.

UPCOMING

Summer Art Camps

RUSSELLVILLE — The River Valley Arts Center, 1001 E. B St., will offer art camps July 29 to Aug. 2 from 10 a.m. to noon or from 2-4 p.m. for a fee of $75 for Arts Center members

or $90 for nonmembers. For more information or to sign up for a camp, call (479) 968-2452 or stop by the Arts Center.

Ernie Dumas Appearance

CONWAY — The Faulkner County Library will welcome veteran journalist Ernie Dumas for an afternoon talk, book signing and Q&A at 2 p.m. Aug. 3. His memoir, The Education of Ernie Dumas, traces the political evolution of Arkansas following World War II. For 32 years, Dumas was a political and state-government reporter and an associate editor, editorial writer and columnist for the Arkansas

Gazette, until it closed in 1991. All library events are free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482 or email nancy@fcl.org.

Book Signing

CONWAY — Leroy and Yvette McClure will have a book signing at 2 p.m. Aug. 10 at the Faulkner County Library. The McClures are the authors of Why Sammy Still Can’t Read, which provides various low-cost design and delivery models to foster a culture of reading in schools and organizations. All library events are free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482 or email nancy@fcl.org.

Watercolor Class

RUSSELLVILLE — The River Valley Arts Center, 1001 E. B St., will offer a watercolor class from 1-3 pm. Wednesdays, Aug. 14 to Sept. 18, with instructor Valerie Finley, who comes from California and teaches techniques in watercolors for beginners and experts alike. The class fee is $75 for Arts Center members or $100 for nonmembers. For more information or to register for the class, call (479) 968-2452 or stop by the Arts Center.

Oil/Acrylic Class

RUSSELLVILLE — The River Valley Arts Center, 1001 E.

B St., will offer an oil/acrylic class from 6-9 p.m. Thursdays, Aug. 15 to Sept. 19, with instructor Lisa Jones. The class fee is $75 for Arts Center members or $100 for nonmembers. For more information or to reserve a spot in the class, call (479) 968-2452 or stop by the Arts Center.

Pottery Classes RUSSELLVILLE — The River Valley Arts Center, 1001 E. B St.,

will offer pottery classes on Mondays, Aug. 19 to Oct. 7, with instructor Winston Taylor. Seasoned potters will meet from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and beginning potters from 6-9 p.m. The class fee is $200 for Arts Center members or $225 for nonmembers, plus a $25 clay supply fee. For more information or to sign up for the class, call (479) 968-2452 or stop by the Arts Center.

To submit an item for the Calendar of Events, mail information to Calendar of Events, River Valley &

Ozark Edition, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR 72203; fax to (501) 378-3500; or email to rvonews@arkansasonline.com. The deadline for calendar-item submissions is noon Tuesday.