MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Thursday, May 20

Heritage High School’s graduation will be Thursday, May 20, at 7 p.m. at the school’s football stadium.

Ridgeland High School’s graduation will be Thursday, May 20, at 8 p.m. at the football field. In the event of rain, graduation will be on Saturday, May 22, at 9 a.m. at the football field.

The Walker County Democrats will meet on Thursday, May 20, at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom. The topic will be supporting local Democrats. A link may be obtained by visiting the Facebook page at Walker GA County Democratic Party or sending a request to walkercodems@gmail.com. Everyone is welcome. In-person meetings will resume in June. Call 706-764-2801 for more information.

Friday, May 21

Ringgold High School’s graduation will be Friday, May 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the school’s football stadium.

Lakeview-fort Oglethorpe High School’s graduation will be Friday, May 21, at 8 p.m. at the school’s football stadium.

Lafayette High School’s graduation will be Friday, May 21, at 8 p.m. at the football field. In the event of rain, graduation will be Friday, May 21, at 8 p.m. inside the gym.

Saturday, May 22

On Saturday, May 22, at 2 p.m., Chickamauga and Chattanooga National

Military Park invites you to participate in a virtual program examining the food Civil War soldiers were issued and ate, while then looking at how the country transitioned into mass food production to contend with the growing population. This program will be accessible on the park’s Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/chickamauganps) and Youtube Channel (www.youtube.com/ chchnps). Instructions on accessing an audio-described version of the program will be provided on the park’s social media platforms as well. Did you know some of the same foods that we consume today had their origins in companies dating back to the Civil War? Immediately after the Civil War, during this period of the Industrial Revolution, many of the iconic brands that we know of and purchase in supermarkets and grocery stores began as simple ideas from individuals with dreams of making products that had a lasting impact on our society. For more information about programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-8669241, the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center at 423-821-7786, or visit the park website at www.nps. gov/chch.

Monday, May 24

Memorial Day is Monday, May 31, and the tradition in Catoosa County is to raise crosses and flags in honor of deceased veterans from this county. Each cross has a veteran’s name and branch of service. This spring volunteers will be raising more than 1,850 crosses and flags on full-size poles. If you would like to help with this patriotic observance, volunteers will meet at the Flag Building on Monday, May 24, at 10 a.m. on Mountain Street (directly behind Ringgold First Baptist Church). The flags will stay up for two weeks and volunteers will again be needed to take them down on Monday, June 7, at 9 a.m. Also, on Monday, May 31, bugler Steve Price will present a “Taps” memorial ceremony at 7 p.m. in front of Ringgold City Hall. The public is invited to attend. If you have questions, call Ringgold City Hall (706-9353061) and you will be given the name and phone number of a volunteer who can provide more information.

Wednesday, May 26

Thinking about having a backyard flock? Join Wade Hutcheson of the University of Georgia Extension Service in Walker County as he hosts an online workshop on backyard chickens. The workshop will be held on

Wednesday, May 26, from 6-8 p.m. Participants will receive information about poultry housing, breeds, feeds and needs. To register, call the Extension office at 706638-2548 or e-mail walker. extension@uga.edu.

Friday, May 28

First Baptist Church of Fort Oglethorpe, 2645 Lafayette Road, will hold its annual rummage sale Friday, May 28, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, May 29, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in front of the church office. Sale items will include furniture, household items, appliances, linens, electronics, yard tools, handbags, and clothing for children and babies. Snacks and baked goods will be available for purchase. Proceeds from the event will support missions and other important outreach efforts by the church. For more information, call the church office at 706-866-0232.

Monday, May 31

The Lafayette Woman’s Club and the Lafayette American Legion Post 339 invite the public to the dedication ceremony of the new Flags and Crosses location at Veterans Memorial Park at the entrance of the Lafayette Recreation Center. The dedication ceremony will take place on Monday, May 31, at 5 pm. City officials, the Lafayette High School JROTC, the Lafayette Woman’s Club, the Lafayette American Legion, Flags and Crosses sponsors, and the community are encouraged to attend. For more information about the Flags and Crosses call 706-766-2499 or email flagsandcrosses2021@yahoo. com. For more information about the Flags and Crosses dedication ceremony, contact Rachel Oesch Willeford at racheloeschwilleford@ gmail.com.

Friday, June 4

The Battle of the Badges blood drives between Walker County and Catoosa County sheriffs’ offices are scheduled for kick-off Friday, June 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The drive for Walker County will be held at 105 S. Duke St. in Lafayette. The Catoosa County drive will be held at 5842 U.S. Highway 41 in Ringgold. The drives are sponsored by Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson and Catoosa County Sheriff Gary Sisk, both members of the Blood Assurance North Georgia Advisory Board, to help maintain an adequate supply of blood for use by hospitals in the Blood Assurance service area, with each donation saving up to three lives.

Due to the pandemic, donations are low and there is a critical need for blood of all types. Schedule an appointment for your donation time by contacting Kimberly Jones at 706-639-0831, email kjones@walkerso.com for Walker, or Beth Sullivan at 706-935-2424, email Beth. sullivan@catoosa.com for Catoosa. You may also donate for either sheriff’s office at Blood Assurance’s Fort Oglethorpe Center, 2720

Lafayette Road, between Friday, June 4, and Friday, June 11. Telephone 706-8615983 for an appointment at the Center and identify the sheriff’s office for which you will be donating.

Lafayette’s Miss Honeybee Beauty Pageant

returns in June and will be spread out in a two-day period due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a return to normalcy as the Miss Honeybee Beauty Pageant will “BEE” held on Friday, June 4, at 5 p.m. and Saturday, June 5, at 9 p.m. at the Lafayette High School at 5178 Round Pond Road. The Miss Honeybee Beauty Pageant will be hosted by the Lafayette High School cheerleaders program. Money raised from this event will help support the cheerleading program. This will “BEE” the first Miss Honeybee Pageant since 2019. The 2020 Miss Honeybee Pageant was canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. To register for the Miss Honeybee Beauty Pageant, sign up at www.eventeny. com/events/misshoneybeebeautypageant-1329.

Saturday, Aug. 7 On Saturday, Aug. 7, LIFT Youth Center Inc. will hold its grand opening.

More information will be provided closer to the event. The grand opening kicks off LIFT’S normal hours of operation and begins providing Catoosa County 5th-12th graders and their families this much-needed resource.

GENERAL

CANCELED EVENT Saturday tours of the Gordon-lee Mansion in Chickamauga for April and May are canceled due to Tennessee Valley Railroad track repairs. These tours were primarily for the TVR’S early-season Chickamauga Turn passengers. The Friends of GordonLee Mansion will open the mansion each Saturday from Memorial Day until Labor Day, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., for all who wish to tour the mansion. Tour prices are $5 for adults and $1 for 12 and under, paid at the door, for self-guided tours. All proceeds go to the Friends 501C3 group for promoting and enhancing the mansion. For more information, call 423-488-0861 or email Friendsglm@comcast.net.”

SURVEY The Catoosa County Board of Education is reviewing and updating the system’s strategic plan. The board values input from parents and community members, so a stakeholder survey is posted on the system’s website (www.catoosa. k12.ga.us) to receive feedback. Stakeholder input will be used to determine priorities, and establish goals and objectives for the school system for the next five years. Superintendent Reese said, “The board received valuable input from stakeholders on the last strategic plan survey. It is very important for us to understand the community’s priorities and expectations when we are making important decisions for the future.” The survey will be available until May 3, 2021.

WORKSHOP The Northwest Georgia Area Agency on Aging is making its Living Well with Chronic Conditions workshop available while people stay safe at home. This six-week program can be completed either by computer or over the phone. Participants receive tip sheets, a reference book, and two CDS to help them better manage their health and well-being. There is no charge, but registration is required. For more information call Rogena Walden at 706-295-6485.

CANCELED MEETINGS Ringgold City Council has canceled the following dates for the regular scheduled City Council meetings: Aug. 9 and Dec. 27, 2021. The June 28, 2021, meeting previously canceled will now be held.

CHURCH Open Bible Full Gospel Church, 2803 Ga. Highway 151 in Lafayette, invites the public to worship on Sundays: Sunday school is at 10 a.m., morning service is at 11 a.m., and night service is at 5 p.m.

COOKBOOK North Georgia Animal Alliance has put together a cookbook, “Recipes to the Rescue,” to sell as a fundraiser for the animal rescue group. In addition to 200 recipes, including four for dog and cat treats and a few for homemade cleaning agents, NGAA’S cookbook, which sells for $12, features 20 pages of cooking tips and hints and information about the organization and its work. To learn more about “Recipes to the Rescue” and North Georgia Animal Alliance, visit https://www.northgeorgiaanimalalliance. org/home.html. You can also email ngaa. animals@gmail.com or call 796-937-2287. NGAA is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/northgeorgiaanimalalliance.

CLUB The Kiwanis Club of Fort Oglethorpe was chartered in 1954 and is Catoosa County’s oldest service club. The club meets each Friday at noon at Park Place Restaurant. To learn more about Kiwanis contact Club President Chris Mckeever at 706-861-2860 or visit its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ ftoglethorpekiwanis.

MEETINGS Chickamauga & Chattanooga Civil War Roundtable meets monthly to discuss the complex history of the Civil War and Reconstruction period. Meetings are the first Thursday each month at 7 p.m. Zoom meetings for now. Reputable historians/authors for each meeting. Email address: cccwrtable@gmail.com. Facebook group: Chickamauga & Chattanooga Civil War Roundtable Group.

CHURCH Lafayette Presbyterian Church will continue broadcasting services at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Facebook Live. Members and visitors are invited to attend the service at 11 a.m. by making a reservation at https://www.signupgenius. com/go/5080e4baaaa2da02-lafayette. There is plenty of space for additional families. Masks are required, and proper social distancing is maintained throughout the service. A recording of the service is posted on Youtube and on the church Facebook page (Lafayette-presbyterian-church) for later viewing. The church is not closed, just meeting in a different way. Prayer requests can be sent via the website, https://www. lafpres.org/, or by calling 706-638-3932. Pastor Clay Gunter and the elders are available as needed. Full reopening will be announced at a later date.

MEETINGS Catoosa County Democratic Party generally meets the third Thursday each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Graysville voting precinct. For more information contact C. Griffith by email at cagdemocrat@gmail.com.