Browsing articles tagged with " Community Members"
City to mark Founder’s Day Saturday
Published 8:32pm Thursday, May 16, 2013
VALLEY GRANDE —Valley Grande will once again be filled with residents Saturday enjoying music, vendors and an antique car show, helping mark the founding of their community.
The 10th annual Valley Grande Founder’s Day will give community members the opportunity to celebrate the town’s establishment.
By Sarah Mahan
The Selma Times-Journal
“We have always had a really good turnout from the community, and we are hoping to have as good of a turnout as we have had in previous years,” Janet Frasier, Valley Grande’s city clerk, said. “The event will mark a big mile stone for Valley Grande.”
Preparations for the event have been under way since January.
Event coordinators try to make each Founder’s Day unique, and this year proves to be no exception.
“This year we are changing things up a bit and holding the event in front of the sports complex instead of at the walking trail like it has been in past years, and we are expecting this to increase turnout from the community,” Frasier said. “The antique car show will be bigger, and we are also hoping for an increase in vendors for the event.”
The event, held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., is free to the public and will also include music from several local singing groups, food, games and arts and crafts for the entire family.
Frasier said the event offers residents the opportunity to enjoy each other and their community.
“We are excited to be able to celebrate the creation of our community with everyone,” Frasier said. “The event gives the Valley Grande community an opportunity to come together.”
DAYTON — The City Council has tabled a proposed policy on special events after many citizens expressed concerns it was too complicated and burdensome.
The draft discussed at Monday night’s meeting required a permit application for anyone holding a special event in the city. As part of the permit process, event coordinators would have been required to provide a fact sheet, detailed site map and liability insurance, and sign an indemnification agreement absolving the city of legal liability.
Document
City of Dayton community event form
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The policy was drafted by the council’s Public Safety Committee, chaired by council member Dain Nysoe. Nysoe said it was intended to address shortcomings in the city’s current procedure, including the city’s lack of adequate liability insurance. A policy would also address the use of city staff for special events, and provide legal indemnity for the city in case of accident or injury.
About 40 residents attended the meeting, mostly to voice concerns about the policy, and about a dozen objected to the policy as drafted.
Port of Columbia Manager Jennie Dickinson, who helps plan events as a member of the Dayton Historical Depot board, said the policy would hurt small events that were getting off the ground by burdening them with insurance costs.
“I want there to be a way that fledgeling events can start without being stopped by a city that is too afraid of risk,” she said.
She also noted that the draft policy failed to define special events.
“This document gives the city too much authority to define an event for us,” she said.
Other community members said too few people were consulted in the drafting process. Several people who represent groups that plan events said they had not been consulted about the policy, adding they understood the necessity of having a process in place but that the draft proposal was too restrictive.
Councilmembers Berg, Hall and Bailey also voiced concerns and suggested the city needed to revise the policy before pursuing action on it.
Nysoe restated that the intent was to provide risk management for the city, but ultimately said he was willing to redraft a plan after hearing concerns.
After Mayor Craig George suggested the special events policy be tabled until citizen concerns could be addressed, the council took no action.
The Public Safety Committee plans to make revisions to the policy after meeting with more people in the community.
Rachel Alexander can be reached at rachelalexander@wwub.com or 509-526-8363.
Paddle board race to benefit Children’s Harbor
Published 11:35am Friday, May 3, 2013
Instead of peddling, community members will be paddling to raise money for Children’s Harbor.
Paddle for a Purpose Paddle Board Race will be held May 11 “to start off the season with something exciting,” said Sharon Johnston, one of the event coordinators.
“We’re just excited about it,” Johnston said. “It’s been a passion to do this and try to get other people involved in it.”
The race will begin at 9 a.m., preceded by an 8:30 a.m. captain’s meeting. One-mile and three-mile races are available, and the cost is $40.
“Any event that we can draw people to our campus is always a plus,” said Tammy Jackson, director of community relations for Children’s Harbor. “This as an opportunity for us to get people down to the Lake Martin campus.”
The $40 race fee includes a goody bag, T-shirt and lunch. First, second and third place winners will be awarded in both races for male and female racers.
“We’re just looking to have a nice event,” Johnston said. “Children’s Harbor is my favorite charity group – it’s a fantastic program.”
Johnston, who is also part of a group called Paddle Lake Martin, said paddle boarding is a great activity to be involved in.
“It’s an activity that you can do by yourself or with a group,” Johnston said. “It’s very soothing. It kind of gives you a meditative experience. You become one with the water.”
Johnston said the races are suitable for all ages and skill levels, but those who aren’t ready to jump on a board can still come out to the event at no charge.
“Any time you have a race and participants, it’s so much fun to have a crowd there cheering them on,” Jackson said.
Title sponsors for the event include Lake Martin Dock Company and Gentiva Hospice, which puts on a camp at Children’s Harbor for children who have lost a loved one in the last two years and are going through the grieving process.
Vendors will be available at the event as well as concessions. BOTE boards will also be on hand for demonstrations and for people to test.
“It’s just a great day,” Johnston said. “Everybody has a good time.”
To learn more, visit www.paddleforapurposerace.com or contact Johnston at sharon@paddlelakemartin.net or 334-799-0529. People can register online through www.active.com.
Originally published: April 23, 2013, 9:58 a.m.
Updated: April 23, 2013, 12:38 p.m.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Community members who had planned on attending an adult prom event planned by and postponed by The LGBT Community Center of Charlotte announced today that they are holding their own event on Friday, April 26, 9 p.m.-2 a.m., at L4 Lounge, 2906 Central Ave.
“We do support the center and L4 supports the center,” said Darrell Goldson, who is working to quickly organize the new event. “This is simply for the people who have already spent money and are disappointed with the fact that the prom has been postponed with no rescheduled date.”
The center had announced on Monday that its prom event, envisioned as an event for all ages and for those LGBT community members who couldn’t attend their high school proms, was being postponed due to a family illness of one of the event’s coordinators.
Goldson said he had heard rumors the event might be cancelled for weeks. He reached out to the center on Monday regarding those rumors. As a result, the center confirmed later that day that event was postponed.
“We apologize for any inconvenience that the postponement may cause our participants, but we want to make sure that the persons who proposed and organized the event are able to see the project become a reality, so we think it’s best to postpone it,” the organization announced.
Roberta Dunn, vice chair of the center’s board of trustees, said the center’s prom will be rescheduled but that a date has not yet been finalized. Tickets to the event had been sold for $25. Those who would like refunds for ticket purchases, she said, can email centeradministrator@gaycharlotte.com. Proceeds would have benefited the center.
Dunn also said she wasn’t aware of L4 Lounge or Goldson’s efforts to organize a new event. She said she would speak to center chair Scott Coleman to see if the center could support or promote the new event.
Goldson said the new event at L4 Lounge is meant to accommodate those who had already planned on attending the event and spent money toward tux rentals, babysitting and other logistics.
“I don’t think everybody should be out of money,” he said.
Goldson had planned on bringing as many as 20 friends to the event. For some, the event was very personal.
“This affects people deeply,” he said. “I went to my prom. I was able to take my boyfriend. My current husband was not. Out of 20 people I’m going with, I’m the only one who went to prom with his boyfriend. Everyone else had to go traditionally with a friend or a girlfriend. People from the transgender community in my group were planning to be able to go as their authentic self. People were very excited.”
Goldson said he wishes the best for the center coordinator’s family member. “If someone is sick, I wish them well, of course, but business is business. The show has to go on. If a DJ cancels last minute, you don’t stop the show. You scramble and get another DJ. You don’t cancel an event, especially, four days before the event.”
The L4 Lounge prom will feature entertainment, a DJ, dancing and a drag king contest. Admission is $5, which will be waived for those who present a ticket to the center’s postponed prom. Goldson said L4 Lounge’s owners would also buy center prom ticket-holders their first drink.
The center’s postponement of their prom is the second this month for the organization, which also postponed its “Being Gay-Going Gray” art exhibit. That event was supposed to open on April 12. A new date has not been announced.
The center is currently in a state of transition. Former operations manager O’Neale Atkinson left the organization at the end of March to take a position with Time Out Youth. The center announced last week that it had hired Glenn Griffin to replace Atkinson. Griffin begins work on May 6.
The center’s prom and the new L4 Lounge prom are not related to a similar event planned by Time Out Youth. Their event, for young people ages 13-20, will proceed as scheduled on Saturday, April 27, 7:30-10:30 p.m., at Grand Central, 1000 Central Ave.
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03/09/2013 03:20 PM
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POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. — Women took to the streets in Poughkeepsie in celebration of International Women’s Day on Saturday.
Ladies, lawmakers, and community members took a stroll over the Poughkeepsie side of the Walkway over the Hudson.
The event is based on an event originally put on by Women on Women International.
Event coordinators said this walk wasn’t a fundraiser. It’s purpose is just to celebrate women.
“This is such a wonderful, local celebration of an international event. There’s no better way to think global than act local and be part of this today,” said Didi Barrett, Millbrook Assembly.
“This county has always been led by wonderfully strong and talented and capable women and I’m more than happy to follow them,” said Marc Molinaro, Dutchess County Executive.
This is the walk’s third year in the Hudson Valley.
All are invited to attend the annual Vacaville Veterans Christmas Eve dinner, scheduled to take place Monday.
The free dinner is scheduled to take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Vacaville Veterans Memorial Hall, 549 Merchant St.
The holiday fare will include ham, turkey and all the fixings.
A noon appearance by Santa will bring a flurry of gifts for children.
Meals will be delivered to Vacaville community members who phone in their request. All are welcome — veterans and non-veterans alike — with families, friends, community leaders, at-risk, homeless and financially stable all invited to enjoy a holiday meal.
To request deliveries, volunteer or make donations, call the Veterans Hall 447-6354.
Donations of certain items, such as hams, rolls and desserts, are still needed. Event coordinators recommend calling to ensure someone is available to accept donations.
AUBURN | A small group of community members came together for support on Sunday night.
As part of a way to introduce support for parents with young children, organizers of Auburn’s Community Cafe gathered to help children and families via conversations that they said matter.
The cafe is the first of five meetings supported by a grant from New York state to cultivate relationships between parents and support for them as they raise young children.
The two-hour long event began with a meet-and-greet over food and introductions followed by small group activities, parenting conversation and an opportunity to connect.
Shaun Payne and Jessica Armstrong heard about the event and wanted to come out and experience what the cafe could offer them, they said. They have a four-year-old son.
“I really want to learn more about parenting and hopefully some tips that could help me raise my son,” Payne said. “I think it’s important to develop my parenting skills and I’m looking for solutions to what I think are common issues of raising children.”
Armstrong agreed and admitted that sometimes parenting a young child can be difficult.
“It takes a village,” she said. “And I’m hoping to get some support and some good ideas to take home with me.”
Parents spent time discussing issues that often come up within their families and also learned from each other. And event coordinators hoped that the evening discussion would develop into a stepping stone for parents to come together within the community.
Katie MacIntyre, one of seven volunteers who spearhead the group, was enthusiastic and upbeat about a unique format being brought to Auburn. Her main goal was to encourage open discussion and to be sure that everyone felt welcome and comfortable sharing their ideas and stories, she said.
MacIntyre also helped facilitate the discussion and encouraged parents to share their ideas that would culminate onto a harvest of ideas in lieu of the Thanksgiving holiday.
“It’s a small group but we’re the pioneers and I want to see good things happen not just for my own child but for each child and parent here tonight,” MacIntyre said. “I love my community and as a new parent I’m looking forward to seeing what develops here.”
Auburn Community Cafe will hold five more meetings to help local parents.
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Hampton’s Bear Creek Festival is slated for Sept. 29 and 30 at Historic Hampton City Park.
The festival is free to all residents.
“We don’t charge an admission to get in,” said Sharon Tarpley, one of the event’s coordinators. “It gets everybody in the area and brings the community together.”
Featured elements of the festival include what Tarpley referred to as “lots of vendors”— sellers of crafted goods, handbags, T-shirts, jewelry and wood crafting, a total of more than 75.
The vendors market is Tarpley’s favorite part of the event, by far.
“I enjoy seeing all the different things people can do and make,” she said. “One year we had someone out there that could make birdhouses.”
For the younger ones, a children’s area will contain inflatables to play on and pony rides.
Food will be plentiful with numerous options and not just hot dogs, hamburgers, funnel cakes and slushies. Korean and Mexican offerings will also be among the mix.
Live music will also be at the festival, with confirmed performances from Grafted by Grace and 1-A Chord, both local acts.
There is also something in store for classic car lovers at Bear Creek festival: a classic car show.
This year will mark the fifth annual car show, to be held at Oak Street across from the entrance of Atlanta Motor Speedway.
On the final day of the festival, Sept. 30, registrants for the car show will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The registration fee is $15 per entrant.
Only cars older than 1987 can be entered into the competition.
From 2 to 3 p.m., festival attendees can vote for their favorite cars.
A total of 25 trophies will be awarded.
Overall, Tarpley said the event is an activity geared towards encouraging community members to interact with one another, an element that has kept her involved in planning the festival for the past 12 years.
“I just enjoy it because I can be with and meet people,” she said. “It’s nice to see a small town get together. It’s fun.”
Those interested in becoming vendors must fill out an application and pay either a $60 or $75 fee.
No public address systems, gas powered generators or sound exhibits are allowed in any booth area.
Historic Hampton City Park is at 19 Central Avenue in Hampton.
Information: (770) 946-5490 or www.bearcreekfestival.com.
On Wednesday, the LGBTQ Resource Center hosted its annual Queer Fall Fling, an event open to new and old club members, LGBTQ community members and allies.
LGBTQ Resource Center coordinator Struby Struble said the center holds a fling each semester to welcome students back to MU.
“It’s a social for students to meet new people and catch up with old friends,” she said. “This semester we had games, pizza, candy, soda and prizes. Flings have been happening every semester for four years now.”
The attendance from this fall’s event was record-breaking.
“We had about 300 people attend Queer Fall Fling, which is our largest number of participants so far for this event,” Struble said.
Mimi Martinez, a graduate student and one of the event’s coordinators, said everyone is welcome at the Queer Fall Fling.
“This is a community-building event at the beginning of the semester to develop the community around campus and around town,” Martinez said.
The event hosted an array of different activities and games to break the ice with those who are new and comfortably welcome back previous attendees.
This year’s attendees participated in games such as Jumbo Jenga, Apples to Apples and Catchphrase.
By playing one of the many games or creating jewelry at the bead-making booth, players were rewarded with raffle tickets. Tickets also were given out when an attendee signed up for one of the LGBTQ Resource Center’s divisions, such as Queer People of Color or the Triangle Coalition. These raffle tickets were then put in a tub, and two winners were announced every half-hour.
The event was well-received by new attendees like freshman Rachael Grubstein.
“I was expecting a huge group of people I didn’t know, but everyone was so friendly it immediately felt like a family,” Grubstein said. “I wasn’t expecting to have nearly as much fun or make as many friends as I did – the group was so welcoming.”
Graduate student Allison Murphy said the event was different than last year’s.
“My favorite part is seeing it the last four years – this is my fifth one,” she said. “It’s so great seeing how it changes over the years, each year bigger than the last — more and more new people are here that haven’t come in the past.”
Animal lovers of all ages were able to pet and play with dogs and cats today at the Pets Over The Rainbow annual fun raiser in Great Falls.
The Rainbow Senior living center hosted the event for the non-profit group Pet Paw-See.
Event coordinators said this year’s number of participants and pets exceeds years prior.
Dog and cat lovers, young and old, were all able to play a few games and make a few donations all for a good cause.
“We just want to help them out by raising money for them and, I mean, all of our residents love animals so why not have a great fund raiser for them as well as the pet people,” Erin Doran, marketing director at Rainbow Senior Living, said.
Party-goers could see kittens up for adoption and could buy pet toys from local vendors.
Some participants also entered their dogs in a best smile, costume and best trick contest.
Kids were able to hop around in the jolly jumper on site and community members could enjoy live music, while some even get their pet primped and groomed for the day.
