Meetings

MTA Board — The Mountain Transit Authority board of directors will meet Wednesday, March 13 at 5 p.m. at the MTA offices in Summersville. The meeting is open to the public.

SCD Board — The Southern Conservation District Board will hold its monthly board meeting on March 14 at the SCD Building, 463 Ragland Road, Beckley, at 9:45 a.m. The agenda will be posted at the SCD office. For any questions concerning the above mentioned meeting, please call 304-253-0261.

Fayette County Commission — The Fayette County Commission will meet Friday, March 15 — 9 a.m., budget work session; Friday, March 22 — regular meeting, 9 a.m., budget, in the Fayette County Commission chambers of the Fayette County Courthouse. The meetings are open to the public.

Board of Education — The Fayette County Board of Education will meet as follows: regular meeting — Monday, March 18, BOE office, 6 p.m.; and special meeting (Local School Improvement Council Meadow Bridge area schools) — Monday, March 25, Meadow Bridge High School, 6 p.m.

Fayette Association of Retired School Employees — FARSE meets the fourth Saturday of each month at 10:30 a.m. at the Quality Inn, Fayetteville. Current meetings are scheduled for March 23, April 27, and May 18. Changes are made only when the date interferes with a holiday weekend. Please contact Mary Alice Casebolt, president, at 304-877-3488; Darlene Allen, vice president, at 304-469-4859; or Angelita Berry, secretary, at 304-438-5578, if you have questions.

Oak Hill Lions Club — The Oak Hill Lions Club meets each Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Scout Cabin, City Park, Oak Hill. For more information, call 304-574-2836.

Oak Hill Rotary — The Oak Hill Rotary Club meets every Tuesday at noon at the LifeBridge Fellowship Hall in East End Oak Hill. Call 304-640-1497 for more information. The first Tuesday of each month is Business Meeting day, and each following Tuesday has a member program scheduled, with guests invited to visit.

Cancer Support Group — The Fayette County Cancer Support Group meets the first Monday of each month (excluding holidays, then meetings are held the second Monday) from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Summit at Hidden Valley, 438 23rd Street, Oak Hill (next to Hidden Valley Nursing Home). Call Ann Perry at 304-465-1224.

Vandalia Garden Club — Vandalia Garden Club meets the fourth Tuesday of the month from March through November at the Fayetteville United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall at 12:30 p.m. Prospective members are welcome.

Nar-Anon Support Meeting — Nar-Anon support meetings are held each Friday at 6:30 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Oak Hill. For more info, call Vicki at 304-222-0284.

Quota Club — Quota Club International of Plateau Area meets the third Thursday of each month for a business luncheon at Holiday Inn, Oak Hill, at 12 noon. Quota Club welcomes new members. For membership information, call 304-469-3618.

Nimble Thimbles — Nimble Thimbles Quilt Guild meets from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the second Tuesday every month at the American Legion in Fayetteville. Bring something to work on or show off.

Al-Anon — Al-Anon meets every Monday night at 8 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 345 Kelly Avenue, Oak Hill.  For more information, call 465-1523.

Fayetteville Junior Women — The Fayetteville Junior Women’s Club meets on the first Tuesday of every month.

AIM — Ansted Improvement Motivators Inc. meets the fourth Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Ansted Methodist Church. Teenagers to golden-agers are invited to join. Do you have a couple of hours to donate to help your town? Join the hard-working people who are putting Ansted on the map as a wonderful place to live, play and visit. This can only be done with your help.

American Legion — LaFayette Post 149 of the American Legion meets each third Monday at 7:30 p.m. and hosts Bingo every Tuesday and Saturday at 5 p.m.

PAN — Plateau Action Network (PAN) meets the first Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at Gregg Studio, 104 Fayette Ave., Fayetteville (left side of the Public Defenders building). Call ahead at 304-574-4PAN (4726) if you would like to be on the agenda. Visit www.plateauactionnetwork.org to learn more about the local watershed group, which is working for responsible economic development and sustainable environmental management for the community. Everyone is welcome.

Scouts — The Oak Hill Boy Scout Troop 1335 meets each Monday at 7 p.m. at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church. New members are being accepted. For more information, contact Scoutmaster Randy Dolin at 304-465-5087.

Humane Society — The New River Humane Society holds its regular meetings the second Tuesday of each month at La Vaquero’s Restaurante, 2027 E. Main Street, Oak Hill, at 6:30 p.m. NRHS is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and welfare of animals. The public is welcome. Come support your local humane society and animal shelter. For more, call 304-465-5062.



Announcements

First Responders Get Together — The Fayette-Nicholas Chapter of the American Red Cross West Virginia Region will host a “Thank You First Responders Get Together” for Fayette County first responders during the American Red Cross blood drive on Monday, March 11 at the Lewis Community Building in Oak Hill. The “meet and greet” will be at 4 p.m. and the “thank you” presentation will be at 4:30 p.m. Thank you, Fayette County first responders — volunteer and paid — for everything you do for our county.

Autism Awareness Volleyball Event — A sponsor(s) is needed for a special volleyball tournament set April 13 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Place in Beckley. The sponsor, or sponsors, are needed to sponsor the T-shirts to be given to members of the competing teams. The sponsor’s logo will be printed on the T-shirts for a tournament sponsorship fee of $1200. The sponsor also is welcome to a free booth the day of the event to advertise its business or organization. The community event will include the volleyball tournament, arts and crafts for older children, child care available for younger children, and a walk for those who do not want to play volleyball. For information regarding the tournament sponsorship, please call Dr. Kelli White at 304-673-1539 as soon as possible.

HFT Auditions — Auditions for PANACHE to be held will be held at the Historic Fayette Theater in Fayetteville on Tuesday, March 12, at 6 p.m. This is a second season show and some roles have been precast. There are two roles available for men only. One male role is for a character in his 40s and the other is a male in his 20s. You do not need a prepared piece to audition, the director will provide one for you. Show dates are April 26, 27, May 3, 4, with a matinee on May 5. The show is directed by Jan Neal.

Disaster Preparedness Fair — There will be a disaster preparedness fair April 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Fayetteville High School gym, 515 W. Maple Ave., Fayetteville. For more information, contact Jane Hardy at 304-640-1120 or wv8jh@frontier.com.

Red Cross Month — March is Red Cross Month and the American Red Cross Fayette-Nicholas Chapter would like to say “thank you” to all those who support us. Your support enables us to provide help and hope to those who need our assistance. If you would like to make a donation, volunteer, or give blood; contact your local Fayette-Nicholas Chapter at 304-469-4636. Together we can save a life.

ARC Blood Drives — The following blood drives are scheduled in the area this month: March 11 — Lewis Community Building, Oak Hill, 12 to 6 p.m.; March 12 — Sunday Road Baptist Church, Hico, 12 to 6 p.m.; March 18 — Crossroads Mall, Mount Hope, 2 to 6 p.m.; March 18 — St. John’s Catholic Church, Summersville, 12 to 6 p.m.; March 19 — Midland Trail High School, Hico, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; March 22 — Oak Hill High School, Oak Hill, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and March 28 — Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Also, walk-ins are welcome at the Inez O’Brien Donor Center in Beckley each Wednesday from 12 to 6 p.m. If you have any questions about blood drives, feel free to call 540-580-3908 or e-mail scott.hill2@redcross.org.

Broadband Survey — The State Broadband Mapping Program, a public/private partnership launched as part of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) State Broadband Data and Development Grant (SBDD) program, is working to improve high-speed Internet access around the state and is being administered by the WV Geological and Economic Survey (GES), Office of GIS Coordination (OGC). The State Broadband Mapping Program supports the mapping and planning phases in coordination with 11 West Virginia Planning and Development Councils and commercial broadband service providers. Region 4 Planning and Development Council is currently administering an online broadband survey in coordination with the state’s efforts. The survey can be accessed at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Reg4BBSurvey until March 15. Please take a few moments to visit the link and take the survey. Participation is vital in reaching the state’s broadband goal to improve service. Responses will remain anonymous. For more information, please contact Cassandra Hughart of Region 4 Planning and Development Council at 304-872-4970 ext. 300.

West Virginia International Pageant — The 2013 WV International Pageant will be held on Saturday, May 4 in Beckley, at Tamarack’s Gov. Hulett C. Smith Theater. Deadline to enter is April 1. There are divisions for Miss, Teen, Mrs., Junior Miss, and Ms. More information and entry forms are available online at www.wvintlpageants.com. Currently entry numbers are very, very low and some divisions have no entries yet so this is a wonderful chance for a state title. The winners in the Miss, Teen, and Mrs. divisions will represent West Virginia at the international pageant this July in Chicago, Ill. Prizes and sponsors are listed on the pageant website and new prizes are being added weekly. If you have any questions, please contact Kristi Atha-Rader, director, at katha17@aol.com or by calling 304-228-7129. Please feel free to share this information with anyone who might be interested in competing.



Places to Go/Things to Do

St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Theater — On Saturday evening, March 16, Hawks Nest State Park will present an evening of American Irish songs and stories, performed by West Virginia’s “Bard of Education,” actor and musician, Mick Souter. This will include numerous sing-alongs and performances on a wide array of instruments, including banjo, fiddle, auto harp, guitar, dulcimer and mandolin. The show will be interspersed with humorous and historically-based tales that set-up the songs while adding an intriguing touch of Irish color to the evening. Since this is presented as a dinner theater, the food service at Hawks Nest will prepare a sumptuous feast of Irish culinary favorites to complement the evening, delight the senses and charm the palate of even the most discriminating Irishman. For more information on the performance or reservations, call 304-658-5212 or visit hawksnestsp.com.

Healthy Eating — Lunch and Learn on March 12 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the second floor education room at Montgomery General Hospital, Montgomery. Join Alice Lockman, FNP-BC,CDE, for “Primary Colors: The More You Eat, The Better You Feel.”

Scrip Show — The National Scrip Collectors Association will hold its semi-annual show and meeting in Beckley April 19, starting at 8 a.m. and ending at noon on April 20 at the Country Inn & Suites, 2120 Harper Road. There is no admission fee and the public is invited and encouraged to attend. Coal scrip was the private currency of coal companies in over 612 towns in West Virginia alone. In the mid-1950s, scrip had all but disappeared as a method of labor payment. Coal scrip, like other obsolete currency, has survived and today is thriving in the hands of collectors. No one ever thought that coal, merchant and lumber scrip would have another life. As hard as the work was to earn a few dollars, the miner and lumberman’s families had no thought of saving the scrip. Almost all scrip is in circulated condition. Even so, some few are worth hundreds of dollars or more. There will be vendors, dealers and collectors at the show who would offer their opinions as to the value of any scrip and maybe where to sell it if desired. Other mining memorabilia, artifacts, coal scrip books and catalogues usually have dealers also. Part of the purpose of NSCA is to encourage the study and research of the history of coal mining companies as it relates to the usage of scrip tokens and the families who used it. For more information, please contact Bill Campbell (bwcok@knology.net) or nationalscripcollectorsassociation.org.

Bean Dinners — The Fayetteville United Methodist Church will host monthly bean dinners for the winter and spring. Each month through May, on the third Wednesday of the month, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the church will serve beans, cole slaw, cornbread, dessert and a drink for a suggested donation of $6. Take out is available by ordering at the church or calling 304-574-0187 in advance to have your order ready. The proceeds from this event help support various missions the church participates in throughout the community and the state. Don’t forget to mark the following dates on your calendar: March 20, April 17 and May 15.



Church

Spring Rally — The First Baptist Church of Harlem Heights invites your church to its Spring Rally on March 17 at 3 p.m. The speaker for the afternoon is the Rev. Baker of First Baptist of Harlem Heights. Dinner is at 1:30 p.m.

Ladies Night Out — Ames Heights Bible Church will hold its annual “Ladies Night Out” on Thursday, March 28 at 6 p.m. This year’s theme will be “The True Vine.” Come, bring a friend and enjoy an evening of fun and fellowship. For more information, call Suzie at 304-574-2131 or June at 304-574-0531.



Schools

Pre-school Enrollment — Mountain View Christian School in Hilltop currently is enrolling 3- and 4-year-old pre-schoolers for the 2013-14 school year. For more information, call 304-465-0502.