Wednesday, Feb. 6

COMMUNITY · Seniors and Friends of Fort Oglethorpe meet from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesdays, at Constitution Hall on Forrest Road in Fort Oglethorpe, for games, crafts, refreshments and blood pressure and blood sugar checks. For information or transportation, call Peggy Stanfield at 706-866-1369.

COMMUNITY · LaFayette Parks and Recreation Department will offer zumba classes Wednesdays at the Max Stoker facility from 5:30-6:30 p.m. For more information, call Gabriel Dudley at 423-413-0958.

CHURCH · A year-round Parents Day Out program will be offered from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, at Rock Spring United Methodist Church, 3477 Peavine Road in Rock Spring. Children ages 6 months to 5 years old may participate. Bring your child to socialize and play in a Christian environment. There is no registration fee. Cost is $12 a day per child, or $10 a day per child for two or more siblings. Call 706-764-1404 for more information.

COMMUNITY · A Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery seminar will be held from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6, at Erlanger Baroness (Plaza Surgery waiting room). Area residents who are overweight and /or with health problems related to obesity are invited to learn more about the Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Center at Erlanger. It is a free seminar and registration is required. Call Erlanger’s HealthLink at (423) 778-LINK (5465) to register.Visit Erlanger’s You Tube Channel at www.youtube.com/erlangerhealth and click The Weight Loss Program under Playlist to watch first-hand accounts from those who have gone through the program.

COMMUNITY · Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey has partnered with local libraries to host Reading with Ringling Brothers. All branches of the Cherokee Regional Library System will be participating. Children who read five books will be rewarded with a free ticket to the circus at Philips Arena in Atlanta for Feb. 13-18. Children must be aged 2-12 to participate. Stop by your Walker or Dade County public library today to register for the program.

COMMUNITY · Registration is open for the sixth annual Berry Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K races to be run Saturday, March 23, at Berry College in Rome. The Berry Half Marathon raises funds for need-based scholarships to the local (Rome) elementary and middle school. Runners have given to Soles4Soles in past years, and organizers plan to continue to support this charity, as well as contribute $1 for each pair of shoes donated to help offset the cost of mailing the shoes to needed destinations. There will be collection boxes set up at race registration March 22 and 23. There will also continue to be a collection site for Medals4Mettle, a non-profit organization that facilitates the gifting of marathon, half marathon, and triathlon finishers’ medals to children and adults fighting debilitating diseases. To register for the 2013 Berry Half Marathon and further information on registration fees, visit: berryhalfmarathon.com.

COMMUNITY · The Veterans of All Wars Museum, at 71 Red Belt Road in Chickamauga, will be closed through Thursday, Feb. 28, and will reopen Friday, March 1. The museum has a collection of guns and other memorabilia on display. The museum was founded by Robert H. Honeycutt, a WWII veteran, POW, and survivor of the 800 mile German death march. Call Randy Culbreth at 423-488-4789 for more information.

Thursday, Feb. 7

COMMUNITY · The Walker County Chamber’s Young Professionals Council (adults age 40 and younger) will meet from 6-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, at The Hideaway (Formerly Rockamauga Bar & Grille), 96 Fieldstone Village Drive, in Rock Spring. The Walker County Young Professionals Council aims to enhance the quality of life for the Walker County community by connecting young, working people to the county civically, professionally and socially. Bring your business cards, bring some friends and socialize with other young professionals from Northwest Georgia. This event is free to attend and non-members are also invited.

ENTERTAINMENT · Swedish soprano Stina Ohman will perform in the Berry College Ford Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7. This event is free and open to the public. Ohman will be accompanied on the piano by Jacksonville State University faculty pianist Wendy Faughn.

COMMUNITY · Parkridge East Hospital in East Ridge, Tenn., will offer a breastfeeding class ($15 per couple) – Thursday, Feb. 7, from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. This class includes topics such as physiology of breastfeeding, advantages of breastfeeding, techniques for successful breastfeeding, common pitfalls and challenges, returning to work and pumping. Mothers are strongly encouraged to bring a support person, but it is not required. This class is free with any Labor of Love Lamaze class. For more information and to register for classes, call MedLine at 800-242-5662 or visit ParkridgeEastHospital.com.

COMMUNITY · Cholestech Lipid and Glucose screenings will be offered from 8 a.m.-noon Thursday, Feb. 7, at Erlanger East (Gunbarrel Road) in Chattanooga. A lipid panel will show HDL, LDL, Total cholesterol, non-HDL, cholesterol ratio and triglycerides. A 12-hour fast is required to produce an accurate result. No eating or drinking coffee prior to the test, but please drink water the night before and morning of testing. Reservations are required, no walk-ins will be taken. Lipid plus Glucose is $25. Call Erlanger’s HealthLink at (423) 778-LINK (5465) for information.

COMMUNITY · Man to Man Support Group begins at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, at Erlanger Baroness. This support group is for spouses, friends and patients who have prostate cancer. For more information, call (423) 855-2778.

COMMUNITY · A Diabetes Education Class will be held from 1:30-4:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, at Erlanger Chattanooga Lifestyle Center. This class will explore ways to manage diabetes. Call 778-9400 for more information on physician referral and insurance reimbursement.

COMMUNITY · Pilates - helps reduce stress and tension, restores natural balance, improves circulation, range of motion, strength and flexibility. Certified instructor Denise McGaughey offers classes every Monday mornings at 8:30 a.m. and Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6 p.m. at Boynton United Methodist Church. Cost is $33 per month or a flex-pass is available. For more information, go to BoyntonUMC.org or call 423-779-4468. Boynton United Methodist is located at 4246 Boynton Drive in Ringgold, two miles west of I-75, south of Battlefield Parkway at Pine Grove and Boynton.

Friday, Feb. 8

ENTERTAINMENT · The Chattanooga Zoo will host its annual Cocktails for Conservation fundraiser from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8. Guests can enjoy cocktails, light hors d’oeuvres and up-close animal encounters. Proceeds benefit the zoo’s conservation projects. Guests must be 21 or older to attend. Cost is $30 per person. To purchase tickets, call 423-697-1319 or visit chattzoo.org.

ENTERTAINMENT · Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga (ETC) will present Martin McDonagh's black comedy, “The Pillowman,” from Feb. 8-24. Performance times are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. All performances will be held at the theatre's space inside Eastgate Town Center at 5600 Brainerd Road. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students with a valid student ID. They can be purchased online at http://www.ensembletheatreofchattanooga.com, by phone at (423) 987-5141, or at the door beginning one hour before each performance. Doors open 30 minutes before show time. Free parking is available at Eastgate Town Center.

ENTERTAINMENT · The Share America Foundation will host award-winning Gospel Hall of Fame member Archie Watkins, formerly of the Inspirations, on Friday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the Ringgold Depot, corner of Depot Street and U.S. 41 in Ringgold. Pianist Ryan Stinson will also perform. Randall Franks from TV's "In the Heat of the Night” will emcee. The event is a fundraiser for the Pearl and Floyd Franks Scholarship Fund helping musicians achieve higher education. Donations for tickets are adults: $5, children 5 and younger get in free with adult. Tickets may be purchased locally in advance during business hours at SonShine Christian Books (706) 861-7675 in Fort Oglethorpe. For more information, visit shareamericafoundation.org.

COMMUNITY · Berry College accounting students will offer free tax assistance beginning Friday, Feb. 8, to families and individuals with moderate levels of income. VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) is designed by the IRS to assist families to complete their annual tax returns free of charge. This marks the fourth year that Berry has offered the student-operated program. Through VITA, students acquire firsthand experience with tax preparation and client relationships in addition to continuously researching and getting familiar with changing tax laws. To make an appointment, email freetaxes@berry.edu or call (706) 236-2233. Hours of operation are Fridays from 3-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 11a.m.- 4 p.m. in the Campbell School of Business, Room 109.

COMMUNITY · The first Wash Me Pink Color Run to benefit Susan G. Komen will be held Saturday, March 9. The 5K color run course begins at 9 a.m. at 1104 Redwine Cove, in Dalton. Registration is from 7 a.m.-8:45 a.m. Color washers will douse participants with Komen color at the color stations strategically placed throughout the course. Parking passes cost $5 if pre-purchased and $10 at the venue, and are required for each car. Visit washmepink.com.

COMMUNITY · Lyerly United Methodist Church is selling cookbooks for $10 each. They can be purchased from any church member, or at Pine Ridge Outdoor Supply in Lyerly, or by sending $10 (plus $2.00 shipping and handling) to Lyerly United Methodist Church, P. O. Box 152, Lyerly, GA 30730, and a church cookbook will be mailed to you. For more information, call Jo Ann Mitchell at 706-895-2636.

COMMUNITY · Entries in the annual DNR “Give Wildlife a Chance” poster contest must be postmarked by Wednesday, March 27. This year’s theme is “Everyone can be a citizen scientist.” The contest is open to kindergarten through fifth-grade students in public and private schools and homeschool groups. Participants enter at the local school level with drawings that depict their observations of Georgia’s native nongame animals and plants. Visit georgiawildlife.com/PosterContest or botgarden.uga.edu for more information.