Tuesday, Feb. 26

COMMUNITY · The La Fayette-Walker County Public Library will have their Ready to Read Story Time on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 10:3 0a.m. This program prepares children for school with books, songs, games and activities.

COMMUNITY · The Brown Bag Book Club will meet at the LaFayette-Walker County Public Library at noon on Tuesday, Feb. 26. They will discuss the book, “Last of the Mohicans,” by James Fenimore Cooper. New members are always welcome.

COMMUNITY · Tim McGhee, Dean of Engineering and Technology at Chattanooga State, will speak at the Walker County Chamber of Commerce’s February Membership Luncheon starting at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, at the Walker County Civic Center in Rock Spring. Walker County’s STAR Students and Teachers also will be recognized. The cost to attend is $15 per person. Registrations are due Feb. 24. No walk-ins will be accepted. Non-chamber members are required to pay by Visa or MasterCard at the time of registration. Visit walkercochamber.com.

COMMUNITY · Walker County Schools’ Smith Planetarium will be open to the public on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 7:30 p.m. The planetarium is at 409 Pond Springs Road south of Chickamauga. No admission is charged for public programs. In addition to "The Sky Tonight" and "Winter Stargazing", the program will include "Kaluoka Hina: The Enchanted Reef". For more information, call 706-375-3493.

COMMUNITY · Customers are reminded to pick up their Indian River Temple oranges, pink grapefruit, citrus samplers and pecans, from 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, at the Learning Tree School, 300 S. Tibbs Road, in Dalton. After 3 p.m. all fruit will be sold on a first-come first-service basis, unless prior arrangements have been made. Extra fruit was ordered. Special services are offered for the handicapped on pick-up day, so they will not need to get out of their cars. Workers will come out to get their information and bring their fruit. To make these arrangements, call 706-278-2736. Prices are: grapefruit $33 box, $20 half-box; oranges $34 box, $20 half-box; citrus samplers $20 per bag, and pecans $8.50 per pound.

COMMUNITY · World Spay Day will be held Tuesday, Feb. 26 in Adairsville. The event is sponsored by Dog Pack Rescue and Dr. Dan Schwanbeck. A limited number of certificates will be sold for low cost spay, neuters and vaccines on first come, first served basis. These certificates will be sold from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at Adairsville Animal Hospital, 7446 Adairsville Highway in Adairsville. Call 770-773-3401 or visit AdairsvilleAnimal.com.

COMMUNITY · The Tennesse Small Business Development Cetner and the Company Lab will host an Experience Talks free seminar series at Chattanooga State Community College’s Camp House, 1427 Williams Street, in Chattanooga, from Feb. 26 through Dec. 10. The seminar is designed to help new high-growth start-up and existing business owners learn from experienced entrepreneurs how to overcome obstacles and succeed. For more information or to register, call 423-756-8668 or visit TSBDC.org.

Wednesday, Feb. 27

COMMUNITY · The Georgia Department of Labor’s (GDOL) LaFayette Career Center will help Roper Corporation fill about 80 temporary production jobs at its manufacturing facility in Walker County. The recruitment will be held Wednesday, Feb. 27, from noon-4 p.m. at the Bank of LaFayette’s community room, at 104 North Main Street in LaFayette. The company, which manufactures kitchen stoves and microwaves, will be recruiting temporary production operators. Depending on the company’s production needs, selected applicants will work from 20 to 40 hours each week at $10.25 an hour. For more information, contact Cathy Toles at the LaFayette Career Center at (706) 638-5525, or e-mail cathy.toles@gdol.ga.gov, or visit dol.state.ga.us.

COMMUNITY · The Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce will hold an open house at Gutheries, 67 Poplar Springs Road, at 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 27.

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 · Childbirth education will be offered from 5:30-8:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, at Erlanger East (Gunbarrel Road, Chattanooga). This childbirth education class/series is designed for expectant parents and taught by experienced OB nurses. These classes include stages of labor, relaxation and labor support techniques, hospital procedures, pain management options, after birth and home care for moms and in-hospital care for newborns. There will also be time for questions and answers. Registration fee is $75. Call Erlanger’s HealthLink at (423) 778-LINK (5465) to register.

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.

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.

Thursday, Feb. 28

COMMUNITY · Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park is seeking public comment on its amended general management plan. The plan changes provide guidance for making informed decisions about the future of park resource conditions and visitor experiences within the Lookout Mountain Battlefield unit of the park. The National Park Service has developed two preliminary alternative management concepts for the battlefield for public review, comment, suggestions, and advice. The preliminary alternatives and proposed changes to management zoning for Lookout Mountain can be viewed at: www.parkplanning.nps.gov/chch. Comments can be submitted electronically through the website between Feb. 8 and April 8. The park will host an open house on Feb. 28, from 3:30-7 p.m. at the St. Elmo Fire Hall, 4501 St. Elmo Avenue, in Chattanooga, Tenn. The purpose of the open house is for the National Park Service to describe alternatives and hear your ideas, concerns and thoughts about this special place. Formal presentations will be at 4: and 6 p.m. Comment forms will be available at the open house.

COMMUNITY · The Chickamauga Public Library will hold a “Ready to R.E.A.D” story time program at 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 28. The library is at 306 Cove Road in Chickamauga.

COMMUNITY · The Chickamauga Public Library, 306 Cove Road in Chickamauga, will exhibit a “Time Line of Chickamauga from 1820-1899” now through Saturday, March 30. Regular library hours are Tuesday from 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Thursday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m.-noon.

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.

COMMUNITY · Berry College accounting students will offer free tax assistance, 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.