Jan. 21
MLK Celebration
CONWAY — The Faulkner County Library will be closed Monday to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day. There will be a march from downtown to the library, followed by a special program at the library at 11 a.m., but there will be no regular library services on that day. All library events are free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482.
Holiday Closing
RUSSELLVILLE — The Hughes Community Center will be closed Monday for observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. For more information, call (479) 968-1272.
Jan. 22
Interfaith Dialogue
MORRILTON — The Interfaith Dialogue Series will begin at 6 p.m. at Morrilton’s Rialto Theatre Gallery, 213 E. Broadway. Jay McDaniel, professor of religions at Hendrix College, will introduce the series, which will be an effort for “justice and peace throughout our world, beginning in our own community.” The dialogues will continue each Tuesday for six weeks. A member of each of the following religions will speak on succeeding Tuesdays: Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Light refreshments will be served, and the public is invited.
Retired Teachers Meeting
CLINTON — The Van Buren County Retired Teachers Association will meet at 11:30 a.m. at Western Sizzlin in Clinton. To accommodate the speaker, Linda Scott, state president of the Arkansas Retired Teachers Association, the date has been changed from its originally scheduled date of Jan. 15. She will report to the group the latest concerns that are likely to be brought before the Legislature that affect retired teacher benefits. All retired school personnel who receive a retirement check are urged to attend the meeting.
Author’s Reading
CONWAY — Local author and Hendrix professor Tyrone Jaeger will read from his latest work, The Runaway Note, at 7 p.m. at the Faulkner County Library, 1900 Tyler St. Jaeger was born and raised in the Catskill Mountains, and his work has been published in The Oxford American, the Toad Suck Review, The Literary Review, the Indiana Review, the Southern Humanities Review and many others. The free event is open to the public, and refreshments will be served. For more information, call (501) 327-7482 or email Nancy@fcl.org.
Jan. 24
Art Conservation Lecture
CONWAY — Wendel Norton of Norton Arts Inc., a fine-art conservation company based in Little Rock, Northwest Arkansas and San Francisco, will give a public lecture on art conservation at 1:40 p.m. in McCastlain Lecture Hall, Room 143, at the University of Central Arkansas. The lecture will go along with the Baum Gallery exhibit Before and After: An Exploration of the Art Conservation Process, which aims to illustrate conservation techniques practiced in museums and galleries throughout the world. For more information, call (501) 450-5793.
Jan. 26
Book Signing
CONWAY — Tyrone Jaeger, author of The Runaway Notebook, and Mark Spitzer, author of Monstropocalypse Opus IV, will sign copies of their books from 1-3 p.m. at Hastings Books and Music. Jaeger is a professor of English at Hendrix College, and Spitzer is a professor of writing at the University of Central Arkansas. This literary partnership of the creators of two bizarre and fantastic fictions fuses a seductive dream world with mutant nightmares. Hastings is at 1360 U.S. 64 W. in Conway. For more information, call (501) 329-1108.
Heart Failure Workshop
CONWAY — The Arkansas Heart Hospital will hold a free Success With Heart Failure workshop from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Emeritus at Trillium Park, 1160 Hogan Lane. The workshop will cover symptoms of heart failure, lifestyle changes and how to prevent hospital visits. Registration is required. For more information, call (501) 219-7050.
Punch Brothers Performance
CONWAY — The Punch Brothers will perform at 8 p.m. in the Worsham Student Performance Hall in the Student Life and Technology Center at Hendrix College. The show, sponsored by Hendrix Special Events, the Office of Student Activities and KHDX, is free and open to the public. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m., and limited seating is available. For more information, call (501) 450-1291.
Health and Fitness Fair
GREENBRIER — The City Event Center in Greenbrier will hold its seventh annual Health and Fitness Fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be free health screenings, cooking demonstrations, exercise demonstrations, and a pickleball clinic in the afternoon. The event is sponsored by the Road Runners Extension Homemakers Club. For more information or to become a participant, contact Emily Harris at (501) 733-2409 or Emily.Harris@windstream.net.
Made From Scratch Workshop
MORRILTON — Budding chefs, foodies, breakfast fans and seafood lovers are invited to participate in the second class in the Made From Scratch workshop series from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The class, which will feature 2008 Summer Olympics Chef Robert Hall, will be at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, 1 Rockefeller Drive. Space is limited, and advance registration is required. The cost is $80 per participant. For more information or to register, visit LiveTheLegacy.org.
Ongoing
Class Registration
CONWAY — Beginning Tuesday, the Conway Adult Education Computer Training Department will accept registration for classes. For more information, contact the center at (501) 450-4810, or visit www.caec.org.
Spring Art Exhibitions
CONWAY — The Baum Gallery of Fine Art at the University of Central Arkansas will present four exhibition to be on display until Feb. 24. Swishbone: New Paintings by Julie Evans is a solo exhibition showcasing the recent paintings on Mylar by the New York City native. Under the Influence: New Ceramic Work by Curt LaCross is also a solo exhibition featuring the artist’s most recent large-scale ceramic busts. Alternating Currents: A Mixed Media Art Installation by Mario Marzan, also a solo show, will feature mixed media, 3-D installations and drawings by the Puerto Rican artist. Before and After: An Exploration of the Art Conservation Process is an exhibition aiming to illustrate conservation techniques practiced in museums and galleries throughout the world. The gallery’s hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday; and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Entry to the exhibitions is free.
Email Basics Classes for Adults
CONWAY — The Faulkner County Library in Conway will offer email basics classes at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 7 and 21, and March 7. The hands-on, one-hour classes will cover how to set up an email account with a secure username and password, as well as some do’s and don’ts when using email. To register, call the library at (501) 327-7482, or email nancy@fcl.org. There is no charge and a limit of three students per hour-long class.
Upcoming
Old-Time Concert
CONWAY — Dana and Susan Robinson of North Carolina will give a concert at 2 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Faulkner County Library. The group will perform a blend of original music and old-time songs. All library events are free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served. For more information, call (501) 327-7482 or email Nancy@fcl.org.
Small Business Seminar
RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center will present a hands-on small-business seminar, Introduction to QuickBooks, from 9 a.m. to noon Jan. 29 at Arkansas Tech University. This seminar introduces this popular accounting software program to small-business owners with little or no experience using it. Topics include setting up a new company, a chart of accounts overview, working with lists, and how to view transactions records and find information in your company file. The cost is $65, and a computer will be provided for use during the interactive seminar. Seating is limited. To register, call (479) 356-2067.
Kindergarten Roundup
CONWAY — Conway Christian School will hold a kindergarten roundup at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 29. The school, at 500 E. German Lane, admits students of any race, color, nationality and ethnic origin. For more information, contact registrar Kim Roberson at (501) 336-9067, ext. 106, or visit www.conwauchristianschool.org.
Bible Study
MAUMELLE — The women of Maumelle and surrounding areas are invited to participate in a Bible study by Beth Moore, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 29. The study, facilitated by Linda Obremski, will focus on “breaking free” of anything that hinders women from attaining an abundant and effective spirit-filled life. The cost of the workbook is $16. For more information or to register for this 11-week study, call (501) 851-3547.
Retrospective of Jim Thorpe
CONWAY — Dr. Bob Reising will return to the Faulkner County Library at 7 p.m. Feb. 1 with a video retrospective on Jim Thorpe, the man who made the Super Bowl possible. Thorpe was known as the greatest athlete of the 20th century. He was an Olympian, a professional baseball player and a professional football player. All library events are free and open to the public. For more information, call (501) 327-7482 or email Nancy@fcl.org.
Sweetheart Saturday
RUSSELLVILLE — Arkansas Hospice’s ninth annual Sweetheart Saturday will be held from 1-3 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Hughes Community Center, 1000 E. Parkway Drive. Local food vendors, bakeries and restaurants will supply a selection of sweet and savory treats. An assortment of items for silent and live auctions will be available for bidders. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Arkansas Hospice River Valley Home. Tickets are $10 each or $18 for two and may be purchased at the Arkansas Hospice Russellville office, 2405 E. Parkway, Suite 3, or by calling (479) 498-2050.
Symphony Guild Fundraiser
RUSSELLVILLE — The Talk of the Town Tables fundraiser will be hosted by The Russellville Symphony Guild on Feb. 9. The annual event will begin at 6 p.m. at the Lake Point
Conference Center with heavy hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction and live music, followed by a steak dinner at 7:30 p.m. Proceeds will be used to bring the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra to Russellville for a concert on April 6. Proceeds are also designated for the guild scholarship fund that provides scholarships to local high school music students. Tickets for the event are $60 and may be purchased from any board member or by calling Judy Murphy at (479) 967-1177.
Sweetheart Dinner
MORRILTON — The General Federated Women’s Adelaide Club of Morrilton will have a sweetheart dinner and dance Feb. 9 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Morrilton. The pork-chop dinner, catered by the Knights, will begin at 7 p.m. Jim Aldridge — singer, showman and saxophonist — along with his partner, Kern Kennedy, on keyboard, will provide music for the annual benefit. A dessert table will be provided by Adelaide Club members, and auction items will be available for silent bids. Tickets are $30 per person and must be purchased in advance from any Adelaide member or by calling Sue Noble at (501) 354-2756.
Polar Plunge, 5K Run
RUSSELLVILLE — The Area 17 Special Olympics will hold its Polar Plunge and 5K race Feb. 9 at Lake Dardanelle in Russellville. The 5K registration starts at 8 a.m., followed by the race at 9 a.m. Registration for the plunge starts at 10 a.m., followed by the event at 11 a.m. For a minimum of $50, plunging participants will receive a Polar Plunge T-shirt. Individual and team awards will be given for best costume, as well as the most money raised. The area business raising the most money will receive a traveling trophy. An entry fee of $25 is required for 5K participants. Registration forms are available at specialolympicsarkansas.org. For more information, call Darla at (479) 264-4831.
Hungrytown Performance
CONWAY — Hungrytown, the musical duo of Ken Anderson and Rebecca Hall, will perform at 2 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Faulkner County Library. Refreshments will be served, and all library events are free and open to the public. For more information, call (501) 327-7482 or email Nancy@fcl.org.
Mardi Gras Dance
FAIRFIELD BAY — A Mardi Gras dance will be held from 6:30-10 p.m. Feb. 12 at St. Francis of Assisi Parish Hall, 250 Woodlawn Drive. The dance will feature the Little Red River Band. Tickets are $15 per person and can be purchased from Judy Johnson in the Parish Office from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; from Therese Preusser at (501) 884-3049 or (501) 454-8313; or at Jack’s convenience store, 540 Dave Creek Parkway.
Just Desserts Fundraiser
MORRILTON —The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton Foundation
will hold its 11th annual Just Desserts fundraiser from 5:30-8 p.m. Feb. 14 at the UACCM Plaza. The event will feature a variety of desserts, savory snacks and musical entertainment, as well as silent and chance auctions. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online at www.uaccm.edu or from a foundation board member, and will be available at the door. For more information or to make a contribution to this event, call Morgan Zimmerman at (501) 977-2085.
Book Signing
CONWAY — Regional author Nancy Powell will hold a book signing for her new book, Dark Secrets, from 1:30-4:30 p.m. Feb. 23 at the Faulkner County Library. The book is the first in a series of historical fiction novels based on the life of Ollie McNew. All library events are free and open to the public. For more
information, call (501) 327-7482 or email Nancy@fcl.org.
Public Art Lecture
CONWAY — Julie Evans will present a public lecture about her exhibit, Swishbone: New Paintings, at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 26 in McCastlain Hall, Room 143, at the University of Central Arkansas. Her paintings, which are on display in the Baum Gallery, are characterized by organic forms that swish and swirl with color and texture. For more information, call (501) 450-5793.
To submit an item for the Calendar of Events, mail information to Calendar of Events, River Valley & Ozark Edition, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR, 72203; fax to (501) 378-3500; or email to rvonews@arkansasonline.com. Deadlines for calendar-item submissions are noon Friday for Thursday editions and noon Tuesday for Sunday editions.