COMMUNITY EVENTS IN THE RIVER VALLEY & OZARK AREA

April 20

Conway AARP Chapter Meeting

Conway — The Conway AARP Chapter will meet at the Ola and John Hawks Senior Wellness and Activity Center, 705 E. Siebenmorgen Road. The guest speaker will be Dr. William Furlow. Lunch will be served at 11:15 a.m., followed by a meeting from noon to 1 p.m. All seniors 50 or older are welcome to join the chapter for $5 per year. For more information, contact Ron Ross at (501) 327-6803 or Ruby Johnson at (501) 327-0498.

Golf Tournament

CONWAY — Renewal Ranch will hold the fifth annual Renewal Ranch Golf Classic at The Greens at Nutter Chapel. Registration will be at 7:30 a.m., followed by a morning flight with a shotgun start at 8:30. The event will include breakfast, lunch, door prizes and gift bags. Prizes will be awarded for first-, second- and third-place teams, hole in one, closest to the pin and longest drive. Sponsorships of various levels are available. All proceeds will go to Renewal Ranch, a faith-based program for men with addictions. For more information, to register a team or to become a sponsor, contact Kyle Allison at (501) 472-7704 or Renewal Ranch at (501) 269-4306, or visit www.therenewalranch.org.

Conway Conversations

CONWAY — The Faulkner County Library will present an informational and planning meeting for Conway Conversations at 6 p.m. at the library. The aims of Conway Conversations are for people to have conversations with others who think differently while listening to, respecting and learning about one another. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482, email nancy@fcl.org, or visit Facebook or Twitter. All library events are free and open to the public.

April 22

Administrative Assistants Day Fundraiser Luncheon

MORRILTON — The seventh annual Administrative Assistants Day Fundraiser Luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Building at the Conway County Fairgrounds. Entertainment will be provided by Craig O’Neill and a mystery guest. There will be door prizes, and vendors will offer items for shopping. Tickets are $25 each. Sponsorship tables are available, beginning at $150. Proceeds will support the work of The Safe Place Inc., which serves victims of domestic violence. For more information, call (501) 354-1884 or email thesafeplace@suddenlinkmail.com.

April 23

Extension Homemakers Clubs Luncheon Fundraiser

PERRYVILLE — The Perry County Extension Homemakers Clubs will present a luncheon fundraiser in the Perry County Fairgrounds Multi-Purpose Building. Guest speaker Janet Carson, extension horticulture specialist with the University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture Research and Extension, will present In the Garden: What to Do to Make Your Garden Shine. A light lunch will include taco-in-a-bag, dessert and a drink for $10. Lunch will be served at 10:30 a.m., followed by the program at 11:30. The event is open to the public. To reserve a ticket, call the Perry County Extension office at (501) 889-2661. Tickets can be paid for at the door. The event will support the Extension Homemakers Clubs of Perry County and local Master Gardeners programs.

April 24 and 25

The Heritage Quilt Show

HEBER SPRINGS — The Daisy Patch Quilters will host the Heritage Quilt Show from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Education and Commercial buildings at the Cleburne County Fairgrounds on Bittle Road. Quilts are being accepted; there is a limit of three quilts per person. There will be prizes for Best of Show and Viewers’ Choice. Quilts must be delivered to the fairgrounds from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the show is $5, but there is no charge for displaying quilts or entering the contest. A heritage quilt will be raffled, and many door prizes will awarded. For more information, call Gerry Shipley at (501) 589-2300.

Historical Museum Event

PERRYVILLE — The Perry County Historical Museum will be open from 1-6 p.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday as part of Fourche River Days. The museum will have a quilt display and old-fashioned games and stories, along with a video of the history of Perry County. The Smith Boys will present a demonstration on blacksmithing. Baked potatoes with all the fixings will be available for purchase.

April 25

STAND Spring Bling Fundraiser

CONWAY — Stand Together And No Drugs will hold a fundraising event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Conway Adult Education Center, 125 Center St. The STAND Spring Bling will include bounce houses for kids, pony rides, free food, music, games, a silent auction and vendor booths. Donations will be accepted. For more information, call Sannecia Davis at (501) 838-6058.

Mount Vernon Cemetery Cleanup, Decoration Day

MOUNT VERNON — The Mount Vernon Community Cemetery will hold its annual spring cleanup and decoration day from 8 a.m. to noon. A potluck lunch will be served at noon at the community center. Those who have friends or loved ones buried in the cemetery are encouraged to take part in the activities. Anyone who cannot attend but would like to make a donation for the cemetery’s upkeep my mail donations to Bonnie Caldwell, 126 Shoemaker Circle, Conway, AR 72032. In case of rain, the cleanup will be held May 9.

Tornado-Anniversary Event

MAYFLOWER — The Interfaith and Partners Disaster Recovery Alliance will hold a tornado-anniversary event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Mayflower City Park to remember the loss and celebrate recovery, following an EF4-rated tornado that struck the area, including Faulkner County, on April 27, 2014, killing 12 people in the county, including three in Mayflower. The event will include special music, free food and drink, activities for children, special guests and a prayer. For more information, contact the Interfaith and Partners Disaster Recovery office at (501) 205-6873.

Ongoing

Maumelle Newcomers Club Scholarship

MAUMELLE — The Maumelle Newcomers Club is offering a $1,000 scholarship to all eligible residents of Maumelle, as well as immediate family members of Newcomers Club members. Applicants must have at least a 2.5 cumulative grade-point average, cannot be the recipient of a full scholarship, and must attend a four-year or two-year accredited educational institution or accredited technical college. Graduate and part-time students are also eligible. Applications must be postmarked by Tuesday and can be obtained at the Maumelle Public Library or by calling scholarship chairwoman Alice Cleves at (501) 442-3846.

Love Cap Group

HEBER SPRINGS — The Love Cap group meets to sew caps on the fourth Wednesday of each month at First Baptist Church. For more information, call Polly at (501) 206-0808.

Friends of the Library Book Shop

HEBER SPRINGS — The Friends of the Library Book Shop, 2255 Arkansas 25B N., is open from 3:30-7 p.m. Mondays, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. The shop offers a large selection of books at bargain prices. All proceeds from the shop benefit the libraries in Cleburne County.

Cherokee Bingo

CONWAY — Cherokee Bingo begins at 6:15 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday at Helton’s Wrecker Service/U-Haul, 710 S. Harkrider St. All proceeds go to the Helton-Osburn-Spencer Scholarship Fund at the University of Central Arkansas.

Morning Movers Class

MAUMELLE — The Morning Movers class is offered from 8:15-9 a.m. Monday through Thursday at the Maumelle Senior Wellness Center, 550 Edgewood Drive, Suite 400. For more information, call (501) 851-4344.

TeamKID

MAUMELLE — Southern Hills Baptist Fellowship and JumpZone have teamed up to offer a free children’s program, TeamKID, for first- through sixth-graders. The program is held at 6:30 p.m. each Wednesday at the JumpZone building. For more information, call (501) 851-7729 or visit www.southernhillsbaptist.tv.

Midday Manna

CONWAY — A Bible lecture and luncheon led by Wanda Landers takes place from 11:45 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at Woodland Heights Baptist Church, 4215 Prince St. Lunch, including a drink and dessert, is served for $5. For child care by reservation, call (501) 329-0001.

Tea Party Meeting

HEBER SPRINGS — Arkansas’ We the People Tea Party of Cleburne County meets at 6:30 p.m. the first and third Thursdays of every month at St. Barnabas Anglican Church, 1101C W. Main St. Various issues are discussed. For more information, call Marlin Schwartz at (847) 977-5261.

Upcoming

Swim Lessons Registration

RUSSELLVILLE — Registration will begin May 1 for the Russellville Recreation and Parks Department’s Learn to Swim program, taught by certified Red Cross instructors. The lessons will begin June 8 at the M.J. Hickey Pool. Each two-week session will run Monday through Thursday. Morning and evening classes will be available. Registrations will be accepted from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Hughes Community Center, 1000 E. Parkway. Minors must be registered by a parent or legal guardian, and a fee of $60 is required. For more information, call (479) 968-1272.

Council on Aging Annual Sunday Lunch

CONWAY — The Faulkner County Council on Aging will hold its 26th annual Sunday lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 26 at the Ola and John Hawks Senior Wellness and Activity Center, 705 E. Siebenmorgen Road. The menu includes chicken and dressing, mashed potatoes with gravy, cranberry sauce, rolls, cheesecake and a choice of drinks. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for children ages 4-12. Children 3 and younger may eat free. Carryout meals will be available. Tickets are on sale at the activity center and will be sold at the door. For more information, call (501) 327-1122 or visit www.fcseniors.com.

QuickBooks Payroll Workshop

RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center will present a hands-on QuickBooks Payroll workshop from 9 a.m. to noon April 28 at Arkansas Tech University. Participants will learn to use the payroll features in QuickBooks accounting software. Topics include tracking employee time, issuing paychecks, paying liabilities and producing payroll reports. A computer will be provided for each participant during this interactive session. The cost is $65 per person. Registration is required by calling (479) 356-2067 or visiting asbtdc.org/training/russellville-events.

Conway Men’s Chorus Spring Sing 2015

CONWAY — The Conway Men’s Chorus will present its 17th annual Spring Sing concert with a wide variety of music, including songs of faith, songs of spirit and songs of fun. The free concert will begin at 7 p.m. April 28 in Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and parking is free. The 55-plus-member group is under the direction of Sam Huskey, with assistant directors Jordan Bennett and Greg Murry, and piano accompanist Paul Bradley. Conway High School’s girls group The Accidentals will open for the chorus. For more information, contact Mike McCullars at (501) 327-5151, email info@conwaymenschorus.org, or visit www.conwaymenschorus.org.

Civil War Marker Dedication

PLUMMERVILLE — An Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial historical marker commemorating Conway County in the Civil War and the death of John Clayton will be dedicated at 2 p.m. May 1 at the Plummerville Cemetery. University of Central Arkansas professor Kenneth Barnes, author of Who Killed John Clayton?: Political Violence and the Emergence of the New South, 1863-1891, will be the featured speaker at the ceremony. Mark Christ, community outreach director for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, and board member Tommy Dupree will also speak. For more information, call Bill Plummer at (501) 208-2882.

Relay for Life Fundraiser

PETIT JEAN MOUNTAIN — The Petit Jean Mountain Extension Homemakers Relay for Life team will host a walk to raise money for the American Cancer Society from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 1. Meet at the picnic area of Pavilion A in Petit Jean State Park. Team members and volunteers will walk trails in the park area for donations. The relay cookout for walkers and volunteers will begin at 4:30 p.m. To donate to the Relay for Life, contact team captain Sandy Shaw at (501) 727-5259 or shaw12769@yahoo.com, or send donations to Shaw at 1722 Petit Jean Mountain Road, Morrilton, AR 72110.

Master Gardeners Plant Sale

RUSSELLVILLE — The Pope County Master Gardeners will host their annual plant sale from 8 a.m. to noon May 2 at the Pope County Fairgrounds, 500 S. Knoxville St. There is no admission charge. There will be a special display on the monarch butterfly.

Author Visit

CONWAY — The Faulkner County Library will present David Joiner, author of Lotusland, at 7:99 p.m. May 2. Lotusland tells the story of a young American who falls in love with a talented Vietnamese painter. Joiner, who was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Arizona. He lives in Saigon, where he is working on a second novel set on the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia. All library events are free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482, email nancy@fcl.org, or visit Facebook or Twitter.

Flag Football Game Fundraiser

CONWAY — The Blondes vs. Brunettes flag football game, a fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association, will be held at 1 p.m. May 16 at the University of Central Arkansas. For more information, contact Jane Gunter at (501) 265-0027 or jgunter@alz.org.

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.

Upcoming Events