Guidelines for Best Bets Best Bets items may be submitted up to two weeks in advance and are subject to editing. Items must be received by 1 p.m. to run the following day. Items must be submitted via e-mail or U.S. Postal Service. All submissions must be typed and may be e-mailed to newsroom@itemonline.com. Handwritten submissions will seldom be accepted.
Best Bets announcements are for non-profit and community groups wishing to announce a specific event. We will not run submissions which do not fit the guidelines of Best Bets not mentioned here. Best Bets is based on space availability. We do not guarantee that any announcement will run every day, or on any specific day. Questions regarding Best Bets should be directed to Meagan Ducic at (936) 295-5407 ext. 3008, or Jay Ermis at (936) 295-5407 ext. 3025.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Huntsville Head Start The Huntsville Head Start has immediate openings for children who qualify and are 3 or 4 years old by Sept. 1, 2008. For more information, call (936) 291-9190 or come by the center and ask for Maria Dooley.
Gladdis Geeslin Gallery The Art Department of Sam Houston State University will host the exhibit, “Bare Bear,” through Nov. 14, featuring artists Derek Cote, Benjamin Entner and Jason Godeke.
National French week Sam Houston State University’s Department of Foreign Languages will participate in National French Week through Nov. 11 in the Evans Building. There will be a French film festival, French poster/craft making competition, French poetry reading competition and a soiree of French music and cuisine. For more information, call Shirin Edwin at (936) 294-4732.
EVENTS BEGINNING OCT. 2
Writing at the Center The next Writing at the Center reading will be at 8 p.m. today at the Sam Houston State University Writing Center, located in the Farrington Building, room 111. The event is open to the public for those interested in reading or supporting the writing efforts of others. Participants can share poetry, short fiction, plays, and memoirs. Door prizes will be given, and coffee and refreshments will be served. Call the Writing Center with questions at (936) 294-3680 or them at e-mail wctr@shsu.edu.
Scholastic book fair Summit Christian Academy, located at 3122 Montgomery Rd., will host a Scholastic book fair from Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The fair will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday only, to accommodate parents who work. SCA will host special guest speakers each day of the fair. On Monday: KSAM’s Brook Adams, Christopher Buck, Peggy Petty and Stephen Cole from the Sheriff’s Dept., Fire Station No. 2 Captain Jason January, and SCA Principal Joyce Parrish; Tuesday: SCA Director Kathy Ignatovich; Wednesday: Detective Judy James, Albert Archuleta of the Texas Army National Guard and a representative from the Huntsville Public Library; Friday: First Assembly of God’s Pastor Gaston, and Judges Pierce and Farris. For more information, call Joyce Parrish at (936) 295-9601.
Huntsville Area Newcomers Huntsville Area Newcomers monthly meetings and luncheons are held on the first Thursday of each month from September to May at the Elkins Lake Clubhouse. Membership is open to all Huntsville area residents. The next luncheon will be held this Thursday at 11 a.m. Guest speaker will be Kim Stewart of Stewart’s Garden Center. The topic will be decorating for the holiday. Reservations are required due to a limited seating of 150. Luncheon reservation deadline is Monday. To make reservations or for more information on becoming a member, call (936) 295-5249.
The Tall Pines Quilt Guild The Tall Pines Quilt Guild will meet Monday in the Fellowship Hall of University Heights Baptist Church and will hold a meet and greet at 6:30 p.m. before the meeting at 7 p.m. The program speaker will be Mr. Salinas from Moda.
Mended Hearts Support Group The Mended Hearts Support Group will meet Wednesday at noon in the Huntsville Memorial Hospital Conference rooms. The program will be on Peripheral Vascular Disease and is presented by Dr. Shukla, M.D. Call (936) 291-4594 to register.
Storyteller The Huntsville Public Library will host children’s storyteller, Shelby Smith, on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. at the Old Town Theatre, 1023 12th St. This story telling program is entitled Watermelon Jubilee and is hosted by the Friends of the Library. Admission is free. For more information, call the library at (936) 291-5472.
East Texas Gospel Singers Cook Springs Baptist Church, located at 1936-A Highway 75 North, will sponsor the East Texas Gospel Singers at a benefit for 3-year-old Lucas R. Trantham, son of Stacy and Krissi Trantham, on Thursday from 7-9 p.m. at the church. Donations may be made to Lucas R. Trantham Fund c/o Brenda Yancy, First National Bank, Huntsville, Texas, 77320. Funds will be used to help defray expenses associated with the treatment of Trantham’s Bardet-Biedel Syndrome. For more information on the syndrome, visit http://lmbbsa.com.
HHS Choir Booster Club There will be a monthly meeting for the Huntsville High School Choir Booster Club on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. All parents are asked to attend in order to plan holiday activities. For more information, call Lynnette at (936) 661-4958.
Master Gardeners The Walker County Master Gardeners will hold a 2009 training session on Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Texas AgriLife Extension Office, 102 Tam Road. For information, call (936) 435-2426 or contact Sue Harris at (936) 439-0086 or sueharris1227@sbcglobal.net.
Christmas craft fair The public is invited to the Huntsville Memorial Hospital Christmas Craft Fair Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Conference Rooms A and B. There will be 12 booths containing crafts created by employees at HMH. Items for sale will include jewelry, candles, silk flower arrangements, hand made clothes and blankets, original paintings, pottery, western art and baked goods.
The Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus will serve its monthly fish fry dinner on Friday from 5-7 p.m. at St. Thomas Catholic Church at 16th Street and Avenue M. Menu includes fried fish, french fries, hush puppies, okra, cole slaw and iced tea. Cost is $7 for adults and $4 for children. Carry-out dinners are always available. For more information, call Ed Jacobs at (936) 661-4014.
Alcohol Summit The SHSU Alcohol and Drug Abuse Initiative will present the third annual alcohol summit on Friday. The purpose of the summit is to educate the university community about risky alcohol consumption as well as the legal and social ramifications of irresponsible choices. The summit is open to all students, faculty, staff and community members and is designed to offer information about alcohol and other substance abuse through a series of educational sessions. Registration forms are available online at www.shsu.edu/adai. For more information, contact ADAI coordinator Rosanne Keathley at (936) 294-1171 or hpe_rsk@shsu.edu.
Motorcycle Club fundraiser The Black Saints Motorcycle Club of Huntsville will host a Turkey Run to the Hill Country fundraiser. All proceeds will help provide Thanksgiving turkeys to needy families in Huntsville. The club will leave Huntsville from First State Bank on Friday at 8 a.m., and return Nov. 9. All participants will be asked to donate $20; other and additional donations welcome. For more information, call Latisa Bluford at (936) 537-1124.
Benefits God’s Giving Foundation is sponsoring benefits in the Huntsville area. The foundation is a recently formed Christian organization that organizes musical entertainment benefits for those who are either ill, have been in a serious accident or who are just in need of community support and/or a love offering. The benefit details are as follows: Saturday at True Vine Baptist Church for the Rev. Willie Sublet; Saturday at Robinson Memorial Church for God In Christ for Earline Spivey; Dec. 6 at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church for Lillie Mae Burnet. All events will begin at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call Pat Oliphant, president and founder of God’s Giving Foundation, at (936) 661-1043.
COME Center The COME Center will hold a holiday festival on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 305 B. Highway 75 North in Huntsville. There will be food, games, face-painting, a bake sale, a garage sale, a raffle, crafts and Christmas decorations. For more information, call (936) 295-0671.
Property owners meeting On Saturday, the annual O’Bannon subdivision property owners meeting will take place at 3:30 p.m. at the home of Vernon Friday, located at 52 McShane Lane. It will be a covered dish dinner. Bring your own chairs. For more information, call (936) 295-6150.
Walker County American Heart Walk On Saturday at Sam Houston State University’s Bowers Stadium, there will be a Walk for the American Heart Association. Registration begins at 7:30 p.m. There is still room available for teams and sponsorships and donations are welcome. For further information, contact Karen Bilsing at (936) 295-6363 or Karen.Bilsing@hunstvillememorial.com.
Blood drive University Heights Baptist Church, Faith Lutheran Church, and Greater Zion Missionary Baptist Church will host a blood drive on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Community Room at West Hill Mall. Donors must be at least 17 years of age and weigh a minimum of 110 pounds or 16 years of age and weigh 122 pounds; all minors must have parental consent. Photo identification is required. All donors will be entered in a weekly drawing for two Continental Airline tickets. For appointments, register at www.giveblood.org or call (936) 295-0278 or (936) 661-5867. More than 900 units of blood are needed daily; each unit can help as many as three people.
Chili supper Crabbs Prairie Volunteer Fire Department will sponsor a chili supper Saturday from 5-8 p.m. at the Fire Station, located at FM 1696 West at Highway 75 North. There will be a drawing for a rifle, a barbecue pit and a cash prize during supper. Donations will be accepted at the door; if you are unable to attend but still wish to donate, you can mail your donation to, Crabbs Prairie VFD, 28 FM 1696 West, Huntsville, Texas, 77320.
Project Front Line Eagle Scout Troop No. 1046’s Justin Carr will conduct a special project in West Hill Mall in front of the Veterans Museum on Saturday from noon to 3:30 p.m. The public is invited to come out and participate by folding a flag and writing a note of appreciation to be sent out to troops on the front line. Care packages will also be sent to the soldiers; participation would be greatly appreciated. No chocolate or liquid items. For more information, call (936) 727-0577.
Marine Corps birthday luncheon All marines – active duty, retired, reserve and former, are invited to the 223rd Marine Corps birthday luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 10 at the Elks Lodge (BPOE 1981) at 3406 Elks Drive off of FM 1374. The cost is $10; surplus funds will go to Toys for Tots. For more information, call Joe Shaw at (936) 438-9170.
HEARTS Veterans Museum of Texas The HEARTS Veterans Museum of Texas' annual Veteran's Day banquet will be Nov. 11 at the First Baptist Church Family Life Center at 6 p.m. with a silent auction and serve dinner at 6:30 p.m. Dress for military is Class A or dress uniform and for civilians it is coat and tie. Tickets must be purchased in advance. For more information, call the museum at (936) 295-5959.
Jack Staggs Counseling Clinic The Jack Staggs Counseling Clinic is offering an education and support group designed for those individuals, 18 and older, who are struggling with anxiety or anxiety disorders. Meetings will resume Nov. 12 from 5-5:45 p.m. at the Counselor Education Center, located at1932 Bobby K Marks Dr. For information, call Miriam at (936) 294-1121 or e-mail Judy at jks008@shsu.edu.
Journey through Bethlehem There is a Journey through Bethlehem general planning meeting at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 at Wesley Memorial Methodist Church, located at 700 Highway 30 E in the Fellowship Hall. JTB is a Christmas community outreach program event held the first weekend in December at the Walker Co. Fairgrounds. The event is open to the community and anyone wanting to participate is welcome. For more information, call (936) 295-7459 or visit www.journeythroughtbethlehem.org.
New Waverly Public Library The New Waverly Public Library Board of Directors will hold its monthly board meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 13 in the Community Room of the Library. At 7:30 p.m. following the board meeting, a cake and punch reception will be held to honor Mary Wojcik, Betty Smith, Ron Kolb, Becky Kolb, and Dee Moore for their years of service to the library.
Habitat for Humanity Walker County Habitat for Humanity will dedicate its 13th house, located at 633 Ave. H, on Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. The house will be owned by Ms. Elsie Johnson and her children.
Holiday food drive Cub Scout Pack 1134 will hold a food drive to benefit families in need for the holidays on Nov. 15 and Nov. 22 at First Victoria Bank in New Waverly from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call Tracy Hutchison at (936) 520-3556 or Amie Strubell at (936) 355-2200.
For the men Huntsville Head Start is having a men's breakfast to kick-off the FRED program (Fathers Reading Every Day) on Nov. 15 at 9 a.m. at Huntsville Head Start, located at 125 FM 980. In addition, there will be a Men's Health Fair, and all agencies/business who provide the men in our community with health services are invited to participate and get their information out to the men in our community. For more information about the health fair, call Maria H. Dooley at (936) 291-9190.
Historical Commission The Walker County Historical Commission will hold its regular Commission meeting at 3 p.m. on Nov. 16 and will celebrate its 45th anniversary at 3:30 p.m. that same day at the Gibbs-Powell Home Museum, located at 1228 11th St.
Pilgrimage for Life The Texas Catholic Conference is hosting a Pilgrimage for Life to Church teaching on the life and dignity of the human person, from conception to natural death. Pilgrims will celebrate Mass and then participate in a one-mile prayerful procession, led by the Cardinal. Pilgrims will have the option to stay at the parish for adoration and guided reflection on the Stations of the Cross and Catholic social teaching. On Nov. 24, the pilgrimage will begin with the celebration of Mass at 9 a.m. and will end at the Texas Death Row at approximately noon. Parking will be available at the Walker County Fairgrounds located at, 3925 State Highway 30 W. For more information, visit www.TXcatholic.org/Pilgimage.asp.
Christmas parade The Huntsville Lion's Club Christmas parade is Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. and will start at the intersection of Sam Houston Avenue and 20th Street. Entries are now being accepted; there is no fee. All will line up at 9 a.m. at First Victoria Bank; the parade will officially start at 10 a.m. For more information, call (936) 344-0151 or e-mail bobvancpa@yahoo.com.
Journey Through Bethlehem> Journey through Bethlehem will hold its 6th annual event from 6-9 p.m. on Dec. 5,6. at the Walker County Fairgrounds. JTB is a Christmas community outreach program event held the first weekend in December at the Walker Co. Fairgrounds. Admission is fifty cents a person. The event is open to the community and anyone wanting to participate is welcome. For more information, call (936) 295-7459 or visit www.journeythroughtbethlehem.org.
Kancer Kickers Family Winter Fest<b> Walker County Relay for Life will hold a dance/chili cook-off, complete with live and silent auctions, food and games on Dec. 13 from 9 a.m. to midnight at the Elks Lodge, located at 3206 Elks Drive in Huntsville. For more information, call (936) 436-9696.
