Austintown briefs

New support system for the unemployed

A news support group for unemployed persons will meet at the Ursuline Center, 4280 Shields Road in Canfield Jan. 12 at 9:30 a.m.

The group will provide information on resources and various assistance programs available in the Valley and provide an opportunity to find and give support with other persons making career changes.

The group plans on meeting weekly. For information, call 330-799-4941 or visit www.theursulines.org.

Watch a West Side Story

The Austintown Fitch Drama Club will present “West Side Story” by Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Jerome Robbins Thursday, Friday and Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. at the high school.

The cost is $6 for adults and $3 for students and seniors.

Walk for health and wellness

Mill Creek Metroparks is offering health and wellness walks throughout January.

For easy-rated walks, meet at the Main Golf Course overflow parking lot for a one to three-mile walk Jan. 12 at 9 a.m. or at the Metropark’s bikeway trail at Metroparks Farm Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. for a full moon two-mile walk.

A moderately-difficult two or four-mile walk is available Jan. 26 at 9 a.m. Meet at the Metroparks’ Bikeway Trailhead at Kirk Road.

Bond with babies and books at library

Join the Austintown library for developmentally-appropriate books, songs, rhymes, finger play and other activities for babies 6-23 months Thursdays in January at 10 a.m.

The program is designed to make children successful readers. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

The library will host a similar program for children ages 2 and 3 Wednesdays in January at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. and a program for children ages 4 and 5 Jan. 25 at 10 a.m.

Library closed for holiday

All public libraries in the Mahoning County system will be closed for the holidays today.

Participate in a pajamarama

Put on PJs and bring the family to the Austintown library Jan. 31 at 6;30 p.m. for stories, songs, holiday cheer and more. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Find baby new year

Children of all ages can try to find Baby New Year during regular library hours.

Each week in January, Baby New Year will be in a new location around the Austintown library. Do not touch or move him, but whisper his location to the librarian and receive a bookmark stamp.

Playstation fun at the library

The Austintown library will host PS2 day Tuesday and Jan. 11 at 2:30 p.m. for teens in grades seven through 12.

Blood pressure check offered

The Mahoning Chapter of the American Red Cross will host a blood pressure screening at the Austintown library Jan. 19 at 1 p.m.

Curves offers Silver Sneakers classes

Free Silver Sneakers classes are offered Monday through Saturday for eligible women over 65 at Curves in Austintown. The 30-minute classes are designed to improve strength, flexibility and overall health. For information, call 330-793-9802.

Great food program offers affordable meals

Smith Corners United Methodist Church, 3000 S. Canfield-Niles Road, Austintown, is the local site for the Great Food For All program.

Each big value box costs $30 and comes complete and ready for pick-up.

The family variety box is available for $36. Cash, money order or cashier’s checks are accepted at the time the order is placed. No checks are accepted.

Credit cards are accepted with a $1 convenience fee.

Go to www.greatfoodforall.com, type in zip code 44515, and scroll down until Smith Corners UMC pops up. Then pick up the ordered food boxes at Smith Corners UMC.

For information, contact the church office at 330-799-9390.

Scholarship opportunity for Catholic women

The Catholic Collegiate Association is offering a $1,000 scholarship to be used in the academic year 2011/2012 at any college or university.

All applicants must be Catholic women in good standing with their university and they must provide a recent transcript showing a 3.0 GPA. Applicants must also have successfully completed one year of college and submit a letter of recommendation from their pastor and an adviser or professor.

A short essay describing the reasons why the applicant should be awarded the scholarship will also be required.

To obtain an application or additional information, call 330-726-8063 before Jan. 12 or call the YSU financial aid and scholarship office at 330-941-3504. The deadline for the scholarship application is March 23.

Nature photography exhibit at Riverside

The annual Nature Photography Exhibit will be displayed at Mill Creek MetroParks Fellows Riverside Gardens in Weller Gallery Feb. 13 through March 20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Deadline for entries is Jan. 23. Applications will be available for download at http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=9907335&msgid=59588&act=GE80&c=770900&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.millcreekmetroparks.org”www.millcreekmetroparks.org in January. Call Ford Nature Center at 330-740-7107 for information.

Join a celebration of family, friends and life

Help support Karen Rohan in her fight against breast cancer Jan. 16 from noon to 5 p.m. at St. Maron’s Church Antioch Hall, 1555 S. Meridian Road, Youngstown.

She was diagnosed with large globular differential carcinoma in June 2010.

The benefit includes a spaghetti dinner, Chinese auction and 50/50 raffle.

The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 10. Carry-out is available and tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door.

To donate for the Chinese auction, call Bill Rohan at 330-398-3232 or Nikki Martin at 330-652-6630.

Winter Celebration: Holiday Scent-sation

Visit Fellows Riverside Gardens at Mill Creek MetroParks for the holidays and be greeted by the scent of cedar, fir and cinnamon through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The decorated trees and seasonal flowers throughout the Davis Center will display the “Holiday Scent-sation” theme. Make sure to see the Rainforest Room, stop by the Shop in the Gardens for unique holiday gift ideas and catch the view of Lake Glacier while dining in the Garden Caf .

View the wldlife art of John A. Ruthven

Wildlife artist John Ruthven paints what he knows and loves. Often called the modern day Audubon, Ruthven thoroughly studies his animal subjects and paints them in their habitats with technical detail. His work will be on display at Mill Creek MetroParks Davis Education and Visitor Center daily through Jan. 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Meet friends at the library

The Austintown Friends of the Library will meet Jan. 24 at 10 a.m. at the Austintown library,

The program will feature Donald Alan on Tara: The Aftermath.

Public library closed Jan. 17

All public libraries in Mahoning County will be closed Jan. 17 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Join in a Kulig winter celebration

Join Polish Youngstown and Mill Creek Metroparks for a sleigh-ride around Lake Glacier Jan. 13 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Fellows Riverside Gardens.

Traditional Polish food, a bonfire, music and more will be available.

For information, call 330-740-7118.

Metroparks looking for seasonal workers

Learn about seasonal and part-time employments opportunities at the Metroparks Jan. 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Davis Center in Fellows Riverside Gardens.

Representatives from several departments will be available to answer questions and provide information about jobs for the 2011 season.

Feed the chickadees at Ford Nature Center

Meet at Ford Nature Center Jan. 8 at 9 a.m. and feed Black-capped chickadees with certified volunteer Naturalist Nancy Brundage. Feed will be provided.

Learn about the park

Kristen Peetz, environmental land manager for Mill Creek Metroparks, will discuss the park district’s undeveloped areas Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. at MetroParks Farm.

A social time will begin at 6:30 p.m. For information, call 888-846-8851.

Share a few soup recipes

David Armstrong will share recipes and culinary techniques as he demonstrates how to prepare and serve a vegetarian, a beef and a seafood soup Jan. 19 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The cost for the event is $28 for garden members and $35 for nonmembers.

To register, call Fellows Riverside Garden at 330-740-7116.

Look for icicles at Mill Creek

Grab a camera and enjoy a two-mile, moderately-difficult, slow-paced exploration of the Mill Creek gorge Sunday.

Meet at the Lanterman’s Mill parking lot at 2 p.m.

Remember Edward Galaida during walk

Join Bill Whitehouse for a two-mile, moderately-difficult hike that will visit many of the places Edward Galaida wrote about in his book, “Mill Creek Park,” Jan. 9.

Meet at the Ford Nature Center at 2 p.m.

Learn about animal tracking

Meet at Bear’s Den Cabin Jan. 16 at 2 p.m. for a short presentation on animal tracking. Afterward, look for tracks of Mill Creek’s winter wildlife on a two-mile, moderately-difficult hike and make a cast of them to take home.

Hike for winter skeletons

Meet at MetroParks Bikeway Jan. 23 at 2 p.m. for a two-mile, moderately-difficult hike to look for the remaining subtle beauty of wildflowers.

Harvest ice the old-fashioned way

Learn how the Youngstown Ice Company harvested ice for commercial use from Mill Creek and the Mahoning River in the early 1900s during a º-mile hike around Lake Glacier Jan. 30 at 1:30 p.m.

A three-mile hike to see what’s left of the ice company will be offered immediately afterward. The hike contains hills and steps.

Gardens offers botany and breakfast

Start Jan. 21 with a brisk garden walk and then return to the Garden Caf for a light breakfast and lesson on spruce, pine and fir.

The cost is $7 for garden members and $9 for nonmembers. To register, call the gardens at 330-740-7116.

Do yoga at the gardens

Bring a mat and small blanket to learn a blend of energizing yoga styles from Heidi Suraci at Fellows Riverside Gardens on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout January.

Tuesdays will feature beginners’ classes from 9:30 to 11 a.m. and intermediate classes from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Thursday classes will be from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and are open to all levels.

The fee is $10 per class. For information, call the gardens at 330-740-7116.

T’ai Chi in the garden

Ease stress, improve health and increase vitality with breathing exercises and selected movements from a classic Chen T’ai Chi form taught by Marie Lew Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m. during January at Fellows Riverside Gardens.

The costs is $10 per class. For information, call the gardens at 330-740-7116.

Have fun with feathered friends

The Ford Nature Center will host a “Winter Snow, Blue Feather” program for 2-year-old children Thursday at 10 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

During the program, children can listen to stories about birds and make edible crafts for their feathered friends. Children must be accompanied by a parent. The costs is $2. To register, call the nature center at 330-740-7107.