Austintown briefs

Relay for Life kicks off Jan. 19

The Relay for Life of Austintown will host its open house on Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. at Austintown Community Church on Route 46. The open house is an opportunity for all Austintown residents to come together to kick off the relay season and learn more about the event and how to get involved.

Relay For Life is a community event that honors cancer survivors, current cancer patients and caregivers. Relay also pays tribute to those who have lost their battle with cancer.

For more information about the event, call Jennifer Arden at 888-227-6446, ext. 2217 or visit www.relayforlife.org/austintown.

Saxon Club hosts pork-kraut dinner

The Saxon Club will host another pork-kraut dinner tomorrow from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The cost is $8.75 for adults and $5 for kids. Dinner will include dessert, coffee, tea or pop.

Takeouts will be available.

St. Valentine’s Day dinner set

The St. Vincent DePaul Society of Mahoning County and The Knights of Columbus Bishop Fenwick Council No. 13586 are sponsoring their 2012 St. Valentine’s Day Benefit Gala Fundraiser Feb. 11 at Mr. Anthony’s in Boardman. Doors open at 6 p.m. and dinner is at 7 p.m.

This year’s theme is “Open Your Hearts for the Less Fortunate”. This annual event is a fundraiser to support the Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry of the St. Vincent DePaul Society and the charitable works of the Knights.

Tickets are $50 per person and include hors d’oeuvres, filet mignon buffet dinner, dessert and a chance to win part of $3,500 in cash prizes. A live auction will also be held, along with a silent and Chinese auction and 50/50 Raffle. Music will be provided by a DJ all evening. Tickets can be obtained by calling Brian Antal at 330-690-8435.

Gardens display artwork in January

The Fellows Riverside Gardens will display new exhibits this January. All exhibits will be displayed at the Davis Education and Visitor Center every Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through January.

The exhibits include Fellows Riverside Gardens: Intimate and Inspirational, which is the photography of Scott Lanz and demonstrates that beauty in nature can be found not only in our national parks, but also in our own backyard.

Another exhibit is Wild Land: Thomas Cole and the Birth of American Landscape Painting. Thomas Cole painted a new vision of the American wilderness promoting the concept of valuing and preserving the environment and living in balance with nature.

Boardman PTSA presents PTSA Pallooza

Boardman High School PTSA will present PTSA PaIIooza today from 6-11 p.m. in the Boardman Performing Arts Center. Eleven local high school bands will play and hope to win Fan Favorite, with a cash prize of at least $150.

Tickets are $7 in advance from any band or $7 at the door that night.

The 10 bands participating include: Big Ginge & the Nobodies (Boardman), Engage (Medina), The Face Cards (Boardman), Funky Monks (Boardman), A Greater Distance (Austintown Fitch/Canfield/Struthers), Hold No Grudge (Lowellville), In Legions (Boardman), The Knickers (Ravenna), Northern Whale (Austintown Fitch), Take It or Leave (Boardman) and To the Winchester (Niles).

For further information, visit www.Facebook.com/pages/PTSA-Palooza.

Mindfulness Meditation Seminar set

Cultivate the Garden of Your Mind to bloom with positive and compassionate thoughts and reduce negative thinking which blocks daily happiness. Karres Cvetkovich CYT (30 years experience) will lead this practical seminar based on meditation methods supported by current research. Register by calling Cvetkovich at 330-799-0323. Cost is $45 and $35 for FFRG members.

Sign language classes offered

American Sign Language (ASL) classes are offered by the Community for the Deaf at Youngstown Hearing and Speech Center on Southern Boulevard in Boardman. This class will help you develop expressive and receptive skills by learning spelling, language, grammar/structure and deaf culture.

ASL I will be held on Tuesdays from Jan. 24 to March 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. The cost is $115 and includes workbook.

ASL II will be Tuesdays from Jan. 24 to March 27 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The cost is $90.

ASL III will be Mondays from Jan. 23 to March 26 from 6 to 8 p.m. The cost is $90.

ASL IV will be Thursdays from Jan. 19 to March 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. The cost is $85.

Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Ukraine

The Orthodox Center, 1025 N. Belle Vista Ave., will present “Malanka - New Year’s Eve in Ukraine!” on Jan. 28 at 5 p.m. A dinner buffet will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. with a dance featuring the Del Sinchak Band following.

Dinner and dance tickets are available by calling 330-799-7911 or 330-538-3447. The cost of advanced tickets is $20 per adult, $5 per young adult. The cost at the door is $25 per adult at $10 for young adults.

Join a loose knit group

All hands helping to “Warm Up America” are welcome, both experienced and anyone wanting to learn to knit or crochet. The group will meet on Friday from 10 a.m. to noon.

Donations of yarn and needles are always appreciated. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens for information.

Join weight loss group

TOPS Chapter No. 2191 will host a weight loss support group open house on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Wickliffe Presbyterian Church, 45 Idlewood Road, Austintown.

TOPS is a weight loss support group for men, women and children 7 and older. The chapter meets at the church on Thursdays from 5:45 to 7 p.m. For more information, contact Kerry Price at 330-799-2894.

Challenge your brain at the library

The Austintown library will be celebrating the “Year of the Dragon” with Chinese Zodiac Word Searches during library hours through January.

Children of all ages can ask the librarian what animal equates to the year of your birth and receive a hand stamp.

Bonding with Babies and Books

The Austintown library will host “Baby Brilliant: Bonding with Babies and Books for Lapsitters” and “Baby Brilliant: Bonding with Babies and Books for Walkers” on Thursday and Jan. 26. The lapsitters program, for little ones who are not walking independently, will begin at 9:30 a.m.

The walkers program, for children who are walking independently, will begin at 11 a.m. Both programs will include 20 minutes of language enrichment including rhymes, songs and stories, followed by time to play and socialize. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Yoga at the gardens

The MetroParks presents Yoga at Fellows Riverside Gardens every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 to 11 a.m. and 5:30 to 7 p.m. through the end of January.

A blend of energizing yoga styles will help you keep a healthy outlook in 2012. Students at all levels are welcome. Bring a mat and small blanket. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens for information. The cost is $10 per class.

Library hosts Tales and Talk for 2s and 3s

The Austintown library will host “Baby Brilliant: Tales and Talk for 2s and 3s on Wednesday and Jan. 25 at 10 a.m. The program will include developmentally-appropriate books, songs, rhymes, finger plays and other activities that will help children, ages 2-3, become successful readers.

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Fun Times at the library

The Austintown library will host “Fun Time for 4s and 5s” on Wednesday and Jan. 25 at 11 a.m. The program will include developmentally-appropriate books, songs, rhymes, finger plays and other activities that will help children, ages 4-5, become successful readers. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

MetroParks presents MetroMutts Jan. 28

The MetroParks will be hosting MetroMutts: Pet First Aid on Jan. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Birch Hill Cabin. Keep your pets healthy and safe by learning how to recognize, respond to and prevent life-threatening conditions.

Leave your pet at home while you attend this comprehensive workshop. You will receive pet first aid certification and a manual. Bring a bag lunch if you wish.

Registration and payment are needed by Jan. 25. Cost is $35 for MetroMutts members and $45 for nonmembers. Extra manuals are $20.

T’ai Chi Step One in the Gardens

Ease stress, improve health, and increase vitality every Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. through January.

Join Marie Lew in warm-ups, breathing exercises and selected movements from a classic Chen T’ai Chi form. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens for information. The cost is $10 per class.