Canfield briefs

Monday Night Writers meeting set

Area writers, both published and unpublished, are invited to attend the next meeting of Monday Night Writers, Aug. 19 from 6-8 p.m. at Peaberry’s Caf , located at 4350 Boardman-Canfield Road Canfield.

Led by author and professional writer Nancy Christie, the two-hour sessions include a mix of writing exercises, information on the creative and business aspects of writing and group feedback on ‘works-in-progress.’

The fee is $10 per class and registration is preferred. For more information, contact Nancy Christie at 330-793-3675 or atnancy@nancychristie.com.

Support group meeting to be Sept. 18

The Mahoning Valley Fibromyalgia Support Group will resume its monthly meetings on Sept. 18 by welcoming Dr Noah Erikson, Chiropractor. Dr Erikson believes in integrating traditional medical models to include complementary and alternative medicines and to treat each case individually. The meeting is from 7-8:30 p.m. at Bethel Lutheran Church, located at 425 Crestview Drive in Boardman. All are welcome.

ABWA meeting set

The Mill Creek Chapter of ABWA (American Business Women’s Association) will have their education/scholarship meeting Aug. 13 at A La Cart Catering in Canfield.

At 6 p.m. the scholarship recipients will be met and following will be a dinner buffet. The buffet will include swiss chicken and swiss steak, mashed potatoes, corn, tossed salad, cole slaw, tomato and pepper salad, dessert and beverage for $16.50.

The Chapter is also co-hosting ABW Day with Network Council of the Valley Sept. 29 from 1:30-4:00 p.m. at A La Cart in Canfield. Guest speaker will be Lisa Montross from Port Huron, Michigan, who is running for District V Vice President of the National ABWA organization. The event is open to the public. Tickets are $20, which includes a luncheon, and you can obtain a ticket by calling Mary Brown at 330-286-5337.

Comedy show set

Raise the Woof, a stand up comedy show, will be Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. at Magic Tree Pub and Eatery. Tickets are $20 and proceeds benefit For the Dogs, a non-profit organization. The event will include an appetizer buffet, basket raffle and a 50/50. For tickets call 330-310-2802. For more information visit www.woofraise.com.

Child support awareness day set

The Mahoning County CSEA will host a child support awareness day Aug. 21 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Mahoning County Job and Family Services.

Staff will be available to assist you and get you registered to utilize the Child Support Web Portal at jfs.ohio.gov/ocs. Mahoning County Job and Family Services is located at 345 Oak Hill in Youngstown, conference room “A”. For more information, call Mahoning County CSEA at 330-740-2073.

Vrabel qualifies for dean’s list

Sarah Vrabel of Canfield qualified for the dean’s list for the winter 2013 semester at Saginaw Valley State University. To be eligible for the dean’s list, students must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours and earn a semester GPA of 3.4 or better.

Finish the Fight Festival

Finish the Fight Festival, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, will be Aug. 24 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Austintown Township Park, 6000 Kirk Road. The event is a fun way to join with others in the community in the fight against cancer and to raise funds for the activities of the American Cancer Society.

The community is invited to join for a day of family fun including music, food, games, prizes, craft show, raffles, cornhole tournament, firetruck and Medivac helicopter demonstrations, American Cancer Society researcher (11 a.m.) and more. For craft show and cornhole tournament registration or sponsorship opportunities, call 888-227-6446 ext. 2222 or visit www.facebook.com/ACSNortheastOhio.

Church to host senior fair

Emmanual Community Church, located at 6512 Kirk Road in Austintown, will host a senior fair Aug. 10 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. The event is free and will include live entertainment, free food and drinks, bingo, dancing, veterans information, information on Medicare, Hospice of the Valley and more. The Mobile Medical Unit will be there to check blood pressure. There’ll be basket raffles and a flat screen TV giveaway.

Grief program offered

Grief 101, a program presented by Hospice of the Valley bereavement facilitators, will be offered Aug. 15 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Austintown Seniors Center, 112 Westchester Drive in Austintown. The program explains the grieving process and its impact on people and families. Support materials will be distributed. Open to the public; no charge and no registration. For more information, call 330-549-5900.

Learn to download eBooks

The Canfield library will host digital downloading for Apple devices Aug. 15 at 11 a.m. Bring your iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone and join us. We’ll show you how to download digital books from the Library’s Digital Catalog on the Library website. Space is limited. Call 330-744-8636 and ask for the branch by name to register.

Donate food items

Canfield Operation Blessing distributes food at the Canfield Presbyterian Church, 140 W. Main St., from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. every third Thursday of the month. In order to continue to help local families in need, the church is asking for donations of non-perishable goods at the following locations during the month of August: Canfield Police Department, Canfield Fire Department, St. Michael’s Catholic Church, The Broad Street Diner, Bob and Chuck Eddy Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Fiat and Firm Fitness and Spray Tan (Hilltop Plaza). Monetary donations can be sent to Canfield Operation Blessing, P.O. Box 652, Canfield, Ohio 44406.

Arms Museum plans Christmas program

Plans for this year’s Memories of Christmas Past are underway at the Arms Family Museum. The Mahoning Valley Historical Society is looking to the Valley community for some help with this year’s display.

Highlights this year will be on local Valley traditions and will include family heirlooms, nativity collections, handmade cigar box doll houses and a large collection from John Garver, inventor of the locally produced Plakie twirler ornaments.

The society is looking for Christmas items related to downtown department stores. McKelveys, McCrorys, Higbees, Strouss-Hirshberg or any other downtown establishment are desirable. Items will be displayed on a short-term loan basis and will be returned to the owner after the exhibit closes in January.

Please email a description and picture of items to events@mahoninghistory.org or contact the Historical Society with any questions at 330-743-2589. Memories of Christmas Past opens on November 23 and runs through January 5, 2014. Visit www.mahoninghistory.org for more details.

Test knowledge at the library

Stop in the library to test your hot knowledge about hot stuff and you could win a prize. For teens in grades 7-12. During library hours through the month of August.

Nook for novices and pros

If you are new to Nook or new to borrowing eBooks from the library for your well-used Nook, bring your device to the Canfield library on Aug. 22 at 6:30 p.m. and they will show you how to find and download eBooks from the library’s Digital Catalog on the website. Don’t forget your Adobe ID and email information. Space is limited. Call 330-744-8636 and ask for the Canfield library to register.

Ostomy group to meet Aug. 13

The Youngstown Area Ostomy Support Group, sponsored by Humility of Mary Health Partners, will meet from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Aug. 13 in the Cedar Room at St. Elizabeth Boardman Health Center, 8401 Market St., Boardman.

The Youngstown Area Ostomy Support Group meets monthly at alternating locations in Mahoning and Trumbull counties. It provides support, education and encouragement to individuals who have or will have ostomies. Families and friends of ostomy patients are welcome. Refreshments are provided and parking is free. For information, call 330-480-3440.

Check your blood pressure

Get your blood pressure checked at the Canfield library on Aug. 20 from 1-3 p.m. Hosted by Salem Area Visiting Nurse Association.

Have fun with bubbles

Have some good, clean fun with bubbles Aug. 20 and 22 from 2-4 p.m. at Oh Wow! Learn how to make your own bubble solution, plus another trick or two. Program is free, general admission applies to non-members. This event is for children in grades pre-k through fourth.

New law firm announced

Ryan Melewski and Brian Dodez announced the formation of Melewski Dodez LLC, a Canfield based law firm focused on the representation of personal injury victims throughout Ohio, handling cases including wrongful death, medical malpractice, birth injury, nursing home abuse and neglect, car and trucking accidents and product liability. Melewski and Dodez are graduates of the University of Akron School of Law.

Wheat harvest activities set

Take a tractor-wagon ride through the MetroParks Farm. Wheat harvest will take place this month. Children can make a craft to take home. Suggested donations are $2 per person or $5 per family.

Family garden Fridays set

The Metro Parks will host Family Garden Fridays every Friday now through September from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Activities will be centered on gardening with children. Learn about vegetables with “Eat Your Colors” and see which insect is the “Bug of the Week.” Call Fellows Riverside Gardens for information.

Sculpt with Pilates

Pilates Sculpt will be offered every Wednesday in August from 6-7 p.m. Join trainer Angela Lubonovich in using light hand weights to tone the body with emphasis on core strength and control. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens for information. Bring a mat, water (and two number weights if you have them). Cost is $10 per session; or use your Scenic Fitness Card.

Practice Yoga at the park

Yoga will be offered every Tuesday and Thursday in August from 9:30-11 a.m. and from 5:30-7 p.m. at Fellows Riverside Gardens. Join Marina Perdos in the mornings and Karres Cvetkovich in the evenings for a blend of energizing yoga styles. Students at all levels are welcome. Bring a mat and small blanket. Classes are outdoors weather permitting. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens for information. Cost is $10 per class; or use your Scenic Fitness Card.

Take T’ai Chi

T’ai Chi Step One will be offered every Wednesday in August from noon to 1 p.m. Ease stress, improve health and increase vitality. 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; or use your Scenic Fitness Card.

Participate in Pilates

Pilates basics will be taught every Monday from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Work on toning, shaping, core strength, alignment and breathing with fitness trainer Angela Lubonovich. Bring a mat and water. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens for information. Cost $10 per sessio; or use your Scenic Fitness Card.

Lions Club asks for donation

Last year the Canfield Lions Club was instrumental in helping raise more than $10,000 to aid Missouri Flood Victims. This year they are challenged to assist those who survived the devastating tornadoes in Oklahoma but lost their homes and belongings. This year, the Canfield Lions Club has set up a bank account entitled “Oklahoma Disaster Relief” at the Farmers National Bank in Canfield.

Please make checks to Oklahoma Disaster Relief and drop it off at any Farmers branch or mail to: Farmers National Bank, 20 South Broad St., Canfield, Ohio 44406.

All money collected will be sent to the Oklahoma Director of Disaster Relief. For more information, call Lion Phil Bova at 330-533-2580 or Lion Jim Duncan at 330-533-3866.

Free open houses set

Every Wednesday from 2-4 p.m. running through Aug. 14, the Mahoning Valley Historical Society will host free Hands-On-History Open Houses at the Arms Family Museum of Local History, located at 648 Wick Ave. in Youngstown. Each week will feature a different historical theme – “Celebrating the Fourth,” “My Town, Your Town, Youngstown,” and “The House that Olive Built,” to name a few. Hands-On activities will include arts and crafts, games, toys, artifacts, dress-up clothing and more.

Participants can spend as much or as little time engaging in the activities and each week will feature something for all ages and interests. The open houses are free and open to the public and all participants can take advantage of half-priced admission for a full Arms Family Museum tour.