Austintown briefs

Church offers free dinner

Smith Corners United Methodist Church will host a free dinner on Thursday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The dinner will include baked pork chops, ranch potatoes, glazed carrots, tossed salad, bread and chocolate cake.

The church is located on 3000 S. Canfield-Niles Road on the corner of Kirk Road and Route 46.

Church hosts food program

Smith Corners United Methodist Church will host a smart choice food program. Each month, special value boxes of just meats, pasta or kid’s meals will be offered. As well, there are “On the Go” meals for those who have no time or patience to cook full meals. These meals are diabetic-friendly. The food can be ordered online until today at www.smartchoicefoods.com where a credit card may be used, or by calling the church at 330-799-9390 where cash or money orders may be used for payment.

Delivery to the church will be Feb. 23 with pick-up from 10-11 a.m. The church is located at 3000 S. Canfield-Niles Road in Austintown and is handicapped accessible.

Gift card program in effect

Smith Corners United Methodist Church is also offering gift cards that you can order for Walmart, Giant Eagle, Sam’s Club, Speedway, AutoZone, iTunes, Amazon, sit-down restaurants, fast-food restaurants, online sites, etc., almost 1,000 cards to pick from. Pick up an order form or call the church at 330-799-9390 for more details. Orders will be placed on the fifth and 20th of each month.

Herb growers meeting set for Tuesday

The Holborn Herb Growers Guild will meet on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Colonial Inn in the Canfield Fairgrounds. The program speaker will be Eric Barrett, Mahoning County extension educator. The topic will be Hydrangeas. Guests are always welcome.

Band parents spaghetti dinner set

The Austintown Band Parents Club will sponsor a spaghetti dinner on Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. in the Fitch High School cafeteria. The cost is $7 for adults and $5 for seniors and children. Children 4 and younger eat free. Carry out dinners will be available. The bands from Austintown Middle School and Fitch High School will be providing the entertainment every hour throughout the day.

Austintown resident named to Dean’s list

Abbey Levinsky, a Biology major and a resident of Austintown, was among the 3,000 students from The University of Toledo who were named to the fall 2012 Dean’s list. The Dean’s list recognizes full-time undergraduate students who earn a 3.5 or above GPA for the semester.

St. Patrick’s Day celebration set

The Boardman-Poland Junior Women’s League will host its fourth annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration on March 9 from 6:30 to 11 p.m. at St. Nicholas Social Hall. The cost is $27.50 per person and will include traditional Irish fare, a cash bar, Chinese auction, 50/50 raffle and music from the band “Sound Around Town.”

For tickets, donations, or more information, contact Sperry Rongone at 330-770-3880, Nina Lowery at 330-506-9437 or Denise Statler at 330-540-7966.

Audubon Society program set

Audubon Society/Mahoning Valley invites the public to “Plants to Attract Specific Birds,” a program by Eric Barrett from Mahoning County’s Ohio State Extension office. The program will take place on Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. at the Mill Creek MetroParks Farm on Route 46 in Canfield. For more information, call 888-846-8851.

Neighbors wants your news tips

Teachers, parents, event organizers — we know you are hard at work making fun and interesting events or lessons for the community to enjoy and we want to know about it. If you would like a story to be written about your event in Austintown, Boardman, Canfield or Poland, send an email to nscott@vindy.com or call 330-747-1471 extension 1511 to tell our reporter all about it.

Grant writing workshop offered

The Ohio Environmental Education Fund is offering a free grant writing workshop on March 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Mill Creek Metro-Park Farm in Canfield. The first part of the workshop will give the attendees prospecting tips to help them identify foundations, corporations, and government grant programs, and how to approach different kinds of grant makers. The second part will focus on OEEF grants offered by the state of Ohio. If you would like to increase environmental awareness at your school or organization and help get some funds to do this, send a representative to this workshop.

For more information or a flyer about this workshop, contact the Recycling Division of Mahoning County at 330-740-2060 or Dennis Clement at dennis.clement@epa.state.oh.us.

Dinner discussion at Pete’s Place

The Youngstown Chapter of International Torch Clubs’ dinner-discussion meeting will be Monday at Pete’s Place, Kilcawley Center, on the campus of Youngstown State University. Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m. and lecture at 7 p.m. The speakers will be Donald Butler and Dennis Thompson who will debate “Should the Government Pass Rules and Regulations to Prevent You From Harming Yourself?” The public is invited to attend. Dinner for nonmembers is $18. Attending only the lecture is free of charge. For dinner reservations, call 330-757-4148.

PTA council reaching out to past presidents

The Austintown Council of PTAs is looking for past presidents of all PTA units in Austintown. Past presidents who have not been contacted by the council in the last couple of years should contact Kelly Phillips at kjhowdy@zoominternet.net or 330-270-2669.

MCCTC cosmetology students open salon

Cosmetology students at the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center have opened The Salon at MCCTC for afternoon hours to the public. Salon hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and now noon to 2 p.m.

The junior and senior cosmetology students will offer haircuts, styling, perms, hair color, manicures and hair removal. All services are performed by students under the supervision of their instructor and prices start at just $5. To make an appointment, call Cosmetology Instructor Lisa Argiro at 330-729-4000, extension 1309.

Area students named to Dean’s List

The following local students have been named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2012 semester at the University of Mount Union: Lauren Frost (Middle Childhood Education major) and Haley Martinelli (Applied Criminal Justice major), both graduates of Austintown-Fitch High School, and Ashley Williams (Biology major), a graduate of Ursuline High School.

To be eligible for Dean’s List, students must have completed at least 12 credit hours of traditionally-graded coursework while achieving a grade point average of 3.550 or better with no grade below a B.

Wine and beer tasting in Boardman

Team Schein is hosting a wine and beer tasting at Vintage Estates Wine and Beer in Boardman Feb. 24 from 3-5 p.m. The cost is $20 per person and includes eight tastings. Choose from six wine selections or 12 beers on tap from the Diamond bar, hors d’oeuvres and music by Ryan Ross. You must be 21 years of age to purchase a ticket and attend the event. Contact Tina Prestas at 330-559-6918 or tprestas@gmail.com. All proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society Boardman Relay for Life on behalf of Team Schein.

Meet other local writers

Monday Night Writers will meet on Monday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Peaberry’s Cafe, 4350 Boardman-Canfield Road. Area writers, both published and unpublished, are invited to attend. The meeting is led by author and professional writer Nancy Christie. The two-hour sessions will include a mix of writing exercises, information on the creative and business aspects of writing and group feedback on ‘works-in-progress.’ This month, the guest speaker is Sara Churchill, information services librarian from the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, who will share tips on researching for book projects, fiction or articles using library resources.

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

Holiday tales for toddlers

The Austintown library will host developmentally-appropriate books, songs, rhymes, finger plays and other activities that will help your child (ages 2-3) become a successful reader on Wednesday at 10 a.m. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Get your kids moving on Valentine’s Day

This event is for children ages 2-5 who are accompanied by a caregiver. Join the Austintown library for a variety of musical and movement activities that appeal to the “young and restless,” stimulate brain development, and motivate language learning on Thursday at 10 a.m. Adults and kids, get ready to act out stories and rhymes, sing and dance, and talk and play.

Holiday fun time at library

The Austintown library will have developmentally-appropriate books, songs, rhymes, finger plays and other activities that will help your child (ages 4-5) become a successful reader on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Fibromyalgia support group meeting

On Wednesday, the Mahoning Valley Fibromyalgia Support Group will meet at Bethel Lutheran Church, located at 425 Crestview Drive in Boardman. This meeting will be from 7-8:30 p.m. and members are urged to bring a friend who is interested in an evening of learning, sharing and fun. Bring any new information or ideas for day to day coping and a smile to share. For more information, call Alice at 330-372-2154 or Nancy at 330-758-8413.

Holiday family stories set for Tuesday.

Put on your PJ’s and bring your favorite stuffed animal to the Austintown library on Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. They will read stories, play games, and make a craft. Refreshments will be served. This event is for school-aged children.

Babies and books set at library

Babies ages 6 to 23 months can join the Austintown library for developmentally-appropriate books, songs, rhymes, finger plays and other activities that will help your child become a successful reader every Monday in February at 10 a.m. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Tales for toddlers set for Wednesdays

Join the Austintown library for developmentally-appropriate books, songs, rhymes, finger plays and other activities that will help your child (ages 2-3) become a successful reader every Wednesday in February at 10 a.m. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Library hosts Fun for 4s and 5s

Join the Austintown library for developmentally-appropriate books, songs, rhymes, finger plays and other activities that will help your child (ages 4-5) become a successful reader every Wednesday in February at 11:30 a.m. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Get a clue at the Library

Guess the book characters by looking at their silhouettes during regular library hours throughout February at the Austintown library. Tell a staff member and receive a small prize. For children of all ages.

Gotta move storytime set

Children ages 2-5 who are accompanied by a caregiver can join the Austintown library for a variety of musical and movement activities that appeal to the “young and restless,” stimulate brain development, and motivate language learning every Thursday in February at 10 a.m. Adults and kids, get ready to act out stories and rhymes, sing and dance, and talk and play.

Adults connect with eReader at library

Bring your eReader to the Austintown library and the librarians will show you how to download eBooks from the Library’s Digital Catalog on their website at 6 p.m. on Monday or at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Space is limited. Call 330-744-8636 and ask for the branch by name to register. For adults.

Friends of the Library meet Monday

Enjoy a visit from Martha Washington’s representative, Howland resident, Liz Clark, on Monday at 10 a.m. Elizabeth Cole Clark is a retired history teacher, volunteers at the Butler Museum of Art, is Chairman of the Education Department for the Upton House, serves of the Executive Board of Trumbull 100, is past president of the Trumbull Town Hall Series, and the Upton House. She will discuss the woman’s duties and social obligations of the time and especially the woman who stood beside one of America’s greatest leaders, George Washington. Martha Washington was a devoted wife who spent many difficult times away from Mount Vernon in order to be at his side.

Spend President’s Day at the library

All libraries in the PLYMC system will be open on Monday(President’s Day).

Making Kids Count benefit dinner

On March 15, Making Kids Count will host its first benefit dinner at Avion on the Water in Canfield. Proceeds from the event will go to the various programs Making Kids Count sponsors. This event will include dinner, dessert, a cash bar, chance auction and entertainment. Invitations will be mailed in February. For more information on this event, send an email with mailing and email addresses to mkc@makingkidscount.org or call the office at 330-758-3434.

Austintown Curves offering free workouts

Curves in Austintown, located at 4330 New Road, is offering free Healthways Silver Sneakers memberships.

Eligible women can workout for free based on their participating Medicare Supplemental insurance. Call 330-793-9802 for information.

Father-daughter princess dance at Boardman Park

Boardman Park will host its 10th annual Father-Daughter princess dance at the Lariccia Family Community Center. The dance will be on three nights this year: Friday and Saturday from 6-9 p.m., and Sunday from 5-8 p.m. This semi-formal dance will include dinner, dancing to DJ music and more. A professional photo for a keepsake of this event will also be included. Tickets are now on sale. They can be purchased at the park office, Monday-Friday, from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. No tickets will be sold at the door.

Fitch alumni cruise planned

An Austintown Fitch Class of 1973 group cruise is booking now. Anyone who graduated from Fitch in the proximity of that year, or went to school with the class, can book a room. The cruise sets sail on March 1, 2014. The Celebrity Constellation will set sail for five days, from Monday to Friday, from Ft. Lauderdale to Cozumel and Key West.

Jill Hildebrand Burstein is the cruise organizer and can be reached at jyllyhylly@gmail.com, via the class website www.Fitch1973.com contact form, or by calling 248-909-1120. For booking and ship particulars, call travel agent Marilyn DeLisio at 586-948-1251 or email her at mdeliso0712@att.net. Visit www.Fitch1973.com for updates and the cruise flyer.