Austintown Community Briefs

Carnival to be Feb. 21

Zion Lutheran Church, located at 3300 Canfield Road in Youngstown, is hosting its third annual Children’s Carnival on Feb. 21 from 12:30–2:00 p.m. The event is open to the public. Thirteen midway games that are geared toward the school age set will be available to play for 25 cents each. Games, include bowling, plinko, sack races and an obstacle course will be avaialable. Entertainment offered includes a clown, balloon animals and face painting – all available for a quarter. Food is available with most items less than a dollar, on a menu that includes hot dogs, sloppy joes and pizza, applesauce and yogurt. At the end of their visit, a ticket-based prize table rewards children’s efforts with trinkets and age-appropriate books. All monies raised by the event will benefit God’s Global Barnyard. God’s Global Barnyard is an approved charity of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The charity provides livestock, water and resources to families in need of sustainable food sources across the globe. For more information about the ELCA and God’s Global Barnyard, visit www.elca.org. To learn more about Zion Lutheran Church, visit www.zionohio.org.

Robotics Team qualifies for state championship

On Feb. 6, the Austintown FIRST Tech Challenge robotics teams, the Millennium Falcons and the Mechanical Talons, comprised of eighth- and ninth-graders, competed at Kent State University. The teams had a successful day as they each received awards in the tournament. Both teams received the “Connect Award,” which is a judged award given to the team that most connects with their local science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) community. The team that wins the Connect Award aggressively seeks engineers and explores the opportunities available in the world of engineering, science and technology. The Mechanical Talon Team received the “Think Award.” This judged award is given to the team that best reflects the journey the team took as they experienced the engineering design process during the season. The awards qualified The Mechanical Talons for the state championship and The Millennium Falcons as an alternate team.

Immaculate Heart of Mary to have fish dinners

Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, located at 4500 Norquest Boulevard in Austintown, will offer Lenten fish dinners from 4-7 p.m. every Friday through March 18. The menu includes fried or baked Haddock or shrimp, coleslaw or applesauce, bread and butter, choice of two sides and dessert. There is also a complimentary pasta and pizza table with the purchase of a dinner. The cost is $11 for adults and $6 for children.

Saxon Club to have Pork-Kraut dinner

The Youngstown Saxon Club, located at 710 S. Meridian Road, will host its next Pork-Kraut dinner on Feb. 21 from 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. The price of $9.50 for adults or $5 for children includes dessert and coffee, team or pop. The public is welcome and take-outs are available.

Area high school seniors to be honored

The 22nd annual Young Women with Bright Futures awards will be at 10 a.m. on March 5 at the Holiday Inn in Boardman. Senior high school women selected by their teachers or administrators for their leadership qualities, academic excellence, creativity and volunteerism will be honored at the event. State Rep. Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) will be the keynote speaker. Major sponsors for the event are Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley, Compco, State Farm Insurance, Thomases Family Endowment of the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation and The Vindicator. For ticket information, visit ywca.org/youngstown or call 330-746-6361, ext. 112. This year’s honorees are Isabella Caruso, Austintown; Anna Saxton, Boardman; Alexandria Olek, Brookfield; Sherrial Swiney, Campbell Memorial; Mackenzie Elias, Canfield; Marie Emch, Cardinal Mooney; Taylor (Tate) Acierno, Chaney; Noor Khalayleh, Choffin CTC; Shakayla Poole, East; Gabriella Cario, Girard; Ellie Martin, Howland; Margaret Herberger, Hubbard; Samantha Metts, Jackson-Milton; Saidah Yusuf, Liberty; Courtney Conklin, Lowellville; Lydia Mashburn, MCCTC; Adrianna Nicholson, Mineral Ridge; Jaclyn Rowley, Niles McKinley; Katherine Landry, Poland Seminary; Sydney Smith, Sebring McKinley; Carly Chopp, South Range; Kahlea Barricella, Springfield; Kaeleigh Blough, Struthers; Christina Leone, Ursuline; Nicole Double, Valley Christian; Chantel Bahn, Victory Christian; Allyson Crays, Warren G. Harding; Lauren Stitle, West Branch; Heather Lude, Western Reserve and Shyann Green, Youngstown Early College.

Austintown Bounce on ice

Austintown Bounce will host a Bounce On Ice postgame party and meet and greet with some of the Youngstown Phantoms hockey players after the Phantoms game against the Roughriders on Feb. 21 at 3:05 p.m. There will be a giant slide of the ice and a 61-foot obstacle course. Meet the players, Joey Kangaroo and experience Bounce on ice. Tickets can be purchased by calling 330-747-7825 or visiting youngstownphantoms.com. Austintown Bounce will also be hosting some of the Phantoms players at the Bounce facility from 6-7 p.m. on Feb. 16. There will be giveaways and autographs. The $6 standard child admission will get you into the facility for unlimited play and access to the meet and greet.

Two fundraiser to take place for American Cancer Society

The Pink Ribbon Golf Classic committee will be hosting two events in April benefiting the American Cancer Society. On April 13, a golf clinic will take place at Creekside Golf Dome in Girard from 6:30–8:30 p.m. Participants will receive instruction and practice in driving, chipping and putting. The cost is $25 per person. On April 24, “high tea” will be served at Piccadilly Parlor in Canfield at 11 a.m. A variety of teas and finger food will be served in a delightful Victorian atmosphere (wearing hats and gloves is optional). The cost is $25 per person. For further information and registration, contact Ginny at 330-219-9092 or Nancy at 330-272-5794.

Auditions to be Feb. 20 and 21

The Victorian Players will host auditions for “Moonlight and Magnolias” on Feb. 20 and 21 at 2 p.m. at the theatre, located at 702 Mahoning Ave. in Youngstown. Casting requirements are as follows: three men ages 30-60 and one woman age 30-60. “Moonlight and Magnolias” is a semi-factual farce which takes place in 1939 and tells the story of the re-writing of the epic “Gone With the Wind.” Auditioners will be asked to read from the script and may be asked to perform some physical comedy maneuvers. “Moonlight and Magnolias” is being directed by Marlene Menaldi Strollo.

GA to meet

Gamblers Anonymous, a 12-Step fellowship of compulsive gamblers who want to recover from their gambling addictions, will meet twice this week in the Youngstown-Warren area. A GA meeting takes place every Friday at Westminster Church, located at 119 Stadium Drive in Boardman, and another takes place every Sunday at Christ Church Presbyterian, located at 3425 Hopkins Road in Youngstown (Cornersburg). Both meetings begin promptly at 7:30 p.m. and last about 1-1/2 hours. Those who believe gambling has affected any part of their lives are urged to attend.

Angels for Animals hosts Reverse Raffle Dinner

Angels for Animals is hosting it 11th annual Reverse Raffle Dinner on March 5 at 6 p.m. at Andrews Hall in Canfield. The event will feature a gourmet dinner prepared by Dr. Mark McMurray, basket raffles and 50/50 silent auctions. Various prizes will be won through out the evening. The grand prize is the final drawing of an estimated $2,000. All proceeds will benefit Angels for Animals. For tickets, call Diane Less at 330 502-5352 or online at angelsforanimlas.org. The cost is $75 per ticket or $25 for the dinner ticket only.

Host an international student

Each year, AFS Intercultural Programs welcomes more than 2,300 international high school students to the United States. These are outstanding young people who were selected in their home countries to study in US high schools and are eager to experience what it’s like to live in America. Sharing daily life with a teenager from another country and culture is a rich and rewarding experience, and is a wonderful way for you and your family to bring more understanding into the world. Local AFS volunteers will support you and your hosted student throughout your experience to help you both receive the most from your time together. You provide a bed and meals for your student, but most importantly, you should be eager and excited to share your life and activities while providing the same kind of care, support and comfort as you would to your own child or family members. AFS welcomes all kinds of families. Host an AFS Exchange Student and build bridges of intercultural understanding. Most families have no idea how much they’ll gain until they say yes. Start the process at www.afsusa.org/host, or call 1-800-AFS-INFO or email hosting@afsusa.org for more information.

Western Reserve Knitting Guild to have Knit-In

The Western Reserve Knitting Guild will host a Knit-In at the Rotary Community Building in Fair Park in Canfield on Feb. 20 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Members and their guests are encouraged to come sit, visit and stitch the cold weather away with the warmth of friendship and snacks. If you are looking for a knitting, crocheting or any fiber arts group to join, the knitting guild would love to meet you. To contact the group for more information or to donate yarn for its charity work, email wrkg.ohio@gmail.com.

Evening with Easter Bunny

Put a little spring in your step and hop on over to Boardman Park on March 8 or March 9 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and enjoy an evening with the Easter Bunny. Tickets will go on sale starting on Feb. 8 at the park office from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, by calling the park office 330-726-8105, or pay online at www.boardmanpark.com. Tickets are $7 for Boardman residents and $9 for non-residents. Children ages 2 and under are free. The evening includes dinner, arts and crafts, and a family photo with the Easter Bunny. For more information about Boardman Park events visit the park website at www.boardmanpark.com.

MCCTC is now accepting applications for 2016-2017

Students interested in attending the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center for the 2016-2017 school year can now apply. The application is available for sophomore students on the school’s website. Current students do not need to reapply. The school offers 23 programs and has a limited number of seats per program. If you are interested in applying, visit the school website at www.mahoningctc.org.

Mardi Paws fundraiser

To celebrate Mardi Gras, Legacy Dog Rescue is hosting a Mardi Paws Wine Taste on Feb. 20 at Lil Paws Winery, located at 17547 Mahoning Ave. in Lake Milton, from 4–10 p.m. Admission is $10 for wine tasting, appetizers, desserts and classic Mardi Gras fare. There will be a prize for best dressed and a Chinese auction. Live music will begin at 7 p.m. Proceeds will help Legacy Dog Rescue, a local 501c3 nonprofit group, save and rehabilitate dogs that have been abandoned, abused or neglected, and place them into loving homes. For more information, contact Paula at 330-720-0470 and follow them on Facebook.

St. Brandan Parish to offer fish dinners

There will be fish dinners at St. Brandan Parish Maxwell Hall, located at 144 N. Schenley Ave., Feb. 12, 19 and 26, and March 4, 11 and 18 from 4-7 p.m. The cost is $10 for adults $5 for children under 10-years. The menu will include beer batter, fried, Cajun or baked fish, coleslaw or applesauce, bread and butter, cake and coffee, and your choice of macaroni and cheese, haluski, parsley potatoes or french fries for a side. For takeout orders, call 330-799-3683. There will also be a luncheon special that is takeout only from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $6 for a sandwich and side or $10 for dinners.

Adult 22+ diploma program now within reach for valley residents

There’s new hope for valley residents ages 22 and up who want to earn their high school diploma. The Ohio Department of Education just approved two Mahoning County sites to host the state’s Adult 22+ Diploma program: the Mahoning County High School on Bryn Mawr Avenue, and the Unlimited Classroom located at the Southern Park Mall. Both sites will be hosting adult learning programs after school hours until 5 p.m. Adult 22+ is free to adults age 22 and older who live in Ohio and do not have a diploma or GED. For more information on 22+ or to apply to the local programs, contact Jennifer Merritt at J.Merritt@mahoningesc.org.

Short-term host family opportunites available

Mahoning, Columbiana, Portage and Trumbull County families will have the opportunity to welcome a young person from Japan into their home for one month this year, as part of an international exchange program being offered by the County OSU Extension, 4-H. Statewide, host families are needed for 100 Japanese participants (aged 12-18) and their adult chaperones, who will visit Ohio from July 23 through Aug. 18. Host families provide the exchangees with room and board and a chance to experience daily life in America. The young Japanese visitors belong to the Labo Foundation, an organization which promotes the study of English culture and language in Japan. All types of families are welcome to apply to become hosts, including urban, rural, single-parent, childless and non-4-H families. Those interested should contact Gretchen Kalinay at 330-799-8407 or Gary Reel at 330-533-7712 for an application form or visit http://www.ohio4h.org/youth/international.

MCCTC receives Advanced Career Pathways Grant

The Mahoning County Career and Technical Center has received the Advanced Career Pathways Grant For Clean Energy Technology for the 2016-17 school year. This grant is provided by the Ohio Department of Education and the Southern Regional Education Board’s High Schools That Work, supporting new career-tech programs relevant to the 21st century workplace. Each four-course Advanced Career pathway curriculum is rich with hands-on projects that stimulate students and help them understand the relationship between theory and application. Advanced Career combines college-ready core academic content with hands-on, project-based assignments centered on a defined career focus. The grant money will go towards new equipment, professional development for staff and Clean Energy Technology curriculum for the new ninth and tenth-grade STEM school opening in the 2016-17 school year.

Equestrian Exchange to be March 19

Buckeye Horse Park presents its third annual Equestrian Exchange used and new tack sale from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on March 19 at Austintown Plaza, located at 6000 Mahoning Ave. in Austintown. Vendor space is available, but reservations must be made by March 12. All spaces must be pre-paid by the vendors and there will be no food vendors allowed. No reservations will be taken over the phone. The cost is $15 per space to bring your own 8 foot table or $20 per space for a table and two chairs to be provided to you. Mail check or money order payable to Buckeye Horse Park and send to: Susan DePerro, 6749 Styme Road, Lowellville, OH 44436.

Trim a tree for February

Decorate an ornament for the Austintown library’s all-season tree during regular hours throughout February. This event is for children of all ages.

Match the couples

Can you match the characters from popular teen books? Give it a try at the Austintown library during regular library hours throughout February for a chance to win a small prize. This event is for children in grades 6-12.

Personalized photo coasters

Make a set of unique coasters with scans of your own personal photographs at the Austintown library on Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. Photos are needed in advance. Contact the Austintown library for details and to register. This event is for teens and adults.

Saturday movie matinee

Join the Austintown library for a Saturday Movie Matinee on Feb. 20 at 2:30 p.m. Bring your own snacks and drinks to enjoy during the movie. Children age 7 and younger must be with an adult. The movie will be a newly released DVD rated PG-13 or G.

Chapter Chat book club

The Chapter Chat book club will be reading and discussing a book together every month at the Austintown library. Each month will be a new genre. The next event will take place on Feb. 29 at 6 p.m. Call the library at 330-744-8636 to find out this month’s exciting read. This event is for adults.

Blood pressure check

There will be a free blood pressure check by Salem Area Visiting Nurse Association at the Austintown library from 11 a.m. until noon on Feb. 23.

Coupon swap at the library

Drop in to the Austintown library during regular library hours throughout February to stretch your shopping dollars by swapping coupons or learning new tips from other coupon-clippers. This event is for adults.

Take a guess

Guess the number of items in the jar at the Austintown library during regular library hours throughout February. The closest guess wins a small prize. This event is for adults.

Friends of the Austintown Library Meeting

There will be a Friends of the Austintown Library Meeting and Presentation on Feb. 22 at 10 a.m. at the Austintown library. The presenter will be Donald Miller, who will bring President Ulysses S. Grant to visit the Austintown Friends.

Pre-Kindergarten story time

This program, which takes place every Wednesday in February at 11:30 a.m. at the Austintown library, is for 4- and 5-year-olds to help develop pre-literacy and kindergarten readiness skills. The librarians will use books, stories, rhymes, music, movement, and crafts to help your child get ready for kindergarten. The Feb. 10 program will have a holiday theme.

Bonding with babies and books

This event is for caregivers and their little ones who are 6-23 months. There will be 20 minutes of language enrichment including rhymes, songs and stories, followed by time to play and socialize at the Austintown library every Tuesday in February at 10 a.m. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Tales and talk for 2s and 3s

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

Gotta Move story time

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 Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. Adults and children, get ready to act out stories and rhymes, sing and dance, and talk and play.

Art with Andrea

Join the Austintown library in this art class as librarian Andrea Robinson guides you through a monthly project and helps you work through your own art. This event is for teens and adults and will take place on Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m. Call 330-744-8636 to register.