Community Briefs 3.31.18

Published 8:00 am Saturday, March 31, 2018

Orange County Christian Writers Guild

The OCCWG has been meeting for the last 8 years and has helped a lot of Writers on their journey to success.  The Guild has produced bloggers, fiction novelist, children’s book artist/writer, etc. and have had some pretty spectacular speakers.  We meet the 2nd Tuesday of the month.  Due to Harvey, we will be meeting at the Dairy Queen in Orange by Home Depot, for a month or so more.  Please join us!  We need your input and your ideas.  Iron sharpens iron and we need you to help sharpen our pens.  Our next meeting is April 10 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Please call Karen Y. Stevens at 409 988-2588 or email karen.stevens@coldwellbanker.com for questions.

 

Anger Management Classes

Wells of Agape is holding Anger Management Classes from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 10, at Family Worship Center located at 2300 41st Street in Orange. It is the Old Bancroft School, room No. 35). Requirement to receive a Certificate of Completion is $30 per person, cash only. Must be paid prior to first class. One must attend all three Tuesday classes to receive the certificate. To register or more information, Call Donna Wells at 4099-221-5425. If no answer, leave a message or text.

 

Pinehurst Spring Clean up

Spring clean up will be from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Saturday April 14 at the 2600 block of MacArthur in the parking lot of the old Sears building. Public Works employees will be on hand to help, however, hazardous materials such as paint, chemicals, tires, batteries, motor oil, etc., will not be accepted.

 

Spring Shred Day

Sabine Federal Credit Union with the City of Pinehurst will host Spring Shred day from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 21 at 1939 Strickland Drive in Orange. Bring personal records, financial statements, tax returns, file folders to shred it and forget it.

 

Golf Tournament

Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce is seeking teams and sponsorships for the 9th Annual Golf Tournament scheduled for May 7, 2018 at Sunset Grove Golf Course and Country Club. For more information visit http://www.orangetexaschamber.org/

 

Collecting books

The AAUW (American Association of University Women) will have its annual used book sale on the porch of the Lutcher Theater at Art in the Park 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sat., April 7.Book donations may be made at Looking Good Salon in the Northway Shopping Center next to Market Basket until April 2.

The owner of the salon, Paul Burch, volunteered to be a drop-off point this year.  For further details, please telephone:  409.886.5739 or 409.988.5602.

Donations accepted include gently used books, puzzles, board games, reference books, cookbooks, children’s books, religious books, mysteries, nonfiction, biographies, fiction, DVD’s, & CD’s. Monetary donations also appreciated.  A small silent auction will take place for AAUW during book sale.

All proceeds go for college scholarships for both a West Orange-Stark High School and a Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School female graduate.  The Orange AAUW Scholarship applications are available in the counseling office of each high school.

Shangri La to open three days

Shangri La Gardens will be open for three days only from April 19-21 (Thursday-Saturday) starting at 10:30 a.m. and lasting until 3:30 p.m. Free admission and free butterflies for the release on Saturday. Join us for this 3-day event to revel in the beauty of the garden and celebrate mother earth. Family friendly activities and games will take place each day culminating with a butterfly release at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Each day has a different theme. Thursday: Blooms; Friday: Bugs; Saturday: Butterflies. Local and regional organizations and businesses will be onsite hosting booths that provide information about earth-friendly products, services and opportunities. Games, activities, and engaging presentations provide entertainment for the entire family. Enjoy the gardens in full bloom and view baby birds on Ruby Lake.

 

Shootout on the Sabine

The City of Orange and Visitors Bureau will be hosting the fifth Annual “Shootout on the Sabine” DSRA Drag Boat Races May 19-20 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at the City of Orange Boat Ramp. There will be no charge to attend the event. In an effort to promote tourism, the event will include 50 to 60- racers from Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Depending on the classification, speeds of more than 100 mph are possible. Food, drink and adult beverage vendors will be on site serving a variety of items. A children’s activity area will also be available on site. Live entertainment by Jamie Talbert and the Band of Demons will begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 19 at the boat ramp. Please note, no pets and no coolers will be allowed. For more information call (409) 883-1011 or online at www.orangetexas.org.

 

NAACP Banquet

The NAACP Annual Scholarship Award Banquet will be at 6 p.m.  Saturday, March 31, at Mount Olive Baptist Church in the Rosa Watson Life Center. Guest speaker is Sixth Street Community Church Pastor Anthony Thomas who was MLK Gala Man of the Year and also named Superintendent of East Coast District in Texas Gulf Coast Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction. The theme for this year’s event is Pursuit of Excellence. The banquet is a fundraiser for scholarships granted by the NAACP. Tickets to the event are $25 person. Table sponsors are welcomed. Platinum tables are $1,000, Gold $750, Silver $500, and Bronze at $300. For tickets call Terrie Salter at 409-338-1449, Brenda Cook at 409-779-8219 or at 409-886-2700, Carolyn Mayfield at 318-990-9240, Evera Enard at 409-886-1854 or Tina Moffett at 409-338-8528.

 

Mystery Dinner Theater

Southeast Texas Hospice will host Mystery Dinner Theater featuring ‘And The Old Man Died’ at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 16 and Tuesday, April 17 at St. Mary’s Parish Hall. Tickets are $30 per person. For reservations call 409-886-0622 or 800-749-3497.

 

2018 South Texas State Fair

The South Texas State fair will be held March 22 – April 1, 2018 in Beaumont.

 

Spring Indoor Garage Sale

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2775 Auxiliary will host a Spring Indoor Garage Sale on Saturday, April 21, at the VFW Hall at 5303 N. 16th Street.  Vendors can set up Friday, April 20 from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.  Saturday doors will open from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. For reservations, send a check to VFW Aux. 2775 to Chairman Mary Snapp at 7927 Sandra Ln; Orange, TX 77632 for the number of tables at $10 each.  For further information you may call Mary at 409-697-0380 between 10am and 5pm.  Early Registration guarantees a spot.

 

Judge James B. Scales Memorial Golf Tournament 

The Bridge City Chamber will hold the Judge James B. Scales Memorial Golf Tournament on Saturday, May 26, 2018 at Babe Zaharias Golf Course in Port Arthur.  Tee time is 8 a.m. for this four person scramble.  The cost is $60 per player which includes green fees, cart, beverages, food, and door prizes.  Mulligans may be purchased for $5 each with a limit of two (2) per player.     Hole sponsorships in the form of tee box signs are available for $100 each.  All proceeds go to the Bridge City Chamber and Historical Museum formerly the Prairie View Teacherage.  For more information or to register, call the chamber at (409) 735-5671 or Golf Tournament Chairman Jerry Jones at (409) 735-6801.  Registration forms can be found on the chamber’s website: www.bridgecitychamber.com.

 

Nehemiah’s Vision

If you are in need of assistance repairing/rebuilding your home please visit our website at www.nehemiahsvisionrecovery.org and click on the GET HELP tab or call our office at (409) 617-1038.

 

Special Angels Rodeo Fish Fry Fundraiser

Special Angels Rodeo will be holding our Annual Fish Fry and Auction Fundraiser on Thursday, April 5, 2018. This event will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the VFW on North 16th Street in Orange. There will be live entertainment, live and silent auctions, door prizes, and much more. This event is a fundraiser for the Special Angels Rodeo, and adaptive sports rodeo for special needs individuals of all ages, regardless of disability. Tickets are available at Farmer’s Mercantile, 702 W Division Avenue in Orange. Individual tickets are $40 each or $75 per couple.

 

BC Chamber to award scholarships

Attention all Bridge City and Orangefield High School seniors.

The Bridge City Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce they will be awarding two $500 scholarships to Bridge City High School seniors and two $500 scholarships to Orangefield High School seniors. Applications are available at the student’s high school counselor’s office, Bridge City Chamber office at 150 W. Roundbunch Road, Bridge City, TX 77611, or can be downloaded from the chamber’s website: www.bridgecitychamber.com. Completed applications should be turned in to the respective high school counselor no later than April 6, 2018. For more information, contact your high school counselor or call the Bridge City Chamber at (409) 735-5671.

 

Electronic tax filing assistance

Jackson Community Center (JCC) has fast refund and electronic filing are available to eligible families and individuals earning up to 54,000 or less.   Open Monday thru Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and every other Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. thru April 18, 2018, by appointements only. JCC is located at 520 West Deactur Ave. in Orange. To Schedule an appointment and for additional information please contact Elizabeth Campbell, Program Manager at 409-779-1981 or email jccorange@gmail.com

 

OC Texas AgriLife collecting UPC labels

We’re collecting UPC labels for our Youth Cooking Camp. Please join Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s H.O.P.E. Committee (Helping On Purpose Everyday) by collecting Best Choice UPC Labels from your local Market Basket. We appreciate your support! Labels can be dropped off at the AgriLife Office 11475 Farm to Market Road 1442 in Orange or call, (409) 882-7010.

 

2017 INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE

AARP Tax Filing Assistance will be offered starting 12:15 PM, Friday, February 2, at the Orange Public Library. IRS-certified volunteers will be available from 12:15 to 4 p.m. every Wednesday and Friday through April 13, and Tuesday, April 17.  April 17 is the last day to file 2017 taxes.

Anyone coming for assistance should bring the following:

Proof of identification (photo ID)

Social Security cards for you, your spouse and dependents

Birth dates for you, your spouse and dependents

Wage and income statements (Form W-2, Social Security, 1099-R, 1099-Misc, W2G).

Interest and dividend statements from banks (Forms 1099)

Records of any Capital Gains and Losses

Forms 1095-A, B or C, Affordable Health Care Statements

A copy of last year’s federal and state returns is very helpful in the preparation of the 2017 return.

 

LAMPS Conference

LAMPS Conference will be held 7 p.m. Friday, May 4 and 10 a.m. Saturday, May 5. Hosted by First Church of Orange, 3406 Edgar Brown Drive in Orange. Keynote Speaker is Sis. Kathy Corson speaking on -Ladies • Abused • Mentally • Physically • Sexually, (and Substance, Self, Spiritually). For more information call Kathy Corson at 318-268-5442, Vickie Hodges at 281-433-4976 or Laura Aranda at lauraaranda@owlofhope.com

 

Clay Shoot

Samaritan Counseling Center of Southeast Texas will host the 7th Annual Clay Shoot with proceeds to benefit Children’s Programs. Sponsorships and teams are being accepted now. The event is scheduled for 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 19. Tickets are available at www.sccset.org