Valentines Day Candy Bars

Decatur Northside Elementary PTO will be selling Valentine chocolate candy bar packages to raise money for an elementary school basketball court. Community members can buy a bag of 10 or 25 candy bars decorated with balloons for their sweethearts. Bags of 10 candy bars with one balloon are $10, and 25 candy bars with two balloons are $20. Orders can be picked up from 4 to 8 p.m., Feb. 13, at the Gallery Cafe, just in time for the special day. Parents and grandparents can buy a candy bar and balloon to be delivered to their child at school on Valentines Day for $1. Parents can also sponsor their child’s classroom for only $20 so that each child will receive a candy bar on Valentines Day. For more information or to place an order, call Stacy Brooks at 790-7171 or Karen Davis at 752-3364.

Decatur Youth Sports signups

Decatur Youth Sports will be accepting softball, baseball and T-ball signups until Feb. 10. Boys and girls, ages 5-12, in the Decatur area are eligible to participate. There is a $25 fee to join the teams. Entry forms will be sent home from school with children or can be picked up at the Decatur State Bank. Forms may be dropped off at Decatur schools, the Decatur State Bank or any home basketball game. For more information, call Amy Brooks or Jennifer Luker at 752-3281.

Gentry Chamber Banquet

This year’s Gentry Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet will be held at 6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 23, at the new Wooden Spoon Restaurant in Gentry. Rick Parker will speak at the event and share information on Gentry's history, the role the area played in the Civil War and the significance that history has on the Heritage Trailtoday. Annual awards will be presented at the banquet for volunteer and community service. Community awards to be presented include Outstanding Business Person of the Year, Outstanding Citizen, Rookie of the Year, Silver Citizen Award and Lifetime Achievement Awards. Tickets are $20 each and seating is limited. Those wishing to attend are encouraged to make reservations as soon as possible. For more information or tickets, contact Chamber director Bev Saunders at 212 East Main Street, P.O. Box 642, Gentry, at 736-2358, or at [email protected].

Wild Game Feast

The Outdoor Adventures 4-H Club is holding a wild game feast and silent auction from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, in the Gentry Middle School cafeteria, to raise funds to support the club’s many projects. The event will include guest speakers and taxidermy displays. Area residents are invited to help the club achieve its goal by attending the feast and silent auction - tickets are $10 for ages 7 and up, $5 for children 6 and under and tables are $100, which includes eight tickets and 40 free raffle tickets - or by making a donation to the silent auction or the feast in services, items or a monetary donation. For more information, to donate or to buy tickets, please contact any Outdoor Adventures 4-H member.

Pancake Breakfast

The Colcord Emergency Medical Responders will be holding an all-youcan-eat pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. until 12 noon on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Colcord Senior Citizens Building on Colcord Ave. Adults are $5 and children under 10 are $3. All donations are appreciated. For more information, call Earl Anderson at 479-233-9466 or Lowell Wood at 479-228-3162.

CBCO Blood Drive

Community Blood Center of the Ozarks has issued a “code yellow” alert for O Negative blood type and donations are being sought to meet the needs of area hospitals. A blood drive will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wed., Feb. 8, at R & R Solutions, 601 First Ave. NW in Gravette.

Gravette Kiwanis

The Gravette Kiwanis Club holds breakfast meetings at 7 a.m. each Friday at the cafeteria in Ozarks Community Hospital. Guests are welcome.

Computers for Students

The Gentry Lions Club is accepting used computers to be refurbished and given to students needing a computer. The club is currently accepting desktops and laptops. Hard drives are reformatted and a new operating system installed before they are given away. For more information or to donate a computer, call Randy Moll at 233-0081.

Convenience Center

Benton County Planning & Environmental and Benton County Solid Waste District provide a free service to the public for disposal of large bulky household items, appliances, electronics and metal. Hours of operationare every Saturday (except on holiday weekends) 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Convenience Center is located at the Benton County Solid Waste District, 5702 Brookside Rd., Bentonville. Items and electronics accepted are furniture, mattresses, box springs, plastic toys, playground equipment, computers, printers, radios, telephones, televisions, VCRs, DVDs, appliances, microwaves, refrigerators, hot water heaters, air conditioners, grills, bicycles, swing sets, dishwashers, freezers, dehumidifiers and scrap metal. For more information, call 795-0751.

Area Men’s Breakfast

The Decatur United Methodist Church has a men’s breakfast the second Saturday of each month, beginning at 8 a.m., at the Gallery Cafe in Decatur. All area men are invited to join the group for good food and Christian fellowship.

Emergency Help

Families in Gravette School District wishing to apply for emergency help with food or utilities may make application from 9 to 11 a.m., Tuesday through Friday, at the Main Street Care and Share store in Gravette.

Singing Services

Monthly singing services at Falling Springs Church are held at 7 p.m., the first Friday of each month. The church is located northwest of Gentry and west of Decatur on Falling Springs Road.

Decatur Food Pantry

The Decatur United Methodist Church offers a food pantry program and a commodity food program for residents in Decatur from 5 to 7 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of each month.

Men's Fellowship

First Baptist Churchof Gentry has a monthly Men's Fellowship Gathering at 8 a.m. on the third Saturday of each month. All men are encouraged to come for the food and fellowship. Guests are welcome. For more information, contact Madden Waits at 736-5009.

VFW Meetings

Decatur VFW Post 9834 meets at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month. New members and guests are welcome. The facility is three miles east of Decatur on Arkansas Highway 102, right on Tilly’s Hill Road, and the first building on the right.

News, Pages 2 on 02/08/2012