Community calendar

Meetings

Fayette County Board of Education — The Fayette County Board of Education has released its schedule of May meetings. The BOE will meet as follows: regular meeting — Tuesday, May 10, 6 p.m., Oak Hill High School; special meeting/budget hearing — Tuesday, May 17, 6 p.m., BOE office; regular meeting — Tuesday, May 24, 6 p.m., BOE office; and special meeting for work session — Thursday, May 26, 4:30 p.m., BOE office.

Announcements

Combined Food Giveaway/Luncheon — The UKVSAC at Booker T. Washington Community Center in London will have a combined food giveaway and luncheon on Saturday, May 21 from 10:30 a.m. until noon (or until gone, whichever comes first).

Free Literacy Help — The Booker T. Washington Community Center in London hosts online help for adults who want to learn to read and write or improve their skills. Tutoring is one-on-one and free. Individual help is available for things like earning GEDs or passing driver’s tests. Literacy Volunteers of Kanawha County, a Charleston-based non-profit, has supplied the center with Chrome books and virtual tutors. The Booker T. Washington Community Center donates the use of its internet service and a staff person to help first-time Zoom users get connected. Literacy Volunteers of Kanawha County (LVKC) is tutoring virtually because of the pandemic. “We know many people who need reading help have been left out because they don’t have a computer or internet connection. We hope this will helps bridge the digital divide in Eastern Kanawha County,” Susan Leffler, vice president of the board of directors, said in a press release. The tutoring service is available to students from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Booker T. Washington’s Executive Director Gloria Rhem says she welcomes the chance to help people in her community. “Our part of the county is often left out when it comes to services from Charleston. We know there are people in our area who need help with reading,” she says. The community center is located on U.S. Route 60 across from the cemetery in London. To sign up for tutoring, call Rhem at 304-389-0934. Covid vaccinations are recommended. Masks are required. Literacy Volunteers of Kanawha County is an all-volunteer organization that has been teaching basic literacy and English as a Second Language (ESL) for 40 years. Partial funding for their programs is provided by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

Proper Disposal of Used U.S. Flags — The West Virginia Challenge Academy-South has agreed to accept damaged flags from the community and will dispose of them properly. This is a wonderful way for the cadets to serve the community and to teach proper flag protocol. There are two disposal locations. Please bring any old U.S. flags to Montgomery City Hall, 321 4th Avenue, Montgomery, or to Smithers City Hall at the Smithers Gateway Center, #2 Greyhound Lane, Smithers. Each location has a depository bin to accept tattered and damage flags, and they will be delivered to the academy for proper disposal. Mayor Greg Ingram of Montgomery and Mayor Anne Cavalier extend their joint appreciation to the WV Challenge Academy-South for this valuable and needed service to the community.

Places to Go/Things to Do

Yard Sale and Hot Dog/Bake Sale — The East Bank Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary will host a yard sale and hot dog/bake sale at East Bank Fire Department on Saturday, May 7. The yard sale starts at 8 a.m. and the lunch starts sometime between 10 and 11 a.m. A hot dog meal deal is available for $5 featuring one hot dog, a drink and chips or a baked good. Saturday is also the town’s yard sale day.

Ramp Dinner — The Ansted VFW will host a ramp dinner Saturday, April 30 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (eat in or carry out). Menu will include ramps, pinto beans, corn bread, cole slaw, fried potatoes (with or without ramps), drink and dessert for $12. Everyone is welcome.

Trout Fishing Derby — New River Parents as Teachers (PAT) will host the annual trout fishing derby at Fayette County Park, Beckwith, on Saturday, April 30 from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. The event is free for children aged 3 through 14, but each child must bring a pole and bait. Registration is scheduled from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. (register 30 minutes prior to fishing time). Fishing times are as follows: ages 3 to 5, 9 to 9:45 a.m.; ages 6 to 10, 10 to 11:15 a.m.; and ages 11 to 14, 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Fayette County Park is located as 1268 Fayette County Park Road, Fayetteville.

Plein Air Art Festival & Farmers Market — A free community Plein Air Art Festival and Farmers Market will be held in Smithers from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on the first Friday of each month through October. It will be at the Magic Carpet Lot, Michigan Ave, Smithers, which is across the street from Christian Family Gift and Book Shoppe. The free event will feature vendors, games and music. Check Facebook for weather and other updates: Plein Air Art Festival & Farmers Market.

Meet the Author — The Fayette County Public Library system will host a meet the author event on Saturday, May 7 at 2 p.m. at the FCPL administration office, 531 Summit Street, Oak Hill, WV 25901. Members of the public are invited to meet and greet West Virginia author Katherine P. Manley. Registration is required; please call 304-465-0121.

A Walk for Hope — A Walk for Hope, an opportunity to raise awareness for addiction services and support those in recovery and their family members, will be held Saturday, May 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the White Oak Rail Trail in front of the Oak Hill City Park. Participants are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items and toiletries in lieu of a registration fee. For more information, please call 304-640-6987. Register at https://walkforhope.eventbrite.com/.

Street Eats and Cruise-In — The Town of Ansted Events Committee will host Street Eats and Cruise-In on Saturday, April 30. Street Eats is set for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the Cruise-In scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. There will be prize raffles, a 50/50 drawing and more. For more information, call 304-658-5901.

Craft and Flea Market — Hawks Nest State Park will host a craft and flea market on Saturday, April 30 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Set up starts at 7 a.m. Vendors may reserve a 17x18 space for a $10 advance payment. There will be no electricity available and no generators are allowed. Vendors must provide their own tables, chairs and canopy and all trash must be placed in the provided receptacles. All vendors are required to have their booths open until 2 p.m. and to remove all items they brought. No food sales will be allowed unless authorized by the Hawks Nest officials. Raffles may be permitted pending approval of the superintendent. There will be no driving in the flea market area to unload vehicles after 9 a.m. All CDC guidelines must be followed. To reserve a vendor spot, call 304-658-5196, ext. 1575.

White Oak Rail Trail Expo — The 11th annual White Oak Rail Trail Expo will be held Saturday, June 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the White Oak Rail Trail in Oak Hill (101 Virginia Street, Oak Hill, WV 25901-2463). For more information, visit the expo’s events page on Facebook.

Fayette County Public Library — The Fayette County Public Library has released its branches’ schedule of events for April. In April, grab and go craft bags also will be available at all library branches, the Oak Hill branch will have Maker Space Earth Day Planters all month and Meadow Bridge will hold a tube and straw challenge all month. Scheduled events for April are listed alphabetically by designation. Ansted (FA, 102 Oak Street, Ansted, 304-658-5472) — adult coloring (all month). Fayetteville (FF, 200 West Maple Avenue, Fayetteville, 304-574-0070) — adult coloring (Saturday, April 30, all day). Mount Hope (FH, 500 Main Street, Mount Hope, 304-877-3260) — Power of Play (Friday, April 29, 11 a.m.) and Little Learners (Friday, April 29, 10 a.m.). Montgomery (FM, 507 Ferry Street, Montgomery, 304-442-5665) — adult coloring club (Friday, April 29, 3 p.m.). Oak Hill (FO, 611 Main Street, Oak Hill, 304-469-9890) — Makers Space (all month).