Feb. 26

— The Bladen Community College Board of Trustees will meet at 2 p.m. for a board retreat, followed by a board meeting at 5:30 p.m. Both events take place in the Student Resource Center (Building 7) on the main campus of the college. For information, contact Melissa Hester at 910-879-5502.

Feb. 27

— The annual Dublin Peanut Festival Oyster Roast & Fish Fry will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the General Store at Lu Mil Vineyard. Advance tickets are $35; tickets at the door at $40 — tickets can be purchased from Peanut Festival Committee members, at Lu Mil Vineyard or Taylor Manufacturing. For information, call 910-876-4884.

— The Bladen County Hospital Foundation will hold “A Red Affair Gala” at 6 p.m. at Lu Mil Vineyard in Dublin. Music will be provided by North Tower and Black Tie is optional. Tickets are $50 each.

— Bladen County’s Democratic Party will hold the following precibnct meetings: Elizabethtown Precinct No. 1 will meet at 11 a.m. at the Bladen County Library in downtown Elizabethtown; the Carvers Creek Precinct wlil meet at 10 a.m. at East Arcadia Middle School in Riegelwood; Brown Marsh Precinct will meet at 11 a.m. at Clarkton/Brown Marsh Town Hall in Clarkton; Bethel/Bladenboro 1 and 2 Precinct will meet at 11 a.m. at Hunt Brothers Pizza in Dublin..

— Join a park ranger early in the morning to burn some calories on a 4-mile hike around Jones Lake. Learn about the different habitats while starting a healthy habit (exercise). Participants should meet at the Visitor Center at 9 a.m for this program. Please bring bug spray, water, and hiking shoes. This event is free of charge and is open to the general public. Contact the park office at 910-588-4550 with any questions.

March 1

— There will be a Beef Cattle meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Bladen County Extension Office located at 450 Smith Circle Drive in Elizabethtown. Becky Spearman will be presenting information on Genetics and Expected Progeny Differences (EPD’s) in Beef Cattle. We will go over how to read EPDs to help select bulls. Light refreshments will be provided. Please call the office at 862-4591 or email becky_spearman@ncsu.edu to register by Feb. 26. Persons with disabilities may request accommodations to participate by contacting Becky Spearman, Extension Agent, at 910-862-4591, by email, or in person at the office at least seven days prior to the event.

— The Bladen County Board of Elections will meet at 3 p.m.

March 5

— What would you do if you got lost and only had a compass? Have you got a compass and do not know what direction to go? Join a Jones Lake State Park park ranger at 10 a.m for discussion on all the Cardinal points of using a compass. Participants will use the skills on a compass course. If you make it through the course your bearings will surely be greased! Compasses will be provided. Space is limited, so please call the park office at 910-588-4550 to reserve your spot or for questions.

March 12

— Join a park ranger at Jones Lake State Park and learn about the geological mysteries of the Carolina Bays. Formation theories and the natural communities associated with Carolina Bays will be discussed. Participants should meet at the Jones Lake State Park Visitor Center at 10 am. Call the Park office at 910-588-4550 for more information. This event is free of charge and open to the general public.

March 19

— Join a park ranger for an informative discussion about Carolina Bays. After the discussion a short hike through a Carolina Bay will give you a chance to explore these natural mysteries. Participants should meet at the Jones Lake State Park Visitor Center at 10 a.m and be sure to dress appropriately. This program is free of charge and open to the general public.

March 24

— Bladen Community College will hold a job fair and internship opportunities event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Bladen Community College Auditorium. For information, please contact the N.C. Works Career Center at 910-862-3255 or Sondra Guyton at Bladen Community College at 910-879-5634.

March 26

— Jones Lake State Park will host its annual East Egg Hunt along with a N.C. State Park Centennial Celebration for all ages from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is sponsored by Friends of the Bay Lakes and will include games, concessions, crafts, a raffle, movie, prizes, hikes and special events — all free of charge, but pre-registration is required by calling 910-588-4550 by March 23. The Easter Egg Hunt will begin at 11 a.m.

— Join us as we celebrate the N.C. State Parks Centennial at Jones Lake State Park with a Easter egg hunt beginning at 11 a.m. Pre-registration is required by Friday, March 18. Call 910-588-4550 or stop by the park’s visitor center located off N.C. 242 to register. The event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by Friends of the Bay Lakes. The egg hunt will start at 11 a.m., so participants are encouraged to arrive early to check in. There also will be raffle drawings, games, hikes, and other special events lasting until 1 p.m.

March 27

— What are the life stages of a butterfly? How can I make my own butterfly garden? Join a park ranger for an informative power point program about butterflies and how to attract them to your own yard. Participants should meet at the Jones Lake State Park Visitor Center at 2 p.m. This program is free to the public and if you have any questions please contact the park office at 910-588-4550.

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Ongoing

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— Families First, Inc. is now located at 103 East Broad Street, Elizabethtown. They will be holding Parenting Classes each Wednesday from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

— The Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy’s Board of Trustees meet every second Saturday at noon at The Paul R. Brown Building on Martin Luther King Drive in Elizabethtown. All meetings are open to the public.

— The Disabled American Veterans meet the second Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the VFW building in Elizabethtown. For more information contact David Brown at 910-740-6312.

— Now is a great time to plan your wedding or renew your vows at Harmony Hall Plantation Village. You may decide the amount you wish to give as a donation in lieu of a rental fee. For more information on how to book your wedding at Harmony Hall Plantation Village, call Maureen Bell 910-876-0387.

— Flashback-Community Life through the Lens of Mack Munn will have an exhibit of his work at Bladen Community College’s East Arcadia campus. The exhibit is sponsored by Graham Chapel AME Zion Church and the Lower Bladen Columbus Historical Society. Exhibit hours are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 3 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. and Tuesday from 12:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. For special group tours call LBCHS at 910-685-6735.

—Taxidermy and Wildlife classes will be held at 608 Main St. in Tar Heel. Classes are free to students, senior citizens, and disabled people of any age. Contact David at 910-585-1739 for dates and evening classes.

— The American Legion Post No. 404 of Elizabethtown are asking everyone that have worn or aged U.S. flags to please bring them to the Elizabethtown Municipal Building. A used mailbox is located near the front entrance of the municipal building. The American Legion will properly dispose of them on Flag Day which is June 14.

— Narconon would like to remind families that the use of addicting drugs is on the rise, take steps to protect your family from drug use. If you know anyone who is struggling with drug addiction get them the help they need. Call for a free brochure on the signs of addiction for all drugs. Narconon also offers free screenings and referrals. 800-431-1754 or DrugAbuseSolution.com

— Narconon can help you take steps to overcome addiction in your family. Call 800-431-1754 today for free screenings or referrals.

— I Am Inc. in conjunction with God’s Garden of Paradise is offering limited amounts of free meals and haircuts on a monthly basis. For more information or participating locations go to Glenda’s Just Desserts and Lunch Counter located at 315 Martin Luther King Drive, Elizabethtown or Barbers Inn (Shaw Wood, manager) located at 410 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Elizabethtown.

— The Baltimore Center Head Start is accepting applications for children who will be 3 to 4 years of age by Aug. 31. Applications for children with special needs are also being accepted. Children will be transported to and from home by bus. Applicants need to bring with them: a birth certificate, shot record, Social Security numbers of all family members in the household, directions to home, mailing and physical address, verification of income, WIC verification and health insurance information. For more information contact the Baltimore Head Start Center, 2100 S. Elwell Ferry Road, Council, or call 910-669-2536.

— Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 8062, meets on the third Saturday of each month at 3 p.m. at the VFW building located at 109 Hill Street, Elizabethtown. All veterans who served in a foreign war are welcomed for membership.

— The Bladen County Military Museum meets on the last Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. on the second floor of the Bladenboro Historical Society Building located at 818 S. Main Street, Bladenboro. All veterans are welcomed for membership.

—The Cape Fear Farmer’s Market welcomes Craft Vendors to sell their crafts the first Saturday each month. For more information contact Sarah Baysden at 910-862-2066.

— Every Sunday, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Harmony Hall Plantation in White Oak, will be various activities and events on the grounds, as well as tours of the 1760s plantation home of Col. James Richardson and the outbuildings. All activities, tours and demonstrations are free — a donation is always welcome. For information, call Maureen Bell at 910-876-0987.

— Woodmen of the World Lodge No. 262 meet on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m.

— Low-income families who want to get their pets spayed or neutered at A Shelter Friend’s monthly low-income clinic can call 645-2297 for information and sign-up. Volunteers who wish to help with this worthwhile program are also encouraged to call.

— The Bladen County Health Department WIC office is now open during lunch hours (noon to 1 p.m.). Regular WIC department hours are as follows: Monday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. for ALL SERVICES; Friday 8:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. for certification and re-certification; Pickups are available daily from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. For more information contact 910-872-6218 or 910-872-6219.

— Alcoholics Anonymous meets every Monday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Cape Fear Bladen County Hospital hospital cafeteria in Elizabethtown. Anonymity will be respected. For more information, contact Jim Lane at 910-433-2276.

— Grandparents and kinship caregiver’s raising grandchildren support group meets every third Wednesday of the month at the Bladen County Division on Aging located at 608 McLeod Street, Elizabethtown. For more information, call 910-872-6334.

— Dublin First Baptist Church Child Development Center is enrolling children ages 2-4 in the half-day program. The program uses the A Beka curriculum. For more information or to enroll call 862-2277 or 876-0419.

— The Bladen County Youth Focus Project will meet every second Saturday of the month at 10 a.m. at the Paul R. Brown Building on Martin Luther King Boulevard, Elizabethtown. All interested persons are welcome to attend.

— Bladenboro Visual Arts Council presents a lifetime collection of art by artist Sam Pait and other artists in the Art Gallery. Some of the art will be for sale. The Bladenboro Visual Arts Gallery is open on Saturday and Sunday from 2 until 4 p.m. and by appointment during the week from 10 a.m. until noon. The art gallery is located in the Bladenboro Historical Building at 818 South Main St.

—The Bladen County Amateur Radio Society meets the first Tuesday of every month at the Bladen County Courthouse in Elizabethtown Room G7 at 7 p.m. The public with or without an amateur radio license are welcome to attend.

— The Elizabethtown-White Lake Chamber of Commerce meets every second Tuesday at the Cape Fear Farmer’s Market in Elizabethtown at noon.

— The Garland Lodge 1511 of the Woodmen of the World Insurance Society meets the first Friday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Ammon community building. Members and guests are welcome.

— A military monument has been constructed by the Bladen County Military Museum on a brick patio at 818 S. Main St., Bladenboro. Brick’s may still be purchased and are $100 each. The bricks honor all branches of service beginning with the Revolutionary War. For more information, call 863-4707.

— Bladen County Habitat for Humanity meets at 9 am. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Elizabethtown Presbyterian Church.

—The Woodmen of The World Lodge 208 meets the first Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Woodmen of the World Lodge on Whiteville Hwy. Meal will be served.

— The Kelly Historical Society meets on a quarterly basis on the third Saturday of each month at 10 a.m. at the Kelly Museum. For more information, call 910-763-6966.

— The Bladen County Chapter of the NAACP will meet the third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Focus Building on Martin Luther King Drive in Elizabethtown.

— The Elizabethtown Kiwanis meet the first and third Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Cape Fear Farmer’s Market in Elizabethtown.

— Cape Fear Masonic Lodge No. 300 Prince Hall Free & Accepted meet at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays following the the first and third Sunday of each month at 702 Martin Luther King Drive, Elizabethtown.