Friday, Feb. 8

ENTERTAINMENT · The Chattanooga Zoo will host its annual Cocktails for Conservation fundraiser from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8. Guests can enjoy cocktails, light hors d’oeuvres and up-close animal encounters. Proceeds benefit the zoo’s conservation projects. Guests must be 21 or older to attend. Cost is $30 per person. To purchase tickets, call 423-697-1319 or visit chattzoo.org.

ENTERTAINMENT · Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga (ETC) will present Martin McDonagh's black comedy, “The Pillowman,” from Feb. 8-24. Performance times are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. All performances will be held at the theatre's space inside Eastgate Town Center at 5600 Brainerd Road. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students with a valid student ID. They can be purchased online at http://www.ensembletheatreofchattanooga.com, by phone at (423) 987-5141, or at the door beginning one hour before each performance. Doors open 30 minutes before show time. Free parking is available at Eastgate Town Center.

ENTERTAINMENT · The Share America Foundation will host award-winning Gospel Hall of Fame member Archie Watkins, formerly of the Inspirations, on Friday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the Ringgold Depot, corner of Depot Street and U.S. 41 in Ringgold. Pianist Ryan Stinson will also perform. Randall Franks from TV's "In the Heat of the Night” will emcee. The event is a fundraiser for the Pearl and Floyd Franks Scholarship Fund helping musicians achieve higher education. Donations for tickets are adults: $5, children 5 and younger get in free with adult. Tickets may be purchased locally in advance during business hours at SonShine Christian Books (706) 861-7675 in Fort Oglethorpe. For more information, visit shareamericafoundation.org.

COMMUNITY · Berry College accounting students will offer free tax assistance beginning Friday, Feb. 8, to families and individuals with moderate levels of income. VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) is designed by the IRS to assist families to complete their annual tax returns free of charge. This marks the fourth year that Berry has offered the student-operated program. Through VITA, students acquire firsthand experience with tax preparation and client relationships in addition to continuously researching and getting familiar with changing tax laws. To make an appointment, email freetaxes@berry.edu or call (706) 236-2233. Hours of operation are Fridays from 3-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 11a.m.- 4 p.m. in the Campbell School of Business, Room 109.

COMMUNITY · The first Wash Me Pink Color Run to benefit Susan G. Komen will be held Saturday, March 9. The 5K color run course begins at 9 a.m. at 1104 Redwine Cove, in Dalton. Registration is from 7 a.m.-8:45 a.m. Color washers will douse participants with Komen color at the color stations strategically placed throughout the course. Parking passes cost $5 if pre-purchased and $10 at the venue, and are required for each car. Visit washmepink.com.

COMMUNITY · Lyerly United Methodist Church is selling cookbooks for $10 each. They can be purchased from any church member, or at Pine Ridge Outdoor Supply in Lyerly, or by sending $10 (plus $2.00 shipping and handling) to Lyerly United Methodist Church, P. O. Box 152, Lyerly, GA 30730, and a church cookbook will be mailed to you. For more information, call Jo Ann Mitchell at 706-895-2636.

COMMUNITY · Entries in the annual DNR “Give Wildlife a Chance” poster contest must be postmarked by Wednesday, March 27. This year’s theme is “Everyone can be a citizen scientist.” The contest is open to kindergarten through fifth-grade students in public and private schools and homeschool groups. Participants enter at the local school level with drawings that depict their observations of Georgia’s native nongame animals and plants. Visit georgiawildlife.com/PosterContest or botgarden.uga.edu for more information.

Saturday, Feb. 9

COMMUNITY · A toy train show will be held from 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, at the Collonade on Old Mill Road in Ringgold (off Battlefield Parkway, in Benton Place). The show is hosted by the Train Collectors Association, Dixie Division. Admission is $7.

ENTERTAINMENT · The Georgia Winery will host its third annual Wine & Chocolate Open House every Saturday in February from noon-4 p.m. A Wine & Chocolate Pairing class that will take place every Saturday at 3 p.m. During the class there will be pairings of five Georgia Wines and five Dove Chocolates. Those who attend will also take home a souvenir wine glass. Classes are $20. Reservations are recommended and tickets can be purchased online from the Winery’s website. Following the Pairing Class, at 4 p.m. will be a Winery Tour. Tours are $15 and include a behind the scenes look at how their wine is made, a tasting flight of their two organic wines, a cheese and cracker tray and a souvenir glass. For more information, call 706-937-9463.

CHURCH · New Bethel Baptist Church singing will be held at 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9. Featured gospel singers include the Jeff Hullender Family along with Jr. and Thelma. For more information, call Bobby at 706-935-4208 or Nelson at 706-965-2778. Monthly singing will return to the third Saturday night in March.

COMMUNITY · Rock Spring Athletic Association will hold Baseball and Softball sign ups every Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. through Feb. 16, at Rock Spring Elementary School. For ages are 3-12.

COMMUNITY · Childbirth Education will be offered from 9 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Feb. 9, at Erlanger East (Gunbarrel Road) in Chattanooga.This childbirth education class/series is designed for expectant parents and taught by experienced OB nurses. These classes include stages of labor, relaxation and labor support techniques, hospital procedures, pain management options, after birth and home care for moms and in-hospital care for newborns. There will also be time for questions and answers. Registration fee is $75. Call Erlanger’s HealthLink at (423) 778-LINK (5465) to register.

COMMUNITY · The Whitfield-Murray Historical Society will hold a genealogy workshop, the Brick Walls in Genealogical Research, from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9 at the Crown Gardens & Archives, 715 Chattanooga Avenue in Dalton. This workshop is for intermediate/advanced researchers. Bring a problem with you; it is OK to bring your laptops, too. The cost is $40 for the entire day and has a limit of 10 people. Sack lunches are available for $6. Email wmhs@optilink.us to enroll, and then mail your check to, WMHS, P. O. Box 6180, Dalton, GA 30722. Please call the Archives if you have any questions 706 278-0217.

COMMUNITY · Zumba - A fun and effective workout to the beat of Latin and International music, meets every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. at Boynton United Methodist Church. Females only. Cost is $5 per class to pay the certified instructor. For more information, go to BoyntonUMC.org or call 706-866-2626. Boynton United Methodist is located at 4246 Boynton Drive in Ringgold, two miles west of I-75, south of Battlefield Parkway at Pine Grove and Boynton.

COMMUNITY · Parkridge East Hospital in East Ridge, Tenn., will offer free tours of the birthplace on Saturdays, Feb. 9 and March 2, from 1-2 p.m., or Saturday, Feb. 2, from 5-6 p.m. Participants can tour the labor and delivery area and the mother/baby area (based on availability). Prenatal services and classes will be discussed with a time for questions and answers. This tour begins in the Rowe Conference Room. For more information and to register for classes, call MedLine at 800-242-5662 or visit ParkridgeEastHospital.com.

COMMUNITY · Parkridge East Hospital in East Ridge, Tenn., will offer an Infant/Child CPR Class ($15) Saturday, Feb. 9, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. or March 2, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. An American Heart Association class taught at Parkridge East Hospital by a Basic Life Support Instructor, this course includes instruction on what to do in the event that your infant or child stops breathing or begins to choke. Injury prevention is discussed. This class is recommended for veteran as well as first-time parents, grandparents, and caregivers of a new baby. A practice time on manikins is included. Note: This class is NOT a certification for healthcare or day care workers. For more information and to register for classes, call MedLine at 800-242-5662 or visit ParkridgeEastHospital.com.

Sunday, Feb. 10

CHURCH · La Fayette Presbyterian at 107 North Main Street in La Fayette, will host a community concert by Jason O’Neal and Stephanie Lundy assisted by the choir of the Cove Road Church of God on Sunday, Feb/ 10, at 6 p.m. The concert is presented as an outreach activity of the congregation in recognition of Black History Month. Selections will include solos and choir numbers taken from diverse traditions. The concert is free, and the public is invited to the concert and to a reception to follow in the fellowship hall. For more information, call Dr. David Boyle at 706-764-2801.

RELIGIOUS · Dallas Rogers and Restored Trio & Brothers in Hymn will perform at 6 p.m., Sun. Feb. 10, at Union Missionary Baptist Church, 797 Hughes Lake Road, in Cleveland, Tenn. Concert and food are free, donations will be taken as a fundraiser to support an Austraila mission trip in October. For more information, call 423 479-2081.

COMMUNITY · Girl Scouts have started taking orders for Girl Scout cookies. Orders will be taken through Feb. 10. Cookie deliveries and booth sales are March 1 - 24. For more information, visit girlscoutcsa.org or call 1-800-474-1912.

COMMUNITY · Registration is open for the sixth annual Berry Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K races to be run Saturday, March 23, at Berry College in Rome. The Berry Half Marathon raises funds for need-based scholarships to the local (Rome) elementary and middle school. Runners have given to Soles4Soles in past years, and organizers plan to continue to support this charity, as well as contribute $1 for each pair of shoes donated to help offset the cost of mailing the shoes to needed destinations. There will be collection boxes set up at race registration March 22 and 23. There will also continue to be a collection site for Medals4Mettle, a non-profit organization that facilitates the gifting of marathon, half marathon, and triathlon finishers’ medals to children and adults fighting debilitating diseases. To register for the 2013 Berry Half Marathon and further information on registration fees, visit: berryhalfmarathon.com.

COMMUNITY · The Veterans of All Wars Museum, at 71 Red Belt Road in Chickamauga, will be closed through Thursday, Feb. 28, and will reopen Friday, March 1. The museum has a collection of guns and other memorabilia on display. The museum was founded by Robert H. Honeycutt, a WWII veteran, POW, and survivor of the 800 mile German death march. Call Randy Culbreth at 423-488-4789 for more information.