Belmont Abbey College

Baroque and beyond: Arts at the Abbey will present the Charlotte Civic Orchestra with Carolina Pro Musica, Allegro Strings and youth soloists David Donica and Corina Donica for an 18th century music showcase at 3 p.m. Feb. 24 in the Belmont Abbey Basilica.

Gastonia native Rebecca Miller Saunders, Carolina Pro Musica’s soprano, will be featured in excerpts from Bach Cantata 202. Director Karen Hite Jacob will be featured on the Abbey’s two manual harpsichord made by local builder Richard Kingston.

Admission is free; donations will be accepted. For information, visit www.bac.edu or contact Karen Jacob at 704-461-6813 or karenjacob@bac.edu.

CCC&TI

Renovated theater unveiled: New seating, lighting and carpet will be unveiled in the recently renovated theatre at Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute when “The Madwoman of Chaillot” takes the stage at 3 p.m. Feb. 24, 8 p.m. March 1-2 and 3 p.m. March 3.

The whimsical and poetic French parable of the triumph of good over evil will be presented by Foothills Performing Arts. Lori Franklin plays Countess Aurelia, the Madwoman of the play’s title, while Bill Boyd portrays The Ragpicker.

Tickets are $10 adults, $8 seniors, $6 students, $6 for groups of 10 or more. The box office opens one hour before each show. For details, call 828-726-2318 or visit www.fpatheatre.org.

Literary reception, reading: CCC&TI will host a reading and reception to celebrate the release of its literary and arts magazine, “Branches,” at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 26 in the Seila Gallery (S Building) on the Caldwell Campus.

An additional reception will be held at 5:30 p.m. March 5 in the Watauga Occupational Training Facility on the CCC&TI Watauga Campus.

The publication features prose, poetry and artwork from CCC&TI students and members of the community. Copies will be available at the receptions and on both campuses.

Award winners were: Philip Davis, poetry; Matt McGuire, prose; and Kendra Reese, fine arts/photography.

Vienna Boys Choir performs: The famous Vienna Boys Choir will perform at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28 at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center. A pre-concert dinner will be served at 6:15 p.m.

Tickets for the concert are $24 adults, $15 children. Meal tickets are an additional $12 adults, $6 children 12 and younger.

Both are available through the Civic Center Box Office at 828-726-2407 or www.broyhillcenter.com.

Small business seminars: The Small Business Center at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute will host a series of free small business seminars this semester.

The schedule includes:

Erase Your Debt, Start a Business: 2-3:30 p.m. Feb. 26, Lenoir Public Library

Social Entrepreneurism: Lessons Learned From a Real Small Business Startup: noon to 1:30 p.m. March 5, J.E. Broyhill Civic Center

Getting Government Textile Contracts: noon to 1:30 p.m. March 29, Lenoir Public Library.

To register or for information, go to www.cccti.edu/smallbusiness or contact Evelyn Asher at 828-726-2242 or easher@cccti.edu.

Continuing education: CCC&TI will offer a variety of continuing education courses this semester. The schedule includes:

General Contractor’s License Preparation: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, March 5-May 9, Caldwell Campus. Cost is $176.

Electrical Lineman Institute: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, April 22-June 20, Caldwell Campus.

For information or to register, call 828-726-2242 or visit www.cccti.edu/coned.

Truck driver training: CCC&TI will offer three Truck Driver Training courses this semester. Sessions run eight weeks and will be held on the following schedule:

• 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays beginning March 7, TAPS Campus in Hudson. Registration is underway now.

• 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays beginning March 8, CVCC, 1223 Fairgrove Church Road SE, Conover. Registration begins Feb. 26.

• 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays beginning March 11, Gaston College, 1201 E. Church St., Cherryville. Registration begins Feb. 28.

For information, call 828-726-2380.

Caldwell Cuisine: The Culinary Arts Program at CCC&TI will prepare innovate, eclectic four-course meals as part of its spring Caldwell Cuisine series.

The dinners are held at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center. Tickets are $21 and must be purchased in advance at the Civic Center box office

The schedule includes:

St. Louis Missouri: 6 p.m. March 7

A Night Out in the City: 6 p.m. March 28

For details, visit www.cccti.edu.

CVCC

Beasley keynote speaker: Chaz Beasley, a graduate of Newton-Conover High School and Harvard University, will be the keynote speaker for the annual Black History Celebration at 6 p.m. Feb. 26 in the Tarlton Complex at Catawba Valley Community College.

The son of Sherry Bruner of Conover, Beasley is in his final semester at Georgetown University Law School. He served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, clerked for N.C. Supreme Court Justice Patricia Timmons-Goodson and interned with U.S. Court of Appeals Judge James Wynn Jr. Beasley also worked as a legal extern for U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Entertainment will be provided by the House of Prayer Brass Ensemble, the Mahogany Queens, Sassy Seniors, CVCC Singular Sensation Show Choir, Challenger High School’s Hmong Dance Troupe, Alexander Central High School’s Breakerz Dance Group, Betty Primus and the Combined Community Choirs directed by the Rev. Raymond Hollis Jr. CVCC faculty member Kim Stinson’s Play Production class also will present a reading.

Food from several area restaurants will be available for sale. For information, contact the Office of Multicultural Affairs at 828-327-7000, ext. 4578.

Business ethics: Chuck Gallagher, author of “Second Chances: Transforming Adversity into Opportunity,” will be the featured speaker at a Business Ethics seminar at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 26 in the CVCC Auditorium.

Admission is free, and the public is welcome.

Gallagher was a respected CPA when he embezzled clients’ trust funds to maintain the illusion of his own success. He served 18 months in federal prison, but later turned his life around and became successful in the corporate world.

Gallagher will share how and why his CPA firm didn’t detect his embezzlement, the damage done, how the partners recovered and how he changed his life.

Details: Gary Muller, 828-327-7000, ext. 4672 or gmuller@cvcc.edu.

Government business: The CVCC Small Business Center will present “Doing Business with the Federal Government” 4-6 p.m. Feb. 28 on the East Campus.

Participants will learn to identify and create opportunities and begin work in the federal market. Clark Fields, a Government Procurement Counselor with the Small Business and Technology Development Center, will lead the seminar.

Admission is free; registration is required by calling 828-327-7000, ext. 4117.

Earn certification: The CVCC Workforce Development Innovation Center will hold a Basic Air Conditioning Concepts and Refrigeration Certification course 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, March 2-May 18 in VSL203-B on the Main Campus.

Participants will earn skills for an entry-level job as an air conditioning, heating and refrigeration technician assistant.

Cost is $200, plus a textbook. To register, contact Janet Lail at jwlail@cvcc.edu or 828-327-7000, ext. 4116.

Spanish for healthcare providers: CVCC will offer “Spanish for Healthcare Providers” 5:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, March 5-25 on the East Campus.

Family practitioners, physicians, pharmacists, healthcare providers, ER personnel, nurses, hospital administrators and medical assistants will learn to communicate better in Spanish with customers, clients and patients.

Cost is $90, including a textbook and audio CD. Registration is required by Feb. 27.

Details: Janet Lail, 828-327-7000, ext. 4116 or jwlail@cvcc.edu.

Job Fair: CVCC will present its annual Job Fair 1-5 p.m. March 12 in the Tarlton Complex on the Main Campus.

There is no charge for job seekers to attend or for employers to recruit workers. Employers from the Catawba Valley and across the state are invited to set up exhibits offering employment information and to take applications. More than 1,000 people attended the 2012 Job Fair.

Employers should call 828-327-7000, ext. 4400 to receive a registration packet. For information and an updated exhibitors list, visit www.cvcc.edu/Job_Fair.

Wachtel hosts reading: Shirley Wachtel, author of “My Mother’s Shoes,” will present book readings March 12-13 at CVCC.

Wachtel will read at 7 p.m. March 12 in the Student Center on the Main Campus and at 10 a.m. March 13 in the Tarlton Complex, also on the Main Campus. Admission is free, and the community is welcome. A book signing will follow.

Published in 2011, “My Mother’s Shoes” is the poignant story of the author’s mother, a Holocaust survivor, and the challenges she faced in her homeland and later as a wife and mother in the United States.

For information, contact Arlene Neal at 828-327-7000, ext. 4417, or aneal@cvcc.edu.

Cyber security seminar: CVCC’s Information Systems Security Club will present “Staying Safe in the Cyber World” 5:30-7 p.m. March 13 at the CVCC Alexander Center for Education.

Parents, teachers and students can learn about safety measures to take while surfing the Web. Topics include strong passwords, how to deal with pop-ups, risks of opening attachments and software updates.

Admission is free, but space is limited. To reserve a space, call 828-327-7000, ext. 4307.

Gaston College

Gardner wins award: Aubrey Gardner was recently won the North Carolina Community College System Academic Excellence Award for Gaston College. She will receive the award at the Gaston College Awards Banquet in May.

One student from each of the 58 North Carolina community colleges receives the Academic Excellence Award, which requires a 3.25 or higher GPA and extensive service to the school.

Gardner started at Gaston College as an Adult High School student. She now serves as a Student Government Senator, Student Ambassador, president of the Rotaract Club and volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and Operation Christmas Child.

Gardner also recently earned the College Study Tour scholarship from the Student Government Association, which allowed her to travel to Spain in November.

She will graduate from Gaston College in May with a certificate in Web Technology and two associate degrees in Information Systems Security and Networking Technology.

Magazine sale: Morris Library will hold its annual Magazine Sale Feb. 25-March 22 at the library on the Dallas Campus.

Magazines from 2011 will be sold for $1 each. The titles are great for pleasure reading, school projects, craft ideas, recipes and more. For a list of titles, visit http://gaston.edu/library/pdfs/periodicallist.pdf. For information, call 704-922-6358.

High school info session: Gaston College will hold two Career and College Promise Information Sessions in March for rising 10th and 11th grade high school students. Participants will learn how to earn college credit while still in high school.

Sessions will be held 6-7 p.m. March 7 in Myers Center Auditorium on the Dallas Campus at 6-7 p.m. March 14 in the Cochrane Building, 511 S. Aspen St. on the Lincoln Campus.

Details: Amy Weisgerber, 704-922-6297 or weisgerber.amy@gaston.edu.

Food service course: Gaston College will offer ServSafe, an occupational education class for food service professionals beginning this month.

Classes will be held 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 25, March 4, March 11 and March 18 on the Dallas Campus. Cost is $67.

Topics include food safety, preventing cross contamination, how to utilize time and temperature control effectively, pest control and sanitation.

Details: 704-922-2244.

Health Sciences Career Day: Gaston College, Lincoln County Schools and Lincoln Charter School will sponsor Health Sciences Career Day on March 1 at the Gaston College Dallas Campus.

Approximately 700 high school students are expected to attend sessions 9-11 a.m. and 12:15-2:15 p.m. Students will meet with professionals in a variety of different medical fields.

Details: Gail Ford, 704-748-5207.

Scholarships available: Students can apply for scholarships for the 2013-2014 academic year at Gaston College through April 2.

More than $150,000 in scholarship assistance is available. Awards range from $250 to more than $2,500.

To apply, go to the Scholarship Tracking and Review System (STARS) at http://gcstars.gaston.edu/stars/.

Massage available: Therapeutic Massage students at Gaston College will offer one-hour full body Swedish massages on Fridays through May 3.

Cost is $25 adults, $20 senior citizens. To make an appointment, call the Student Massage Clinic at 704-922-2278.

Documentary series: “Haiti & the Dominican Republic: An Island Divided” will be screened 1-2:30 p.m. Feb. 25 in the David Belk Cannon Auditorium on the Dallas Campus.

The documentary is part of the “Black in Latin America” series produced by Harvard University scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Admission is free and the screening is open to the public.

Notary Public class: Gaston College will offer a Notary Public class 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 28 on the Dallas Campus.

For information, visit www.gaston.edu.

Special interest classes: Several special interest classes will be offered at Gaston College this semester. For class locations, descriptions and fees, visit www.gaston.edu or call 704-922-2244.

The schedule includes:

Knitting/Basics: 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 26-March 19, Lincoln Campus

Knitting/Intermediate: 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 26-March 19, Lincoln Campus.

Pottery/Advanced: 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday and Thursday, March 12-April 30, Dallas Campus

Cake Decorating II/Flowers: 6-8 p.m. Mondays, March 4-25, Dallas Campus.

Cake Decorating III/Fondant and Gum Paste: 6-8 p.m. Mondays, April 8-29, Dallas Campus.

Cake Decorating IV/Advanced Gum Paste Flowers: 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays, April 2-24, Dallas Campus.

Small business classes: Gaston College will offer a series of free Small Business classes this semester. Sessions meet 6:30-9 p.m. on the following dates and campuses:

Legal Issues: Feb. 25, Lincoln; Feb. 28, Belmont

Marketing I/I Want It Like I Like It: March 4, Lincoln; March 7, Belmont

Record Keeping: March 11, Lincoln; March 14, Belmont

Marketing II/Targeting for Results: March 18, Lincoln; March 21, Belmont

Tax Issues: March 25, Lincoln; April 4, Belmont

Marketing III/Great Expectations: April 8, Lincoln; April 11, Belmont

For information, visit http://startabiz.gaston.edu or call 704-922-6447.

Study tour to China: Gaston College will offer a Study Tour to China May 20-29. The tour will visit three of the country’s most unique and fascinating cities – Beijing, Xi’ an and Shanghai. Participants also will see Tiananmen Square, the Nine Dragon Screen, the Great Wall of China and Old Beijing’s temples, palaces and old alleyways.

All-inclusive price per person is $3,449. For information, contact Study Tours director Bob Blanton at blanton.bob@gaston.edu.

Lenoir-Rhyne University

LRU receives grant: Lenoir-Rhyne University recently received a $130,000 grant from the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation, an increase of $10,000 over last year.

The foundation supports women in nine southeastern states. Lenoir-Rhyne’s grant will provide scholarships to deserving women who are majoring in nursing education.

Four nursing students from Lenoir-Rhyne currently benefit from the scholarship. They are: Lauren Turnmyre, Jessica Lee Christian, Allyson Ledford and Sheila Wade.

A Cappella Choir performs: The Lenoir-Rhyne University A Cappella Choir and College Singers will conduct a North Carolina Tour Feb. 24-March 4.

Celebrating its 77th season this academic year, the A Cappella Choir has taken 11 tours abroad, performed at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and sang in Blacksburg, Va., in remembrance of the first anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre.

The College Singers, a select vocal ensemble from the A Cappella Choir, also will perform.

Local dates on the tour include 3:30 p.m. Feb. 24 at First United Methodist Church in Lenoir and 7:30 p.m. March 4 at Viewmont Baptist Church in Hickory.

WPCC

Sign language stories: Students in the American Sign Language Numbers and Fingerspelling class at Western Piedmont Community College recently presented original sign language stories to students at North Carolina School for the Deaf.

The project is part of an ongoing collaboration between the two schools. Participating WPCC students were Kim Davis, Nichole Mitchell, Linda Bohm and Sadie Abdel-Razek.

Help with taxes: WPCC accounting students will provide tax preparation assistance for qualifying area residents this spring. College volunteers will help individuals prepare tax returns and e-file them for free.

Sessions are available on campus for single taxpayers earning $30,000 or less and married taxpayers earning $50,000 or less.

To make an appointment, call 828-448-6058. For information, visit myfreetaxes.com/WPCC.

Pottery workshops: Western North Carolina potter Adam Mackay will lead a specialized pottery wheel throwing workshop 6-8 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, March 5-21 in Room H-26 on the Main Campus of Western Piedmont Community College.

Cost is $50, including all clay, glazes and firing. Registration is required by contacting Linda Matthews at 828-448-6133.

Compiled by Leigh Pressley