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More than 1,000 people attended the first Folk Art Festival at the Lake in Sherrills Ford, hosted by the Hickory Museum of Art on Oct. 3.
A preview party sponsored by Catawba Valley Medical Center held the night before sold out, with 150 people attending.
More than 20 artists displayed and sold their work at the Saturday event. Artists included local folk potters Mike Ball and Tammy Leigh Brooks and painters Wanda Clark, Theresa Gloster, Joe Lafone, Kessiah Meroney and Arie Taylor.
Asheville artist Moni Hill won the best in show award for a painting of small birds on a background of blue and yellow stripes. She received a cash prize of $250, and her work will be exhibited at the Hickory Museum of Art.
Main Street Rag will publish the fifth collection of poetry by Hickory poet Scott Owens in February. The book, "Paternity," features 60 poems about fatherhood.
"Paternity" is available for discounted advance orders through the Main Street Rag Web site, at mainstreetrag.com. Owens is also the editor of Wild Goose Poetry Review, vice president of the Poetry Council of North Carolina, regional representative for the N.C. Writers' Network and the author of a weekly column on poetry. He teaches English and creative writing at Catawba Valley Community College.
The Newton Parks and Recreation Department is selling discount tickets for the 2009 Southern Christmas Show, which runs Nov. 11-22 at The Park, formerly known as Charlotte Merchandise Mart, at 2500 E. Independence Blvd., Charlotte.
Discount tickets are $8 each and are available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Newton Recreation Center, 23 S. Brady Ave., Newton. No children's discount tickets are available.
The city of Newton will hold its annual fall cemetery cleanup Nov. 9-13 at Eastview, Central and Southside cemeteries.
City Cemetery maintenance staff will remove unsightly or undesirable items such as weathered flowers, toys, trinkets, vases and jars from gravesites during the cleanup. Wanted items should be removed from gravesites before the cleanup week.
There is no set work schedule planned. New flowers and items may be placed Nov. 14. Flowers should be displayed in permanent vases attached to the markers.
For details, contact the Newton Parks and Recreation Department Cemetery Division at 828-695-4348 or 828-695-4317.
The Women's Resource Center will celebrate 30 Days of Gratitude through Nov. 25 at the center, located at 125 Third St. N.E. in Hickory. During the 30 days before Thanksgiving Day, the center will offer expressions of gratitude to the individuals, businesses, faith-based organizations and other groups in the community who have supported the organization as donors, volunteers, partners, mentors and advocates. Visitors will be able to write messages of thanks and have them included in a display at the center through Nov. 25.
For details about the celebration, call 828-322-6333.
The city of Hickory solid waste division will sell leaf compost from 8a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the city's yard waste facility off Cloninger Mill Road in Hickory.
The supply is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Cost is $10 per pickup-truck load. For details, call the Hickory Public Services Department at 828-323-7500.
Military
Brienna Zeiger and Todd Melott recently graduated from the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps leader development and assessment course, also known as Operation Warrior Forge, at Fort Lewis, Tacoma, Wash.
The 32-day program provides professional training and evaluation in military life, administration and logistical support. The focus is to develop and evaluate each cadet's officer potential.
Zeiger is a student at Carson-Newman College, Jefferson City, Tenn., and is a 2005 graduate of Hickory High School. She is the daughter of David and Lynn Zeiger of Taylorsville.
Melott is a 2005 graduate of Maiden High School and received an associate's degree in 2007 from Catawba Valley Community College. He is the son of Tracy Brooks of Newton and Mark Melott of Valdese.
Army National Guard Pvt. 1st Class Casey Bollick has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla. He is the son of Richard Bollick of Hickory.
Air Force Airman Kiounte Lineberger graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio.
He is the son of Lisa Caldwell of Claremont and grandson of Kathy Brooks of Newton. Lineberger is a 2009 graduate of Bunker Hill High School in Claremont.
Navy Reserve Seaman Apprentice Jonathan Fleming, son of Teresa and Clay Fleming of Newton, recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill.
Fleming is a 2006 graduate of Fred T. Foard High School in Newton. Compiled by Gina Smith
