NEWSBRIEFS
BLOUNT COUNTY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB will host its annual "Freezefest" tailgate and swapmeet Jan. 3 beginning at 8 a.m. All active or inactive ham radio operators and families plus anyone interested in amateur (ham) radio are invited. Location is the old rock school on U.S. 231 just north of Rainbow Crossing in Summit. A testing session will be offered to anyone desiring to obtain or upgrade their amateur radio license. Visit the club's webpage at www.W4BLT.org.

BUSINESS OWNERS COUNSELING Jackson-ville State University Small Business Develop-ment Center, the SBA, and Blount County- Oneonta Chamber of Commerce will offer oneon one counseling for prospective and existing small business owners at no charge Tuesday, Jan. 8, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the chamber office. It is necessary for you to make an appointment. For more information call 274-2153.

ANNUAL PET CAT SHOW Birmingham Feline Fanciers sponsors its 37th allbreed and household pet cat show Jan. 24-25 at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center, South Exhibition Hall. Breeds from around the country compete for titles, regional and national points, and household pet cats compete for ribbons and trophies. There will be booths for sale items, kitties available for adoption from humane and rescue organizations, and a cat art show for students whose art will be judged by local artists and members of the Birmingham Museum of Art. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Admission is $7 adults, $5 seniors 60 and up, and $3 children under 12. For more information, call 205-616-1651 or go to www.Birminghamfelinefanciers .com.

CONTACT LENS WEARERS can reduce eye redness and eye irritation by removing lenses or reducing lens-wear time when they feel colds or flu coming on. Those who wear extended-wear lenses should opt for daily contact lenses for the same reasons. Cold or flu infections can temporarily change outer-eye fluids, often making the tear film thinner and the eye's surface drier, and antihistamines taken for relief can further dehydrate eyes and lead to scratchiness or lens irritation. Lens-wearers should pay attention to their eyes during seasonal changes. They should know to start taking lenses out earlier in the evening, leaving them out all day when a cold or flu strikes, and keeping a spare pair of glasses handy to avoid being totally dependent on contacts when eyes are red and irritated.

BLOUNT'S CHILDREN NEED YOUR VOICE Give the gift of a lifetime. Be a voice for an abused or neglected child. Blount County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is holding its first training class of 2009 starting Jan. 28. Call Lynn or Mary at 625-4577 to find out more about making a difference in the life of a child and to register for local training. Learn more about CASA at www.nationalcasa.org.

SUSAN MOORE TOWN COUNCIL will have a work session Monday, Jan. 5, at 7 p.m. at the community center. The Council's regular meeting will be Monday, Jan. 12, at 7 p.m.

ONEONTA MARROW DONOR DRIVE will be held Sunday, Jan. 4, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Woodmen of the World, 28340 State Highway 75, Oneonta. Cost is $25 for tissue typing. The drive is being held in honor of Randy Payne, 48, of Marietta, Ga., who was diagnosed with leukemia in March 2008. His nieces Amanda Horsley and Jessie Hancock of Oneonta are working to find people willing to become marrow donors and whose tissue-types match Payne and other patients like him so they can receive life-saving marrow transplants. Payne's nieces urge Oneontans to join the NMDP (National Marrow Donor Program) during the Jan. 4 drive. Participants must be between the ages of 18-60, meet health guidelines, fill out one form each, give cheek cell swabs, and be willing to donate to any patient in need. Patients are more likely to match donors of the same racial and ethnic heritage, thus more donors are needed from all races and ethnicities. For more information or to sign up, call Amanda Horsley at 681-7888 or Jessie Hancock at 681-1137. Learn more about NMDP by accessing www.morrow. org.

AMERICAN LEGION ORATORICAL CONTEST High School students in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 are encouraged to participate in the 2009 oratorical contest being sponsored here by American Legion Post 72. Principals, counselors, and teachers of English, social studies, and speech in Blount County public schools, as well as those who home school or work in private and parochial schools within the county, are urged to begin recruiting students now for the contest. The local Legion Post 72 is offering county-wide scholarship prizes for first-, second- , and third-place winners, who continue to the state level where prizes given for the top three are $5000, $3000, and $2000. National winners earn $18,000; $16,000; or $14,000.

The American Legion is paying travel and lodging costs for state winners and their chaperones to the national competiton in Indianapolis April 17-19. Each state winner who is certified and participates in the first round at nationals receives a $1500 scholarship. Each first-round winner who advances to and particpates in the second round but does not advance to the final round will receive an additional $1500 scholarship.

Local Post 72 says Alabama has produced only one national champion (Candice Neal in 2002) since 1938. Members feel Blount County can produce a national champion. Who will it be? They urge schools and interested participants to download copies of the Oratorical Rules Brochure by logging on www.legion.org/program/youthprograms/oratorical.

HELP FOR ADDICTIONS to alcohol, drugs, food, gambling, buying, etc. Addictions can seem baffling and overwhelming, and yet with insight and understanding, recovery can be a reality. Hope House holds two weekly SMART Recovery meetings on Thursdays, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the old hospital, 1000 Lincoln Avenue, in Oneonta. SMART Recovery program helps individuals gain independence from addictive behavior. For more information, phone 625-4673, ext. 301.

ENERGY ASSISTANCE FROM PROJECT SHARE The Blount County Service Center of the American Red Cross will begin accepting applications Jan. 5 for Project SHARE, the energy assistance program for low-income elderly or disabled individuals. Residents of Blount County can set up appointments by calling the Project SHARE office at 274-2115.

To qualify for assistance, the family income must be within certain guidelines depending on the size of the houshold. In addition, the head of the household must meet one of the following eligible criteria: 62 years of age or older and/or receiving a disability check.

BULL RIDING AT AGRIBUSINESS Friday and Saturday, Jan. 9 and 10, with performances beginning at 8 p.m. at the center's indoor arena. Professional cowboys from across the country will compete in the event, sponsored by H-Bar-H Rodeo Company in cooperation with Blount County-Oneonta Agribusiness Center. Friday is Family Night when the first 200 kids 10 and under receive free trick ropes and have free pony rides and a calf scramble with prize money of $100. Admission is $10 each for 2- year-olds and older on Friday and $15 for adults and $10 for children two to 10 on Saturday. For more information, call 274-8839 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.