Thursday, Jan. 17

COMMUNITY · The Friends of the Catoosa County Library will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17, in the library’s multi-purpose room. The library is at 108 Catoosa Circle (Benton Place campus off Battlefield Parkway) in Ringgold.

COMMUNITY · Lafayette Physical Therapy will hold a “lunch and learn” from noon-2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17, at 120 West Villanow Street in LaFayette. Guest speaker is Dr. Jay Jolley. For more information, call Vicki at 706-638-5983.

COMMUNITY · Lafayette Physical Therapy will hold “fit and fun” sessions Tuesdays and Thursdays, through Jan. 31, from 10:30-11:30 a.m., at 120 West Villanow Street in LaFayette. For more information, call Vicki at 706-638-5983.

COMMUNITY · Coosa Valley Regional Services board will meet at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 17, at the main office in Rome, 3 Riverside Industrial Parkway, N.E. The meeting is open to the public.

ENTERTAINMENT · The Notables, a jazz combo out of Rome specializing in mainstream jazz standards and tunes from the Great American Songbook, will perform a free concert at Dalton State College Thursday, Jan. 17, at 7:30 pm. The concert will be held in Goodroe Auditorium, at Gignilliat Memorial Hall. Seating is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call 706-272-2528.

COMMUNITY · The Walker County Health Department will offer a free, basic diabetes education class. The eight-hour series will be taught by nurse Linda Long. The second of two series will be held on Thursdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Jan. 29 and 31, Feb. 5 and 7, at the Chickamauga Public Library. Call 706-638-5577 to register.

COMMUNITY · The United Way’s Center for Nonprofits (CNP) is offering workshops for local nonprofit organizations and their volunteers. Most sessions are offered at 630 Market Street, unless otherwise noted. To learn more, call Sara Collier at (423) 752-0329 or email saracollier@cnpchatt.org. You can also go and register online at cnpchatt.org. On Thursday, Jan. 17, from 10-11 a.m., take Intro to Foundation Directory and learn to use this online database of grant markers and records.

ENTERTAINMENT · The Hunter Museum of American Art and Lee University will host String Theory at the Hunter on Thursday, Jan. 17, with a concert featuring performances by David Shifrin, Wu Han and David Finckel, as well as the Miro String Quartet. To purchase tickets, call (423) 267-0968 or visit stringtheorymusic.org.

COMMUNITY · A diabetes education class will be offered from 1:30-4:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 17, at Erlanger Chattanooga Lifestyle Center. This class will explore ways to manage diabetes. Call 778-9400 for more information on physician referral and insurance reimbursement.

CHURCH · A year-round Parents Day Out program will be offered from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, at Rock Spring United Methodist Church, 3477 Peavine Road in Rock Spring. Children ages 6 months to 5 years old may participate. Bring your child to socialize and play in a Christian environment. There is no registration fee. Cost is $12 a day per child, or $10 a day per child for two or more siblings. Call 706-764-1404 for more information.

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 · Learn the waltz and the foxtrot! Registration for ballroom dancing classes at FortOGeorgia.com headquarters has begun. To sign up call 706-866-9919 or drop by the store (2738 Lafayette Road, next to Sears Shoes Clearance Store in Fort Oglethorpe). Darla Toker of The Tempo Dance Studio will teach the six-week course on Thursdays: Jan. 24, 31, and Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28, from 6:30 –8 p.m. Cost: Individual: $55 for entire course, or $99 for two people (team up and save). Note: One of the classes falls on Valentine's Day. A special class will be offered that evening -- but if you have other plans, a make-up class will be made available.

Friday, Jan. 18

COMMUNITY · A Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting will be held for Lookout Mountain Community Services at noon, Friday, Jan. 18, at the Walker County Civic Center, 10052 N. Highway 27, in Rock Spring.

COMMUNITY · Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce has announced an open house for Mountain Community Federal Credit Union will be held from 1-4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18, at 5 Forrest Road in Fort Oglethorpe.

ENTERTAINMENT · The Walker County Chamber of Commerce will host its 2013 Annual Membership Dinner on Friday, Jan. 18, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Mountain Cove Farms Show Barn. The program will include the recognition of retiring directors, as well as the official passing of the gavel from Chair Vickie Hodge of The Jimmy Simpson Foundation to Incoming Chair Sherry Foster of the City of Rossville. The winners of the 2012 Chamber Member of the Year and the 2012 Small Business of the Year will also be announced. Entertainment and dancing will be provided by the Nathan Farrow Band. Attendees are reminded that the event will be taking place in a converted barn; cowboy boots and western themed clothing are encourage The cost to attend is $50 per person or $500 for a reserved corporate table of eight; registration will end on Monday, Jan. 14, 2013, at midnight and no walk-ins will be accepted. Non-Chamber members are required to pay online by Visa or MasterCard at the time of registration.For more information, email: info@walkercochamber.com.

ENTERTAINMENT · The Black Jacket Symphony will perform Fleetwood Mac's Rumours at the Tivoli Theatre on Friday, Jan. 18, at 8 p.m. Visit chattanoogaonstage.com or call (423) 642-TIXS for ticket information.

ENTERTAINMENT · In collaboration with the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, the Ruth S. Holmberg Chair of American Music at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga presents “Backstage with Louis Armstrong,” written and performed by Danny Mullen. This free event will be held Friday, Jan. 18, at 7:30 p.m., at the Roland Hayes Concert Hall, in the UTC Fine Arts Center.

COMMUNITY · The opening reception for "Reflections," an exhibition of paintings by Mitchel de la Garza, will be held Friday, Jan. 18, from 5:30-7 p.m. at The Arts Center. Call (423) 745-8781 or visit athensartscouncil.org for more information.

ENTERTAINMENT · Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga (ETC) will open its 2013 season with AVENUE Q. The show will run weekends through Jan. 27; Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Performances will take place at Eastgate Town Center, 5600 Brainerd Road in Chattanooga. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $15 for students and are available at ensembletheatreofchattanooga.com or call 423-987-5141. Doors open 30 minutes before each performance. Free parking is available at the Eastgate Town Center.

COMMUNITY · The United Way’s Center for Nonprofits (CNP) is offering workshops for local nonprofit organizations and their volunteers. Most sessions are offered at 630 Market Street, unless otherwise noted. To learn more, call Sara Collier at (423) 752-0329 or email saracollier@cnpchatt.org. You can also go and register online at cnpchatt.org. On Friday, Jan. 18, from 10-11 a.m., take Nonprofit Startup and learn the steps to follow and forms needed to file to become an exempt organization. There is a registration fee.

Saturday, Jan. 19

COMMUNITY · Free lunches do exist! The Boy Scouts will provide a free lunch for any boy ages 11-16 on Saturday, Jan. 19, at the Advance Auto Parts store in Ringgold, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The event is hosted by Boy Scout Troop 77 of Ringgold. Boys can also enjoy games. For more information, call Chris Smith at 423-413-0869.

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 · The La Fayette-Walker County Public Library reading dog, Ika, is looking for children to come read to her. The Paws to Read program is from noon-1:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19. Readers of all ages and levels are welcome.

COMMUNITY · The annual Southern Charm Wedding Expo will be held at the historic Ringgold Depot from noon-4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19. Caterers, photographers, event venues and others will be set up for young brides and grooms to sample products and review services. Admission is free. Parking will be available in front of the Depot and along Depot Street and Highway 41/Nashville Street. Additional event parking will be provided on the south side of Highway 41/Nashville Street behind “Your Other Attic” Storage. For more information, visit the Facebook page by searching for: “Southern Charm Wedding Expo.”

KIDS ENTERTAINMENT · The Tennessee Aquarium is partnering with WTCI-TV to bring the Dinosaur Train Discovery Tour to Chattanooga from Jan. 19-21. Buddy, the T-Rex star of the popular PBS Kids program, will be in the Tennessee Aquarium’s River Journey building to meet fans from 10 a.m.-3 pm on Saturday, Jan. 19. He will also appear for fan photos between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 20, and Monday, January 21. Kids will also have an opportunity to pose for photos behind a Dinosaur Train cut-out inside the Aquarium’s Ocean Journey building.

CHURCH · New Bethel Baptist Church will hold a singing at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, featuring Right Path and Blue Grass Gospel. The church is 1635 Salem Valley Road in Ringgold. For more information, call Bobby at 706-935-4208 or Nelson at 706-965-2778.

COMMUNITY · A Boot Camp for Dads will be held from 9-11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, at Erlanger East (Gunbarrel Road in Chattanooga). This session is for first time dads who want to learn more about the upcoming new addition in their family. Topics include diapering, feeding, why babies cry and how to handle it, how you can help the new mom, learn about postpartum depression and general hands-on infant care. A new “veteran” dad is invited (along with his new baby) to the class for question and answer time. Call Erlanger’s HealthLink at (423) 778-LINK (5465) to register.

COMMUNITY · Parkridge East Hospital in East Ridge, Tenn., will offer free tours of the birthplace on Saturdays, Jan. 19, 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, Jan. 19, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., or Feb. 9 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.