New Book-a-Librarian service offered

Individuals or small groups can make an appointment with a Brown County Public Library librarian through the free Book-a-Librarian service. Sessions are limited to 30 to 60 minutes and are best used for instruction on how to use the library catalog, databases, digital resources and the Internet. Call 812-988-2850 for an appointment.

Participants sought for foundation Giving Dinners

The Brown County Community Foundation has kicked off a summer series of Giving Dinners — fundraising events to support local nonprofit programs. Hosts choose which agency will benefit.

The next dinner will be Wednesday, June 21, at Story Inn  with Mother’s Cupboard being the nonprofit benefactor.

Four other dinners are currently planned.

To learn more about the events, being a host, providing a locally grown product or being on the invitation list, visit browncountygives.org/bcgives/giving-dinners.

Show choir camp offered for Grades 4 to 6

Brown County High School choir director Kristi Billings and current BCHS Rhapsody show choir members will offer a choir mini camp from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 21 through Friday, June 23.

Camp is for students entering Grades 4 through 6. It includes singing, dancing, a showcase finale and camp T-shirt. Registration is $50.

To register, visit browncountychoirs.weebly.com. For more information, email [email protected] or call 812-988-6606 ext. 1298.

Support 4-H by visiting weekend garage sale

The Extension Homemakers Garage Sale to benefit Brown County 4-Hers will take place Friday and Saturday, June 23 and 24 at the fairgrounds. Hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Booth space is still available for $20 fee.

Donations of gently used items are being accepted at the Brown County Purdue Extension office. Call 812-988-5495 for more information.

Handcrafts, antiques weekend tour scheduled

JACKSON TWP. — The Southern Hills Handcrafts and Antiques Tour on Friday and Saturday, June 23 to 24, includes several sites in and near Brown County. It includes home-based handcrafters and producers offering locally made goods, antiques and homegrown products.

Sites are generally open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and include:

• Lake Lemon Marina, 9554 E. North Shore Drive;
• Loveland Farms Sausage Shack, 5812 South Shore Drive, at railroad crossing on Lake Lemon;
• The Helmsburg General Store, State Road 45 and Helmsburg Road; and
• The Bean Blossom Farmers Market, State Road 45 at State Road 135 North (4 to 7 p.m. Friday only).

Other sites on the tour are in Unionville, Martinsville and Bloomington. For more information, contact Susan Snider Salmon by email at [email protected] or 812-720-8041.

Bean Blossom market open Friday nights

BEAN BLOSSOM — The Bean Blossom Farmers Market takes place in the parking lot of St. David’s Episcopal Church from 4 to 7 p.m. Fridays.

Food and artisan good vendors sell fresh produce, crafts, desserts and hot food for dinner, with a place to sit, a playground and a kids’ activity table.

For booth inquiries, contact Sharon Kitchens at [email protected]. To learn more about the market, visit beanblossomfarmersmarket.org or call 812-988-1038.

BCHS Class of 1967 to reunite this month

Brown County High School Class of 1967 members will gather for their 50-year reunion at 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 23. It will take place at the Brown County Art Gallery, 1 Artist Drive.

To RSVP or for more information, email Leon and Janis Kelp at [email protected] or call them at 812-988-6279.

Fish fillet meals served Saturday at Hamblen

GATESVILLE — From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 24, a fish fry will take place at Hamblen Township Volunteer Fire Department, 4650 Sweetwater Trail. The menu includes an all-you-can-eat fish fillet meal with two sides and a drink for $8, dine-in only.

Firefighters serve fish, fries and slaw

STONE HEAD — Van Buren Volunteer Fire Department, 4040 State Road 135 South, will host a fish fry from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 24. A fish sandwich, fries, coleslaw and drink will be served for $9.

State park hosts live raptor program

Brown County State Park is hosting live bird shows with representatives from the Indiana Raptor Center through fall.

Starting at 2 p.m., Saturday shows at the Nature Center include each Saturday in June and July, and Oct. 7, 14 and 21.

Shows at Abe Martin Lodge begin at 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 3, Saturday, Sept. 2, and Friday, Nov. 24.

The presentations are included with park admission.

Donations to the raptor center are welcome. For more information, call the Nature Center at 812-988-5240 or the raptor center at 812-988-8990.

Benefit picnic for state forest alliance this Saturday

NEEDMORE — An outdoor picnic under a tent, with music by Brown County bluegrass band Hamilton Creek, beer by Bloomington Brewing Co., and BBQ by The Butcher’s Block will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 24, at Susan Clearwater’s, 4830 Dove Bill Lane.

The event will feature remarks by Joan Maloof, Ph.D., founder of the Old-Growth Forest Network. A Maryland-based forest activist on a mission to designate an old-growth forest in every county, Maloof is the author of “Nature’s Temples,” a book about what makes old-growth forests unique. She closely follows forest advocacy issues in Indiana, including the bill to limit logging in state forests.

The “Toast to the Trees” picnic costs $50, payable at the door by cash, check or charge, or at indianaforestalliance.org/event/toast-2/ . Proceeds benefit the Indiana Forest Alliance, dedicated to preserving and restoring Indiana’s native hardwood forest ecosystem.

Radiation awareness training set for June 26

A free radiation awareness program will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, June 26 in the second-floor Salmon Room of the Brown County Office Building, 201 N. Locust Lane. Light refreshments will be served.

Open to the public, the class will cover radiation basics; an overview of the emergency preparedness program; radiation transport accident response; and hands-on equipment opportunities.

To register, call Jennifer Rugenstein at 812-988-2255 or email [email protected].

Summer music workshop for Grades 7 to 12

Students entering Grades 7 through 12 can register for the Rising Star summer music workshop.

The workshop, at Brown County High School, runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, June 26 to Friday, June 30.

The $125 fee covers a T-shirt, music and choreography instruction, and a pizza party lunch the last day.

To register, visit browncountychoirs.weebly.com. For more information, email [email protected] or call 812-988-6606 ext. 1298.

Legal Aid clinics offered in this district

COLUMBUS — Nonprofit agency Legal Aid provides free legal services and lawyer referrals to low-income residents of District 1, covering Brown and seven other counties in south-central Indiana.

Ten- to 15-minute consultations will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month at the Legal Aid Office, United Way Building, 1531 13th St., Suite G330. Dates of the Monday clinics are: June 26, Aug. 28, Sept. 25, Oct. 23, Oct. 27 and Dec. 18 (third week due to Christmas).

Consultations are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. No advance registration is needed. For more information, call Kelly Baer at 812-314-2730.

VBS planned at Baptist church

HAMBLEN TWP. — Unity Baptist Church, 7361 Spearsville Road, will host vacation Bible school from 6 to 8 p.m. nightly, Sunday through Thursday, June 25 to 29.

The event, for potty-trained children ages 3 through sixth grade, will include dinner.

For more information, call Becky Rose at 812-607-1434.

Fireworks, cookout scheduled on July 1

The Brown County (Nashville) Volunteer Fire Department will have its hog roast fundraiser from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 1 at the station on East Main Street.

It’s in conjunction with the Brown County Lions Club’s fireworks display, which will start at dusk July 1 (rain date: Tuesday, July 4).

If the fireworks are moved to July 4 due to rain, the fire department’s cookout will be as well, Chief Nick Kelp said.

Summer day camp offered in town

Brown County Parks & Recreation offers a summer day camp for kids in preschool through sixth grade from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays through Aug. 4, excluding holidays.

Registration costs $10 per family. Daily rates are $25 for the first child and $20 for each additional child. Weekly rates are $95 for the first child and $75 for each additional child.

Reduced rates are available for those who qualify for free or reduced lunches through Brown County Schools. For more information or to register, call 812-988-5522.

Bluebird nest box kits for sale

The Brown County Bluebird Club is selling cedar bluebird nest boxes for $15 each or two for $25 to raise money for the club. Email Dan Sparks at [email protected] or call 812-200-5700.

Renewal retreats planned in July

VAN BUREN TWP. — Valley Branch weekend retreats are planned in July at eXplore Brown County, 2620 Valley Branch Road. Remaining dates are Friday through Sunday, July 7 to 9 and 21 to 23. Reservations are recommended.

Retreats incorporate yoga, group exercise and mountain biking in the forest. They seek to develop mind, body and spirit through a connection with nature, spirit awareness and education on “how to thrive in today’s society.

For reservations, visit renewalretreatbrowncounty.com or call 812-345-6212. For more information, visit explorebrowncounty.com or call 812-988-7750.

Church breakfast free to community

HAMBLEN TWP. — Sprunica Baptist Church, 3902 Sprunica Road, will serve a free community breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday, July 8.

Served the second Saturday of each month, the menu includes biscuits and gravy, rolls, eggs and more.

Confident Kids Camp offered this summer

BEAN BLOSSOM — Hope for Hearts Farm, on State Road 45 west of Bean Blossom, will offer a day camp on two more Tuesdays in June and July.

Children ages 8 to 12 can experience farm life, learn about horses and participate in non-riding activities with horses. They also will participate in devotionals, games and crafts. Activities are tied into building a child’s confidence and self-esteem.

Camp dates are July 11 and 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The camp costs $45 per day.

To reserve a spot, email Lisa Bowman at [email protected] or call 317-496-0189.

Genealogy 101 offered at Cordry library 

CORDRY-SWEETWATER — From 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 12, Kathy Evans will offer hints and how-tos for digging into and building a family tree at the Cordry-Sweetwater library branch. To register, call the Brown County Public Library at 812-988-2850.

Purdue, DNR to offer invasive species workshop

A workshop on invasive forest pets will be offered from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 13 at the Brown County fairgrounds.

Register for the free event to learn about the pests that threaten the state’s forests, including the emerald ash borer, hemlock wooly adelgid and the Asian longhorned beetle.

The workshop, at 802 Memorial Drive, is open to all ages and levels of knowledge. Continuing education credits will be available.

To sign up, visit surveymonkey.com/r/FPSOP2017. For more information, contact Sara Stack at 765-494-0822 or [email protected].

Practical history sessions for children planned

The Brown County Historical Society’s children’s program, Hands on History, is offered from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursdays, July 20, Aug. 17, Sept. 14 and Oct. 19. Programs are geared for ages 8 to 12.

Registration is required and the fee is $5 per child, per program.

Topics vary each session; they include nature study, early transportation, Native Americans of Brown County, pioneer household chores, one-room school days and harvest.

To volunteer to help with the program, call Kathy Sparks at 812-988-2377 or email [email protected]. To register online, visit browncountyhistorycenter.org.

Author to speak at library about new books

Katie Kennedy, author of young adult novels, “Learning to Swear in America” and “What Goes Up,” will give a program at the library from 1 to 2 p.m. Sunday, July 23.

She will discuss her new book: “A Rabid Bat, a Plot to Destroy the World” and “Hoosiers in Space: Tales of a writing life and the journey to publication.”

Donations sought for humane society sale

The Brown County Humane Society will have its annual Barn Sale Aug. 10 to 12 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’ll be at the barn at the shelter, 128 State Road 135 South. All sale proceeds go to support of the shelter animals.

Donations will be accepted at the barn the week prior to the event: Friday and Saturday, Aug. 4 and 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday through Thursday, Aug. 6 to 10 from noon to 4 p.m.

Donations can include almost any gently used item, except clothes and shoes. Books, CDs, furniture, kitchen items, appliances, toys, bikes, decorations and tools are accepted. All donations are tax-deductible.

Large items are also accepted, such as cars, boats, trucks, bedroom suites and high value items. To arrange a donation of those items, contact Megan Gushwa at [email protected].

Blood drive planned at Parkview in August

Parkview Church of the Nazarene, 1750 State Road 46 East, will host an American Red Cross blood drive to honor fallen officers. It will be open from 2 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 16.