Open house is Thursday

Richardson Industries vocational training center will hold an open house from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday at 3917 S. Old Missouri Road in Springdale.

The event will introduce businesses to the staffing and contract services available through Richardson Industries, which provides vocational training to adults with disabilities.

Information: Kate Lunsford at (479) 872-1800, Ext. 209.

Amnesty Week set at library

The Springdale Public Library will have an amnesty event, "Food For Fines," through April 27. During the event, library patrons may return lost items and have their accounts cleared, no questions asked. Patrons must return late items to the checkout desk inside the library to update their accounts.

The amnesty event also will benefit patrons who have late fees on their accounts. Patrons may donate one nonperishable food item and have $5 in fines waived from an account. All food will be donated to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and will help other food banks in the community. Expired or glass items cannot be accepted.

Information: (479) 750-8180.

Creative Center seeks artists

Community Creative Center, a nonprofit visual arts organization, and Botanical Garden of the Ozarks are seeking artists to participate in "Down the Garden Path," a juried outdoor art exhibition to be installed this summer in the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks.

Artists are invited to submit work inspired by the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks' 12 themed gardens. Works will be evaluated on artistic quality, appeal and appropriateness to the garden environment. Prizes will be awarded for best in show ($500), most inspired ($100) and people's choice ($100).

The goal of "Down the Garden Path" is to provide community artists the opportunity to highlight the beauty and appeal of the gardens through an event designed to appeal to artists, garden enthusiasts and the wider community.

"Down the Garden Path" is a collaboration between Community Creative Center, a community visual arts organization providing arts classes and workshops for children and adults of all ages and skill levels, and the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, whose mission is to provide educational, entertainment and recreational opportunities to increase the community's appreciation of the native and natural ecosystem of the Ozarks.

Applications and images of works to be considered are due June 2. Fee is $25 for up to three entries. The "Down the Garden Path" exhibition will be installed in the Botanical Garden from June 26 through Oct. 31.

Information, guidelines and downloadable application form: communitycreativecenter.org/product/call-to-artists-down-the-garden-path or [email protected] or (479) 571-2706.

Garden Expo set May 3

Benton County Master Gardeners' first lawn and garden expo will be from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 3 at the Benton County Extension Service office, 1204 S.W. 14th St. in Bentonville.

Neal Mays, Benton County Extension agent, and Corrin Troutman, director of Horticulture and Foundation Gardens for Compton Gardens and Peel Mansion, are two of the presenters for the expo. The presentations begin at 9 a.m. with "Lawns" followed by "Native Plants" at 9:45 a.m., "Food Preservation" at 10:30 a.m. and "Butterfly Gardening" at 11:15 a.m.

There will be an outside plant sale as well as vendors to provide information about rain barrels, garden decor and tool sharpening. Information booths from Wild Birds Unlimited, Nitron Industries organic gardening supplies, Benton County Master Gardeners and Benton County 4-H clubs will also be present.

Information: bentoncountygardening.org or (479) 936-0598.

OSU Alumni plan to golf

The inaugural scholarship golf tournament of the Northwest Arkansas Chapter of the Oklahoma State University Alumni Association will be May 3 at the Creeks Golf Course in Cave Springs. Registration begins at 8 a.m., and golfers will tee off at 9 a.m.

OSU Alumni Association members may register for $75, and nonmembers may register for $100. Teams may have a minimum of two golfers and a maximum of four golfers.

Fees include the green fee, driving range and range balls, golf cart and lunch for one player. Each golfer also will receive a goody bag. Prizes will be awarded for the longest drive, closest to the hole and the top three teams. Various door prizes will be provided by the Northwest Arkansas Chapter.

The golf tournament will serve as a chance to raise money for scholarships for local OSU-bound students, but the event is open to anyone.

Hole sponsorships are available for $100 for Alumni Association members. Nonmembers can also purchase individual hole sponsorships for $200 each. Hole sponsorships will receive signage on their sponsored hole and recognition in email communications and on the website.

Registration: orangeconnection.org/nwarkansas.

Plant sale set May 3

The Bentonville Garden Club's annual plant sale will be from 7:30 a.m. to noon May 3 at Train Station Park on South Main Street across from the Bentonville Public Library.

Gardeners will find many kinds of plants and plant accessories for sale. Proceeds help beautify Bentonville.

Scott teaches slam poetry

Bentonville Public Library will feature award-winning slam poet Clayton Scott for Slam Poetry workshops Saturday.

The day begins with a workshop for educators and adults at 9 a.m. Teachers will learn how to incorporate slam poetry into the classroom. The workshop is approved for staff development credit and is open to all adults 18 and over.

Children in grades four through six will experience slam poetry at the children's workshop at noon. Scott will demonstrate a poetry slam and then offer children a chance to perform their own slam poem.

Teens in grades seven through 12 will finish up the day at the teen workshop at 1:30 p.m. Teens will have the chance to take the mic from Scott and see where the flow takes them.

The workshops are free to attend but registration is required and limited for all workshops.

Information: (479) 271-3192 or bentonvillelibrary.org.

Dental care offered free

Arkansans suffering dental pain and discomfort will find needed relief at the eighth annual Arkansas Mission of Mercy on May 16-17 at the Northwest Arkansas Convention Center in Springdale.

Volunteers of all types are needed, including hundreds of general volunteers and health professionals, such as dentists, hygienists, dental assistants and pharmacists.

Volunteers from across the state will provide free basic dental care to adults and children of all ages on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors open at 6 a.m. each day for cleanings, fillings and extractions. No income or eligibility requirements are necessary.

Organized by the Arkansas State Dental Association, the two-day free dental clinic is funded by several sponsors, including the Walmart Foundation and a $100,000 grant from Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation. Sponsorships are still available.

Information: arkansasmissionofmercy.org or (800) 501-2732.

Survival hike next weekend

Join Jerry Ward of Ozark Mountain Preparedness at Devil's Den State Park Saturday and Sunday for a two-day, one-night outing to learn how to survive a short-term wilderness disaster. Ward will lead the group 3 miles into the Ozark National Forest to establish a base camp. Participants will then spend the weekend learning basic skills such as fire building, shelter construction, finding water and food as well as the psychology behind surviving an unplanned situation in the backcountry.

The course is limited to eight participants with a tuition of $150 per person. Tuition costs include all instructional materials, T-shirt, and dinner and breakfast cooked over the open fire. A comprehensive course information packet will be emailed upon registration.

Information: ozarkmountainpreparedness.com or (870) 350-6995.

Home buyers learn strategies

Credit Counseling of Arkansas will host the next Home Buyer Education class from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 3 at the Washington County Extension building, 2536 N. McConnell Ave. in Fayetteville.

The class is free and open to anyone desiring to know more about the home buying process. Professionals from mortgage lending, real estate and insurance areas will be present to educate and answer questions.

Information/registration: (479) 521-8877 or ccoacares.com.

Workshops teach memoir writing

A series of three memoir workshops will be taught via Skype by Rebecca Mahoney from 3 to 5 p.m. on April 24, May 22 and June 26 at the Village Writing School. Mahoney will address the common but thorny problems with memoir, such as how to create a true scene, how to incorporate dialogue, how to create a story arc and how to create characters.

Part workshop, part writing circle, this series will allow participants to get some feedback on their story and writing. These will be intensely focused, highly personalized workshops.

The workshop will take place at the Village Writing School, 177 Huntsville Road in Eureka Springs. Preregistration is required, and class size is limited to eight students. Cost for the three workshops is $90.

Register online at villagewritingschool.com.

Information: [email protected] or (479) 292-3665.

Spaghetti served at fire department

The Wedington Volunteer Fire Department will offer a spaghetti dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the fire station located on Arkansas 16 west, 5 miles from Interstate 540.

Cost for adults is $6, ages 6 to 12 is $2, and younger than 6 may eat free.

Blood Center seeks donors

Community Blood Center of the Ozarks will hold blood drives at the following locations:

mBentonville: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, Walmart ISD, 805 Moberly Lane

mFayetteville: Derby Days, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, Sigma Chi House, 618 W. Maple St.

mRogers: 1-5 p.m. Thursday, Kraft Foods, 5509 Pinnacle Point Drive

mSpringdale: Noon-5 p.m. Monday, Tyson 412, 2469 W. Sunset Ave.

Information: cbco.org or (800) 280-5337.

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