For people involved in 501c3 organizations and other nonprofits, seeking out sources of funding to create new programs or grow existing ones can be a formidable task. And while it can be a challenge to find grants that fit the thrust of an organization’s work, it’s also true that many foundations struggle to dispense the funds they have available. To give local nonprofits a better chance at boosting their appeals in grant cycles,… View More
October 2019
Post 1 to 44 of 44
Perennials are typically hardy plants, and since they return year after year, they have a tendency to outgrow the beds where they’ve been planted. Many of them also benefit from regular thinning, allowing the portions that aren’t taken out to capitalize on the extra space, light, and water. To take advantage of the late-season processes of thinning and relocation, the library is hosting a plant swap focused on perennial seeds,… View More
Despite its close proximity to Halloween, the Mexican holiday of Day of the Dead (or Día de Muertos) is much more than a Latino version of America’s celebration of ghosts and goblins. Day of the Dead views spirits positively and with reverence, and for the three-day holiday, families get together to remember friends and loved ones who have died. They also help support the spiritual journey of these family members by visiting… View More
The library’s community garden is a natural offshoot of the programs and work the library coordinates as a whole. It offers space to read and relax, produces vegetables for The Corner Table Soup Kitchen and local neighbors, drives home the importance of hands-on garden classes and training, and serves as a centerpiece for celebrations, gatherings, and entertainment. In a month devoted to… View More
MAIN IN NEWTON 828.465.8665 CHILDREN / TEENS / FAMILIES Tiny to Two: Ready to Learn Storytime Mondays at 10 am A sweet, 20-minute storytime featuring rhymes, bounces, sensory play, and singing. Playtime follows. Ideal for newborns to age 2, but all are welcome. Preschool: Ready to Learn… View More
MAIN IN NEWTON 828.465.8665 Microsoft Word Basics Monday, November 4 at 5 pm This workshop helps new users get comfortable with the word processing software. Participants will learn to create, edit, save, and print documents. Registration required. Microsoft Word Intermediate Tuesday, November 5 at 5 pm Learn about the… View More
Catawba County Animal Services has confirmed the county’s seventh rabies case of 2019 following an incident in Maiden. Previous cases reported to the county this year occurred in Claremont, Hickory, Maiden and Newton. On October 25th, Animal Services responded to a call from a Maiden resident concerning a skunk that was found in a dog’s kennel. The skunk was sent to the North Carolina Public Health Laboratory in Raleigh for… View More
National Teen Driver Safety Week is October 20th through 26th. It’s easy to say that teen drivers are bad drivers. In reality, they are inexperienced, not necessarily bad drivers. Truth be told, they have probably learned some bad driving habits from us, the adults that are supposed to be the example! Distracted driving causes most car crashes and is normally avoidable by simple changes in behavior. The… View More
Family Builders of Catawba Valley invites anyone interested in fostering or adopting a child to attend the resource family information meeting at 6:00-7:30 PM Tuesday, November 12th. The meeting will be held at the Family Services Center, 3050 11th Avenue Drive SE, Hickory, N.C. 28602 (behind Catawba Valley Medical Center). Resource families include… View More
Catawba County’s fall residential household hazardous waste collection event will take place Saturday, November 2 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Winkler Park, home of L.P. Frans Stadium and the Hickory Crawdads. The park is located at 2500 Clement Blvd. NW in Hickory. The event is open to Catawba County residents only and is free of charge. A partial list of residential household hazardous waste accepted at the event includes the… View More
If you’re a small business owner, chances are your dollars are devoted to the most pressing needs first. While you’re putting everything into establishing a firm footing, you might not have disposable funds left to refine your business goals through consultants and other third-party means. That doesn’t mean, however, that you’re automatically left adrift with just your own instincts. The library offers a variety of tools… View More
Last week, we shared an assortment of the library’s early Halloween programs as a lead-up to the main holiday. This week, we've also got a packed schedule featuring a variety of activities to further draw out and celebrate the season. Our continuation of last week’s activities runs the gamut, offering family-friendly fun for kids and teens and ensuring that there’s a solid mix of entertainment and education. Here’s what… View More
Based on all the TV commercials advising people to track their credit scores, improve their credit ratings, and subscribe to credit monitoring, you can be sure that sound financial standing is a priority in American society. From being approved for utility services to becoming eligible for a mortgage, a person needs good credit. If you’re personally worried about how to maintain a solid credit rating or are working to regain a… View More
Several months ago, the Library kicked off its participation in CVCC’s community-wide read of Educated, author Tara Westover’s memoir about breaking with her family’s beliefs in order to pursue a formal education. This month, we’re looking at the circumstances of her upbringing as an End-of-Days survivalist in Idaho. Westover’s family was relatively isolated and had a strong… View More
MAIN IN NEWTON 828.465.8665 CHILDREN / TEENS / FAMILIES Tiny to Two: Ready to Learn Storytime Mondays at 10 am A sweet, 20-minute storytime featuring rhymes, bounces, sensory play, and singing. Playtime follows. Ideal for newborns to age 2, but all are welcome. Preschool: Ready to Learn… View More
MAIN IN NEWTON 828.465.8665 Market Research with NC LIVE Tuesday, October 29 at noon NC LIVE – a free resource of the NC library system – offers access to tools and databases that start-ups and existing small businesses can use to conduct research on industry, competitors, and potential customers. This seminar introduces NC LIVE and demonstrates how tools like… View More
Senior Nutrition Services, a division of Catawba County Social Services, has received a 2019 LGFCU Excellence in Innovation Award from the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) for a web-based route mapping application developed for Meals on Wheels of Catawba County by Senior Nutrition Services and the county’s Geospatial Information Services (GIS) division. The award was presented to Senior Nutrition Services… View More
From: Sheriff Don Brown Catawba County LOCAL SHERIFF OFFERS TIPS FOR A SAFE HALLOWEEN Soon our streets will be scattered with little ghosts, goblins, and witches trick-or-treating this Halloween. “Halloween should be filled with surprise and enjoyment and following some common sense practices can keep events safer and more fun,” said Sheriff Brown of Catawba County. The Sheriff reminds all Catawba County residents… View More
With 317 million people living and working in the United States, a major earthquake could cause unprecedented devastation. What we do now, before a big earthquake, will determine how well we survive and recover. Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills in October 2018 involved more than 62.5 million participants through broad-based outreach programs, media partnerships, and public advocacy by hundreds of partners. The drill… View More
In the midst of Halloween festivities, children’s safety measures often get a shout-out as well. Road and sidewalk safety, nighttime visibility, and individually-wrapped treats are included in the mix of cautions and precautions. Car seat safety is also worthy of attention, and the library will be offering a special program to help families ensure that their children are riding safely. We’re partnering with… View More
Catawba County Communications & Marketing Strategist Paul Foster has been named Catawba County’s 2019 Employee of the Year. Foster earned distinction for his work assisting residents through the County’s social media platforms, which has significantly increased citizen awareness of and engagement in County news and information. Foster received the honor during the County’s Employee Awards luncheon October 16 at Catawba… View More
While Halloween technically falls at the end of October, we celebrate it throughout the month at the library! We love the mix of cute and spooky, charming and eerie, so we pack each week with activities to draw out the season. Our slate of early Halloween events runs the gamut, offering family-friendly fun to help you maximize your decorating and your get-in-the-mood preparations. Here’s what we’ve got going on for the coming week… View More
If you or a loved one enjoy holiday parties but are challenged by the temptations that can be part of traditional celebrations, know that you’re not alone. To help people who are in the midst of recovery, Integrated Care of Greater Hickory is hosting a sober, fun, and family-friendly Halloween spooktacular! The celebration takes place at 425 7th Ave SW in… View More
Medicare plans can change each year. During open enrollment – which takes place from October 15 through December 7 this year – people have the opportunity to change their coverage to something that better suits their current circumstances. Understanding Medicare’s various options, along with their terminology and time frames, can be daunting, especially if you don’t deal with the… View More
MAIN IN NEWTON 828.465.8665 CHILDREN / TEENS / FAMILIES Tiny to Two: Ready to Learn Storytime Mondays at 10 am A sweet, 20-minute storytime featuring rhymes, bounces, sensory play, and singing. Playtime follows. Ideal for newborns to age 2, but all are welcome. Preschool: Ready to Learn… View More
MAIN IN NEWTON 828.465.8665 Meet Libby Tuesday, October 22 at 11 am Libby is a free, user-friendly way to find 1000s of ebooks and audiobooks on the NC Digital Library. Learn how to download the app, sign in, and download a title or two. Bring your own tablet or phone so we can help set it up and have you ready to go by the time you leave. SHERRILLS… View More
Catawba County Public Health Assistant Director Jennifer McCracken was named Interim Director by the Catawba County Board of Health October 14. McCracken will begin serving in this role October 24 following the departure of current director Doug Urland. As Interim Director, McCracken will provide organizational leadership for Public Health while the Board of Health conducts a search for a new director. McCracken joined Public… View More
The Sheriff's Office would like to say a big thank you to Susan Buchanan and Sandra Shufelt. These two ladies made a donation to cover the cost of purchasing ballistic vests for our two K9's. Words can't say enough, but we thank you and the K9's thank… View More
The Catawba County Library is pleased to welcome local author and columnist Tommy Tomlinson for a meet-the-author event sponsored by the Friends of the Sherrills Ford-Terrell Library. The program takes place Tuesday, October 15 at 6:30 pm at Rehobeth United Methodist Church (9297 Sherrills Ford Road, Terrell, NC 28682) and is free and open to the public. Tomlinson will be speaking about his recently published memoir,… View More
Believing that theater is available and accessible to everyone, the Green Room Community Theatre has created a troupe that centers around teens and adults with special needs. Whether those needs are cognitive or physical disabilities, they do nothing to diminish the excitement and creativity of these ‘players,’ who love the reality of performing as much as any celebrated… View More
Teens can have a tough time celebrating Halloween. Either they’re deemed too old to trick-or-treat, or they’re considered too young to attend a party with adults. What’s a fun-loving young person to do? The library is hosting its own mini convention of Halloween festivities, and we’ve dubbed it SpookyCon! Not only will the event celebrate all things spooky, but it will also feature a cosplay/costume contest, a pinback… View More
If you’ve ever googled a medical condition or concern, you know that the results you get can either be lackluster or terrifying. It’s difficult to locate an online source that’s reputable and trustworthy. However, thanks to its new, user-friendly technology and solid credentials, MedlinePlus provides up-to-date information about 1,000+ health topics, drugs and supplements, and medical tests. It also supplies video tutorials,… View More
MAIN IN NEWTON 828.465.8665 CHILDREN / TEENS / FAMILIES Tiny to Two: Ready to Learn Storytime Mondays at 10 am A sweet, 20-minute storytime featuring rhymes, bounces, sensory play, and singing. Playtime follows. Ideal for newborns to age 2, but all are welcome. Preschool: Ready to Learn… View More
MAIN IN NEWTON 828.465.8665 MedlinePlus Tuesday, October 15 at 11 am Learn to navigate the National Institutes of Health's website. Produced by the National Library of Medicine, the world’s largest medical library, the site offers information about diseases, conditions, and wellness issues in easy-to-understand language. MedlinePlus offers reliable, up-to-date health… View More
Family Builders of Catawba Valley invites anyone interested in fostering or adopting a child to attend the resource family information meeting at 8:00-9:30 AM on Thursday, October 24th. The meeting will be held at the Family Services Center, 3050 11th Avenue Drive SE, Hickory, N.C. 28602 (behind Catawba Valley Medical Center). Resource families include… View More
As Fire Prevention Week™ approaches, The Catawba County Fire Marshal’s Office reminds residents: Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape! ™ (October 7, 2019) – The Catawba County Fire Marshal’s Office is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®)—the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 90 years—to promote this year’s Fire Prevention… View More
Last month, the Library kicked off its participation in CVCC’s community-wide read of Educated, author Tara Westover’s memoir about breaking with her family’s beliefs in order to pursue a formal education. This month, we’re exploring the impact of her upbringing as an End-of-Days survivalist in Idaho. Westover lived in an environment where doctors, public schools, and the federal… View More
It’s been over a year in the making, and now, it’s time to see it take flight! The Conover Branch Library has been collecting gently used Halloween costumes and accessories from throughout the community and is ready to let folks take advantage of the efforts. We have a robust supply of ready-to-wear garments, and anyone is welcome to bring a costume that’s clean and in good shape and trade it for something we have available on… View More
Craft beers are incredibly popular, and an increasingly wide variety appears on menus throughout the country. Microbreweries are also springing up at a breakneck pace, offering new takes on the age-old brewing process. If you’ve wondered what it takes to put together a good beer, one whose body and character provide more personality than standard American lagers, you’ll want to attend our next Craftsman Collaborative… View More
Knowledge is power, especially in matters of personal health. To be armed with information is to be equipped for smart decision-making. That’s the motivation behind the library’s upcoming Think Pink: Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon. We want to bring people together to share with them the latest facts and research about this particular type of cancer, which can affect both men and women. Breast cancer, for instance,… View More
MAIN IN NEWTON 828.465.8665 CHILDREN / TEENS / FAMILIES Tiny to Two: Ready to Learn Storytime Mondays at 10 am A sweet, 20-minute storytime featuring rhymes, bounces, sensory play, and singing. Playtime follows. Ideal for newborns to age 2, but all are welcome. Preschool: Ready to Learn… View More
MAIN IN NEWTON 828.465.8665 Excel Basics Monday, October 7 at 5 pm Learn the basics of a spreadsheet program that lets you store, organize, and manipulate data. This class will teach basic functions like AutoSum and AutoFill. Registration required. Excel: Formulas and Functions Tuesday, October 8 at 5 pm Learn to create… View More
The Catawba County Sheriff’s Office and the Catawba County Fire Marshal’s Office continue to investigate the fire at Balls Creek Campground in Catawba that occurred on Sunday, September 29th. Because of the historic and religious significance of Balls Creek Campground, the investigation into the cause of the fire is being handled by a joint task force of local, state and federal authorities including the North Carolina State… View More
Catawba County Emergency Services responded to a fire at Balls Creek Campground in Catawba Sunday, September 29. The fire started before 9:40 p.m. Multiple agencies from the region responded to assist with controlling the fire and supporting the responders through the night. The fire was brought under control at approximately 1:20 a.m. Multiple agencies remained at the site to extinguish hot spots. Of the 295 tents (cabins) at… View More