Community Calendar for July 31-Aug. 1, 2021

Published 12:41 pm Friday, July 30, 2021

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

If you have any information for the Community Calendar, please email it to justin.schuver@bogalusadailynews.com.

Vaccination event
The Louisiana Department of Health’s Office of Public Health, along with the Louisiana National Guard, will host a COVID-19 Back to School Community Vaccination Event on Saturday, July 31, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The event will be held simultaneously at two locations: the Franklinton High School gym, located at 1 Demon Circle, and the Pine High School gym, located at 28315 Louisiana Highway 424 in Franklinton. Walk-ins are allowed.

Tourism commission
The Washington Parish Tourism Commission is seeking interested citizens to fill an open commission seat. Consider spending a few hours each month evaluating matter that helps shape the future of tourism in our community. Commission Members serve a three-year term. Applicants must be a resident of Washington Parish at least 18 years of age. The Commission is seeking candidates from the Enon, Isabel, Plainview areas as a priority. All interested persons should still submit a resume. This is a volunteer position. Send your resume to wptour@bellsouth.net or mail to Washington Parish Tourism, 1950 Washington St., Franklinton, LA 70438. The deadline is Saturday, July 31.

Barber/Warren family reunion
The Barber/Warren family (descendants of Sam Warren and Ira Barber) reunion will be Saturday, Aug. 28, from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. at the Pine Masonic Lodge. Bring a covered dish, old photos and enjoy the day with family. For any questions, call Lois Warren Tynes at 985-848-5986.

Bogalusa Open Market
The Bogalusa Parks Recreation and Culture Commission will be holding the Bogalusa Open Market on Saturday, Oct. 2. This event will be similar to the city-wide garage sale in Abita Springs. The market will take place from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Bogalusa Sports Complex on Avenue B. Opportunities include garage sale booths, vendor booths, food booths and interactive map advertising. For more information or an application, visit “Bogalusa Open Market” on Facebook or email bprcc.bogopenmarket@gmail.com. The deadline to sign up to participate is Wednesday, Sept. 1.

Fair poster contest
The Washington Parish Fair Association invites Washington Parish artists to participate in the 2021 Fair Poster Contest. Entry deadline is Monday, Sept. 6. Rules for poster entry are as follows: Entrants must be Washington Parish residents (or native college students) and at least 18 years old. The design should be 16 by 20 inches and not exceed 18 by 24 inches (portrait/vertical) on mat board, illustration board, canvas or heavy paper. Format is up to the artist. The poster design may contain “Washington Parish Fair 2021,” or the printer can add appropriate lettering digitally. Include a small sketch to indicate letter design and placement. The design may pertain to the fair in general or to a specific part of the fair. It must be non-commercial. If an identifiable person is used, a letter of release to all publication rights and royalties must accompany the design. The theme for this year’s fair is “Country Nights Carnival Lights”. The poster can follow the theme and include the theme name but is not required. Individuals may enter more than one design. Previous entries may be considered. Each entrant must sign a release of rights and royalties of publication. Entries will be released back to the artist after the 2021 Fair concludes. The poster will not be included in the 2021 fair catalog. Poster designs can be entered from now until Monday, Sept. 6, at Hancock Whitney in Franklinton or Bogalusa during regular business hours. Contact Poster Chairman Jaimee Jenkins or Amber Cooper at 985-839-9821 for more information.

Emergency housing vouchers
The Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program is available through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Through EHV, the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is providing 70,000 housing choice vouchers to local Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) to assist individuals and families who are: homeless; at risk of homelessness; fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking or human trafficking; or were recently homeless or have a high risk of housing instability. If you meet one or more of the following criteria, contact the Northlake Homeless Coalition by calling 985-326-8312 or emailing nlc@northlakehomeless.org.

American Legion bingo
Bingo is back at the American Legion building every Thursday. Masks are not required. Doors open at 5 p.m.

Washington Parish alert system
Stay alert by enrolling in the Washington Parish Emergency Notification System. This alert system provides rapid notification of emergencies, critical events and urgent situations. The alert system can send notifications through the following methods: phone call, text, email or TTY/TTD service for the hearing impaired. Landline phones are automatically entered for the alert system. To receive alerts through a mobile phone or email, a citizen must register through one of the following options: call 985-282-2620, text “Alert” to 985-282-2620, or sign up online at www.hyper-reach.com/lawashingtonsignup.html. Citizens can also download the Hyper Reach Anywhere app to any smartphone. This alert system is completely free.

Bogalusa Help Center
It’s easy to smile when someone cares, and Bogalusa Help Center, our local food bank, cares. It is now a drive-through operation, located at 350 Martin Luther King Drive in Bogalusa. It is open from 8 a.m. until noon every Wednesday (except the fifth Wednesday of the month) providing food to those in need in our community. Since partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank/USDA, and along with generous donations from our community, BHC now distributes 35-40 pounds of food each month to over 400 families. These distributions include canned goods, meat, dry beans, peanut butter, fresh fruit and vegetables, etc. New clients can apply each week. They must provide: Name of head of the household; driver’s license or ID; address; number of persons in the household and ages; and SNAP or SSI printout, or proof of income of all in the household. Donations are always very much needed and appreciated. For more information, BHC may be reached at 985-735-6404 every Wednesday.

Ongoing services at the library
• The Bogalusa branch of the Washington Parish Library offers a variety of services throughout the year. Faxing is available for $1 per 20 pages, and copies can be made for 20 cents each (black and white) or 50 cents each for color. There is also free computers for use — the first five copies are free, and it is 10 cents a copy after the first five.
• If you are an E-book reader, check out the selections offered by the Washington Parish Library in partnership with four other library systems.
• Patrons have free access to ancestry.com at any Washington Parish Library, and free access to heritagequest.com from any home or personal device, as well as a large selection of genealogy materials at the Bogalusa and Franklinton branches.
• The Bogalusa branch receives current copies of local and national newspapers, as well as popular magazine publications.
• For students, the Homework Louisiana website offers a variety of assistance methods, including a live online tutor, “Skills Builder,” homework help and tutoring, a writing center, a career center and an adult education center.