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

Bogalusa Crime Prevention Commission (BCPC)

Looking for an opportunity to get involved in your community? Looking for a way to be proactive in taking a bite out of crime? Complaining on social media does not count! Have you heard about the BCPC? Come on out for an informational meet and greet and recruitment session. We need board members for the newly re-established commission. You must live in the city of Boglausa and be able to pass a background check. We’ll have short applications available at the meeting, or you can submit a short bio to your council member. The meeting will be Thursday, Nov. 10, starting at 5:30 p.m. in the Bogalusa City Hall courtroom.

Bowling Green Veterans Day

Bowling Green will host a Veterans Day lunch on Friday, Nov. 11, at noon in the school’s sports complex, followed by a program in the main gym at 1 p.m.

Wellness Tailgate

Join St. Tammany Parish Health System and its Healthier Northshore community partners on Saturday, Nov. 12, from 9 a.m. until noon at First Church, 14532 Highway 21 South, in Bogalusa, for a “Wellness Tailgate 2022.” This event will be a health fair featuring screenings, wellness tips, freebies and fun for the whole family. Free health services will include mammograms, blood pressure screenings, HIV screenings, vaccinations for COVID-19 and the flu, education and resources, health insurance enrollment, food trucks and kids’ activities. For more details about the initiative, visit online at healthiernorthshore.health.

NAACP officers election

The 2022 election for Washington Parish NAACP officers will be Friday, Nov. 18, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. You will cast your vote for officers using your email or smartphone. The nominating committee is accepting applications for all positions. For more information, contact Raymond Tate at 985-718-8988 or Deidra Owens at 985-294-9934.

Animal shelter upcoming events

Washington Parish Animal Shelter, located at 23046 Yacc Road, has a number of events planned for the month of November. On Saturday, Nov. 19, the shelter will have “Decorating Day” from 8 a.m. until finished — help the shelter staff prepare for “Jingle Paws” by putting up lights, trees, decorations, pup stockings and much more. And then Saturday, Nov. 26, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., will be “Jingle Paws” itself. Jingle Paws is Washington Parish’s yearly low-cost vaccine event, filled with fun, food, free Santa photos, paw prints, a raffle, vendors and much more. All events will require volunteers, and all volunteers who need them will receive service hours.

Bogalusa Open Market

The Bogalusa Parks, Recreation and Culture Commission will present the Bogalusa Open Market on Saturday, Nov. 19, from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Avenue B Ballpark/Bogalusa Sports Complex. Garage sale booths are $10, vendor and food booths are $25, and interactive map spots will be $5. There will be live entertainment. For more information, email BPRCC.bogopenmarket@gmail.com or visit “Bogalusa Open Market” on Facebook.

Light Up Franklinton

Bring back the memories of loading up the family and going to look at the Christmas lights in the community. Light up Franklinton with us and create those memories with today’s generation! The Franklinton Christmas Festival is inviting all residents and businesses to celebrate the spirit of Christmas together. Decorate and light up your home and/or business from Nov. 26 through Dec. 3 and leave them up throughout the holiday season. Big or small … this is how you can get involved in our community.

Library pet supplies drive

The Washington Parish Library System will be accepting donations from now until Wednesday, Nov. 30, to help support the local animal shelter. Items that are needed include: blankets and towels; unopened pet food; nursing bottles; paper towels and toilet paper; toys and treats; leashes, collars and harnesses; animal beds and litter boxes; eco-friendly laundry detergent; pest prevention supplies; animal shampoos and brushes.

Christmas Festival 2022

Plans are underway for the Varnado Store Museum’s Christmas Festival, which will be held on Saturday, Dec. 3, and Sunday, Dec. 4, at the fairgrounds in the commercial building, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. This is the major fundraiser for the non-profit organization and will feature food, art and craft booths, visits with Santa, entertainment, a Christmas tree raffle and a gift raffle with about 25 gifts, which might be won for just $1. Now is the time to begin your holiday shopping and get in the spirit of the season. If you are interested in renting a booth, contact Kay Branch at 985-515-5121 before they are filled. Prospective entertainers should contact Terry Seal at 985-839-3279. Across the street, the Pioneer Christmas in Mile Branch Settlement will show how Christmas was celebrated long ago in log-cabin times. Be sure to make this weekend a must-do on your family fun list.

Christmas on Austin Street

The Bogalusa, Parks, Recreation and Culture Commission will present the fourth annual “Christmas on Austin Street” on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. There will be free activities, festival-style games and booths, Santa Claus, food and vendor booths and more.

Lighted Christmas parade in Franklinton

The beautiful Franklinton Christmas Festival’s Lighted Christmas Parade will roll through the streets of Franklinton on Saturday, Dec. 3, at 6 p.m. This parade is listed as one of the top-10 must-see events in Washington Parish.

K of C Assembly 2206 raffle

Knights of Columbus Patriotic Degree Assembly 2206 members are selling raffle tickets. The first prize is a Henry Big Boy Wildlife Edition II 44 Magnum Rifle, second prize is a Charbroil 6 burner gas grill and third prize is a $100 Walmart gift card. Tickets are $5 each and are available through members of the assembly and can be ordered in Bogalusa by calling Bob Ricca at 504-460-8887 or in Franklinton by calling Joe Aucoin at 985-335-8710. The drawing will be done just before Christmas, in December of this year.

Narcotics Anonymous

A new Narcotics Anonymous meeting series, led by Bro. Ruben Watts, will be held Tuesdays and Fridays at 7 p.m. at Brown’s Soul Kitchen in Cassidy Park in Bogalusa. The New Life NA Group will meet from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m. and will be led by Watts, a deacon at Westside Emmanuel Baptist Church.

Parish alerts

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.

Thrive Thursdays

Join for “Thrive Thursdays” every Thursday at Goodyear Park through Dec. 8, from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. (excluding fair week and Thanksgiving). This free community event will feature weekly health talks from trusted Our Lady of the Angels healthcare providers, community resource information, healthy family activities and a small farmers’ market with locally grown fruits and veggies and locally made foods and crafts. Vendors are welcome, just be set up and ready for 4 p.m.

Mark your calendar for 2nd balloon festival

The Bogalusa Balloon Festival has already announced its date for the second annual event. Mark your calendars now for June 2-4, 2023. Follow the festival on Facebook to stay updated.