Code enforcement

Yard or garage sale signs are not to be attached to any utility poles, light poles or road signs of any type within the Richmond Hill city limits. Yard or garage sale signs are permitted as long as they are freestanding. The person having the sale must remove the signs as soon as the sale is finished.

In addition, the property near Sterling Creek Bridge on Hwy. 144 is a prohibited area with regard to the sale of vehicles and any other personal property. The area will be posted with signs regarding the prohibition. Violators will be cited.

For more information, call Code Enforcement Officer Chaley Davis at 756-2592.

FBC Blitchton

First Baptist Church of Blitchton will begin its winter revival on Sunday, Jan. 6 with services at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. and on Monday-Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. The Rev. J.O. McLeod will be bringing the message each night, and there will also be special music. FBC Blitchton is located at 5204 Highway 80. The church phone number is 858-3274.

Winter camp

Richmond Hill and Pembroke YMCA's remaining Winter Camp date is Dec. 31. Times are 6 a.m.-6:30 p.m. The registration fee is $10. The cost is $18 for members and $27 for non members. Locations are at the senior citizens building at 9611 Ford Ave. in Richmond Hill and the American Legion at 808 Bacon St. in Pembroke. Children will need to bring a lunch with a drink and two snacks each day. There may be some additional items needed on some field trips.

Calvary Baptist

There will be a Musical Explosion featuring the Music Ministry of Calvary, Sunday, Dec. 30 at 6 p.m. at Calvary Baptist Church. Special guests include The Wardlaw Brothers of Vidalia.

Word Explosion, Corporate Watch Night Worship Service, Monday, Dec. 31 at 10 p.m. This is the last "Calvary Experience" for 2007 and your presence is needed. The church is located off Hwy. 17 South on Daniel Siding Loop Road in Richmond Hill. Stanford L. Anderson, I, Pastor.

Turpentine

The Richmond Hill Historical Society is pleased to present a program on "When Turpentine Was King." Colen and Bob Floyd will discuss the turpentine industry and how it affected Bryan County and the Coast of Georgia. Turpentine was a major industry in this part of Georgia and had a strong influence on the growth of the area. The Floyds will bring tools and artifacts used in the early 20th century. The meeting and lecture will start at 7 p.m. Jan. 3 at the Wetlands Center in Gregory Park in Richmond Hill. The meetings are open at no charge to the general public. If you have questions or need directions please call the Historical Society Museum at 756-3697 or 756-2676.

Friends

The Friends of the Library are in desperate need of paper back books in the mystery, spy, adventure and romance genre. These paper backs have to be in good condition - no missing covers, torn or yellowed pages. The resale of these books benefits the Richmond Hill Public Library. All donations are tax free. Bring books to the Richmond Hill Library. Call 756-3580 for more information.

Yoga

Donna Moore will be instructing Yoga Classes at the Jacob Grant Community Center in Richmond Hill (teen center).

Classes will be every Tuesday starting Jan. 15 at 5:30 p.m. The classes will be free to the community. Please call 756-3828 for more information.

AL Post 27

American Legion Post 27, Richmond Hill, meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in the Brogdon-Speir Building. The executive board meets at 6 p.m. All vets are invited to attend, whether members or not, to see what the post does for Richmond Hill and soldiers overseas.

AL Post 164

American Legion Post 164, Pembroke, meets the second Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. The Ladies Auxiliary also meets at the same time.

The post is located on Highway 280 west, approximately ½ mile past Harvey’s on the right. All veterans are invited to attend. The Post is available to the community for use for family functions, etc. For more information call 653-4958 or 653-4933.

Grief support

Grief support meeting for parents who have lost a child meets every second Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Pembroke Christian Church, Hwy. 280. Call Gayle Sharpe, 653-2876, for further information.

Donations needed

Medical Equipment Transport Service is preparing to load a new container of donated medical equipment to ship to Cusco, Peru sometime in the next couple of weeks.

A new women’s clinic is in the process of being opened and they are in need of specialized OB/GYN equipment, as well as four laptop computers, four printers, a copy machine, a fax machine, a fridge/freezer (-20 degrees Celsius), two bookshelves, three file cabinets, two office desks and desk chairs, small office tables, patient chairs, 100 heating pads, two autoclaves/sterilizers and exam tables, lamps and stools.

Anyone interested in making a tax write-off donation can contact program Director Patti Victor at 713-4312 to schedule equipment transportation to their Savannah warehouse. METS is a program run by local Rotary 6920 district volunteers, including the Richmond Hill Rotary.

Chipper

Residents of Richmond Hill are invited to bring their trees to a drop off center located in J.F. Gregory Park on Saturday, Jan. 5 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.. Trees will be chipped into mulch or used as wildlife habitat. The mulch will be used for public beautification projects. Participants will receive a free dogwood seedling, while supplies last.

For more information you can visit the website at www.KeepGeorgiaBeautiful.org or call 1-800-CLEANUP. For more drop-off information contact Joy Lee at 756-6496.

Voter info

Jan. 7 is the deadline for registering to vote to be eligible to vote in the Feb. 5, 2008 Presidential Preference Primary. Applications are available at the Voter Registration Office in Pembroke, Courthouse Annex and Tax Commissioners’ Office in Richmond Hill, and at City Hall, and the libraries in both Pembroke and Richmond Hill. Also, applications are available online at www.sos.state.ga.us.

The Secretary of State has established two ways to provide voters with immediate access to precinct and district information. The Poll Locator can be accessed through the Secretary of State’s web site at www.sos.state.ga.us. It requires entry of last name, first initial, and date of birth to obtain voter registration information. The Interactive Voice Response system is accessible to voters by telephone through a toll-free number, 1-888-265-1115. For more information, call the Voter Registration Office at (912) 653-3859.

More voter info

Secretary of State Karen Handel reminds voters that they can request an absentee ballot for Georgia’s Presidential Preference Primary, which will be held statewide on Tuesday, Feb. 5. Voters can request an absentee ballot through Friday, Feb. 1. All absentee ballots must be received by the county registrar by 7 pm on Election Day. Photo identification is not required when voting by mail.

By state law, voters are not required to provide a reason when requesting an absentee ballot, which allows the voter to participate in an election without visiting a polling location. Instead, the ballot is mailed directly to the voter.

Voters can request an absentee ballot through two methods.

Download and complete the absentee ballot application form from the Secretary of State’s website: http://sos.georgia.gov/elections/. Return the completed form to your county elections office.

Contact your county elections office directly. Contact information for your county elections office can be found on the Secretary of State’s website: http://sos.georgia.gov/elections/.

Boot camp

Bottoms Up! Boot Camp, a 10-week group personal training program, is now taking registrations for the new year. Bottoms Up! Boot Camp is available exclusively at Non-Stop Fitness, 2641 US Hwy. 17 S, in Richmond Hill.

More information is available at www.shannonganun.com.