Around Town (01/11/17)
Grants and awards
The Merced County Historical Society is accepting nominations and applications for history awards and grants of $200 to $2,500. Application forms are available in the museum office or by calling 209-723-2401. Completed applications must be turned in by Friday, and should be sent to: Merced County Courthouse Museum, P.O. Box 3557, Merced, CA 95344. All the awards and grants will be presented at the Historical Society’s annual meeting in February.
Backyard orchard pruning
Learn the basics of pruning your backyard fruit trees at 11 a.m. Saturday at Merced Gardens, 1007 Tahoe St. The class will also cover spraying fruit trees with copper and dormant oils to prevent disease and reduce early spring insect activity. Admission is free, but a reservation is appreciated. For more, call 209-384-0513.
MLK Day march
The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day March begins at 11 a.m. Monday in front of the Amtrak station, 324 W. 24th St., Merced. Marchers will make their way to the Merced County Fairgrounds, 900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, where the celebration will continue until 2 p.m. For more, call Tamara Cobb at 209-722-7231.
Fracking film
“Crude Beyond Belief,” a locally made film on the impacts of fracking in the Central Valley, will be shown at 7 p.m. Jan. 19 at Merced United Methodist Church, 899 Yosemite Parkway. Ron Martin of Fresnans Against Fracking, who was along on the film shoot, will present the feature. The public is invited to this monthly meeting of the Merced Sierra Club. For more, call Rod Webster at 209-723-4747.
CASA needs volunteers
Imagine being a child removed from your parents and placed in the home of a stranger. It’s likely you are confused, frightened and uncertain as to what the future holds. Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, serves those children. CASA of Merced County will begin training for its next group of advocates on Jan 30. The first step is an informational meeting at 11 a.m. Jan. 19. Call the office at 209-722-2272.
Docent training
The Merced County Courthouse Museum is recruiting new volunteers. Docents serve as tour guides for visitors to the Courthouse Museum and help to educate the public about Merced County history. The next annual docent training session is 10 a.m. Jan. 21 at the Courthouse Museum, 21st and N streets. Coffee and breakfast rolls will be provided. Make your reservation by calling the museum office at 209-723-2401.
If you would like to have an event announced in Around Town, send information to aroundtown@mercedsunstar.com at least 10 days before the event. Items run according to space available.
This story was originally published January 10, 2017 at 6:09 PM with the headline "Around Town (01/11/17)."