Around Town (01/16/17)
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 continues to 2 p.m. For more information, call Tamara Cobb at 209-722-7231.
Women’s Bible study
Coffee Break, an interdenominational women’s Bible study group, is kicking off a new six-week study of the book of Colossians beginning Tuesday. Coffee Break meets Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon at Yosemite Church, 2230 E. Yosemite Ave., Merced. For more information, call 209-383-5038.
HOW dinner and benefit
Join Helping One Woman from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Bella Luna Bistro & Bar, 350 W. Main St., Merced, in honoring a woman in need. Dinner is $18 and attendees are asked to give a minimum gift of $10 to the honoree. There is a prize drawing as well; tickets are $1 each. For more information on this monthly event, email HOWMerced@gmail.com.
Fracking film
“Crude Beyond Belief,” a locally made film on the impact of fracking in the Central Valley, will be shown at 7 p.m. Thursday 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 information, call Rod Webster at 209-723-4747.
CASA 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 serves those children. CASA of Merced County will begin training for its next group Jan. 30. The first step is an informational meeting at 11 a.m. Thursday. For more information, call the office at 209-722-2272.
Craft fair
The Merced Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a no-kill animal shelter, and American Legion Post 83 are holding a two-day craft fair and sale fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 3 and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 4. The indoor and outdoor fair will be at the American Legion Hall, 939 W Main St., Merced. Vendors wanting to participate can call Jennifer at 209-756-7864. All proceeds go toward the Merced SPCA animal shelter; preservation of the Veterans Memorial Hall; and local veterans.
Dinner dance
Buhach Pentecost will be having its annual crab cioppino dinner Feb. 4 at 2889 N. Buhach Road, Atwater. There will be a no-host bar from 6 to 7 p.m., with dinner at 7 followed by a dance from 8 to midnight. For tickets, please call Nuno Machado at 209-595-1375 or Frank Diniz at 209-261-9178.
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 15, 2017 at 1:10 PM with the headline "Around Town (01/16/17)."