Around Town (6/8/2015)

Merced College Retired Women

The Merced College Retired Women will hold its monthly luncheon at La Hacienda 2, 3355 G St. in Merced, on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. No reservations are required for the no-host luncheon. The group meets on the second Thursday of each month at La Hacienda 2. For more information, call (209) 358-5376.

African American Catholic Ministry

The African American Catholic Ministry of Merced will host an educational meeting and work to form an action group to prevent excessive use of force by law enforcement. The meeting will include a viewing of the film “Selma,” and guest speakers will follow. The event begins at 2 p.m. Sunday at 671 E. Yosemite Ave. in Merced. RSVP by email to rhpjack@aol.com or by calling (209) 777-1361.

Iraqi survivor

The Merced County Republican Women will host a survivor from Saddam Hussein’s regime as speaker at 11:30 a.m. June 15 at the Branding Iron. The meeting begins at 11:30 a.m. with lunch served at noon. Lydia Kano, born in Baghdad, says she is one of four children who survived Saddam’s regime. With the help of her parents, she came to the U.S. in 1979 and is now an American citizen with a college degree. She will talk about the Islamic State and the genocide of Assyrian Christians. To make reservations, call (209) 812-4398 or (209) 761-0550 by June 10. For more information, call Veronika at (209) 349-3971.

Merced-Atwater Tea Party meeting

The Merced-Atwater Tea Party’s regular monthly meeting will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. June 18 at the Atwater Memorial Building, Fifth Street and Broadway Avenue. The speaker will be Eric Eisenhammer, founder of the Coalition of Energy Users. He will be talking about the California Air Resources Board, fracking, gas taxes and job creation. This event is open to the public.

Genealogy lecture

Barbara Washburn is the speaker this month at the Merced County Genealogical Society meeting. Washburn is a family history specialist with more than 20 years of experience. Her topic is “Finding Lost Cousins and Living Relatives.” The meeting is at 1 p.m. June 20 in the Gracey Room, Merced County Library, 2100 O St. The meeting is open to the public.

Woman of the Year nominations

Nominations are being taken for the 2015 Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce’s Woman of the Year. The award will be presented during the chamber’s annual installation and awards banquet on June 25. For more information, an application and guidelines, call 209-384-7092.

This story was originally published June 7, 2015 at 2:17 PM with the headline "Around Town (6/8/2015)."