Around Town (01/20/16)

Prune your backyard orchard

Presented by the staff of Merced Gardens, this informative seminar will be held in the garden center’s backyard orchard, where staff members will demonstrate how to prune fruit trees. The seminar will take place Saturday at 11 a.m. at 1007 Tahoe St. in Merced. Refreshments will be served. Reservations appreciated. Call 209-384-0513.

District 1 town hall meetings

John Pedrozo, District 1 supervisor for Merced County, will hold four town hall meetings in the upcoming weeks in Le Grand, Planada, Merced and Livingston. The town hall meetings are informal public forums for residents to voice their opinions and hear responses from county and public representatives. The meetings are scheduled as follows: 6:30 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Le Grand Legion Hall, 12560 Le Grand Road; 6:30 p.m. Feb. 3 at the Planada Community Center, 9167 E. Stanford Ave.; 6:30 p.m. Feb. 17 at Tenaya Middle School’s multipurpose room, 760 W. Eighth St. in Merced; and 6:30 p.m. Feb. 24 at the Livingston City Council’s chambers, 1416 C St.

‘Communication in the Workplace’ workshop

The Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Merced College Customer Service Academy, will offer a two-day workshop called “Communication in the Workplace.” The workshop will be held Thursday and Jan. 28 from 8 a.m. to noon and repeated from 1 to 5 p.m. The workshop is $23 and earns a half-unit of college credit. Topics will include verbal and nonverbal communication skills as well as superior listening skills. The importance of excellent communication with customers and co-workers will be stressed. This workshop is the first in a series of classes in the Customer Service Academy that will be offered at the Business Resource Center at 630 W. 19th Street in downtown Merced. For more information, call the Merced College Workplace Learning Resource Center at 209-386-6733.

Family Fun Night

This Ain’t Your Mama’s Church invites the community to Family Fun Night, a night of music, potluck and games for all ages. The event is 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 4 at 1405 West Main St. in Merced. Attendees are asked to bring a large dish, salad or desert. For more information, visit www.bikechurch.org.

Valentine’s Tea party

The Bear Creek Inn is partnering with Vanilla Orchid Catering for a Valentine’s Tea. The inn will be open for tea Feb. 7 from 2 to 4 p.m., with more dates to come. Residents are welcome to bring friends and family for an afternoon tea party, beautiful atmosphere and historic storytelling in the 1930s Merced home. There will be scones, a selection of savories and delectable desserts. Cost is $35 per guest. Payment must be made at time of reservation. Reservations can be made by phone with a credit card or in person with cash. No refunds will be given. Reservations will be open until Feb. 2 for the Valentine’s Tea. Call 209-723-3991 to make reservations.

Clutter-free workshop

Author and speaker Kathi Lipp will be in Merced on Feb. 27 for a half-day workshop called “Finally Clutter Free.” Lipp will share “no-shame-no-blame” practical housekeeping tips for a clutter-free home. The event is from 9 a.m. to noon at Yosemite Church, 2230 E. Yosemite Ave. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at iTickets.com or at the Yosemite Church office. Child care is available by reservation. For more information, call 209-383-5038.

This story was originally published January 19, 2016 at 2:28 PM with the headline "Around Town (01/20/16)."