Fun Fest scheduled
The West Volusia Salvation Army will host its Fun Fest from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at 1240 S. High St., DeLand.
There will be food, games, hot dogs and drinks.
Low-cost pet clinics slated
There will be a low-cost pet shot clinics sponsored by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals rescue at 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7, at Pets 4 Less, Cedar Ridge Plaza S. Woodland Blvd., Deland
This is a cash only-clinic. Proceeds benefit abandoned animals.
For more information, call (386) 748-8993.
Alzheimer's Association support group to meet
The Alzheimer's Association support group will meet at 7 p.m. Oct. 8 at St. Barnabas Canterbury House, which is located at the corner of West Wisconsin and Clara Avenues in DeLand.
All loved ones and caregivers of those with Alzheimer's/dementia are invited.
For more information call Lorna Lind at (386) 736-1487.
Children and Families Advisory Board to meet Oct. 9
The Children and Families Advisory Board will meet at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9, in the Historic Courthouse training room, 125 W. New York Ave., DeLand.
The board is scheduled to hear presentations from social service agencies that provide services to children and families.
For more information, call (386) 736-5955, Ext. 15694, or visit www.volusia.org/cfab.
Chili cook off planned
The 11th annual Great Bowls of Fire championship Chili cook off will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 13, on East Avenue in downtown DeLand.
There will be a beer garden, entertainment and a kids zone.
Cost is $10 for adults and $3 for children 4 to 12, free for children under than 4.
Proceeds go to support the West Volusia Historical Society and MainStreet DeLand Association.
For more information, call (386) 740-6813 or (386)738-0649 or visit www.greatbowlsofchilicookoff.com.
Learn how to maintain your septic system
Albert Royster, an environmental specialist with the Volusia County Health Department, will lead a free workshop on septic tank care from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, at the DeLand Regional Library, 120 E. Howry Ave.
He will offer maintenance tips, discuss 26 common septic crashers, and explain the importance of having septic tanks serviced regularly.
Reservations are not required. For more information about the program, call (386) 736-5444.
Help make the Viva Florida 500 quilt at the DeLand library
Residents are invited to help make history at the DeLand Regional Library, 130 E. Howry Ave.
Stop by the library from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, Oct. 12, and make a quilt square for the Viva Florida 500 quilt. Materials will be provided.
Reservations are required and may be made by calling Susan Fichter at (386) 822-6430, Ext. 109.
The squares will later be sewn into a larger quilt that will be displayed in the rotunda of the Volusia County Historic Courthouse from Jan. 9 to 25 to celebrate Ponce de Leon's landing in Florida 500 years ago.
Viva Florida 500 is a statewide grassroots effort to recognize de Leon's exploration and celebrate Florida's cultural history. Residents are meeting across the state to plan projects and activities to recognize the anniversary.
Learn more about upcoming programs at Volusia County's public library branches at www.volusialibrary.org.
Association for Widowed Persons to meet
The Association for Widowed Persons will meet at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, in the Fellowship Hall of the First Presbyterian Church, 724 North Woodland Blvd., DeLand.
The doors will open at 2 p.m.
All widows and widowers are invited to attend as our guests. The entertainment will be The Sandcastle
Story Tellers, Peter Giachetti and Ray Gant.
Association members and guests plan to dine after the meeting, at Sonny's (was Friendly's) 1500 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand.
For more information call (386) 789-5832.
Fall festival slated
The DeLeon Springs Fall Festival will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, at the Wells Fargo Bank Parking Lot, 5095 N. U.S. 17, DeLeon Springs. There will be arts & crafts, food vendors, music, games, livestock, produce and more.
For more information, call (386) 490-3079 or (386) 626-3442.
Daytona State's library offers online research guide for elections
The Daytona State College Library has developed an Election 2012 Research Guide that allows users to keep track of political news, issues and activities leading up to state and national elections in November.
Listings for national events, including presidential debates, are drawn from the PBS NewsHour Politics Calendar. The site also features information about political issues, such as the economy, education, foreign policy, abortion and the environment; candidate fact checks; political satire; and a political news feed from a wide variety of sources.
The guide also links to the Florida Division of Elections, where visitors can research state candidates, review proposed Constitutional amendments, learn about political parties and find contact information for state representatives.
The site URL is http://researchguides.daytonastate.edu/elections.
For more information, call (386) 506-3518 or e-mail kohenc@DaytonaState.edu.
Vote for area cuties
Voting is open for the Cutie Calendar Contest at Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center in Daytona Beach.
About 175 children, ages newborn through age 2, have entered the Cutie Calendar Contest.
Each child had photos taken by Meggan Harper Photography and Scott Wayne Photography, the partnering photographers who donated their time and talents for the annual contest.
The photos of the 175 contestants are posted to FloridaHospitalCutieCalendar.com.
The public may vote for their favorite cutie once per day, per computer. Voting lasts until noon Monday, Oct. 8. The top 12 cuties will be announced on FloridaHospitalCutieCalendar.com by Friday, Oct. 12, after parents or guardians of the official winners have been notified.
The Center for Business Excellence seeks public input on five-year plan
The Center for Business Excellence is soliciting public comment for a 30-day review period of its 2012-2016 Regional Workforce Board Strategic and Operating Five Year Local Workforce Service Plan.
The plan may be reviewed at: centerforbusinessexcellence.net/Plans/Plans.html.
Written comments may be e-mailed to the center at comments@cbe-fvc.org during the public comment period. Public comments received will be presented to Workforce Florida, Inc. The public comment period will end Oct. 22.
The CBE is the regional workforce development board charged with planning and overseeing the development of One-Stop Career Center operations as well as administering the associated funds and grants.