Orange Park celebrates Carrie Clarke Day on Saturday

ORANGE PARK – Residents will celebrate Carrie Clarke Day on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Carrie Clarke House Park, 1039 Kingsley Ave.
This year’s event will feature a number of family-friendly activities such as tours of the Clarke House, historical displays, old-fashioned games, flower pot painting, exhibits by the Art Guild of Orange Park, the Garden Club of Orange Park, the State Forestry Service, local authors and more.
Volunteers are needed so if you can spare a few hours to assist please let us know. Please note that Clarke Park will be closed to vehicular traffic from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the event.
Parking for the event will be available at the First Baptist Church just west of the park. Police officers will be on-hand to assist pedestrians crossing Kingsley Avenue.

Clay Electric cancels annual meeting over coronavirus fears

KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – Clay Electric Cooperative canceled its 82nd annual meeting due to fears of coronavirus.
The meeting originally was scheduled for March 19.
While there won’t be a meeting, members still can vote to fill three trustee positions by visiting https://ballot.clayelectric.com.
Members must request a ballot by March 24 and ballots must be mailed back in the envelope provided and received by April 7. Members who return the ballot will be placed in a prize drawing contest to win one of 34 bill credits: a $1,200 bill credit, a $600 bill credit, a $250 credit, a $120 bill credit and 30 bill credits of $25.
In addition, the grand prize, a 2010 Ford Ranger pickup truck, will also be given away to one of the members who votes absentee.
“We know our members look forward to our Annual Meeting gathering each year,” said Ricky Davis, Clay Electric CEO/General Manager. “This decision was not made lightly, but we felt it was in the best interest of our members, employees and the community.”

Black Creek Boy Scouts hosting Badge Fair this weekend

LAKESIDE – The Boys Scouts from the Black Creek District will host its 25th Badge Fair on Saturday and Sunday.
The event will be at the North Florida Council’s St. Johns River Base – formerly known as Camp Echockotee – at 2513 Doctors Lake Dr.
Once a Scout completes the rank of First Class, the next rank, which includes Eagle Scout, requires the completion several merit badges. Merit badges introduce Scouts to multiple areas of interest in a fun learning environment. Many of these merit badges can become transferable life skills to include providing the Scout possible avocations and vocations.
There are 135 merit badges in the BSA program. With this number of merit badges, there is a skill to learn for everyone.
At the Merit Badge Fair, there will be more than 45 merit badges offered. The badges will be taught by adults who’ve volunteered to teach these merit badges.
As a part of the Merit Badge Fair, there will be a Baden Powell Program for new Scouts who typically crossed over from Cub Scouts into Boy Scouts. The program was named after the founder of Boy Scouts, Lord Baden Powell.
The program introduces new Scouts to Scouting means and methods through fun-filled activities. These new Scouts learn fire-building, knots, basic first aid and troop functions.
When these new Scouts arrive to participate in the Baden Powell Program, they are assigned to a patrol.
Throughout the weekend, the new Scouts are given different positions of responsibility to assist in the learning process. The Baden Powell Program is staffed by older Scouts, some of whom are Eagle Scouts.
By these older Scouts running the Baden Powell Program, the troop is stressing Boy Scout Units are youth-led and youth-run – one of the fundamentals of fostering future leadership and responsible community members.

Party, Duval County Line show to benefit TAPS Memorial

MIDDLEBURG – Residents are welcome to join a party to honor Vietnam War veterans on March 21 at 2554 Blanding Blvd.
The event is sponsored by the Chris Johns Law Group, and it features food and music from Middleburg’s Duval County Line. Admission is $10, and all proceeds will be given to the TAPS Memorial in historic triangle in Green Cove Springs.
For more information, contact Johns at (904) 228-1900.

Island Walk Dental Care offers free dentistry on April 4

FLEMING ISLAND – Residents in the Fleming Island community and surrounding areas will have the opportunity to receive free dental services at Island Walk Dental Care on April 4.
Dr. Renata Folstein, Dr. Renee Schulte and team at Island Walk Dental Care will be improving the oral health of the community as part of Free Dentistry Day, a day dedicated to providing free dental care to the growing number of Americans without dental insurance. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 108 million Americans are living without dental insurance.
“We understand that many people in our community and across the nation haven’t been to the dentist for a long period of time. Some don’t understand the importance of dental health, but more often than not, they don’t have the financial means,” said Dr. Folstein. “This event is a great opportunity for us to share our time and resources with those less fortunate and give back to the community.”
There is increasing evidence that links oral health to overall health and well-being. The signs and symptoms of more than 100 medical conditions, including diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Lou Gehrig’s disease and oral cancer may first be detected through traditional oral examinations.
“Dental health is a vital part of a person’s overall health,” said Dr. Schulte. “Through this event, we hope to educate patients on the importance of dental health and encourage them to adopt an ongoing oral care regimen.”
During Free Dentistry Day, free extractions will be provided to patients between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. at 1647 County Road 220, Suite 101 in Fleming Island.
Patients will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please call 904-278-6229 or visit www.FreeDentistryDay.org.
“It’s very gratifying to see the impact that events like Free Dentistry Day can have on the life of a person. At the same time, we’re changing their life, they’re changing ours,” said Dr. Folstein.

Tickets on sale for ‘The Color Purple’ at Thrasher-Horne

ORANGE PARK – Multi-award-winning Musical “The Color Purple” comes to the Broadway Orange Park season on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Thrasher-Horne Center.
Based on the Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and the Warner Bros./Amblin Entertainment motion picture, “The Color Purple” is adapted for the stage by Tony- and Pulitzer-winner Marsha Norman with music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray.
The revival of “The Color Purple” opened to great acclaim in summer 2013 at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory, followed by a Broadway bow on Nov. 10, 2015 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. “The Color Purple” went on to win two 2016 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical, two Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Revival of a Musical, the 2017 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album and a Daytime Emmy.
“The Color Purple” played 483 performances on Broadway, closing on Jan. 8, 2017.
For more information, please visit ColorPurple.com.
Tickets for “The Color Purple” are currently on sale at Thrasher-Horne Center. Prices range from $49-$79 with all fees included. Tickets and more information are available at (904) 276-6815 or online at THcenter.org.
The Thrasher-Horne Center is a performing arts venue and conference center owned and operated by St. Johns River State College. It is located on the Orange Park campus at 283 College Drive in Orange Park.

Young Irelanders bringing tour to Thrasher-Horne on March 20

ORANGE PARK – Experience Ireland’s traditions in music, song, and dance. The Young Irelanders: Wild Atlantic Way Tour is coming to the Thrasher-Horne Center on March 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Each year the Irish Cultural Academy brings together its finest performers as part of one sensational group known as The Young Irelanders. Presented by some of the most talented young performers in the world, this sensational act is an absolute must see.
Members of the Irish Cultural Academy have performed across six continents and for many heads of state, Presidents of Ireland, U.S. Presidents, and royalty including Prince Albert of Monaco. Members have also performed in many noted international venues such as Beijing Opera House, Sydney Opera House, Kremlin State Palace in Moscow, the U.S. Capitol Building, The Kennedy Center, and Lincoln Center.
This event is presented by Thrasher-Horne Center. Tickets for The Young Irelanders are currently on sale at the center. Prices range from $19-$59 with all fees included. Tickets and more information can be found at (904) 276-6815 ext. 1 or online at THcenter.org.

9/11 mobile Exhibit coming to Orange Park Mall in March

ORANGE PARK – The 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit will make a stop at the Orange Park Mall from March 27-29. The event will run from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and is free to the public.
The exhibit is part of the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a nonprofit that pays off mortgages for families of fallen soldiers and first responders.
Siller was a 34-year-old New York City fireman who was on his way to play golf with his three brothers when he heard about the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. He rushed to his firehouse, collected his gear got as close as the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel where traffic was blocked. He ran with 60 pounds of gear from the tunnel to the North Tower, where died when the tower collapsed.

Vietnam Veterans Day on March 28 in Green Cove Springs

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The second annual Vietnam Veterans Day Ceremony will be held March 28 at 10 a.m. at the TAPS Monument, 915 Walnut St.
More than 200 are expected to attend the ceremony to honor annual anniversary of the National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
Of the 66 fallen Clay County residents on the TAPS Monument, 21 died in Vietnam – the largest number of the fallen from conflicts represented on the monument, which was first was dedicated in 2017.
The National Vietnam War Veterans Day, which is actually March 29, honors the U.S. military members who served during the Vietnam War (1955-1975). The day was first observed in 2012.
From Jan. 1, 1965 to March 28, 1973, 2.6-million military personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam. Another 50,000 served in Vietnam between 1960 and 1964.
During the Vietnam Era – Aug. 5, 1965 to May 7, 1975 – more than nine million served on active duty.
There were more than 58,000 U.S. military casualties in Vietnam from 1959 to 1975. There still are nearly 1,600 who are considered missing in action from Vietnam.
For more information contact David Treffinger at dtreffinger433@msn.com or at (609) 320-1723.

Melissa Etheridge’s ‘Medicine Show’ makes house call to TH

ORANGE PARK – The Medicine Show Tour: Melissa Etheridge is coming to Thrasher-Horne Center on April 30 at 7:30 pm.
The singer will be performing a variety of fan favorites but will also perform songs from her latest album The Medicine Show. Released on April 12 via Concord Records, The Medicine Show reunited with celebrated producer John Shanks for the album which has her sounding as rousing as ever, bringing a new level of artistry to her 15th studio recording.
The album deals with universal themes of renewal, reconciliation, reckoning, compassion and, most profoundly, healing.
Through the songs she processed the deep fears and hurting she saw in the nation on collective and personal levels; “Shaking” about national anxiety, “Here Comes the Pain,” personalizing the opioid crisis, the unifying “Human Chain” about the hope for healing, and the rocking, anthemic “Love Will Live.”
More highlights include the album-closer, “Last Hello” drawing on the incredible strengths and courage shown by the survivors of the Parkland school shootings, and the infectious “Wild and Lonely,” and “Faded By Design,” exploring themes of her past with a new perspective.
Tickets for Melissa Etheridge are currently on sale at Thrasher-Horne Center. Prices range from at $39-$90 with all fees included. VIP Packages range from $199-$379. Tickets and more information are available at (904) 276-6815 or online at THcenter.org.