Dateline Wharton
Upcoming events in and around our community

Youth baseball

A Wharton age 6 and under select baseball team is now being organized. Interested persons can contact Robert Acosta at 533- 9221 or Bobby Munoz at 453-0073 for information. You are asked to contact Acosta or Munoz before the end of the current Little League season.

Hidden Garden Tour

The Fourth Annual Hidden Garden Tour will be held from 2-5 p.m. the weekends of May 3-4 and May 10-11. Tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12. Advance tickets are available during business hours at the Wharton Chamber of Commerce, Wharton County Historical Museum, Charles Chambers State Farm Office and all local banks. Tickets and maps are available on tour days at each garden during tour hours. This year's featured gardens include Coi and Guy Guttenberger, 331 Lazy Lane, Maureen and David Voulgaris, 1600 E. Boling Highway, Pat and Doc Blakely 2639 County Road 154, Avalon Nursing Home, 1405 Valhalla Drive and Becky Smith and Suzanne Dworsky, 662 Mesquite Hills in Hungerford. Proceeds will benefit beautification projects in Wharton. Wharton Hidden Garden Tour Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) organizations. For information visit the Web site at www.whartonhiddengardentour. com.

UMC Rummage Sale

The First United Methodist Church in Wharton, located next to the WCJC campus on Boling Highway, will hold a rummage sale from 8 a.m. to noon today. Proceeds will go to benefit the church's youth programs.

Plant sale

The Wharton Garden Club will be holding a plant and flower show and craft sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at Dinosaur Park, located off Richmond Road at the River.

Juneteenth fundraiser

There will be a BBQ plate sale to benefit this year's El Campo Juneteenth Celebration today at the Mt. Olive Baptist Church from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ticket price is $6. Please buy your tickets in advance to help support the festivities. The Juneteenth Committee will be signing up volunteers to help with this year's celebration on Sunday, May 4, at Willie Bell Park in El Campo from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. If you are interested call Loretta Johnson at 1-832-967-3659. Individual and business donations to this year's celebration can be made at the First Convenience Bank inside the El Campo Wal-Mart.

Mission workshop

The First Baptist Church of Glen Flora, Rev. E. Gillis pastor, will be holding its annual mission workshop starting at 9:30 a.m. today. The public is invited to attend. The church is located in Glen Flora off of FM 102. For information, call Marva Allen at 532-2044.

BISD Kindergarten registration

Newgulf Elementary will be registering students who live in Boling ISD for Kindergarten on Tuesday, May 6 from 2-6 p.m. Your child must be age five on or before September 1, 2008 to register. At the time of registration, you will need to provide the following information: record of immunizations, birth certificate, social security card and two proofs of residency. If you have any questions please contact Newgulf Elementary at 979-657-2837.

St. Vincent de Paul

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Holy Trinity Conference will be having their next meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 6. The meeting will be held at Holy Family Catholic Church in the Alpha Room. Anyone interested in helping the needy in our community is welcome to attend. If you would like more information regarding the Society of St. Vincent de Paul or you are in need of assistance, please call 533-9494. If no one answers, please leave a clear message and phone number you can be reached at.

Summer play

This year's Litefooter Summer Youth Program gets started this weekend with registration and auditions on Sunday, May 4, and Tuesday, May 6, at 6:30 p.m. at the Plaza Theatre on the Square in Wharton. Director Roshunda Jones will audition youngsters ages six through sixteen for roles in a musical version of Grimm's fairy tale Enchanted Sleeping Beauty as retold by Vera Morris, with music and lyrics by Bill Francoeur. The production will be staged June 26-29. A $25 registration fee is due at sign-up. For additional information, please contact Ms. Jones at 713-703-0343.

Benefit service

The New Light Progressive Church of God in Christ is hosting a benefit for Rev. Jesse Williams at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 4 at Caney Creek Church, 118 W. Milam. New Light is inviting church congregations, choirs or soloists to attend. Williams has been diagnosed with a congenital heart disease and is awaiting a transplant. For information, contact Mammie Willer at 979-548-2691 or Sandra Gale Williams at 979-618-6085.

Turkey shoot fundraiser

The Wharton Fraternal Order of Eagles No. 4507 has rescheduled its Turkey Shoot fundraiser for 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 4, at Joe's Place (Macek's), located on County Road 138 in Wharton. The shooting will include both meat and money rounds. Preregistration is available. For information, or to register in advance, call Keith Stolle at 559- 2919.

Heather's Dream

The speaker for the Monday, May 5 meeting of the Heather's Dream Cancer Support Group Meeting will be Dr. Henry Lopez from the South Texas Medical Clinic Cancer Center in Wharton. Heather's Dream is for cancer patients, survivors and families and meets from 6:30-7:30 p.m. first Monday of every month at the Wharton County Library in Wharton. For information, call Misty at 361-258-1611.

WCJC Music Recitals

The Wharton County Junior College Center for the Arts Series is sponsoring a pair of music major recitals at the Horton Foote Theater. The Freshman Music Majors Recital will be held Monday, May 5 with the Sophomore Music Majors Recital scheduled for Tuesday, May 6. Both performances will start at 7:30 p.m. and are free to the public.

Fish fry

The Greater St. Stephen Church will hold a fish fry and chicken wings dinner on Monday, May 5 starting at 10 a.m. until sold out. Plates are priced at $8. For information, contact the church at 282-2284.

Family Council Meeting

Wharton Nursing and Rehabilitation Center will hold a 'Family Council Meeting' at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 6 at the WNRC Dining Hall. Resident family members are invited to come and meet other family members and loved ones. Refreshments will be served.

Garden Club

The Thursday, May 8 meeting of the Wharton Garden Club will be a social, that includes picnic lunch, plant exchange and new officer installation. The meeting will start at 11 a.m. and held at Diane Matula's home at 612 N. Resident. Guests are always welcome.

Book Review Club

The deadline for purchasing tickets for the next Wharton Book Review Club program is noon on Thursday, May 8. Tickets are $15 and include the program, featuring "Swing Riders" with Mike and Doc Blakely, and a catered lunch by Chef Shane of WCJC. The program will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 12 in the Fellowship Hall of First United Methodist Church. To purchase tickets, call Sally Soderquist at 532-4936, Marion Nordhof at 532-2936 or Sammy Lou Franks at 532-4615. Seating will be ticket sales only for members or guests.

Bake sale

A pre-Mother's Day Bake Sale will be held starting at 7 a.m. on Friday, May 9 in front of the Plaza Theatre. The sale is being sponsored by the Catholic Daughters Court No. 1990.

Senior's 42 tourney

The Wharton County Junior College Senior Citizen Program is inviting seniors to compete in a 42 tournament with prizes, gift bags and refreshments furnished by Angels Care Home Health. The tournament is set for Friday, May 9 with sign-in and rules and regulations meeting from 1-1:30 p.m. and tournament play from 2-4 p.m. at the WCJC Senior Center located in the LaDieu Building at 911 Boling Highway on the college campus. To register, call 532-6430. Open to persons ages 60 or older.

WTHS Bake Sale

The Wharton Training High School Alumni and Ex-Students Association will hold a bake sale starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 10 at the East Gate Shopping Center in front of Palais Royal. It will feature an assortment of baked goods. Contact persons are Chester Houston at 532-0916 and Earline Phillips 532-5214.

Mural dedication

A mural dedication for the mural of churches recently hung on the side of the building at the northwest corner of N. Fulton and W. Milam across from First Bank will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 10. Pastors of all the churches represented in the mural have been invited to participate in the dedication. Refreshments will be provided in the lobby of Caney Creek Church at 118 W. Milam following the ceremony. For information, call First Baptist Church in Wharton at 532-4295.

Church Bazaar and BBQ

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church of Wharton is holding its 60th Anniversary annual Bazaar and Barbecue Dinner on Sunday, May 11 on the church grounds at 506 S. East Ave. A barbecue dinner of a half chicken and sausage with all side dishes will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Plates are $7 each and available for dining in or drive through service. Meal and raffle tickets may be purchased at the rectory during office hours and after Saturday and Sunday Mass.

Musical Encores! auditions

Auditions for South Texas Summer Musical Encores! 2008 summer productions Aida and High School Musical are scheduled for Monday, May 12 and Tuesday, May 13 from 7-9:30 p.m. at the El Campo Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, 201 E. Jackson in El Campo. Auditions are open to all Wharton County area high school and college students intending or currently majoring in musical or performing arts. To schedule an audition, students should contact Encores! Artistic Director Nathan Hand at nhand@springisd.org and prepare a one-two minute monologue and a minimum of sixteen bars of a song from any musical of their choice. An accompaniment will be provided.