City plans 9/11 observance
The community is invited to attend the annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at noon Sept. 11 at the city of Pine Bluff Memorial Garden, 200 E. Eighth Ave., in the civic center complex.
Participants will honor the lives of those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, including a man from Pine Bluff.
“Each year, we solemnly honor the life and service of Petty Officer Nehamon Lyons IV, a proud Pine Bluff native and 1989 graduate of Dollarway High School, who tragically lost his life on Sept. 11, 2001, while serving at the Pentagon,” according to a news release.
Deadline set for UAPB alumni gala
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The deadline to purchase ads for the souvenir booklet and to purchase tickets is Sept. 9 for the annual Scholarship Gala, a program of the Pine Bluff/Jefferson County University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff/AM&N Alumni Chapter.
The event will be held at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Pine Bluff Convention Center.
The tickets for the black tie affair are $40 each or $400 for a table of 10. With community support, the alumni chapter will be able to provide four $1,000 scholarships to students at UAPB. For questions, call Robert E. Carr, first vice president and banquet chair, at (210) 334-5420, or Mary Liddell, president, at (870) 643-2383.
Raven’s Nest pantry to open Sept. 14
Raven’s Nest Food Pantry at Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, 2507 Hill St., will open Sept. 14 from 8-9:30 a.m. or until all the food has been given away. Food will be handed out on a first come, first-served basis. Participants must bring a picture identification. The pantry is a U.S. Department of Agriculture distribution site and an equal opportunity provider, according to a news release.
Art League slates September events
The Pine Bluff Art League announces its September projects.
FARM LIFE EXHIBITION
The art league will present its new exhibition, Farm Life, at the Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Building, 211 W. Third Ave., Sunday through Oct. 31, according to a news release.
Members may hang harvest-themed works along the East wing of the center through September to remain on display through the end of October. The PBAL invites the community to see the diverse selection of art by Southeast Arkansas artists.
New and original work by league members may also be viewed at Simmons Bank in Pine Bluff, Relyance Bank in Pine Bluff and Fairfield Community Credit Union in White Hall.
ART LEAGUE MEETING
The art league will host a Pan Pastel Demonstration led by league artist Claudia Spainhour at the Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Building. The league invites the community to attend from 2-4 p.m. Sunday. Art enthusiasts and beginners are welcome.
Anyone ages 14 and under must be accompanied by a league member.
Visitors will learn how to incorporate nontraditional pan pastels into their work through alternative mark-making techniques.
Spainhour is a signature member of the Arkansas Pastel Society, according to the release.
ANNUAL EXHIBITION
The 2024 Pine Bluff Art League Annual Exhibition opened Thursday at the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, 701 S. Main St. Juror Margo Duvall, a Little Rock artist and educator, selected the best-in-show, first-, second- and third-place prizes and honorable mention.
The exhibition will remain on display in the International Paper Gallery through Oct. 28. Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel Co. sponsors the exhibition. For more information, visit artx3.org/exhibitions/2024-pine-bluff-art-league-exhibition.
MEMBERSHIP
Yearly membership dues are $45. Artists can mail checks to Pine Bluff Art League, Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Building, 211 W. Third Ave., Box 8, Pine Bluff, AR 71601. For more information about the league, visit pbal.org or contact mediapinebluffartleague@gmail.com.
Extension to host produce safety event
Arkansas fruit and vegetable growers will have one more opportunity in 2024 to attend a produce safety training offered by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
The final training of the year will be held Sept. 26 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the state Extension Office in Little Rock.
The training will cover water use, worker training, postharvest handling and sanitation and more. Registration is $25, and participants must register at bit.ly/produce-safety-sept-training by Sept. 23. Lunch and snacks will be provided, according to a news release.
Amanda Philyaw Perez, extension food safety specialist and associate professor of food systems for the Division of Agriculture, said the Arkansas Produce Safety team looks forward to working with the state’s produce growers at the training.
“Our goal is to help farmers, whether new or experienced, understand how to keep the food they grow safe from the farm to the table. We provide practical guidance on food safety, so you can ensure your produce stays fresh and safe for your customers. Farmers market managers should encourage their produce vendors to attend,” Perez said.
The training, developed by the Produce Safety Alliance and presented by the Cooperative Extension Service’s Arkansas Produce Safety Team, teaches growers about regulatory requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. FSMA is the first federally regulated standard for growing, harvesting, packing and holding fresh produce.
Details: Amanda Philyaw Perez at aperez@uada.edu or (501) 671-2226.