Editorial

Every Monday

Learn to line dance!

Learn to line dance every Monday at 5:30 p.m. at Allemande Hall, located at 7400 Standifer Gap Road in Chattanooga. No partner required or experience necessary. The group dances to all genres of music including pop, hip-hop, country and more. The cost is $7 per person. For more information, contact Vicki Pierson at www.linesinmotion.net or 423-309-6842.

Now through April

Foster and adoptive parent training

Centerstone in Hamilton County has announced the new set of dates for their Parents as Tender Healers certification courses, classes the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services require all potential foster and adoptive parents in the state complete. The 12 courses, which will be held in the Centerstone offices at 6110 Shallowford Road, Suite B, will take place every Tuesday evening beginning January 29 and ending in April. PATH is designed to equip parents with a fundamental knowledge and understanding of the child welfare system, effective discipline, first aid and CPR, medication administration and other physical and emotional needs their adoptive or foster children might have. Those interested in additional information or registering for courses may contact Michelle Snow, Centerstone Foster Care Coordinator, at 423-710-5843 or michelle.snow@centerstone.org.

City pet licenses expired December 31

Residents must renew by Friday, February 1

All licenses for pets living within the city limits of Chattanooga expired December 31. To avoid a late fee, you must renew the license before February 1. To purchase a license, you must have proof of a valid rabies vaccination for your pet. For more information and to purchase a license, visit www.mckameyanimalcenter.org.

Friday, February 1

How Israel and the United States are portrayed by Arab Media

The Jewish Cultural Center is hosting a new exhibit containing cartoon images selected from the Anti-Defamation League’s “Arab Media Review: Anti-Semitism and Other Trend” publications. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Jewish Cultural Center is located at 5461 North Terrace Road. For more information, call 423-493-9997.

Saturday, February 2

First Annual Gig City Film Festival

The Chattanooga Department of Education, Arts & Culture and the Chattanooga Southeast Tennessee Film Commission will host the first annual Gig City Film Festival, “A Season for Nonviolence,” at Heritage House Arts from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The festival coincides with Chattanooga’s “Season for Nonviolence” spanning from January 30 (marking the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi) and April 4 (marking the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.). Heritage House is located at 1428 Jenkins Road. All-day passes or tickets for individual screenings are available at the Memorial Auditorium Box Office. For information on the movies to be screened and show times, visit film.chattablogs.com.

Sunday, February 3

Make-A-Wish Bowl

You’ve likely never seen the Super Bowl like this. The Ninth Annual Make-A-Wish Bowl will bring all of the gridiron action of the world’s biggest sports event to the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX Theater, Chattanooga’s only six-story Imax screen. Benefitting Make-A-Wish East Tennessee, the event will also feature silent auctions, five viewing screens, and food and drinks (included in the ticket price). To score your tickets, go to wishetn.org or call 423-629-9474.

Beginning Friday, February 8

Ensemble Theater of Chattanooga presents “The Pillowman”

Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga will present the black comedy “The Pillowman” as the second production in its 2013 season. The production runs February 8-24. Performance times are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. All performances will be held at the theatre’s space inside Eastgate Town Center, located at 5600 Brainerd Road. “The Pillowman” focuses on the story of Katurian, a writer living in an unnamed totalitarian state. In an interrogation room, the audience learns of a series of child murders that bear a striking resemblance to some of Katurian’s stories. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at www.ensembletheatreofchattanooga.com, by phone at 423-987-5141, or at the door beginning one hour before each performance. Doors open 30 minutes before show time. Free parking is available at Eastgate Town Center.

Friday, February 8

Cocktails for Conservation

Guests are invited to spend an evening at the Chattanooga Zoo enjoying cocktails, light hors d’oeuvres and up-close animal encounters. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Zoo’s conservation projects including the breeding of Hellbenders, the largest salamanders in North America, and Kihansi Spray Toads, a species of toad extinct in the wild. In addition, monies raised will be used to support the Zoo’s Conservation Outreach Group as well as the Zoo’s “Species Survival Plans” for critically endangered animals.  Tickets are $30 a person, and guests must be 21 or older to attend. For more information and to purchase tickets, call 423-697-1319 or visit www.chattzoo.org.

Saturday, February 8

Mid-Day Masquerade

Mardi Gras is coming to Chattanooga! The Junior League of Chattanooga is inviting the community to come together for Mid-Day Masquerade, a family-friendly celebration of Mardi Gras. The festival will offer activities the entire family can enjoy such as face painting, mask decorating, and other carnival games. Guests of the masquerade can also sample dishes from the New Orleans-inspired menu before kicking up their heels with friends and family. Items from the menu include jambalaya, red beans and rice with shrimp and Andouille sausage, and king cake. The festival will be held at The Car Barn from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m.

Tuesday, February 12

Young Women’s Leadership Academy Odyssey 2013 Luncheon

Individual tickets for the Young Women’s Leadership Academy Foundation’s annual fundraiser and luncheon, Odyssey, are available for purchase. The event will take place Tuesday, February 12 at noon and will be held at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Odyssey 2013 will feature Nashville-based recording artist and author Jimmy Wayne as the speaker and entertainer. Wayne is the author of “Paper Angels” and the founder of the nonprofit, Project Meet Me Halfway. Individual tickets are seventy-five dollars and can be purchased by visiting www.cglaonline.com and clicking the Odyssey 2013 tab. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information on tickets or sponsorship opportunities, contact Shawanda Mason at smason@ywlaf.org or 423-468-4105.

Life in China today

Area residents are invited to the Elder Scholars meeting in the Lookout Mountain Room at the UTC University Center at 1 p.m. The scheduled speakers are Meili Niu and Sam Speed. Meili and her husband live in China. The couple, here to visit Speed’s family, will be discussing what it’s like to live and work in China in the 21st Century.

Saturday, February 16

Flashback Prom to benefit

Speech & Hearing Center

Chattanooga Friends will host its third annual Flashback Prom from 8 p.m. to midnight at the DoubleTree Hotel. The DoubleTree Hotel, located at 407 Chestnut Street, will provide late night munchies and offer a cash bar.  Proceeds will benefit The Speech & Hearing Center’s Achieve Learning Center.  Tickets are $25 per person or $40 for a couple in advance, and $30 per person at the door.  Advance tickets are available at FlashbackPromChatt.EventBrite.com.

Sunday, February 23

Scenic City Half Marathon

The Scenic City Half Marathon and 5K Charity Challenge will start at Finley Stadium at 8 a.m. Half marathoners will receive a technical race shirt and a finishers medal. There is a 3.5-hour time limit. The top three finishers in each age group will receive an award. To give back to the community, a portion of each participant’s entry fee will be donated to a local charity. Additional funds can also be raised through the online fund raising system. To register and for more information, visit www.sceniccityhalfmarathon.com.