• The East Chatham Rescue Squad is having their portrait fund drive for the next several weeks. Families will be contacted by phone and asked to make a pledge. Each family that pledges receives a 10x13 Portrait, compliments of the East Chatham Rescue Squad. Proceeds will go toward new equipment.

• Chatham County is gearing up for its annual Big Sweep waterway litter pickup, scheduled for Saturday, October 2. Jordan Lake and the Haw River are the two main sites for this year. Residents who would like to participate in this can call Nadine Perry at (919) 542-0130 or e-mail Nadine.perry@ncmail.net.

• Gates will open Friday, 09-24-04 at 6 p.m. for the 11^th Annual Pumpkin Festival located at Hart’s Farm, between Bear Creek and Goldston. Saturday, gates open at 10 a.m. and on Sunday, at 12 noon. This is sponsored in part by the Goldston Volunteer Fire Department. For more information, contact Duane Hart at 919-837-5363.

• Jordan-Matthews teams with McDonald’s for McTeacher’s Night, Tuesday, September 28 from 5-8 p.m. The school team will be participating in a school fundraiser. A portion of the sales that evening will go directly to Jordan-Matthews. Go by and support the school. 

• New Hope Audubon Society meeting Thursday, October 7 at 7 pm at the Totten Center of the NC Botanical Gardens in Chapel Hill. Speaker will be Dave Penrose, whose topic is “Pollution Ecology of Aquatic Insects. The public is invited. For more information, call Judy Murray, 919-942-2985 or Robin Moran, 919-383-3514.

• Heritage Day at Jordan Lake, Saturday, October 2, from 10 am to 3 pm,  for both children and adults; an annual event. Celebrate the natural and cultural heritage of the Jordan Lake area. Have fun learning how things used to be done and experience doing things the “old- fashioned” way. Enjoy historical demonstrations including black-smithing, basket weaving, cooking, and farming. Historical farm equipment will be on display. Hands-on activities will include archery, making corn shuck dolls, and children’s games. FREE!!! Seaforth Recreation Area: US Hwy 64, west side of lake, Call 919-362- 0586 or Jordan.lake@ncmail.net for information.

• The American Legion Post 93 will meet Thursday, September 23, 6:30 p.m. at the Dry Dock Restaurant. All members are urged to attend.

• The Motorcycle Association for Chatham, Western Wake, Lee, Orange, and Alamance counties meets in Pittsboro and is open to all riders. For information, call 919-392-3939 or visit www.ChathamCBA.com.

• Every Monday at 6:30 pm for the entire month of October, Narcotics Anonymous meetings will be held at Alston Chapel Church.

• Pre-School Storytime – every Wednesday from 10 – 11 am at Spectacle Books, 113 Siler Crossing Shopping Center in Siler City. 

• Bluegrass Experience will be performing at The Chatham County Fair in Pittsboro on Thursday, September 30 from 7-9 pm. The fair is held at the Chatham County  Fairgrounds on Dr. Martin Luther King Drive just off business 64 (East Street) in Pittsboro near Chatham Commons Shopping Center.

• Fall Festival, a fundraising event for the Randolph Arts Guild,  will take over the entire downtown of Asheboro, October 2 and 3. Over 450 vendors of crafts, food, and information will line the streets. A hometown parade will take place Friday, October 1 at 7 p.m. Festival runs from 10 – 6 on Saturday and from 1 – 6 on Sunday. A variety of  music during the festival, at three different locations.  For information, call 336-629-0399 or email arts@asheboro.com.