Townwide yard sale: The North Andover Solid Waste Advisory Committee will hold its third annual Townwide Yard Sale on June 21 and June 22. Residents are invited to plan their own yard sales and advertise it through NASWAC's network and outreach. The committee will prepare the list of households holding sales on June 21 and/or June 22 and post them throughout the community.
Residents pay a $10 registration fee for the advertising service. Contact recycling@townofnorthandover.com with questions. More information available at www.townofnorthandover.com.
Dance school open house, free classes and performance: The Paige Conservatory of Performing Arts, a North Andover school of dance, acting and musical theater, will hold an open house on Saturday, June 21.
The open house will be at the Paige Conservatory of Performing Arts, 30 School St., from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The afternoon will feature free dance and musical theater classes for elementary school-aged youngsters, mini student performances, past performance videos and a chance to meet the school's director and register for classes. For further details, visit www.paigeconservatory.com
Bottles and newspapers, all in one bin: As of June 16, recycling in North Andover will be picked up every week (instead of every other week). Residents should continue to use their red recycling bins and have the option of "single-stream" recycling, where all materials are mixed together in one bin.
Recycling will now be picked up by Northside Carting instead of North Andover Department of Public Works employees. Be sure to have your bin by the curb the day your trash is collected by 7 a.m.
To find out what materials you can recycle, or how "single stream" recycling works, visit www.townofnorthandover.com/recycle.
Call the DPW at 978-685-0950 for more information and details, or e-mail recycle@townofnorthandover.com
Thrift shop to close for summer: The North Andover Thrift Shop, 172 Sutton St., North Andover, will close for summer break from June 22 to Sept. 9.
Regular hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
A markdown sale on all clothing and some household items is taking place through 21. Call the shop with any questions, 978-689-9520.
The thrift shop, a fixture in North Andover since 1955, is all volunteer and nonprofit, with profits donated to community programs such as Women's Resource Center, Windrush Farm, and Cuddles for Cuties and to two scholarships at North Andover High School. The shop's inventory is totally donated.
4th of July road race: Sign up now for a spot in the 29th running of the Boxford 4th of July Road Race. The event, held on Independence Day, will host a five-mile run, three-mile walk for fitness and one-mile kid's race.
Visit www.baasports.com for more information or to register. Click on "July 4 Race" on lower left side of the screen.
The race is organized by the Boxford Athletic Association, and proceeds from the event fund the Jennifer Tinney Memorial Scholarship at Masconomet High School.
Boxford summer park program launches for second year: The Park Program at Stiles Pond is back this summer, and registration is open to children entering kindergarten through seventh grade. The program is designed to provide social and creative activities for children in a safe, supervised recreational atmosphere at Koster Field, next to Stiles Pond in Boxford.
The program will be conducted Tuesday through Thursday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. during the following weeks:
r Week 1: June 24, 25, 26
r Week 2: July 1, 2, 3
r Week 3: July 8, 9, 10
r Week 4: July 15, 16, 17
r Week 5: July 22, 23, 24
r Week 6: July 29, 30, 31
This year, discounts will be offered for early registration and for multiple children; if you register for all six weeks, you will pay only half price. Weekly rate is $40 per week, per child. Applications are available at Cole and Spofford school lobbies; for more information or an application by e-mail, e-mail Christina Eckert at eckertcovino@hotmail.com.
Pick-up family soccer games: During the summer, the North Andover Soccer Association will hold summer family soccer at Reynolds Fields in North Andover on Monday and Thursday evenings, 5 to 7:30 p.m.
This is noncompetitive soccer for kids and parents with an element of organized skills training thrown in to enhance the level of learning, say organizers. For more information, visit the NASA web-site at www.nasoccer.com.
Re/Max offers hot air balloon rides: To celebrate the Smolak Farm Strawberry Festival on Saturday, June 21, Re/Max Partners is offering balloon rides in the made-famous-by-advertisements Re/Max Hot Air Balloon. Rides will cost $2 for children and $5 for adults. All proceeds will benefit the Smolak Arts and Education Fund. The balloon will be located at Smolak Farm, 315 South Bradford St., North Andover. Tethered rides will be made available to the public from 9 to 11 a.m., weather permitting.
Blood drive: There will be a Red Cross community blood drive from 2 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 26, held at the North Andover Knights of Columbus hall, 505 Sutton St., North Andover.
Blood type "O" is especially needed by the Red Cross. Donors at the North Andover blood drive can enter a raffle for a Red Sox tickets prize pack or an $100 gas card.
Walk-ins welcome; call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or visit www.givelife.org for more information or to make an appointment.
Yoga and wellness retreat: The weekend of Saturday, June 28, and Sunday, June 29, there will be a yoga and wellness retreat at Rolling Ridge Retreat Center in North Andover.
One day or full weekend options available. The event includes wellness workshops, yoga classes, meals, swimming and more. Additional services such as massage, reiki, reflexology, craniosacral therapy and holistic health consultations available on site during retreat.
The retreat will be run by Drishti Yoga & Wellness. To register or for more information, visit www.drishtiyogaandwellness.com, call 978-387-0126 or e-mail drishtiyogini@yahoo.com.
The circus comes to town: The North Andover Lions Club, with the support of Wheelabrator of North Andover, has signed a contract with the Kelly Miller Circus for the exhibition of an all-new 2008 show. The circus will roll into town on Wednesday, July 2, 2008 at North Andover Middle School.
Everyone is invited to come out and watch the animals being unloaded and fed, and the elephants raising the big tent. Activities will begin at 7:30 a.m., and the tent will be raised between 8:30 and 9 a.m. Guides will be furnished for school groups and anyone attending.
The traditional "old-style" circus will present two performances at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Support the North Andover Lions Club; buy your tickets in advance and save.
Circus tickets can be purchased in advance at the reduced rate of $5 for children and $9 for adults at St. Michaels Church office, Treadwells Ice Cream at Smolack Farms, J&M Convenience store on Salem Street, Perfecto's Café and Main Street Hardware.
Advanced Tickets will also be available at Messinas Plaza Parking lot on Saturday and Sunday, June 28 and 29. Contact North Andover Lions Tom Ippolito, 978-688-6457 or Frank Sapienza, 978-685-2159 for more information.
Golf classic: Dust off your golf clubs. It's time for the Central Catholic High School 2008 Golf Classic, dinner and auction. The event is set for Monday, July 28, and will honor alumni Dr. Thomas Carney '43 and G. Thomas Catalano '50. Proceeds from the event go toward CCHS' Montagne Project, which annually provides scholarships to deserving students.
The event, one of the school's most popular events and successful annual fundraisers, will be held at the Haverhill Country Club.
Golf activities include a scramble tournament and several other competitions, including closest to the green, hole-in-one, and farthest drive. Call friends and organize a foursome. If you don't golf, you may buy tickets or a table for the dinner, auction and raffle. The dinner and auction begin at 6 p.m.
Auction and raffle prizes include Red Sox Green Monster tickets, foursomes to private golf courses, tickets to "The Lion King" on Broadway, Patriots preseason and regular season tickets, Bruins tickets, catered dinners and many others.
The Golf Classic plays a critical role in the school's mission, providing dearly needed funds for scholarships and a great venue for CCHS to honor deserving individuals. In the past seven years, the Golf Classic has raised more than $550,000 for the endowment, generating scholarships for perpetuity and making the Central Catholic experience possible for countless children who otherwise would be unable to attend.
Please note: All tee times are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Only a completed registration form along with your payment guarantees your tee time.
To register, go to http://alumni.centralcatholic.net/golf08
Summer history camp: The North Andover Historical Society is accepting reservations for its children's summer enrichment program, Adventures in Time. The series is geared to boys and girls ages 7 through 12.
The first week, "Working in Time", will be July 7 through 11. During this week we will explore various jobs of earlier time. Field trips to the Andover Historical Society and the Wenham Museum will provide role playing in different trades and vocations.
In the second week, "Our Bright New Age," Aug. 4 through 8, we will compare the good time and the challenges of the early 20th century, including the labor movement, the birth of the movies, the impact of the automobile and the "making due" of the Great Depression. Visits to the Lawrence Heritage State Park and the Larz Anderson Auto Museum will help bring the period alive.
Fee is $140 a week, $250 for two weeks; North Andover Historical Society members receive a 20 percent discount, and a second child receives a 10 percent discount.
There will be a supervised lunch period each day; children must bring their own brown bag lunches.
For details or to request a reservation form, call the society at 978-686-4035 or e-mail nahistory@juno.com. Visit the society on the Web at www.northandoverhistoricalsociety.org.
Bicentennial celebration: Representatives from the 11 parishes of Vicariate III of the Merrimack Region have joined to plan a local celebration of the Bicentennial of the Archdiocese of Boston. With a theme of "Journey Together in Christ," everyone is invited to a Mass and family gathering on Sunday, Sept. 7, at St. Michael Parish in North Andover. Merrimack Regional Bishop Emilio Allue will preside at a noon Mass to be concelebrated by priests of the vicariate. A family picnic celebration will immediately follow with activities for all ages.
ESOL classes: Registrations are now being taken for English for Speakers of Other Languages, citizenship preparation, parenting and preschool classes at the Asian Center, 1 Ballard Way, Lawrence. Anyone interested in signing up for either morning or evening classes should call the Asian Center at 978-683-7316. Check out the Asian Center's Web site at www.asiancentermv.org for directions and more details.
Hospice support group: Merrimack Valley Hospice offers a monthly drop-in support group for those caring for a loved one with a dementia or illness on the fourth Tuesday of each month at Ashland Farm, 700 Chickering Road. For information or to register, call Lois Marra 978-552-4537 or Nancy Thornton 978-552-4528.
Registration for Booster Club teams: North Andover Booster Club online registration is open for the following sports:
Football, fifth- through eighth-grades, open through June 30
Field Hockey, fifth- through eighth-grades, open through June 30
Visit the North Andover Booster Club Web site, www.eteamz.com/nabc, for more information and to register.
Registration open for Masco Youth football, cheerleading: Registration for Masco Youth Football and Cheerleading began May 1. Boxford, Middleton and Topsfield youths entering third through eighth grades in fall 2008 are invited to experience the fun, excitement and teamwork of football and cheerleading.
Visit www.mascoyouthfootball.com to register online. There is a link to the cheerleading site. There will be a late fee charge for registering after July 1.
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks ... Registration is open for the Tri-town Babe Ruth Baseball League. Open to boys age 13 to 18, the season runs from June 8 and ends on Aug. 1. Playoffs begin Aug. 3 and will last about two weeks. An all-star game will be played on July 26 for those players selected. All teams will be composed of players from Boxford, Topsfield and Middleton.
Divisions of play are:
A Division, ages 14 and 15
B Division, ages 13 through 15
Senior BR Division, ages 16 through 18
The number of teams is dependent upon number of registrants. Everyone makes a team and the coaches will determine team placement. Eligibility age is based on a player's age as of Aug. 1. A player must be between the ages of 13 and 18 by midnight on July 31. To register, e-mail baseball@baasports.com or visit the Boxford Athletic Association Web site at www.baasports.com.
Donations: Community Giving Tree is seeking donations of gently used baby equipment to help families throughout the North Shore. Consider donating cribs, strollers, swings, highchairs, baby gates, monitors, port-a-cribs, bassinets and toddler beds. All donations are tax deductible and will be given directly to families in desperate need. Call or email to schedule a convenient pick-up time, or for directions to a drop-off location. You may contact the Community Giving Tree at communitygivingtree@comcast.net or at 978-500-5527. Community Giving Tree is a non-profit organization sponsored by the Tri-Town Council on Youth and Family Services.
The American Lung Association is accepting used cars, trucks, motorcycles and boats in every condition to help support Massachusetts residents living with chronic lung disease. ALA will pick up the vehicle free of charge. For more information, call 800-577-5864 or visit www.lungne.org.
Playgroups: Playful People Playgroup is a nonprofit drop-in play group for children preschool age and under. It provides interaction for children and caregivers. Children play with toys, make crafts to take home, eat snacks and participate in music time with sing-alongs and occasionally some parachute play. The group is run by volunteers and meets Wednesdays from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the Trinitarian Congregational Church, Elm Street, North Andover. Cost is $1.50 per person. Age 9 months and younger and snack and craft-time volunteers are admitted free. The group follows the North Andover public school calendar for holidays and snow-day announcements. Call Donna Phaneuf at 978-688-4613.
Morning Travelers, a playgroup for children with Down syndrome and their families, meets the third Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. to noon at First Calvary Baptist Church, 586 Massachusetts Ave. For information, call Sharon at 978-974-0191.
Bottoms up! Merrimack Toastmasters meetings are on the second and fourth Thursday of the month from 7 to 9 p.m. at Stevens Memorial Library, 345 Main St. Guests are welcome. Call 617-753-3473 for more information.
Boxford Library news: All Boxford children, age preschool through grade two, are welcome to join in the Boxford Celebrates Reading program. Read, mark your monthly calendar, and win prizes. Preschoolers and homeschool children can pick up their reading calendars in the library. Kindergarten through grade 2 should watch back pack mail from school for their calendars. A new calendar is available each month. Boxford Celebrates Reading is a program sponsored by the Friends of the Boxford Town Libraries.
