October is National Head Start Awareness Month, and Head Start Child Development Services of Lake Community Action Agency invites residents to visit the centers from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on the following days:
Monday at Clermont Child Development Center, 690 E. DeSoto St.
Tuesday at Leesburg Child Development Center, 920 County Road 468.
Wednesday at Mount Dora Child Development Center, 1560 Highland St.
Thursday at Montclair Child Development Center, 2000 Park Circle, Leesburg.
Friday at Eustis Child Development Center, 550 E. McDonald Ave.
Head Start and Early Head Start offer full-day, full-year services for children, from newborns to 4-year-olds.
Details: 352-357-7070.
Nature groups to meet
Members of the Oklawaha Valley Audubon Society and the Trout Lake Nature Center will meet at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the nature center, County Road 44 Bypass, east of Eustis.
Jim Dinsmore, a retired professor of Ornithology from the University of Iowa, will present a program called “Birds of New Zealand.”
Visitors are welcome.
Details: 352-669-2398 or 352-383-0501.
Family-oriented fair event
Umatilla Elementary School will sponsor “Families are Forever Fair” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 18 at the school playground, 401 Lake St.
The event originated from a service-learning project with students at Spring Creek Elementary and Umatilla Elementary who are coping with parental divorce or separation.
The purpose of the fair is to provide information to families about agencies and services available for assistance.
Activities will include free hot dogs and soft drinks, a cakewalk and fun booths.
Door prizes will be given.
This event is open to public.
Details: Beth Getchell, 352-669-3181.
Haunted house
The fifth annual Nightmare on Montrose Street’s “Alien Doom” haunted house opens Oct. 25 and continues on Oct. 26, 27, 28, and 31 in Jenkins Auditorium, 691 W. Montrose St. in downtown Clermont.
The aliens will escape at 7 p.m. each day.
For little ones or adults who are easily scared, there is a special “Lights On, No Alien Monsters” at 6:30 p.m., at which patrons can see the set design and special effects without the “monsters” around.
After that, if you are brave enough to go back through when the lights are out as well as the alien monsters, the youngsters can wait in the Pumpkin Patch and make crafts with supervision.
For more information, call Kat Hiatt at 352- 408-0849, e-mail [email protected] or visit myspace/onecraftykat.
New blood center site
Florida’s Blood Centers of Lake County has opened a branch at 1200 Oakley Seaver Ave., Suite 106, Oakley Plaza, Clermont.
Donors will receive a $10 gift certificate to a Darden Restaurant, a free meal deal from Sonny’s BBQ, a discount on admission to Universal Studios and a coupon for buy-one-get-one-free admission to Silver Springs.
For branch hours, call 352-241-7534.
To donate blood, you must be in good health, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be 16 or older.
Annual Boo Bash
Chapter 1170 South Lake Women of the Moose will present its second annual Boo Bash for young adults (18 and older) with physical or mental challenges.
The event will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Oct. 29 at the lodge, U.S. Highway 27, north of the John Deere dealership.
Activities will include a Halloween costume contest, a karaoke contest, hot dogs, pizza, soft drinks and prizes for all.
Admission is free.
Reservations are suggested. Call Rose Biddle, 352-241-0226 before Oct. 26.