Meridian Activity Center is a non-profit community center. Our instructors are paid by the city of Meridian on an hourly basis, depending on the number of students signed up for their class.

Most classes require at least six students to make. Considering our low entrance fees for an eight-week class ($10 for adults over the age of 55), one might understand the importance of a large number of sign-ups. The average class is 24 hours of instruction during an eight-week period.

My job is to bring new activities for our citizens to enjoy and learn from. Of course we will continue to teach quilting, smocking, stained glass, painting and knitting for years to come – although attendance in these classes may ebb and flow depending on what is "popular" that season.

Lately, we’ve had an opportunity to add an heirloom sewing class to our repertoire — the smocking classes were always filled to capacity. Now we’re also offering a Basic Sewing class that we hope will become popular. Basic Sewing will be taught on Wednesdays; call if you’d like to join in. Kathy Anderson will be adding a Children’s Clothing Construction class on Thursday afternoon to her heirloom classes.

Computer classes have been a constant since 2005 when the Lauderdale County Council on Aging donated six Hewlett Packard XP Professionals for our use. We added one Vista software and are now looking forward to (maybe, please) replacing all these with the latest operating system, Windows 7. Tom Milhorn continues to teach Monday nights and Phyllis Millet has picked up his Thursday morning Beginning computer in addition to her Wednesday Word Processing classes.

Clay Hamilton will continue his computer classes on Wednesdays. At 2 p.m., he will teach a digital camera class called “Organizing & ReTouching Photos” which will go until 3:30 p.m. Then he begins Website Design for another hour and a half. Fees are still $15 for these five-week classes.

Clay is most interested in portrait photography. In November, the center is offering a “Make-Over Before/After Day” with a local cosmetician, after which Clay will take "glamour shots" of the young ladies. This will be on a Saturday for ages 21 and older and we’ll be taking reservations to take five or six make-overs an hour. Call for more information.

Last summer, we began belly dance classes at the center. We hope to continue offering a class on Thursday afternoons with Gypsy Williams. She performs locally with a troupe and teaches at Meridian Community College. Call for more information.

Tai Chi with Lowell Hummer has been well received and we plan to continue her classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 10 a.m. She is still teaching the Vietnamese Longevity Stick exercise class on Monday and Thursday afternoons at 4 p.m. For more information about this exercise technique, go to www.longevitystick.com

New classes we’d like to see happen if we can only get enough signed up: (1) The computer scrapbooking class; (2) Bread baking workshop; (3) Jewelry Construction; (4) Pine needle basket weaving; (5) Live Poet’s Society

We have set a date for Pat Kent’s first watercolor workshop. I say "first" because I’m hoping this turns into more – with other instructors perhaps. Terry Cherry just taught a class at the museum and had over fifteen people show up! So we know there is interest out there. She will be here Oct. 24, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and there is a small fee, so call to pre-register.

That is the same day as our Mississippi Tall Tales & Recollections Storytelling Conference which is to be held in our Big Room with some exciting guests to appear: National Public Radio's Diane Williams, Kathryn Lewis, Bruce Walker, local storytellers Richelle Putnam, Anne McKee, Sarah Mutziger, Ward Calhoun – and many others. Mark your calendars, Oct. 24, from 10a.m.-5 p.m.; scary stories begin at 7 p.m.

Are you into art? Peggy Harmon painting classes are still going strong. She teaches all day Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. Her work is shown at the Front Street Co-Op Gallery, next to Jean’s Restaurant. Also, don’t forget Don Shaffer, who teaches color pencil techniques — check out the current exhibit at MCC of color pencil rendering, it is really fantastic. (Deborah Thompson through October.)

In case anyone is interested, we have studio space available on Fridays if you’d like to come in and simply practice your drawing techniques (pencil, charcoal, conte, pen and ink, cross hatching, shading, wash, etc.).

Okay, enough! Classes begin Monday, unless we do not have enough people to start the class. You know if you’ve signed up yet – call to be sure your class made. Call me at (601) 485-1812 or come by to visit at 3300 32nd Ave., in the old Lamar Elementary School off 29th Avenue and 36th Street.



• Barbara Wells is director of Meridian Activity Center. You may e-mail her at mactivitycenter@gmail.com