Briefly
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on December 19, 2004 2:00 AM
Fishy reading project
Still need a gift or stocking stuffer? Try a "Big Fish."
Daniel Wallace's novel, chosen by Wayne County Reads as its 2005 selection, is now available at Books-A-Million and the book store at Wayne Community College.
Other stores, including Wal-Mart, Kmart and Seymour Johnson's Base Exchange, have agreed to store the book.
Wayne County Reads is a countywide reading project, organized by the library system, Wayne Community College, Mount Olive College, the school system, the Air Force base, and other partners. It starts in February.
Help for foster children
Contributions are still being sought to provide gifts this Christmas for Wayne County's foster children.
The Department of Social Services has collected money for this purpose annually for more than a decade, and the fund has nearly $7,000 this year.
But the need is greater this year, Social Services officials say.
Increasingly, children need to be removed from abusive or neglectful households as the county works either to restore the family or place children elsewhere. The county has nearly 120 children in foster care, more than half of whom are 5 years old or younger.
The fund provides gifts at Christmas. It also helps pay for school functions and special trips for the foster children.
Contributions may be sent to the Foster Children's Fund, Wayne County Department of Social Services, 301 N. Herman St., Goldsboro, N.C. 27530.
No more passports
The Wayne County Clerk of Courts Office will not issue passports after Jan. 31.
Clerk of Court Marshall Minchew said his office no longer has the manpower to issue passports. He said the workload in the court system has increased significantly.
The Goldsboro office was one of a few in eastern North Carolina that offered the service. That caused people from other counties to get passports here, which added to the clerks' workload.
Holiday trash schedule
The city of Goldsboro will observe the Christmas holidays on Friday, Dec. 24, and Monday, Dec. 27.
All trash collection services scheduled for Friday will be picked up on Wednesday, Dec. 22.
All trash collection services scheduled for Monday, Dec. 27, will be collected on Wednesday, Dec. 29.
Bloodmobile
The Wayne County Chapter of the American Red Cross will have a Bloodmobile on Monday from 1 to 4 p.m. at St. Luke United Methodist Church. Donors will receive a free Red Cross T-shirt.