Amanda Lopez, Rae Harper, and Barbara Walton prepare for the Mardi Gras celebration planned at the annual Mardi Gras Mount Vernon celebration at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Saturday, Feb. 21 in the church’s Family Life Center.

Dr. Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra from Ann Arbor, Michigan  will be the featured performer at the 2009 Agnes Burns Keyboard Concert. The concert is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21 at the Mount Vernon Music Hall.

These barred owls were called up by Randy Crane during a recent excursion along Little Cypress Creek in southern Franklin County. Photo by Dr. Charles Rutherford.

Linda Tinsley will be the guest speaker at the Franklin County Genealogical Society meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 16 at the research room located at 110 East Main St. Mrs. Tinsley will present a program on heirship papers. For more information, see the Feb. 12 edition of the Optic-Herald.