Did you know that stroke is the number three cause of death in the United States, behind diseases of the heart and cancer? Exciting advances in the early detection of stroke are saving lives. You can reduce your risk of stroke by taking advantage of the special StrokeScore & More screening offered exclusively by Covenant Health. StrokeScore & More sessions are scheduled at LeConte Medical Center for Feb. 22 and 29, 2012. 

Your StrokeScore & More session will last approximately one hour and will include the following screenings:

• Stroke Self-Assessment

• Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) to screen for peripheral vascular disease

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm ultrasound (AAA) to screen for weaknesses in the wall of the aorta

• Carotid Artery Screening to detect plaque build-up in the carotid arteries of the neck

• Lipid Profile to measure total cholesterol, the good (HDL) and bad cholesterol (LDL), triglycerides and glucose. A 12-hour fast is required. (Medications can be taken with water. If you have diabetes, check with your physician before fasting.)

• Atrial fibrillation screening to detect heart arrhythmia

• Blood Pressure to detect high blood pressure

 LeConte Center offers StrokeScore & More at select times throughout the year. The complete screening package is $100, a great value for this life-saving test. To schedule your appointment in February, please call LeConte Medical Center at 453.WELL (9355). Appointments are limited and fill up quickly so schedule your test today.

Mark your 2012 Calendar for Reader’s Theatre meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. The Reader’s Theatre Group meets in the Wade Conference Room of the King Family Library, 408 High Street, Sevierville, from 5:30 - 8 PM. February’s meetings will be on Tuesdays the 14th and the 28th.
 
In previous meetings, the group has read a wide variety of scripts, monologues, and narratives ranging from Capote to Jack Tales to Samuel Beckett to Sam Shepard and more more...so much to choose from and so little time! Join us! Bring your own favorites.  All you need is a love of the written/spoken word.
 
Consider this an opportunity for people who love theatre to come together in a play-reading group. Please bring your own favorite scenes to share at the meeting. The goal of Reader’s Theatre Group is to have fun, explore different scripts, and eventually give a Reader's Theatre performance.  No auditions are required, but participants should be 18 and older. Please direct enquiries to Everette Bach at ebach@sevierlibrary.org or call 865-453-3532.

    The Sevier County Public Library System preschool story time programs are designed with a ready-to-read format that includes an introduction to the alphabet, colors, numbers 1-10, great books, games, and other activities. Each month has a new theme from September through June including topics like the weather, holidays, science, math, and art. The following list includes the day and time the story time programs are held at each location:   
·   Seymour Branch Library, 137 W. Macon Lane, Seymour on Monday, February 13 at 11:00 a.m. Books Are BIG @ the SCPLS!: Celebrating Valentine’s Day! The Puppet Lady returns to the Seymour Library. Listen to the book, “Valentine Mice.” Let’s learn the Letters P, Q, and R and review Numbers 1 – 10. Let’s discover the color “Heart Pink” and learn about the weather. For more information, please call Spence Perry at 573-0728.
·   Sevier County King Family Library, 408 High Street, Sevierville on Thursday, February 16 at 10:30 a.m. Books are BIG @ the SCPLS!: Listen to Judy Nayer’s “The Big Box” and create a craft using a box!. For more information, call Vickie Kelly at 365-1423. 

     Kodak Branch Library, 319 W. Dumplin Valley Road, Kodak on Friday, February 17 at 11:00 a.m. Books are BIG @ the SCPLS!: The Puppet Lady Visits! The preschool story time will focus on music, matching, colors, letters and numbers, and the color heart pink. For more information, call Cee McKnight at 933-0078.

    Computer Classes-Intro I & II starting in February--1st Monday of month 8-10 AM in PC Lab for Level I. 3rd Monday of month 8-10 AM in PC Lab for Level II. Level 1 is prerequisite for Level II. A $5.00 fee and pre-registration is required for the classes.

    For more information or to register for the upcoming Computer Class - Intro I on Monday, February 6, visit the Circulation desk at the King Family Library, located at 408 High Street, Sevierville, TN 37862, call 865.453.3532, or e-mail cgraesser@sevierlibrary.org.

      The Sevier County Public Library System preschool story time programs are designed with a ready-to-read format that includes an introduction to the alphabet, colors, numbers 1-10, great books, games, and other activities. Each month has a new theme from September through June including topics like the weather, holidays, science, math, and art. The following list includes the day and time the story time programs are held at each location:   
·     Seymour Branch Library, 137 W. Macon Lane, Seymour on Monday, February 13 at 11:00 a.m. Books Are BIG @ the SCPLS!: Celebrating Valentine’s Day! The Puppet Lady returns to the Seymour Library. Listen to the book, “Valentine Mice.” Let’s learn the Letters P, Q, and R and review Numbers 1 – 10. Let’s discover the color “Heart Pink” and learn about the weather. For more information, please call Spence Perry at 573-0728.
·         Sevier County King Family Library, 408 High Street, Sevierville on Thursday, February 16 at 10:30 a.m. Books are BIG @ the SCPLS!: Listen to Judy Nayer’s “The Big Box” and create a craft using a box. For more information, call Vickie Kelly at 365-1423. ·   

      Kodak Branch Library, 319 W. Dumplin Valley Road, Kodak on Friday, Fe3ruary 17 at 11:00 a.m. Books are BIG @ the SCPLS!: The Puppet Lady Visits! The preschool story time will focus on music, matching, colors, letters and numbers, and the color heart pink. For more information, call Cee McKnight at 933-0078.

LeConte plans National Wear Red Day  activities to raise awareness of heart disease in women.

Celebrate National Wear Red Day^® on Friday, February 3, 2012, when Americans nationwide will wear red to show their support for women's heart health. Show off your favorite red dress, red shirt, or red tie to raise awareness that heart disease—the #1 killer of women—is largely preventable. Everyone is invited to join LeConte Medical Center for a day of heart-healthy activities!

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.:        The Heart Truth^® Information & Blood Pressure Checks

10 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.: “Starting and building a cardio routine,” presented by LeConte Wellness Center

10:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.: Healthy Cooking Demo*

11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.: Healthy Cooking Demo*

11:30 a.m. – Noon:      Healthy Cooking Demo*

Noon – 12:30 p.m.:    “Exercises you can work into your day at work or home,” presented by LeConte Wellness Center

1:30 p.m. – 2 p.m.:     Healthy Cooking Demo*

*Healthy Cooking Demos will be presented by Morrison Healthcare Food Services.

 The Heart Truth^® Information & Blood Pressure Checks will be located in the hallway outside of the Dining Area. All presentations will be held in the hospital classrooms. Visitors are invited to park in Lot A, and enter through the front entrance of the hospital.

For more information about LeConte visit www.lecontemedicalcenter.org . We’re on Facebook – visit the LeConte Medical Center page today!

Teen readers are invited to participate in a NEW Teen Book Club at the King Family Library! The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins will be the first book for discussion by the club. The club will meet in the King Family Library Classroom on Tuesday, January 31 @ 3:30 PM. FMI, contact either Danielle Smothers at 865.365.1429, or dsmothers@sevierlibrary.org or Circe Anderson at 865.453.3532 or canderson@sevierlibrary.org.

    ADULT COMPUTER GAMING at Anna Porter Library—January 18 & 25 at 10:30am.Learn to play computer games starting with solitaire. Basic computer skills necessary.  Competition will continue weekly on Wednesdays with a different game each month. Prize winners will receive a free book or movie. Call 436-5588 for a reservation.

    Beginning Online Genealogy at Anna Porter Library—January 19 and each Thursday thru February 16,  at 10:30 am. Get  help in beginning  to search for ancestors.  Also  there’s much to benefit from others in the group who may have tips.  Those who attended last year’s popular event are welcome to come back and join us!  Call 436-5588 for a reservation and bring your library card.

    E READER WORKSHOP at Anna Porter Library—January 19 & 26 at 6:30 pm.  This class helps you get started in using the  library to download E Books.  Call 436-5588 for a reservation and bring your library card.

LeConte Medical Center Infusion Center pharmacist Dennis Woods received his board certification from the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS). Board Certification through the BPS has become recognized as the gold standard for determining which pharmacists are qualified to contribute at advanced practice levels. Through the rigorous standards mandated by BPS board certification and recertification, the BPS board certified pharmacists stand out as the most qualified to take on today’s expanding professional expectations.

 Woods pursued the designation specializing in oncology pharmacy. Oncology pharmacy specialists recommend, design, implement, monitor and modify pharmacotherapeutic plans to optimize outcomes in patients with malignant diseases. Those who are granted certification in this specialty receive the designation Board Certified Oncology Pharmacist (BCOP). Woods became one of 1,244 pharmacists world-wide, and one of 15 pharmacists in the state of Tennessee with the BCOP certification.

 Woods graduated from University of South Carolina Pharmacy School, and began working at LeConte Medical Center in December of 2009. The LeConte Infusion center operates within Thompson Cancer Survival Center – Sevier.

 For more information about LeConte visit www.lecontemedicalcenter.org . We’re on Facebook – visit the LeConte Medical Center page today!

         Readers, check out one of the ongoing clubs sponsored by the Sevier County Public Library System. The SCPLS Main Library Fireside Book Club enjoys contemporary, eclectic books. The SCPLS Inspirational Reading Club focuses on an inspirational author and his or her works each month instead of a specific book.
Both clubs hold monthly meetings and the January meeting dates, authors, and books are as follows:
·         Friday, January 13 @ 10:00 a.m. - SCPLS King Family Library Fireside Book Club. Fireside Book Club members are invited to BYOB (Bring Your Own Book) to our January meeting. Each member will have 10 minutes to share the book with the club. The Fireside Book Club meets in the Bridgemont Room at the King Family Library. FMI, call Virginia Borrelli at 865.365.1427.
·         Thursday, January 19 @ 1:00 p.m. – SCPLS Seymour Branch Inspirational Reading Club – The monthly meeting features a discussion about the author, Catherine Palmer, and her books. The club meets at the Seymour Branch Library at 137 West Macon Lane in Seymour. Please call Janet Persichetti at (865)573-0728 for further information about the club. check out one of the ongoing clubs sponsored by the Sevier County Public Library System. The SCPLS Main Library Fireside Book Club enjoys contemporary, eclectic books. The SCPLS Inspirational Reading Club focuses on an inspirational author and his or her works each month instead of a specific book.
Both clubs hold monthly meetings and the January meeting dates, authors, and books are as follows:
·         Friday, January 13 @ 10:00 a.m. - SCPLS King Family Library Fireside Book Club. Fireside Book Club members are invited to BYOB (Bring Your Own Book) to our January meeting. Each member will have 10 minutes to share the book with the club. The Fireside Book Club meets in the Bridgemont Room at the King Family Library. FMI, call Virginia Borrelli at 865.365.1427.
·         Thursday, January 19 @ 1:00 p.m. – SCPLS Seymour Branch Inspirational Reading Club – The monthly meeting features a discussion about the author, Catherine Palmer, and her books. The club meets at the Seymour Branch Library at 137 West Macon Lane in Seymour. Please call Janet Persichetti at (865)573-0728 for further information about the club.

Mark your 2012 Calender for Reader’s Theatre meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. The Reader’s Theatre Group meets in the Wade Room of the King Family Library from 5:30 - 8:00 PM. January’s meeting will be on the 10th and the 24th.
 
In previous meetings, the group has read a wide variety of scripts, monologues, and narratives ranging from Capote to Jack Tales to Samuel Beckett to Sam Shepard and more...so much to choose from and so little time!
 
Join us! Bring your own favorites.  All you need is a love of the written/spoken word. This is an opportunity for people who love theatre to come together in a play-reading group. Please bring your own favorite scenes to share at the meeting. The goal of Reader’s Theatre Group is to have fun, explore different scripts, and eventually give a Reader's Theatre performance.  No auditions are required, but participants should be 18 and older. Please direct enquiries to Everette Bach at ebach@sevierlibrary.org or call 865-453-3532.
 

Did you get a new eReader for Christmas, but aren't quite sure how to use it yet?  Did you know that eBooks can be downloaded to an eReader, smart phone, or computer for free through the Sevier County Public Library System with a valid library card?  Need to learn how to access those free eBooks?!  Join us for an eBook Help Session at the King Family Library!  King Family Library is offering an eBook Help Session from 8 AM - 10 AM on Monday, January 9th in the Margit & Earl Worsham Business Center on the ground floor. 

Library staff will provide a demonstration showing how to search and checkout books from the R.E.A.D.s (Regional EBook and Audio Download System) website, install, and register the required software, and download an eBook to a device. R.E.A.D.s (provided by the Tennessee State Library & Archives) offers thousands of digital eBooks and audio books to the patrons of public libraries which participate in the Tennessee Regional Library System.  These digital titles can be downloaded to your personal computer and then transferred to various portable devices such as MP3 players and eBook readers.
 
In order to fully participate in this hands-on session, please bring your Kindle, Nook, iPad, any necessary accessories, such as USB cables, and/or laptop with you (if you have a Kindle you will not need a computer but you will need to have your Amazon login and password information).  If time allows, all who attend will be guided through the download process on their own equipment.

The e-Book Help Session will also be offered again on Monday, January 23rd from 8 AM – 10 AM. Pre-registration is required for both the January 9th class and the January 23rd class and is limited to 12 attendees in each session.  A non-refundable five dollar fee is required for registration.  Deadline for To register, visit the Circulation desk at the King Family Library, located at 408 High Street, Sevierville, TN 37862, call 865.453.3532, or e-mail cgraesser@sevierlibrary.org. When registering, please list the type of device you will be using during the session. 
 

       The Sevier County Public Library System will host special events beginning in January for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. Representatives of Sevier County’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee will be special guest readers for the library system preschool story time. The story time schedule follows:
 
·         Mon., Jan 9 @ 11:00 a.m. - SCPLS Seymour Branch, 137 W. Macon Lane, Seymour – Guest readers, Jamesena Miller & Alvarrene Bridgeforth. 
·         Thurs., Jan 12 @ 10:30 a.m. – Sevier County Main Library, 408 High Street, Sevierville – Guest reader, Judge Dwight Stokes
·         Fri., Jan 13 @ 11:00 a.m. – SCPLS Kodak Branch, 319 West Dumplin Valley Road, Kodak – Guest reader, Robin Cogdill.
 
Additionally, on Thursday, January 12, a video and panel discussion on the “Freedom Riders” is open to the public starting at 6:00 p.m. at the King Family Library. The discussion panel includes Justice Gary Wade, educator/activist Marjorie Stewart, and community activists Jamesena Miller, & Alvarrene Bridgeforth. Refreshments will be provided by Starbucks. View more information about upcoming events or “Like Us” at https://www.facebook.com/MLKSevierCounty. For further information, please contact Robin Cogdill at (865) 453-3532.

The Kodak Branch of the Sevier County Public Library System is hosting a Job Seekers Workshop open to the public on Thursday, January 12, starting at 4 PM. Job seekers are encouraged to bring their resume.
 
The focus for the workshop will be on:
·         Coping with the holidays
·         Staying in touch with friends and employed people
·         Setting bill paying priorities
·         How to search for a job and filling out Internet applications
·         Avoiding job search scams
·         Staying healthy
 
Please join us as we launch this effort to help our fellow residents get back on the job track. FMI or to register for the program, call (865) 933-0078.  SCPLS Kodak Branch Library is located at 319 West Dumplin Valley Rd. in Kodak.  

    January Lifelong Learning Program Class—“Introduction to Yoga”
Jumpstart your New Year with the Friends of the King Family Library!  The Lifelong Learning Program’s January class is “Introduction to Yoga.”  If you are interested in an exercise that unites all components of fitness: strength, flexibility, balance, breathing, stress reduction, and relaxation, yoga may be for you.  Come join Vickie Pinion, Fitness Supervisor for Sevierville Parks and Recreation, Thursday, January 12th at 6:00 p.m. at the King Family Library.  The class will not be an exercise class, but an introduction and explanation, with some demonstration.  Free passes will be distributed to those who want to take a Yoga class at the Sevierville Community Center in the future.
 
   “Introduction to Yoga” will meet Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. at the King Family Library, 408 High Street, Sevierville.  Classes are free to attendees, but registration is encouraged. For more information or to register, please call the King Family Library at 865-453-3532, fill out a registration form at the King Family Library circulation desk, or email cgraesser@sevierlibrary.org. 

Effective January 5, 2012, everyone from 8 to 17 years of age must have a library card when they are in one of the Sevier County Public Library System’s branches. The change in policy is being done for identification and safety purposes. Children under the age of eight are not required to have a library card but must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
 
The library branches include the King Family Library, 408 High Street in Sevierville, the Seymour Branch Library, 137 W. Macon Lane in Seymour, and the Kodak Branch Library, 319 W. Dumplin Valley Road in Kodak. Parents and legal guardians should visit any of the branches listed above by January 5, 2012, to apply to receive a free library card for each child. For more information, please call 453-3532.

     The Sevier County Public Library System preschool story time programs are designed with a ready-to-read format that includes an introduction to the alphabet, colors, numbers 1-10, great books, games, and other activities. Each month has a new theme from September through June including topics like the weather, holidays, science, math, and art. The following list includes the day and time story time programs will be held for the remainder of December 2011:   
·         Seymour Branch Library, 137 W. Macon Lane, Seymour o   Monday, December 19 – No Story Timeo   Monday, December 26 – No Story Time – Library Closed for HolidayRegular weekly story time will resume on January 9 at 11:00 a.m. with a “Get on Board” Story Time @ the SCPLS! For more information, please call Spence Perry at 573-0728.
·         Sevier County King Family Library, 408 High Street, Sevierville.
o   Thursday, December 15 at 10:30 a.m. - Santa Will Visit Today!
Holiday Party – Feel free to bring some festive goodies today. (Parents due to allergies nothing with peanuts)
o   Thursday, December 22 – No Story Timeo   Thursday, December 29 – No Story Time
Regular weekly story times will resume on January 5 at 10:30 a.m. with a “Get on Board” Story Time @ the SCPLS! For more information, please call Vickie Kelly at 365-1423.
·         Kodak Branch Library, 319 W. Dumplin Valley Road, Kodak
o   Friday, December 16 at 11:00 a.m. - Red & White Winter Party Story Time
o   Friday, December 23 – No Story Time
o   Friday, December 30 – No Story Time
Regular weekly story times will resume on January 6 at 11:00 a.m. with a “Get on Board” Story Time @ the SCPLS! For more information, call Cee McKnight at 933-0078.
 
 

The Sevier County public Library System (SCPLS) which includes the King Family Library at 408 High Street in Sevierville, the Seymour Branch Library at 137 W. Macon Avenue in Seymour, and the Kodak Branch Library at 319 West Dumplin Valley Road in Kodak will be observing the following holidays hours:
 
Saturday, December 24 – CLOSED
Monday, December 26 – CLOSED
Monday, January 2 – CLOSED  
 
For further information, please call 453-3532. 

   Continue your Christmas season celebration with the Friends of the King Family Library! A Christmas After-Party will be held around the fireplace in the library’s Grand Reading Room beginning at 6 pm on Tuesday, December 27th. A brief business meeting will be followed by old-fashioned refreshments and an informal gathering. Bring your favorite Christmas carols and readings to share. 
Attendance is free and all are welcome to attend.  Friends of the King Family Library memberships will be available at no charge.  The King Family Library is located at 408 High Street in Sevierville.  For more information, please call 865-453-3532 or email bvoit@sevierlibrary.org.

     You are cordially invited to experience a New Year's Eve to remember as Harrah's Cherokee Casino & Hotel celebrates the arrival of 2012 in the spirit of classic burlesque. The evening will feature live entertainment at multiple locations throughout the casino and hotel, including Bella Electric Strings, who has rocked audiences worldwide with their blistering Zeppelin solos and unique arrangements, performing from 6pm to 10pm in the Hotel Lobby common area and The Vinyl Brothers Big Band beginning at 8:00pm in the casino. At 9:00pm, the casino transforms into a glamorous and spectacular burlesque celebration with a variety of daringly risqué performances.

    Guests can also experience New Year's Eve festivities in Essence Lounge beginning at 6:30pm. The band, Final Say, will kick off an incredible night featuring your favorite songs from the past five decades. Individual cover charge for Essence starting at $20. New Year's Eve packages are also available; $99 will reserve a table for two and feature a bottle of champagne, party favor package and a $15 food credit for any outlet in our Food Court. Additional guests can be added for $20 per person. Space is limited so make your reservations now for Essence Lounge by calling 1-800-Caesars.