Wheeler hosts big band Valentines dance

Barnesville resident and radio personality Jack Wheeler is promoting the Big Band Valentine Dance to benefit the Spalding Senior Games Saturday, Feb. 4, from 7-11 p.m. Wheeler is the father of Susan Walter and father in law of the late Doug Walter.The dance will be held at the Kiwanis Event Center at the Kiwanis Fairgrounds in Griffin. Spalding County parks and recreation department staff and Bobby Bunn partnered to develop a dance community and help provide economical entertainment to local music lovers and dancers, and bring awareness of the Senior Center and its programs. It has the support of Jo Ellis of the Spalding County Senior Center.A free dance lesson will be given from 7-8 p.m. by Jackson residents Ben and Kristi Lovelace, a couple specializing in Lindy, Charleston and all forms of swing dance. Their style of teaching may be described as smooth and mellow.Music will be provided by The Night Train Swing Band, a 16 piece big band, with Karin Williams as their vocalist The musical selections will range from 1940s and ‘˜50s Big Band to Latin, easy listening, waltz, foxtrot, jitterbug, cha-cha, tango or line dance.The dance is dedicated to Ira Polk, a Griffinite famous for mentoring many local musicians who died unexpectedly last November. Polk played tenor sax in the band. There will be door prizes given away and beverages and light hors’doeuvres will be available.