» In and around Bandon

Monday, February 08, 2010 | No comments posted. Free gardening class at library

The Bandon Good Earth Community Garden is offering a free class on propagation, “How to Grow From Seed and From Cuttings,” taught by Jennifer Ewing.

The class will be held from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Feb. 6, at the Bandon Public Library, Sprague Room. It is open to the public.

The workshop will give those attending the tools they need to grow their own plants from seeds and cuttings and save money at the same time. Starting from seed also broadens the selection of what a grower can grow, according to organizers.

Ewing is a retired professional grower now living in Port Orford and has taught for more than 15 years.

Cake decorating class offered Anyone interested in learning how to decorate cakes will have a free opportunity to do so with cake decorating expert Lyn Silverman.

Silverman will host a free class from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 8, at the Seventh-day Adventist Church fellowship hall on 10th and Elmira in Bandon.

“I will teach participants how to decorate a cake and ask that they donate at least one of their finished products to the Coastal Harvest Cake Walk,” Silverman said. “They can even decorate a special Valentine’s cake for their loved ones!”

The annual Coastal Harvest Cake Walk will be held on Saturday, Feb. 13, at the Bandon Community Youth Center. The event is a fundraiser for Coastal Harvest, a local nonprofit food gleaning and distribution organization.

For more information or to sign up, contact Silverman at 541-347-1585.

Grief support group to meet The second session for a grief support group facilitated by Syd Wiesel, LCSW will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, at the Bandon Community Health Center, 780 Second St. S.E. There is no charge to attend. The group discussion, facilitated by Wiesel, will help guide those participating on their journey toward coping and recovering from grief.

“The group is a place where you’ll find caring people who understand the issues you face and help to build support systems with each other,” said Linda Maxon, executive director of the BCHC. For more information contact Wiesel 541-347-1134. To register, contact BCHC at 541-347-2529.

Lions Sweetheart Breakfast

The Bandon Lions Club will hold its annual Sweetheart Breakfast and silent auction from 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13, at the Bandon School district cafeteria, 455 Ninth St. S.W.

The cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and younger. This is one of the Lions Club’s main fundraisers. Many silent auction items will be offered. The breakfast includes pancakes, eggs, sausage, juice and coffee.

Proceeds benefit local Lions projects, including the Sight and Hearing program, Mobile Health Screening unit and other programs. Everyone is welcome.

Elsewhere

Writers hold support meeting

Local writers are invited to attend an informal organizational meeting of Quills, a new regional writers’ support group.

The group will meet at 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 6, at Sozo’s Coffee House, 1955 Union Ave., in North Bend.

This will be a nuts-and-bolts support group in which participants will discuss topics involved with the business of writing, such as resources, agents, publishers, daily discipline, grants, research, etc.

Published and non-published writers of all genres are welcome to attend.

For information or to confirm attendance, call Judy Elliot McDonald at 541-756-2900.

Singing Valentines available

Every year for more than a decade, quartets from the Gold Coast Chorus have surprised relatives and sweethearts in Coos Bay, North Bend, Bandon and Coquille by delivering vocal valentines.

“Imagine your sweetie’s reaction when four dapper singers arrive at her office or home to serenade her with two beautiful ballads, along with a hand-crafted Valentine and a long-stemmed red rose,” said  Dave Oldfield of the Gold Coast Chorus. “They will also present a commemorative photo of her with the quartet. For only $30, you can give her (or him) a memory that will last a lifetime!”

This year, quartets will be available to sing on Friday, Feb. 12.

To arrange for a Singing Valentine, call: Tom Jacobson at 541-267-7892, Wes Shultz at 541-888-5238 or John Hubbard at 541-347-3573.

Crab feed in Charleston

Charleston merchants will hold the 25th-annual Crab Feed from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13, at the Old Charleston School.

The event is the main fundraiser to keep the Charleston Visitor Center open. The Crab Feed and the Visitor Center are staffed by volunteers from the Charleston community. Drawings for prizes will be held throughout the day.

The meal includes a choice of a half or a whole crab dinner with side dishes, bread and a beverage. Prices are $10 for half and $15 for whole.

For more information, call Ruth at 541-888-2736 or Donna at 541-888-0146.

Storyteller at CB library Feb. 13

Coos Bay Public Library will host a Valentine’s Day program at the library at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13. Oregon musician and storyteller Ann-Louise Sterry will present a program that combines children’s music, song and storytelling with audience participation.

Sterry, who lives in Canby, has developed Simply Songs and Stories, a music and storytelling program that will appeal to young and old alike, according to a press release. 

Sterry’s performance will be followed by a Valentine’s craft and treats. The 45-minute program is free and all ages are invited to attend.

For more information call 541-269-1101. All programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Coos Bay Library.

SEA seminar Feb. 20 at OIMB

Shoreline Education for Awareness will present the second of its series of educational seminars on Saturday, Feb. 20, at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology Boathouse auditorium in Charleston. A previous story listed the date incorrectly.

The Feb. 20 program is called “Marine Mammals” and features  Dr. Jan Hodder of OIMB. The program will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., followed by a field trip to Simpson’s Reef after lunch.

The seminars are intended to prepare volunteers for service as docents (wildlife interpreters), but the public is also welcome to attend.

Doors open and registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The seminar is free to SEA members and to children younger than 17; cost for nonmembers is $5. Lunch is $6 for each order placed prior to the start of the morning seminar, or participants may bring their own lunch.

Park alongside Boatbasin Road prior to the U.S. Coast Guard residences and walk to the Boathouse auditorium. Assistance from the parking area can be provided by calling SEA.

For more information, contact SEA at 541-260-7770.

Caregiver class offered

People watching over adults are invited to take the class Powerful Tools for Caregivers this spring.

This program is designed to help unpaid caregivers of older adults reduce stress, improve self-confidence and communicate feelings better, a press release said. It also attempts to help caregivers balance their lives, increase their ability to make tough decisions and locate helpful resources. The tools are offered through interactive lessons, discussions and brainstorming.

The classes will be offered from 2 to 4:30 p.m. six consecutive Wednesdays, March 3 through April 7. They will be held at the Bay Area Community Health & Education Center, 3950 Sherman, North Bend. (Across the street from Baycrest Village.)

Classes are free, thanks to support from CARE Connections, a program of Southwestern Oregon Community College.  “The Caregiver Helpbook,” developed specifically for the class, is available for $25.  (Purchase of book is not necessary to attend the class).

Class size is limited and pre-registration is required. For information, call Char Luther at 541-266-0806 or e-mail to ckluther@hotmail.com, with “Caregiver Class” in subject line.

Writers workshop in Gold Beach

Writers are invited to the 15th annual South Coast Writers Conference on Febr. 12-13 in Gold Beach. It’s hosted by Southwestern Oregon Community College and the Gold Beach Visitor’s Center.

The conference includes two days of workshops, author readings, book signings and writer critique circles.

Workshops begin Friday, Feb. 12, with participants choosing one of three seminar selections. Four 90-minute workshops are offered on Saturday, Feb. 13, with six options for each session. The price for both days is $115 ($125 after Jan. 31). Cost for the Saturday workshops is $60 ($70 after Jan. 31).

The free Friday Night Author Readings, scheduled at 7 p.m. on Feb. 12, will be held in the Showcase Building on the Curry County fairgrounds.

For more information or to request a brochure, contact Southwestern’s Gold Beach Center at 541-247-2741. Complete information is also available on the conference at www.socc.edu/scwriters.

Survival seminar in NB

A survival seminar will be held from 1 to 5 p.m., Feb. 27, at the North Bend Community Building. Guest speaker will be Peter Kummerfeldt. Kummerfeldt is the founder of, and chief instructor for Outdoor Safe Inc., an organization that conducts outdoor safety skills seminars, survival training programs and travel safety seminars through the United States and internationally.

For more information about Kummerfeldt, go to outdoorsafe@attglobal.net or peterk45@attglobal.net. For more information about the seminar, call Fullerton at 541-267-2577.