Around Town for mid-March to mid-April 2021

City seeks advisory board members

The City of Lebanon invites interested persons to apply for upcoming terms expiring on June 30, and current vacant positions on the following City of Lebanon Commission/Committees:
♦ Arts Commission – two openings, three-year term;
♦ Budget Committee – two openings, three-year term;
♦ Budget Committee – (remaining term of vacant position) one opening, two-year term;
♦ Library Advisory Committee – two openings, three-year term;
♦ Library Advisory Committee (remaining term of vacant position) two openings, two-year term;
♦ Planning Commission – four openings, four-year term;
♦ Senior & Disabled Services Advisory Committee – one opening, three-year term; and
♦ Trees & Trails Advisory Committee – two openings, three-year term.
All terms commence July 1, 2021.
Membership requirements for each Commission/Committee can be found on the City’s website under each Commission/Committee’s webpage https://www.ci.lebanon.or.us/cc
To apply, fill out a City Board/Committee/Commission Application available on the city’s website at www.ci.lebanon.or.us/cc/page/boardcommissioncommittee- vacancies or pick one up at City Hall, 925 Main St.
Deadline for applications is 5 p.m. on May 3 to the City Recorder, 925 Main St., Lebanon, OR 97355 or [email protected].

Arts guild offers scratchboard class

Local artist Donna Lee is offering a class in making scratchboard images of lions from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 13, at the Linn County Arts Guild gallery, 605 Main St. in downtown Lebanon.
Cost is $30, which includes all supplies except a knife, which must be provided by the participant. An Exacto or similar is required.
Lee will offer the class again, focusing on tigers, on Saturday, April 10, at the same time and location. For information, visit linncountyartsguild.org or call (541) 497-0386.

‘Food Garden’ class starts March 16

Master Gardener and Porter Park Manager Sheryl Casteen hosts free organic “Food Garden” classes Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. starting March 16 indoors at the Lebanon Senior Center, 80 Tangent St.
The series of six classes include lecture and hands-on learning, and is best suited for new gardeners and those needing a refresher course.
Understand why plants don’t produce, learn what to feed your soil, recognized plant disease and nutrient deficiencies, identify insects, and determine whether to plant in ground or in containers.
Reservations are required. Reserve a spot by sending an email to [email protected]. Space is limited due to social distancing. Masks are required.

May 18 election deadline nears

March 18 is the deadline for candidates in several local district elections, which will be held May 18.
Two Lebanon School Board seats will be on the ballot.
Seats for Zone 2, currently occupied by Tom Oliver, and Zone 5, currently occupied by Todd Gestrin, are open. Both seats have four-year terms.
The Lebanon Rural Fire Protection District Seat 2 position is also open. It is also a four-year term.
Two seats are open on the Lebanon Aquatic District Board of Directors: Positions 4 and 5. Both are four-year terms.
Four seats are open on the North Lebanon Water Control District board: Positions 3, 5,8 and 9, all four-year terms.
Each candidate for an office listed must file a Declaration of Candidacy or Petition for Nomination for Office with the Elections Department of Linn County not later than 5 p.m. Thursday, March 18, with the Linn County Clerk Elections Office at 300 SW 4TH AVE, Room 205, PO BOX 100 Albany, OR 97321.
Prospective candidates may access the SEL 190 form and other forms at sos.oregon.gov/elections/Pages/electionforms.aspx.
Also, for a link to the “County, City and District Candidate’s Manual,” which gives potential candidates additional information on filing, visit sos.oregon.gov/elections/Pages/manuals-tutorials.aspx.
For additional information, contact the Linn County Clerk’s Office at (541) 967-3831.

Student plays online from OSU

Oregon State University Theatre will present “Ten Minutes at the Townsend,” an anthology of student plays set in a small-town diner, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 19.
The event will be streamed with the support of KBVR-TV on the KBVR YouTube channel.
The original works by OSU students are all based in the real town of Strawberry, California. The short slice-of-life conversations are set in a small diner in the fictional town of Pine Riverbend during the years of 1980-1989, and all take place in the same diner booth. The filmed project includes six 10-minute plays and a three-minute coda.
Student playwrights brainstormed ideas, which developed into this collection of loosely-related stories about the bonds of family, growing up and small town life.
Tickets to the virtual event are available for purchase. Patrons can name their own price to support the work of OSU Theatre. Further support came from KBVR and the OSU campus branch of U.S. Bank.

Republicans plan family fun day

Linn County Republicans will hold an inaugural Family Day and Fishing Derby at a to-be-disclosed location from 11 a.m. to 5 pm. Sunday, March 21.
The event will include yard games, a barbecue lunch, a raffle, a fishing contest with prizes, Oregon Kettle Corn available for purchase, and old-fashioned ice cream treats from Bontrager’s tractor.
Cost is $5 per person or $20 per family (four or more). Tickets are available at linngop.com.familyday.
Location will be privided at ticket purchase.

Legion Auxiliary bazaar March 26-27

American Legion Auxiliary Albany Unit 10 will hold its Spring Blossoms Bazaar Friday and Saturday, March 26 and 27, at the American Legion Albany Post 10, 1215 SE Pacific Blvd., Albany.
The event will feature local crafters and artisans as well as home-based business representatives showcasing their creations and products for shoppers just in time for Easter and Mother’s Day. Parking in the back of the Post hall, off 7th). Hours of operation are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

SafeHaven bottle drive March 27

Lebanon Gift and Thrift is hosting a SafeHaven Fill the Van with Cans fundraiser from 10 am. To 2 p.m. Saturday, March 27, at 914 S. Second St.
The SafeHaven van will be available to accept empty cans and bottles for redemption as a fundraiser for its animal clients. There is no charge to participate.
For more information, visit safehavenhumane.org.event/fill-the-van/.

ABC House to hold fundraiser April 1

ABC House will hold a Cele-brate Hope fundraiser online at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 1.
This year’s theme is “United in Hope” and the event will be hosted via Zoom. Prior to the event, participants can pick up a Celebration Kit (hors d’oeuvres and a cocktail) from Sybaris Bistro in Albany. The last day to register for food and drink is March 25. There is no cost.
The event will include information on ABC House’s mission and how the organization stands up and supports children and youth in our community.
For more information or to register, visit www.abchouse.org/events/celebrate-hope/ or email Leslie Fager at [email protected].

April 2 First Friday to be poker run

Lebanon Downtown Association will hold a “First Friday Poker Run” Friday, April 2, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m in the downtown business district.
Purchase Poker Game Tally Cards for $5 each the day of the event at the LDA office, 680 S Main St.
There is no cost to watch.
Game play starts at 11 a.m., and last cards will be drawn at 7 p.m. Each game includes two $1 drink tokens for participating locations.
For more information, call (971) 777-3934.

OSU open call for ag art submissions

Art About Agriculture, an annual exhibition of agriculture-themed artwork coordinated by Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences, is holding an open call for artists to participate in the 2021 exhibition.
This year’s show will be a competitive, juried exhibition. The deadline for submissions is April 4. The show is scheduled to open for viewing with limited occupancy on June 4 at Giustina Gallery in the LaSells Stewart Center on Oregon State’s Corvallis campus. The reception date and details are currently undetermined due to COVID-19 considerations.
The theme for 2021 is simple: Art About Agriculture. Artists from the Pacific Northwest are invited to consider the influence and inspiration from agriculture found in their artwork. All visual art styles and approaches are welcome.
Last year, Art About Agriculture hosted its first juried exhibit in a decade, attracting 208 art submissions from across the Pacific Northwest, including 11 acquired by the College of Agricultural Sciences.
The permanent collection contains 379 works of art by 229 artists. Artworks are exhibited on the OSU campus in Corvallis and by loan agreement throughout Oregon and other parts of the Northwest.
Jurors for the 2021 competition and touring exhibition are: Tanmaya Bingham, director of One River School of Art + Design in Lake Oswego and internationally exhibiting artist; Bob Keefer, former arts writer for The Register-Guard newspaper in Eugene and current arts editor for Eugene Weekly, author and artist; Joyce Loper, associate dean for research and professor of botany and plant pathology in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University; Debby Sundbaum-Sommers, Philomath-based artist and educator with artwork in numerous public and private collections; and Robyn Williams, executive director of Portland’5 Centers for the Arts and mixed media artist.
Artworks selected for the exhibitions will be eligible for art purchase awards funded by Art About Agriculture’s purchase awards-specific endowments and donations from patrons.  Purchased artwork will be added to the Art About Agriculture Permanent Collection.
For more information on the exhibit and details for submitting entries, visit agsci.oregonstate.edu/art/art-about-agriculture.

Guild seeks art for art show

The Linn County Arts Guild & Gallery seeks local artists to display and sell artwork during the store’s “Li’l Art Show” sixth anniversary at 605 Main St.
Art must be original pieces from the artist. Hanging art must be ready to hang and not exceed 8″ x 10″, including the frame. 3-D art must not exceed 8″ x 10″ x 10″, including stand or base.
Limit two entries per person. All artwork will be for sale, and 20 percent of proceeds to be paid to the gallery.
Art will be accepted during store hours April 6-17 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays. The show will run from April 20 to May 29. Unsold artwork can be picked up June 1-5 during business hours.
For more information, call (541) 497-0386 during business hours.

Search and Rescue recruiting teens

The Linn County Sheriff’s Office is recruiting young men and women, ages 14 to 18, to join the Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team and participate in a 10 day summer training program.
This will be the 27th Search and Rescue Training Academy in Linn County and will be held June 18 through June 28.
Those who are interested in becoming an integral part of the Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue mission should have an interest in community service and a desire to be a part of a highly trained and professional life saving organization.
There is an application process that includes oral interviews, a background check and physical aptitude test.  Applicants must attend one recruit meeting at the Sheriff’s office at 7 p.m. on either April 12  or May 10 to attend the academy. Successful applicants will be eligible to attend the 10-day Search and Rescue Training Academy in June.
The training will include classes in wilderness survival, shelter building, search tactics, first aid/CPR, map and compass reading, rappelling, and many more topics.
For more information about the program contact Lt. Joe Larsen at the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, (541) 812-2272, or visit the Linn County Sheriff’s Office website at www.linnsheriff.org.  Online applications are available on the website and at the Sheriff’s Office in Albany.

Free OSU Master Gardeners class

The Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener program is offering a series of free virtual monthly classes, The Growing Oregon Gardeners: Level Up Series, which will be broadcast via Zoom webinar at 3 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month through November.
The classes, which include topics as far-ranging as Dazzling Dahlias to Adapting Your Garden and Landscape to Climate Change, are meant for those with a bit of gardening under their belt.
The topic for April 13 will be “Dazzling Dahlias.”
Learn all about this popular plant, including the varieties that do well in your location, how to prep a site and how to plant, care and tend dahlias throughout the season. The session will also cover how to identify, plan for and treat common pests and diseases.
Before the pandemic, this series would have been held in person solely as continuing education for Master Gardeners, but the webinar format allows the sessions to be offered to the public.
The content, taught by horticulture experts from around the state, is meant to address current issues like wildfires, climate change and pollinators.

SafeHaven online auction fundraiser

Coastal Farms will host “Fixer Upper,” a virtual benefit auction for SafeHaven, April 14-17.
The event will include a wide variety of items to bid on from the comfort of home. Participation is free.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/events/413606163061263 or email Event Coordinator Steph Lesire at [email protected].