Awards banquet canceled
Due to mask mandates imposed earlier this summer by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, the Lebanon Chamber of Commerce has announced the cancellation of its Distinguished Service Awards Banquet, originally scheduled for Friday, Sept. 24.
“Given the current mask mandates and potential for further restrictions that may soon be coming down the line, the Eboard has opted to postpone this event until 2022,” Chamber Executive Director Rebecca Grizzle said in a statement. “We understand and share the frustration this causes many of you, and appreciate your patience as we try to work to make these events happen safely.
“The good news is that we have a very enthusiastic and dedicated DSA Committee that will be working on creating three different paths to move forward so that regardless of any COVID restrictions, we have an avenue for 2022.”
Grizzle said that if the chamber is able to hold an indoor event, unrestricted by COVID restraints, it will be scheduled for Friday, Feb. 18, 2022 at Boulder Falls Event Center.
“Should that date get close and it becomes obvious that we will not be able to gather then, we will move forward with other options that will include an outdoor venue or an electronic venue,” she said.
Nomination forms that have been turned in will be retained until next year, she said.
“We have so many great people in Lebanon to be recognized, and we look forward to gathering again soon,” Grizzle said.
Summer Bands & Brews series
The annual Summer Bands & Brews series runs from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturdays through September at Strawberry Plaza, 847 S. Main St.
The park is located between Conversion Brewing and Hollywood Studio.
Performers include Gabriel Fox (Sept. 14), SOS (Sept. 21) and DTW (Sept. 28).
Admission is free, and food and drink will be available for purchase.
Linn GOP sets gala and auction
The Linn County Republican Party is holding a gala and auction fundraiser Saturday, Sept. 11, at the Linn County Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road E., Albany.
A silent auction begins at 4:30 p.m., followed by dinner and speakers at 6 p.m. and a live auction at 7.
Arizona Republican party chair Kelli Ward is the event’s keynote speaker, with past Oregon Republican party chair Bill Currier as guest speaker.
Advance tickets are $90 general, $160 for two guest tickets and $800 for a sponsor table of eight (while available). To purchase tickets, visit linngop.com/tickets.
Free class about native pollinators
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 each month through November at extension.oregonstate.edu/mg/growing-oregon-gardeners-level-series.
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.
Sept. 14’s topic is “Gardening with Native Plants for Pollinators.” Native plant gardening has been ranked as one of the top three landscape and garden trends over the past few years, in part because of the benefits that they offer to pollinators. This talk will share research conducted by the OSU Garden Ecology Lab about the connection between natives and pollinators, as well as provide recommendations for native plants for western Ore-gon gardeners.
The classes are free but registration is required. To make them accessible to those who cannot attend the live session, the classes will be recorded and available at extension.oregonstate.edu/mg/growing-oregon-gardeners-level-series for anyone to watch.
Register by clicking on the desired class, then hitting the “register” button.
After 5 back with Sept. 14 program
After 5 Connection returns Tuesday, Sept. 14, with “Healthy Habits,” a dinner and special program running from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Ma’s Restaurant, 2416 S. Santiam Hwy., Lebanon.
All ladies and gentlemen are invited. Soloist Jen Justus, of Lebanon, will perform.
Becky McMahon, a certified health and wellness coach in Albany, will share tips on healthy habits, educating and counseling women on matters of health. Guest speaker Pat Abernathy, of Madras, is a caregiver and community health planner as well as a Facebook “foodie,” and maker of “decadent goodies.” She will relate stories of her adventures.
Cost is $15, which includes everything. Credit cards cannot be accepted.
For reservations, contact Sherri at (541) 258-6414 or Nancy at (541) 259-1396 or by email at [email protected]. If unable to attend, please cancel your reservation.
Vision support group to meet
The Mid Valley Low Vision Support Group will meet at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15, at Brookdale Grand Prairie, 1929 Grand Prairie Road, Albany.
Updated optical equipment will be on display and available for purchase. The equipment is provided by IRIE, a low-vision equipment supplier in Corvallis. Attendees are encouraged to handle the equipment and test its use.
No admission is charged for the event, and no membership in the group is necessary. Cookies, coffee and tea provided. The meeting facility, however, will require face masks.
For transportation issues or further information, contact Ellen Lilja at (541) 974-6233.
Farm Bureau seeks calendar photos
The Oregon Farm Bureau invites the public to submit their best photos of Oregon agriculture for a chance to be featured in the 2022 Oregon’s Beauty calendar.
Horizontal-layout, high-resolution images are needed of all types of agriculture. Suggested subjects include rural scenery; portraits of farmers, ranchers or farm families; planting or harvest shots; scenes from farm stands or farmers markets; and close-ups of fruit, vegetables, flowers, crops and farm animals. Photographers selected for month pages will receive photo credits, plus copies of the finished calendar.
Submission deadline is Wednesday, Sept. 15. Instructions, photo specifications, contest rules and examples of previous calendars are available at www.oregonfb.org/calendar.
Community Resource Fair
The Family Assistance and Resource Center Group is holding a Lebanon Community Resource Fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16, at the River Center, 3000 S. Santiam Hwy., Lebanon.
Services include vaccinations, haircuts and dental checks, all free of charge.
For more information, visit www.facforthehomeless.org.
Brewfest returns at Cheadle Park
Lebanon Brewfest is back this year, with live bands, refreshing beverages and lots of other goodies.
This year’s event will be held Saturday, Sept. 18, at Cheadle Lake Park, 37941 Weirich Drive.
Starting at 1 p.m., the event features four bands: Rudolf Korv at 1:30 p.m., Inner Limits at 3 p.m., Adam Larson & Co. at 4:30 p.m. and Ty Curtis at 6:30 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket.
Also expected are 30 breweries, distilleries and wineries in addition to a curated selection of food trucks, local vendors, a family fun zone.
General admission tickets are $20, which includes three tasting tickets and a tasting glass. Additional tasting tickets will be available to those 21 or older. All attendees must present valid government IDs at the gate. No exceptions.
Non-drinker admission is also available at $10 per person. Children under 12 are admitted free.
Bridges, Bikes and Brews in Scio
The Scio Fairgrounds and Event Center is holding its inaugural Bridges, Bikes and Brews event on Saturday, Sept. 18.
Event registration and check-in runs from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Bike Tour Desk, which will be located at the fairground’s pavilion, 38999 NE First Ave., Scio. Fairground activities run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The day includes a covered-bridge biking event, guided van tours, live music, food trucks, local breweries and more. The bicycling event itself covers 22 miles of country landscape on 200 feet of elevation, three historic covered bridges, first-aid and water stations, and a free gift for the first 100 participants.
Riders are asked to bring a water bottle, spare tube, helmets, tire-changing tools and sunscreen. They will also be required to sign a liability release statement before registration.
For more information and to register, visit https://scioevents.com/bridges-bikes-and-brews.
Pianist schedules free concert
Dr. Carmen Wolthuis Hall will perform a piano concert at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 20, in the auditorium of Sweet Home High School, 1641 Long St.
Hall will perform works by Chopin, Schumann and Rachmaninoff. Admission is free, but donations for humanitarian projects sponsored by Rotary International and the Sweet Home Oregon Coalition for Artistic and Scholastic Enrichment will be accepted.
Hall grew up in Sweet Home and is now a faculty member at Mountain Springs Chamber Music Festival in Utah. She recently completed her doctoral degree in piano performance at the University of Utah.
The Gala Piano Quartet veteran has previously won the University of Utah’s SummerArts Competition, and has performed as a soloist with the Timpanogos Symphony, Brigham Young University Philharmonic and the Emerald Chamber Orchestra.
She is currently the chair of Theory and Ear Training Evaluation for Utah’s Encore Music Teachers Organization and recently received a grant to launch the Timpanogos Chamber Music Series.
Friends of Library book sale Sept. 27
The Lebanon Friends of the Library will hold its September book sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Sept. 27, in the community meeting room at the Lebanon Public Library, 55 Academy St.
Included in the sale will be a back stock of books, new donations, audiobooks, DVDs, special sets of vintage children’s books and classic literature, “blind date” books, and a selection of carved vintage book art including limited edition Christmas designs and new mythical creatures designs.
Payment is restricted to cash or checks.
Funding for social accountability
Nonprofit organizations in Linn and Benton counties interested in applying for social accountability funding from Samaritan-affiliated hospitals in those counties are invited to submit full proposals no later than 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 1.
Complete proposals must address one of the following social determinants of health: economic stability, health-care access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context. Specifically, a project must identify how it will address the particular determinant of health, identify the target population the project will address and must have measurable outputs.
For more information, contact Community Health Promotion director JoAnn Miller at (541) 768-7330 or [email protected], or Shelley Hazelton at (541) 768-5256 or [email protected].
Sign up for Oregon artist registry
Professional Oregon-based artists are encouraged to sign up for a statewide artists registry created by the Oregon Commission in partnership with The Ford Family Foundation.
The registry’s intent is to reach and connect as many Oregon artists as possible, including those who haven’t previously accessed funding programs.
Once established, the registry will allow the commission and The Ford Family Foundation, as well as other funding partners, to distribute information about upcoming funding opportunities. It will also create more comprehensive data about Oregon for artists for planning and advocacy purposes.
While the registry will remain open, artists are encouraged to sign up by Thursday, Sept. 30, to establish a base registry.
Applications are available online at bit.ly/3f8ddEi.