SH Foundation grants available
The Sweet Home Community Foundation has begun its annual grant cycle.
The foundation’s goal is to provide funding and support to a wide variety of local projects and activities that provide lasting improvements to the community.
Grants are given in the following categories: Children and Families; Education; Livability and Arts and Culture. Grants of between $250 and $2,500 are normally awarded but consideration may be given to requests up to $5,000, based upon the project need and quality.
Grant application packets are available for download at http://www.sweethomecommunityfoundation.org.
Completed applications must be returned to the Sweet Home Community Foundation, P.O. Box 24, Sweet Home, OR, 97386, by 5 p.m. on Feb. 13.
Grant applicants must be 501(c)3 or other qualified tax-exempt organizations or the proposed project may be implemented in partnership or affiliation with such an organization.
Support for the Foundation is provided through the generosity of local businesses and individuals.
Grant award recipients will be announced in March.
Chamber seeks award nominations
Nominations for Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce awards are being sought.
The 71st Annual Awards Banquet will be held March 14. Nomination forms are available at the chamber office, 1575 Main St.
Awards are given for Business of the Year, Service Organization of the Year, First Citizen, Junior First Citizen, Distinguished Service, Woman of the Year, and V.I.P, the latter presented by the Presidents Club.
For more information or to learn about criteria for each award, contact the Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce at (541) 367-6186.
Learn how to prep vegetable garden
Linn-Benton Community College’s Lebanon Center is offering a free Winter Gardening Series that meets Thursdays from noon to 12:50 p.m. at the Lebanon Center Annex, 44 Industrial Way.
This week’s speaker is Sheryl Casteen, a Master Gardener, who will cover how to get vegetable garden beds ready for planting, spraying and pruning trees/shrubs, and how to plant seedlings for transplanting.
Pick up a complete list of topics and dates at the LBCC Lebanon or Sweet Home Centers.
USFS to discuss Trout Creek plans
The Sweet Home Ranger District will hold a public meeting to discuss the results of two field trips, held last year to inform the public about plans for managing the Trout Creek drainage, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, at the Large Conference Room, 4431 Highway 20, Sweet Home.
Ranger district staffers will talk about what they learned from those trips and take input from the public on the project ideas that have been developed in the interim.
The discussion will include an overview of project ideas relating to streams and wild fish, forests and wildlife, community and culture, and potential harvest units.
Light snacks will be provided, but participants should bring a lunch.
Those interested in attending should RSVP, by Jan. 30 if possible, to Amanda Colton at [email protected].
For more information, contact Colton by email or at (541) 367-3540 or Anita Leach at [email protected] or (541) 367-3538.
Children’s choir concert Saturday
The Sweet Home Children’s Community Choir will hold its first concert at 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, at at Sweet Home Church of the Nazarene, 415 Holley Road.
This group was recently organized and consists of children ages kindergarten through eighth grade. The community is invited.
For more information, contact Wendy at (503) 334-6685.
Triathlon clinic in Lebanon this week
Jump start or accelerate your triathlon experience in a starter offered by Linn-Benton Community College’s Lebanon Center.
The two-day clinic is designed to improve your technique and offer strategies to streamline your swim, boost your biking ability, run efficiently and transition smoothly, all while meeting your nutrition and hydration needs. Learn about safety, sighting, gear planning, realistic goal setting and more.
The clinic meets Thursday, Jan. 29, from 7:30 to 9:20 p.m. at the Lebanon Community Pool, 1800 S. 5th St., and Saturday, Jan. 31 from 9 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. at the LBCC Lebanon Center Annex, 44 Industrial Way. Cost is $69.
For more information or to register, contact the LBCC Lebanon Center at (541) 259-5801.
Foster Dam Road closure next week
Foster Dam Road will closed from Monday, Feb. 2 through Thursday, Feb. 5 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The road closure is needed to conduct dive operations to remove fish research monitoring and evaluation equipment.
For more information, call (541) 942-5631.
Diabetes support group at hospital
People woith diabetes or pre-diabetes can learn more about managing their condition at a free monthly support group at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital.
The hospital’s Diabetes Education team will host the group on the first Monday of each month, from 11 a.m. to noon, at the hospital. One of the team’s educators will lead a lesson, followed by time for any questions that participants may have.
Upcoming topics include:
n Feb. 2: Diabetes and footwear with Rube Peterson of Samaritan Medical Supplies;
n March 2: Diabetes and oral health with dental hygienist Linda James;
n April 6: Spirituality and advance directive planning, with Chaplain Wes Sedlacek.
Registration is required as space is limited. For more information, or to sign up, call (541) 451-6313.
Library invites parents and kids
Sweet Home Library will hold a free “Take your child to the Library Day” on Saturday, Feb. 7, filled with fun activities for children of all ages.
Parents and grandparents are invited to bring a child to the library, and help them discover the magic of reading. The library offers a world of books for children of all ages, as well as movies, magazines, special events, and much more.
Events on Feb. 7 will include Legos and crafts from 10 a.m. to noon, Storytime from noon to 1 p.m., Music with Steve Burtch from 1 to 2 p.m., and board games all day, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, contact Library Services Director Rose Peda at (541) 367-5007.
Volunteers needed for trail clean-up
Volunteers are needed for a work party that will be doing some maintenance on the South Hills Trail from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.-ish Saturday, Feb. 7.
The trail will be part of the route for the Sweetheart Run 5K and 10K on Saturday, Feb. 14.
Meet on the south end of 10th Avenue just inside the entrance where the trail meets 10th just inside the entrance to the Canyon Creek neighborhood.
Bring gloves and any combination of the following they have available: pruners, wheelbarrows, rakes, shovels, weed whackers, etc. For more information, contact Jon Meier at [email protected].
Meals on Wheels
weekly menu
Meals on Wheels, also known as Your Table or Ours, offers lunch at the Sweet Home Community Center to seniors over 60 at noon on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.
Suggested donation is $3.50. All meals are served with milk, coffee or tea upon request and diabetic desserts are available on request.
The lunch menu on Friday, Jan. 30, is chicken lo mein or beef and black bean chili, whole kernel corn, garden vegetable salad, seven grain roll, Mandarin oranges and pineapple.
The menu for Monday, Jan. 2, is scalloped potatoes and ham or three-cheese lasagna, cut green beans, spinach Romaine salad, cornmeal roll and fresh orange.
The menu for Tuesday, Jan. 3, is turkey or tuna salad sandwich half on wheat bread, minestrone soup, Marin spring garden salad and pineapple.
For more information, call (541) 367-8843.
The Linn County Small Woodlands chapter will hold its annual seedling sale from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Linn County Fair and Expo in Albany.
The sale will include a wide variety of conifers, hardwoods and shrubs.
Prices for conifers are $1.25 to $1.50 depending on species. The prices for the hardwoods and shrubs are $1.50 to $3. Bagged sword fern will be available at $5. Some of the trees and shrubs are excellent for smaller places around a home, flower in the spring and/or have nice fall colored leaves. Most seedlings will be 2-year old bare root or plugs, directly from the nursery.
An information table will be available to view samples, see pictures and read information about the seedlings. An OSU Extension-trained master woodland manager will be there to answer questions and provide information on which trees are best suited for a particular planting site.
For the fifth year, there will be display and sale of local wood products. While the list of participants has not been completed, we hope to have vendors with native woods and wood products available for viewing and sale.
Portions of the money earned will be used to help fund the Linn County Chapter’s educational programs for youth in Linn County. These include 4-H and college scholarships.
For more information, contact Fay or Sherm Sallee at (541) 451-5322 or email: [email protected].
The Sweet Home Garden Club invites local residents to help make floral arrangements for Sweet Home shut-ins at 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9, at the fellowship hall at Fir Lawn Lutheran Church, on the corner of 1st Avenue and Highway 228.
For more information, contact Vivian at (541) 367-8894.
Thinking about attending college, or looking to improve your job skills?
Plan to attend College Night 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9, on the second floor of the Calapooia Center at Linn-Benton Community College’s Albany campus, 6500 Pacific Blvd. SW. The event is free.
Visit with faculty advisors and explore your degree and career options. Learn about LBCC’s degree partnership programs with Oregon State University and Oregon Institute of Technology, and special admissions programs.
Information will be available on financial aid, scholarships and how to earn college credits while still in high school.
“A Look Beyond the Books” showcases clubs, co-curricular programs, theater, music, and short-term training programs from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Forum building, room F-104.
Campus tours will be held from 5 to 6 p.m.
Register online at http://www.linnbenton.edu/college-night or call LBCC Admissions at (541) 917-4847.
Sweet Home Public Library and the Willamette Writers on the River will co-hosting a free open mic event from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12.
Bring your stories and poems and read for applause or just listen. All skill levels and genres are welcome.
Sign-up table opens at 6:15 p.m. There are a few rules:
n First to sign up is first to read. Total number of readers will be limited by available time.
N Time limit per reader is seven minutes and only one prose piece is allowed during the seven-minute time frame.
N No graphic violence, sex or hate.
For more information, contact Library Services Director Rose Peda at (541) 367-5007.
Get to know your iPhone’s basic functions and useful features in a class offered by Linn-Benton Community College’s Sweet Home Center.
Explore the touchscreen interface, type with the intelligent keyboard, setup your email account, and confidently manage your preferences in the Settings menu. Take advantage of standard iPhone Apps (camera, maps, notes, and music) and download new apps from the App Store. This class is suitable for iPhone beginners, using any generation of iPhone device.
Class will meet Wednesdays from 6 to 7:50 p.m. starting Feb. 11 at the LBCC Sweet Home Center, 1661 Long St.
Cost is $49.
For more information, see the LBCC online schedule at http://www.linnbenton.edu or call (541) 367-6901.
Linn-Benton Community College’s Lebanon Center is offering a free Winter Gardening Series that meets Thursdays from noon to 12:50 p.m. at the Lebanon Center Annex, 44 Industrial Way.
This week’s speaker will be Dave Van Essen, owner of Van Essen Nurseries in Lebanon, who will show and talk about new plants for this spring season from his nursery.
Pick up a complete list of topics and dates at the LBCC Lebanon or Sweet Home Centers.
David Devin will speak on “DNA – A Non-Technical Presentation” to the Linn Genealogical Society at 1:15 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, at the Albany Public Library, 2450 14th Ave. SE.
Devin will show how DNA test results can be used to connect with cousins, and add value to genealogy research. Genealogical DNA test results are another tool to help prove (or disprove) paper trail research. However, knowing how to interpret and use DNA results may be the biggest stumbling block to furthering research.
Devin will demonstrate how to use the tools provided on the testing companies’ websites to identify genetic cousins without exporting test results to a spreadsheet. While he will be using the tools on the FamilyTreeDNA website, the principles can be applied to other testing company’s tools.
For more information call the LGS Library at (541) 791-1618, or visit http://www.lgsoregon.org.
Interested in starting an online business? Ready to sell those unwanted items collecting dust? Learn how to effectively use Craigslist, eBay, and Etsy in a class offered by Linn-Benton Community College’s Lebanon Center.
Explore shopping options and popular marketplace services while learning to create ads to attract buyers and other strategies to get results and protect yourself as both buyer and seller. Class meets Wednesdays from 1 to 2:50 p.m. starting Feb. 18 at the LBCC Lebanon Center, 44 Industrial Way. Cost is $59.
For more information, see the LBCC online schedule at http://www.linnbenton.edu or call (541) 259-5801.
Learn the basics of watercolor and build a good foundation to expand your creativity in a two-day workshop offered by Linn-Benton Community College’s Sweet Home Center.
This class is for those just beginning or those wanting to broaden their understanding and explore new techniques. Class will meet Feb. 19 and 26 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the LBCC Sweet Home Center, 1661 Long Street. Cost is $59.
For more information, see the LBCC online schedule at http://www.linnbenton.edu or call (541) 367-6901.
Linn-Benton Community College’s Lebanon Center is offering a free Winter Gardening Series that meets Thursdays from noon to 12:50 p.m. at the Lebanon Center Annex, 44 Industrial Way.
This week’s speaker is Brenda Winslow of Sweet Home, a Master Gardener who will teach how to have flowers in your gardens three seasons out of the year and what to do in February to start the process.
Pick up a complete list of topics and dates at the LBCC Lebanon or Sweet Home Centers.
Have you ever wondered what the Corps of Discovery did in Oregon, what happened on their way back to St. Louis in 1806, or what Lewis and Clark and their companions did after they disbanded?
Learn all about Lewis and Clark and their great expedition in a class offered on Wednesdays, beginning Feb. 18, by Linn-Benton Community College’s Sweet Home Center.
The class will provide insight into these questions and give perspective from the tribal point of view. The first week will focus on the Oregon winter and the return trip while the final session will examine the fate of the main players including tribal leaders. Sweet Home Ranger District Archeologist Tony Farque will narrate.
Class will meet Wednesdays from 1 to 2:50 p.m. starting Feb. 18 at the LBCC Sweet Home Center, 1661 Long St.
For more information, see the LBCC online schedule at http://www.linnbenton.edu or call (541) 367-6901.
A free Dollars and Sense class will be held by Willamette Neighborhood Housing Services Saturday, Feb. 21 from 9 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. at the Linn-Benton Lebanon Center Annex, 44 Industrial Way.
Using hands-on tools and group discussions, the class will teach money management skills to reach financial goals, such as setting and following a budget. Workshop participants are also eligible for free one-on-one support from certified credit and budget specialists.
Registration is required by contacting Willamette Neighborhood Housing Services: http://www.w-nhs.org, or email [email protected], or call (541) 752-7220, Ext. 300.
Linn-Benton Community College’s Lebanon Center is offering a free Winter Gardening Series that meets Thursdays from noon to 12:50 p.m. at the Lebanon Center Annex, 44 Industrial Way.
This week’s speaker is Carol Small, a horticulturist and Master Gardener, who will discuss one of her favorite plants, native cyclamens, a hardy and easy-to-grow plant for outside growing.
Pick up a complete list of topics and dates at the LBCC Lebanon or Sweet Home Centers.
Learn what you should know about taxation for tree farms and how to lower the bite in a free workshop held Wednesday, Feb. 25 from 7 to 8:20 p.m. at the LBCC Lebanon Center, 44 Industrial Way.
The workshop will cover free to grow, logging, severance taxes and more. Class is open to everyone and there will be time for questions and answers. It is co-sponsored by Linn County Small Woodland Association and OSU Extension Service.
For more information, call (541) 259-5801.
Nominations are being accepted for candidates for Linn-Benton Community College’s Distinguished Alumnus Award.
The award is open to former LBCC students who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in their profession or through service to their community, and who have completed at least 36 credits at LBCC.
Deadline for submission is Friday, Feb. 27. Nomination forms are available online at http://www.linnbenton.edu/distinguished-alumni. Nominees will be honored at a reception held April 22 at the college.
For more information or to pick up a nomination form, contact Dale Stowell, executive director, LBCC College Advancement, at (541) 917-4784.
Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance, SHIBA, will hold a class that covers the basics of Medicare parts A, B, C and D on Thursday, March 19 from 10 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. at the LBCC Lebanon Center Annex, 44 Industrial Way.
The class is designed for anyone who will be eligible for Medicare within a few months or is new to Medicare, or for current beneficiaries who would like a better understand their Medicare benefits and options for changes or additional coverage. Spouses and other relatives are welcome to attend. The free class is taught by a SHIBA counselor and sponsored by Linn-Benton RSVP.
Preregistration is required by calling (541) 812-0849.