The New Era - All about Sweet Home since 1929

Meals on Wheels weekly menu

Meals on Wheels/Senior Meals offers an on-site lunch for seniors over 60 at noon Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays at the Sweet Home Community Center.

There is a suggested donation of $3.50 per meal.

Meals are ordered in advance, and are the same meals as delivered to Meals on Wheels participants.

A menu will always be posted in the center’s dining room.

The menu on Friday, March 3, is creamy pasta with vegetables or Western pork stew, mixed vegetables, spinach romaine salad, a multigrain roll and a peanut butter bar.

The menu on Monday, March 6, is an herbed chicken patty or roast pork, both with gravy; whipped potatoes; a Scandinavian vegetable blend, sunflower-seed bread and a lemon blondie.

The menu on Tuesday, March 7, is a Mexican pasta bake or shepherd’s pie, a capri vegetable blend, tossed salad, a rye bran roll and a key lime bar.

For more information, contact Norene at (541) 367-8843.

SHCF seeks grant applicants

The Sweet Home Community Foundation is accepting grant applications for its 2023 cycle through Wednesday, March 15.

The foundation’s goal is to provide funding and support to worthwhile community projects in the Sweet Home area. Special consideration is given to projects that can demonstrate lasting community benefits.

Grants will be available this year for up to $10,000 each.

Applicants must be a 501(c) 3 or other qualified tax-exempt organization, or the proposed project may be implemented in partnership or affiliation with such an organization.

Applications can be submitted online at giveshcf.org/grant2023.

Grant award recipients will be announced in April.

B&GC hosts Ladies Night Out

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Santiam will host Ladies Night Out, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 3, at the club’s Lebanon branch, 305 S. 5th St.

Participants may bid on a variety of purses as part of the annual purse auction, shop at pop-up tables provided by locally owned women’s businesses, and become inspired by motivational speaker Bonnie Milletto. The event also includes vendors, a raffle, entertainment, hors d’oeuvres and beverages, including a champagne welcome.

Tickets are $40 in advance or $45 at the door, or $300 for a table.

All proceeds benefit youths attending early learning and after-school programs provided by the Boys & Girls Club.

Seating is limited. Purchase tickets by Thursday, March 2, at bgcgreatersantiam.ejoinme.org/ladiesnight23.

Workshop set on scanners

David Devin will present a free workshop on scanners at 12:30 p.m. during the Friday, March 3, meeting of the Lebanon Genealogy Society at Lebanon Public Library, 55 Academy St.

Devin will discuss the use of scanners and how to divide photographs in groups.

Participants with laptops and scanners are encouraged to bring them, as well as a snack or drink for the two-hour session.

Veteran benefits, resources event

Christ’s Center Church and Cowboy Church of Oregon is hosting a free regional veteran benefit and resources event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 4, at the church, 530 W. 7th Ave., Junction City.

The event is open to all military veterans and features information and help with community services, VA benefits, health benefits, career opportunities, home loans, veterans services programs and more. Prizes, grab bags and light refreshments will also be available.

For more information, call (541) 952-2140 or email tclegionpost61@gmail.com.

Learn about organic gardening

Master gardener Sheryl Casteen will lead a series of free classes in March and April on basic organic gardening in March and April at the Lebanon Senior Center, 80 Tangent St.

The classes will be held Saturdays, March 11, 18 and 25, and April 1, 8 and 15.

Sessions will cover soil and amendments, seedlings and plant physiology, site location and planting, irrigation and containers, diseases and pests and harvesting and saving seeds. Plant seedlings will be available. Supplies and seeds will be provided.

To RSVP, email casteen@aol.com.

Search & Rescue offers training

The Linn County Sheriff’s Office is recruiting young men and women — ages 14 to 18 — to join the LCSO Search & Rescue Team and participate in a 10-day summer training program from June 23 through July 2.

The application process 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. Mondays, March 13, April 10 or May 8. They will also need to pass a physical aptitude test on either May 13 or May 20.

Accepted applicants will be required to attend the pre-academy meeting Monday, June 12. At that time, participants will be eligible to attend the LCSO Search and Rescue Training Academy, which will include classes in wilderness survival, shelter building, search tactics, first aid/CPR, map and compass reading, rappelling and more.

For more information, contact Emergency Management/SAR Coordinator Ric Lentz at (541) 967-3950 or visit the Linn County Sheriff’s Office website at http://www.linnsheriff.org.

Online applications are available on the website and at the Sheriff’s Office, 1115 Jackson St. SE, Albany.

Habitat to hold fundraiser event

Lebanon Area Habitat for Humanity will hold a fundraising breakfast for a home currently under construction in Sodaville at 8 a.m. Wednesday, March 15, at Boulder Falls Inn Event Center, 605 Mullins Drive, Lebanon.

Individuals and businesses are invited to hear executive director Kristina Breshears discuss current and future home builds and ways the community can get involved.

The fundraiser will help meet the Lebanon Area Habitat for Humanity affiliate’s $150,000 cost.

The free breakfast tickets are available online at tinyurl.com/HabitatAskEvent or by calling Tina or Lisa at (541) 405-5213 by Friday, March 3.

Table sponsorships are also available for the event.

To learn more, visit the “Events” page at lebanonoregonhabitat.com.

Fish conservation group banquet

The Linn/Benton County chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association of Oregon will host a banquet at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 11, in the Events Center at Linn-Benton Community College, 6500 Pacific Blvd., Albany.

CCA is a nonprofit advocacy group for salmon, steelhead and other Northwest fish. Its 17 state chapters span the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

Banquet tickets are $75 general, $130 per couple, $45 youths 17 and under and $575 per table of eight. For registration information, visit ccaoregon.org/Linn-BentonCounty.

For more information on CCA, visit ccaoregon.org.

Hospital group to honor donors

Lebanon Community Hospital Foundation will honor individuals and businesses who have made donations to support the construction of Samaritan’s new family medicine clinic and urgent care in Sweet Home.

Gifts of all amounts are needed.

The building will include a “founding” donor wall in the clinic lobby that honors supporters who have contributed gifts of $1,000 or more to the campaign. Smaller gifts will be acknowledged on a digital display in the lobby.

May 1 is the deadline for donors to make a gift or pledge and be included on the donor wall.

Opportunities to make gifts in honor or memory of loved ones, and room sponsorships are also available.

For more information, contact LCHF Director Brandy O’Bannon at (541) 451-7063.

Blossoms Bazaar seeks entries

The Spring Blossoms Bazaar will return Friday and Saturday, April 14 and 15.

American Legion Auxiliary Albany Unit 10 is seeking crafters, bakers and home-based business representatives to share their wares.

For information on renting space, contact Michelle at (541) 409-4170 or alaunit10@gmail.com.

Program seeks cancer survivors

Oregon State University seeks eligible cancer patients for its “Hope Grows Here” project, a vegetable gardening and nutrition education program.

If enough participants sign up, the program is expected to begin in April.

The four-week basic gardening course features a community garden space, weekly support from Master Gardener mentors, nutrition information and recipes from OSU experts, personal gardening tools and a chance to earn a $50 incentive for participation.

For more information or to determine eligibility, take the “Hope Grows Here” survey at beav.es/HGH-2023, in person at the Samaritan Cancer Resource Center (400 Hickory St. NW, Albany, or 501 NW Elks Drive, Corvallis), or by phone at (541) 812-5888 or (541) 768-2171.