Thursday

SMART meeting

Start Making a Reader Today will have a town hall meeting at 4 p.m. on Thursday at the North Bend Public Library, 1800 Sherman Ave. SMART CEO Terry Shanley will be the speaker.

Tourism workshop

The Bandon Chamber of Commerce will host “Customer Service ... Let’s Get Real!”  from 1 to 3:30 p.m. and 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Inn at Face Rock, 3225 Beach Loop Road, Bandon. The training is partially funded by Travel Oregon, the Bandon Chamber of Commerce and the Southern Oregon Vistors Association. Seating is limited. For more information and to make reservations, those interested can call the chamber at 347-9616.

Friday-Saturday

Clothing giveaway

The monthly free-clothes giveaway will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at the Lakeside Lions Hall, 890 Bowron Road. Volunteers are welcome, as well as good, used shoes and clothes donations. For more information, those interested can call Denise at 759-4109 or Madeline at 759-2374.

Saturday

Sweet Speeches

The Bandon High School Speech Team will host a special “Sweet Speeches” fundraiser, “Sweet Mary, Madison, Clarissa and Alex,” to be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the Sprague Community Theater, 1202 11th St. S.W.

Sweet Speeches tickets and donations will help defray the expenses for the team to send members Mary Lane, Madison Long, Clarissa Castaldi and Alex Sylvester to the National Forensic League tournament in Las Vegas June 16-20.

The event also will celebrate the speech team’s second-place award in the OSAA 4A/3A/2A/1A division at the state speech tournament in April.

In addition, there will be an auction including a painting by John Castaldi, a matted photograph by Tatiana Havill, a riding lesson by Madison Long, a pie by Jackie Brown and a sweatshirt by Bear Creek Creations.

Sweet Speeches guests will include three other students who also will attend the national tournament: Aloura DiGiallanardo, representing North Bend High School in humorous interpretation, and the dual team of Rebecca Patch and Jesse Prow, representing North Valley High School.

Speakers for “Sweet Mary, Madison, Clarissa and Alex,” will include Lane, Long, Castaldi, Sylvester, DiGiallonardo, Patch, Prow, Corinna Warner, Larkin Madden, Craig Minkler, Havill, John Castaldi, Amanda Wickstrom and Tricia Settle.

Next week

Lunch & Learn lecture

The final lecture of the Lunch & Learn series will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, May 29, in the Community Room at the Milner Crest Education Center.  This month’s theme will be wetlands. South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve staff member Craig Cornu will talk about the salt and freshwater marshes of South Slough. To register for this free program, those interested can call 888-5558.

The last Saturdays on the Slough event of the season will be held form 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 31. Those attending should meet at the Interpretive Center to learn more about wetland restoration from Craig Cornu. and wear mud boots. Cost is $5 or free for South Slough volunteers. For more information or to register, those interested can call 888-5558.

Roblan town hall

Rep. Arnie Roblan, D-Coos Bay, will hold a town hall meeting from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, May 30, at the Inland Point Senior Community Lifestyle Center, 2265 Inland Drive in North Bend, to highlight issues of interest to older Oregonians. Rep. Roblan will share some recent information from the Oregon Legislature,  answer questions and listen to suggestions for legislation to improve the lives of senior citizens in our state and on the South Coast.