Wednesday

Dancers in Florence

The Oregon Coast International Dancers will be dancing on Mariner’s Plaza in Old Town Florence during the summer months, through Aug. 27.

This free event will take place each Wednesday evening from 7 to 9 p.m. There will be instruction for the first half of the evening and those interested in dancing are welcome. The second half of the evening will be requests and anyone can request their favorite dances.

International dance offers dances from all over the world and does not require a partner.  It is easy to do and does not require dancing skill or previous experience. This is an intergenerational activity.

This event is sponsored by the Siuslaw Port Authority and the Oregon Coast International Dancers.

In the event of inclement weather this activity will be canceled. For more information, those interested can call (541) 997-9505.

Next week

Wine producers meet

The Southern Oregon Coast Wine Producers Association will hold an informational meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25, at the back tasting room at Oregon Wine Cellars,155 S. Broadway, Coos Bay.

Attendees must be 21 or older.

Space is limited, so those interested in attending should call Geno Landrum at 267-0300 to reserve seats.

Reading in Reedsport

The Douglas County Library System summer reading program, “Catch the Reading Bug,” will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays at the Reedsport Branch Library, 395 Winchester Ave.

The Summer Reading Program features reading related programs and activities. It is designed to encourage children to visit their library, read for pleasure and maintain their reading skills during the summer, a press release said.

Participation is free and easy. When school is out, children can sign up at any of the eleven public libraries in Douglas County. When they sign up, they receive a bookbag, a bookmark and a reading log. By keeping track of the time they spend reading during the summer, they can earn a free book and other prizes.

A new element of the 2008 Summer Reading Program is “Read to Me!” This part of the program is for toddlers and preschoolers. They can earn a free book and certificate by keeping track of the time that parents and older siblings read to them.

As part of the Summer Reading Program, the Douglas County Library System and the Umpqua Valley Arts Association will offer four programs featuring local artists. The programs will present stories and crafts related to the summer reading theme, “Catch the Reading Bug!” The programs run June 23 through July 25, and will be presented at each of the public libraries in the Douglas County Library System. They are free and will be about one hour long.

On Tuesday, June 24, Mary Eckman will teach about “Making Yarn Caterpillars.” On July 1, Yvonne Young will share insect stories. Katherine Elisar will teach about painting paper fans on Tuesday, July 8.

 For the Tuesday, July 15 program, Victoria Carnate will help participants make bug books.

The artists’ programs are designed for children aged 5-12. A parent or guardian should stay with children under age 8 to assist with the activities. Funding for these programs is provided by the Ready to Read Grant from the Oregon State Library.

For more information, those interested can call the Children’s Department, at (541) 440-4305, the Reedsport branch at (541) 271-3500 or visit individual branches or look for program schedules and other information on the library Web site, http://dclibrary.us.

All month

Ashworth exhibit

Local artist Emily Ashworth is displaying some of her paintings in the conference room at North Bend Public Library during June.

Her art is heavily influenced by the lush subtropic environment of her childhood in the South, and the boldness of her worldview, a press release said.

Ashworth calls her art form “expotentialism.” While creating with liquid acrylic paints on paper, a small scale original image is produced. The original image is digitally expanded and printed as a giclee print on canvas at many times its original size. By expanding the original image, more of its potential unfolds, the release said.

Ashworth works in North Bend at Frogblossom Studio, gardens and serves as a Coos Art Museum board member.

Also during the month of June, Dixie Doris Bowman is displaying her carved eggs in the Tall Display Case.

The library is located at 1800 Sherman Ave., North Bend.