Thursday

County memories

Historical Coos County lies somewhere between paradise and hard work.  It is a place of gold and coal mines, river travel and dairies, graceful sailing ships and steamers crossing the bar.  Author Lise Hull will discuss this history, contained in her book “Coos County,” at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Coos Bay Public Library’s Myrtlewood Room, 525 W. Anderson Ave., Coos Bay.

The free program is sponsored by the Friends of the Coos Bay Public Library. For more information, call 269-1101.

Friday

Last show

Riverfront Rhythms’ final concert of the summer concert is  at 6:30 p.m. Friday.

The fifth concert of the Riverfront Rhythms summer season will showcase The Oregon Coast Lab Band – Evolution.  An all youth group, their specialty is “Big Band” music. They play and sing their way through a repertoire of jazz, swing and contemporary tunes. Formed 15 years ago, Lab Band offers its performance-based program to youth from 7 to 21 years old, from the Coos Bay and coastal areas.  

Evolution is a returning act for Riverfront Rhythms and one of the most popular each year, a press release said.

All concerts are free and presented with assistance from Douglas Electric Cooperative and Umpqua Bank. This year, Riverfront Rhythms was awarded a grant from Douglas County Arts Coalition.

The concerts are held outdoors at the Discovery Center, on the waterfront in Reedsport, with ample lawn seating. Spectators should bring blankets or chairs.  Picnicking is welcome, but no alcohol or smoking is permitted. Food vendors open at 5:30 p.m.   

For information, call (541) 271-4816.       

Saturday

Zonta chocolate

Zonta will have a chocolate booth at the Blackberry Festival on Saturday and Sunday. They will be selling  homemade chocolate to fund local and international service projects.

The Coos Bay Area Zonta Service Foundation awards scholarships to deserving women.  

Showcasing talent

Members of the Greenacres Grange Hall will host a talent show at 4 p.m. Saturday at the grange hall, 93393 Greenacres Lane.

For more information, call Judy Soto at 267-5875.

Sunday

Spinning for peace

For the second year, Bandon plans to take part in an International Art and Literacy Project: Pinwheels for Peace.

Pinwheels for Peace is an art installation project started in 2005 by two art teachers in Florida, as a way for students to express their feelings about what’s going on in the world and in their lives.

Locally, Joann Drapkin will instruct participants in creating pinwheels from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Unity of Bandon. Each particpant will write their thoughts about “war and peace/tolerance/living in harmony with others” on one side, a press release said. On the other side, they will decorate it to visually express their feelings.

The pinwheels will be “planted” on the lawn in front of City Hall on Sept. 21, International Day of Peace.

Unity of Bandon is located on Highway 101, one mile south of 11th Street. For more information, go to http://www.pinwheelsforpeace.com or call Unity of Bandon at 347-4696.

CHS reunion

The Coquille High School Class of 1951 will host a reunion Sunday through Tuesday, Aug. 24-26, at West LaVerne Park. All who attended the school are welcome, as well as friends and relatives.

Those unable to camp can come for day and evening activities.

A potluck will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25.

For more information, those interested can call Barbara at 269-1206.

Next week

Traveling deadline

The South Coast Rotary clubs are seeking team members for the 2009 Rotary Group Study Exchange programs to India and the Philippines. GSE team members must be non-Rotarians, US citizens and between 25 and 40 years of age. They must be professionals who have worked in their vocation for at least two years. Moreover, the applicants cannot be closely related to a Rotarian.

The India exchange is to Andhra Pradesh in South India and will take place from Jan. 25 through Feb. 25, 2009. The area is rich in agriculture and the hub of educational institutions. The exchange with the Philippines will take place between April 18 and May 19, 2009.

Applications can be found on the Rotary District 5110 Web site http://district5110.org/main.php/Committees/GroupStudyExchange. The deadline for an application, which must be signed by one of the current Rotary Club presidents, is Aug. 25. Interviews will take place in Roseburg on Sept. 6.

For more information, call Kathy Rosencrantz at 269-9024 or Jon Richards at 756-1768.

Networking

The South Coast Employer Council will host its next monthly Networking Hour from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 26, at the Worksource Oregon Employment Department, 2075 Sheridan Ave., North Bend. Special guest will be Marney Roddick, Oregon Employer Council state coordinator.

The OEC is a partnership between Oregon employers and the Oregon Employment Depar-tment.

For more information regarding the South Coast Employer Council call Becky Lunetta, SCEC coordinator at 756-8459, ext. 517; or (800) 872-4942, ext. 517.

Rocky Mountain view

For the month of August, the North Bend Public Library will show the film “Colorado” at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27. The library is located at 1800 Sherman Ave.

The film focuses on the Rocky Mountain National Park and includes scenes of Pikes Peak from the cog railway, Denver, Winterpark/Cripple Creek and sheepdogs as they master the sheep.

This event is free and sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

For more information, call 756-0400.