Community Briefs

Northwest rock talk at Harstine lecture

The Harstine Island Community Club and Humanities Washington's Inquiring Minds series continues with Peter Blecha and "Stomp and Shout: The Untold Story of Northwest Rock & Roll" at 2 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Harstine Island Community Hall, 3371 E. Harstine Island Road N.

Blecha, the director of the Northwest Music Archives and an author, talks about the musicians who laid the foundation of the regional music scene before grunge, including Ray Charles, Quincy Jones and Jimi Hendrix.

On March 24, author Harriet Baskas will present "Weird, Wonderful and Worrisome Objects in Washington State's Museums" at 2 p.m. The Seattle author of nine books, Baskas says most museums display no more than 10% of their holdings, and she uncovers some of the stuff from the museum's back rooms: a Spokane institution that holds Bing Crosby's toupees and a museum in Lynden that's home to a 150-year-old pickle.

On April 28, Des Moines resident and screenwriter Steve Edmiston spotlights "UFO Northwest: How Washington State Spawned Men in Black" at 2 p.m.

Edmiston will talk about an incident Aug. 1, 1947, when the crash of a B-52 bomber in the Puget Sound area triggered an FBI investigation of "The Maury Island Incident," an alleged UFO sighting and history's first alleged encounter with the so-called "Men in Black."

The FBI's records from 1947, which were sealed for decades, reveal Cold War fears, jurisdictional disputes, cover-ups, false confessions, a courageous FBI special agent and the hands-on involvement of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.

Veterans, others invited to join choir

The Great Bend Chorale is collaborating with the nonprofit Quixote Communities and the residents of its Shelton and Orting Veterans Villages, and other local veterans, on a program that uses the healing power of music.

The choir is open to veterans and nonveteran residents and will alternate music from Eric Whitacre, Eriks Esenvalds, Eric William Barnum, Frank Tichelli and Sean Kirchner with anecdotes and stories from participating veterans about their healing journeys.

Rehearsals begin from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Feb. 27 at Faith Lutheran Church in Shelton. There is no audition to join, and no fee for participating veteran. The fee for nonveteran singers is $140 for the term - Feb. 27 to May 12 - and is charged on a sliding scale.

February book sale at Shelton library

The Friends of the Shelton Library have launched a valentine event through February to encourage book sales dubbed "Blind Date with a Book."

Selected books are wrapped up in paper concealing the title and the author with descriptive hints on the front. The books are $2 for hardbacks and $1 for soft covers. All sales support the Shelton Library's services and programs for adults and children.

The nonprofit Friends of the Shelton Library, a group of community volunteers, encourages use and support of the library. Gently used books are always available at the library and book donations are welcome. For more information or to volunteer, call Kathy Abernathy-Robinson at 360-426-5003.

Scholarships available from Harstine group

The Harstine Island Women's Club through its Charles and Judy Chase Scholarship Fund is offering scholarships to full-time residents of Harstine Island entering or continuing a post-high school education, including adult continuing education or technical training.

Applicants must have obtained a diploma from an accredited high school program or earned a GED. Applications will be accepted through May 15, and the winners will be announced by May 31.

The number and amount of the scholarships will be determined at the time the scholarship recipients are selected.

Applications and scholarship details are available at Shelton, Cedar, CHOICE and North Mason high schools, Olympic College Shelton, South Puget Sound Community College and Gravity Learning Center in Shelton.

Applications are also available at http://tinyurl.com/msun387 or by contacting the Harstine Island Women's Club Scholarship Committee at HIWC Scholarships, P.O. Box 62, Shelton, WA 98584.

Meeting for Hood Canal Food Bank

The Hood Canal Food Bank hosts its annual meeting at 3 p.m. Monday at the Hoodsport Community Hall, 331 North Finch Creek Road, Hoodsport.

The purpose of the meeting is to hear reports on 2023 operations and finances and elect new directors for board positions.

Members of the Food Bank Corporation will elect annual directors to serve until the next annual meeting in 2025. Cumulative voting and voting by proxy are not allowed. In addition to the slate of directors nominated by the current board, members can also make additional nominations before the election. Additional nominations can be made for members who have consented to serve.

A list of members who are eligible to nominate, vote and serve is maintained by the food bank's secretary. Members include all people who have demonstrated an interest in the food bank's activities and business in one of the following ways during 2023: financial donations on record, donations of food or other materials/service on record, or served as a food bank volunteer.

Membership is also conferred automatically on members in good standing of those community organizations that have donated to the food bank. An updated list of members in good standing must be on file with the food bank secretary before the meeting. Each community organization will be allowed one vote in matters conducted at the annual meeting.

Immediately following the annual meeting, the newly elected annual directors will have an organizational meeting along with the continuing directors having unexpired three-year terms. They will elect officers from among themselves, adopt a calendar and budget, and appoint an executive director for 2024. The new board can also choose to fill any vacant director positions having three-year terms.

For more information about the meetings, membership, director/officer responsibilities or bylaws, call Hood Canal Food Bank President Lou Bedingfield at 360-877-6086.

Kiwanis seafood dinner and auction

The Pioneer Kiwanis Foundation hosts its annual seafood dinner and auction March 23 to benefit the youth of the Pioneer School District and Mason County.

The auction is the group's largest fundraiser of the year. The group is seeking donors and sponsors, who will receive recognition in the auction materials and will be named in a "thank you" ad in the Journal. Sponsors will also receive recognition during the auction and in the live auction catalog.

Money raised at the auction will be used for scholarships for Pioneer School eighth-graders to be used for post-high school education; scholarships for high school graduates from the Pioneer School District attending Cedar, CHOICE, North Mason and Shelton high schools; scholarships for Pioneer staff to further their educational goals; support for the music program at Pioneer; support for the STEM garden; to sponsor two eighth-grade girls for a week at Tech Trek Program at Pacific Lutheran University; and to sponsor assemblies for elementary school to encourage reading and writing by providing pizzas.

At the event March 23 at Pioneer Elementary School, the doors open at 4 p.m., with the silent auction items ready for bidding. The dinner starts at 4:30 p.m. and the live auction begins at 6 p.m. The meal includes clams, shrimp, spaghetti and coleslaw. Tickets are $35 for adults and $15 for children ages 3 to 12; children 2 and younger are admitted for free. For tickets, call Sherry at 360-229-0673. For more information, call Pamela Harrell at 360-490-0954.