Learning about whales, enjoying a five-course winemakers’ dinner, a driftwood art show, benefits and other activities are offered on the North Olympic Peninsula this weekend.
For more on the arts, see today’s Peninsula Spotlight, the Peninsula Daily News’ weekly entertainment guide.
For information on other activities, see “Things To Do” on Page C3.
Here is a sample of activities to enjoy this weekend:
Whales discussion
PORT TOWNSEND — John Calambokidis, research biologist and a founder of Olympia’s Cascadia Research Collective, will show the view from the back of a blue whale at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center’s annual meeting Saturday.
The meeting will be at 4 p.m. at the Port Townsend Yacht Club, 2503 Washington St.
Anne Murphy, the center’s executive director, will present a brief review of 2009 activities and preview events to come in 2010.
Calambokidis will discuss blue and humpback whales, presenting photographs and recent footage taken from the back of a blue whale.
Using a new kind of tag attached with suction cups, his work provides a view of the underwater lives of these giants, as well as the threats they face.
Admission is free for science center members and $7 for nonmembers.
For more information, phone 360-385-5582, e-mail info@ptmsc.org or visit www.ptmsc.org.
Winemakers’ dinner
PORT TOWNSEND — A five-course winemakers’ dinner benefit for the Northwest Kiwanis Camp in Chimacum is planned tonight.
The $65 dinner will be at 6:30 p.m. at T’s Restaurant, 141 Hudson St.
It will feature North Olympic Peninsula vintages from Christina James Winery, Camaraderie Cellars, Fair Winds Winery and Sorensen Cellars.
The menu includes poached apple and arugula salad with Mt. Townsend’s Creamery cheese, pan-seared scallops, strawberry-crusted Cape Cleare salmon, beef tenders with bearnaise sauce and chocolate cherry torte.
Proceeds will benefit the summer camp for disabled adults and children.
For more information or to purchase tickets, phone T’s Restaurant at 360-385-0700, Nancy Tocatlian at 360-643-0692 or Sharron Sherfick at 360-531-1712.
Magic of Cinema
PORT ANGELES — The award-winning Afghani film, “Afghan Star,” will be screened as part of Peninsula College’s Magic of Cinema series at 7 p.m. tonight.
“Afghan Star” depicts the slow rebirth of music and dance into the culture of Afghanistan as an “American Idol”-type contest is held on national television to determine the next Afghan pop idol.
The competition drew 2,000 contestants and more than one-third of the country watched the show and voted with text messages.
For many, this represented their first encounter with any kind of democratic process.
The documentary won the 2009 Best World Cinema Documentary Director and World Cinema Documentary Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival.
The screening will be held in the college’s Little Theater, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd.
Admission is $5, or $1 with a current Peninsula College student ID.
Forks story time
FORKS — The Forks Library, 171 S. Forks Ave., will host a “Many Fine Hats” children’s story time at noon today.
Hats will be the theme for the event, which is intended for children 3 to 5 years old.
The story time will have rhymes, crafts and more.
The program is free and open to the public.
For more information, phone 360-374-6402, e-mail forks@nols.org or visit www.nols.org.
Winter Bunco party
SEQUIM — The Sequim Guild of Seattle Children’s Hospital will host a Winter Bunco Party at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 525 N. Fifth Ave., at noon today.
Salads, sandwiches, desserts and other refreshments will be served.
A silent auction of items made and donated by members of the guild and businesses in the community will be held, along with a quilt raffle.
A $12 donation is requested.
Proceeds from this event will go to Seattle Children’s Hospital to offset costs for children whose families are unable to afford medical treatments.
During the 2009 fiscal year, the hospital served 804 children from Clallam County, and the hospital offset more than $600,000 in costs on behalf of the local children.
For more information or to make a reservation, phone 360-683-2013.
For more information about the guild or donating to Seattle Children’s Hospital, phone 360-683-1002 or Carol Labbe, guild president, at 360-683-7130.
SPCUG meets
SEQUIM — The Sequim PC Users Group will present “Making Videos the Easy Way Using Microsoft Movie Maker” at 10 a.m. Saturday.
The presentation will be in the computer lab, Room E-3, Sequim High School, 601 N. Sequim Ave.
The program allows users to make videos of personal pictures, movies and audio for DVD burning, e-mail attachments and uploading to YouTube.
A suggested donation of $5 is requested for non-members.
For more information, visit www.spcug.net or e-mail spcug1@gmail.com.
Silent auction
PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend American Association of University Women’s annual silent auction is Saturday.
The auction will be at 9:30 a.m. at the Port Townsend Community Center, 620 Tyler St.
Items up for bid range from goods donated by local merchants to such “experience” packages as an eight-person canning class and lunch for six at an association member’s home.
The auction benefits the national American Association of University Women Educational Foundation, which provides funds for women completing graduate-level studies, and the Legal Advocacy Fund, which works against sex discrimination in higher education and the workplace.
The association will meet after the auction, and the public is invited to the meeting.
For more information, phone 360-379-0953.
Disc Dogs clinic
SEQUIM — Olympic Disc Dogs will hold clinics and Frisbee fun matches at Goin’ to the Dogs Daycare and Training Center, 53 Valley Center Place on Saturday.
The clinics will run from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and the fun matches will be from noon to 2 p.m.
Clinics are $15 per team with a free Frisbee included, and the fun matches are $5 per game.
For more information or to sign up for a clinic, visit www.discdoggin.com.
Organic gardening
PORT HADLOCK — Local gardener Tinker Cavallaro will instruct a free introductory organic gardening class at the Jefferson County Library, 620 Cedar Ave., at 10 a.m. Saturday.
The Olympic Community Action Program’s Pea Patch will host the event.
For more information, phone Cali Keck, AmeriCorps volunteer garden coordinator for OlyCAP, at 360-302-1221 or e-mail ckeck@olycap.org.
Foster parents benefit
SEQUIM — The Sequim Applebee’s restaurant, 130 River Road, will donate 15 percent from food orders to the North Olympic Foster Parent Association from 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday.
The donation is part of Applebee’s “Dine to Donate” program.
For more information, phone Applebee’s at 360-683-9090.
Pruning seminar
SEQUIM — Christ Sexton-Smith will host two fruit-tree pruning seminars at McComb Gardens, 751 McComb Road, at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday.
Sexton-Smith is an instructor of horticulture at Lake Washington Technical College and is a certified professional horticulturist and licensed pesticide applicator.
For more information or to register for a workshop, phone 360-6831-2827 or visit the nursery.
Parenting seminar
SEQUIM — Calvary Chapel Sequim, 91 S. Boyce Road, will host a parenting seminar, “Cooperation, Consequences, and Keeping Your Sanity,” on Saturday.
The seminar will run from 8:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Designed by the National Center for Biblical Parenting, the seminar is for parents of children ages 2 to 18. Its goal is for every parent to walk away with practical solutions.
Jon Sanne, children’s pastor at Calvary Chapel in Olympia, will be the featured speaker.
The cost is $20 per adult, or $30 per family.
For more information or to register, phone Calvary Chapel Sequim at 360-683-5995 or visit www.christchurch.org.
Nutrition by design
SEQUIM — Nutrional Therapist Sherry Fry will host a Nutritional Education and Encouragement by Design Conference from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
The conference will be at Common Sense Nutritional Therapy, 261043 U.S. Highway 101, Suite E.
Cost is $55 per person.
For more information, phone 360-683-2756.
Book discussion
AGNEW — Eycke Strickland will discuss her book, Eyes Are Watching, Ears Are Listening: Growing Up in Nazi Germany, 1933-1946 at Olympic Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 73 Howe Road, at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Strickland, a Sequim resident, was born in Germany in 1933. She emigrated to the United States in 1958. She and her husband, Charles, settled on the North Olympic Peninsula after retirement.
Fletcher benefit
PORT ANGELES — A two-day silent raffle benefit for the Fletcher family of Joyce will be held at Dry Creek Grange, 3130 Edgewood Drive, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and Saturday.
Fritz and Teres Fletcher’s 15-year old son Austin was diagnosed with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, a form of liver disease, five years ago.
Large medical bills were run up during numerous hospital visits for treatment of liver failure. Fletcher received a liver transplant in September 2009 and must take anti-rejection medication for the rest of his life, a $5,000 a month expense.
Austin’s younger brother, Zachary, has been diagnosed with the same ailment but has yet to show symptoms of the disease.
The family is asking for community support to help with medical bills, monthly medication and travel expenses to Seattle for doctors visits.
An account has been set up at First Federal for donations.
Today and Saturday’s raffle allows attendees the chance to purchase raffle tickets for individual items.
The raffle drawing will begin at 5:45 p.m. on Saturday.
Food will be available for purchase.
For more information about donating to the Fletchers, phone Arlene Wheeler at 360-460-5842 or Lisa Pluard at 360-461-4478.
Greyhounds visit
SEQUIM — Greyhound Pets Inc., a nonprofit adoption service for former racing hounds, will visit Petco, 1205 W. Washington St., from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Members of Greyhound Pets Inc. will have several dogs for prospective owners or those just curious about greyhound adoption.
Many greyhounds are in need of homes because the dog racing industry has declined as a result of the economic downturn.
For more information, phone Jeani Penn at 360-460-0131 or visit www.greyhoundpetsinc.org.
Best moments
CHIMACUM — Members of Thea Foss No. 45 Daughters of Norway Lodge will share the “beste minner” — or best moments — of summer trips to Norway, Finland and Sweden at the Tri-Area Community Center, 10 West Valley Road, at 1 p.m. Sunday.
The public is invited, and refreshments will be served.
For more information, phone 360-379-1802.
Auditions tonight
SEQUIM — Olympic Theatre Arts is holding auditions for “An Evening of One Act Plays” at the theater, 414 N. Sequim Ave., at 6:30 tonight.
“Dear Jennifer” and “Spider on the Sill,” written by Rebecca Redshaw, will run from April 16 through May 2.
“Dear Jennifer” includes roles for four adult actors of varying ages and five actresses ranging in age from 25 to 60.
The five female roles call for a Jamaican in her 20s and four from 30 to middle age and older.
The “Spider on the Sill” cast calls for two men, one middle-aged and one older.
Scripts are available at Port Angeles and Sequim libraries and the Olympic Theatre Arts office, 414 N. Sequim Ave.
For more information, phone 360-683-7326.
DAR Tea slated
PORT ANGELES — The Daughters of the American Revolution George Washington Tea and Awards Ceremony will be held at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 510 E. Park Ave., on Saturday.
The group will meet at noon, hold a high tea at 1 p.m. and conduct its award ceremony at 2 p.m.
For more information, phone Pat Graham at 360-417-1346.
Native plant sale
PORT ANGELES — The Clallam Conservation District is accepting orders for its annual native plant sale through Saturday.
The bare-root tree and shrub seedlings are sold in bundles of 10, except for conifer trees, which are available in bundles of 10 and 25.
Prices range from $15 to $25 per bundle. Orders are filled on a first-come first-served basis.
Plants can be picked up on Saturday, March 6.
Species are selling out quickly; however, evergreen trees still remaining include Douglas fir, grand fir, Sitka spruce and western hemlock.
Deciduous trees include bigleaf maple, Pacific crabapple, red alder and Rocky Mountain maple.
Deciduous shrubs include Indian plum, ninebark, Nootka rose, oceanspray, red flowering currant, serviceberry, snowberry, thimbleberry and twinberry.
Evergreen shrubs include evergreen huckleberry and short Oregon grape.
For an order form or for more information, see http://clallam.scc.wa.gov; stop by the district office at 1601 E. Front St., Building/Suite A, Port Angeles; or phone 360-452-1912.
Dance and lessons
PORT TOWNSEND — The Sky Blue Trio will perform for a dance at the Port Townsend Elks Lodge on Saturday.
The dance will be from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the lodge at 555 Otto St.
Pre-dance lessons in the cross-step waltz will be given by Janice Eklund at 7 p.m.
The lessons are free with admission to the dance, which is $15 for adults, $10 for students with identification and people with disabilities, and $7 for those 12 and under.
For more information, phone 360-385-6919 or 360-385-5237.
Move More lecture
PORT ANGELES — A pulmonary rehabilitation coordinator will present a lecture, “Integrate ‘Move More’ into Your Life at the Olympic Medical Center today.
Leonard Anderson will lecture at 12:30 p.m. at the McCarter Room at the hospital at 930 Caroline St.
