Open gym caters to special needs

PENDLETON — Special Needs Families Connect invites people to the weekly Special Needs Open Gym. It is each Sunday, 1-2:30 p.m., at the Pendleton Recreation Center, 500 SW Dorion Ave. There is no admission charge.

People with special needs and their families are invited to come and play, exercise or socialize. For other activities or meetings, search bit.ly/3HZM3yM.

Elks lodge serves up crab feed fundraiser

MILTON-FREEWATER — Are you ready to salivate? A crab feed, which also features potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans and a dinner roll, will raise money to benefit the Milton-Freewater Elks Lodge and the charities it supports.

And for those who don’t like crab, prime rib is available. Also, 5-pound cans of crab are available by preorder.

The event is Saturday, Jan. 21, 5-7 p.m. at 611 N. Main St. For tickets, call the lodge Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon at 541-938-3633.

Winter Gala offers frigid fun

HERMISTON — Dust off your dancing shows and get your sparkle on for the Hermiston Winter Gala. The event features a tri-tip dinner and no-host bar on Saturday, Jan. 28, 5:30 p.m. at the Hermiston Community Center, 415 S. Highway 395.

Tickets for the 21-and-older event are $40 each.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit bit.ly/3vghI7l. For questions, call Hermiston Parks & Recreation at 541-667-5018.

Celebrate Throwback Thursday at Anthony Lakes

NORTH POWDER — Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its opening with “Throwback Thursday” on Thursday, Jan. 12. This day features $2 lift tickets for adults, $1 for ages 11 and younger. For tickets, visit anthonylakes.com.

Activities planned at Cook Memorial Library

LA GRANDE — Cook Memorial Library, 2006 Fourth St., will host a Dungeons & Dragons gaming group on two Thursdays, Jan. 12 and 26, starting at 3:30 p.m. in the studio. This free activity is open to all ages. For information, contact Ryan at the library, 541-962-1339.

For teens, Teen iCraft for ages 12-18 is happening Wednesday, Jan. 11, from 3:30-5 p.m. in the studio. Teens will work on a variety of crafts, and supplies are provided.

The Mystery Book Club for adults meets monthly on the second Friday. The next session is Jan. 13, and participants are choosing their own titles for discussion.

Submissions sought for Women’s Art Exhibit

JOSEPH — The Josephy Center for Arts and Culture is seeking submissions for the 2023 Women’s Art Exhibit, which opens March 4.

The theme is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” All forms of art accepted — writing, poetry, multi-media, film, painting, collage, sculpture, etc.

Submissions must be emailed by Jan. 15 to Dawn Norman at exhibits@josephy.org. The email should contain: name; one digital image per artwork submitted (300 dpi); title of artwork; medium; date completed and price. All work must be for sale. Please use “Women’s Exhibit” in the subject line.

The commission for artists is 60% of the sales price. Limit your submission to three works. If you have questions, please contact Dawn Norman at 541-432-0505 x1111 or by email, exhibits@josephy.org.

Register now for Community African Drumming

LA GRANDE — Art Center East’s winter term for Community African Drumming starts Jan. 10. No experience is necessary and drums (djembes) are provided. The group is open to community members ages 12 and older, and meets every Tuesday from Jan. 10 through March 14. The group meets 6-7 p.m. at Eastern Oregon University in Loso Hall Room 123. The instructor is Celine Burke.

Register online at artcentereast.org/calendar, via phone at 541-624-2800, or at ACE, 1006 Penn Ave., during business hours. The registration fee is $45 for current ACE members and $55 for nonmembers. Youth scholarships are available for community members ages 18 and younger. Burke holds an EOU bachelor of music degree with a focus on percussion performance and is a long-time member of the group.

‘Timber Culture’ opens at Josephy Center

JOSEPH — The Josephy Center for Arts and Culture will host “Timber Culture,” a traveling exhibit and exploration of cultural heritage in the Pacific Northwest, from Jan. 6 to Feb. 20.

An opening reception and special presentation by Gwen Trice is set for Saturday, Jan. 7, 5-7 p.m. Trice is the founder and executive director of the Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center.

“Timber Culture” depicts the lives of loggers and their families drawn together from different cultures during the great migration, presenting an inclusive look at Oregon’s multicultural logging communities.

In sharing and discussing the history of the segregated logging community of Maxville, Oregon, the exhibit examines issues of race and social justice through the lens of Oregon’s history.

This year Maxville celebrates its 100-year anniversary.

In addition to “Timber Culture,” the Josephy Center will be concurrently showing “Hello Neighbor,” a community building project also organized by the Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center that explores what it means to live in Wallowa County.

For more details, visit josephy.org/event/timber-culture.

Ski program starts soon for 5th and 6th graders

NORTH POWDER — Anthony Lakes will again offer a free program for youth in grades 5 and 6 on Sundays starting Jan. 8 and continuing for eight weeks.

Participants receive a free lift ticket, rental and mandatory lesson. Each Sunday of the program, students register from 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. in the lower level of the main lodge. Bring a school ID or current report card.

Those who attend seven of the eight Sundays can receive a discount on a season pass. For details, visit anthonylakes.com and go to the “Winter” tab.

Bookminders meets Jan. 10 at the library

HERMISTON — Bookminders, the book club of the Hermiston Public Library, meets at 1:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month.

The next gathering is Jan. 10, and the group will discuss “Angels of the Pacific” by Elise Hooper. A limited number of copies of the club book are available for check out at the front desk. This book club is for ages 18 and older.

Umatilla Parks & Rec skates into January

UMATILLA — A winter wonderland is awaiting the community as Umatilla Parks & Recreation gears up for Mommy and Me Skate Night.

The whole family is invited to skate into the new year for $7. The event is Jan. 12, 6-8 p.m. at Umatilla RV and Park, 1710 Quincy Ave.

For more information or to register, visit bit.ly/3iVaZwK. For questions, call 541-922-3226.

Pianos tune-up for return performance

UMATILLA — Get ready to rock the house as Dueling Pianos returns to The Bridge Bistro & Brews, 1501 Sixth St.

Tickets are now on sale for the popular event that sold out in November. The show is Saturday, Jan. 21. Dining room tickets are $30 and seating in the bar is $20. For reservations, call 541-922-4112.

Snow film shreds into Pendleton

PENDLETON — Get ready for some shredding fun as “Daymaker” will be screened in Pendleton. The 73rd Warren Miller film, it is shot on location in Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Canada, Greece and Switzerland.

The viewing is Saturday, Jan. 21, 7 p.m. at the Vert Auditorium, 480 S.W. Dorion Ave. There will be door prizes, including lift tickets and snow apparel.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance at Great Pacific Wine & Coffee Co. or The Studio Pendleton, both on South Main Street, or via bit.ly/Jan21-daymaker.

The event is a fundraiser for the Pendleton Adventist Church’s Pathfinders and Pendleton Youth Room programs. For questions, call 541-276-0882.

Planned Parenthood sponsors film screening

WALLA WALLA —A short film chronicling the journey of two young adults, who drive 400 miles from their rural Idaho town in pursuit of an out-of-state abortion can be viewed at the Power House Theatre.

Presented by Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho, “Walla Walla” will be screened Sunday, Jan. 22 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., at 111 N. Sixth Ave., Walla Walla. A question and anwser session will follow each show with Director Hayley Durelle and select cast members. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased via bit.ly/3YW2jXr.

Ticket sales for the event will benefit Planned Parenthood and Walla Walla’s Planned Parenthood Ruth Baker Kimball Health Center. For questions, contact emily.anderson@ppgwni.org or 509-730-0308.

Tickets on sale for February fundraiser

HERMISTON — Mark your calendars and get ready to Follow Your Art. The 12th annual surf and turf dinner fundraiser will benefit the Hermiston Education Foundation.

In addition to a crab and beef dinner, people can bid on live/silent auction items. The event is Saturday, Feb. 4, 5 p.m. at the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center, 1705 E. Airport Road. Tickets, which are $50 per person, are available at the Hermiston School District office, 305 S.W. 11th St.

For more information, visit bit.ly/3FN2QlP or call 541-667-6000.