Around Stanwood
A new session of Ready Readers Storytimes begins Sept. 16 at the Stanwood Library. For Preschoolers (ages 3 to 5), Wed., Sept. 16 through Nov. 11, 9:30 or 10:30 a.m. (two sessions). Baby Storytime (ages 3 to 24 months) is Thurs., Sept. 17 through Nov 12, 9:30 a.m. Family Storytime, Thurs., Sept. 17 through Nov. 12, 10:30 a.m. For more information, contact Joy Feldman, children's librarian, Stanwood Library, 629-3132, jfeldman@ sno-isle.org. Customer appreciation event is Friday
Sterling Savings Bank will hold a customer appreciation celebration Fri., Sept. 4, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.. Food and beverages will be served. The bank is located at 9819 SR 532 in Stanwood, phone is 629-6515.
Mark calendars for blood drawing
There will be a blood drawing at St. Cecilia Church, 26900 78th Ave. N.W. Mon., Sept. 21, noon to 6 p.m., sponsored by the Stanwood Camano Knights of Columbus. For information, call Richard Ridgway, 387-0174 or Jack Cartee, 629-3091. No appointment necessary.
Baseball tryout and hitting camp
Coast to Coast baseball invites local players ages 10 to 18 to a tryout event at Everett Memorial Stadium, 3900 Broadway. For dates and times, parents and players can call 740-373-4455, or visit CoastToCoastAthletics.com.
AARP driver safety class scheduled
An AARP Driver Safety Class is scheduled Sat., Sept. 12, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m at Stanwood Community & Senior Center, 7430 276th St. NW. This class is designed for adults 50+ years of age. You do not need to be an AARP member to enroll. A fee is charged to cover the cost of materials. AARP members receive a discount with membership card. Washington state offers auto insurance discounts for those who complete the course. Check with your carrier for more information. Call 629-7403 to register.
Open house for homeschool families
Homeschool families are invited to the Stanwood Library for a tour and a chance to meet the staff Wed., Sept. 9, 9 to 10:30 a.m. Get a hands-on tutorial of the best educational databases, explore extensive educational print resources, sign up for a library card and learn about upcoming programs for children, teens and adults. Children can make a craft or play a game. Sat., Sept 12 is the Early Learning Community Fair, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Help prepare young children to succeed in school.
Raffle tickets to benefit charities
The Old Bags of Arlington are selling raffle tickets for a chance to win a variety of meats from Silvana Meats, with all proceeds to be donated to local children and families. The Old Bags of Arlington Women's Club has served the Arlington and Stanwood communities since 1986, and benefits the food bank, Campfire Camp, Kids Kloset, Readiness to Learn, Little League and football, Toys for Kids, Village Community Services and Warm Beach Camp. The group also helps needy families during Christmas and Thanksgiving. To buy a ticket, call Pat Hollister, 425-493-4354. The winning ticket will be drawn Oct. 18.
Call for singers, Skagit Valley Chorale
The Skagit Valley Chorale, a non-audition adult community choral group, is seeking tenors, baritones and basses for the annual Christmas concert to be held in December. Sopranos and altos interested in joining may contact the chorale and be put on a wait list. Rehearsals begin Sept. 8 and meet every Tuesday 6:30 to 9 p.m. until the concerts to be held Dec. 9 and 13. Rehearsals are at Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church, 1511 East Broadway. For information, contact 360-424-9456, or visit www.skagitvalleychorale. org
Workshop on garden bulbs set
WSU Skagit County Extension Master Gardeners in partnership with WSU - Mount Vernon NWREC present a "Know & Grow" workshop, "Buried Treasures: the Lesser Known Bulbs," Tues., Sept. 15, 1 to 2:30 p.m. at WSU Mount Vernon NWREC, 16650 State Route 536 (Memorial Highway). Come early for limited seating. Master Gardener-grown plants will be for sale before and after the workshop. For more information, visit skagit.wsu.edu/MG.
Free workshop on planning a business
Crafting a business plan is the cornerstone of any business whether it is new or established. The Economic Development Association of Skagit County is offering a free, three-hour workshop on planning and financing a business 1 to 4 p.m. Tues., Sept. 8 at the EDASC offices, 204 West Montgomery St. To see the upcoming schedule of informative sessions, log on to skagit.org. Those interested in participating in the Sept. 8 workshop should call 360- 336-6114.
Free roasted corn at farm market
Free roasted corn at Mossyback Farm starting Sat., Sept. 5 and continuing every Saturday through the end of September. Fresh alderwood roasted Mount Vernon corn at the produce stand from noon to 3 p.m. Located at 29203 Hwy 99 No., Stanwood, 629- 2782. Mossyback Farms produce and plants is between exit 212 and 215 off I-5 on Old Hwy 99.
Volunteers wanted for home care
A free information session to review the volunteer opportunities at Providence Hospice & Home Care, is scheduled for Wed., Sept. 16, 6 to 8 p.m. in downtown Everett. To register and get driving and parking information, call 425-261-4815 by Sept. 14.
H eart Healthy Fitness Program
The Heart Healthy Fitness Program focuses on individual goals and one-to-one attention and provides strength training, balance and cardiovascular. For questions and class times, call Skagit Valley Hospital, 360-814-8368.
Small acreage farming, ranching course
Learn how to apply successful whole farm management principles to your small farm operation. Evaluate your farm's resources, develop marketing strategies, explore row crop and grazing options on small acreages, and integrate sustainable livestock and poultry systems. This 12-week course begins Sept. 2, and will be presented at WSU NWREC (Mount Vernon) 6 - 9 p.m. Wednesdays, and includes two Saturday field trips. There is a course fee. To register, call Sarita Schaffer, 206-914-7948, or email her, sschaffer@ wsu.edu.
Open audition for Guild production
Thurs., Sept. 10, 5:30 to 9 p.m., there will be auditions for "Inspecting Carol," the off-the-wall holiday farce directed by Dulcey Whyte Held at the Historic Lincoln Theatre. An additional time will be scheduled if necessary. Callback: Sept. 13, 1 to 3 p.m. There will be cold readings from the script. Come with a prepared one-minute comedic monologue or joke. Call Ellen to schedule your audition, 770-8751. Plot of the farce: everything that could possibly go wrong does as a fictitious theater company struggles to mount their annual production of the holiday classic. Daniel Sullivan and the Seattle Repertory Company created "Inspecting Carol" as an antidote to the endless parade of annual productions of "A Christmas Carol." The Lincoln Theatre is located at 712 South First Street in Mount Vernon. For more information and tickets, call 360-336-8955 or 877-754-6284.
Rotary club seeks exchange participants
Rotary club members of Stanwood/Camano Island are seeking outstanding professionals to visit Brazil in Spring 2010 as part of the Group Study Exchange program of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Purpose of the Group Study Exchange program is to promote international understanding and goodwill through personal connection. The Rotary Foundations pays for round-trip airfare, and the Rotary club members in the host country provide meals, lodging and group travel in their district. Team members pay for personal and incidental expenses. Young adults between the ages of 25 and 40 who are interested in applying should be employed full-time in a business or profession. Applicants must live or be employed in district 5050, which encompasses the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada and the Northwestern state of Washington. For an application, contact Rob Martin, 360-428-1616, or visit www.district5050.org. Application deadline is Sept. 18.
'Collision' class to be held at high school
Stanwood's Traffic Safety program will host a Collision Class, presented by Doug Gold and the Snohomish County Collision investigation team Sat., Sept. 12, 9 a.m. to noon in the Stanwood High School Performing Arts Center. This is open to all community members.
'Sewing for Teens' class starts soon
This class for ages 11-18 will cover all levels of sewing. Classes will be held at Davis Place Tuesdays, 3 to 5 p.m. starting Sept. 15 and ending Nov. 17. There is a registration fee, and scholarships are available. This class is being offered in partnership with WSU Extension and 4-H. For more information, contact the Stanwood Camano Community Resource Center, 629-5257.
Haggens to help with school supplies
Haggen Food & Pharmacy is partnering with its customers to provide foster children with supplies for the start of school. When customers buy and donate a backpack at Haggen for $9.99 through Sept. 13, Haggen will fill the backpack with $21 worth of school supplies, including paper, pencils, crayons, a binder and a ruler. The backpacks and school supplies will be distributed to foster children by Treehouse for Kids. For more information on Treehouse services or if your organization would like to hold a drive for Treehouse foster kids, contact drives@treehouseforkids. org. "As more families face economic tough times, more children need our help to get a good start at school," said Becky Skaggs, spokesperson for Haggen Food & Pharmacy stores. "We're hopeful that the public will join us in eliminating some of the barriers these children face."
E xchange students need host homes
International high school exchange students are coming to study in the Stanwood area during the 2009-10 school year. These students will integrate themselves into a Stanwood area family with the goal of experiencing American culture as an American high school student does. In turn, they will provide insight into their own culture. Two of the students this year are Lucca and Cornelia. Lucca is a 17-year-old boy from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He loves playing soccer. Lucca also enjoys playing volleyball and swimming and is eager to learn more about American culture and customs. Cornelia is a 17-year-old girl from Lidingo, Sweden. She enjoys playing soccer, has competed in gymnastics and enjoys playing the guitar and the piano. They are both excellent students and will have their own spending money and health insurance. The host family provides a separate bed, family meals and a safe environment. If your family is interested in being a host family call Lillian, 1-800-522-4678, or send an e-mail to lillian@stsfoundation. org. For more information, visit stsfoundation.org.
Cyclists gear up for Bike MS Ride
More than 2,000 cyclists are expected to participate Sept. 12 and 13 in the Bike MS Ride, presented by Point B, an annual fundraiser that supports multiple sclerosis research and local services and programs. Starting from the Skagit County Fairgrounds in Mount Vernon, the 2009 Bike MS Ride follows scenic routes through Skagit, Whatcom and Island counties. For more information or to register, go to www.bikeMSwashington.org or call 1-800-344-4867.
YWCA Pathways for Women class
"Pathways to Work" Employment Support workshops are for individuals who need to re-enter the workforce because of divorce, separation, death or disability of a spouse, or loss of welfare. Tools and support are available at no cost to the person, in workshops presented by "Pathways to Work" through the YWCA in Arlington Sept. 16 through 29, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Call 425- 258-2766 ext. 226 for further information, or e-mail bpatrykus@ ywcaworks.org.
Homeless teen shelter sets open house
"Cocoon House" will host an open house at its north shelter in Arlington Wed., Sept. 2, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tours of the facility continue to 3 p.m. A presentation featuring local dignitaries and special guests will take place at 12:15 p.m., and a light luncheon will be provided. There is no cost and the community is welcome. RSVP to amy.shaflik@cocoonhouse.org or call 425- 259-3342.
H abitat for Humanity Store coming
The Skagit Habitat for Humanity Store, where new and used building materials, home appliances, tools and home furnishings start at 50 percent off retail, is opening soon. Materials sold by Habitat stores are donated by local retailers, contractors and individuals in the community. It provides an environmentally and socially responsible way to keep good, reusable materials out of the waste stream and simultaneously provide funding for all of Habitat's community improvement work, said a spokesperson. Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry dedicated to eliminating poverty housing.
'Kindermusik' classes begin this fall
"Kindermusik" classes are beginning in September for parents and their children. Check it out at kindermusik.com, or call 387- 3602.
