Side Street Strutters in concert Jan. 23

Legendary jazz pianist Bix Beiderbecke once famously told a young fan, “One of the things I like about jazz , kid, is I don’t know what’s going to happen next.”

That’s almost always true, especially when a talented group of jazz musicians gets together. But whatever happens, it’s usually something wonderful.

And something wonderful is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 23, at the Don Whitney Auditorium at Tillamook High School, 2605 12th St., when the Side Street Strutters perform in the third event of the current Monday Musical Club of Tillamook concert series.

The seven-member jazz group has been playing traditional New Orleans and popular jazz numbers as well as swing music from the big band era and novelty tunes since coming together in 1983 at the University of Arizona.

Their repertoire includes over half a century of jazz styles ranging from the early New Orleans Dixieland and Blues sounds of Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, and Fats Waller, to classics by Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael, and George Gershwin, and swing music from big band libraries of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and Count Basie.

Advance tickets for individual concert events in the series are $20 each for adults and $17 for students. They may be purchased by sending a check payable to the Monday Musical Club of Tillamook to 6415 Westwood Court, Tillamook, OR 97141 along with a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Tickets may also be purchased at the offices of TLC Federal Credit Union and the Tillamook Chamber of Commerce.

Tickets at the door are priced at $25 for adults and $20 for students.

To order advance tickets with reserved seating, call (503) 842-2078. No advance tickets will be sold the day of an event.

The concert series closes out Sunday, March 6, at 7 p.m. with Steve Lippia and his band performing “Simply Sinatra.”

Close your eyes and Lippia, who has headlined at major hotels and casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, will make you think “the chairman of the board” himself is on stage singing for you.

Funds raised by the Monday Musical Club of Tillamook are used to sponsor master classes for Tillamook music students and fund a scholarship for the winner of the club’s annual talent competition.

Manzanita Pacesetters Saturday walk/jog/run?

Manzanita Pacesetters is a walk-jog-run club that meets every Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. at 144 Laneda Ave. next Fit Manzanita and Spa Manzanita.

Fight the winter blues, winter weight gain and enjoy the camaraderie of other fitness enthusiasts of all levels on a weekly commitment to better health, weight loss, outdoor exposure and fun – rain, wind or shine. Bring a can of food for the North County Food Bank.

Janice B. Gaines will lead, teach, encourage and share with you her experience and knowledge. The self-paced, one-hour course starts and ends at the parking lot with a new or not so new course each week.

January 2011Art Show at NCRD

“Lori Dillon and Friends” features artists and painters: Lori Dillon, Sylvia Thornton, Maranne Doyle Laszlo and Bonnie Speer. It’s the first art show of the year at the North County Recreation District Gallery, 36155 9th Street, in Nehalem.

The variety of art mediums include oil, watercolor, soft pastel, acrylic and mixed media. Stop by anytime during NCRD’s open hours to see a colorful and diversified display.

On Friday, Jan. 14, from 5 to 7 p.m., meet all four artists, who will be happy to discuss your art, their art and anything else art-related you’d like to talk about. Refreshments will be served.

Five percent of proceeds will go to MCAC’s Neahkahnie High School Scholarship Fund for 2011.

Doyle kicks off 2O11 Writers’ Series

Brian Doyle will read from his latest book and first novel, “Mink River,” at the Manzanita Writers’ Series, 7 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 15, at the Hoffman Center.

“Mink River” is set on the Oregon coast, specifically the fictional village of Neawanaka, bringing a town to life through the jumbled lives and braided stories of its people.

Doyle’s work has appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s, American Scholar, The Orion and in the “Best American Essays” anthologies. He is editor of Portland magazine, the publication of the University of Portland.

January also kicks off a new element of the Open Mic section of these monthly events. For those who are interested, we are adding a suggested theme each month as a possible writing prompt to inspire new work. This month’s theme is “Life in a Small Town.”

Local writers are welcome to bring whatever five-minute original piece they would like to share. Nine writers can sign up at the door to read; first come, first to read.

Check out the Open Mic guidelines at hoffmanblog.org and come prepared to read your piece of work in five minutes or less.

More information and the 2011 schedule are available at hoffmanblog.org online or contact Kathie Hightower, (503) 739-1505; kathie@jumpintolife.net.

January magazine and paperback book sale

The North Tillamook Library Friends of Manzanita Library magazine sale is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 15, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Manzanita Branch Library on Laneda Ave. Carolyn Adams will host this month’s sale. Magazines from the past year are priced at 50 cents each and paperback books are $1.00. The Library Friends need your clean, gently used magazines and books. Please bring donations to the library during regular hours. Magazines should be from the last six months, please no weekly or alumnae magazines.

Books that rarely sell include textbooks, Readers Digest, encyclopedias, dictionaries, computer manuals, Harlequin and similar romances, foreign language, novels more than 10 years old, and books in poor condition. Book donations may be tax-deductible

Contact Jill Thurston at (503) 368-4680 to host a sale this year.

Spaghetti dinner in Rockaway Beach

The Rockaway Lions Club will host the annual Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser on Sunday, Jan. 16, from 12 noon to 5 p.m. at the Lions Hall, 286 S. Anchor Street (behind the Rockaway Beach City Hall).

The dinner menu includes spaghetti, mixed salad, garlic bread, dessert, coffee and soda. The cost is $9 for adults at the door; $5 for children (ten and under). Pre-purchased tickets are $8. Tickets are available from Cliff Gunderman, (503) 368-6321.

Monies raised help support community projects such as food baskets, scholarships among other needs.

LNCT to be featured at Jan. 18 Pine Grove Potluck

The next meeting of the Pine Grove Community House will be Jan. 18, at 5:30 p.m. for the social hour and 6:30 p.m. for dinner.

The featured speaker will be Erich Miller of the Lower Nehalem Community Trust, which is involved in a host of activities that benefit the community and help to preserve and restore our natural heritage.

Attendees are asked to bring a salad, main course, or desert that will serve eight people, in addition to their own own plates and flatware.

Everyone is welcome to attend. Pine Grove membership is $10 per person per year, but attendance at the potluck does not require membership.

The Pine Grove has received a letter from the attorney for Manzanita Development, LLC, demanding that the Pine Grove remove the handicapped ramp and light pole on the east side of the building adjacent to the “parking lot.” The Pine Grove Board of Directors will report on its deliberations and response.

Garden Club to meet Jan. 25 at Pine Grove

The Nehalem Bay Garden Club will meet Tuesday, Jan. 25,1:30 p.m. at Pine Grove Community Center in Manzanita. This month’s program is on basket making using natural materials.

The speaker is Kathleen Kanas of Weary Weaver Basketry. She grew up in SE Portland and was introduced to basket making at an early age. As an elementary teacher in Nehalem, she taught arts and crafts, including basket making.

While living in Alaska, she won first prize in the 1986 Kenai Olde Towne Art Show. At that time, she started thinking seriously about making baskets for the retail market, opening her gallery in 1994. In 2009, she was an OPB Art Beat Featured Artist.

The Nehalem Bay Garden Club welcomes new members and guests. Dues are $10 per year. For more information, contact Constance at (503) 368-4678 or constance@nehalemtel.net.

Got Talent? Bring It On!

Auditions for the Hoffman Center’s upcoming Community Talent Showcase will be held Thursday, Jan. 27 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the center in Manzanita. All performers hoping to appear in the show will need to present their act.

“Singers, musicians, actors, orators, comedians, magicians, mind-readers, contortionists or whatever are invited,” said organizer Vera Wildauer. Acts are to be no more than five minutes long and must be appropriate for all ages.

A panel of judges will select 12 to 15 acts to perform in the show, which will be held Saturday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. Admission will be $10. Registration forms are available on the center’s website – hoffmanblog.org. Questions can be e-mailed to hoffmancenter@nehalemtel.net or phoned to (503) 368-3846.

Pioneer museum presents Alisha Hamel

The Tillamook County Pioneer Museum is pleased to announce the return of Alisha Hamel as part of the Great Speaker Series for 2011.

Hamel, a founding member of Historical Outreach Foundation, will be presenting her “Lewis and Clark in Oregon” on Jan.23 at 1:00 p.m. in the Main Gallery of the museum.

Hamel is a Lt. Col. and acting as the Command Historian in the Oregon Army National Guard. Her presentation will include a display of touchable items that Lewis and Clark would have taken with them on their expedition or might have encountered along their way.

Sponsored by the TCPM’s Daisy Fund, the event is free and suitable for all ages. For more information, visit www.tcpm.org or call the museum at (503) 842-4553.

Hoffman Center presents film festival

The Hoffman Center’s Manzanita Film Series will host a showing of “The Best of the 36th Northwest Film & Video Festival” at 7 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 22. Admission is $7. Theater concessions, including beer and wine, will be available for purchase.

The collection of 14 short films was selected by the Northwest Film Center of Portland from its annual juried film festival. The total running time is 90 minutes.

Works to be shown are: “The Mouse That Soared” Kyle T. Bell, Portland; “Nous Deux Encore” Heather Harlow, Portland; “The Fancy” Eric Maxen, Portland; “Nature On Its Course” Su-An Ng, Port Moody; “Is That Me” Elijah M. Hasan, Portland; “Eros” Megan Griffiths, Seattle; “Endless Tunnel” Tommy Thompson, Olympia; “Missed Aches” Joanna Priestley, Portland; “Trolls” Brianne Nord-Stewart, Vancouver; “122 Random Seconds” Karl Lind, Portland; “Damian And Ende” Benjamin Schuetze, Vancouver; “Stick” Patrick Beechinor, Justin Longoz and Chris McKinlay, Vancouver; “Don’t Worry It’s A New Century” Jeff Guay, Portland; and “Somewhere” Salise Hughes, Seattle.

The film series is a program of the Hoffman Center in Manzanita. Films are screened on the fourth weekend of the month throughout the year.

The Center is located at 594 Laneda Ave. For more information, visit hoffmanblog.org, hoffmancenter@ nehalemtel.net, or 503-368-3846.

Tillamook County Historical Society annual meeting and dinner

The Historical Society will be holding their annual meeting and election of officers Monday, Jan. 24 at the Tillamook United Methodist Church, 3808 Twelfth St. A social time will begin at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will begin at 6 p.m.

Following dinner will be a very short meeting followed by speakers. They will share brief stories of events in their lives (and perhaps yours). Featured this year are Ted Jacobs, Quentin Borba, Karen Williams, Rudy Fenk and Karla Steinhauser.

This is great fun with fascinating tidbits of our history. The dinner will be catered by Chris Neary of SandLake. You do not need to be a member to attend. Tickets are $15. All proceeds help the Tillamook County Historical Society in its efforts to ensure the history of our area lives on.

Please consider bringing a can of food for the local food bank. RSVP by Jan. 15 to Sally Rissel at (503) 965-6973 or Diane Colcord at (503) 815-8477.

Biennial Nehalem Estuary Clean-up in Feb.

Join the Lower Nehalem Community Trust and Lower Nehalem Watershed Council on Saturday, Feb. 19, in helping keep this area clean, beautiful and a healthful place to live for all of the resident creatures.

For more information, call (503) 368-3203 or visit www. nehalemtrust.org .