Story Slam returns

Story Slam at Olympic Theatre Arts returns Friday, hosted by Nessa Goldman. The theme for the evening will be “Fortune.”

Ten storytellers from the audience will share a five-minute true, personal story on the theme, whether it be a twist of fate, a date with lady luck or something else associated with the topic.

Storytellers are judged by the audience, but the event is all in the spirit of sharing.

The idea is that tellers prepare their best stories and the winners will go on to participate in a future Grand Slam. Ten tellers will be selected in total.

If you are interested in telling, or would like a little more guidance, contact Out Loud Story Slam at outloudstoryslam@gmail.com.

Doors open at 6:15 p.m. and the event starts at 7 p.m. in the gathering hall at Olympic Theatre Arts, 414 N. Sequim Ave.

Tickets are $15 online at olympictheatrearts.org or $20 at the door if available. Cash and cards are accepted.

School choice fair set

The Third Annual Clallam County School Choice Fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (Jan. 25) at the Vern Burton Community Center, 308 E. Fourth St. in Port Angeles.

Attendance is free.

The public can explore all the K-12 school options in Clallam County: public school, private school, home school and online school. Family activities will be provided, including face painting and balloon twisting by Face Paint Seattle, a family-friendly beat laid down by DJ Martinez and a fun photo booth sponsored by Pacific Shutterbug.

The fair is sponsored by National School Choice Week and hosted by Olympic Christian School.

School Choice Week takes place every January to help bring awareness to families about their K-12 education options.

Dems to hold forum

The Clallam County Democrats will hold a forum to discuss the inclusion of youth in the democratic process.

The forum will take place at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1 . at the Democratic Headquarters, 124 W. First St. in Port Angeles. State Rep. Adam Bernbaum will speak about his journey to the state Legislature and about ways young people can get involved in local government.

For information call 360-452-0500 or email ClallamCountyDemocrats@gmail.com.

NOLS offers book groups

The North Olympic Library System (NOLS), which hosts three book discussion group meetings monthly, has announced its book discussion schedule for February. The schedule will be:

Second Saturday: “Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner; in-person gathering at 3 p.m. on Feb. 8 at the Sequim Library Temporary Location, 609 W. Washington St.

Second Wednesday: “Hamnet” by Maggie O’Farrel; on Zoom at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12.

Fourth Wednesday: “The Hearts of Horses” by Molly Gloss; in-person gathering at 6 p.m. on Feb. 26 in the Raymond Carver Room at the Port Angeles Main Library, 2210 S. Peabody St.

Everyone is welcome, and registration is not required. Participants can join every month or just drop in.

Paperback copies of the titles will be available to pick up on a first-come, first-served basis any time after the current month’s discussions at the Sequim Library Temporary Location or at the Port Angeles Main Library. Copies in other formats such as large print, books on CD and eBook may also be available to borrow through the NOLS catalog.

Learn more at NOLS.org/book-groups.

Book Discussion Groups are generously supported by a donation made in memory of Sally Albiso, the Port Angeles Friends of the Library, and the Friends of Sequim Library. For more information about this and other programs at your library, visit nols.org, call 360-417-8500, or email discover@nols.org.

Free inflammation program available

Mike McBride, PhD., ABMP, FICPPM and licensed psychologist, will present a free program on inflammation at Sequim Adventist Church, 30 Sanford Lane, at 6:30 p.m. Monday (Jan. 27).

Inflammation is a complex process and is necessary for survival. When people have joint pain or an injury, the body starts to heal itself through the process of inflammation. Inflammation is what conquers infections, prevents cancer from taking hold, allows injuries to recover, turns vaccines into long-lasting disease protection, and more. However, when inflammation persists at chronically elevated levels, it can lead to long-term illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

Learn what the symptoms are along with strategies for reducing inflammation levels and avoiding life threatening conditions related to chronic inflammation.

River Center brings space-themed film series

The Dungeness River Nature Center continues its space-themed film series this month with the documentary “It’s Quieter in the Twilight: A Journey into Space Exploration.” The screening will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 29, from 2-4 p.m. in Rainshadow Hall. Tickets are $10 per person, with all proceeds benefiting the River Center’s educational programs.

“It’s Quieter in the Twilight” offers a deep dive into one of NASA’s longest-running missions, the Voyager spacecraft, and the team behind it. In this compelling documentary, viewers are taken inside a seemingly unremarkable office, where an elite group of aging engineers is continuing to make groundbreaking advancements in space exploration. Despite working with antiquated tools, their dedication to the Voyager mission has propelled them to bring cutting-edge discoveries to the public, furthering our understanding of the cosmos.

Birding series soars Feb. 1

The Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society’s Backyard Birding series continues in February with a focus on bird nesting habits as well as preparation for the upcoming Great Backyard Bird Count.

“Bird Nesting and the Great Backyard Bird Count” will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Feb. 1 in Rainshadow Hall at Dungeness River Nature Center, 1943 W. Hendrickson Road.

Presenters Bob Boekelheide and Ken Wiersema will offer this popular, informative program. Attendees will learn where and how local bird species select sites and build nests, how pair bonding plays an integral part in nesting, and how differing species share parenting responsibilities.

In addition, the class will offer a primer on the use of the eBird application—an important tool for birders to report their bird sightings to fellow birdwatchers and to national bird data networks.

The session will also include a preview of the Nest Box Building Class scheduled for Feb. 22 and a “how to” walk-through for birdwatchers of every age and skill level to encourage their participation in the upcoming Great Backyard Bird Count Feb. 14-17.

Admission to the seminar is free. However, attendees may donate $5 per person to support the OPAS’ ongoing education and bird conservation programs.

Please note that current COVID-19 health precautions recommended by Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and Clallam County Public Health are for the protection of attendees and volunteer staff.

Soroptimists host art and snack drive

Soroptimist International of Sequim is supporting an art and snack donation drive for Tim’s Place, a program that provides socialization and activities for individuals facing Alzheimer’s disease or related forms of dementia. The public is invited to contribute new or gently used art supplies and individual snack items such as cookies, crackers and chips to help brighten the days of the participants.

Donation boxes will be placed at the following convenient locations: Mail Boxes Too; Edward Jones (Bell Avenue location); Thomas Building Center; Kitsap Bank; Gabby’s Java (Carlsborg); and Trinity United Methodist Church.

Faith news

Olympic Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 1033 N. Barr Road, will welcome guest speaker Joseph Bednarik on Sunday. The message is titled “What, Me Worship?” It will explore the concept of worship and whether there is anything in the known universe that might inspire one to bend their knee or bow their head. One can attend the service either in-person or via Zoom. For more information, visit olympicuuf.com.

Scouts to celebrate 100 years

Sequim Scout Troop 90 (also formerly Troop 490 and 1490) will kick off its 100th year on Feb. 8 with a dinner gala at the Sequim Masonic Lodge. Dinner tickets are $30 and there will be a dessert silent auction.

Former members, volunteers and community members are welcome to attend. Those who want to attend or who have questions can contact the troop at sequimboyscouts@gmail.com. Tickets can be purchased online at https://troop90.bpt.me/.