Relay for Life meeting set

An American Cancer Society Relay for Life meeting will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, in the Sequim Prairie Grange conference room, 290 Macleay Road. Sequim. For information, call 683-2530.

New in town?

If you are new to Sequim or considering relocating to Sequim, the “New in Town Conversation” gathering has been designed for you. The events are from 2:30-4:30 p.m. each third Wednesday every other month at First Federal, 333 N. Sequim Ave., Sequim. The next is Jan. 18.

Future dates include March 15, May 17, July 19, Sept. 20 and Nov. 15.

Library sets sale

The Friends of Sequim Library will hold its monthly book sale 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, at the Friends building behind the Sequim Library, 630 N. Sequim Ave.

There will be a clearance of all items in the outside sales areas, which includes fiction, non-fiction, reference, children’s books and more. The inside sales will feature newly acquired poetry, a collection of works about the history of Ireland, crafts, general non-fiction subjects including military, travel writing and humor. The Friends also are well stocked with DVDs and audio books.

Proceeds from the sale benefit children’s and adult programming at the Sequim Library.

Storytimes resume

Weekly storytimes for toddlers, preschoolers and babies will resume on Wednesday, Jan. 11, at the Sequim Library. Toddler storytimes for ages 18 months-3 years are at 10:30 a.m. each Wednesday; preschool storytimes for ages 3-5 will be at 11:30 a.m. every Wednesday; and baby storytimes for ages 0-18 months are at 2 p.m. every Friday.

Age recommendations for each storytime are guidelines; all children are welcome.

Free park days on tap

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission announces that Sunday, Jan. 15, and Monday, Jan. 16, are the next state parks free days, when visitors are not required to display the Discover Pass for day visits at state parks.

The free days are to honor the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. The “free days” for 2017 are in keeping with legislation that created the Discover Pass, a $30 annual or $10 one-day permit required on lands managed by Washington State Parks and the Washington departments of Natural Resources and Fish &Wildlife.

Other upcoming “free days” include March 19 (state park’s birthday), April 15 (spring free day), April 22 (Earth Day), June 3 (National Trails Day) and June 10 (National Get Outdoors Day).

Van De Wege sworn in

State Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim, was sworn in Jan. 9 to represent the 41st Legislative District in the Senate.

Van De Wege, a five-term state representative, is one of six new Democrats in the Senate.

“Though my title has changed, my priorities have not,” Van De Wege said. “I will continue to fight for the needs of our district as well as the broader needs of our state and will address new concerns as they emerge.”

Van De Wege will serve as the ranking member of the Senate Natural Resources Committee and also will serve on the Senate Transportation Committee and the Senate Agriculture, Water, Trade &Economic Development Committee.

Olympic Peninsula YMCA reorganizes management team

On Dec. 30, Len Borchers, CEO of the Olympic Peninsula YMCA, announced that Erica Delma, director of development, will be leaving the YMCA.

Delma previously was the Jefferson County branch program executive and transitioned to association development director in the fall of 2015.

With the addition of a new branch in Sequim, the Olympic Peninsula YMCA is reorganizing its management team according to Borchers. This includes new branch managers at both Sequim and Jefferson County and new finance and marketing staff at the association office.

Meet with the mayor

The City of Sequim “Coffee with the Mayor” program continues in January. Sequim residents can meet informally with Mayor Dennis Smith at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, at the Bell Creek Bar and Grill, 707 E. Washington St. City clerk and staff liaison to the City Arts Advisory Commission Karen Kuznek-Reese will join the mayor for the meeting.

The mayor will be at the Bell Creek Bar and Grill each month to listen to anyone who wants to chat, ask questions, express a concern, or make a comment about the city or the community.

Contact Smith at dsmith@ sequimwa.gov with questions.

Register for reading challenge

Set your child on the path to success by completing the “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” reading challenge with the North Olympic Library System. All parents and caregivers with children ages 0-5 are welcome to participate.

To register for the program, visit your nearest library anytime throughout the year and pick up a helpful reading log to track your progress. Participation is free. NOLS will give away a small prize for every 100 books you and your child read.

Shelter Providers to meet

The Shelter Providers Network of Clallam County’s first meeting of 2017 will be from 10-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, in Room 160 of the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles.

Participating in the 14th Annual Point In Time count of homeless people on Jan. 26; Housing &Homelessness Advocacy Day in Olympia on Feb. 2; and Project Homeless Connect on March 3, will lead the agenda.

For more information, contact network coordinator Martha Ireland at 452-7224 ext. 307 or email shelterprovidersnetwork@gmail.com.

Library offers tech know-how

The Port Angeles Main Library, 2210 S. Peabody St., is offering free, 30-minute appointments with expert library staff for hands-on, one-on-one technology tutoring for digital devices.

To schedule an appointment, send an email to Discover@nols.org.

Include what day and time you’d like to reserve, as well as what kind of device you’re using. Bring your device and questions to your appointment.

Learn how to download eBooks and eAudiobooks or stream television shows, music and movies with services such as Washington Anytime Library and Hoopla. NOLS experts will help you navigate your Kindle, Nook, Android tablet or smartphone, Apple device, laptop or MP3 player.

Workshop for nonprofit boards scheduled

The Olympic View Community Foundation and Washington Nonprofits will co-host Boards in Gear, an interactive, hands-on workshop covering board responsibilities, operations, development, fundraising and advocacy.

The workshop will be from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, at the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Center, Red Cedar Hall, 1033 Old Blyn Hwy Blyn. The cost of the workshop is $10 for Washington Nonprofit members, $15 for non-members with a 25-percent discount to register additional team members for an organization. Participants will leave with concrete action steps, tools and connections with other nonprofit board contacts.

Parlez-vous francais?

A weekly French conversation group will meet from 1-2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, welcoming all levels, Francophone and non-Francophone, in a very informal afternoon gathering at a local cafe, to discuss all things French and non-French. If you are interested in joining, contact Don Baron at 808-2873 or baron@olypen.com for the location.

Guy Cole work begins

Construction work on the remodel of the Guy Cole Mini-Convention Center at Carrie Blake Community Park resumed Jan. 9 and is expected to be complete by about March 31.

The construction work will take place each week from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Visitors to the park can expect to see construction vehicles, equipment and dumpsters in the vicinity of the building.

Vehicular access and parking will remain open with some minor encroachments from construction activity.

The project includes interior and exterior remodel work and is being funded by a state grant.

Archaeologist to speak about ONP homesteads

The Clallam County Genealogical Society will meet from 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Jan. 14, at Dungeness Valley Lutheran Church, 925 N. Sequim Ave., Sequim.

Following the general meeting, archaeologist Matthew Dubeau, curator and research coordinator for the National Park Service, will give a talk about the research facility and records of early pioneer families and homesteads now within Olympic National Park’s boundaries. The meeting is open to the public.

Senior Nutrition menu set

Sequim Senior Nutrition Site menus are served at 4:30 p.m. at the Shipley Center, 921 E. Hammond St., on Tuesdays-Fridays. Suggested donation is $5 (60 and over), $8 guest and a 24-hour advance reservation is needed. RSVP to 683-8491. Menus are subject to change.

Thursday, Jan. 12: Tomato juice, spinach/sausage/egg bake, waffles w/strawberries, chocolate cream pie

Friday, Jan. 13: Dinner salad w/grapes, beef stew, cut corn, dinner roll, dessert

Tuesday, Jan. 17: Potato soup, corned beef/Swiss sandwich, cantaloupe, dessert

Wednesday, Jan. 18: Green salad w/cottage cheese, lasagna, cauliflower, cornbread, sherbet.