What’s Happening for Feb. 20
Wednesday
“Mother Winter” book launch with Sophia Shalmiyev: Former Olympia resident Sophia Shalmiyev will launch her debut memoir, “Mother Winter,” with a reading, Q&A session, and live music by Dior from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Olympia Timberland Library, 313 Eighth Ave. SE. Born to a Russian mother and an Azerbaijani father, Shalmiyev was raised in the oppressiveness of 1980s Leningrad. Her book recounts her journeys as an immigrant, an artist, and a woman raised without her mother. For adults. This event will be held after regular hours, no other library services will be available. Information: 360-352-0595.
Lunch & Learn at Mills & Mills Funeral Home: The funeral home will host a free lunch from noon to 1 p.m. where a licensed funeral director will discuss the process of what to do when a death has occurred. A Family Service Counselor also will provide free Personal Planning Guides to attendees. Mills & Mills is at 5725 Littlerock Road SW, Tumwater. Information: www.facebook.com/events/2193970234265149/
Networking and Comedy Show to Support the Tenino Food Bank: NetworkConnect is hosting this event from 5-9 p.m. at Scatter Creek Winery & Brewing, 237 Sussex Ave. W., Tenino. Networking starts at 5 p.m., comedy show starts at 6:30 p.m. There also will be wine and beer tasting. Attendees are asked to bring non-perishable food items for the food bank, as well as an appetizer to share. Information: www.facebook.com/events/1054982211338938/
Thurston County Mainstream Republicans: Freshmen legislators Alex Ybarra and Skyler Rude will speak at the general meeting from noon to 1 p.m. at the River’s Edge, Tumwater Golf Course, 4611 Tumwater Valley Drive, Tumwater. Admission $3 per person. RSVP to Dorothy at 360-456-2992 or email borck.gretchen@gmail.com.
Thursday
Puget Sound Estuarium Discovery Speaker Series on whales: Cindy Hansen of the Orca Network will present “Following the Whale’s Talk: An Icon in Danger” from 7-8:30 p.m. at the WET Science Center, 500 Adams St. NE, Olympia. Free. Information: SSEAcenter.org/DSS
Olympia World Affairs Council Lecture Series: “Inside Congress and the Intelligence Committee” is the topic of this month’s meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Lacey campus of South Puget Sound Community College, 4220 Sixth Ave. SE. U.S. Rep. Denny Heck will discuss his perspectives on the state of the Russia investigation, the threat posed by Russia to our democratic institutions, and U.S. foreign policy. Free and open to the public. Information: www.olympiawac.org
Olympia Downtown Alliance’s Third Thursday: Participating downtown Olympia businesses will be offering special Third Thursday discounts, extend happy hours and hold artist receptions, and buskers will be playing on the streets. Olympia Downtown Alliance will host an info booth, located in the US Bank parking lot from 4-7 p.m., where you can pick up a Challenge Game. Information: 360-481-5010 or britk@redbarncommunications.com.
Child Care Action Council’s Warm Hearts Fundraiser: The Child Care Action Council will host its 11th annual luncheon to raise funds for its early learning Family Services program. The event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Lacey Community Center, 6729 Pacific Ave SE. Guests can enjoy a soup buffet made by culinary students at South Puget Sound Community College, and listen to speakers discuss the importance of early learning and quality child care. Reserve a spot by emailing allison@ccacwa.org or calling 360-786-8907 ext. 112.
Saturday
Books, Brownies and Beans: The annual book sale will benefit Olympia area homeless this year. The sale is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 2315 Division St. NW. Free admission. Book prices start at about $1. Those who plan to attend are encouraged to bring a tote bag. There also will be brownies, coffee, and live music.
Author/Humorist Dorothy Wilhelm Book Signing Event: Author, speaker, and Olympian columnist Dorothy Wilhelm will be the guest speaker from 1-3 p.m. at the historic Schmidt House, 330 Schmidt Place SW, Tumwater. Her new book “True Stories of Puget Sound” shares perspectives about South Sound history that have seldom been heard. She will tell stories from the book, sell and sign books, and visit with those in attendance. Admission is free and no reservations are required. Information: www.olytumfoundation.org
Near Death Experiences Revisited: Jackie Huetter, a hospice and grief consultant, will facilitate a program on the topic from 10 a.m. to noon at Lacey Timberland Library, 500 College St SE. This will be facilitated by Jackie Huetter, hospice and grief consultant. This is the first of a three-part series, which will include information, open discussion and questions about shared “portal moments.” Other talks will be held March 28 and April 18. Information: huetters@gmail.com
Free Writing Workshop: This workshop will use writing as healing through memoir and story telling. It will run 1-3 p.m. at the Olympia Timberland Library, 313 Eighth Ave. SE, Olympia. Free. Information and RSVP: 360-701-9637
Sunday
Who was Chief Seattle? David M. Buerge, a biographer and a historian to the Duwamish Tribe, Chief Seattle’s mother’s people, will speak at 1:30 p.m. at the Harstine Island Community Hall, 3371 E. Harstine Island Road N., Shelton. Buerge, who lives in Everett, has spent more than 20 years exploring the man from a variety of sources. His talk will explore how the chief’s story still shapes the identity of the city named after him. Buerge’s latest book is “Chief Seattle and the Town that Took His Name.”
Oscar Party: The Olympia Film Society is bringing some old-fashioned Hollywood glitz and glamour to the Capitol Theater to celebrate the 91st Academy Awards live on the big screen. Participants are encouraged to dress to impress and take a stroll down the red carpet, have pictures taken with a real Oscar statue, eat hors-d’oeuvres and enter for a chance to win prizes in the Trivia and Oscar Ballot Contests. Doors open at 4 p.m. and the show starts at 5 p.m. Admission is $10 general, $7 for Olympia Film Society members. Information: olympiafilmsociety.org
Tuesday
Learn about the Golden Rule project: Veterans for Peace and the Olympia Coalition to Abolish Nuclear Weapons will present a program from 7-9 p.m. at Traditions Café, 300 Fifth Ave. SW, Olympia, that includes the screening of the film “Making Waves: The Rebirth of the Golden Rule.” The Golden Rule is a sailboat with a crew of four Quaker activists who left California in 1958 intending to sail to the Marshall Islands to protest nuclear bomb testing by the US military. The ship and crew were seized by the US Coast Guard. Fifty-two years later, the Golden Rule was found in Humboldt Bay, California, and has been rebuilt. This spring it intends to sail from California to Hawaii, then on to the Marshall Islands, Guam, Okinawa, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Free, but contributions welcome. Information: 360-459-9015.
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This story was originally published February 20, 2019 at 3:54 AM with the headline "What’s Happening for Feb. 20."