What’s happening this week around Thurston County

Monday, Jan. 23

Our Town, Snapshots of Olympia’s Heritage: Our Town is Olympia Arts & Heritage Alliance’s newest project, a major exhibition that will be on display at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. The exhibition focuses on a set of eight paintings, conceived of by Lynn Erickson and painted by Robert Chamberlain. Entitled Sylvester’s Windows, the paintings depict what downtown Olympia looked like during specific years in its history. The exhibition will include large reproductions of each painting, plus panels with images and text to provide more information about the years featured in the Sylvester’s Windows project, 1841 to 2001. An opening reception is planned for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23, at the Washington Center, 512 Washington St SE, in downtown Olympia. The event is free and open to the public.

Tuesday, Jan. 24

Virtual public hearing on PSE’s Clean Energy Implementation Plan: The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission is holding a public hearing on Zoom at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24 to discuss Puget Sound Energy’s final Clean Energy Implementation Plan (CEIP). The Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) requires regulated utilities to submit CEIPs to the commission every four years for approval. The CEIP must demonstrate the utility’s progress toward achieving CETA standards. The plan must propose targets and identify specific actions to pursue cost-effectiveness, safe and reliable systems, customer equity, and burden reduction for vulnerable populations and highly impacted communities. Those who want to attend via Zoom can use Meeting ID 883 8330 3191# and Passcode 733771#; or listen by phone at 253-215-8782; or watch the TVW livestream. Comments also can be submitted online, by phone at 888-333-9882, or via email at comments@utc.wa.gov.

Thursday, Jan. 26

Comedy Underground featuring Michael Malone: Comedy Underground is back at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts’ Black Box. This time the headliner is 2012 Seattle International Comedy Competition winner Michael Malone, who also is a film director and writer who is currently based in Los Angeles. His humor focuses on breaking down the ways we deal with life, death, love, and grief. The show at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, is recommended for those 18 and older. Tickets are $28.

Friday, Jan. 27

New Volunteer Orientation for Puget Sound Estuarium: Learn the ins and out of Estuarium programs that need your support at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, at the estuarium, 309 State Ave. NE, Olympia. During volunteer orientation you’ll get to meet Estuarium staff, learn about upcoming volunteer opportunities and receive a tour of the facility. Get involved in time for spring events: Sea Stroll, Bird Walks, Meet The Beach, and K-12 Education programs. Both experienced marine enthusiasts and beginner estuary explorers are welcome. Before orientation, visit the volunteer page to fill out a volunteer application.

Saturday, Jan. 28

Amphibians of the NW: Interested in learning about native frogs and salamanders? Join Stream Team and guest speaker Dr. Max Lambert from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for a fun, informative workshop exploring the ecology, habitat requirements, and unique characteristics of local species. Learn how to identify different life stages of local amphibians with emphasis on egg mass identification. Visitors ages 12 and older can register for this 10 a.m.-to-noon workshop Saturday, Jan. 28, at www.streamteam.info. Amphibian activities for all ages will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the WET Science Center, 500 Adams St. NE, Olympia.

Drive-thru Food-a-thon: From noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, Horizons Elementary School’s K-Kids Club will host its third annual Drive-thru Food-a-thon food drive in the school parking lot at 4601 67th Ave. SE, Lacey. Donations will benefit the local food bank. Donors do not need to get out of their cars or trucks — students will collect donated items directly from vehicles.

Blind Boys of Alabama with special guest Charlie Musselwhite: The Blind Boys of Alabama helped to define gospel traditions in the 20th century and almost single-handedly created a new gospel sound for the 21st century. Since the original members first sang together as kids at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in the late 1930s, the band has persevered through seven decades to become one of the most recognized and decorated roots music groups in the world. Charlie Musselwhite is an iconic as well, a blues harmonica player, singer, songwriter and guitarist. They will perform together at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St SE, Olympia. Tickets are $39 to $84.

Author talk: Join Curtis Roberts in a discussion of his new book, “Sentenced to Life: The path to redemption and freedom for prisoner E-25212,” from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 at The Olympia Center, 222 Columbia St. SE, Olympia, and 1-3 p.m. at the Lacey Timberland Library, 500 College St. SE, Lacey. Both events are free; books will be available for sale at the Olympia Center. For more information, email thurstoncountyiands@gmail.com.

Acoustic concert at New Traditions Cafe: Seattle singer/songwriter Reggie Garrett and local cellist Christine Gunn will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at New Traditions Cafe, 300 Fifth Ave. SW, Olympia. The duo will perform a program of Garrett’s original material, which he calls “urban acoustic folk soul music.” He’s been compared to Richie Havens and Bill Withers by the national folk publication Dirty Linen. For tickets and more information, call 360-705-2819 or visit the New Traditions website.

’Epic Cornhole Challenge’ at Lucky Eagle: Try your hand at the “Epic Cornhole Challenge,” scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 at the Lucky Eagle Casino, 12888 188th Ave. SW, Rochester. The tournament is a fundraiser for Family Education and Support Services, a Thurston County nonprofit that aims to prevent child abuse by providing health-focused programs for children and parents. The cornhole challenge will include two divisions: the social division, for less-experienced or less-serious players, and a super-switch competitive division using American Cornhole League standards. To compete in the social division, a two-person team is required and the entry fee is $100 per team. In the super-switch division, players enter individually and will be randomly paired with a new teammate in each game. The competitive division’s entry fee is $60 per person. “The ‘challenge’ portion of the event comes when one person or team challenges another upon signing up,” reads the news release. In addition to the tournament, a silent auction will be held. The cornhole tournament is for adults only. For both divisions, competitors must register online.

Sunday, Jan. 29

Whiskey and Wiretaps -- The Northwest’s Rumrunning King: On Thanksgiving Day, 1925, Roy Olmstead was trapped by federal prohibition agents and their Tommy guns on a lonely Puget Sound dock. His reign as the Northwest’s most prolific bootlegger had ended. But big questions—political, cultural, and legal—remained. Why did Olmstead, the youngest lieutenant in Seattle Police Department history, form a secret gang to take over Prohibition bootlegging in the Northwest? What can we learn today from “The Good Bootlegger’s” story? Using photographs, documents, newspapers, and court cases, Steve Edmiston — a Des Moines business and entertainment lawyer with Bracepoint Law, an indie film screenwriter and producer, founder of Quadrant45, and co-founder of The Good Bootlegger’s Guild — will breathe life into Olmstead’s story at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, at the Harstine Island Community Club Hall, 3371 E. Harstine Island Road N, Shelton. His Humanities Washington talk is free and open to the public.

OUUC Environmental Action Quarterly Speaker Series: The Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation will host Jim Lazar of the Citizen Climate Lobby at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, The church is at 2315 Division St. NW, Olympia. Lazar will discuss carbon fee and dividend federal legislation, which would impose a fee on the emission of carbon dioxide pollution, and rebate 100% of the proceeds to the public in the form of periodic direct payments. The idea is to make products and services that cause carbon pollution more expensive. The presentation also will be available on Zoom and YouTube. For more information, contact Philip Pearson at philip_pearson@yahoo.com.

Would you like to have your event included in our weekly What’s Happening listing? Email the details to news@theolympian.com at least 10 days before the event.

This story was originally published January 22, 2023 at 5:00 AM.