Cowlitz County events: R.A. Long Alumni Association celebrates 20 … – The Daily News

Through January. Kelso Public Library, inside the Three Rivers Mall, 351 Three Rivers Dr., Ste. 1263, Kelso. www.kelso.gov/library

Adults can pick up materials to make a paper lantern at the Kelso Public Library through January. One kit per person can be picked up at the front desk while supplies last. The kits are part of the library’s January Adult Take and Make program.

Through Feb. 14. www.planters-days.com

Students from ages 5 to 12 in Woodland and Yale Valley can enter artwork to win $50 and have their work displayed at the next Planters Days festival in Woodland. The artwork must reflect next year’s theme of “Community’s how we get it done!” and be on a single piece of paper, with the ability to be scanned. Mail entries to Woodland Planters Days, P.O. Box 1201, Woodland, WA 98674, or drop them off to Joy Klein at Columbia Bank by 5 p.m. Feb. 14.

Jan. 18, 614 Commerce Ave., Longview.

The R.A.Long class of 1971 will meet for lunch at 11:30 a.m., Jan. 18 at at Pie@trios Pizza. All classmates, spouses or companions are welcome to attend. For more information, contact Carme (Ayres) Shill at 360-578-1502.

Jan. 18 and Jan. 20, 1213 14th Ave., Longview. www.ethnicsupportcouncil.com

The Ethnic Support Council in Longview is hosting open houses from 4 to 7 p.m., Jan. 18 and 4 to 8 p.m., Jan. 20 to celebrate a year at the VO printing building on 14th Avenue.

“We are so thankful to VO Printers owners Thuy Vo and Anh Nguyen for providing us office space in their building, so we wanted to celebrate our one year anniversary to acknowledge their generosity,” said ESC board president Cindy Lopez Werth.

The open houses will include meeting staff and board members, touring the office, enjoying ethnic foods, and helping the organization thank donors and supporters. To RSVP or for more information, text 360-751-4427.

Jan. 19, 1600 Maple St., Longview. lowercolumbia.edu/conversations

Lower Columbia College is hosting a free lecture series on books, and this session focuses on book clubs with presenter Becky Connolly. Each “Winter 2023 Community Conversations” lecture is held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m., in HSB 101 on the LCC campus, and also streamed via Zoom.

Jan. 20, The Merk, 1339 Commerce Ave., Longview. www.longview100.org/events

Kick off a year of celebrating Longview’s centennial with historical exhibits and the opening of a 25-year-old time capsule placed in City Hall in honor of Longview’s 75th anniversary. Social hour starts at 6 p.m. and light refreshments start an hour later. Organizers will soon start soliciting for items in a new time capsule. To display artifacts at the event, email spencerboudreau1234@gmail.com.

Jan. 21. www.facebook.com/RunCowlitz

Join the Cowlitz Valley Runners at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 21 at Red Leaf Organic Coffee, 1494 Dike Access Rd. in Woodland by Walmart for a free group run.

Jan. 21. www.mtsthelensclub.org

The Mount St. Helens Club has a moderate hike scheduled called “Saturday South Coldwater Ridge Snowshoe.” Organizers say the drive to the location is 120 miles round trip and includes snowshoeing in and out 7 miles with 1,200 feet in elevation gain in mostly open terrain, with great views of the Mount St. Helens crater and abandoned logging equipment. Contact hike leader Pat R. at 360- 560-9554 for more information.

Jan. 21, 205 Shawnee Rd., Kelso.

Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Pomona Grange No. 7 is hosting a Grange Gold Sheaf-Silver Star awards and potluck luncheon Jan. 21 at the Catlin Grange Hall in Kelso. The awards honor Grange members who have reached 50 years for Gold Sheaf and 25 years for Silver Star. The potluck luncheon is at 1 p.m. and the program is an hour later. A planning meeting will follow, then a Pomona meeting.

Jan. 21, R.A. Long High School, 2903 Nichols Blvd., Longview.

Help the R.A. Long High School Alumni Association celebrate its 20th anniversary with a reception in the high school library from 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 21. All grades are welcomed. The event includes refreshments, door prizes and an open house of the renovated archive room, which organizers say has an elevator. People must be present to win a door prize. Handicap parking and entrance are available off the Lilac Street parking lot next to the cafeteria. RSVP by emailing info@ralongalumni.org or calling 360-425-2556.

Northwest Voices

Jan. 24, Lower Columbia College and the Longview Public Library. www.longviewlibrary.org

Oregon-native Elaine Cockrell is set to discuss her 2022 novel “A Shrug of the Shoulders” — about Japanese American internment in the U.S. during World War II — this month in Longview.

Cockrell will host a workshop at 11:30 a.m., Jan. 24 in Main 148 on the Lower Columbia College campus, 1600 Maple St., Longview as part of the next Northwest Voices. Then, at 5:30 p.m. she will speak about her novel in the Longview Public Library’s magazine reading room.

Her novel looks at Japanese-American perseverance and spans settings such as the Portland Assembly Center and internment camps like Minidoka in Idaho, according to event organizers.

Jan. 25. www.mtsthelensclub.org

The Mount St. Helens Club has an easy hike scheduled called “Wednesday Washougal Waterfront.” Organizers say the drive to the location is 114 miles round trip and includes hiking about more than 5 miles along the Columbia River on a level path. Contact hike leader John at 360-431-1122 for more information.

Jan. 26, 1600 Maple St., Longview. lowercolumbia.edu/conversations

Lower Columbia College is hosting a free lecture series on books, and this session is called “That’s Wild: Dark Magic on the Pacific Crest Trail,” with presenter Hiedi Bauer. Each “Winter 2023 Community Conversations” lecture is held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m., Thursday in HSB 101 on the LCC campus, and also streamed via Zoom.

Jan. 26., Rainier School District, 28168 Old Rainier Rd., Rainier.

Help fund the Rainier Oregon Historical Museum during a spaghetti feed fundraiser at the Rainier basketball game against Warrenton from 5 to 7 p.m. in the school’s cafeteria. People can buy tickets from noon to 4 p.m. Jan. 21 at the museum located at 106 West B St. in Rainier. Tickets can also be purchased at the event or by calling Sherry Evans at 503-369-8595. Tickets are $15 for ages over 12; $5 for ages 5 through 12; and free for children under 5.

Jan. 28. www.facebook.com/RunCowlitz

Join the Cowlitz Valley Runners at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 28 at Mr. Bill’s Espresso, 5810 Ocean Beach Highway in Longview for a free group run.

Jan. 28. www.mtsthelensclub.org

The Mount St. Helens Club has an easy hike scheduled called “Saturday Frenchman’s Bar.” Organizers say the drive to the location is 80 miles round trip and includes walking 5 miles on paved bike path from Vancouver Lake to the Frenchman’s Bar recreation area on the Columbia River. Contact hike leader Bruce at 360-425-0256 for more information.

sQuatch Fest returns

Jan. 27-28. 360-423-8400, kelsolongviewchamber.org

Join Bigfoot believers at sQuatch Fest from 4 to 8 p.m., Jan. 27 and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Jan. 28 at the Cowlitz County Event Center, 1900 Seventh Avenue, Longview. The annual event, organized by the Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce, includes a beer and wine garden, food carts, merchandise vendors and about six sasquatch experts as speakers. A kids area is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday. Tickets are $30 for adults, $5 for ages 5 to 15, and free for ages 4 and under.

Feb. 2, 1600 Maple St., Longview. lowercolumbia.edu/conversations

Lower Columbia College is hosting a free lecture series on books, and this session is called “I like to read banned books,” with presenter Chris Tower. Each “Winter 2023 Community Conversations” lecture is held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m., Thursday in HSB 101 on the LCC campus, and also streamed via Zoom.

Feb. 2-May 4, online. extension.wsu.edu/cowlitz

The Washington State University extension office in Cowlitz County is holding a 14-week, online course starting to help people raise livestock. The Zoom class is 6 to 8:30 p.m., Feb. 2 through May 4. People must register by Feb. 1, and the class fee of $50 per family is due at the time of registration. Scholarships are available for military veterans and those in need. For more information or to register, contact Gary Fredricks, 360-577-3014 ext. 3 or fredricksg@cowlitzwa.gov.

Feb. 4. whsca.org

Cowlitz County students from sixth to 12th grades can compete for free in the Southwest Washington High School and Middle School Chess Championships on Feb. 4 at Centralia College. Students of all skill levels can play. The high school championship is both an individual and team event, and winning high school teams qualify to play in the 57th annual Washington State High School Chess Team Championships on March 4 at Stanwood High School. To register and for more information, visit whsca.org.