Local Notes and Briefs
Writers of the Mendocino Coast
Writers of the Mendocino Coast February speaker will be Alison Luterman, author of Confession in Poetry and Prose: connecting our shared humanness with style and wit without violating yourself. Confession has become a given in poetry and memoir over the past 60 or 70 years. But it’s not always an easy strategy to employ.
What and how do you confess? Must you tell all your deepest darkest secrets? How do you confess without violating the privacy of other people in your life? How do you make confession entertaining and moving to the reader? In this experiential workshop, we will read examples of writers confessing various thoughts, feelings, and experiences. We’ll discuss the topic and do some in-class writing and sharing (sharing what you just wrote is optional.) Come prepared to dive into the ocean of confession in literature—or just go wading up to your ankles if that feels safer! Mendocino Writers meets online on the third Sunday of the month at 3:00 p.m. Members receive links via email and the public may email a request to WritersMendocinoCoast@Gmail. com.
League of Women Voters
The League of Women
Voters of Mendocino County will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 21, 6-7:30 pm, at the Caspar Community Center. Planning for the next year’s local activities will be the focus of the program. Input for California League state-level priorities will also be covered. Current local issues for emphasis are Water; Land Use Planning (Mill Site); Transparency and Participation in Government; and Justice System Reform.
A possible new local topic is updating the Fort Bragg City and Mendocino County Local Coastal Plans. These plans will be completely revised over the next few years, and citizen input is essential in addressing all the elements of the plans, such as housing, transportation, and sea level rise. All members, old, new, and prospective, are encouraged to attend and contribute to a lively discussion. Coffee and conversation at 6, program at 6:30. It will still be possible to join the meeting via Zoom; check the League website for details: https:// my.lwv.org/california/mendocino-county. For more information, call 707-9374952.
Whale Craft Fair
There will be a “Whale of a Sale” Craft Fair at Town Hall in downtown Fort Bragg on Saturday and Sunday, March 18 and 19, at Town Hall is in the heart of the downtown business district of Fort Bragg, CA, where you’ll find most of the Whale Festival weekend activities. Be sure to sample all the fun foods and libations around town. Then between whale watching festivities, treat yourself to a really unique shopping experience at two craft fairs!
Volunteers needed for Paul Bunyan Days
Paul Bunyan Days are in critical need of help. Volunteers are needed to not only help with the Labor Day weekend but to serve on the Board of Directors and some Executive positions. Paul Bunyan Days is an 84-year-old tradition on Labor Day Weekend in Fort Bragg and bring fun for thousands as well as needed business to the coast each year. We must not let it die! Oncea-month meetings generally start in March and run till Labor Day Weekend. A special meeting is planned for February 21st to work out this year’s details. If you can help, please contact John Skinner at 707-972-5061.
Soroptimist International of Noyo Sunrise hosts guest speaker Laura Welter
Laura Welter was born and raised in Iowa. She taught 6th grade there for four years, then moved to Fort Bragg. Her husband David became a student at the College of the Redwoods Fine Woodworking Program and their plan was to stay in Fort Bragg for a year. Forty years later, they are still here. Before retiring, Laura worked for several different local non-profits including Parents and Friends, the Fort Bragg Food Bank, and Safe Passage Family Resource Center.
Now that she has more time for volunteering, she serves on the board of the Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference, the Fort Bragg Garden Club, and the Latino Coalition of the Mendocino Coast.
In-person and on Zoom on Thursday, February
23, 2023, from 12 noon to 1 p.m.Ft. Bragg Senior Center Activity Meeting Room 490 N Harold
St. For Zoom link request Email:sinoyosunrise@soroptimist.net.
Free Tax Return Preparation
AARP is sponsoring a free tax return preparation program authorized by the IRS. We are in need of volunteers to help taxpayers with either setting up appointments or scanning their tax documents or preparing their returns. Help is needed one or two days per week at the Redwood Coast Senior Center in Fort Bragg. Please contact Steve Wolfe at 707-3574280 or Al Branca at 707202-4355.
Guest House Docents
The Guest House Museum in Fort Bragg needs additional volunteer docents. Being a museum docent isn’t hard; it only takes a few hours a month. Being a docent is like being a good host in your own home. Docents greet everyone who comes through the museum’s front door. It’s where anyone can learn about Fort Bragg, the region, and what went into forming and keeping this community thriving. You don’t need to be a historian or “history nerd,” and training is available. To find out more, call 707 964-4251 or email info@fortbragghistory.org.