Out and About is your guide to upcoming events in and around the Riverbank area.
The Riverbank High School Music Department is hosting a fundraiser to collect money to help fund various activities like instructional fees, a Winterguard competition, a spring trip, new choir robes, and reestablishing the marching band. The goal is to sell 150 tickets for a $16 Texas Roadhouse Dinner Plate which includes ribs, pulled pork, a side, dessert, and a drink. Pre-order by Monday, Oct. 10 and pick it up at Riverbank High School on Thursday, Oct. 20 from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Make checks payable to Riverbank Music Boosters. For more information contact Music Director Joey Aguilar at jaguilar1@riverbank.k12.ca.us.
*****
Candidates vying for the California Assembly 12th District seat are scheduled to meet in a local forum. Heath Flora and Ken Vogel will face off in November for the seat being vacated by Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen and they will meet in a Candidate Forum today, Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. at Grizzly Rock Café, 4905 Golden State Blvd., Turlock. The forum is being sponsored by the Stanislaus County Tea Party.
*****
The Modesto Area Partners in Science (MAPS) will offer the presentation “Mountain lions and bighorn sheep: risks, rewards, or range abandonment?” by Jeff Villepique, Ph.D., a wildlife biologist with California Fish & Wildlife, Inland Deserts Region. The free event is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m. in Sierra Hall 132 on Modesto Junior College’s West Campus, 2201 Blue Gum Ave., Modesto. After discussing the biology and status of bighorn sheep in California, Villepique will share his experiences researching the influences of mountain lions on bighorn sheep behavior.
*****
Twain Harte Area Chamber of Commerce presents its 11th annual Pints in the Pines at Eproson Park in Twain Harte the weekend of Oct. 1 and 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be craft and food vendors and live music from The Black Irish Band on Saturday and Sherry and the Psychedelics on Sunday. The Chamber will have a separate beer and wine booth as well as a Beer Garden for beer and food tasting, cost of entry to the Beer Garden is $25 and includes a tasting mug; both areas will be open noon to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Proceeds benefit Chamber activities.
*****
The City of Livingston will host its Fifth Annual Sweet Potato Festival to celebrate the sweet potato harvest on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 1 and 2 at the Max Foster Sports Complex, 2600 Walnut Ave., in Livingston. The event will host a huge carnival, live entertainment, a kids zone, food vendors, business booths, lots of sweet potato dishes, contests and “Sweet Potato Education” and a farmers market. This is a great family event you won’t want to miss. Contact the Recreation Department at (209) 394-8830 for more information.
*****
The Holistic Life Institute, at 730 E. F St., Oakdale, has provided Certified Massage Therapy and Holistic Health Practitioner career training to over 1000 students in the Central Valley since it was founded by Jan Noble in Modesto in 1996. This year, the institute celebrates its 20th year of operation. Approved by both the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) and California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC), the Holistic Life Institute offers up to 1500 hours of specialized health care education. Those interested can go to www.holisticlifeinstitute.com for course descriptions. A Back to School Orientation for fall classes will be held on Sunday, Oct. 2 from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. Call the campus at 209-848-8382 for information.
*****
Stanislaus County Office of Education’s Prevention Programs Department will host the annual “Friend to Friend” Conference on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at the Modesto Centre Plaza, 1000 L St., from 8:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. With a theme of “Rhythms and Resilience,” this year’s conference will focus on student mental health and wellness through music and the arts. According to event coordinators, this conference will emphasize the importance of healthy relationships and outlets for coping with stress, and creating a stigma-free school campus that is supportive of all students. The conference is expected to attract more than 600 middle- and high school students from across the Central Valley.
*****
Riverbank welcomes the REO Speechtrain Toastmasters Club for regular meetings every Wednesday morning, 6:30 a.m. to 7:45 a.m., at Perko’s Cafe, Patterson and Oakdale roads, Riverbank. This is a fun way to learn the self-confidence and skills needed for public speaking. All are invited to come and check out the group. The next meeting will be Wednesday, Oct. 5. For more information, call (209) 614-8462.
*****
Oak Valley Art Society, with members from Riverbank, Oakdale, Escalon and beyond, is getting prepared for its annual Fall Art Show on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 15 and 16. It is a member-only show, but the art society is gladly taking new members. Mediums are Oil, Acrylic, Water Media, Drawing, Pastels, Graphics, Photography, and Sculpture. Youth submissions are welcome in all mediums. For more information, call Evelyn Cooper at 838-3095.
*****
Cultural Homestay International (CHI), a non-profit high school organization is looking for volunteer local host families for international high school students, ages 15 to 18 years of age who are coming for the second semester of the 2016-17 school year and the full 2017-18 school year. These personable and academically select high school students speak some English, are bright, curious and anxious to improve their communication skills. Those interested in learning more about hosting or about Cultural Homestay International may call 1-877-737-0409. You can also visit the website, www.chinet.org for more information.
