Out and About is your guide to upcoming events in and around the Riverbank area.
TOPS, Take Off Pounds Sensibly, meets every week on Mondays at 9 a.m. at Community United Methodist Church in Oakdale, 1480 Poplar. Visitors are always welcome and the first meeting is free. Special presentation for the Monday, Feb. 19 meeting will be given by Colleen O’Connell with Curves. For more information, contact Audrey Oliver at 209-765-7838. TOPS is an affordable, nonprofit, weight-loss support and wellness education organization where members learn about nutrition, portion control, food planning, exercise, motivation and more.
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Mobile District Office (MDO) hours for the month of February by Congressman Jeff Denham include a scheduled stop in Riverbank on Thursday, Feb. 15 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Riverbank City Hall, 6707 Third St. The MDOs are hosted by staff and, when possible, by Rep. Denham. Staff members are available to assist 10th district residents with casework on matters including Medicare, Veteran’s Affairs, Social Security, the Internal Revenue Service and other federal agencies.
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View the work of local artists at the Carriage Art Show, sponsored by the City of Oakdale and Valley Art Association, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 17 and 18 at the Gene Bianchi Community Center at 110 S. Second Ave., Oakdale. The free art exhibit is open to the public on Saturday, Feb. 17 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and again on Sunday, Feb. 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be a reception for the artists and an awards presentation on Sunday, Feb. 18 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
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This month’s Art Lab program at the Riverbank Library will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 3:30 p.m. Children will experiment with salt and watercolor paint to make interesting effects while creating works of art, such as winter scenes and brilliant fireworks. The Riverbank Library Book Club will meet on Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 4 p.m. to discuss Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo. Library book clubs provide an opportunity for community members to expand their knowledge of books through meaningful discussion with others. The library is at 3442 Santa Fe St.; for more information, contact Riverbank Library supervisor Victoria Holt at (209) 869-7008.
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The local REO Speechtrain Toastmasters Club gathers 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, Feb. 21. For more information, call (209) 869-8200.
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Enjoy and learn at the Modesto Junior College weekly Science Colloquium series, running on Wednesdays at 3:15 p.m. in the Science Community Center, Room 115 on the MJC West Campus, 2201 Blue Gum Avenue, Modesto. The Colloquium series offers one hour discussions on timely science-related topics, and is free and open to the public. The Feb. 21 topic is “Microwaves” and the Feb. 28 program is “From MJC to Pharmaceutical Research: My Career Path” by Krista Thongphanh, molecular biologist at BioMarin Pharmaceutical.
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Golden Agers weekly dances are open to those 50 and older from throughout the Central Valley at the Riverbank Community Center. Doors open Wednesdays at 9 a.m.; the center is at 3600 Santa Fe St., and first time guests are admitted free. The annual membership fee is $12 and each Wednesday members pay $5 and non-members can enjoy a few hours of music and dancing for $6.
