Community Events from Roxy!

COMMUNITY EVENTS

You're invited to the 60th anniversary celebration of the Port of Shelton. The celebration marks the unveiling of the new Port of Shelton logo and allows you to celebrate with a day of entertainment. Take the family and enjoy classic aircraft and museums, R/C Flyer demonstrations, a paper airplane fly-off , the Northwest Chowder Cook-Off, marine touch tanks, vintage cars & drag racing vehicles, the Mason County Sportsman's Association open house, and live entertainment all day. Admission is free. It's happening Saturday from 9 to 5 at Sanderson Airport just off Highway 101 north of Shelton. For more information, visit the event website at .

Lots of kids would love to climb, run around, sit in, and even honk the horn of a truck, especially a fire truck or an Army truck. Pierce County Parks and Recreation is making it happen. Youngsters can explore a fire engine, command center, bucket truck, striper, tractor, dump trucks, and even military vehicles at the free Touch-A-Truck event. Truck drivers are on hand to show off their vehicles representing the fire service, military, and Pierce County. Kids must be accompanied by an adult. It's happening rain or shine Saturday from 10 til 1 at the Sprinker Recreation Center on C Street in Tacoma. For more information contact Pierce County Parks at 253.798.4017.

It's the Capital All-Ages Invite Cross Country Meet. Runners of all ages are invited to take part in the two-mile Capital Cross Country Run on the trails around beautiful Capital Lake starting at 9:45. That race is followed at 10:30 by the Capital Invitational, a cross country meet that draws more than a thousand high school runners from all over the Pacific Northwest. Then there's a Kids' Half-Mile Run at 1:30 that's free with all participants getting a ribbon. It's all happening Saturday at Heritage Park on Capitol Lake in Olympia. All proceeds go to support high school running programs. Get more information at or by calling Jerry Miller at 360.918.1797.

Thurston County is giving Thurston County residents an opportunity to safely dispose of hazardous household products. There are a couple of events scheduled. The first is Saturday at the Rochester Middle School in Rochester. The second is Sunday at Silver Springs Organics on Military Road between Tenino and Rainer. The hours both days are 10 to 4. It's free for county residents. No business waste or out-of-county waste is accepted. Of course, you can always take hazardous household materials to HazoHouse at the Thurston County Waste and Recovery Center near Lacey. It's open from 8 to 5 Friday through Monday. For more information on what items are accepted, call Thurston County at 360.357.2491 or visit the website at .

The Tumwater Farmers' Market -- it's the South Sound's Midweek Market -- 11 til 2 this Wednesday and every Wednesday from now through October. You'll find farm-fresh Washington produce, dairy, coffee, nursery stock, cut flowers, baked goods, music, fun, and more. It's at Capitol Boulevard and Israel Road in Tumwater. Find out what's fresh at the market. For more information, visit the website at .

Advance tickets for Fremont's Oktoberfest 2008 microbrew-tasting garden are on sale now. Just $15 secures your admission, a souvenir Fremont Oktoberfest tasting mug, and tokens for four 5-ounce beer samples. With over 70 microbrews on tap this year, you'll have the opportunity to find your favorite seasonal brew. You can purchase advance tickets for Fremont Oktoberfest 2008 online at . The Fremont Oktoberfest runs 19th, 20th, and 21st. It's all to benefit the Fremont Chamber of Commerce. A portion of the proceeds go toward funding local schools, art groups, community events, and promoting Fremont as the 'Center of the Universe.'

Learn powerful skills for helping people to solve conflict in a healthy way. The Dispute Resolution Center of Thurston County (DRC) is presenting its 40-hour Professional Mediation Training October 2nd through the 4th, and 9th through the 11th in Olympia. The class meets Thursday evenings and all day Friday and Saturday for two weeks. The workshop fee is $565. Pre-registration is required. Learn these valuable skills to use at home, at work, or as a volunteer for the Dispute Resoluntion Center. To register, call the Center at 360.956.1155.

Thurston County Community Recycle Days are coming up. Thurston County residents can discard tires, appliances, electronics, and other recyclable items for minimal or no cost. Recycle Days are Saturday the 20th at the South Sound Speedway in Rochester, Saturday the 27th, at the Thurston County Fairgrounds lower parking lot just off Carpenter Road in Lacey. The hours for both days are 9 to 3. For more information on what items are accepted, call Thurston County at 360.357.2491 or visit the website at .

Lacey Parks and Recreation is offering Tae Kwon Do classes for ages eight and up. This is a non-contact Korean Martial Art that allows students of all ages to work out together. Each class focuses on building character as well as on physical conditioning. Advancements from white belt to black belt are self-paced. The program is being offered continuously on Mondays and Wednesdays through October. Class fee is $46. For more information, contact Lacey Parks at 360.491.0857.

It's the Tumwater Youth Winter Basketball League from Tumwater Parks and Recreation. Three- to six-year-old boys and girls that live in the Tumwater School District or attend a Tumwater School are eligible. Practices are held weeknights in area gyms. Games are scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays. The season runs from mid-October through January. Fee is $75 per player. You can register Monday through Friday from 8 til 5, or on Saturday, October 11th, from 10 to noon at Tumwater City Hall. For more information, contact Tumwater Parks at 360.754.4160.