DECEMBER 29, 2016 // 7
Whale Watching Week is College offers new fitness,
migrating our way now hobby, computing classes
Gray whales are on the
move along the Oregon
Coast headed south to their
winter grounds off Baja
California, Mexico.
Let trained volunteers
help you spot the migrating
whales during the Ore-
gon Parks and Recreation
Department annual winter
Whale Watching Week,
Dec. 27-31. Volunteers
with the Whale Watching
Spoken Here program will
be stationed at 24 sites, 10
a.m.-1 p.m. on those days
to share whale watching
tips, migration facts and
whale feeding habits.
Area locations are Cape
Disappointment State Park
in Ilwaco, Washington,
Ecola State Park in Cannon
Beach and the Neahkahnie
Mountain historic marker
on U.S. Highway 101.
“We’ve already seen the
first migrating gray whales
in the past few days and
we expect another excel-
lent winter whale watching
week,” said Luke Parsons,
Whale Watching Center
ranger. “Last winter, our
volunteers helped peo-
ple see more than 1,600
gray whales plus a pod of
orcas and some humpback
whales spotted on the
central coast. You never
know what you’re going
to see while you’re whale
watching, but that’s half
the fun.”
The winter migra-
tion typically lasts until
mid-January. A map of the
watch sites is available
online at whalespoken.org.
Camping, including yurts
and cabins, is available at
state parks along the coast.
Go to oregonstateparks.org
to check availability and
make a reservation.
Check www.oregon-
stateparks.org and www.
tripcheck.com for weath-
er-related alerts and clo-
sures before heading to the
coast. Be aware of winter
storms and high waves —
respect closures, stay off
the sand and watch storms
from an elevated location.
Dine and dance into the
New Year in Clatskanie
The Clatskanie Founda-
tion is hosting its second
annual New Year’s Eve
Dinner and Dance, as a
fundraiser for the Clatskanie
Cultural Center operations,
on Saturday, Dec. 31, in the
Ballroom of the Clatskanie
Cultural Center, 75 S. Ne-
halem in Clatskanie.
Dinner includes an appe-
tizer, salad, choice of entrée
(prime rib, stuffed pork chop
or pasta primavera), bread,
dessert and coffee. There will
be a no-host bar and com-
plimentary champagne and
sparkling cider will be served
to welcome the new year.
Music is provided by
the Bob Nelson Band, and
the celebration takes place
on New York time. Dinner
begins at 6 p.m. with music
from 7-10 p.m. We will live-
stream the dropping of the
ball in Time Square as we
celebrate the new year.
Tickets are $50 per
person and may be ordered
by calling 503-728-3403 or
sending a check and choice
of entrée to Elsa Wooley,
P.O. Box 41, Clatskanie, OR
97016. Please make checks
payable to the Clatskanie
Foundation.
There is a limit of 100
tickets available.
Clatsop Community Col-
lege is offering a mix of new
classes in fitness, hobbies
and computer skills starting
in January.
Candle Making — The
perfect cool weather project
that will bring light to enhance
your home and handle power
outages in style. Explore
the possibilities of wax by
making container candles and
hand-dipped tapered candles.
Taught by Virginia Hall. Two
Mondays, Jan. 23 and 30 from
6-9 pm in the Art Building.
Cost is $25 + supplies.
Retirement Roadmap
— What are the steps to ex-
pect as you graduate from the
workplace to the next phase
of your life. Focus on the
deeper, “inside” experiences
of the transition from work to
retirement. Address the anx-
iety and concerns about life-
style planning aspects as well
as the financial concerns.
Explore identity, purpose,
meaning and ongoing human
development. Taught by Dr.
Jenny Sasser, educational
gerontologist, writer and
community activist. Satur-
days, Jan. 14-28 from 1-4 pm
in Towler Hall. Cost is $35.
Using Microsoft Office
— Tackle the three most
popular and powerful
computer programs used
today in the modern office
— Microsoft Excel, Word
and Power Point. Taught by
Jane Francis. Mondays, Jan.
9-Feb. 13 from 6-8 pm in
Towler Hall computer lab.
Cost is $85.
3-D Printing — This is
an emerging technology that
will revolutionize manufac-
turing in the century ahead.
Students will get instruction
in 3-D modeling software
and hands-on us of a 3-D
printer to create their own
3-D model designs. Taught
by Glen Herman. Wednes-
day, Feb. 22-March 15
from 6-9 pm at the MERTS
Denise Reed
Jenny Sasser
campus graphics lab. Cost
is $65.
Belly Dancing — Class
begins with yoga stretch-
es designed to wake up
your muscles and get you
ready to move. Then, using
beginner level belly dance
techniques, students are
introduced to common
Middle Eastern rhythms, and
to gradually help them layer
and create combinations
of their own. Everything is
taught with funny, clever
imagery to make it easier
for the first-time student to
remember the lessons. Basic
techniques, combinations,
integrating props, and cho-
reography will be covered in
this 10-week class. Increase
your stamina, coordination,
strength, and flexibility
within a supportive atmo-
sphere that fosters a sense of
sisterhood and community.
Taught by Varyin’ Parham,
performer and belly danc-
ing instructor with 17 years
of experience. Classes are
Thursdays, Jan. 12-March
16 from 7-8:30 pm in Towl-
er Hall. Cost is $50.
Opera Appreciation
— Find out what opera
is all about or hone your
experience of opera. Class
will cover both a musical
and dramatic as well as
a stylistic analysis of its
component parts to gain a
greater appreciation and un-
derstanding of opera. Trace
its history, while examining
the relationship to society
and historical events. We
will investigate the lives
of the great composers of
opera and shed light on the
form and meaning of many
popular operas. We will also
investigate the production of
an opera, including set and
costume design. Taught by
Denise Reed. Thursday, Jan.
12-March 16 from 5:30-7:30
pm in Towler Hall. Cost is
$75.
Register now at www.
clatsopcc.edu/schedule and
search under course title or
call 503-338-2402.