On May 7^th, Harlequin Productions opens Time Stands Still by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald Margulies. This bold and provocative drama, which received a Tony Award nomination for Best Play in 2009, runs through May 30^th at the State Theater in downtown Olympia.

 

Set in an industrial loft in Brooklyn, Time Stands Still explores the conflicted imperatives of Sarah, a photo journalist who has returned from covering the Iraq war after being injured by a roadside bomb. She and her professional and personal partner James have spent their lives living on the edge, risking everything to tell the world’s most important stories. They now find themselves confronted with the prospect of a more conventional life.

     WHEN:             May 7^th – May 30^th 2015; Thursdays-Saturdays at 8:00pm, Sunday matinees at 2:00pm

     WHERE:          The Historic State Theater – 202 4^th Avenue East, Downtown Olympia 98501

     PRICE:             General: $32, Senior/Military: $29, Student/Youth: $20

From today's inbox:

Why are the Sea Stars Dying?
Dr. Lesanna Lahner
Orca Books - 509 East 4th Avenue
7:00 PM, Tuesday, 12 May 2015

Join Dr. Lahner, the veterinarian at the Seattle Aquarium, for an in-depth discussion on Sea Star Wasting Disease (SSWD). SSWD has killed millions of sea stars along the west coast of North America since the summer of 2013 and continues to be one of the largest marine die-offs ever recorded. The disease and what is known will be discussed as well as the Seattle Aquarium's contribution to understanding this unusual mortality event.

Dr. Lesanna Lahner grew up on a farm in Minnesota surrounded by horses, and started working with a local veterinarian and volunteering on wildlife rehabilitation projects before she could even drive. She has two dogs and a horse of her own, but from an early age her professional interests always tended towards more exotic patients. She earned an undergraduate degree in biology from Carleton College and a DVM from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. She has pursued externships in such places as the Honolulu wildlife health center and the Tufts wildlife center where she had the opportunity to participate in clinical research as well as conservation medicine with a focus on stress and pain reduction in exotic species including birds, reptiles, and fish. She has been the veterinarian at the Seattle Aquarium since 2011.

Amos Gvirtz, a lifelong pacifist and Israeli peace activist, will speak Thursday, April 30th, at 7 p.m. at the First Christian Church, 701 Franklin St. SE, in Olympia.  Gvirtz is author of "Don't Say We Did Not Know, “ a collection of writing about government actions that affect the Palestinian and Bedouin communities in Israel and Palestine.  His recently published book, Don’t Say We Did Not Know, focuses upon the moral questions he feels Israelis must face today.  Gvirtz will discuss the difficulties human rights and peace organizations in his country face, along with the history of their successes, and the risks Occupation presents for the future existence of Israel.   Gvirtz is a longtime member of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) and part of the Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality.   The free event in Koinonia Hall is sponsored by the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice.

For further information:

From today's inbox:

One week from today we have a unique opportunity to hear from two of the leading public intellectuals working on issues of justice and equality in this country. Elaine Scarry speaks in LH 1 from 5:30-7:00. Cornel West speaks in the CRC at 7:00. My own preference: both/and rather than either/or. 

Professor Scarry's talk is free and open to the public, and is entitled "Beauty and Social Justice." Her 1999 book on this topic was hailed by J.M. Coetzee as "A brave and timely book"; Jamaica Kincaid said of the book that "after truly reading it, the reader cannot help but be changed."

Next Monday's talk provides an opportunity for us to see another face of Professor Scarry's work, which over a long career has brought the public humanities into searching dialog with pressing issues of the day, including human rights, war, peace, and democratic governance.

The event is co-sponsored by the Mentor Council and the Critical and Cultural Theory lecture series.

Tickets for Cornel West's talk and a bio are here.

 

“Stormwater Stewards” Program Applicants Sought

 

Thurston County's Water Resources Program and WSU Extension are recruiting volunteers to train as “Stormwater Stewards.” Applications will be accepted through Saturday, May 2nd.

 

Trained volunteers help local residents reduce pollution in our local waterways and Puget Sound from stormwater runoff. Volunteers receive training in many aspects of on-site stormwater management including rain gardens, water-wise plants, pervious pavements, vegetated roofs, and more.

 

Landscaping professionals are also encouraged to take part in the certification program.

 

Classes and hands-on field trainings will be held in the evenings and on weekends to accommodate work schedules. The training dates are Thursday evenings in May and June, beginning May 7, with field days on June 14, 27 and July 11.

 

To learn more, download the recruitment packet and application at

nativeplantsalvage.org/becoming-a-stormwater-steward/ or contact WSU Extension at stormwater.stewards@gmail.com or 360-867-2167.

 

 

Youth from Green Hill School will speak about their experiences including the school-to-prison pipeline and racial and ethnic disparities in the justice system. Green Hill School is a juvenile correction facility with the mission to transform lives by providing meaningful educational/vocational opportunities that will inspire and prepare young men for successful living, learning and working. The school provides academic high school coursework as well as vocational training in wood shop, welding, automotive maintenance, horticulture and landscaping, and computer drafting and technology. They partner with the Evergreen State College Gateways for Incarcerated Youth for college credit and academic mentoring. Youth on the United Youth Council have testified before the State Supreme Court, legislators, and schools across the state. Location: Tumwater Timberland Library, 7023 New Market St SW, Tumwater WA 98501. Phone: 360-943-7790. Intercity Transit route 12/13.

Drop by to get free comic books, play games, make personalized superhero insignia necklaces, and other superhero-related activities! Local comic and game stores have provided fantastic prizes. Win just for showing up, or by entering our family cosplay contest! Ask at the library’s information desk for a schedule of events or for more information. Sponsored by the Friends of the Tumwater Timberland Library Location: Tumwater Timberland Library, 7023 New Market St SW, Tumwater WA 98501 Phone: 360-943-7790 Intercity Transit route 12/13

Comics tap directly into our sense of memory, time and place – sometimes without words. In this fascinating presentation, cartoonist Megan Kelso explains how she uses memory, her own life, research, and photo references to create sequential panels that evoke the feeling of a specific, inhabited world. This Presentation is co-sponsored by Humanities Washington and the Friends of the Tumwater Timberland Library. Location: Tumwater Timberland Library, 7023 New Market St SW, Tumwater WA 98501 Phone: 360-943-7790 Intercity Transit route 12/13

Free author reading and signing at Orca Books, 509 4th Ave E in downtown Olympia:

Novelist Michael B. Koep will talk about his new book, "Leaves of Fire," the second book in his fantasy series, The Newirth Mythology. (The series opened with "Invasion of Heaven".) Michael has been called a "Renaissance Man": he's an avid world traveler, educator, accomplished visual artist, swordsman, award winning poet and professional musician. He lives in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho.

Imagine paintings that hold the secrets to the meaning of life and death—or scribbled words that can alter the past and reshape the present. We know art imitates life but in Michael B. Koep’s thriller fiction trilogy, the author brings the arts to life in an action-packed tale spanning seven centuries:

* In the spring of 1338, young William of Leaves knows only of remedies, herbs and his mother’s kindness. When he is forced to watch as she is dragged to a witch’s pyre by a mob led by the Bishop of London, the mysterious immortal apothecary, Albion Ravistelle, promises the boy a chance at vengeance.

* In the summer of 1972, Helen Storm is a stoned groupie on the sunset strip with a very special condition: she is immortal. When her life intersects with a famous guitar player, she is introduced to her future as a deadly and remorseless assassin.

* In present day, psychologist Loche Newith and Julia Iris must come to terms with Loche’s prophetic writings that have changed the course of history and shaped the lives of William, Helen, and countless others. As a war breaks out between the immortals on earth and Albion Ravistelle, Loche must accept the realities he has authored and cross over into death—he must enter again into Basil Fenn’s paintings to find a way to end the conflict.