Season’s meetings in Newport
Gather together and learn at the Winter Lecture Series
The abandoned military base on Adak island is the subject of the Feb. 20 lecture
Newport’s new Winter Lecture Series offers guests the chance to learn lots about the outside world while chilling in the cozy Newport Recreation Center. These free educational sessions, held on most Thursdays through March, will feature expert speakers on a variety of unique topics.
Next on the schedule, on Thursday, Jan. 23, is a veterans discussion with Keith Barnes of the Lincoln County Veterans Resource Center.
“We are excited to offer this new program,” said Recreation Program Specialist Jenni Remillard. “We wanted to have a variety of topics to appeal to a wide range of people, and we look forward to the community joining us to hear about impactful topics from experts in their fields.”
Remillard will headline two of the lectures, beginning with one on tidepools on Feb. 6. Exploring the mysterious world between the tides, Remillard will guide guests through how tides work and what lives along our rocky shore. She will share the adaptations these interesting creatures use to withstand the harsh environment of crashing waves, hot sun and determined predators. Participants will also learn where to find good tidepool viewing along the central coast and how to keep themselves and tidepool creatures safe while they explore.
On Feb. 13, Helen Beaman of CareOregon/Columbia Pacific CCO will lead the mental health discussion, “Brain Health: Keeping the Lights On.” When people think about staying fit, they often forget about their brain. And yet, your brain plays a critical role in everything you do, such as thinking, feeling, remembering and sleeping. Keeping your brain active and engaged increases its vitality and builds a reserve of brain cells and connections.
On Feb. 20, Remillard will share about her recent trip to an abandoned naval base on a remote Aleutian island where her father was stationed in the 1970s.
Adak, Alaska is one of the remote and isolated Aleutian Islands. From World War II to 1997, it served as a military post, first to defend the Aleutians against a Japanese invasion and later as a Cold War listening station. It has a fascinating history in addition to wild beauty. Now with a tiny population of permanent residents and many military buildings left to the elements, Adak is a picture of beautiful decay.
On Feb. 27, learn about local tsunami and earthquake hazards and survival with Dr. George Priest during “Tsunamis and Survival; What to Know About Lincoln County.”
On March 6, Marci Frederic will end the series by sharing some of her experiences of growing up as a trans woman in Lincoln County during “Born This Way; the Trans Experience.”
Frederic is the founder and director of "Central Oregon Coast Trans Community," the first trans, gender expansive and gender void support group on the Oregon Coast. She was born in Toledo in 1975. After 40 years of struggling with her own gender and sexual orientation experience and finally coming to love herself and who she is, she decided to take the first steps toward her transition. She has been involved in several local organizations for the trans and queer communities to help improve the treatment the trans community has received in the health care system, as well as focusing on education and advocacy work to decrease the harm caused by healthcare providers, educators and other community providers.
There will be time for questions and discussion after the presentation.
Doors will open at 5:30 for each session and lectures will begin at 6 pm. Guests can pre-purchase food from Siren’s Lure Teahouse and Bakery through the recreation
center’s registration system.
Registration for the lectures is appreciated, but not required unless you are ordering food.
The Newport Recreation Center is located at 225 SE Avery Street.
For more information, go to newportoregon.gov or call 541-265-7783.