BRIEFLY.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Arbor Day celebration set Friday in Coburg

The city of Coburg will hold an Arbor Day celebration at 1 p.m. Friday on Diamond Street.

For more information, call 682-7856.

Legislators to meet

with local advocates

Members of the Legislature from Lane County will meet Saturday with the public to talk about issues that affect senior citizens and people with disabilities.

The session will be sponsored by the Advocacy Committee of the Lane Council of Governments and the Lane Independent Living Alliance and will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the McKenzie Room at the Willamalane Adult Center at 215 West C St. in Springfield.

The legislators will talk about the progress of elderly and disability issues in the current session of the Legislature and will answer questions about the future of essential services.

Continental breakfast will be provided. For more information, call 682-4364.

Red Cross offers

letter-writing program

Children can write to U.S. troops deployed overseas through a Red Cross program that encourages school-age children to develop pen pal relationships with the troops.

Classroom teachers can participate in Operation Enduring Response by:

Visiting www.enduringresponse.com to see teacher instructions, suggestions for letter topics and sample letters.

Asking students to write letters to the troops. Letters should be one page or less and should be sent to the Oregon Pacific Chapter of the American Cross, 862 Bethel Drive, Eugene 97402.

Students should include their school's address and ask the soldier to write back.

Students should write their letter on the 11th of the month, in anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001. The Red Cross delivers the letters to troops overseas.

For more information, call Jenny Carrick at the Oregon Pacific Chapter of the American Red Cross at 344-5244.

Rotary Duck Race to aid child abuse agencies

Proceeds from this year's Great Rotary Duck Race will benefit several Lane County agencies fighting child abuse.

The annual event features the release of thousands of sunglass-wearing rubber ducks into the Willamette River. The following recipient agencies were announced Tuesday:

Center for Community Counseling, $37,000 to fund two new child abuse prevention programs and counseling for at-risk parents.

Looking Glass Youth and Family Services, $40,000 to fund treatment and education services that deal with sexual abuse and domestic violence.

Pearl Buck Center, $30,000 to expand the center's Families With Special Needs program.

Family Relief Nursery of Cottage Grove, $16,200 to continue a preschool therapeutic class.

Willamette Family Treatment Services, $55,745 to expand its Child Development Center nursery and to hire additional staff.

This year's Duck Race will be held Oct. 11 at Alton Baker Park.

Last year's event raised about $236,000.

Participants sought

for Growers Festival

The Second Annual Growers Festival in Springfield will take place Sept. 12-14 in Island Park. Nurseries, vendors and artisans are needed.

All vendors and artisans are juried and must submit a short biography, photos, descriptions and/or samples.

Online registration is available at www.theeventmanagers.com or by calling 767-0459.