Free concert at Arts Place on March 14

Nina Lee Hecko and friends will be performing a free recital at Arts Place on Saturday, March 14, at 7:30 pm.

Hecko, a pianist, will be joined by Dr. Mei Zhong, a professor of voice at Ball State University, and Ball State vocal student Qiangting Huang.

Hecko has won numerous competitions and awards during her music career, including being invited to perform in Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall as the Gold Winner of the 2012 National Young Musicians Showcase Competition.

Dr. Zhong has performed extensively in China and the United States as an opera singer and concert soloist. Qianting Huang is currently seeking a master’s degree in vocal performance at Ball State under the tutelage of Dr. Zhong.



Recognized

Emma Laux, Portland, has been recognized as an outstanding student at Butler University by the Butler Alumni Association.



Nominations sought

Nominations for the 23rd annual Jack Cole Award for Volunteerism are being accepted by The Portland Foundation. The award was established by the foundation’s board of trustees to honor Cole’s work as the foundation’s first executive director.

Nominations should be by letter of recommendation and include the nominee’s name, address and a brief background describing why the nominee is deserving of this award.

The winner will receive a commemorative plaque and a nominal cash award to be presented to the volunteer’s charity of choice. The award will be presented at the foundation’s annual meeting on May 20.

Deadline for nominations is Thursday, March 19, 2020. They should be sent to the foundation office at 107 S. Meridian St., Portland. For more information, contact the foundation office at (260) 726-4260.



Be natural

A Master Naturalist class will be offered at Ouabache State Park in Wells County this spring.

The class will run from March 11 through May 6 on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon.

The educational program has been developed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and Purdue University Extension.

The fee for the class is $75, and registration is due by Feb. 28.

To receive a registration form or to get more information, call (463) 203-6562 or email [email protected].



Retiring

Linda Shreve will be retiring from Jay County Public Library after 25 years of service. The public is invited to attend a retirement party in her honor from 1:30 to 4 p.m. in the library’s Community Room on March 5.