Driving refresher course slated in Jefferson

JEFFERSON -An eight-hour classroom refresher course for drivers age 55 and older is scheduled for from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at the Jefferson Fire Department Administrative Office Building, 189 N. Main St.

The AARP Safe Driving Class, formally known as the 55 Alive/Mature Driving class, helps drivers refine existing skills and offers safe, defensive driving techniques, and points out age-related changes that may affect driving.

Participants receive updated information on changes in the driving law. This class is hosted by the Jefferson Fire District and taught by an AARP volunteer.

Drivers who attend may qualify for an auto insurance premium reduction. There are no tests, and the cost of the class is $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members. The fee must be paid the day of the class.

Drivers are encouraged to sign up in advance as the class size is limited. For additional information, or to sign up for the class, call the Jefferson Fire District at (541) 327-2822, or stop by the station.

Grad student seeks 'Biggest Loser' viewers

CORVALLIS - If you a regular viewer of the NBC reality TV show "Biggest Loser," you may be eligible to participate in a new study.

Tucker Readdy, a graduate student in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Sciences at Oregon State University, is seeking people 18 years of age or older to be part of a research study. Participants must have watched all episodes of season six, which aired from September to December 2008.

Participants will be interviewed for about an hour about their views on the show and will receive a $25 gift card to Fred Meyer.

The TV show features contestants trying to lose weight and competing for a prize of $250,000. Professional trainers are provided to help them.

Readdy said he is looking for about 40 participants to do interviews about the TV show. Interviews can be conducted in a location that is convenient for the participant.

Those interested in participating in this study should contact Readdy at (541) 737-4111 or e-mail readdyr@onid.orst.edu.

Soroptimists to sell flowers for Mother's Day

Soroptimist International of Albany is holding its annual Mother's Day hanging basket sale in April.

The choices for baskets are fuchsia, Victorian and Tinkerbell.

All baskets are $20, and orders need to be placed by April 30. Delivery will be on May 7.

For more information or to place orders, call Rhonda Burlington at (541) 918-7466.

Online school hosts information sessions

Oregon Connections Academy, a statewide online charter school based in Scio, is holding two information sessions in Salem this spring.

The first is 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Best Western Hotel, 3125 Ryan Drive S.E., and the second is 6:30 p.m. May 12 at the Pringle Hall Community Center, 606 Church St. S.E. Both sessions are free and open to the public.

The sessions will provide parents with a chance to meet the school's teachers and other ORCA families, view the curriculum, see a demonstration of the online Learning Management System and ask questions about the program.

Begun in 2005, ORCA is the largest online public charter school in Oregon. No tuition is required to attend, and the school provides technology, textbooks and materials. The school currently serves more than 2,600 students statewide in kindergarten through 12th grade.

In all, 23 information sessions held in cities across Oregon through the end of May. For a complete list, go to www.ConnectionsAcademy.com or call (800) 382-6010.

Diabetes association honors Lebanon hospital

LEBANON - The American Diabetes Association recently awarded a continued Education Recognition to the diabetes self-management education program at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital. This verifies that the hospital's program meets the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Diabetes Education programs.

Such programs undergo a voluntary process to verify that they meet the national standards. Programs that achieve the Education Recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide the most current and effective information about diabetes management for participants.

Democrat-Herald