Arnie Hoersten will talk about purple martins at noon Tuesday in the dean's heritage room in McIntosh Center. He will describe the acrobatic bird at a meeting of the Kiwanis Club, but all interested in the boisterous and social bird are welcome to attend. Arnie is the ONU senior technology manager for the office of information technology.
Here are a few fun facts about purple martins:
1. Remember seeing plastic gourds in backyards to provide housing for the birds? Centuries ago, Native Americans were hanging real hollowed-out gourds to attract them.
2. The purple martin is the largest swallow in North America.
The ONU Department of Music will present the Ohio Northern Symphony: “Heroes: Beethoven’s Eroica” at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 6 in the Freed Center for the Performing Arts.
Music Director Travis Jürgens will conduct this season finale, which features Beethoven’s monumental “Eroica Symphony” (Symphony No. 3, op. 55 in E♭ major), a world premiere titled “Perpetua” by Ohio composer Kurt Doles, and up-and-coming violinists from Romania. Radu Kis will perform the finale of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, and Maria Marica will play the finale of the Bruch G minor Violin Concerto.
The Kroger Crusaders Relay for Life Team will sponsor a carnival with a king, queen, prince and princess contest from noon until 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 3, in the parking lot near Krogers in Kenton.
The royalty contest will have two age groups: 3-10 and 11-16. Contestants are asked to collect money for the American Cancer Society. Those who collect the most win the crowns.
Go to Kroger Crusaders Facebook page to register before May 1.
The ONU Wind Orchestra will present a concert at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 28 in the Freed Center for the Performing Arts.
This is the opening concert of the annual ONU Spring Band Festival, now in its 42nd year. The Wind Orchestra, under the direction of Thomas A. Hunt, will offer a program of challenging music for winds and percussion, including works by John Williams, Leonard Bernstein, Antonin Dvorak, and the Spring Band Festival’s guest composer and conductor, Jay Bocock.
This program also will be performed by the Wind Orchestra when it tours Luxembourg and Germany in May.
Members of the Hardin County Herb Society will meet at 2 pm on Saturday at Vancrest to hear about children's author Tasha Tudor. The meeting is open to residents of Vancrest and the public.
Martha Cramer of Forest will tell tales of the unique lifestyle of the award-winning artist and her relationship with Ada area residents. Tasha Tudor lived the simple life.
FROM BLUFFTON ICON - The Bluffton High School music department presents "The Addams Family," this weekend.
Performances are 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, April 21 and 22, and at 2 p.m., Sunday, April 23, in the middle school cafetorium. Kara Zink directs the performances. Tickets are on sale in the middle school office during school hours. Reserved seated at $10 and general admission tickets are $5.
