Metal art, gardening among Parks and Rec adult classes

MOSES LAKE — Metal art, growing native plants and cooking classic dishes of southern Europe will be among the classes for adults offered by Moses Lake Park and Recreation this spring.

The city will sponsor a men’s softball league during the summer; cost is $470 per team or $25 per player. Softball players who want more information can contact Isaac Valdez, 509-855-3948.

A two-night class in “native plant gardening’ is scheduled for 7:15 to 9:15 p.m. March 14 and 17 at the Learning Center, 701 Penn St.

Participants will learn how to select and grow plants compatible with the eastern Washington climate, plant sources, integrated pest management and mulch options. Cynthia Calbick, WSU master gardener, is the instructor.

Calbick said her fees will be donated to the WSU Grant-Adams Master Gardener Foundation.

A two-month class in using welding, grinding and aging metal to create art will begin March 17 and run Tuesday and Thursday through May 31. (No classes March 31 or April 7.) Classes are 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center, 900 East Yonezawa Blvd.

Students will learn three types of welding, painting with rust and different colors of metal, heat coloring, the craft of air-arc sculpture and the techniques of metal grinding. Cost is $125 per person for the course. Dave Oliver is the instructor; Oliver is the advanced manufacturing instructor at CB Tech.

Italian and Spanish cooking and homemade bread and pasta will be the subjects of three cooking classes. Italian cooking is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. March 19 at the CB Tech culinary classroom. Students will learn how to cook chicken piccatta and fresh pasta, and the menu also includes a salad, sautéed vegetables and bread. Each class includes the recipes and all ingredients.

The Spanish cooking class, scheduled for April 16, will feature tapas, a shrimp dish seasoned with lots of garlic, along with mussels and a salad. The “carb’d up” class, scheduled for May 21, will feature homemade pasta with red sauce and homemade butter.

Each class is $65 per person. Steve Armstrong is the instructor.

People can get more information on the classes or can register at the parks and recreation office, 411 South Balsam, 509-764-3805.