Briefly: News notes Monday

DeLanceys enjoy home that volunteers built

Jakson DeLancey and his mother, Brenda, are settling into their new Bennington home.

Jakson uses a wheelchair and requires constant care. The house, built to accommodate the youngster’s needs, was constructed mainly by volunteers and funded with several donations.

Teachers from the Bennington school district and others raised money to build the DeLanceys a home that features an elevator and other comforts to make life easier for the mother and son, who previously lived in an apartment.

Those involved with the project will hold an open house and dedication Sunday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the home in the Ridgewood development, off Bennington Road and east of 156th Street.

Organizers have invited those who helped with the project.

Writing workshop designed for students

Students in grades six through nine should register by Thursday for a creative writing workshop hosted by the Bluffs Arts Council.

The workshop will be Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at Community Hall, 205 Pearl St. The cost is $20. Visit www.bluffsarts.org for more information.

Night at the museum for area teachers

Educators of all subjects and grades are invited to Teachers’ Night at the Durham Museum on Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The after-hours open house will give teachers a chance to hear about what’s new at the Durham and other regional institutions.

Highlighting this year’s event will be educators from the Smithsonian Institution presenting lessons from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and the National Air and Space Museum.

Participants can enjoy a cocktail reception, teaching demonstrations and free classroom-ready materials, as well as information about field trips and programs for students.

To register, visit www.teachersnight.org. For more information, call 444-5027.

Concert is fundraiser for UNO musicians

The University of Nebraska at Omaha Jazz Ensembles, featuring the Heartland Community Flute Choir, will give a fundraising concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Milo Bail Student Center Ballroom.

Proceeds will help pay for the flute choir’s trip to the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago in December.

Tickets are $10; $5 for off-campus students and senior citizens; and free for UNO students with a MavCard.

Tickets will be available only at the door.

The Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic is an international conference that annually draws more than 15,000 attendees. The flute choir was accepted after a competitive audition process.

Tips to be offered for small businesses

New and prospective small business owners can learn about business success by attending a two-evening workshop.

The Small Business Success Workshop will be Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Nebraska District SBA Office, 10675 Bedford Ave.

Registration begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday night. The fee is $30 per person. Call 221-3606 for more information.

Valley YMCA to host community health fair

Free health screenings, information, cooking demonstrations, exercise classes and more will be available Saturday at a community health fair.

The event will be from 8 a.m. to noon at the YMCA Twin Rivers Branch, 6100 Twin Rivers Circle in Valley.

Flu shots will be available, as will screenings for peripheral arterial disease. For a PAD screening appointment, call 977-4316.

The fair is presented by Methodist Health System and the YMCA of Greater Omaha.

Skelly station featured in historic Benson tour

See the historic areas of Benson during the 2009 Historic Restoration Tour on Sunday.

From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., the tour, organized by Landmarks Inc., will showcase examples of restoration and preservation in the area.

Ten Benson properties — residential and commercial — will be open for tours.

“Drive through” to register at one of the tour stops, 5504 Northwest Radial, site of one of the last prefabricated Skelly gas stations standing in the country.

Tickets are $10 each, or two for $15. For tickets and more information, visit www.restoreomaha.com.

Israel-Palestinian conflict topic of speech

Jonathan Kuttab, a Palestinian, will speak about the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Creighton University’s Harper Center.

Kuttab is founder or co-founder of several organizations, including the Palestinian Center for the Study of Nonviolence and the Mandela Institute for Political Prisoners.

The event, which is open to the public, is sponsored by the Justice and Peace Studies Program, the Graff Chair in Catholic Theological Studies and the Muslim Student Association.

— Compiled by Chip Olsen and Veronica Daehn Stickney