August 28, 2008

NEWS BRIEFS

Almaden Art & Wine Festival committee seeks student volunteers

Students seeking community service hours can look to the Almaden Art & Wine Festival to receive a number of hours. The Almaden Valley Women’s Club will host the festival on Sept. 21 and needs student volunteers to assist in the event.

Students must be at least of 14 years old to participate. Community service hours will be awarded to qualifying youth volunteers. A minimum two-hour shift is required, and students may work the full day to earn 10 community service hours. Volunteer assignments are available throughout the day and include set up, supply deliveries, clean up and staffing the children’s area (games, crafts and attractions).

The success of this popular annual festival relies heavily on the support of volunteers. Interested students should contact Landa Keirstead, festival volunteer chair at www.almadenwine.com under Student Volunteers. Please complete the online application and Landa will notify volunteers regarding their shifts.

The festival will be held for the fifth year at the Almaden Lake Park, which is located at the intersection of Almaden Expressway and Coleman Avenue in San Jose (near Highways 85 and 87). Admission is fee. The park offers a beautiful setting for a delightful day of live entertainment, children’s activities, the works of talented artists and craftspeople, Bay Area wines and beers and food. Proceeds benefit local schools and non- profit organizations.

Almaden Lake Park is easily accessible by VTA light rail and bus service and the Los Alamitos Creek Trail. Ample free parking is available for cars and bicycles. Parking options close to the festival include the Santa Clara Valley Water District on Almaden Expressway and the VTA Almaden Light Rail Station on Coleman Avenue.

The annual Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival has been orchestrated by the Almaden Valley Women’s Club since 1965. Funds raised at this festival are used to serve the needs of the Almaden community and those of greater San Jose through scholarships and grants. For more information about the Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival and the Almaden Valley Women’s Club visit: www.almadenwine.com.

Glasses for Art & Wine ready for pre-sale

The Almaden Valley Women’s Club is proud to present the 32nd Annual Almaden Art & Wine Festival to be held on Sunday, Sept. 21, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Almaden Lake Park. Admission is free. Parking and shuttle service are free and available at the San Jose Water Company and the VTA Light Rail Station

The AVWC will honor the festival with unique wine and beer glasses. Alain Pinel Realtors sponsors the wine glasses and Skip’s Tire and Auto Center sponsors the beer glasses.

Beer and wine will be poured on festival day, in festival glasses only. All proceeds from the sale of the glasses will go to local schools, charities and scholarships for college- bound high school seniors residing in the Almaden community.

Pre-sale of glasses begins Sept.5 and they are priced at $5. They will be available at the following shopping centers: Almaden Oaks Plaza, PW Shopping Center, Old Almaden Plaza and Safeway Shopping Center. For a complete list of merchants visit the Web site at: www.almadenwine.com Glasses will be sold on festival day for $6 each.

Volunteer guide positions open at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Join the aquarium’s family and help bring the wonders of Monterey Bay to the aquarium’s nearly two million annual guests. Learn about being a volunteer guide at the Monterey Bay Aquarium during one of the two following informational meetings:

* Tuesday, Sept. 9 from 7 to 9 p.m.
* Tuesday, Sept. 16 from 7 to 9 p.m.

Attendance at one of these meetings is a prerequisite to the training course, which runs from 6 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 13, 14, 15, 20, 22 and 23 at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. This course briefly covers the cultural and natural history of the Monterey Bay region, basic marine science and techniques for sharing information with the public.

Volunteer guides help interpret the aquarium’s galleries and exhibits to visitors and continually rotate stations throughout the aquarium. This volunteer opportunity is open to individuals 18 years of age and older. Especially welcome are bilingual speakers.

For more information or to request application materials for this or other volunteer opportunities at the aquarium, call the Volunteer Resources office at (831) 648-4867 or visit the “About Us” pages on www.montereybayaquarium.org

The mission of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the oceans.

American Red Cross announces September blood drive locations

The Northern California Region of the American Red Cross recently announced its annual drive to honor the lives lost on 9/11/01. It will hold blood drives throughout the month of September in various South Bay cities. These are open to the public.

There will be weekly drawings in September for a $100 gas gift card for those who wish to donate. In addition, there will be a grand prize drawing in September for all entries for a $1,000 gas gift card. Those donating between Sept. 1-6 will receive a coupon for a pint of Baskin Robbins ice cream.

The drives will be held at the following locations on the following days and times:

—Los Gatos on Tuesday, Sept. 2 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at St. Mary’s Church, Hofmann Center, 219 Bean Ave., Los Gatos. Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or go to www.BeADonor.com (Code: LOSGATOS) to schedule an appointment.

—San Jose on Thursday, Sept. 4 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel 2050 Gateway Place, Sierra Room. Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or go to www.BeADonor.com (Code: DOUBLETREESJ) to schedule an appointment.

—Morgan Hill on Tuesday, Sept. 9 from 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Cultural Hall, 1790 E. Dunne Ave., Morgan Hill. Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or go to www.BeADonor.com (Code: MHLDS) to schedule an appointment.

—Campbell on Friday, Sept. 12 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the EMQ Children & Family Services, 251 Llewellyn Ave., Campbell. Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or go to www.BeADonor.com (Code: SJROTARY) to schedule an appointment.
—San Jose on Wednesday, Sept. 17 from 1:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Cultural Hall, 150 Bernal Road, San Jose. Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or go to www.BeADonor.com (Code: BERNAL) to schedule an appointment.

—San Jose on Wednesday, Sept. 24 from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Kaiser Permanente Medical Office Building 275, Conference Rooms 3 & 4, 275 Hospital Parkway, San Jose. Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or go to www.BeADonor.com (Code: STH) to schedule an appointment.

—San Jose on Thursday, Sept. 25 from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the City Hall Rotunda, 200 E. Santa Clara Street, San Jose. Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or go to www.BeADonor.com (Code: CSJ) to schedule an appointment.

—San Jose on Tuesday, Sept. 30 from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Santa Clara County Building, East Wing Conference Room, 70 W. Hedding Street, San Jose. Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or go to www.BeADonor.com (Code: COUNTY) to schedule an appointment.

Creative writing class

The Kirk Senior Program is holding a creative writing class presented by MAEP Adult Education.

The class, which begins Aug. 28, will be held at the Camden Community Center, 3369 Camden Ave., while the Kirk Center is being upgraded. The class meets on Thursdays from 9-11:30 a.m. at a cost of $13 per semester. Open enrollment is offered throughout the session.

Instructor Lynn Rogers teaches intuitive writing allowing upcoming writers to “unlock their literary potential and put the critic aside.” Among the topics covered are memoirs, novels and poems. There will also be guest lectures. In the past, the class has published “Valley of Heart’s Delight Chapbook,” Tapestry of Poetry,” Tales from Paradise” and two scrapbooks.

Rogers also has been published. She’s written seven books including “Born in Berkeley,” “Arcadia’s Alviso, San Jose” and “Shadow on the Beach.” For more information, call (408) 559-5995.