The Committee for Lectures, Art and Music at Saint Mary's College welcomes Steve Turre, the man widely considered this generation's finest trombonist, on Wed., Jan. 14th. The performance takes place in the college's Soda Activity Center; curtain time is 8 p.m. Tickets: $25 general; $20 seniors (65+); $12 Saint Mary's College faculty, staff and non-SMC students; $2 SMC students. For more information or to purchase tickets, please call 925.631.4381 or visit www.stmarys-ca.edu. See article page 7
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Audition now for the East Bay premier women’s ensemble! WomenSing is holding auditions in early January, and by appointment for experienced singers. Altos are particularly encouraged to audition, but all voice parts are welcome. Contact us by email at audition@womensing.org, call our voice mail 925.974.9169, or go to www.womensing.org for more info.

Bert Monroy, Master Artist Tribute VIII: A Digital Artist Paints With Light January 17 – April 5. The Hearst Art Gallery of Saint Mary’s College is pleased to present a major survey of the preeminent digital master Bert Monroy, a world-renowned Photoshop artist and teacher, known for pioneering and innovative digital painting technique. On Sun., Jan. 18, at 2 p.m, using software as his brush and canvas, Monroy will offer a public Photoshop demonstration in the Soda Activity Center, followed by a reception. The exhibition opens Saturday, Jan. 17, and continues through Sunday, Apr. 5, 2009. Public Hours: Wed - Sun, 11 a.m. - 4:30p.m. Admission: $3; children 12 and under free; Gallery members free. 925.631.4379. www.hearstartgallery.org
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The Moraga Art Gallery kicks off the New Year with a double feature exploring an uncommon theme: The Northern Lights in Moraga. The January 6-March 14 show will highlight artworks by local artists Vivien Hart and Nina Tyksinski. Vivien, who lives in Orinda, creates artful cabinetry knobs and pulls from fused glass, “functional art on a glass canvas.” Lafayette writer-turned-painter Nina Tyksinski is known in the gallery for her large abstracts in acrylic, her recent paintings seek to capture the phenomenon of the northern lights using watercolor while placing them in local surroundings, including the Chapel at Saint Mary’s and Mount Diablo. The Moraga Art Gallery is a co-operative gallery of 20 artists in the Rheem Valley Shopping Center, 570 Center Street in Moraga (MoragaArtGallery.com).Open Tuesday through Sunday, 12-5 pm, 925.376.5407. Artist Reception for the Northern Lights show will be January 10, from 3 to 5 PM.
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Illuminated Sculpture opens January 11 and runs through February 22 at the Bedford Gallery, Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. The exhibit will showcase sculptures using a variety of forms of illumination including gases, incandescent light and emerging mediums like laser, plasma, fiber optics and light-emitting diodes (LED). Opening Reception: Sunday, Jan 11, 3-5 pm. Meet this innovative group of light artists, enjoy wine and hors d'ouevres Free for LCA members, Friends of the Bedford. General admission $5.
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"Objects of Affection," the new show at the Lafayette Gallery, 50 Lafayette Circle, opens on Jan. 13th and runs through March 7th, 2009. A festive public reception will be on Feb 6, 2009, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. The show coincides with Valentine’s Day celebrations. The viewer is treated to multiple canvases offering a fine art gift for your object of affection. For this special show, gallery artists create 12"x12" canvases with their personal interpretation of affection in all its many guises. Gallery Hours: 11–5 pm Tue. – Sat. 50 Lafayette Circle, 925-284-2788.

Green Rheem film night- “The Future of Food” Jan. 8th 6 pm wine and appetizers and at 7pm the movie starts. The movie offers an in-depth investigation behind the unlabeled, patented, and genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade. Green Rheem is organized by Generation Green, Sustainable Moraga, Sustainable Lafayette, and Parents for a Safer Environment. Rheem Theater, 350 Park Street, Moraga (Rheem Shopping Center) Pre order Tickets for $14: www.sustainablelafayette.net/events/green-rheem.html or at the ticket office for $17.
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A special program, “How Green is Your Footprint,” will be presented by The Association of University Women on Tuesday, Jan 13 from 9:30 – 11:30 am. Special Guest Speakers will be Doug Grandt and Paul Valva who are with Al Gore’s Climate Project. There will be valuable tips for those who run households, raise and train children, occasionally mind the grandchildren and have concerns about reducing our carbon footprint. Many tables will be set up with products and representatives who will show you how to go green and with exciting new green project ideas for the future. The public is welcome – do come and wear green. Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, 1700 School Street, Moraga.
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Yesterday and Today: The Church and Anti-Semitism, Some Historical Perspectives is the title of the talk Professor Johan Snapper will give at the Friday Forum on January 9 in Fellowship Hall at the Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church, 49 Knox Drive, Lafayette. Refreshments served at 1 p.m. with the lectures at 1:30 p.m. Snapper observes that when dealing with the Holocaust we usually focus on the Nazis or on the Jews. "My presentation adds an important third partner, the Christian Church." A retired professor from UC Berkeley, Snapper has lectured on the Holocaust at many universities and conferences in Europe and the United States.
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Health Care For All - California, Contra Costa Chapter, will be holding its first monthly meeting of the year on Sun., Jan. 11 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the Concord Police Station, 1350 Galindo Road, Concord. Health Care For All - California is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that all Californians have comprehensive, reliable and affordable health care through a single payer public system..Admission is free and all are invited to attend. For more information contact Pat Snyder at patsnydr@aol.com or (925) 962-0379.
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The Commonwealth Club of California presents: Problems with Progress: A Historical Perspective on the Presidency. Thursday, January 15 at the Veterans Memorial Hall, 3780 Mount Diablo Blvd in Lafayette (6:00 p.m. reception, 6:30 p.m. program.) As the nation prepares to inaugurate the first African-American president, Americans wonder if our country can truly become colorblind. How will Obama’s victory shape American history? Join a quintessential American historian as he unveils the pitfalls and triumphs this election has delivered upon the American psyche. Tickets are $12 for members, $18 for non-members, $7 for students. For tickets, visit commonwealthclub.org or call (415) 597-6705. See article on page 7.
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The theme for the 2009 presidential inauguration is "A New Birth of Freedom," commemorating the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. The community's Martin Luther King Day observance will be held at the Civic Park Community Center Assembly Hall, 1365 Civic Drive from noon to 1:00 p.m. on Monday, January 19. The event is co-sponsored by the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, the Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center, and the City of Walnut Creek.
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A community celebration to mark the historic inauguration of Barack Obama, the first African-American U.S. President, will be held Jan. 20th 7:30 to 10:30 am, Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. The event, which will include a live TV feed of the inauguration ceremony in the Hofmann Theatre, will be from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. The event is free but seating is limited and registration is required. To register, go online to
http://www.walnut-creek.com/.

Lamorinda Teen Center Meeting. Parents and middle and high school students are encouraged to attend a meeting to discuss plans for the proposed Lamorinda Teen Center on Jan. 7, 7 p.m. at the Orinda Community Center in Room 7. Tom McCormick, City Council Member, Orinda resident, parent and local attorney, will unveil plans for a Teen Center with the mission to provide a permanent place for Lamorinda youth that promotes mentoring and learning, and offers recreational, entertainment and social options in a safe and healthy environment.
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Paying for college: A free workshop on getting thousands of dollars for your child’s college education will be hosted at the Orinda Community Center Garden Room located at 26 Orinda Way in Orinda on January 15 from 6:30pm to 7:30pm. The speakers will be members of Bay College Planners and cover such topics as how to send your kids to the school of their dreams without going broke; how to triple your eligibility for aid; how to find scholarships and grants you’ve never even heard of. The seminars will last one hour. Admission is free but seating is limited by the size of the room, so please call 877-924-3726 to reserve your seats now or register on line at www.baycollegeplanners.com.
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Salsa Dance Classes at the Orinda Community Center, Salsa dancing is fun, playful, healthy…and easy to learn. No partner required. No experience necessary. Drop-ins are always welcome! Monday evenings. 7pm beginners, 8pm intermediate. Jan. 5-Feb. 23 6-week series: $69/single, $126/couple. Orinda Community Center, 26 Orinda Way Register by calling 925-254-2445, or at your first class!
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Beachcomber Singles-Newcomers Potluck Dinner, Davies room, Lafayette Orinda Presbyterian Church, Lafayette on Sun., Jan. 18, 6:30 p.m. Bring a potluck dish and beverage to share and $2. Remember your New Year's Resolution to get out and meet new (nice) people! Call Jerry for more info 510.799.2207.

Big Band Ball Room Dance, Friday, January 23 at the Art Deco Rheem Theatre in Moraga, 350 Rheem Blvd. Doors open at 6:30 pm and the dance runs from 7:00pm through 10:00pm. Students from Acalanes High, Campolindo High and Stanley will be featured with the Rossmoor Big Band and students are encouraged to attend the dance. Tickets are $10.00 and may be purchased at the Rheem Theatre, the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce or the Orinda Chamber of Commerce. Purchase your tickets in advance, as this event has sold out in the past. Space is limited. Call 925-284-7404 or visit www.lafayettechamber.org for information. See article on front page 1.
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Orinda author Sally Small will discuss and sign copies of her new novel Two Sloughs.Thursday, January 15 at 4pm. Orinda Book, 276 Village Square, Orinda. 925-254-7606. www.orindabooks.com
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The Orinda Woman’s Club is currently welcoming applications for major beneficiaries of the funds of next year’s Festival of Trees Event held in November each year. Applicants must conform to specific guidelines and the organization must benefit families, women and/or children Demonstrate that the funds go directly to hands- on care. For details and to obtain an application form, please contact Adeline McClatchie, 925 254 1162 adeline@mcclatchie.com
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Widowed Persons Support will be offering a series of six GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS. Saturdays from 10 a.m. to Noon January 10, 17. 24, 31, February 7 and 14, 2009 and will be held in St. Stephen’s Church, 66 St. Stephens Drive, Orinda. These meetings are led by trained Facilitators. There is no charge and no need to make a reservation, just walk in. For information call: 510-932-3448.
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The Peripheral Neuropathy Group will meet on Fri., January 23 from 10 AM to 11:30 AM in the Las Trampas Room at Hillside Club House. This will be a get acquainted and sharing of experiences time. Peripheral Neuropathy is a little known ailment and there has been no cure found. It has been found that people can help each other by sharing their experiences with Peripheral Neuropathy. There is no cost. For questions of any kind please contact Nancy Ostrander at 930-9524 or Carolyn Cash at 254-8195.