ART

Orinda Library Art Gallery February exhibitors: Kabir Adejare, history makers; Robert  Wahrhaftig, portraits; Carole Dwinell, multiple disciplines; ceramic artists of Lafayette Gallery.  For more information visit www.orindaartscouncil.org.

Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art - three new exhibitions opened Sunday, Feb. 2. From Swords to Plowshares: Metal Trench Art from World War One; Songs of the Patriot: How Music Helped Win World War One - through original chromolithographic cover illustrations of popular songs, sheet music and lyrics, this exhibition explores how music publishers, songwriters, cover artists, and singers generated support for troops overseas; and Power Point Lecture: The War Within the War: 1914 – 1918 by Adam Hochschild at 2 p.m. on opening day, Sunday, Feb. 2 at LeFevre Theatre (free). Open 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. For info, call (925)-631-4379 or visit stmarys-ca.edu/museum. Admission: free to K-12 graders; $5 adults. Free parking.

Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art - Two Exhibitions re-opened Feb. 2. Malcolm Lubliner: The Automotive Landscape - The noted Bay Area photographer and Los Angeles native received an MFA in photography from Otis Art Institute. This gorgeous and sometimes humorous display reveals his life-long love affair with the car. William Keith: Nature’s Tranquil Splendor - A rotating selection of oil paintings from the College collection is always on view. Open 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. For info, call (925)-631-4379 or visit stmarys-ca.edu/museum. Admission: free to K-12 graders; $5 adults. Free parking.

Photography Show—The Camera Cabal, through Feb. 27 at City of San Ramon’s Lindsay Dirkx Brown Art Gallery inside San Ramon Community Center. The Camera Cabal, a collective of 11 Bay Area fine art photographers (including Orinda and Lafayette photographers), exhibit their stunning and evocative images of landscapes, abstracts, portraits, and street life. Show hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday; call (925) 973-3200 for evening/weekend hours.

Town Hall Theatre is pleased to announce the opening of a free art exhibit in their gallery at 3535 School Street, Lafayette. "Greeting the New Year," which runs through March 8, is a colorful and energetic exhibit showcasing the work of eight members of the Lamorinda Arts Alliance. Gallery hours are from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday - Friday and for one hour before performances. For more info, contact curator JoAnn Lieberman at olabambola@sbcglobal.net.

With nearly two million veterans in California and a generation of veterans returning from two wars, Contra Costa County Library has launched a timely and relevant project, War Ink, an online exhibit of Iraq and Afghanistan veteran memorial tattoo art. War Ink will launch on Veterans Day 2014, and represents a platform to explore the unfiltered record of war that veterans have documented on their body. Veterans interested in the project are encouraged to contact Jason Deitch directly at jasonadeitch@gmail.com or (510) 593-8423.

The Moraga Art Gallery’s new show “Good Looking: California Revealed” highlighting the beauty and wonder of California through watercolor paintings by resident artist George Ehrenhaft and oil paintings by guest artist Loreta Landucci will run through March 15. It is open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, visit the gallery’s website: www.moragaartgallery.com, call (925) 376-5407 or email moragaartgallery@gmail.com.

MUSIC

Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra presents Crazy Eights, a bold, unconventional presentation of traditional works, including Handel’s Concerto Grosso, Op.6, No. 8, Mozart’s Wind Octet No. 12, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15 at Los Medanos College Recital Hall, Pittsburg; $5-10 at the door, and Sunday, Feb. 16 at Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, $10-$30 at the door.  For tickets, call (925-943-SHOW) or go to www.LesherArtsCenter.org. 

Treat yourself to an hour of classical and theatre music from 1:15 to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19 at the Soda Center at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga. The free program will feature Saint Mary’s student instrumentalists and singers performing works from a range of styles and traditions. For more info, call the Saint Mary's College Performing Arts Department at (925) 631-4670.

A Celebration of Pacific Chamber Symphony  at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28 in the Lafayette Library and Learning Center Community Hall. Mozart's Concerto for Clarinet in A Minor, Schubert's Symphony No. 5 in B Flat Major and the world premiere of Christopher Caliendo's Sherlock Holmes Suite. Tickets: $30 seniors; $35 adults; $10 students with ID; children under 13 free with adult. Tickets available at Brown Paper Tickets, (800) 838-3006.

THEATER

DVC Drama presents William Shakespeare's “Hamlet” though Sunday, Feb. 16. For tickets, call (925) 969-2358 or visit www.dvcdrama.net. Check website for exact times and ticket prices. DVC Drama is located at 321 Golf Club Rd, Pleasant Hill, with free parking for all performances.

LECTURE & LITERATURE

Don’t miss the second annual Science Thought Leaders Night from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25 at Bentley School, an evening of thought-provoking discussion around the topic of climate change. The event will provide a venue for both students and adults to ask questions about the topic of climate change, and offer a great opportunity to learn about the role that science, policy, economics and technology all play in addressing complex global problems. RSVP: http://bentleysciencenight.eventbrite.com or http://communications@bentleyschool.net or call (510) 843-2512.

Contra Costa Tale Spinners: Keeping the Oral Tradition Alive from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27. Come one, come all to a wonderful evening of stories. Come tellers new and old with your tales of enjoyment. Come listeners to laugh, cry and clap in delight. Featured performer Nancy Schimmel, followed by “open mic” stories on the fourth Thursday of every month, Gallery Room of the Orinda Public Library, 24 Orinda Way, Orinda. Contact Sally Holzman, (925) 478-8488, or Liz Nichols at liz@liznichols.net. Free. Plenty of safe parking.

Multimedia update on "An Inconvenient Truth."  As part of the Wine and Tapas Speaker Series, Wei-Tai Kwok presents the latest facts and findings about the climate crisis from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 8 at Our Saviors Lutheran Church Friendship Hall, 1035 Carol Lane, Lafayette. As a volunteer climate leader, Wei-Tai was trained by Al Gore in an effort to provide greater public awareness around this issue. Bring a drink or small plate of food to share.

KIDS, PARENTS & TEENS

Free Support Group for Parents of Struggling Teens, Willows in the Wind, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15 at Oakland Kaiser. Willows offers this peer-led meeting where you can share your concerns with other parents in a similar position. For more info, visit willowsinthewind.com. If you are attending the meeting for the first time, contact Cindy Rasicot at cindy.rasicot@gmail.com or (510) 332-0463.

Glorietta Elementary School continues to build community and raise needed funds through its annual school auction, now in its 32nd year. It is composed of two parts: online as well as the auction itself. The online portion is open to the general public. On Feb. 7-20, 2014, the public can log onto www.biddingforgood.com and bid on a number of goods and certificates from the surrounding community.

The Contra Costa Camp and School Fair is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23 at Acalanes High School. The second annual free event will have booths for camps, schools, preschool, daycare, sports, martial arts, gymnastics, enrichment, performing arts, scouts and family vacations. Activities and exhibitions. Free. For info, visit www.ContraCostaCampFair.com.

The free college planning and information session to minimize stress and demystify the college planning process from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23 in the Lafayette Library, Community Hall is designed to help high school students (of all grades) and their parents effectively manage the college planning process. Learn more about what to expect and how to plan and prepare your student’s path to college. A discussion and lively question and answer session will help refine your student’s path and approach to finding the right college fit. Space is limited. Please register at www.smartcookielearning.com or call (925) 297-5304 with any questions.

Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie’s Education Foundation is now accepting nominations for outstanding public school teachers for their 2014 grant program. Every year, Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie Real Estate awards cash grants to outstanding public school teachers in an effort to acknowledge their priceless contributions to our children’s future. It is their way of giving back to the communities in which their realtors, owners, managers and staff work and live. To nominate a favorite teacher for 2014, visit www.bhghome.com/educationfoundation. The deadline is March 31.

The Orinda Junior Women’s Club (Orinda Juniors) is pleased to announce details for Youth Ink 2014, the annual creative writing contest open to all sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students who live or attend school in Orinda. The Youth Ink 2014 prompt is “Listen.” Submissions will be accepted on an ongoing basis but must be hand-delivered to a designated school representative or postmarked by Friday, Feb. 18 and mailed to Orinda Junior Women’s Club, P.O. Box 40, Orinda, CA 94563 in order to be considered for an award. Check online for submission form locations at www.orindajuniors.org. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Apr. 24 at Orinda Library.

OTHER

Health matters for Boomers and Beyond: Embracing the Benefits of Living a Balanced Lifestyle. Health experts will be covering various healthy aging topics, as well as offering free mini fitness classes suitable for all levels from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, March 7 at the Orinda Library. Free.  Registration begins at 9 a.m. in the Orinda Library auditorium. Coffee, tea and treats will be available. For more info, contact Beth Girshman, Orinda Library, bgirshma@ccclib.org, or call (925) 254-2184, ext 15, or visit www.friendsoftheorindalibrary.org.             

Workshops on “How to Raise Your Own Chickens” in Lafayette. Topics will include raising young chicks, laying hen maintenance, and sustainable coop construction. Workshops are free and will be held from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Sundays during February and March. Reservations are required. Contact: jhkiefer@comcast.net.

The Rescue 1 Foundation, an organization dedicated to support the paramedic program of MOFD, is seeking a new director from the Moraga community. Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month except July, August, and December. Letters of interest should be sent no later than Feb. 15 to Julie Fisher, 815 Camino Ricardo, Moraga, CA 94556 or email her at juliefisher1@comcast.net.

East Bay Comic-Con comes to Concord Sunday, Feb. 16, making for an amazing day of Comic Books, Art, Anime, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Gaming and Cosplay fun. Most of California’s best vendors of all things cool and collectible will tempt you with the perfect gifts for Geeks, Nerds, Fans and True Collectors everywhere. Admission at the door: $5 for adults; children under 8 are free. For more info, visit http://eastbaycomiccon.com or on Facebook at   http://www.facebook.com/pages/East-Bay-Comic-Con.

Another year of classic films is schedule for Moraga's New Rheem Theatre. A time-honored movie is slated for the third Wednesday of each month. New for 2014: 1 p.m. starting time.  Wednesday, Feb. 19: “Knute Rockne, All-American” (1940). Each film program is introduced by Larry Swindell.

Lamorinda Republican Women Federated welcomes Lance Izumi of the Pacific Research Institute, author of numerous publications on education policy, at noon Thursday, Feb. 20 at the Orinda Country Club. For luncheon information and reservations, contact Elsie Euing at (925) 254-8617 by Feb. 14. Cost: $25. Men are welcome!

John Muir National Historic Site (NHS) is conducting a public workshop to develop management alternatives for the Muir/Strentzel gravesite in Martinez, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 22. The workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to noon in the multipurpose room in John Swett Elementary School, 4955 Alhambra Valley Road, Martinez. Following the workshop, NPS staff will conduct an environmental impact analysis for each of the alternatives and will select a preferred alternative based on this analysis. These alternatives will comprise the Environmental Assessment, which will be available for public review and comment later in the year.

Voices On Poverty 3 to 5 p.m. Feb. 23 at Temple Isaiah in Lafayette. An event designed to raise awareness of poverty in our county. Volunteers from the interfaith community who run Winter Nights will also be honored. Speakers who are the working poor and those who work in service on the problem will be featured. Small group conversations will explore the opportunity for faith and community organizations to make an impact. RSVP at www.temple-isaiah.org/voicesonpoverty. (See related story page B10)

Planning Director Shawna Brekke-Read will discuss "Future Development in Moraga" at the Moraga Women's Society from 11 a.m. to noon Monday, Feb. 24 at the Holy Trinity Cultural Center, Moraga.  Free.

Free Tax Preparation for the 2014 tax season is available starting February 2014 from AARP’s Tax-Aide and United Way’s Earn It, Keep It, Save It (EKS) programs. All tax preparers are trained and certified by the IRS. While both programs serve taxpayers of any age, Tax-Aide does not have an income limit for those they can serve but EKS can only serve individuals whose incomes do not exceed $50,000. For info or to make an appointment for the Tax-Aide sites serving the Walnut Creek area, please call: (925) 943-5851, Walnut Creek Senior Club site; (925) 405-6278, Walnut Creek Grace Presbyterian Church site; (925) 979-5013, Walnut Creek St. Paul’s Episcopal Church site. For general information and other site locations, call: (925) 726-3199. For information on EKS sites call 2-1-1 or visit www.earnitkeepitsaveit.org.

Join us at the 5-star Lafayette Park Hotel from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the East Bay's Best Bridal Fair Sunday, March 2. Sip Champagne, sample hors d'oeuvres and meet with the finest wedding vendors in the East Bay as you plan that once-in-a-lifetime wedding. Tickets: $15 at www.EastBayBridal.com.

For the fifth year, San Francisco’s laugh-lovers will have the renewed opportunity to enjoy a champagne-filled night of comedy at the landmark Orinda Theatre at 7 p.m. Friday, March 7. Advance discounted and VIP tickets may be reserved until March 6 using credit cards at the Chamber website – www.OrindaChamber.org – or at First Republic Bank, 224 Brookwood Road. Tickets at the door (if available) will be at increased pricing. Advanced reservations are recommended, so attendees should reserve early.

CSEA Tax Help Day - Get Your Tax Questions Answered. Enrolled Agents, “America’s Tax Experts” will be answering tax questions free of charge from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, March 7 at the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce 100 Lafayette Circle, and Women's Initiative for Self Employment 1814 Franklin St, Suite 200, Training Room, Oakland. Please visit the Taxpayer Information Center on www.csea.org, or call 1-800-TAXPRO-5 for more information.

State-of-the-art “cross-cut” shredding will be done from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 29 at 5A Rent-A-Space in the Shred Defense Truck starting at just $5 per file box. Save your boxes of papers to be shredded for March. Financial advisors, attorneys, medical offices, and other businesses can meet their legal obligation to dispose of clients' information responsibly, while helping send Lamorinda middle school girls to AAUW's Tech Trek Science and Math Camp. Shredding details: Government Specified Approved Shred, HIPAA Compliant Shredding, TWIC Certified Drivers. Certificates of Destruction and Donation Receipts will be provided.

SENIORS

Saving Endangered Species, Presented by Linda Riebel. Have you met a golden lion tamarin? Ever heard of a pangolin? What about a snow leopard? These are just a few of Earth’s wonderful creatures that are now endangered. Conservationists work worldwide to preserve them and their habitats. Discover some fascinating, beautiful animals, the ingenious ways they are being protected, and how you can help save them from 10:30 a.m. to noon Thursday, Feb. 20 in the Cedar Room, Lafayette Community Center. Cost: $1 members; $3 non-members.

GARDEN

The Moraga Garden Club will meet Friday, Feb. 20 at the Holy Trinity Cultural Center, 1700 School St., Moraga. Social time is 9:30 to 10 a.m. The meeting starts at 10 a.m. with speaker Claire Splan, author of two Bay Area gardening books, who will discuss "Gardening Month to Month."  Non-members are welcome.