C O M M U N I T Y N C A L E N DA R Go to AlmanacNews.com/calendar to see more calendar listings
Special Events Maritime Day and Gallery Reopening San Mateo County History Museum reopens its exhibit gallery, Charles Parsons’ “Ships of the World.” The gallery is getting a $58,000 upgrade that will include new interactive activities, video presentations, graphics and murals. Festivities include children’s crafts. March 16, noon-3 p.m. Free. San Mateo County History Museum, 2200 Broadway St., Redwood City. www.historysmc.org Author Amy Tan speaks at Canada College reception at Canada Vista at 6 p.m., featuring wine, hors d’oeuvres and an opportunity to meet the author. Proceeds benefit student scholarships. March 25, 7:30-9 p.m. $50. Canada College Main Theater, 4200 Farm Hill Blvd., Woodside. Call 650-3063347. www.amytanatcanadacollege.brownpapertickets.com
On Stage ‘Once on This Island’ TheatreWorks presents the Tony Award-nominated musical March 5-30, 2 p.m., 7:30 or 8 p.m. $19-$73. Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. Call 650-463-1960. www.theatreworks.org ‘The Diviners’ Set in the Depression, the story is about a boy who is deathly afraid of water yet who can divine it, a crucial gift for his drought-ridden town. The play echoes and is a fresh take on “Our Town” and “Of Mice and Men.” March 13-23, 7:30 p.m. $10-$40. Portola Valley Theatre Conservatory, 945 Portola Road, Portola Valley. Call 650-851-8282 ext. 105. www.pvtc-ca.org Spring Sprung Comedy Show Canada College Theatre Arts presents four comedies in one hour. Check website for dates and times. March 12-23, times vary. $15. Flex Theater, 4200 Farm Hill Blvd., Woodside. Call 650-306-3336. canadacollege.edu/arts/ boxoffice.php
Talks & Authors Lisa Solomon and Erik Burmeister Conversation Menlo Park resident Lisa Kay Solomon, co-author of “Moments of Impact: How to Design Strategic Conversations that Accelerate Change,” will share insights from her new book in conversation with Hillview Middle School Principal Erik Burmeister. March 12, 7 p.m. Free. Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. Call 650-324-4321. www.keplers.com/event/ lisa-solomon-conversation-hillview-principalerik-burmeister ‘A look at no-longer-hidden Burma’ Tim Clark gives informal presentation based on his visits and work there. The talk follows a soup dinner as part of the church’s “Thurs-
days in Lent” series. RSVP is necessary for the dinner. March 13, 6-7:30 p.m. Free. Ladera Community Church, 3300 Alpine Road, Portola Valley. Call 650-854-5481. www. ladera.org Author Anchee Min discusses her memoir, “The Cooked Seed,” the next chapter after growing up in China during the violent trauma of the Cultural Revolution. March 20, 7:30 p.m. Free. Kepler’s, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. Call 650-324-4321. www.keplers. com/event/anchee-min At Home with Harlan Coben Harlan Coben, live from his living room in New Jersey, will give a talk about his new book, “Missing You,” with an opportunity to ask him questions. 7 p.m. Free Kepler’s, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. Call 650-324-4321. www. keplers.com/event/home-harlan-coben Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen, co-authors of “Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most” and Harvard Law School professors, discuss their book. March 13, 7:30 p.m. Free. Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. Call 650324-4321. www.keplers.com/event/douglasstone-and-sheila-heen Kelly Corrigan discusses her memoir, “Glitter and Glue.” March 18, 7:30 p.m. Free. Kepler’s, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. www.keplers.com/event/kelly-corrigan
Community Events ‘A day in France’ The 9th annual French Fair includes 40 exhibitors, 12 sponsors, live music, a Citroen car exhibition, and the telling of French children’s stories. March 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. www.frenchfair.org Lifetree Cafe Conversations: Wounded Warriors Lifetree Cafe Menlo Park will host an hour-long conversation exploring the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder. March 12, 7-8 p.m.; March 13, 9:15-10:15 p.m. Free. Bethany Lutheran Church, 1095 Cloud Ave., Menlo Park. Call 650-854-5897. www. facebook.com/LifetreeCafeMP
Art Galleries ‘Asian Fusion’ Collection Linda Salter’s exhibit features her recent exploration of Chinese art, with brush painting pieces mounted on scrolls as well as others framed in Western style. March 1-31, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Portola Art Gallery, 75 Arbor Road, Menlo Park. Call 321-0220. www.portolaartgallery.com ‘SpaceCase’: Paintings by Jessica Eastburn Canada College Art Gallery presents “SpaceCase,” a series of paintings by local artist Jessica Eastburn. Using traditional manual methods, Eastburn has created paintings that resemble highly digitalized artwork. Reception March 18. Monday through Thursday, March 18-April 17, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Canada College Art Gallery, Building 9, Room 152, 4200 Farm Hill Blvd., Woodside. Call 650-306-3336. www.canadacollege.edu
Family history day in MP The Menlo Park Family History Center will hold a full-day event on Saturday, March 22, to help people research their family history. Free to the public and open to the community, the event will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Menlo Park LDS Church at 1107 Valparaiso Ave. in Menlo Park. The event will include: ■ Some 35 classes with information on resources, tools, and methods to discover ancestors. ■ Hands-on instruction at a computer lab with 45 computers plus bring-your-own laptop stations. ■ Signup for a consultation with a genealogist at a later date to answer questions and help with research. Bay Area author Greg McKeown and DNA specialist Steve Morse will speak.
“From beginner to expert, those with family history interest will find practical techniques, tools and methods to bring greater success in their searching for their family,” says Dave Ellison, director of the Menlo Park Family History Center. Go to mpfhc.org for more information and to register. The Menlo Park Family History Center offers free access to online and offline genealogy resources, including billions of online historical records and 2.5 million microfilms from more than 100 countries, plus the online services of FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, FindMyPast and others. Serving the Palo Alto to San Carlos area for nearly 40 years, the center has a staff of about 60 volunteers who offer free genealogy consulting to the public.
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Classes/Workshops Landscape Painting with Jenny Wantuch Indoor class on how to create landscapes and use photography and other reference materials to create artwork. Any medium is welcome. March 11-25, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. $80. Little House Activity Center, 800 Middle Ave., Menlo Park. Call 650-326-2025 ext. 222. www.penvol.org/littlehouse Make Your Own Beads Class Christie’s Creative Cupboard hosts a craft program on creating beads for adults. Sign-up required. March 19, 4-5 p.m. Free. Portola Valley Library, 765 Portola Road, Portola Valley. Call 650-851-0560. www.smcl.org Watercolor with Alisan Andrews Class on basic techniques. Wednesdays, March 12-April 16, 10 a.m.-noon. $120. Little House Activity Center, 800 Middle Ave., Menlo Park. Call 650-326-2025 ext. 222. www. penvol.org/littlehouse
Concerts Jeno Jando Solo Piano Recital Jeno Jando, professor of Liszt Music Academy in Budapest and winner of international piano competitions, performs music of Liszt, Haydn, Beethoven, Brahms and Bartok. March 22, 7-9 p.m. $15/$25. Woodside Priory School, Performing Arts Center, 302 Portola Road, Portola Valley. Call 650-714-5518. New Century Chamber Orchestra Presents ‘Atlantic Crossing’ New Century is joined by Chanticleer in a program that travels from an increasingly menacing Germany to a swinging, jazz-filled 1930s New York. March 20, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $25-$95. Bing Concert Hall, 327 Lasuen St., Stanford. www. ncco.org
Exhibits ‘Off the Beaten Path’ Photos Outdoorsman and photographer Ken Napior shares images of his adventures in America’s national parks. His presentation shows how an RV and hiking boots can introduce visitors to rare sights and perspectives. March 23, 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Atherton Library, 2 Dinkelspiel Station Lane, Atherton. Call 650-328-2422. Alan VanEss Exhibit The work of local artist Alan VanEss is on display at the Atherton Library. VanEss’s work features colorful perspectives of homes in the Atherton community, bringing together architecture and landscape. Through April, library hours. Free. Atherton Library, 2 Dinkelspiel Station Lane, Atherton. Call 650-328-2422. www.smcl.org/ content/atherton American Photographs: A Cultural History Professor Alexander Nemerov designed this exhibition to illuminate his course on American photographs. The 14 works on display range from a Civil War-era photograph by Timothy O’Sullivan to street photography by Robert Frank, work by Diane Arbus from the 1960s and Helen Levitt from the 1970s. March 12 to July 6, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Cantor Arts Center, 328 Lomita Drive at Museum Way, Stanford. museum.stanford.edu
Kids & Families “Gustafer Yellowgold” Family Concert Illustrator/songwriter Morgan Taylor performs multi-media concert of live songs, stories and animation. March 13, 4-5 p.m. Free. Portola Valley Library, 765 Portola Road, Portola Valley. Call 650-851-0560. www.smcl.org ‘Tales of Magic and Blarney’ with Ruth Halpern Enchanting, surprising stories of the Emerald Isles for ages 5 to 105. Sponsors: Menlo Park Library and Menlo Park
Groundbreaking gala for Ronald McDonald House Ronald McDonald House at Stanford is expanding and is celebrating with a groundbreaking gala on Saturday, March 22, in a party tent at 520 Sand Hill Road in Palo Alto. Chanel 7 news team Cheryl Jennings, Don Sanchez and Mike Nicco will be emcees for the evening. At 6 p.m. the “playground” opens with dinner by McCall & Associates at 7:30 p.m. Comedian Frank Caliendo will entertain at 9:30 p.m., to be followed by dancing to the tunes of Pride & Joy. Guests are asked to wear black tie and tennis shoes or playful party attire. Auction items include such hot items as a private home in Augusta, Georgia, for the Masters April 11-14, plus four final round Masters badges and four VIP Hospitality House tickets for Saturday and Sunday. Guests can also bid on a private dinner for 12 with the White House chef or tickets to Historical Association. March 22, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Free. Menlo Park City Council Chambers, 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park. Call 510330-2530. www.menloparklibrary.org Block Play at the Library Research shows that children develop a variety of skills when they play with blocks, including fine motor skills and social skills. March 13, 5-6 p.m.; March 15, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Portola Valley Library, 765 Portola Road, Portola Valley. Call 650-851-0560. www.smcl.org Create Your Own Read Poster Sixth to 12th grade students are invited to bring in a favorite book and create a poster using the design studio program. March 12, 4-5 p.m. Free. Portola Valley Library, 765 Portola Road, Portola Valley. Call 650-851-0560. www. smcl.org Hidden Villa Spring Farm Fair Drop-in activities hosted farm-wide all afternoon; no registration required. March 22, noon-3 p.m. $5 parking fee. Hidden Villa, 26870 Moody Road, Los Altos Hills. Call 650-949-6326. www.hiddenvilla.org/programs/calendar-ofevents/61-public-programs/237228-springfarm-day LEGO Club at Portola Valley Library Library provides LEGOs and DUPLO building blocks for younger builders. Contact library to register. March 15, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Free. Portola Valley Library, 765 Portola Road, Portola Valley. Call 650-851-0560. www.smcl.org
the 2015 Emmy Awards and the Governors Ball After Party, including a stay at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Tickets start at $500 each and go upwards to Golden Hard Hat tables of 10 at $50,000. The House Party committee includes Melissa Badger of Atherton (chairman), Mike Banic, Suzanne Crandall, Margaret Jiminez, Laura Bronson Krane, Laurie Kraus Lakob, Heather Pietsch, Jan Willbanks and Stefanie Lingle Beasley. Ronald McDonald House is beginning site preparation for the expansion project that was approved by the Palo Alto City Council last year. The 52,000-square-foot facility will include 69 private guest rooms, home-like kitchen and dining areas, comfortable living spaces, a library and resource center, a fitness facility, a classroom, and a healing garden and retreat. The addition is expected to be completed by late 2015.
Et Alia Master Sinfonia Concert Maestro David Ramadanoff conducts Beethoven, Mahler and Copland (Soloist for Mahler and Copland Songs: Layna Chianakas); Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3; Mahler’s “Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen” (Songs of a Wayfarer); and selections from Copland’s “Old American Songs” and the “Appalachian Spring” suite. March 15, 7:30 p.m. $15-$25; free for youth under 18. St. Bede’s Episcopal Church, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park. www.mastersinfonia.org Don’t Frack California Californians Against Fracking, a coalition of 150 organizations, is chartering buses from many locations in Bay Area, including Palo Alto, to Sacramento to rally in protest against fracking in California. March 15, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Free to attend; $20-$25 for bus rides (some scholarships available). Palo Alto Caltrain Station, 95 University Ave., Palo Alto. act.foodandwaterwatch.org/site/ Calendar?id=111504&view=Detail Substance Abuse Discussion Adolescent Counseling Services invites parents of pre-teens and teens for open discussion of substance use. Light breakfast provided. Please RSVP. March 19-May 21, 8:30-9:30 a.m. Free. Adolescent Counseling Services, 1717 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto. Call 650424-0852 ext. 104. www.acs-teens.org/
‘Beauty and the Beast’ The Woodside High School drama department will present six performances of “Beauty and the Beast” from March 14 through March 23 at Woodside High School’s Performing Arts Center. Based on the Academy Award-winning Disney animated feature, the Broadway stage version includes all the songs written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, along with new songs by Mr. Menken and Tim Rice. More than 50 Woodside
High students will take part in “Beauty and the Beast,” directed by Barry Woodruff and Kim Harvath. The production team includes Don Coluzzi and Ruthie Smith, with Bill Tolles and his orchestra. There will be performances at 8 p.m. on four dates: March 14, 15, 21 and 22; and 2 p.m. on March 16 and 23. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors (65-plus), and $10 for students. Go to whsdramaboosters.com or call the box office at 367-9750, Rachel Gregoire and Leonardo ext. 43706, to reserve seats. Franco play Belle and the Beast.