thursday 11|29  Managing the Sanctuary 1pm. The Cordell Bank, Gulf of the Farallones and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries will be jointly evaluating regulations, boundaries and strategies for management and operations. Today''s scoping will take place at the Conference Center, but there will also be a meeting in Salinas on the first of December. 1 Portola Plaza, Monterey. Free. (949) 675-8117.

Windows In Time 5pm. Tonight will begin the exhibition of "Windows In Time" as the Carmel Heritage Society celebrates its 25th anniversary with this exhibit in honor of the pioneering families of Carmel. First Murphy House, Lincoln and Sixth, Carmel. Call for price. 624-4447.

friday 11|30

Rocky Point Murders Book Party 4pm. Book signing for Rocky Point Murders, an anthology of short stories of murder and mayhem. Complimentary wine and appetizers. Rocky Point Restaurant, 10 miles south of Carmel on Hwy 1, Big Sur. Free.

Carmel Holiday Tree Lighting 4pm. Carolers meet on the steps of City Hall at 4pm and make their way to Devendorf Park, where games are set up for kids. Choruses from Carmel Middle and High schools perform, and Pac Rep Theater guru Stephen Moorer recites "''Twas the Night Before Christmas." Mayor lights the tree at 5:45pm. Devendorf Park, Carmel. Free. 626-1255.

Soul Cards 7pm. Discover how to make your deck of soul-tending cards using collage. Seena Frost will be lecturing from and signing her book on the process and sharing its contained collages. Thunderbird Patio, at the Barnyard, Carmel. Free. 722-0383.

Parade of Lights 7pm. The second annual Holiday Parade of Lights, complete with fire engines and souped-up hot rods, will be moving through Oldtown Salinas. Main St, Salinas. Free.

Open House 4pm. Legal Services for Seniors, which offers free and low-cost legal help for the elderly, is opening a new Salinas location. Mingle with staff and enjoy refreshments. 21 West Laurel Dr, Suite 83, Salinas. 442-7700.

saturday 12|1

French Broom Bash 9am. Get the French broom away from the bike path once and for all! Return of the Natives gets agro on the invading nonnative plant. Meet at Jamba Juice in Sand City''s Edgewater Shopping Center. 582-3687.

First Saturday Morning 10:30am. Little kid maven Nancy Raven leads a show with songs, games and stories for kids and their families. Today''s theme is Winter Festivals from Around the World. Very entertaining storyteller Erica Lann Clark spins yarns, too. $3/$2/no family more than $10. Morgan''s Coffee and Tea, 498 Washington, Monterey. 699-6080.

Leslie Tryon 10am. Try on the new book "Holidays with Albert: Writing Letters to Santa Claus" at the Carmel Valley Library. Writer Leslie Tryon of the popular "Albert" series of children''s books will be hosting the fun and games. Everyone is invited. 65 West Carmel Valley Rd, Carmel Valley. Free. 659-5877.

Workshop For Peninsula Renters 10am. Help For Renters.org presents a free workshop on renters'' rights and resources, including lists of referral agencies for rental assistance and copies of voluntary guidelines for property owners. Reservations required. Chipper''s Restaurant, 2110 N. Fremont, Monterey. Free. 647-8925.

Horse Sanctuary Open House 1pm. Redwings Horse Sanctuary is having its annual Holiday Open House, which will include guided tours of the sanctuary to see the horses and ponies, shopping, raffles, music and wine tasting. All proceeds go to the equine rescue project. Riley Ranch Road across from Point Lobos State Park, Highway 1, Carmel. $2 Adults, $1 Under 12. 624-8464.

College Planning Strategies 4pm. Edward Jones Investments hosts a strategy session on saving for college and navigating through the perilous waters of financial aid. Registration required. Edward Jones Investments, 26 E. Romie Salinas. Free. 424-5663.

Spouses'' Club Fair 9pm. The Office Students'' Spouses'' Club of the Naval Postgraduate school is sponsoring a Bargain Fair, which is a multi-family yard sale with a range of items. Spruance between Farragut and Leahy off Aguajito, Monterey. Free. 392-7642.

Lovers Point Monthly Run 7:45am. The first Saturday of every month will see the Fifty-Plus Fitness Association''s run, in rain or shine, except for Christmas Day and Fifty-Plus Annual Fitness Weekend. The distance is about four miles or however far you can get in an hour. No charge is asked, no membership is required. Lovers Point, Pacific Grove. Free. 624-3627.

Winterlude 8pm. The Monterey Peninsula Choral Society presents its winter concert, with a special performance of John Rutter''s difficult masterpiece, "Magnificat," as well as traditional carols. Performance repeats Sunday. Carmel Mission Basilica, Carmel. $20. 625-3237.

sunday 12|2

The Mayor''s Old Wallpaper 1pm. The Steinbeck Center presents an exhibition of recent discoveries from the Old Mayor''s House. Restoration has unearthed a variety of elegant old wallpapers that reflect how people decorated their houses as far back as the mid 1800s, and provide intriguing historical proof of connections to other locales. Steinbeck Center, Salinas. $10, $5 for members. 775-4721.

Tour of Carmel Inns 2-5pm. Visit 12 of Carmel''s most charming inns and enjoy food and wine from the village''s best restaurants. Tickets to the self-guided tour may be purchased at all the inns. Adobe Inn, Carmel Country Inn, Carmel Oaks, Carmel Sands, Coachman''s Inn, Colonial Terrace, Cypress Inn, Hofsas House, La Playa, Pine Inn, Wayfarer Inn and Wayside Inn. Various locations, Carmel. $25/$15 in advance. 624-4447.

Weihnachtsfest 2-5pm. The Barnyard hosts an authentic German Christmas festival with caroling, the First Presbyterian Hand Bell Choir, the Wild Coast Brass Quintet, and the arrival of St. Nicholas and his assistant Black Peter on a white horse at 4:30pm to light the Tannenbaum. The Barnyard Shopping Village, Carmel. Free.

California''s Mineral Wealth 2pm. Mark Hart of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory will speak about ionizing radiation in this series about our local minerology. Forest and Central, Pacific Grove. Free. 648-5716.

Ombudsman Dinner Sunday 3pm. The Ombudsman for Long Term Care of Monterey County is having a gala dinner and dance, La Vecchiaia D''Oro, with music by Mike Marotta Sr. and Mike Marotta Jr. 1 Golf Course, Monterey. $40. 333-1300.

Chateau Julien Winery Event 9:30am/1pm. "Holiday Homescapes" features new festive ideas presented by local experts Anna Vandenbroucke and Michael Weidner. Floral decoration in the morning, cooking demos with Chef Jon Kasky in the afternoon. 8940 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel. $49/session, $86/all day. 624-2600.

Motorcycle Tour 9am. The Freedom, CA Chapter of the Viet Nam Veterans Motorcycle Club will be taking a scenic ride through glorious Santa Cruz County, ending at the Corralitos Grange Hall to raise up toys for children. The cost of admission is one unwrapped toy or a cash donation. You are urged to visit beautiful Corralitos. How long has it been? Santa Cruz Harley Davidson, 1148 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. A toy/Cash. 724-0198.

monday 12|3

Transformation With Ondre 6pm. Herbalist and health guru Ondre Seltzer presents his plan for better health and inner peace through working in a group to assess people''s health and provide the means of improving it. Carmel Barnyard Community Room, Carmel. $35. 394-0644.

tuesday 12|4

Hospice Tree Lighting 5:30pm. Families from Monterey and San Benito counties gather to remember loved ones and to participate in the Hospice Trees of Life lightings. Today''s lighting is in Portola Plaza in Monterey and tomorrow''s is in Salinas at the National Steinbeck Center. Free. 333-9023.

National Writers Union Meeting 7pm. Local writers union meets with PG author and jewelry designer Carolyn Manzi to discuss Manzi''s newest faith-oriented coloring book for grownups, Bead Power: A Magical Journey into the World of Beads. Walden Books in Del Monte Plaza, Soledad and Munras, Monterey. Free. 883-4482.

wednesday 12|5

Alzheimer''s Support 12:30pm. There will be a support group meeting tonight for caregivers and family members of Alzheimer''s patients. First Baptist Church, 1130 San Vicente, Salinas. Free. 757-0531.

Lecture on Sharks 3pm. Dr. Chris Lowe, Ph.D., of CSU Long Beach will be discussing "Behavior of tiger sharks along the Hawaiian Archipelago: Reef resident or ocean rambler?" in the Pacific Forum of MBARI. Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, 7700 Sandholdt, Moss Landing. Free. 775-1700.

Adventurers'' Group 5pm. Members of Monterey Bay Adventures meet for happy hour at the Monterey Beach Hotel, Canyon del Rey and Hwy 1. This group is composed of like-minded folks who enjoy indoor and outdoor recreation and travel. Free. 649-6499.

announcements

Public Speaking Practice Thursday 6:35pm. The Toastmasters invite everyone to come practice their speaking and leadership skills in a positive learning environment. Unitarian Universalist Church, 490 Aquajito, Carmel. Free. 641-0652.

Argentine Tango Class Thursday 7/8:10pm. Every Thursday, check out the good old Argentine tango from a native teacher. ''More than just a dance!'' American Legion Hall, Dolores between 8th and 9th., Carmel. $10. 372-4062.

Make a Friend for Life Monterey County Animal Service Center urges people in stable situations to consider taking in a dog or a cat this holiday season. Also, volunteers are needed to make the animals more comfy, and the center needs donations of towels and blankets to keep the critters cozy. 442-3857.

Immunization Clinic Monterey County Health Department offers flu vaccinations at its Salinas office, 1270 Natividad Rd in Salinas, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8am-11am and 1pm-6:30pm; at Broadway Health Center at 1292 Olympia in Seaside on Fridays, 8am-11am; and at St Jude''s Parish Hall in Marina on Mondays, 8am-11am. Clinics last through December. People ages 50 and up are eligible. 755-4500 (Salinas); 899-8171 (Seaside).

Calendar Deadline 5pm. The Weekly welcomes submissions for the calendar of events. Our deadline is 5pm, one week prior to publication, or earlier for Hot Pick consideration. Ongoing items are printed if space is available. Photos are encouraged and can be returned with a self-addressed envelope. Information is accepted via fax (394-2909), email (traci@coastweekly.com), or snail mail. 668 Williams, Seaside CA 93955, Seaside. Free. 394-5656.