Photo (from left to right): Hoehn's Verse-Saturday; Billions Of Wildflowers-Fri-Sun; Terra Firme-Friday; Svetlik Scenes-Friday; Eggsactly Easter Hunts-Saturday.

thursday 4|17

Memories Of The War

SPEED OF LIGHT Bay Area poet Elizabeth Rosner's first novel, Speed of Light, is based on her own experience as a child of Holocaust survivors, with all the secrecy and hidden guilt attendant upon that second generation. Awarded a national prize last year by Hadassah magazine, her novel was described by Booklist as "a spellbinding tribute to the revelations that redeem us and the emotions that ennoble us." Rosner will speak tonight at a dinner in her honor, and Cathy Bramley, Joyce McGreevy and May Waldroup will review other books to round out the evening of food and words. [SF]

6pm. $18.50 includes dinner. Thunderbird Bookshop, 3600 The Barnyard, Carmel. Reservations required: 624-1803.

A Whole Lot of Funny

ROCKY LAPORTE AND KAREN RONTOWSKI They've toured all over the country, both together as a double-billed act and as stand-alones. LaPorte is known for his deadpan style, and is rumored to have a sitcom in the works, as well has having guest-starred on a number of well-established television shows. Rontowski is known by some as a "sweetheart of comedy," and brings her brand of light-hearted hilarity to the crowd. Both have distinctive styles and have gained admirers, if not earth-shattering fame, from those who've seen their performances in places as varied as Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. Now it's Monterey's turn to see what's so funny. [KF]

9:15pm tonight through Saturday. Planet Gemini, 625 Cannery Row, Monterey. 373-1449.

friday 4|18

All the Pretty Colors

PG ART OPENINGS Three exhibits open at the Pacific Grove Art Center tonight. In the Main Gallery is "Close to Home," a juried show featuring the works of several dozen artists, chosen by award-winning artist Gregory Kondos. In the photo gallery are Barbara Svetlik's oil paintings, "So Many Colors, So Little Time." Svetlik says oil painting is her outlet for exploring painting as a form of channeling beauty. In the Elmarie Dyke and Boyer galleries are mixed-media works by Monterey Peninsula College students, "Image + Process= Content." Plus food and drink, per usual. [KF]

7pm. Pacific Grove Art Center, 568 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. 375-2208.

Wildflowers Don't Care Where They Grow

WILDFLOWER SHOW Our area's bounty of flora is displayed at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History's 42nd Annual Wildflower show. Rather than the coddled orchids and prize-winning breeds of roses one usually sees at flower shows, these 600+ breeds of flowers are all native to this area, gathered over the space of two days, categorized and put out for display. New breeds of trees and flowers are discovered and introduced every year, bringing a level of horticultural excitement to the three-day flower show as well. Not a bad way to stop and smell the flowers. [KF]

10am-5pm Fri.-Sun. Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, 165 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove. $1 donation. 648-5716.

Strong Sounds

FIRME MUSIC Hailing from San Jose, Firme is a nine-member band whose name means strength in Spanish. They're very conscious of their heritage as Latino Americans and spread the joy of that through their music, which employs saxophones, the trumpet, piano and everything else you'd expect in a band. They make music that is joyful, upbeat and hopeful. Salsa gets mixed with punk, which gets blended a bit with Afro-Cuban rhythms to make a finished song that sounds like nothing else, and with nine musicians making it whole and bringing their influence to the band, the sound is ever-changing. Also playing is Cannonball, from San Francisco. [KF]

9pm. Black Box Cabaret, Third Street, CSUMB campus. Free. 582-3597.

saturday 4|19

Happy Trails

EARTH DAY AT GARLAND PARK There's a certain magic at work in Garland Ranch Regional Park. Being away from it all on the trails-some of them as challenging as one could wish for, others just a stroll through the scenery-brings a peace seldom found anywhere but in nature. Celebrate Earth Day and help beautify Garland Park by volunteering for trail maintenance and invasive weed removal. Bring gloves, water and dress appropriately for outdoor work and be ready to dig. Ability to be awed by nature is a plus. [KF]

8:30am-1:30pm. Garland Park, 700 West Carmel Valley Rd., Carmel Valley. 372-3196 ext. 3.

Peninsula Eggstravaganzas

EASTER EVENTS Hippity-hop on down to the city of Monterey's 33rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt today at Frank E. Sollecito, Jr. Ballpark, next to Dennis the Menace Park. Tots through third grade are invited to take part in the Easter Egg-citement festivities. More than 7,000 eggs will be hidden, and 100 lucky egg hunters will receive a free Easter basket. The Easter Bunny will be there to greet children of all ages.

The annual Seaside Egg Hunt and Egg Fest for kids, pre-school age to 12 years, includes more than 5,000 hidden eggs, plus 12 hidden Easter baskets, as well as bounce houses, a petting zoo, a craft center, and a visit from the Easter Bunny.

In Carmel, join Mr. Bunny himself for a wonderful pancake breakfast with sausage (do bunnies eat sausage?), orange juice and coffee. Some lucky breakfast-goers will win a bicycle and other prizes. After breakfast, visit Eggland for pictures with the bunny, cookie decorating, musical entertainment, face painting and carnival games. [JL]

Monterey Easter Egg Hunt, 10am. Frank E. Sollecito Ballpark, next to Dennis the Menace Park. 646-3866.

Seaside Easter Egg Hunt, 11am. Oldemeyer Center, 986 Hilby St. 899-6805.

Carmel Breakfast with Bunny and Eggstravaganza, 8:30am-noon. Devendorf Park, corner of Ocean and Junipero. Breakfast: $3/children, $6/adults, $15/family of four with each additional person $3. Passport to Eggland can be purchased for $5, which includes all the Eggtravaganza activities, except breakfast. 620-2020.

Slouching Towards Arles

MARGARET HOEHN READING Margaret Hoehn is an ex-attorney living in Sacramento who writes poetry when she isn't volunteering at her local hospice or medical library. Her verse has appeared in many literary journals, her chapbooks have won national awards, and she received the 2002 Robinson Jeffers Tor House Prize for "Vincent, Drifting Towards Crows," her musings on one night in the life of Vincent Van Gogh: On a night where nothing else blooms,/the artist, remote in the darkened street/, is painting the stars into roses, which are/opening into a violet sky…Wine and cheese reception at 6:30pm warms up the crowd. [SF]

7pm. Free, reservations required. Tor House, 26304 Ocean View Ave., Carmel. 624-1813 or 624-5725.

monday 4|21

Blood Is Thicker Than Oil

TALK SHOW Join CSUMB's "Global Wake-Up Call 3," a live broadcast talk show, as it explores the consequences of American oil politics for global community and showcases practical alternatives to oil use. Guest speakers include Michael Renner, a senior researcher at the World Watch Institute in Washington DC, who will talk about resource wars, environment and conflict; Alexandra "Sascha" von Meier, directors of the Environmental Technology Center at Sonoma State University who will discuss energy management and design; and Gopal Dayaneni, on the steering committee for Oilwatch International and a campaign coordinator for Project Underground, who will talk about the impact of oil and mining exploration on communities. Can't make the live broadcast? Listen to the re-broadcast on KMST at 7pm, May 6, May 27 and June 14. [JL]

6-7pm. TAT Studio, Bldg. 27, CSUMB. Live broadcast at the Student Center, or on any campus TV, K-TAT, channel 72. To join the studio audience, call 883-0652 or email Global-Wake_Up3@csumb.edu.

tuesday 4|22

Take Care of the Earth

EARTH DAY AT ASILOMAR The idea of "saving the Earth" is tricky for some people. Perhaps it's not entirely obvious what exactly we're saving, or why. After all, if we personally have enough water to drink, find urban sprawl pleasing, and think every patch of ground is our own potential garbage can, why should we consider the effect we're having on the planet simply by carelessly inhabiting it? Still, anyone can look at something beautiful and think it a thing worth preserving and maintaining. The Asilomar Conference Grounds seems to have been operating with this understanding when the powers-that-be decided to host an Earth Day discussion on waste, recycling and preserving the beauty of the Earth, scheduling activities like tree planting and interactive tours led by California State Park rangers. Tree-lined paths and breaking waves should be enough to inspire even the laziest souls to start recycling. [KF]

10am-1pm. Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds, 800 Asilomar Blvd., Pacific Grove. 372-8016.