thursday 11|27

Community Dinner Noon-3pm. A traditional community Thanksgiving dinner is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Monterey. Donations of volunteer-time and food are still needed. Monterey Fairgrounds, 2004 Fairgrounds Rd., Monterey. Call 647-5845.

Community Thanksgiving 1-4pm. Local residents are invited to a family-style community dinner with turkey and all the trimmings. Donations of volunteer time and foods are also welcome. RSVP to 659-2640. Carmel Valley Community Center, 25 Ford Rd., Carmel Valley, 659-3983.

Basketball and Football The North County Recreation and Parks Department seeks players for youth leagues in basketball and flag football. Registration deadlines are 11/27 for football and 12/2 for hoops, for ages 5-10. Call Todd at 633-3084. North County.

friday 11|28

Post-Thanksgiving Open House 9am-noon. Corner House Ceramics waives its studio fee on the day after Thanksgiving and offers free coffee and doughnuts. There is also a three-day sale on ceramics and mosaics. Corner House Ceramics, 231 17th St., Pacific Grove, 646-1929.

Book Signing 1pm. Author Karen Devaney reads her children's book, How Frederick the Rattler Almost Lost His Rock. Local Color, Highway 1, Big Sur, 667-0481.

Food for Fines The Monterey Library and Pacific Grove Library are accepting non-perishable food donations for the Food Bank of Monterey County in lieu of overdue fines from 11/28 through 1/4/04. Monterey Public Library, 625 Pacific St., Monterey, 646-3932.

A Seed Beneath the Snow 8pm. Staff Players Repertory presents classic stories, poems and ballads for the Christmas season by authors including Mark Twain, O.Henry, Hans Christian Andersen and Lincoln Steffens. Show continues Fri-Sat 8pm and Sun 2pm through Dec. 21. Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, Fourth and Guadalupe, Carmel. $12. 649-0259.

saturday 11|29

Toy Drive 8am-5pm. Firefighters from the Salinas Rural Fire District and Santa Claus will be collecting toys for needy children on 11/29, 11/30, 12/13 and 12/20. Wal-Mart, 1375 N. Davis Rd., Salinas. Call 455-1721 for details.

Involuntary Childlessness 10am-5pm. Counselor Siljoy Maurer hosts a two-day workshop for people who are deciding whether to have children or perhaps cannot. $45 deposit. Call for required interview. Carmel Valley location, 659-5457.

Jeanne Davison Book-signing 3pm Local author and grandmother Jeanne Davison signs her children's book, The Gingerbread Tree, the Gingerbread Man and Me. Thunderbird Bookstore, The Barnyard, Highway 1, Carmel, 624-1803.

Kids Book Reading 2-4pm. How Frederick the Rattler Almost Lost His Rock will be read by its author Karen Devaney. Bookworks, 667 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove, 372-2242.

Library Benefit Borders Bookstore teams up with the Seaside Library for a two-day benefit sale. A 15 percent portion of sales with a library coupon goes to benefit Seaside Library programs and books. Borders Books Music Cafe, 2080 California Ave., Sand City, 899-6643.

sunday 11|30

Music and Poetry 4pm. Poet Gaila MacKenzie and musician Isaiah Williams perform at Thunderbird Bookstore, The Barnyard, Highway 1, Carmel, 624-1803.

monday 12|01

World AIDS Day HIV awareness signs will be displayed and free HIV testing will be offered in several locations on World AIDS Day. Call John XXIII AIDS Ministry for specifics. 655-1737.

tuesday 12|02

US Navy Director 8am. Vice Admiral Keith W. Lippert, from the Navy's Defense Logistics Agency, visits and gives a lecture to SECNAV. Naval Postgraduate School, King Hall, Del Monte Boulevard, Monterey, 656-2441.

Holiday Open House 5-8pm. Lewis and More, the British store, welcomes all to an open house, to taste Christmas cakes, pies, biscuits, cheese and crackers, and enjoy the Scottish dancers and bagpipe. Lewis and More, 251 Alvarado Mall, Monterey, 372-3158.

Poetry Workshop 7pm. Local poet Patrice Vecchione offers a writing workshop, including exercises and advice, in the library community room. Bring finished or in-progress works. Adults and teens are welcome. Pre-register at the Monterey Library checkout desk. Monterey Public Library, 625 Pacific St., Monterey, 646-3932.

Asian Security Forum 7pm. The Conflict Resolution Association and Japan Forum of the Monterey Institute of International Studies sponsor a forum on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asian Security, featuring four military and civilian experts and two MIIS students. Q&A, simultaneous translations, and refreshments. Irvine Auditorium, 499 Pierce St., Monterey. Free.

wednesday 12|03

Holiday Program 2:30pm. The Carmel High School Choir performs holiday tunes, under the direction of Glenda Bernardt. Refreshments served. Diment Hall, Carmel Foundation, Lincoln and 8th, Carmel, 624-1588.

All Creatures 4-5pm. Dr. George Bishop leads a Lyceum class at the Crossroads Animal Hospital. showing behind-the-scenes at a vet clinic for grades 4-5. $15. Pre-register with The Lyceum of Monterey County, 1073 Sixth St., Monterey, 372-6098.

Monterey Weather Enthusiasts 7-9pm. Bob Renard and Dough Miller will give a weather review of 2003 and a look into the local weather future. All are welcome; a potluck social is included. Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, 165 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove, 648-3116.

Los Californios 7:30-9:30pm. A documentary video of early California residents and Monterey history is shown in the CSU Monterey Bay University Center Ballroom, with traditional music and dance before the film. CSU Monterey Bay, 100 Campus Center, Seaside, 582-3653.

thursday 12|04

Waldorf Tour 9:30am. Parents who are considering Waldorf education for their children are invited to observe the kindergarten class at Monterey Bay Charter School. On 12/9, a tour of the upper grades is offered. Monterey Bay Charter School, 1004 David Ave., Pacific Grove, 655-4638.

Parade of Lights 6pm. The Pacific Grove Parade of Lights will travel down Lighthouse Avenue, with dozens of colorful floats and marching bands, to celebrate the holidays. Lighthouse Avenue, Pacific Grove, 643-1250.

Poetry Reading 7-9pm. Paul Zarzyski reads from his newest collection of poetry, Wolf Tracks to the Welcome Mat. Thunderbird Bookstore, The Barnyard, Highway 1, Carmel, 624-1803.

Writers' Roundtable 7pm. The local chapter of the National Writers Union hosts Paul Karrer, a teacher and short-story writer, who speaks about "how, why, and the quandary of publishing in mass market anthologies" such as Chicken Soup for the Soul. Thunderbird Bookstore, The Barnyard, Highway 1, Carmel, 624-1803.

Tibet Slideshow 7pm. Photographer Craig Lovell and Himalayan expert Christine Kolisch present a slideshow on their recent trip to the holy site of Mount Kailash in Tibet. Arjia Rinpoche, abbot of a Tibetan monastery, will also speak about the Guge Kingdom region. Suggested donation $10 to benefit Rinpoche's Tibetan center. Sally Griffin Senior Center, 700 Jewell Ave., Pacific Grove, 375-4454.

announcements

Coast Weekly Deadline The deadline to include information in the "8 Days" calendar of events is Tuesday at 5pm, two weeks before the event. Calendar Editor, 668 Williams Ave., Seaside, CA 93955. calendar@coastweekly.com. Fax: 394-2909

Marine Sanctuary Council

Applicants

for eight seats on the National Marine Sanctuary advisory council must submit resume packages by 12/5. Drop them off at the sanctuary office, 299 Foam St., Monterey. Call 647-4206 for details and qualifications.

Blood Drive Blood supplies in the Monterey/Salinas areas are low. Please donate blood to the American Red Cross. Schedule an appointment for Monterey, 550 Lighthouse Ave., 372-5490; or Salinas, 942 Lupin Dr., 424-4824.

Pee Wee Basketball Salinas Recreation Department is taking applications for a Pee Wee basketball clinic, beginning 12/15, for ages 5-10. $25/Salinas residents, $27/non-residents. Salinas Recreation Center, 320 Lincoln Ave., Salinas. 758-7326.

Screenwriting Competition The Monterey County Film Commission seeks submissions for its annual screenwriting competition. Film or TV movie scripts should be 90-120 pages long, entry fee is $35/script. The early deadline is March 1, late deadline is April 1.

Backyard Burns Starting Dec. 1, the backyard burn season is open in Monterey County. Only clean, dry brush is allowed to burn and residents must check the permissible burn days at (800) CAL-BURN. Burning household trash is prohibited.

Table Tennis Club Every Wednesday, 6-10pm. Ping-pong players of all levels are invited to join or stop by for a game at the weekly table tennis club. Seven tables are available. Marina Community Center, 211 Hillcrest Ave., Marina. 915-2410, 384-7475.

ongoing

Freestyle Dance Jam 8:15-10:15pm. Local DJs spin dance grooves from world to trance to hip-hop for the freestyle dance. All are welcome for expressive movement night. This week (11/28) is DJ Leslie from the Church of Wow. Central and 16th avenues, Pacific Grove. $5-9. 375-2312.

Tango Classes 7-8:10pm. Native Argentinean teaches a basic tango class at 7pm, and an intermediate class at 8:10pm. No partner or experience necessary. $10. Pacific Grove Art Center, 568 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. 394-1520.

Point Sur Tours Three-hour walking tours of the Point Sur Lightstation are offered on Saturdays, Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Group size is limited, meet early on Highway 1 just north of the Point Sur Naval facility. $5/person. 625-4419.

Farmers' Market Every Thursday from 2:30-6pm at Monterey Peninsula College, Parking lot A, 930 Fremont St., Monterey. 384-6961.

Scrabble Bookworks Cafe invites all Scrabble players for weekly fun and games, 3:30-6pm. 667 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. 372-2242.

African Dance and Drum Classes West African drumming and dance class every Sunday. Drum class is at 11am, dancing at 12:30. Park Avenue Performing Arts Center, 33 Park Ave., Monterey. 246-2314.

Old Monterey Market Place This year-round, rain or shine market takes place every Tuesday from 4-8pm. Vendors offer a wide variety of fresh produce, flowers, arts, crafts and jewelry. Alvarado Street, Monterey. 655-2607.

New Toastmasters Club Wednesdays, noon-1pm. The Brownbag Lunch Toastmasters (BLT) meets weekly at the One Stop Career Center for leadership and communication skills improvement. 730 La Guardia St., Salinas. 796-3384.