LIVERMORE HAS ALWAYS HAD talent — from the scientists at the labs, to the winemakers at our many wineries. Local artisans, performers, artists and more populate our town.

Well, there is one more way to discover talent and that is with the return of the "Livermore's Got Talent" show. If you can sing, dance, act, do magic tricks or think you can, now is the time to enter an audition tape.

Applications and auditions must be in by Jan. 3. The live semifinals will be held Feb. 8 and 9. The finals will be Feb. 28 at the Bankhead Theater.

The contest is open to all Bay Area residents and there will be two categories, 17 and younger and 18 and older. The grand prize for each is $2,500 and the finals will be held in front of celebrity judges, whose names are being kept quiet for now.

The event is presented by the Rotary Clubs of Livermore in conjunction with the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District, Waste Management and NBC Bay Area.

To find out more about this exciting show, you can visit www.LivermoresGotTalent.com or e-mail auditions@LivermoresGotTalent.com.

LIVERMORE HISTORY and cookbook — The Livermore Heritage Guild will host its monthly history talk on Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the main branch of the Livermore Library, 1188 South Livermore Ave.

The featured

speakers will be Tillie Calhoun and her daughter, Nancy Calhoun Mueller. Descendants of the Holm family, they will be presenting a talk about their family history as well as unveiling "The Holm Family Cookbook, The Story of a Danish Pioneer Family in the Livermore Valley Told through Remembrances and Recipes."

The talk and book are a compendium of a pioneer family's history with recipes, family stories and pictures. The Holm family had its start in 1880 with the marriage of Ida Jessen to Carl Holm, an immigrant from Denmark. Together, they raised nine children in Livermore and their descendants continue today in the valley, including Tillie and Nancy. The book is a family project and incorporates not only the recipes, but also the history of Livermore.

WELCOME HOME — Dozens of Livermore citizens and Livermore-Pleasanton firefighters braved the chilly air last Friday evening on the Las Colinas Road overpass on Interstate 580 to support the Marines of the 4th Marine Force Reconnaissance Company. The Marines were coming home from Camp Pendleton in San Diego County to their home base in Alameda.

After completing a combat tour in Iraq, they came back to Camp Pendleton for several weeks. Along the convoy route, supporters and well-wishers were out to welcome them back. As the convoy, led by the "Patriot Guard Riders," passed Las Colinas Road, they were greeted by lighted fire trucks, horns, flags and cheers from those gathered.

Organized by Operation: S.A.M., the homecoming was to show support for these Marines whose duties have kept them in harm's way for the past year. Like most plans, there was a hitch. What was supposed to be a midafternoon event took place at dusk, just as the breeze came up and the temperature dropped. Nonetheless, it was a successful operation for everyone involved. For more information, visit operationsam.org.

Until next week, be alert, be safe and God bless America.

Reach Mark Tarte at Aroundliv@comcast.net.