Pinole

Two vacancies on services commission

Pinole is seeking two residents to serve on the Community Services Commission. The commission advises the city council, city manager, recreation director and other city officials on issues related to parks, recreation, arts, cultural and historic activities, public access cable TV, and senior and youth activities. It meets at 7 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month.

Terms are for two years. The two new commissioners would serve through June 30, 2013.

Applications and supplemental questionnaires are available at the City Clerk's office, 2131 Pear St., or by calling 510-724-8928; they must be filed by 4:30 p.m. Aug. 15 and can be mailed or hand-delivered to the City Clerk's office or faxed to 510-724-9826.

Candidates will be interviewed by the City Council or a council subcommittee at a date to be determined. Appointments will be made at a council meeting.

--Tom Lochner

El Sobrante

Vanquish writer's block at open mic for poets

Writers can practice translating their prose and poetry into evocative spoken word at a Poets Open Mic workshop led by Jeannette DesBoine of the SOPHIA Project from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the El Sobrante Library, 4191 Appian Way.

Participants are invited to bring their journals, "revisit their

El Cerrito

Officials will discuss ECHS athletic field plans

The next meeting on the renovation of the athletic fields at El Cerrito High School is set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the library at the school, 540 Ashbury Ave.

District staff will present plans and answer questions at the meeting, which was rescheduled from July 26.

Pinole

Learn quick-draw techniques at meeting

Pinole Artisans member Tanya Joyce will demonstrate how to turn "Smiley Face and Stick Figure to People in Your Artwork in 10 Minutes" when the group meets at 7 p.m. Friday in Gilmore Hall at Pinole United Methodist Church, 2000 San Pablo Ave.

Colored pens, crayons and pencils will be available for people to try the quick-draw techniques Joyce developed while sketching on her way to and from work on the bus in the 1970s. The meeting is open to the public.

San Pablo

Community blood drive at Doctors Medical Center

The American Red Cross Bus will be at Doctors Medical Center, 2000 Vale Road, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday for a blood drive.

To schedule an appointment call 800-733-2767 or go to redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code DMC84.

Berkeley

Art cars will be on the road for annual fest

When this year's ArtCar Fest caravan hits the road on Friday it will make an appearance starting at 11 a.m. "driving circles around Amoeba Music" at 2455 Telegraph Ave. before beginning the voyage south to San Jose as part of the city's First Fridays art walk. At 6 p.m. more "automorphic art" will be on display at Anno Domini art gallery in San Jose.

ArtCar Fest (www.artcarfest.com), whose participants will include Ken and Emily Duffy of El Cerrito, is the premiere gathering of art cars located in the Bay Area.

Pinole

New exhibit opening at Pinole Art Center

The exhibit "Freedom with Form" opens Friday at the Pinole Art Center, 2221 Pear St. in Old Town and runs through Sept. 16. The show features reasonably priced original paintings, cards, jewelry, sculpture, photography and other works by local artists.

Center hours for the show ate 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Details: 510-724-2008 or www.pinoleartisans.org.

El Cerrito

Public invited to watercolor talk

Noted watercolor artist, instructor and juror Jane Hofstetter will give a painting demonstration when the El Cerrito Art Association meets at 7 p.m. Aug. 8 in the Garden Room of the Community Center, 7007 Moeser Lane.

Hofstetter, author of "Seven Keys to Great Paintings," will explain the abstract beginnings of an artwork and follow with a demonstration.

For more details call Joanne Taeuffer at 510-526-6241 or learn more about the association at www.elcerritoart.org.

-- Chris Treadway