The SPA Datebook

If you provide a public service, or have a special community event that you'd like to post on AM 1510 KSPA, AM 1450 KFSD, and this website, please mail or fax your announcement, marked "ATTN: Gordon Brown"—or e-mail Gordon Brown, Public Service Director, with your announcement attached. Please allow at least 3 weeks before the event date for timely posting. Thanks!  ~ G.B.

Orange County and the Inland Empire

Every two seconds, another human being dies of hunger. Even here in America, 33 million Americans have a tenuous food supply, and many are going hungry. But you can help. Give to the Help End Hunger Now Foundation. One hundred percent of your donations provide nutrient- dense foods to hungry people. No administration costs are deducted, and that means every dollar you give puts food in someone's stomach...and lends another chance at life. Call 877-410-GIVE; or visit online.

Forte is a non-profit foreign-exchange program which provides international high-school students the opportunity to study for one year in an American school. Forte is currently looking for people to work in its organization, and also seeks prospective host families in San Diego, Orange County and the Inland Empire. If your family is interested in hosting a foreign-exchange student, or you'd like to inquire about employment, call 1-202-833-4185; or visit online.

Wildhaven Ranch is a non-profit organization in the San Bernardino Mountains that is dedicated to providing a protective environment where sick, injured, and other disaffected wild animals can be nurtured, rehabilitated, and released back into the wild. For animals who cannot be adequately rehabilitated, Wildhaven provides a sanctuary where they can live safe, fulfilling lives. Learn about these and other aspects of the program, including a Learning Center for community members and children especially, by visiting online.

Is your family overextended with credit spending? Have you been rolling over your auto loans until you owe more than your new vehicle is worth? Are you caught in the squeeze of a non-fixed mortgage? If one or more of these conditions obtains, you may be on the brink of a major debt crisis. That's why the National Foundation for Credit Counseling is non-profit, independently accredited, and community- governed: so they have a real stake in helping you. To find an NFCC agency near you, call 800-388-2227, or go online.

San Diego's North County Senior Dance expands into Orange County, with a "Tea Dance" every Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Lakeview Senior Center, located at 20 Lake Road in Irvine. Enjoy good dancing and good music provided by the Irvine Senior Band. To find out more about North County Senior Dance, call 760-480-8716.

Officials at the Blood Bank of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties have issued an urgent plea to blood donors of all types. The current blood supply continues to be low, with several hospitals on a waiting list and some surgeries delayed. Your community needs your blood donation today. Call 800-879-4484 for the donation location nearest to you.

When you have nowhere to turn, just dial 2-1-1. Connect with Health and Social Services in your area through United Way. Call 2-1-1 for help anytime 24/7. Visit online for more information.

We all feel pressure...but there's a pressure that's good...and that's the pressure in your tires. Check your tire pressure at least once a month. Keeping your tires properly inflated not only reduces the chance of blowouts; it also improves your gas mileage and lengthens tire life, saving you money. Check your tire pressure right away. The longer your tires stay on your car, the longer they stay out of landfills...and that keeps the pressure off all of us. A message from the California Integrated Waste Management Board.

The Freeway Service Patrol for the San Bernardino Valley has hit the road—helping stranded motorists for free, every Monday through Friday—during peak commute hours. Watch for the roving team of tow trucks from Montclair to San Bernardino on the I-10 and from Ontario to Rancho Cucamonga on the I-15. This is a free service, including tows to a CHP-approved location. Call 909-884-8276 for more information.

Basically BOOKS is a non-profit bookstore run by the Friends of the Diamond Bar Library. They are open five days a week and need volunteers to staff the store. All proceeds from the store benefit the Diamond Bar Library. The store is located at the Country Hills Towne Centre on Cold Spring Lane. Call 909-594-9954 for details on how you can get involved and help out.

Did you know that a family of four can make up to $50,000 a year and still be eligible for government health insurance for their children? It's true. There are 3 million Californians who are eligible for government health insurance, but have not signed up. The Foundation for Health Coverage Education is ready to help you—call 310-556-9612.

Every day our gas-guzzling cars, buses, and trucks spew tons of pollutants into the air we breathe...and it's making us sick. The American Lung Association is encouraging everyone to help protect the air we all breathe by taking steps to improve air quality and supporting all efforts to reduce air pollution. Visit online for details on how you can help—or call 800-LUNG-USA.

Protect your business with an emergency preparedness plan. Visit ready.gov for free checklists, templates, and other tools to help you develop an affordable plan that fits your business. It's free from the Department of Homeland Security and the Ad Council.

San Diego County

The Athenaeum Library's Farrell Family Jazz at the Library series continues on Friday, July 18th at 7:30 p.m. with a performance by the Frank Potenza Organ Trio, headed by guitarist Frank Potenza, with organist Bill Cunliffe and Steve Barnes on drums. A protégé of the legendary Joe Pass, Frank Potenza brings a sophisticated, swinging touch to his classic interpretations of jazz standards, and has performed with such luminaries as Dizzy Gillespie, Mundell Lowe, Bud Shank, Mose Allison, and Harry "Sweets" Edison. Tickets are $19 for Library members, $24 otherwise. Call the Athenaeum at 858-454- 5872, or visit online.

North County Senior Dance has enough dancing in store to ensure your summertime is less lazy and hazy, and more crazy! The week begins on Monday, July 7th from 1 to 3 p.m. with a dance at the Joslyn Senior Center in Rancho Bernardo, featuring the sounds of The Music Men. On Tuesday the 8th, enjoy the stylings of The Harmonaires at the Escondido Center from 1 to 3 p.m. In Encinitas there's dancing every Wednesday from 1 to 3 at 535 Encinitas Blvd., Suite 100. The ever-busy Billy Harper Band performs in beautiful Balboa Park on Thursday the 10th from 1 to 3. Billy and his band will also headline the Saturday-evening dance on July 5th from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Escondido Center, and the following Saturday's dance on July 12th will get you swinging to the sounds of The Vidals. These events are open to dancers of all ages, and admission is just three to five dollars. Find out more by calling North County Senior Dance at 760-480-8716.

Don't miss the 23rd season of TGIF Jazz in the Parks in Carlsbad! Enjoy rockin' blues from The Johnny "V" Vernazza Band on Friday, July 11th from 6 to 8 p.m. at Stagecoach Park in Carlsbad, and on the following Friday the 18th, take in Afro-Cuban jazz by Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca in Poinsettia Park. Admission is free of charge. For details, call 760-434-2904, or visit online.

The MiraCosta College Community Services Program is offering a six-part course in Beginning Guitar, taught by Bill Palmer, and covering classical, jazz, and folk guitar forms. The class is held on six Wednesdays from July 9th through August 13th from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Room 3106 of the campus at One Barnard Drive in Oceanside. Fee for the course is $90, plus a $20 materials fee. Register online; or call 760-795-6820.

The Escondido History Center announces another program of Jazz at Grape Day Park, on every second Saturday of the month. The next one takes place on July 12th from 2 to 4 p.m. Visit the working Blacksmith Shop and Museum in the historic train depot, while listening to New Orleans-style jazz played by the Bourbon Street Jazz Band with vocalist Kitty Kelly. That's Saturday, July 12th from 2 to 4 in historic Grape Day Park, 321 North Broadway in Escondido.

MiraCosta College invites you to get metaphysical! Experience the classical approach to yoga—Hatha Yoga, in this beginning course offered through the College's Community Services Program. Learn how to calm the mind and strengthen the body, gain balance and flexibility, improve concentration, and reduce stress. The series covers asana and pranayama (that's posture and breathing), as well as relaxation and meditation. Hatha Yoga classes will be held on seven Saturdays, from July 12th through August 23rd, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in Room 204 of the San Elijo Campus at 3333 Manchester Avenue in Cardiff. Fee for the course is $70. To register, or for more information, call 760-795-6820, or visit online.

The Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana presents the 2008 Beer and Sake Festival, Wednesday, July 16th from 6 to 9 p.m. at W Hotel San Diego, 421 West B Street in downtown! Enjoy over 30 artisan-made sakes, and more than a dozen premium Japanese beers, as well as Japanese and Asian-fusion delicacies. Proceeds benefit the Japan Society's educational and outreach programs. Tickets are $40 for Society members, $50 otherwise. Purchase your tickets online.

Every seven hours a child dies from child abuse in the United States, and a child-abuse case is reported every ten seconds. But it's not just a national epidemic, it's also a local problem. In San Diego County alone, more than 8,000 calls are made each month to the child abuse hotline. Voices for Children is San Diego's non-profit child advocacy organization seeking volunteers to visit and lend support to the children, interview all parties involved, and make recommendations to the Court. All training is provided, and men and bilingual speakers are especially needed. The next information session takes place on Wednesday, July 9th in San Diego. Why not volunteer to become a Court-Appointed Child Advocate? Find out more by calling Voices for Children today, at 858-569-2019—or visit online.

Be part of the 26th Annual UCP Golf Classic benefiting United Cerebral Palsy of San Diego County, Monday, July 28th at The Crossings at Carlsbad Golf Course. Check-in begins at 11:30 a.m., with a 1 p.m. shotgun start and an awards dinner following tournament play. Entry fee includes lunch, green fees, golf cart, dinner, tee prizes and refreshments. To register, or for more information, call 858-571-5365; or visit online.

If you're looking for resources to learn about spinal-cord injury, be sure to visit the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation's Paralysis Resource Center booth at the 40th annual Convention of National Council of La Raza, on display July 12th, 13th, and 14th in Hall C of the San Diego Convention Center on West Harbor Drive. For details, call 1-800-539-7309; or visit this website.

Are you over 50 and wanting to get back in the workforce? The 50-Plus Hiring Bonanza for "Boomerang Workers," presented by The Mature Workforce Committee of the County of San Diego and other community partners, may be just the thing to get you there! This September event is actually a "reverse job fair," in which you get to interview prospective employers about their company's goals and challenges, and then explain how your skills can benefit them! Don't wait...space is limited, and available only to those who complete the preparation classes before September. For more information, and to be scheduled for training, call 619-266-4243, or inquire by e-mail.

The County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency has launched a campaign to inform the public about a recent rise in three sexually transmitted diseases: syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. Many believe that these diseases have been wiped out through advances in medicine, but in fact, cases of syphilis have increased nearly 200 percent in the last five years. The County urges the public to get tested for all STDs, and to take proper precautions during sexual activity. For further information, visit online.

HirePatriots.com is a free website where you can help our local troops by letting them help you. Do you need help with yard work, home repairs, cleaning, painting, or lifting? Thousands of San Diego's Marines, sailors, soldiers, and their spouses go to HirePatriots.com to find jobs that local citizens and businesses post for them. Let a courteous, hard-working, disciplined military man or woman get the job done for you! Post your jobs free of charge at HirePatriots.com, or call 760-730-3734, and they will gladly post them for you.

Flat tire? Engine trouble? Battery died? Phone 5-1-1 first. By dialing 5-1-1 from your cell phone, you can now access tow services while remaining safely inside your vehicle. Simply dial 5-1-1 from your cell phone, and say "Roadside Assistance" when prompted. Each call is directed to the Call Box Answer Center, which will help you to receive roadside assistance. In non-emergencies in San Diego County, when roadside assistance is needed, phone 5-1-1 first from your cellphone. For more information, visit online.

MiraCosta College offers free recording sessions for local musical groups of any style at the College's Oceanside campus at One Barnard Drive. Musicians are encouraged to take advantage of one three-hour recording session to provide practice opportunities for the College's recording arts students. If interested, please inquire by e-mail with information about your group.

The Helen Woodward Animal Center is once again offering the ultimate day-camp adventure for kids aged four to 14, who love spending time with animals and learning how to care for them. Critter Camps are scheduled as full-day, week-long sessions running now through August 22nd at the Woodward Center, 6461 El Apajo Road in Rancho Santa Fe. Register your child by contacting the Center's Education Department at 858-756-4117, extension 318; or download the registration form.

And the Helen Woodward Animal Center's Pet of the Week is Breezy, a one-year-old, spayed-female, Terrier Mix! Looking like a tiny retriever at just 17 pounds, this adorable dog is a beautiful mélange of browns, tans, and grays. Breezy is sunny with humans 12 and older, cloudy and fair with cats. One look at Breezy, and you're just bound to be blown away! For more information about Breezy, or any of the delightful dogs and cats available for adoption into loving homes, call the Center at 858-756-4117, or visit online.