Things to Do: May 2011 Archives

Four-legged furry friends are the focus of a new event coming to Promenade Temecula this June. In partnership with Veteran Supplemental Support Network (VSSN), Promenade Temecula will host the "Dog Days of Summer" every Saturday in June to benefit Transitions 2 Success and Pawz for Wounded Veterans through Canine Support Teams.

The "Dog Days of Summer" kicks-off on Saturday, June 4th at 10 a.m. on the Plaza (outside Edwards Theater) with a pet parade and red carpet Paw-Pawrazzi event. Each Saturday in June will feature different activities including:

June 4: Paw-Pawrazzi red carpet event, pet adoptions and pet/owner look-a-like contest
June 11: Vaccinations, obedience training, pet safety training and Amateur Top Dog Contest.
June 18: Vaccinations, grooming tips and tricks, Extreme Pet Makeover Contest.
June 25: Pooch of the Valley fashion show, pet parade, and doghouse silent auction finale.

In addition, a special seminar hosted by Joel Silverman is scheduled for Saturday, June 11 at 1 p.m. Mr. Silverman is the former host of Good Dog U on Animal Planet, author and founder of Companions for Life. His presentation is sponsored by Camp Bow Wow Temecula.

There will also be custom-built dog houses on display throughout the mall, crafted by area businesses specifically for this event.

These houses will be enjoyed and bid on by visitors to the mall throughout the entire month and then auctioned off via a silent auction held during the Pet Expo on June 25," said Daisy Tate, VSSN founder and event coordinator.

The "Dog Days of Summer" is a collaborative event that will benefit the growing need of animal support for disabled veterans, elderly individuals and people with disabilities. The partners involved also hope to perform over 100 pet adoptions and build foster care programs in the valley.

For more information or to register to participate contact Daisy Tate at 951-821-8776, dtate@vetsupportnet.org or visit www.vetsupportnet.org.

The San Bernardino County Museum is currently recruiting volunteers age 14 and older to help facilitate fun family programs during the summer. The museum seeks volunteers for both the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands and the Victor Valley Museum, its branch in Apple Valley.

"Volunteers will set up and clean up all the activity supplies, invite visitors to participate in the activities, and share basic concepts related to museum subjects," said Curator of Education Jolene Redvale. "We promote an interactive style of communication with visitors, and you'll learn the basics to be successful. Opportunities to deepen your knowledge of exhibits, collections, and a broad range of subjects are available."

During the training workshops, recruits will learn how to interact and engage with museum visitors, answer questions, and set up and run various activities including art-based projects. This position requires open and friendly communication with the visiting public.

Recruits must attend one entire workshop to be eligible to be a volunteer. The training workshops scheduled at the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands are on Friday, June 17 and Saturday, June 18 from 9 a.m to 1 p.m.

At the Victor Valley Museum in Apple Valley, the training workshops are slated for Thursday, June 16 and Saturday, June 18 from 9:30 a.m to 1 p.m. On June 4 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., all new and potential volunteers are invited to meet museum staff and current volunteers, and learn about museum programs during the Family Fun Day, "Shake It Up: All Geology, All Day Long."

For more information about volunteering, contact Redvale at 909-307-2669 ext 252 or email her at jredvale@sbcm.sbcounty.gov. Volunteer applications are also available at www.sbcoutymuseum.org.

Written by guest author Rebecca McDaniel:

Due to budget cuts, the RCC Community education center will be unable to send out its yearly summer catalogues. The community catalogues cost approximately $45,000 to print and reach 250,000 homes. That being said, you can still see the rundown of courses at www.RccCommunityEd.com.

Most of the courses are taught by professionals in the community and are held at the one of the local colleges or an off site location. These courses offer the best entertainment and learning for people of all ages from water color painting, medical transcribing, and my class, "Cooking Demonstration with Rebecca."

Sincerely,
Rebecca McDaniel
"Cooking with Rebecca"
www.Thisweeksmenu.org

Yucaipa Regional Park waterslides

It's going to be hot. So for your cooling pleasure, San Bernardino Regional Parks swim complexes at Cucamonga-Guasti, Glen Helen, Yucaipa and Lake Gregory (Crestline) open this weekend, just in time for the Memorial Day holiday.

There are also zero depth water play parks located in Cucamonga-Guasti, Glen Helen, Lake Gregory, Prado, Mojave Narrows and Moabi Regional Parks as well. Zero depth water play parks have sensor-sprays of water that come from behind brightly colored structures such as flowers, mushrooms and other tubular-shaped structures that provide safe water play for the little ones.

Brownie Girl Scout Troop 931 got their groove on last Friday at On Pointe Dance Studio to earn their Dancercize Try-It or Dance patch.

On Pointe Dance Studio offers free dance classes for area Girl Scout troops.

The girls learned jazz, ballet and hip-hop, as well as the importance of stretching.

For more information on the Girl Scout dance program at On Pointe Dance, visit www.onpointedance.org or contact Cristina O'Connel at Christina@onpointedance.org or 909-973-6211.

For the seventh year in a row teachers and graduating students at Martin Luther King High School will go head to head to raise money for cancer research at the annual Staff vs. Seniors Softball Game on Thursday at 3 p.m.

Funds raised at the game will go to the American Cancer Society.

The game, located at King High School's JV Field, will feature more than 30 teachers and staff, and 40 seniors. Each player donates $20 to the American Cancer Society to play in the game.

Over the last six years, the event has generated more than $25,000 in donations to the American Cancer Society.

People who attend the game and donate will be given raffle tickets that could land them some nice prizes - including four laptop computers, two HD televisions, Dodgers and Angels Tickets, San Diego Zoo tickets and more.

This year's special guest is Terri Lowery, language arts teacher from Miller Intermediate School. She is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

For more information call 951-789-5690.

The Murrieta Public Library is encouraging families to read throughout the summer by offering programs and events for all ages.

Three separate themes have been developed for the different age groups with age-appropriate programs for each.

The "One World Many Stories" theme focuses on reading and program activities for children, while the "You Are Here" programs are intended for the teens and young adult, and "Novel Destination" is for adult audiences.

Here are some upcoming summer happenings at the library:

Comedy Juggling: David Cousin
Saturday, June 11: 2 p.m., all ages
Five-time world record holder David Cousin will performs his juggling acts with a twist of comedy.

Hullabaloo Concert: Hullabaloo
Thursday, June 23: 10:30 a.m., all ages
An interactive sing-a-long concert that will have kids and parents laughing, dancing, clapping and stomping their feet.

Drums Around the World: Marcus Miller
Thursday, June 30: 10:30 a.m., all ages
Discover the role and history of this ancient instrument in various cultures throughout the world and participate in a group drum circle.

All programs are free and open to the public and are held in the Library's Community Room. The Murrieta Public Library is located at Eight Town Square (Adams Avenue and Kalmia Street). For more information about the program call 951-304-2665 or visit www.murrietalibrary.info.

The Field to Fork Slow Foods fundraiser is Saturday, May 21 from 1-5 p.m. at the Leonesse Cellars in Temecula.

Area chefs, farmers and vintners will gather for the annual event, which raises funds for Temecula Valley school garden programs. There are 18 gardens in the program that involve children in Temecula and Murrieta.

Tickets cost $50 in advance or $60 at the door. Participants can tour the vineyards, eat and drink food, wine and beer from area vineyards and breweries, watch a chef challenge and bid on auction items.

There will also be live music and several educational symposiums on topics such as "Changing the Way our Children Eat in our Current Food System" and "Farm to School - The importance of farm food in our local schools and the direct health impact on our children."

Buy tickets at http://temeculavalleyslowfood.org.

The May 21 Graffiti Abatement cleanup with the Highland Improvement Team has been cancelled. The next cleanup will resume in June.

Sunshine, blue skies, warm temps and no school can only mean one thing - summer camp time.

The YMCA of the East Valley is looking for donations to help send kids to Camp Edwards this summer.

"Spending the summer at camp is not only a valuable and safe experience for youth, it's also important to their personal development," says D.J. Gothe, Camp Director. "Camp helps youth develop social skills and decision-making skills, and learn from new experiences."

Camp Edwards is located in the San Bernardino mountains and has a variety of camp options, including a climbing wall, hiking and canoeing on Jenks Lake.

Camping experts at the YMCA say that summer camp can have a meaningful impact on youth in several ways:

• Youth experience "unstructured" playtime that they normally don't have at home or school, thus learning how to become independent, make smart choices, solve problems and work with others.
• The experience of trying and learning new things, including adventurous outdoor activities, gives youth confidence and helps them develop healthy life-long habits.
• As fewer youth are spending time outdoors, camp helps them develop an awareness and appreciation for nature.
• At camp youth are cared for and given guidance, and feel a part of a community, allowing them to feel comfortable being themselves.
• Youth learn from other campers and counselors, and make new friends to share it all with.

All funds donated go to support local youth to attend YMCA Camp Edwards, Gothe said.

For more information or to make a donation, visit www.ymcaeastvalley.org or call 909-798-9622.

Auditions for California Riverside Ballet's 2011 production of "The Nutcracker" will take place June 4 at the Fox Performing Arts Center, at 3801 Mission Inn Ave. in Riverside.

Auditions are open to dancers age 8 and older. Dancers age 8-13 will begin at 1 p.m., and dancers 14 and older will begin at about 2:30 p.m.

Arrive 30 minutes early to register.

Rehearsals for the cast will begin in late summer and performances will take place in December.

For more information. visit www.crballet.com.

Riverside will celebrate the opening of the new Marcy branch library and parks and recreation offices at 10 a.m. Saturday at 6927 Magnolia Ave.

The new library is about twice the size of the old one on Central Avenue, has more than 30 public computers and includes a large children's area with a simulated oak tree. The city's parks and recreation administration has moved from downtown and is now on the new library's second floor.

At Saturday's event, children's activities and refreshments will be offered, and people can get library cards or sign up for summer recreation programs. For information call 951-826-5213.

-Alicia Robinson
arobinson@PE.com

In observation of International Museums Day, the Robert and Francis Fullerton Museum of Art (RAFFMA) will present, "Preserving the Memory of Ancient Egypt."

Admission is free and the museum will have extended hours, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on May 18 only. There will be free RAFFMA t-shirts for visitors who leave a "memory" at the front desk. A lecture will be given by Museum Director Eva Kirsch on understanding the role museums play in preserving antiquities.

The lecture will begin at 5:30 p.m. and is open to the public.

CSUSB parking costs $5. For more information call 909-537-7373 or e-mail raffma@csusb.edu.

The Highland Improvement Team will hold another cleanup event, Graffiti Abatement, on Saturday, May 21. Parents are invited to bring children. The project will involve lots of painting.

Volunteers should meet at City Hall at 27215 Baseline, in Highland, between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. to sign in and depart for the cleanup location at 8:15 a.m.

As always, their will be a barbequeback at City Hall following the cleanup.

For more information, call 909-864-6861.

The Great American Cleanup on Saturday, May 14 will include more than 500 community volunteers picking up litter and cleaning graffiti in the city-wide event. Volunteers wearing bright green t-shirts will be out in full force at multiple sites.

If you belong to a service group, organization or are just willing to volunteer for a few hours, Keep Riverside Clean and Beautiful is still looking for more volunteers for the annual city beautification event.

The cleanups will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. at pre-determined locations throughout the city.

Students who volunteer can learn leadership skills and earn community service hours. After the cleanups, volunteers will gather at City Hall under the breezeway for pizza, live DJ, and Clean Campus Competition Awards.

Volunteers will receive a free T-shirt, supplies for the cleanups and community service hours.
For more information on how you can volunteer and receive community service hours with KRCB projects call us at 951-683-7100 or visit us www.krcb.com.

The Corona Symphony and Orchestra will hold the family concert, "Peter and the Wolf," on Saturday, May 14 at Northpoint Church at 988 West Ontario Ave. in Corona.

The repertoire will include, the "William Tell Overture," "Night on Bald Mountain," "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," and Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf."

Advance tickets cost $15 for adults and $12 for students and seniors, or $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors at the door. For more information visit www.CoronaSymphonyOrchestra.org or call 951-808-3281.

UC Riverside Chancellor Timothy White will be the keynote speaker for Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce's May "Good Morning Riverside" meeting Thursday, May 12 at The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa at 3649 Mission Inn Ave.

White will discuss his experiences while filming the CBS television show, "Undercover Boss," which aired May 1. The latest news on economic developments, community events and business issues in the City of Riverside will also be discussed.

Check-in and networking will start at 6:45 a.m. and the program will begin at 7 a.m. Chamber members pay $20 for admission through May 11. After May 11, tickets members pay $25. Tickets for non-members cost $35.

For more information or to register, call 951-683-7100 or visit www.riverside-chamber.com.

Research says 10 to 15 percent of women with children and 35 percent of women living in poverty experience postpartum depression.

To raise awareness and help fund postpartum depression programs for families in the Inland region, the Inland Empire Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative (IEPMHC) will hold its first PPD Awareness Stroll-a-Thon Saturday, May 14.

IEPMHC, Riverside Stroller Strides and Carolyn E. Wylie families will be among those walking. All activities will take place at the Riverside Plaza at 3545 Central Ave. from 9 a.m. to noon.

The walk will begin at 10 a.m., with check-in at 9 a.m. There will also be free games and entertainment after the walk.

Walkers are asked to pledge $25 per adult, $35 for couples or $10 for groups of 20 or more to join the walk. To register, visit www.embracingfamilies.blogspot.com.

Interested in a birdwatching fieldtrip? On Saturday, June 4, Museum Director Robert McKernan will lead a trip to discover breeding birds in the San Bernardino Mountains. Space is limited, and reservations are required by May 27.

"The San Bernardino Mountains' geography provides birdwatchers with a wide variety of habitats and bird species to study," McKernan said. "The environments where birds are found include mountain lakes and meadows, coniferous forest, oak woodland, riparian woodlands, chaparral scrub, desert scrub, and grasslands. We will explore these diverse habitats in search of breeding bird species, and do our best to observe many of the approximate 171 species breeding in the San Bernardino Mountains."

The cost of $60 per person ($50 for Museum Association members) will include transportation, lunch, snack and beverages. The Group will depart at 7 a.m. from the museum and return at about 6 p.m. Participants are advised to wear sturdy and comfortable shoes for moderate hiking, and to bring binoculars, sunscreen, a hat, and a bird book. McKernan recommends the "National Geographic Bird Guide" or the "Sibley Bird Guide;" both available at the Museum Store.

For more information and registration, call Melissa Sanchez at 909-307-2669 ext. 250. Registration form is also available at www.sbcountymuseum.org. Pre-paid registration is required by May 27.

For the fit moms out there: Stroller Strides of Riverside is offering a free Mother's Day Stroller Strides event, which will be held Friday, May 6 at Arlington Heights Sports Park at 9:15 a.m.

There will be a hour-long power walking class with several stations doing interval training, giving moms a total body workout. After the class, there will be a Mommy Marketplace with raffle prizes. Goody bags to the first 40 moms that come. Moms new to the Stroller Strides program (and their babies!) are invited to attend, as well as those already enrolled in ongoing classes.

"Any fitness program can benefit from a little variety," said Breanne Houston, franchise owner of Stroller Strides of Riverside. "This is a fun way to introduce that variety without compromising Stroller Strides' overall goal of offering a great way to get fit while enjoying the support of other parents experiencing the newness, joys and challenges of having a baby."

Along with walking, Stroller Strides uses the environment as a gym by doing intervals of body toning using exercise tubing and the stroller. In addition to offering fitness classes, Stroller Strides of Riverside also has weekly playgroups, monthly Mom's Night Outs, and fundraising events like LUNAFEST, a film festival for women held at the Mission Inn which benefits Breast Cancer Fund and Alternatives to Domestic Violence.

"Having a group of parents who are going through the same amazing and exhausting experience of living with a baby is so important," said Houston. "If you have a great support system, everything else, including fitness, is so much easier."

For more information on Stroller Strides of Riverside or to register for Friday's Mother's Day event, contact Houston at 888-218-4484 or breanne@strollerstrides.net or visit the Stroller Strides of Riverside website at www.fitmomsrock.com.

The A.K. Smiley Public Library in Redlands has activities going on in the Young Reader Room throughout the month of May.

English/Chinese Story Time (all ages) will take place every Monday from 7 to 7:40 p.m. English/Spanish Story Time (all ages) will take place every Saturday morning from 10:15 to 10:45 a.m. Tiny Tot Story Times (ages 2-3) will take place every Thursday morning from 10:15 to 10:35 a.m. and 10:40 to 11 a.m. Preschool Story Time (ages 4-6) will be every Wednesday morning from 10:15 to 10:45 a.m.

On May 14, the library will host Saturday Craft Day from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The program, themed "Once Upon a Time," is free and open to all ages.

On May 15, children can visit the library from 3 to 4 p.m. and read a book to a therapy dog as part of the program, Paw 4 Happiness.

Lastly, Inventions, inventions with Susan Casey will take place May 19 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. School-age children can visit to learn about inventions and create their own.

For more information call 909-798-7674 or visit www.akspl.org.

Celebrate Mummy Day early Friday, May 6, at the Robert and Frances Fullerton Art Museum in San Bernardino.

From 6-7:30 p.m., the museum will have a variety of mummy-themed crafts and activities in honor of Mother's Day on Sunday.

Visitors will get an evening tour of the museum, children can make mummy crafts, and adults will hear a lecture on the vital role mothers played in ancient Egypt.

Refreshments include champagne, sparkling cider and chocolate strawberries!

The Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art, RAFFMA, is a nationally recognized museum, accredited by the American Association of Museums. RAFFMA, the only art museum in the city of San Bernardino, houses the largest permanent display of Egyptian antiquities in Southern Calif. and is located on the campus of Cal State San Bernardino.

CSUSB parking is $5. For more information call 909-537-7783 or e-mail cparks@csusb.edu.

Oak Grove Center for Education, Treatment & the Arts will hold its first annual Race for a Reason Walk-a-thon on Saturday, May 14 at 8:30 a.m. Proceeds raised will go to a new gym being built for the Murrieta campus (Oak Grove is approximately halfway to their goal of raising $1 million) and a summer Autism Camp that'll go on from June 27-July 8.

Oak Grove Center for Education, Treatment & the Arts is a non-profit 24-hour residential and educational treatment center that serves 76 children who live on campus and an additional 80-90 day students who attend their nonpublic school day program in Murrieta. A second campus in Perris, CA serves an additional 45 students. Children and youth are admitted with a variety of psychological, social, emotional, behavioral, medical and neurological problems with concurrent behavioral difficulties, school problems, family dysfunction and alcohol or substance abuse. Many of the children have suffered physical and/or sexual abuse or other traumatic experiences. In addition, Oak Grove Center offers educational programs and services to children with autism.

The walk will take place around a quarter mile track located at the Murrieta campus. Walkers, runners, baby strollers and senior scooters are invited to walk or run as much as they wish between 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Registration fee for the walkathon is $20. However, the registration fee will be waived for individuals who raise $75 or more in pledges.

Registration for participants is $20. However, the registration fee will be waived for individuals that raise $75 or more. Participants are encouraged to visit www.active.com/donate/TeamOakGrove to set up their own personal fundraising page for friends and family to support them in the walk-a-thon.

At the walk, there will also be a fun jump for kids and food vendors like Juice It Up, Fired Up Mobile Pizza and Charley's Subs. Entertainment will be provided by DJ James Genes from Day & Night DJ Service.

Oak Grove Center for Education, Treatment & The Arts is located at 24275 Jefferson Ave. in Murrieta. For more information visit www.OakGroveCenter.org.

Entrepreneur and motivational speaker Cindy Carpenter will host a free public speaking workshop on Tuesday, May 10 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to be held at the Murrieta Public Library.

The seminar will answer "why" you should conquer the fear of public speaking, the benefits of being able to speak in public and specific ways to overcome the fear.

Carpenter is an award-winning public speaker who conquered her "intense fear" of public speaking through Toastmasters International.

Surveys have shown that presentation skills and effective communication are crucial to success in both the workplace and your personal life. This seminar will teach you how to overcome your fear of public speaking, help you gain self-confidence and become more successful in all areas of your life.

This event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the Friends of the Murrieta Library. The Murrieta Public Library is located at Eight Town Square (Adams Avenue and Kalmia Street). For more information about the program call 951-304-2665 or visit the Library's web site at www.murrietalibrary.info.