COASTAL CLEAN UP DAY On Saturday Sept. 20 citizens throughout Alameda County will join volunteers worldwide for the 29th annual Coastal Cleanup Day. Last year the international event drew close to 650,000 participants in 92 countries, who picked up more than 12.3 million pounds of trash, according to the Ocean Conservancy. To help Alameda County residents find an event near them, the Clean Water Program Alameda County has compiled a list of local creek and shoreline cleanup events organized by its member cities and agencies. Visit Clean Water Program online for details of how to get involved.
ASHBY VILLAGE PHOTO SHOW Ashby Village is sponsoring a juried photography exhibit featuring the work of its members. The winning photographs will be on view through Oct. 10 at the LightRoom gallery, 2263 Fifth Street, Berkeley, and at Tomate Café, located next door to the LightRoom. The works were selected by renowned Berkeley-based photographers Judy Dater, Rob Reiter and Russel Kiehn. The public is invited to attend a reception for the Ashby Village community on Sunday, Sept. 21 from 2pm to 5pm. Ashby Village is a community-based network of people over age 50 living in the greater Berkeley area. It is part of a growing national movement of about 20,000 people, participating in 130 villages, with 100 more in development. Villages are networks of people who act like extended family, filling the gaps in members’ support systems as they age.
BERKELEY HUMANE’S HERO WALK Sunday Sept. 21 will see Berkeley Humane’s Hero Walk, the kick-off fundraiser to the nonprofit’s Bark (and Meow) Around the Block Adopt-A-Thon and Street Fair. Check-in for the Hero Walk between 9:30-10am at 2700 Ninth Street to receive a goody bag – a “thank you” for a $50 (or more) donation. The walk starts at 10am. The street fair starts at 11am and runs until 4pm. In addition to the many dogs, cats, puppies and kittens that Berkeley Humane will adopt out for free to loving homes, the event will feature a dozen other rescues from the Bay Area, food, beer, wine, kids games, raffle prizes and many exciting vendors. The Bark (and Meow) Around the Block Adopt-A-Thon and Street Fair is open to the public. Dogs (on leashes), fearless felines, friends and family are all welcome. Details at the Berkeley Humane event website.
FREE SPEECH MOVEMENT PLAY Stagebridge’s production FSM, an original play with music, written by Joan Holden, commemorates the 50thanniversary of the 1964 Free Speech Movement at UC Berkeley with performances at Brava Theater in San Francisco and Berkeley Rep. Previews start on Saturday Sept. 20 The widow and son of Mario Savio, student leader of the movement, are members of the Stagebridge community and were heavily involved in the creative process and production of the play. Here’s what Stagebridge says about it: “FSM takes 60’s politics seriously. It celebrates the joy, moral purpose, newborn freedom and occasional absurdity of being young, part of a movement and passionately political, from a distance that takes account of the consequences.” The play only runs two weekends. Find details and buy tickets at www.stagebridge.org
GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH REOPENING The 136-year old Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, which was severely damaged in a fire nearly two years ago, reopens with a festive, kid-friendly service (at 11 am) and a block party at 12:30 pm on Sunday Sept. 21. Everyone is invited to join in the celebrations at Berkeley’s oldest landmark, which will include a pot luck, BBQ, bar, kids’ activities, and local bands. The Church of the Good Shepherd is at 1823 Ninth St. (at Hearst), in West Berkeley.
Don’t miss these other events featured on Berkeleyside:
The Zero Theorem: Terry Gilliam’s decidedly twisted brain on full view
Berkeley’s own return to town to play jazz the LA way
Feed your brain at Uncharted: The Berkeley Festival of Ideas
Are you a culture vulture? Berkeleyside’s Uncharted: The Berkeley Festival of Ideas is two days of provocative thinking, inspiring speakers, workshops, and a big party — all in downtown Berkeley on Oct. 24-25. Read all about it and buy your tickets at www.berkeleyideas.com
