Chabot College (Chabot) is excited to present their Holiday Big Band Concert on December 12, 2024, at 7pm at the Reed L. Buffington Visual & Performing Arts Center, Building 1300, at 25555 Hesperian Boulevard in Hayward, CA. 

The performance features Chabot College Jazz Ensemble, directed by Jon Palacio Jr., and will include Filipino-born American singer guest artist Ellona Santiago and actress, singer-songwriter, and recording artist April Absynth.   

The Chabot College Jazz Ensemble is Chabot’s top multi-award winning student jazz group that consists primarily of music majors. The ensemble finished in the top five amongst two-year schools at a 2006 and 2007 national jazz festival in Reno, Nevada. The Jazz Band was also invited to compete with top four-year schools in the country at the Next Generation's Festival 2006. 

“We are so excited to have an event that will highlight the best of Chabot’s Jazz Band along with amazing, featured artists,” said Director Jon Palacio Jr. “It will be a holiday big band extravaganza that everyone will truly enjoy.” 

Guest artist Ellona Rano Santiago comes from a background singing since the age of three, early professional vocal training, and many professional contests. She also placed 6th out of 16 finalists and thousands of auditionees on the XFactor after being mentored by Demi Lovato. Ellona is also a passionate advocate for children in need, serving as an ambassador for Project Resoled, a nonprofit that provides refurbished shoes to impoverished children in developing countries.  

Guest artist April Absynth comes with experience in not only singing but also TV, film, and theater acting with performances in Blindspotting, Lumpia with a Vengeance, Miss Saigon and Thoroughly Modern Millie. April performs as a professional singer around the country with her electro-pop duo No Rest Till Death.  

With talented guest artists and Chabot’s Jazz Ensemble, you won't want to miss this exciting concert that is sure to get you in the mood for the holidays!  

Ticket prices vary between $10 for general admission and $15 for livestream and can be purchased online at PurplePass.com. Doors open at 6:30PM. For additional questions, email Jon Palacio at jpalacio@chabotcollege.edu. 

Chabot’s PAC is host to many community events and other world-class talent. For more information, visit The Chabot College Performing Arts Complex. 

The Castro Valley Library is looking for dedicated and enthusiastic High School student volunteers, just a few hours a week, for its after-school Homework Assistance Center. Are you looking for community service hours or need some job experience for your resume? Sign up for hours and help students tackle their homework, gain valuable experience, and have fun.
Contact the Castro Valley Library at 510-667-7900 for more information.

The California Highway Patrol and the Castro Valley Library present Start Smart: Teen Driver Program. CHP officers will discuss traffic collision avoidance techniques, collision causing factors, driver/parent responsibilities, and seatbelt usage. Additionally, testimonies will be provided by officers who have investigated fatal collisions involving teens, and by family members who have lost love ones in traffic collisions.

The Start Smart program is a driver safety education class which targets new and future licensed teenage drivers between the age of 15 - 19 and their parents/guardians. 

A parent/guardian is required to attend the class with their teen.

Registration is required for this FREE program. To register, call the Library Information Desk at 510-667-7900 or register online at www.aclibrary.org

The Madrigals, the premier acapella chorus from Castro Valley High School, will visit our Club. The Madrigals will perform between 1:00 and 1:15 pm.

A buffet lunch and the program take place at Redwood Canyon Golf Course (17007 Redwood Road, Castro Valley) at 12:00-1:30 p.m. The buffet lunch is $20, and reservations must be made by 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 8, at castrovalleyrotary.org (Upcoming Events banner).

Assemblymember Liz Ortega is pleased to co-host a Bay Area California State Job Fair with Assemblymember Alex Lee and the California Department of Human Resources. This will be an opportunity to explore how you can transform your passions into a rewarding career with the State of California.

A range of state departments and agencies will be in attendance to offer information on a variety of career pathways. The Work for California team will also be on-site to provide personalized assistance on the application process.

The event will take place Monday, December 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fremont Downtown Event Center (3500 Capitol Ave. Fremont, CA 94538).

Faith Lutheran Church, Castro Valley is converting a portion of its lawn into a pollinator garden highway! We could sure use your help in laying cardboard, spreading mulch and beautifying our property along Redwood Road. Wear your grubby pants, bring a pair of gloves, and let’s invite more pollinators into our community! Event is December 8, 11am, at 20080 Redwood Rd, Castro Valley.

Christmas baked goods sale fundraiser for St. John’s Church in San Lornzo. There will also be trinkets and treasures, continental breakfast, raffles, religious items, miscellaneous goods and lots of fun. It will all begin this Saturday, Dec. 7 from 4pm to 6pm and again on Sunday, Dec. 8  from 8am to 4pm. St. John’s Community Meeting Room (264 East Lewelling Blvd., San Lorenzo).

Pearl Harbor Day Remembrance Ceremony Saturday, December 7 at Castro Valley Veterans Memorial. Ceremony starts at 10am. Navy Veteran will speak about a Forgotten Battleship USS Utah.

The Friends of the San Leandro Library will host a Cookbook Sale on Saturday, December 7th (10:00 a.m. to 3 p.m.) at the San Leandro Main Library, 300 Estudillo Avenue, San Leandro. Hundreds of beautiful books featuring cuisines from around the world will be featured. From the basic how-to to elegant dining recipes, these books originally sold for as much as $50 but will be sale-priced for much less. It’s a great time to start your holiday shopping with quality cookbooks at bargain prices. All proceeds benefit the San Leandro Library’s programs and services. We now accept credit cards!  

H.A.R.D. Holiday Lights! Mt. Eden Mansion

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Celebrate the season with an enchanting time at our historical mansions as we transform them with dazzling lights! Join us for one (or all three!) of the free, family-friendly mansion-lighting events. Enjoy live entertainment, and dance along to festive music. Delight in crafts, and cozy refreshments to get the holiday spirit glowing. Mt. Eden Mansion will be open for tours. 

Download a flyer to share!

Other Mansion Lighting Events
December 4 - McConaghy House
18701 Hesperian Blvd., Hayward

December 5 - Meek Mansion (Open for tours!)
240 Hampton Rd., Hayward

Holiday gift wrapping. Join Rotary Club of Castro Valley for a festive holiday lunch with a purpose at Redwood Canyon Golf Course (17007 Redwood Road, Castro Valley) from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. In true Rotary spirit, we’ll wrap gifts to bring cheer to those in need while enjoying good food, great company, and plenty of holiday fun. The buffet lunch is $20, and reservations must be made by 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 1, at castrovalleyrotary.org (Upcoming Events banner). Bring your wrapping skills—or just a willingness to help—and join the holiday spirit of service and fellowship!

Join us on Sunday, December 1 at 2 pm for a presentation from sleep health professional and RN Robyn Woidtke about the fundamentals of sleep. She’ll discuss:

• Why we sleep and why it is important.

• The consequences of poor sleep and sleep deprivation.

• The major sleep disorders.

• What we need to sleep well.

• And more!

About the presenter: Robyn Woidtke, MSN-Ed, RN, RPSGT, CCSH, FAAST, began working in the emerging field of sleep medicine in 1985. She worked a variety of roles within the sleep clinic, including conducting overnight sleep studies. She also was part of a team that conducted SIDS research at Stanford. Within the medical device industry, she managed clinical research projects and worked with marketing teams to develop educational programs and literature. She has authored numerous publications, book chapters, and research-focused abstracts and lectures on a variety of sleep-related topics.

Registration is required. For information about this and other events, visit www.aclibrary.org or call 510/667-7900.

World-traveled Sonos is joining us in Castro Valley on Saturday, November 30 at 7pm. Faith Lutheran Church of Castro Valley (20080 Redwood Rd) welcomes world-traveled “Sonos” as they present “From Steeple to Steppe”. Join us at 7pm on November 30 for an evening of music. Sonos is bringing their lauded brand of handbell innovation and artistry to a venue near you. Come see what audiences the world over herald as the pinnacle of handbell performance as they perform music spanning Eurasia from West to East. 

No tickets required; donations accepted.

https://sonostemp.org/index.html

The next meeting of the Eden Garden Club will be Monday, November 25th at 9:30am at Faith Lutheran Church, 20080 Redwood Road in Castro Valley.
At 10:00 we will begin with Josh Rubietta of Down by the Bay Nursery. Josh will be speaking about native bulbs that will bloom in the Spring.
Sandra Nevala-Lee and Stephanie Brady will also speak on EBMUD rebates and the “BEE Highway.” Meetings are free and guests are always welcome. https://edengardenclub.com

Soroptimist of the East Bay will hold its 19th Annual Holiday Boutique on Saturday, November 23 from 10am to 4pm at the Hill and Valley Women’s Club (1808 B Street, Hayward). There will be hand crafted gift items, holiday decor, jewelry, wardrobe accessories, handcrafted cards, woodworking, pampered chef, pottery, knitted/crocheted items, raffle prizes, and much, much more! Refreshments will be available. All proceeds benefit the goals of Soroptimist International – improving the lives of women and girls by providing educational scholarships and supporting local charities that serve our women and girls. For more information, please contact Donna Whitehouse at: 510-999-2911 or at: rambosmom@comcast.net

Castro Valley / Eden Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its monthly mixer tomorrow, Thursday Nov. 21 from 5:30 to 7:30pm at Don Jose’s located at 3430 Village Dr.

The Community Advisory Committee for Special Education (CAC) will have a Zoom meeting on Thursday, Nov. 21, from 5 to 6 p.m. Contact the Castro Valley Unified School District at 510-537-3000 ext.1267 and ask for the Zoom invite for the Nov. 21 CAC meeting. All are welcome to see how you can help with Special Education Districts in San Leandro, Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, and Hayward. CAC encourages community involvement in the development and review of the local plan.

The San Leandro Garden Club will meet on Tuesday November 19 at 10:30 a.m. at the Marina Community Center, 15301 Wicks Blvd., San Leandro.  The speaker this month is Beverly Dahlsedt, a member of the San Leandro Dahlia Society.   Please join us.

Attracting the Right Developers: Alan Chamaro, Executive Vice President of Lowe’s Enterprises

A native of Castro Valley, Mr. Chamaro will explain why developments happen in some communities and not others, how a community can build a market, and the comps needed for developers to think about Castro Valley. At Lowe’s, he oversees their activities in Northern California and Denver. He is a past member of the Policy Advisory Board for UC Berkeley's Fisher Center for Real Estate & Urban Economics and a member of the Urban Land Institute. He holds an MBA from the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business and a BS in civil engineering from UC, Davis. He is a licensed professional engineer.

Eager to dive into the world of Robotics? Stop by the Castro Valley Library for a firsthand look at the fascinating process of building a Robot. Join all enthusiasts to join the First Tech Challenge (FTC) team SciRavens showcasing their Robot and different parts needed to build one. See you all at Castro Valley Library, Saturday, November 16 from 2 to 4pm. All are welcome. For more information, please visit: http://www.sciravens.org or email contact@sciravens.org

Nine Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.) chapters from the East Bay will host a huge Holiday Boutique on Saturday, November 16, with proceeds going to educational grants, scholarships, awards and loans for women.  

The boutique will be held from 9:30 to 3 p.m. at the New Bridges Presbyterian Church, 26236 Adrian Avenue, Hayward, near Chabot College. There is plenty of free parking, and items for sale include jewelry, cards, baked goods, jams, nuts, holiday decor, handcrafted items and more. Your holiday shopping will support a good cause.

The P.E.O. has been helping women reach their potential for over 155 years. This nonprofit organization has distributed over $432 million as of April 2024, helping over 125,000 women pursue their educational goals. Last year in California alone, 274 recipients received over $1.24 million in scholarships and loans. 

What started in 1869 with a group of seven women friends in Iowa has grown into 5,500 North American chapters. To learn more about P.E.O. and its philanthropies, visit peointernational.org, or stop by the Boutique on November 16.

Eden Garden Club is having a Holiday Bazaar featuring succulents, trees, pottery, holiday gift baskets, handicrafts, homemade treats, collectibles, a variety of gift certificates, books, jewelry, housewares and storage merchandise. All proceeds benefit CVUSD and HUSD Schools that are awarded School Garden Grants.

Date: Saturday, November 16, 2024

Time: 9 AM to 1 PM

Place: Faith Lutheran Church, 20080 Redwood Road, Castro Valley.

Quality donations are accepted on November 9, 2024, frm 9 AM to 12 PM. Please no furniture, clothing or car seats accepted. Please call Pat Payneat 510-427-5261 for more information.

Eden Garden Club is having a Holiday Bazaar from 9am to 1pm at the Faith Lutheran Church located at 20080 Redwood Road in Castro Valley. The Holiday Bazaar will feature holiday gifts, gift certificates, handicrafts, homemade treats, plants, garden and storage goods, books, children's toys and housewares. All proceeds benefit School Garden Grants awarded to CVUSD and HUSD Schools. Donations are not accepted during the event. For more information, please call Pat Payne a 510-427-5261.