Lecture
Costa Mesa--The reason cliff homes on the Greek island of Sanorini are painted white and how they differ from the rows of pink tract housing in Orange County will be explored in “Vernacular Architecture Around the World” on Friday at Orange Coast College.
Irini Vallera-Rickerson, a native of Athens and professor of art history, will give the lecture on how people use climate and native materials from nature. Using examples from Nubian villages in Egypt and American Indian sites in New Mexico, Vallera-Rickerson will focus on non-professional architecture that is indigenous, such as the homes in Greece, which are painted white to reflect the heat.
What she likes about such architecture is how “people are very in tune with the environment.” It’s different than Orange County tract housing, she says, where “we chop down the hills and we ruin (the environment). You aren’t going to see this in vernacular architecture.”
The lecture is sponsored by the college’s AIDS Education and Prevention Committee. Proceeds will be used to support AIDS awareness and education at Orange Coast College.
After the lecture, the campus art gallery will be open so the public can view the exhibition “Artists’ Reflections on AIDS,” which continues through Dec. 10.
What: “Vernacular Architecture Around the World.”
When: Friday, Nov. 20, at 8 p.m.
Where: Orange Coast College Forum; 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa.
Whereabouts: Take the San Diego (I-405) Freeway to the Fairview Road exit and head south on Fairview Road.
Wherewithal: $6.
Where to call: (714) 432-5726.
Holiday Bazaar
Cypress--Shoppers won’t go hungry at the annual holiday bazaar on Saturday at the Cypress Community Center.
Besides the usual array of handcrafted tree ornaments and hand-painted T-shirts, bazaar-goers also will have their choice of hotdogs, Philadelphia-style steak sandwiches, burritos, quesadillas and Thai food. Early risers can have a $3 breakfast with Santa Claus from 8 to 11 a.m.
It is the 13th year that the city has held the crafts fair. Fifty vendors are expected to participate, and entertainment will be provided by the Cypress Bell Choir and children who take dance and other classes at the Cypress Recreation and Park District.
What: Holiday bazaar.
When: Saturday, Nov. 21, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Cypress Community Center, 5700 Orange Ave.
Whereabouts: From the Riverside (91) Freeway take the Valley View Street exit and head south. Turn right on Orange Avenue.
Wherewithal: Free. Breakfast with Santa is $3.
Where to call: (714) 229-6780.
Book Fair
Orange--Puppets, jugglers, authors, actors, dancers and musicians will show up at the Orange Central Library on Saturday for Books in the Hood.
“It’s a multicultural book fair,” says Anthony Garcia, supervisor of the Friendly Stop branch of the Orange Public Library. “We need to promote books and show kids they are fun, exciting and flashy.”
Children can browse through the library’s shelves or chat with fictional characters Madeleine and Clifford the dog. They can also watch Mexican dancing groups Relampago del Cielo and Ballet Folklorico Renancimiento or listen to rap groups Aztlan Nation and Jalapeno Chillin’.
Celebrities expected to attend the five-hour fair include actors Danny de la Paz and Poncho Gomez from the film “American Me”; Jim Eppard, former first baseman for the California Angels, and Los Angeles Ram offensive tackle Jackie Slater.
What: Books in the Hood.
When: Saturday, Nov. 21, from noon to 4 p.m.
Where: Orange Central Library, 101 N. Center St.
Whereabouts: Take the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway to Chapman Avenue west exit. Follow Chapman Avenue to Center Street and make a right.
Wherewithal: Free.
Where to call: (714) 288-2466.
Workshop
Orange--Coping with holiday-related depression and stress are among the topics at a special workshop scheduled at the Mariposa Women’s Center on Monday.
Such issues as the Christmas blues, dealing with difficult relatives and surviving the holidays as a single person will be tackled by Christyn Triglia, a marriage, family and child counselor.
Triglia also will discuss how to reduce the burden of shopping and planning for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
“We’re rethinking the holiday season,” Triglia said. “The seminar is all about teaching people to have a creative holiday season. It doesn’t have to be real drudgery.”
What: “Creating Your Best Holidays Ever” workshop.
When: Monday, Nov. 23, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Where: Mariposa Women’s Center, 812 Town & Country Road, Orange.
Whereabouts: From the eastbound Garden Grove (22) Freeway, get off at the Main Street exit and turn left onto Town & Country Road.
Wherewithal: $10
Where to call: (714) 547-6494.
Workshop
Fullerton--Just because trees grow wild doesn’t mean you should plant them just anywhere, says Alden Kelley, a founding member of the Tree Society of Orange County.
Kelley will talk Saturday under a huge ash tree at the Fullerton Arboretum about the do’s and don’ts of tree placement. Trees can be planted too close to houses or sidewalks and break up concrete. Poorly pruned trees can be downright ugly. And some trees muck up pools with their leaves, Kelley points out. But he’s quick to argue that the problem is not with the tree but with the person who planted it in the wrong place. His job is to show you the right place and the right tree to put there.
What: Tree planting lecture.
When: Saturday, Nov. 21, at 10 a.m.
Where: Fullerton Arboretum, 1900 Associated Road.
Whereabouts: Take the Orange (57) Freeway north to the Yorba Linda Boulevard exit and head west to Associated Road. Turn left on Associated; the free parking lot is on the left.
Wherewithal: Free.
Where to call: (714) 773-3579.
Dance Concert
Cypress--”Unresolved,” a dance choreographed by Cypress College instructor Jamie Bates that explores the memories of lost friends, is one of several works featured Friday and Saturday at the college’s annual Faculty Dance Concert.
Besides choreographing the works, several instructors also will participate in the recital, which is being held both evenings in the Campus Theater.
Styles from funk to modern and ballet will be explored, including a modern dance piece called “A Wildness of Spirit That Gets You Into Trouble All Your Life,” a jazz piece by instructor Stephen Escudero. Instructor Arlene Brackett’s modern, ritualistic ballet choreographed to Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” also will be featured. Nine instructors have submitted pieces for this year’s event.
Tickets are available at the campus box office, which is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. The office is also open Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
What: Faculty Dance Concert.
When: Friday and Saturday, Nov. 20 and 21 at 8 p.m.
Where: Cypress College, 9200 Valley View St.
Whereabouts: Take the Riverside (91) Freeway to the Valley View exit. Head south on Valley View Street.
Wherewithal: $7 for general admission, $6 for seniors, students and children under 12.
Where to call: (714) 821-6320.
Cook Off
Whittier--Professional and amateur chefs will come out of the kitchen for Saturday’s YMCA’s Pasta Sauce Cook-Off and Casino Night.
The event begins at 6 p.m. with an all-you-can-eat pasta dinner, giving guests the opportunity to taste and judge each of the sauces. Then it is off to the gaming tables, where guests can gamble without losing any of their own money. Benefit-goers will be given 25 gambling chips to try their luck at the blackjack, craps, roulette and other gaming tables. Those with the most chips at the end of the night will have their names placed in a drawing for prizes.
Silent-auction items will include a weekend at a mountain cabin, lunch and a round of golf at Candlewood or Friendly Hills Country Clubs and a ride-along with the Whittier Police Department.
Proceeds will benefit both the Uptown and East Whittier YMCAs.
What: Pasta Sauce Cook-Off.
When: Saturday, Nov. 21, 6 p.m.
Where: The Quad shopping center, Whittier.
Whereabouts: Take the San Diego (I-405) or the Santa Ana (I-5) freeways north to the San Gabriel (605) Freeway; exit Washington Boulevard and head east. Turn right on Whittier Boulevard, and The Quad shopping center will be on your right, at the corner of Whittier Boulevard and Painter Avenue.
Wherewithal: $25 per person.
Where to call: (310) 943-7241.
Collectibles
Costa Mesa--Orange Coast College’s Associated Students will host of an outdoor Antiques, Collectibles and Craft Show on Saturday to raise funds for the remodeling of the college’s 40-year-old Student Center.
More than 300 vendors are expected to sell merchandise that includes Depression glass, antique jewelry, dolls, movie and TV memorabilia, linens and redesigned vintage clothing. Handcrafted items include wooden toys and hand-painted clothing.
The Student Center, designed for a student population of 1,500, will be renovated to accommodate more than 28,000 currently enrolled students.
What: Antiques, Collectibles and Craft Show.
When: Saturday, Nov. 21, from 6 to 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Orange Coast College, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa.
Whereabouts: Take the San Diego (I-405) Freeway to the Fairview Road exit and head south on Fairview. The school will be on the right-hand side. The show will be in the Robert B. Moore Theatre parking lot, just off Fairview Road.
Wherewithal: $10 for early-bird buyers, from 6 to 8 a.m.; $3.50 beginning at 9 a.m.
Where to call: (714) 432-5644.
Dance
Anaheim--Saturday’s benefit for Orange Adult Day Care Center in Anaheim will have plenty to keep guests on and off their feet.
The event--from 5:30 p.m. to midnight--begins with a social hour and continues with a sit-down dinner, silent auction, magic tricks and dancing to the music of the Red Barons.
Tickets are available only in advance and cost $25.
At the silent auction, participants can bid on such items as weekend getaways, theater productions, restaurant dinners, works of art, sporting events and car supplies.
The Orange Adult Day Care Center is a nonprofit facility established in 1986 for elderly men and women who are not able to spend the day alone but do not need nursing home care.
What: Third annual Benefit Auction and Dance for the Orange Adult Day Care Center.
When: Saturday, Nov. 21, from 5:30 p.m. to midnight.
Where: New Phoenix Club, 1340 S. Sanderson Ave., Anaheim.
Whereabouts: Take the Orange (57) Freeway north to Ball Road exit. Make a right onto Ball Road, and at the first traffic signal make a right onto Auto Center Drive. Take the first left onto Sanderson Avenue.
Wherewithal: $25 per person.
Where to call: (714) 921-0619 through Friday, Nov. 20, at 5 p.m.
Holiday Bazaar
Anaheim--Those not yet old enough to be bitten by the shopping bug also will find ways to amuse themselves at the holiday bazaar and craft show Saturday in Anaheim.
At the “kids korner,” children can get their faces painted, buy homemade modeling clay and play fishing games using magnetized fishing poles to catch prizes.
The rest of the show will feature more than 40 vendors of handmade gifts and crafts, cakes, pies and cookies.
Raffle prizes will be given away every hour. Tickets are 50 cents. The grand prize is two passes to Disneyland, lodging at Anaheim Marriott and dinner for two.
Proceeds from the bazaar support the West Anaheim Nursery School, a parent-owned and -operated facility.
What: Holiday Bazaar and Craft Show.
When: Saturday, Nov. 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Brookhurst Community Center, 2271 Crescent Ave., Anaheim.
Whereabouts: Take the Artesia (91) Freeway or Santa Ana (I-5) Freeway to Brookhurst exit. Go south on Crescent Avenue and turn right. The center will be about 100 yards ahead on the right.
Wherewithal: Free.
Where to call: (714) 826-9456.
Health Fair
Fullerton--Getting people to the doctor for a checkup is half the battle of preventive medicine. So the Senior Health Fair on Friday will offer free diagnoses of a host of dangerous conditions--from skin cancer to lung disorders--to people 55 and older.
Nurses from the St. Jude Medical Center and the Orange County Health Department will evaluate fair-goers’ vision, hearing, blood pressure and blood sugar levels and check for arthritis, cataracts and foot problems. The clinic also will offer flu shots.
And this year, for the first time, the clinic will offer prostate screening from 9 to 11 a.m. An appointment is necessary for that test.
For $15, seniors also can get a full test of 20 blood-chemical levels and a cholesterol breakdown. They should fast for 12 hours before the blood test.
What: Senior Health Fair.
When: Friday, Nov. 20, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Senior Multi-Service Center, 340 W. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton.
Whereabouts: Take the Riverside (91) Freeway to Harbor Boulevard and head north. At Commonwealth Avenue take a left. The center is a few blocks down on the left.
Wherewithal: Free to people 55 and older.
Where to call: (714) 738-6305.
Lecture
Santa Ana--Arthur Taussig, who teaches several film and photography at Orange Coast College, will speak at the Rancho Santiago College on Monday on what draws young people to horror and slasher films.
The photographer and film critic is also the author of Media Newsletter, which takes a serious look at popular contemporary films.
Taussig’s presentation will concentrate on why young people flock to such movies as “Nightmare on Elm Street,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Halloween.” The forum will be from noon to 2 p.m. in Room C-104 of the Santa Ana campus.
What: Forum featuring photographer and film critic Arthur Taussig.
When: Monday, Nov. 23, from noon to 2 p.m.
Where: Room C-104 at Rancho Santiago College, which is at the corner of Bristol and 17th streets in Santa Ana.
Whereabouts: Take the Santa Ana (5) Freeway to 17th Street, go west to Bristol and turn left, then turn right into the campus.
Wherewithal: Free.
Where to call: (714) 564-5600.