TUESDAY, OCT. 16 

Tuesdays for the Birds Tranquil bird walks in local parklands, led by Bethany Facendini, from 7 to 9:30 a.m. Today we will visit Lake Temescal. Call for meeting place and if you need to borrow binoculars. 525-2233. 

The Berkeley Garden Club “Designing with Natives in the Home Garden” presented by Glenn Keator and Alrie Middlebrook at 1:30 p.m. at Epworth United Methodist Church, 1953 Hopkins St. 845-4482. 

Town Hall Meeting on West Berkeley Assessment District with Council Member Darryl Moore and the City of Berkeley Office of Economic Development at 7 p.m. at Rosa Parks Elementary, 920 Allston Way, at 8th St. 981-7120. 

St. Paul’s Episcopal School’s Annual Book Fair from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 116 Montecito Ave., Oakland. 285-9600.  

Middle School Book Group from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 4th Floor, Children’s Story Room, 2090 Kittredge Street, Berkeley. 981-6223.  

“Reincarnation and Buddhism” with Rev. Harry Bridge, at 7 p.m. at the Jodo Shinshu Center, 2140 Durant Ave. at Fulton. Donation $20. 809-1460. 

End the Occupation Vigil every Tues. at noon at Oakland Federal Bldg., 1301 Clay St. www.epicalc.org 

Red Cross Blood Services Volunteer Orientation from 6 to 8 p.m. at 6230 Claremont Ave., Oakland. Registration required. 594-5165. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

Community Sing-a-Long every Tues, at 2 p.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave. 524-9122.  

Family Storytime at 7 p.m. at Kensington Library. 61 Arlington Ave. 524-3043.  

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 17 

Walking Tour of Old Oakland around the restored 1870s business district. Meet at 10 a.m. in front of G.B. Ratto’s at 827 Washington St. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. 

“The Struggle Against Agribusiness in the Americas” with an update on Brazil’s Landless Workers Movement, at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Donations accepted. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Civilian War Victim Series “A Civilian War Victim’s Story” with Dr. Brian Gluss at 1 p.m. at Emeryville Senior Center, 4321 Salem, Emeryville. 596-3730. 

“Coconut Revolution” A documentary on the struggle of indigenous people in Bouganivlle, Papua New Guinea, against the Panguna copper mine, at 8 p.m. at Long Haul Infoshop, 3124 Shatttuck Ave. www.thelonghaul.org 

5.6 Mile Wednesday Join naturalist Meg Platt for a moderate hike traversing a steep creek crossing and varied hills in search of native plants beating the heat. Meet at 10:30 a.m. at Bear Creek Staging Area, Newt Hollow Picnic Site, Briones. For information call 525-2233. 

Rally Against Military Recruiters in Berkeley with Code Pink from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 64 Shattuck Square. 524-2776. 

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Colloquium with Thomas H. Hahn on “Landscapes of Ritual: China and the Performative Body.” Email for time and location laep.ced.berkeley.edu/events/colloquium 

“21st Century Family” A Greater Good magazine panel on how marriage has changed at 3:30 p.m. in the Lipman Room, 8th flr, Barrows Hall, UC Campus. www.greatergoodmag.org 

Computers for Seniors An open and ongoing class covering email, Internet, letter-writing and more. Class meets Wed. a.m. for eight weeks, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center 2939 Ellis St. 981-5170.  

Online Live Homework Help Workshop for students in 4th to 8th grade, from 2:45 to 3:45 p.m. at the Berkeley Public Library, 4th floor, Children’s Story Room, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6223.  

Berkeley School Volunteers Orientation from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. Come learn about volunteer opportunities. 644-8833. 

“So Help Me God” The Founding Fathers and the First Great Battle Over Church and State with Rev. Forrest Church at 7 p.m. at The UNitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, One Lawson Rd., Kensington. Suggested donation $10. 525-0302. 

An Introduction to Marxism, a free class for beginners and students at every level from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. 595-7417.  

“Mystic Street: Meditations on a Spiritual Path” with Steve Georgiou at 7 p.m. at Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute, Graduate Theological Union, 2311 Hearst. 649-2450. 

Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets at 9:30 a.m. at the Sea Breeze Market, just west of the I-80 overpass. Heavy rain cancels. 548-9840. 

THURSDAY, OCT. 18 

“Creating Inclusive Environments for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Families in East Bay Elementary Schools” A forum for parents, school administrators, and teachers at 5:30 p.m. at Chabot Elementary, 6686 Chabot Rd, Oakland. Free child-care is available on site. Please RSVP to Julia at 415-981-1960. 

“Climate Change and Biodiversity Conservation in Northern California” with Dr. Mark Schwartz, UC Davis at 12:30 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts., Oakland. 238-2022.  

Golden Gate Audubon Society “Endangered Species Big Year at the Golden Gate National Parks” with Brent Plater at 7 p.m. at Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. 843-2222. 

LeConte Neighborhood Association meets at 7:30 p.m. at the LeConte School Cafetorium, entrance on Russell St. Agenda topics will include BRT, local zoning issues and nominations for next year’s Board of Directors. KarlReeh@aol.com, 843-2602. 

“The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil” A documentary at 7 p.m., followed by discussion at Green City Gallery, 1950 Shattuck Ave Suggested donation $5-$10. oilindependence@yahoo.com  

Sacramento and Berkeley Legislative Update with Assemblywoman Loni Hancock and Mayor Tom Bates sponsored by the Berkeley Democratic Club at 7:30 p.m at the Northbrae Community Church, in the Chapel, 941 The Alameda, just south of Solano Ave. Refreshments will be served. 849-2554. 

“Facing Death. . . with open eyes” A new documentary by Bay Area filmmaker Dr. Michelle Peticolas at 7:30 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $12-$15. 800-838-3006. 

Simplicity Forum meets to discuss “Opting Out of the Consumer Trap” at 6:30 p.m. at the Claremont Library, 2940 Benvenue Ave. 

“Avoid Cancer” Book signing with authors Linda Eldridge and David Borgeson at 7 p.m. at Elephant Pharm Berkeley 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Babies & Toddlers Storytime at 10:15 and 11:15 a.m. at Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. 524-3043. 

FRIDAY, OCT. 19 

Impeachment Banner Fridays at 6:45 to 8 a.m. on the Berkeley Pedestrian bridge between Seabreeze Market and the Berkeley Aquatic Park, ongoing on Fridays until impeachment is realized. www. Impeachbush-cheney.com 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon Speaker to be announced. Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $14.50, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 526-2925.  

“Designing California Native Gardens; The Plant Community Approach to Artful, Ecological Gardens” with Alrie Middlebrook and Dr. Glenn Keator at 7:30 p.m. at Builder's Booksource, 1817 Fourth St. 845-6874. 

“AIDS in the Black Community” A forum, with film screening, at 6 p.m. at Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, 1616 Franklin St., Oakland. Free. 836-4649. 

“An Unreasonable Man” Conscientious Projector Series documentary on Ralph Nader at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Hall, 1924 Cedar at Bonita. 841-4824. 

Iraq Moratorium Action from 2 to 4 p.m. at the corner of University and Acton. Sponsored by the Strawberry Creek Lodge Tenants Assoc. and the Berkeley-East Bay Gray Panthers. 548-9696. 

“10 Questions for the Dalai Lama” A documentary by Rick Ray, at 7:30 p.m. at Unity of Berkeley, 2075 Eunice St. 528-8844. www.unityberkeley.org 

“Intro to Fearless Meditation: Practice of the Body” at 7 p.m. at Center for Urban Peace, 2584 Martin Luther King Jr Way. Suggested Donation $20 - $30, no one turned away. 549-3733. 

Berkeley Women in Black weekly vigil from noon to 1 p.m. at Bancroft and Telegraph. Our focus is human rights in Palestine. 548-6310. 

Circle Dancing, simple folk dancing with instruction at 7:30 p.m. at Finnish Brotherhood Hall, 1970 Chestnut St at University. Donation of $5 requested. 528-4253. www.circledancing.com 

Women in Black Vigil, from noon to 1 p.m. at UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph. wibberkeley@yahoo.com 548-6310, 845-1143. 

SATURDAY, OCT. 20 

Fall Harvest Walk Join the Berkeley Path Wanderers on an easy, level walk to Berkeley community and school gardens. Meet at 10 a.m. at the North Berkeley BART station, just outside the gates. 528-3246. www.berkeleypaths.org 

Open The Farm Meet and greet the animals at the Little Farm in Tilden Park as you help the farmer with morning chores, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. 525-2233. 

Berkeley Historical Society Tour of Downtown Berkeley from 10 a.m. to noon. Cost is $8-$10. To register and for meeting place call 848-0181. 

Walking Tour of Oakland Chinatown Meet at 10 a.m. at the courtyard fountain in the Pacific Renaissance Plaza at 388 Ninth St. Tour lasts 90 minutes. Reservations can be made by calling 238-3234. www.oaklandnet.com/walkingtours 

Chapel of the Chimes Historical and Botanical Tour at 10 a.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. RSVP to 228-3207. 

East Bay Native Plant Fair Sat. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sun. from noon to 3 p.m. at Native Here Nursery, 101 Golf Course Drive. Free.  

The New School of Berkeley Halloween Bazaar, with children's games, giant rummage sale, book sale, crafts, haunted house, and more from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1606 Bonita St. at Cedar. Proceeds support the New School’s scholarship fund. 548-9165.  

East Bay Regional Park District Ambassador Training from 9 a.m. to noon at the Trudeau Center, 11500 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. Registration required. 544-2206. cjohnson@ebparks.org 

Tibetan Association Celebrates the awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal to His Holiness the Dalai Lama at 6 p.m. at Golden Gate Fields, 1100 Eastshore Highway. Tickets are $50. RSVP to 390-6771, 206-0247. 

California Writers Club “Literary Voices from our Community” with Gurnam Brard and Anjuelle Floyd, at 10 a.m. at Barnes & Noble, Jack London Square. 272-0120. www.berkeleywritersclub.org 

Free Car Seat Check from 10 a.m. to noon at the Allston Way Parking Garage, between Harold Way and Shattuck Ave. 647-1111. 

Fire Safety Day Meet a firefighter at 11 a.m. at Habitot Children’s Museum, 2065 Kittredge St. 647-1111. 

“Tropical Rainforests: Challenges and New Hopes” A forum from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts., Oakland. Cost is $15-$30. For information call 415-321-8000.  

Chapel of the Chimes Historical and Botanical Tour at 10 a.m. at 4499 Piedmont Ave. RSVP to 228-3207. 

Old Oakland Outdoor Cinema “Babe” at sunset on Ninth St., between Broadway and Washington. Free, bring your own chair and blanket. 238-4734. 

Full Houses: Poker Tournament to benefit Impact Theatre at 7 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave. $50 buy in, with unlimited $25 rebuys until 9 p.m. 464-4468. 

“Destination Studies Class on Eastern Europe” from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Berkeley City College, 2050 Center St. Cost is $10. 981-2931. 

“Restoring the Heart of Change” Daylong retreat with Kyodo Willilliams at Center for Urban Peace, 2584 MLK Jr Way. Cost is $25. 549-3733. 

“Spirit Never Dies” An evening of communing with those that have passed over at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Psychic Institute, 2018 Allston Way. Cost is $20. For reservations call 644-1600 . 

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden Sat. and Sun. at 2 pm. Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Park. Call to confirm. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

SUNDAY, OCT. 21 

United Nations Day Celebration with a parade of the flags of the 193 member nations at 11:30 a.m. at Jack London Square, Oakland.  

Bike Tour of Oakland around Oakland’s Brooklyn neighborhood on a leisurely paced two-hour tour that covers about five miles. Meet at 10 a.m. at the 10th St. entrance to the Oakland Museum of California. Reservations required. 238-3514.  

Community Labyrinth Peace Walk at 3 p.m. at Willard Middle School, Telegraph Ave. between Derby and Stuart. Everyone welcome. Wheelchair accessible. Rain cancels. 526-7377. 

“Confronting Cambodia’s Wildlife Crisis” A presentation and discussion with Wildlife Alliance at 11:30 a.m. at Morgan Lounge, Room 114 Morgan Hall, UC Campus. RSVP to 202-223-6350. miller@wildlifealliance.org 

Greening Richmond Learn about global warming and what residents and business owners can do. Information tables on lighting, appliances, solar panels, tank-less water heaters, insulation and more. From 1 to 5 p.m. at DeJean Middle School, 3400 Mac Donald, Richmond. www.greenchamberofcommerce.net 

Green Sunday “Stem Cell and Cloning Research Controversies: Developing a Green Position” with Diane Beeson, and Tina Stevens at 5 p.m. at Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. at 65th in North Oakland. 

El Cerrito Historical Society with Richard Schwartz on his new book “Eccentrics, Heroes, and Cutthroats of Old Berkeley” at 1 p.m. at the El Cerrito Senior Center, 6510 Stockton Ave. behind the El Cerrito Library. 526-7507. www.elcerritowire.com/history 

Holiday Gourd Crafting Learn the history of gourds, and how to create a fall centerpiece for your table from 1 to 4 p.m. at Tilden Nature Center. Cost is $20-$29. Registration required. 1-888-EBPARKS. 

Community Music Day at Crowden Music Center, with an instrument petting zoo, mini-concerts with the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, and more, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. ccmc@crowden.org 

Day of the Dead Community Celebration with music, dance, ceremonia, activities, and food, from noon to 5 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts. Reservations required. 238-2022. 

“Celebrating the Fabric of Our Lives” A presentation and exhibition of quilts from 2 to 4 p.m. at Salem Lutheran Home, 2361 East 29th St., Oakland. 534-3637. 

Friends & Family Day at the Magnes from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Judha L. Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St. 549-6950. www.magnes.org 

“10 Questions for the Dalai Lama” A documentary by Rick Ray, at 7:30 p.m. at Unity of Berkeley, 2075 Eunice St. Cost is $10. 528-8844. www.unityberkeley.org 

Free Sailboat Rides from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Cal Sailing Club, Berkeley Marina. Wear warm, waterproof clothing and bring a change of clothes in case you get wet. www.cal-sailing.org 

Free Hands-on Bicycle Repair Class Learn how to repair a flat. Bring your bicycle and tools. At 10 a.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

“Marx and the United States” with Urszula Wislanka and Ron Kelch at 10 a.m. at Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave, Oakland. 595-7417. www.tifcss.org 

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Park Sat. and Sun. at 2 p.m. Call to confirm. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace Peace walk around the lake every Sun. Meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712. lmno4p.org 

“Activating Present-Moment Awareness” with Marion Pastor and David Curry at 10 a.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

Tibetan Buddhism with Elizabeth Cook on “Sacred Places of the Buddha: Birth of Enlightenment” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812. www.nyingmainstitute.com 

MONDAY, OCT. 22 

“Violence on the Streets” A law enforcement awareness forum, with film screening, at 6 p.m. at Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, 1616 Franklin St., Oakland. Free. 836-4649. 

“Frontiers in Climate Forecasting” with Bill Collins of LBNL at 5:30 p.m. at Berkeley Rep, 2025 Addison St. 486-7292. 

Free Boatbuilding Classes for Youth Mon.-Wed. from 3 to 7 p.m. at Berkeley Boathouse, 84 Bolivar Dr., Aquatic Park. Classes cover woodworking, boatbuilding, and boat repair. 644-2577. www.watersideworkshops.org 

Teen Chess Club meets at 3:30 p.m. at the Claremont Branch of the Berkeley Public Library, Benvenue at Ashby. 981-6280. 

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. 548-0425. 

CITY MEETINGS 

Commission on Aging meets Wed., Oct. 17, at 1:30 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5344.  

Downtown Area Plan Advisory Commission meets Wed. Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7487. 

Human Welfare and Community Action Commission meets Wed., Oct. 17, at 7 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. 981-5427.  

Design Review Committee meets Thurs., Oct. 18 , at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-7415.  

Fair Campaign Practices Commission meets Thurs., Oct. 18, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 981-6950.  

TUESDAY, OCT. 16 

FILM 

“Films by Bruce Conner” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor, will discuss his book “Supercapitalism: The Transformation of Business, Democracy, and Everyday Life” at 7:30 p.m. at Moe’s Books, 2476 Telegraph Ave. 849-2087. 

“The Talented Women of the Zhang Family” with author Susan Mann in conversation with Sophie Volpp at 5:30 at University Press Books, 2430 Bancroft Way. 548-0585. 

“Blowing on Embers, Stories for Hard Times” with author and family therapist Ellen Pulleyblank Coffey at 7:30 p.m. at Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St. www.hillsideclub.org 

Alison Wilson-Fried reads from her novel “Outside Child: A Book of Murder and New Orleans” at 7:30 p.m. at Laurel Bookstore, 4100 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland. 531-2073. 

“Recognition and Persuasion: The Literary Critic as Cultural Critic” with Stefan Collini, Univ. of Cambridge, at 5 p.m. at Townsend Center for the Humanities, 220 Stephens Hall, UC Campus. 643-9670. 

Dan Machlin and Brent Cunningham, poets, at 7:30 p.m. at Pegasus Books Dwontown, 2349 Shattuck Ave. 649-1320. 

Edwidge Danticat reads from her new novel “Brother, I’m Dying” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

The Tilden Trio at 8 p.m. at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Tickets are $20. 525-5211. www.berkeleychamberperform.org 

Hilary Hahn, violin, at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $34-$62. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Motordude Zydeco at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $10. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Emery High School Jazz Band at 12:30 p.m. at College of Alameda Student Center, 555 Ralph Appezzato Memorial Pkwy., Alameda. 748-2213. 

Singers’ Open Mic with Ellen Hoffman at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.  

Classical at the Freight: Dmitri Ashkenazy and friends at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Ellen Honert, jazz, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Nicolas Bearde at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$15. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Jazzschool Tuesdays, a weekly showcase of up-and-coming ensembles from Berkeley Jazzschool at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 17 

THEATER 

St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County’s Seldom Seen Acting Company, an acting company of seven homeless men, performs “Now You Know” at noon at the St. Vincent de Paul Downtown Community Center, 2280 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. Donations accepted. 636-4261.  

FILM 

International Latino Film Festival “Mi Mejor Enimigo/My Best Enemy” at 7 p.m. at Richmond Public Library, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond. 620-6555. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Berkeley Treasures: Three Generations of Printmakers Works by Emmanuel Montoya, Miriam Stahl and Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs. Artists’ talk at 6:30 p.m. at Berkeley art Center, 1275 Walnut St. www.berkeleyartcenter.org 

Rev. Forrest Church speaks about his new book “So Help Me God! The Founding Fathers and the First Great Battle Over Church and State” at 7 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. 525-0302, ext. 306. 

Steve Georgiou introduces “Mystic Street: Meditations on a Spiritual Path” at 7 p.m. at Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute, Graduate Theological Union, 2311 Hearst. 649-2450. 

Estelle Freedman introduces “The Essential Feminist Reader” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Berkeley Poetry Slam with host Charles Ellik and Three Blind Mice, at 8:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5-$7. 841-2082. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Oaktown Jazz Workshop at noon at Oakland City Center, 12th and Broadway. www.oaklandcitycenter.com 

Music for the Spirit with Ron McKean on harpsichord at 12:15 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, 2619 Broadway. 444-3555. 

The Very Hot Club of Berkeley at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Whiskey Brothers, old-time and bluegrass at 9 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473. www.albatrosspub.com 

The Tiptons, London Street at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $10. 525-5054.  

Music for Sight Seeing at 7 p.m. at Mama Buzz, 2318 Telegraph Ave. at 23rd, Oakland. Cost is $5. 

La Verdad at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Salsa dance lessons at 8:30 p.m. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Wayward Monks at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

Mikie Lee and Amber at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

Uncle Earl at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $21.50-$22.50. 548-1761.  

Matthew Shipp at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$14. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

THURSDAY, OCT. 18 

EXHIBITIONS 

“three generations ... five impressions” Artists’ recpetion at 5 p.m. at Giorgi Gallery, 2911 Claremont Ave. 841-3976. www.giorgigallery.com 

“Nature’s Intentions” New works by Gary Brewer, Jennifoer Holmes and Chris Isner opens at Esteban Sabar Gallery, 480 3rd St., Oakland, and runs to Nov. 19. 444-7411. www.estebansabar.com 

2007 James D. Phelan Art Award in Printmaking Reception at 6 p.m. at Kala Gallery, 1060 Heinz Ave. 549-2977. www.kala.org 

“Paper+Silk+Canvas+Mylar+Leather+Wool” Celebrating 25 years of innovative printmaking by artists of the Blue Bay Press. Artists’ talk at 7 p.m. at Craft and Cultural Arts Gallery, State of CA Office Bldg. Atrium, 1515 Clay St., Oakland. 622-8190. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Michael Krasney introduces “Off Mike: A Memoire of Talk Radio and Literary Life” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Ann Packer reads from her new novel “Songs Without Words” at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Alex Ross, New Yorker music critic on “The Rest is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century” at 7 p.m. in Wheeler Auditorium, UC Campus. Free. 642-3691. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Baguette Quartette, French cafe music, at noon at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6100. 

The Mountain Boys/Jimbo Trout & The Trout People, Jelly Roll Souls at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $9. 525-5054.  

Brigitte DeMeyer at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761.  

Mo’fone at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ.  

Lucia and Friends “A Meeting at the Crossroads” at 7:30 p.m. at Café de la Paz.. Tickets are $15-$25. 843-0662.  

Houston, Jones, and Jacques at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Seven Stories Falling, Z-trane Band at 10 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $5. 841-2082. 

Jef Mercelis at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $5-$12. 849-2568.  

Diablo’s Dust at 10 p.m. at Beckett’s Irish Pub, 2271 Shattuck Ave. 647-1790.  

David Sanchez at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $14-$20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

FRIDAY, OCT. 19 

THEATER 

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Live Oak Theater, 1301 Shattuck Ave., through Nov. 20. 525-1620. 

Altarena Playhouse “Morning’s at Seven” A family comedy by Paul Osborn Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 p.m. at Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St., Alameda, through Nov. 11. Tickets are $17-$20. 523-1553.  

Central Works “Every Inch a King” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., through Nov. 18. Tickets are $9-$25. 558-1381. centralworks.org 

“A Shirtwaist Tale” on American labor history, women’s suffrage, and Jewish history, Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m. at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland. Suggested donation $20. http://ashirtwaisttale.com  

Shotgun Players “Bulrusher” Thurs.-Sun. at 8 p.m. at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave. through Oct. 28. Tickets are $17-$25. 841-6500.  

Women’s Will “Antigone” Fri.-Sun. at 8 p.m. at Temescal Arts Center, 511 48th St. between Telegraph and Shattuck, Oakland, through Nov. 11. Tickets are $15-$25 sliding scale. 420-0813. www.womenswill.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now” Guided tour at 12:15 and 5:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. 

“Deadly Deviant” Mixed media exhibit celebrating Halloween and Day of the Dead. Opening reception at 7 p.m. at Eclectix Gallery, 7523 Fairmount Ave., El Cerrito. www.eclectixgallery.com 

FILM 

Midnight Movies “The Lost Boys” Fri. and Sat. at midnight at Piedmont Cinema, 4186 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Cost is $8. 464-5980. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Carl Bernstein discusses “A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500.  

Tim Maleeny reads from “Beating the Babushka” at 5:30 p.m. at Dark Carnival, 3086 Claremont Ave. 654-7323.  

“Chinese Opera and the Life of Mei Lanfang” A symposium from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Institute of East Asian Studies, 2223 Fulton St. Free.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

John Ulloa, CD release party, at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $12. 849-2568.  

Guangzhou Ballet of China at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $32-$68. 642-9988.  

Medicine Ball Band at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ.  

The Stir Ensemble of Chicago at 8 p.m. at Free-Jazz Fridays at the Jazz House, 1510 8th St., Oakland. Cost is $5-$15. 415-846-9432. 

Reggae Angels, Mo’Rockin Project at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $15. 525-5054.  

Sheldon Brown Group at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15. 845-5373. 

The Rockits, Berkeley rock, at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave. 548-5198.  

Reilly & Maloney at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $22.50-$23.50. 548-1761.  

Elizabeth August at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Fuzzy Cousins, Invincible Czars, Mojow & the Vibration Army at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $6. 841-2082.  

Batch & Ras Attitude, Zioneers, Malika Madremana & The Greensphere Band at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low. Cost is $12-$15. 548-1159.  

Times 4 at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

David Sanchez at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $14-$20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SATURDAY, OCT. 20 

CHILDREN  

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Derique, the high tech clown, at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $4-$5. 849-2568.  

“The Wizard of Ahhhhs” Sat. and Sun. at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave. 452-2259. 

EXHIBITIONS 

Tea Pot Show Works by members of the Potters’ Studio in celebration of their 35th Anniversary. Sat. and Sun. from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 637 Cedar St. 528-3286. 

“Masks of Africa” from the collection of Hogan Edet and Judah Dwyer. Opening reception at 6 p.m. at Float Gallery, 1091 Calcot Place, Unit #116, Oakland. www.thefloatcenter.com 

FILM 

“Seven Chances” with Judith Rosenberg on piano at 3 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808.  

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Rajiv Chandrasekharan describes “Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq’s Green Zone” at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth St. 559-9500. 

Mark Wilson on “Julia Morgan: Architect of Beauty” at 7 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. RSVP to 228-3207. 

Alice Medrich describes “Pure Dessert: True Falvors, Inspiring Ingredients, and Simple Recipes” at 4 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Rhythm & Muse featuring poet Garrett Murphy at 7 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. 644-6893.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Guangzhou Ballet of China at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $32-$68. 642-9988.  

Oakland Ballet “Oakland Ballet Company Returns” at 2 and 8 p.m. at Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. Tickets are $15-$50. 465-6400. 

The Palmer-Cogan Duo with flutist Kris Palmer and pianist Dmitriy Cogan at 8 p.m. at Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana St. Tickets are $8-$12. 549-3864.  

Broceliande’s Autumnal Celebration House Concert at 8 p.m. in Piedmont. To RSVP and for location call 569-0437. 

Soul Summer Night at the Museum with Oakland School for the Arts, Renee Neufville, Stabe Wilson and others, at 8 p.m. at Oakland Museum, 1000 Oak St., Oakland. Cost is $25. 629-4139. 

Skylar at noon at Cafe Zeste, 1250 Addison St. at Bonar, in the Strawberry Creek Park complex. 704-9378. 

The KTO Project at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $15. 849-2568.  

Ellen Robinson & Her Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ.  

The Unreal Band, Pat Quinn Tribute at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13. 525-5054.  

Lost Weekend at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $19.50-$20.50. 548-1761.  

Larry Stefl Jazz Group at 9:30 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. Cost is $5. 843-2473. 

Eddie Marshall & Holy Mischief at 8 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $15-$18. 845-5373. 

Zoyres, Samvega at 9:30 p.m. at The Starry Plough. Cost is $TBA. 841-2082.  

Bag O’ Goodies at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

David Sanchez at 8 and 10 p.m., through Sun. at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $14-$20. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

SUNDAY, OCT. 21 

THEATER 

“By George, It’s War!” A musical satarization of the Bush administration by Dale Polissar at 7:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $18-$20. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

“One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now” Guided tour at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. 

Richard Whittaker and Rue Harrison Photographs and Drawings. Reception at 4 p.m. at The LightRoom, 2263 Fifth St. 649-8111. 

“Celebrating the Fabric of Our Lives” A presentation and exhibition of quilts from 2 to 4 p.m. at Salem Lutheran Home, 2361 East 29th St., Oakland. 534-3637. 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Orhan Pamuk reads from “Other Colors: Essays and A Story” at 7 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, 2345 Channing Way. Donations accepted. 559-9500. 

Asian American Poetry Now at 3 p.m. at Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft. Cost is $5.50-$9.50. 642-0808. 

An Afternoon with Danny Lyon, documentary photographer and filmmaker at 3:30 p.m., UC Campus. Cost is $12. For reservations see www.fotovision.org 

Leslie Piels and Ann Leyhe describe “Succulents for Containers” at 4 p.m. at Mrs. Dalloways, 2904 College Ave. 704-8222. 

Ayamanatara reads from “365 Days to Enlightenment” at noon at All About Eve, 862 San Pablo Ave, Albany. 559-9901. 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Community Music Day at Crowden Music Center, with the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. ccmc@crowden.org 

Live Oak Concert with Marvin Sanders, flute and Lena Lubotsky, piano, at 7:30 p.m. at Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St. Cost is $10. 644-6893. www.berkeleyartcenter.org 

California Bach Society performs Handel “For the Duke of Chandos” at 4 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2300 Bancroft at Ellsworth. Tickets are $10-$25. 415-262-0272. www.calbach.org 

Davitt Moroney, 16th Century English Keyboard music at 4 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $20. 854-6830. 

Guangzhou Ballet of China at 3 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $32-$68. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

The Mo’Rockin Project at Jazz at the Chimes at 2 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland. Tickets are $10 for concert and reception. For reservations call 228-3218. 

The Very Hot Club at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Crotty/Phipps/Corman Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $10. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Trick Kernan Combo at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

Americana Unplugged: Claudia Russel at 5 p.m. at Jupiter. 843-8277. 

William Beatty and The Unconditionals at 6:30 p.m. at The Mt. Everest Restaurant 2011 Shattuck Ave. at University. 665-6035.  

CDQ+2 at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazzschool. Cost is $12-$18. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com

“What do you do with an old king?” queries Central Works Theater Ensemble with their current revival of co-founder Gary Graves’ comedy Every Inch a King, which takes the primal scene, the family tragedy from King Lear, updates it, takes a peek at the three sisters conferring with the old man in the other room and makes it dark, offbeat and too funny. 

The show’s in the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., where the company’s been in residence, making plays, for a good deal of the past dozen years. Central Works always makes superb theatrical use of the intimate salon space in the venerable old Julia Morgan-designed structure, and this time the author directs, while co-founder Jan Zvaifler, who helmed the first run, is onstage as one of the sisters. 

Rica Anderson and Sandra Schlechter, two of the original cast of three, play her siblings. Do they “sell the home? Or do as the old man says? ... What if your old man has been a real son-of-a-bitch all his life? What if it’s all a scam?” A sensitive, all-too-common issue—stiffened by Shakespearean tragic thunder, served up as a contemporary comedy ... the old age and “downfall” of Reggie Leroy, rubber stamp monarch and millionaire—and the dilemma of his daughters, the troika they try to become to handle him, constitute one of the more celebrated Berkeley originals of the stage in recent years, now happily revived—a fitting close to their 2007 season, following the premieres of two new plays.  

Thurs.-Sun., through Nov. 18, $9-25 sliding scale, with Thursdays pay-what-you-will. 558-1381 or centralworks.org. 

Child prodigy or fake? Naive genius or instrument of an adult Svengali? A controversy that erupts over the growing success of a child painter, a kind of modernist primitive, becomes a welter of questions about art, perception and authorship for a local community outside New York City and for the national media, and became a problem of integrity and presentation for Berkeley-raised documentary filmmaker Amir Bar-Lev, whose remarkable movie My Kid Could Paint That opened locally this past weekend.  

Bar-Lev, who attended Malcolm X and Willard schools and Berkeley High, and who credits his upbringing here for his “learning how to look at things with different points of view,” began a documentary a few years back with the permission, even friendship, of the Olmstead family, whose 4-year-old daughter Marla was rapidly gaining notoriety for her paintings, which seemed to viewers to combine the innocence and freedom of childhood with the fantastic forms and colors of Modernist nonobjective abstraction. 

But praise—and skyrocketing prices, up to $25,000 each (over $300,000 total)—for Marla’s paintings got derailed after five months of increasingly international exposure by a 60 Minutes segment (shown in part in Bar-Lev’s film, as the Olmstead family watches with increasing disbelief), in which Charlie Rose elicited comments from a child psychologist, suggesting Marla’s work was probably painted, or at least guided, by her father, himself a Sunday painter and night manager for a Frito-Lay plant. 

The reaction was just as swift as the foregoing recognition, the criticism as brutal as the praise had been fervent. “The juvenile Jackson Pollock may actually be a full-fledged Willem De Frauding,” sniped the New York Post, and vitreolic hate e-mail poured in to the parents and local gallery owner and photorealist painter who launched Marla’s Icarus-like career. 

At this tipping point, the Olmsteads turned to Bar-Lev, whose visage is glimpsed earlier in the documentary, as greeted by the attractive suburban couple and as he plays with Marla and her baby brother Zane (and impish Marla’s more interested in playing than in talking about art or what she does when painting)—with hopes the documentarist will be able to vindicate Marla’s sole authorship with his film.  

And Bar-Lev, with questions of his own and increasingly mixed loyalties, found himself striving to preserve what he regards as the true documentary nature of his film, a sense of purpose which begins to alienate his subjects, intent on their own dilemma, this lands him in the midst of a crossfire between viewers and critics with different concerns, some condemning Bar-Lev for not taking sides, or not showing the reality of bigger issues they feel explain the ongoing conundrum of authorship and the propriety of media attention to, and investigation of, a previously obscure family, especially its children.  

A recent screening of My Kid Could Paint That in San Francisco showed the fascinating tensions which surfaced in the film. Bar-Lev fielded questions with wit and sensitivity, expressing appreciation for the questioners’ concerns, but firmly stating that his film was not about answers as to who painted certain paintings or who’s to blame for this distasteful controversy.  

He said it is a reflection on how these events and the issues they raised are viewed by our society and its phalanx of media, a plethora of perspectives, some criss-crossing or clashing, some never intersecting at all.  

“Scott Fitzgerald once said that the measure of intelligence is the capability to keep two opposing ideas in mind at the same time,” said Bar-Lev, “And when I quoted that for Good Morning America, I was asked, ‘Isn’t that the measure of insanity?’ Ultimately, the film is trying to see the gray area between evil-doers and heroes. There’s a distinction between a documentary filmmaker and an investigative reporter—and a cop. The investigative reporter and a policeman have the obligation, in different ways, to find out what the facts are. My film is, in part, about ethical choices. In order to resolve some of the issues it brings up, I would’ve had to cross a line—as when I film the Olmsteads on their couch while expressing some of my own doubts and they emphasize (as they continue to do) that Marla received no assistance of any kind in painting, and had never said she was a genius.  

I’d love to get an answer to all that, too, but should I have given the Olmsteads a polygraph? or taken the kid off to the side to ask whether her dad really helped her? I was more interested in preserving humanity. People asked questions right from the start, and when they were assured Marla was solely responsible, they said, ‘My god, she’s a genius!’ So the blame can’t fall just on the parents or the gallery owner. It’s not either that she’s a genius or her parents are criminals.” 

My Kid Could Paint That falls somewhere in between other unusual “essay” films, like Orson Welles’ F for Fake (which also went through major changes in the midst of its making and in postproduction, due to events which revealed much ambiguity in its subjects and threw its original purposes into doubt)--and, say, Albert Brooks’ faux-documentary, Real Life, which wryly casts doubt on the role of the documentarist, in llight of the famous episode of a PBS “reality” doc not only invading a family’s home (with permission), but contributing to its eventual break-up.  

But Bar-Lev keeps his perspective open, all the way to the vanishing points, and eschews easy comment and inference, while capturing telling remarks and expressing self-criticism. The events and various personalitiesare fascinating, and audience members find themselves taking both with varying judgments and speculations as to their veracity and ethical value.  

In the midst of it all, the children continue to play and grow up. Bar-Lev casts his net wide, yet always comes back to the question: How do we choose to tell our stories—and how do we choose to react to the stories of others? 

Contributed photo  

Marla Olmstead, 4, works on a painting that may or may not be entirely her creation in Amir Bar-Lev’s documentary My Kid Could Paint That, now in theaters.

This preview of the 2007 SF Jazz Festival, the 25th running of our inspired local jazz derby, must needs begin in medias res since the first two events of the season, author Ben Ratliff and guitarist John McLaughlin, have already come and gone. Not to worry. You still have a chance to catch 37 more performances before the festival closes on Jan. 25 with a concert by Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares at Grace Cathedral.  

Bulgarian sacred choral singing may seem like a stretch for a jazz festival, but it fits in with the range of music that this festival embraces: Cape Verdean vocals from Sara Tavares; Cuban music from Isaac Delgado and Gonzalo Rubalcaba as well as the Conga kings, Candido, Patato Valdes and Giovanni Hidalgo; Latin jazz from Pete Escovedo and John Santos; Brazilian newcomer CéU as well as Brazilian Tropicália legend Caetano Veloso; avant-garde classical from the Kronos Quartet; sitar master Ravi Shankar accompanied by his daughter Anoushka; Saharan guitarists Tinariwen and Vieux Farka Touré and Senegalese vocalist Youssou N’Dour; Portuguese fado star Cristina Branco; and Israeli singer-songwriter Chava Alberstein.  

There is still plenty of music for traditionalists, though, with concerts from Dr. John and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band; saxophonists Ornette Coleman, Pharaoh Sanders, Paquito D’Rivera and Joe Lovano; harmonica master Toots Thielmans; vocalists Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling and Nancy King; pianists Ahmad Jamal, Tord Gustavson, Fred Hersch, Jason Moran, Jon Jang, Jackie Terrasson and Herbie Hancock; drummer T. S. Monk; and guitarists John Abercrombie and Dorado Schmitt. 

Without a doubt, the most important event of the festival is the appearance by avant-garde jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman who this year received both a Pulitzer, for his album Sound Grammar, as well as a Grammy for lifetime achievement.  

Ornette, 77, made his first recordings for the Contemporary label in Los Angeles in 1958 and 1959. Dispensing with the piano after his first album, he soon caught the attention of the jazz world playing with a quartet that included either Ed Blackwell or Billy Higgins on drums, Charlie Haden on bass and Don Cherry on pocket trumpet. Ornette himself played a white plastic alto saxophone. It was his sound, however, that divided jazz into two warring camps, although it was the critics and fans more than the musicians who went to war.  

By dispensing with conventional harmony, refusing to run the chord changes that were so central to bebop and hard bop, he pushed Thelonious Monk’s idea of thematic variation to its limits. He composed unusual compositions like Lonely Woman, The Blessing and Ramblin’, whose tonalities fell between the notes of traditional Western scales.  

In fact, what Ornette did was quite traditional within the framework of jazz history. Like Louis Armstrong, he projected the raw emotions expressed in the flatted thirds, fifths and sevenths of the so-called blues scale on to a music played on European instruments. He was retrieving the microtones that got lost or buried during the middle passage. He dispensed with symmetrically mathematical song forms just as earlier jazz improvisers had always invented asymmetrical melodies while soloing. His sound was uniquely human, immediate and thrilling, a return to the vocalic origins of the music.  

Ever since those groundbreaking early recordings almost 50 years ago, Ornette has continued to pursue his own eccentric musical path, creating an emotionally supercharged music informed by his personal lyricism. His current rhythm section, Tony Falanga and Greg Cohen on acoustic bass and his son Denardo on drums, is the same one that played the festival in 2005 as well as on his Pulitzer Prize-winning album. That live performance, as well as the one on the album, presents some of Ornette’s most accessible and sublime music. In a most American way, he continues to sound his barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world. 

Another must-see group is Dorado Schmitt’s Django Reinhardt Festival Band. Schmitt, a Gypsy guitarist and violinist from the Lorraine region of France, first played the Bay Area with saxophonist James Carter in 2004. His band, with Carter on board, had already wowed everyone at the Django Festival at New York City’s Birdland in 2002. For this festival appearance, the group is joined by Cuban-born clarinet virtuoso Paquito D’Rivera.  

Belgian Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt, for those who do not know, was certainly the first great non-American jazz musician. Along with violinist Stephane Grappelli, he formed the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, and together (and apart, as well) they made some of the greatest jazz recordings of the swing era.  

Django’s music was lyrical, swinging, free, inventive and technically astounding. It is always surprising to find out that the fingers of Reinhardt’s left hand had been mutilated in a conflagration of wax flowers in his caravan. He subsequently had the use of only two fingers of that hand. In spite of, or because of, this limitation, he could play runs of notes on the guitar that still seem impossible, even for those with ten fingers. 

Schmitt is among a handful of players who have come close to catching the spirit as well as technical virtuosity of Reinhardt’s music. The addition of D’Rivera, a founding member of Irakere and one of the greatest Latin jazz players of all time, only increases the potential greatness of this concert. 

Ornette Coleman will perform at the Masonic Center in San Francisco on Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. Dorado Schmitt’s Django Reinhardt Festival Band with Paquito D’Rivera will perform at Herbst Theatre on Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. There will also be a family matinee concert without Paquito at 3 p.m., same date. For more information on all the events of the SF Jazz Festival call (866) 920-5299 or go to their website at sfjazz.org.

Now is the perfect time of year to head up north to Crescent City. It makes a great refueling stop while exploring expansive Redwood National Park, and is just a hop, skip, and jump from the Oregon border and the dramatic Oregon coast. 

Because Crescent City is so far north—about a six- to seven-hour drive—it is often overlooked as a Bay Area getaway destination. That’s a shame, because it has some sites that are worth the extra time it takes to get here.  

Not the least of them is the Crescent Beach Motel, an ordinary but nicely maintained lodging in which all the rooms have a large window facing the ocean.  

The sandy beach is just beyond a protective low row of boulders. As my husband and I stared out at the grey ocean, it came alive with diving pelicans and bobbing surfers. We wound up keeping our windows open to the soothing sounds of the rolling waves and bleating fog horn.  

Amenities are modest, but I appreciated my complimentary afternoon cup of hot chocolate and my breakfast of coffee and instant oatmeal.  

On our drive in, we passed through the immense redwoods along the Avenue of the Giants just below Eureka. You might want to allow time for a stop at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, which is just off Highway 101 about six miles north of Orick. Steven Spielberg filmed part of The Lost World: Jurassic Park II here. This 14,000-acre park is a refuge for one of the few remaining herds of native Roosevelt elk, which are the largest mammals in California and the largest subspecies of North American elk. Viewing is prime from mid-September to mid-October at the Elk Prairie section on Newton Drury Scenic Parkway.  

After sitting outside our motel room for a spell on provided beach chairs, releasing the tensions of the journey, we drove the few miles into town for dinner at Ambrosia. Though located unpromisingly in a strip mall, it’s popular with locals for good reason. My well-priced entrée—horseradish-crusted wild salmon with mashed potatoes and asparagus—included a delicious Caesar salad and left little room for one of the housemade desserts, though I managed a few tastes of my husband’s chocolate cake.  

After breakfast in the morning, we took an invigorating walk along the driftwood-strewn beach using improvised driftwood walking sticks that my husband playfully converted into a baseball bat.  

Then it was off to the town’s charming, now automated Battery Point Lighthouse for a tour. The tide has to be out in order to walk over to the island that holds this charming little gem of a Cape Cod-style lighthouse, which is separated from the shore when the tide is in.  

I’d planned ahead to be here when the tide was right. And getting there is half the fun, requiring as it does a walk over a gravel bed leading past tidepools and past the occasional iris or magenta ice plant.  

I found several stranded, still-alive sea stars and returned them to a tidepool.  

While we sat on a bluff waiting for our tour to start, we took in the stunning sea view alive with flocks of sea birds, including pelicans, and wished we’d brought a lunch so that we could soak up the view even longer at one of the picnic tables.  

On the tour, led by the friendly keeper Randy Ansley and shared with a group of very excited local third graders, we learned that the first lightkeeper came out with James Marshall, who famously discovered gold elsewhere; that it is called “the Christmas light” because it opened on Christmas in 1856; and that the current lightkeeper has cable and internet and got the job by luckily being on a tour on the last day of the previous keeper’s stay.  

We climbed a spiral staircase, viewed the original 4th order Fresnel lens (now displayed in the gift shop), saw and heard an intriguing demonstration of an antique Victrola, and viewed the living quarters of the current keepers that is decorated with lace curtains, rag rugs, and antiques galore (it is one of the longest continually lived in lighthouses on the West Coast). When he saw the light, one kid screamed, “Wow!”  

After, we stopped a short ways away at Brother Jonathan Park, an open expanse that holds several graves and provides a viewpoint of the largest shipwreck--in terms of life and money--ever to occur off the coast of California. We then made a quick stop at the Northcoast Marine Mammal Center located adjacent to Front Street Park to view some noisily recovering baby sea lions, and then headed for lunch.  

The cozy Beachcomber Restaurant, located next door to our motel, has a nice nautical decor of rough-cut planks and fishnets, as well as comfortable booths, but the ocean view is the big event. Also, the fresh fish—often locally caught and usually grilled over madrone-wood barbecue pits—is very good, and the fish & chips-coleslaw-curly fries basket is primo.  

Before leaving town, we made one more stop—at the Del Norte County Historical Society Museum. Housed in a warren of rooms in a building that once served as the town’s Hall of Records and jail, this museum devotes two rooms to local Tolowa and Yurok Native American artifacts. Other displays include musical instruments, photographs, and needlework, and an annex houses the magnificent 5,000-pound, 18-foot-high, 1st order Fresnel lens from the Point Saint George Reef Lighthouse, located 6 miles off shore.  

From here, we hit Highway 101 and headed north to the Oregon border, which is just 20 miles away.  

IF YOU GO 

Crescent City/Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce  

(800) 343-8300; www.exploredelnorte.com  

Central Oregon Coast Association  

(800) 767-2064; www.coastvisitor.com 

Crescent Beach Motel  

(707) 464-5436; www.crescentbeachmotel.com. Rates drop on Sept. 3. 

Redwood National Park  

(707) 464-6101; www.nps.gov/redw 

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park (707) 464-6101 x5301; www.parks.ca.gov 

Avenue of the Giants  

www.avenueofthegiants.net 

Ambrosia (707) 464-2400  

Battery Point Lighthouse  

(707) 464-3089; www.delnortehistory.org.  

Tours April-Oct.  

Brother Jonathan Park  

9th St./Pebble Beach  

Northcoast Marine Mammal Center (707) 465-MAML; www.northcoastmmc.org 

Beachcomber Restaurant  

(707) 464-2205 

Del Norte County Historical Society Museum (707) 464-3922; www.delnortehistory.org 

Carole Terwilliger Meyers is the author of Weekend Adventures in San Francisco & Northern California (www.carousel-press.com) and Miles of Smiles: 101 Great Car Games & Activities.  

Photograph by Carole Terwilliger Meyers. 

The Battery Point Lighthouse opened on Chrsimas day in 1856.