WHAT:
More than 200 volunteers from SAP (@SAP), Adobe (@Adobe), Aspire East Palo Alto Charter School (@AspireEPACS), organizers from KaBOOM! (@kaboom) and the community will join forces on Thursday, October 29, to give area kids the childhood they deserve by building a new playground at Aspire East Palo Alto Charter School. The design is based on children’s drawings created at a special design event in September.   

WHEN:
Thursday, October 29
9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.               Kick-off ceremony 
11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.             Best viewing of playground construction
1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.               Final construction phase
3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.               Ribbon-cutting ceremony
(Times approximate)

WHERE:
Aspire East Palo Alto Charter School
1286 Runnymede Street
East Palo Alto, CA 94303

WHO:
Hundreds of community volunteers

WHY:
A playground is more than a playground. It’s a brain-expander, friend-maker, and muscle-builder. Play is central to a child’s ability to grow into a productive adult. It can transform children from sedentary, bored and solitary to physically, mentally and socially active. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has been dedicated to the bold goal of giving all kids – particularly those growing up in poverty in America – the childhood they deserve, filled with balanced and active play, so they can thrive. With its partners, KaBOOM! has built, improved and opened nearly 16,300 playgrounds, engaged more than one million volunteers, and served 8.1 million kids (#playmatters).
 
The new playground will bring more than 450 kids in East Palo Alto one step closer to having the play-filled childhood they deserve. In building this playspace together, we are making it easier for all kids to get balanced and active play and making East Palo Alto more playable.
 
Currently, the playground at Aspire East Palo Alto Charter School is outdated and too small to accommodate the growing student body. This new playground will provide the students and kids from the surrounding community with an accessible and safe place to play. 
 
SAP and Adobe are proud to partner with Aspire East Palo Alto Charter School and KaBOOM! in the creation of this new playspace. As technology leaders, SAP and Adobe recognize and embrace their commitment to the community. By providing children safe environments for play, SAP and Adobe enable the development of skills such as creativity, teamwork, and innovation. Involvement with KaBOOM! improves the learning and play environment for students which is critical to future success and extends far beyond the playground.

Aspire East Palo Alto Charter School
Aspire East Palo Alto Charter School (EPACS) and East Palo Alto Phoenix Academy (EPAPA) comprise a leading K-12 public charter school dedicated to preparing all students for success in college and beyond. We equip students with the skills, habits and mindset necessary to achieve success in college and beyond. We believe that a college degree will provide our graduates with the opportunity to earn a family-sustaining income and make a positive impact on their community.

About KaBOOM!
KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to giving all kids – particularly those growing up in poverty in America – the childhood they deserve filled with balanced and active play, so they can thrive. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has collaborated with partners to build, open or improve nearly 16,300 playgrounds, engaged more than one million volunteers and served 8.1 million kids. KaBOOM! creates great places to play, inspires communities to promote and support play, and works to drive the national discussion about the importance of play in fostering healthy and productive lives. To learn why #playmatters: visit kaboom.org 

Students and teachers from Bay Farm and Amelia Earhart Elementary School in Alameda watch a Coast Guard demonstration during an event on Seaview Parkway in Alameda, California, Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Loumania Stewart  
ALAMEDA - Local Coast Guard crews will visit over 100 students Tuesday to teach about Coast Guard awareness and boating safety at Bay Farm Elementary.

WHO: Mayor Trish Herrera Spencer, Coast Guard search and rescue experts and K-9 teams.

WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015. Coast Guard helicopter search and rescue demonstration begins at 9 a.m.

WHERE: 2700 Seaview Parkway, Alameda, CA

The international phenomenon, the School of Rock, a performance-based music education program, is hosting it’s grand opening this Saturday, October 25th, from 1:00PM-5:00PM in the Marketplace, in San Ramon. The grand opening festivities will include trial lessons and demonstrations of group classes, live music, as well as performances from other Bay Area School of Rock locations, giveaways, plus, bring your guitar for a free tune up!
 
The School of Rock concept is to encourage students to rock out and support their fellow students on their musical journeys. Creating vibrant team dynamics, instead of focusing on the individual, allows students to enjoy camaraderie, while learning team building skills and developing musical mastery in a motivating environment. School of Rock was started 15 years ago and has now grown into 160 locations in nine countries.
 
Bay Area husband and wife team, Toni and John Baker, fell in love with the mission behind the franchise, School of Rock – to inspire kids to rock on stage and in life – and are very excited to bring such an amazing program to this community. “We cannot wait to see our students thrive and excel in their musical pursuits and embrace their creativity and passion for rock!” They are bringing together their passion for music and long history of working with, and teaching children. The Danville couple have been creating this business while raising two children of their own, each under the age of three. They look forward to being involved in the community. The San Ramon School of Rock house band is looking for it’s house band members in the coming months and will be available for free community performances.
 
School of Rock, San Ramon
460 Montgomery Street
San Ramon, CA  94583
 
Website : sanramon.schoolofrock.com

The Warriors Dance Team will hold auditions for the 2015-16 team on Saturday, August 15 at 10:00 a.m. at Las Positas College's The Nest Gymnasium (3000 Campus Hill Drive) in Livermore, the team announced today. The Warriors are looking for talented dancers and entertainers with an energetic personality to become ambassadors for the Warriors organization during the 2015-16 NBA season.

Warriors Dance Team auditions are open to anyone 18 years of age or older as of October 1, 2015. The audition process will take place over several days, with preliminary auditions on August 15 (registration open at 9:00 a.m.). Finalists selected from the preliminary auditions must be available from August 16-20 to attend a finalist interview, boot camp and final auditions on Thursday, August 20. Applications must be received, along with a resume and head shot, by Monday, August 10. Walk-ups will also be able to participate on the day of auditions.

Aspiring dancers can also sign up for any of the eight (8) audition preparatory classes being held at Renaissance ClubSport in Walnut Creek (2805 Jones Road) starting on Wednesday, July 29. These audition prep classes are a great way for prospective dancers to touch up on their skills, learn the Warriors Dance Team style and participate in a Q&A with Warriors Dance Team Director Sabrina Ellison. Further details on the Warriors Dance Team auditions and prep classes can be found at warriors.com/danceteam.

Trudy has reached 55 inches this morning (2 inches since yesterday) and continues to show more color around the spathe, a sign of pending bloom in next few days.

Trudy is being ‘watched’ by a time-lapse camera to catch the moment.

For more information visit http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/titan-arum/#tab-1-1-trudys-progress

Trudy, the titan, continues to grow: measured 53″ this morning (2″ overnight). Still not enough color to predict opening time accurately. Stay tuned for more updates!

More information at http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/titan-arum/#tab-1-1-trudys-progress

[image below shows a Titan Arum in bloom - Stay tuned for updates to watch Trudy's progress]

BREAKING NEWS: Trudy the Titanic Corpse Flower is back for a third time. This image shows its condition this morning. The plant is now about 51″ high (grew 3″ since yesterday) and 13″ in diameter The green spathe is beginning to show some color, suggesting that bloom may occur within the week. We will keep you informed of progress with daily email updates.The smell only lasts for a day, so get ready!

More information at http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/titan-arum/#tab-1-1-trudys-progress

Two penguin chicks will graduate from the San Francisco Zoo's Fish School on Saturday, August 1, 2015 and re-join their colony on Penguin Island. The penguin curriculum includes learning how to acclimate to the public and interacting with humans as a source of food, protection and wellness. The public is invited to celebrate the Zoo's annual penguin rite of passage at 10 a.m.

MUSEUMS IN OAKLAND AND CLEVELAND WAGER ART EXPERIENCES FOR 100 CHILDREN FROM YMCA AND BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB ON NBA CHAMPIONSHIP
 
Oakland Museum of California and the Cleveland Museum of Art Directors
bet on their home team to win NBA Championship
 
(Oakland, CA)---The Directors of the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) and the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) announced today that they are entering into
a wager for the NBA Championship. The institutions have agreed to sponsor art experiences for children from their local community organizations to their museums based on the outcome of the NBA Finals.

The Stakes:
 
If the Warriors win, the Cleveland Museum of Art will sponsor access for 100 children from the YMCA of the East Bay to visit the Oakland Museum of California for a Golden State Warriors-themed art experience.

If the Cavaliers take home the title, the Oakland Museum of California will sponsor 100 children from the Cleveland-area Boys and Girls Clubs and Fatima Family Center in Cleveland's Hough neighborhood for a special visit to the Cleveland Museum of Art.

"This wager is a win-win for our cities," says Lori Fogarty, Director and CEO of the Oakland Museum of California. "Like the Boys and Girls Club and the YMCA, our museums are dedicated to the health and wellbeing of children and families in Oakland and Cleveland. We look forward to welcoming children to OMCA when the Cavaliers lose. Game on! Go Dubs!" 
 
"Even if we lose, we win. Of course, we're ALL IN and expect to win! " said William M. Griswold, Director of The Cleveland Museum of Art. "No matter the outcome, children from our communities will have a special opportunity to experience world-class art. Go Cavs!" said Griswold.
 
The bet builds on a feel-good wager on the NBA Championship between the Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson, which looks to help kids in their communities through a NBA fundraising competition supporting local food banks.

The museum directors applaud Mayors Libby Schaaf and Frank G. Jackson for putting a community-support spin on the traditional championship wager, and the Oakland Museum of California and the Cleveland Museum of Art are happy to step up by serving local children and families as part of our own wager. This is a slam-dunk that will benefit both sports fans and museum-goers.
 
* * *

ABOUT THE OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) brings together collections of art, history and natural science under one roof to tell the extraordinary stories of California and its people. OMCA's groundbreaking exhibits tell the many stories that comprise California with many voices, often drawing on first-person accounts by people who have shaped California's cultural heritage. Visitors are invited to actively participate in the Museum as they learn about the natural, artistic and social forces that affect the state and investigate their own role in both its history and its future. With more than 1.9 million objects, OMCA is a leading cultural institution of the Bay Area and a resource for the research and understanding of California's dynamic cultural and environmental heritage. The Oakland Museum of California is located at 1000 Oak Street in Oakland, California. ­­ For more information, visit museumca.org.

ABOUT THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART
The Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes almost 45,000 objects and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. The museum is a significant international forum for exhibitions, scholarship, performing arts and art education and recently completed an ambitious, multi-phase renovation and expansion project across its campus. One of the top comprehensive art museums in the nation and free of charge to all, the Cleveland Museum of Art is located in the dynamic University Circle neighborhood.

The Cleveland Museum of Art is supported by a broad range of individuals, foundations and businesses in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. The museum is generously funded by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. Additional support comes from the Ohio Arts Council, which helps fund the museum with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. In 2014, the museum was awarded a top four-star rating by Charity Navigator, the nation's most-utilized independent evaluator of charities and nonprofits. For more information about the museum, its holdings, programs and events, call 888-CMA-0033 or visit ClevelandArt.org.