In the beginning of October I noted that Brandy Melville was relocating from its Locust St. location next to the Cheesecake Factory to a much larger location on N. Main St. where Rochester Big & Tall used to be, and they have now opened. This place was packed with shoppers. I was able to get some photos so check them out.
The registers feature a huge Brandy Melville sign:
Backpacks and more:
Bob Dylan shirts:
The new Brandy Melville is located at 1337 N. Main St. in downtown Walnut Creek.
From a press release:
What does it take to put together a world premiere dance work? Don’t miss your chance to find out at Diablo Ballet presents Creating A Swingin’ Holiday, this Tuesday (October 23rd) 6:30PM at the Lafayette Library.
You’ll meet Sean Kelly, the Resident Choreographer for the Tony winning Broadway musicals Swing!, Movin’ Out and Billy Elliot, as he takes you behind the rehearsal studio doors. In conversation with Lauren Jonas, Diablo Ballet Artistic Director, you’ll find out how Sean created the dance steps, chose the music, and put together this world premiere.
Diablo Ballet dancers will be on hand to talk about working in this exciting premiere.
You’ll also have the chance to enter a free drawing to win tickets to see A Swingin’ Holidayat the Lesher Center November 16th & 17th.
Join us this Tuesday, November 23rd 6:30 PM in the Arts and Science Discover Room at the Lafayette Library – 3491 Mt Diablo Blvd. For more information, call Diablo Ballet at925-943-1775 or visit www.DiabloBallet.org.
It looks like Chick-Fil-A, a chain restaurant that will soon open in Walnut Creek is causing more heartache for not only themselves as events they sponsor are coming under attack due to the controversial stance against gay marriage by the CEO Dan Cathy. The Walnut Creek Half Marathon race has Chick-Fil-A as a sponsor and this generated a storm of protest on their Facebook page:
it has come to our attention that the sponsors we work with are not always your favorites. We apologize for this, but the show must go on…
Official Statement on WCHM business relationships.
The Walnut Creek Half Marathon encourages fitness through running and promotes competitive running at its highest levels. We give back to our local communities, especially high schools. We intend to put on a world class running event as good or better than major cities marathons. To accomplish this goal, brand affiliations and sponsorships of the Walnut Creek Half Marathon are an essential part of our offerings. These affiliations are based on local business relationships alone. As a local organization ourselves, we prefer to work with local business and franchisees. We do not participate in the decision-making of these groups as it relates to “stances” with our affiliates at the corporate level.
It then goes on to list their sponsors including Chick-Fil-A. The post generated 30 comments so far, with some expressing disappointment and deciding to skip the event while some were supportive.
Is boycotting an event that has a sponsor that you don’t support taking things too far or is this a reasonable way to protest against Chick-Fil-A?
From a press release:
What: Walnut Creek’s Lindsay Wildlife Museum’s wildlife rehabilitation hospital will release four gray foxes back to the wild.
Facts: A release of four baby foxes is unusual; this will be the museum’s last baby fox release for 2012. Three of these fox kits were orphaned when they were about two weeks old and weighed less than half a pound and the fourth one, about 10 weeks old, suffered from a leg injury. Now, all four are grown and have learned to hunt, so it is time to return them to the wild. The hospital, one of the largest wildlife rehabilitation facilities in Northern California, has cared for over 5,100 native wild animals this year.
To participate: A limited number of guests will be allowed to attend this release. Interested people can sign up to receive email alerts of upcoming releases at the Hospital Webpage, including the date, time, city, and requested donation amount to participate.
When: Sunday, October 28; 5 pm
Where: Moraga; exact location TBD
Cost for each program: A donation is requested, 100% of which goes to help the rehabilitation hospital continue to care for sick, injured and orphaned California wildlife.
About Lindsay Wildlife Museum: Lindsay Wildlife Museum is home to a wide variety of animal ambassadors, including Richard the female turkey vulture who is 38 years old and a resident since 1974. The 57-year-old Museum is a unique natural history and environmental education center where live wild animals are just inches away from visitors. Guests can listen to the cry of a red tailed hawk, go eye-to-eye with a gray fox, stare down an owl and watch a bald eagle enjoy lunch. There are many daily activities for children of all ages, including raptor presentations, animal training demonstrations, and petting circles. More than 50 species of live, non-releasable native California animals live at the museum. The Museum also includes a behind-the-scenes look at its wildlife rehabilitation hospital where they provide care for more than 5,000 wild animals annually. Lindsay Wildlife Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday; admission is $7/adults, $5/children and free for members.
The dance club Redux Lounge will soon open a restaurant offering a lunch, dinner and pizza menu. Diablo Dish notes that pizza will be served during the day, and will become a “Japanese-Italian-French fusion bistro” at night. Check out their pizza menu here, lunch menu here, and dinner menu here. Anyone going to check out the restaurant?
This brand new Ferrari was spotted, where else, in front of PF Chang’s in downtown Walnut Creek.
From the Moraga Police Department:
The 2012 Lamorinda ShakeOut supports the Great California ShakeOut, a series of special events featuring the largest earthquake drill ever, organized to inspire Californians to get ready for big earthquakes, and to prevent disasters from becoming catastrophes. How we prepare for a big earthquake will determine how our lives will be afterwards. The ShakeOut drill will occur in houses, businesses, and public spaces throughout California at 10:18 am on Thursday, October 18, 2012. Individuals, families, neighborhoods, businesses, and schools are encouraged to participate by registering at www.ShakeOut.org/california/
register to participate in this important preparedness event. Participants will receive information on how to prepare for the inevitable major earthquake and what actions to take during and after the shaking. Town Staff will be participating in this event with an activation of its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to train and drill EOC staff. Most Town offices will be closed from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm during the EOC exercise. The drill will also test communication capabilities with Orinda and Lafayette EOCs.
The Moraga Farmers’ market in the Moraga Center on Sunday has recently been ranked as one of the Top Ten farmer’s markets in the nation, and top 2 in California by the American Farmland Trust. Having checked out the Farmland Trust website, it looks like anyone can vote so I guess the Moraga Farmers’ market has some serious fans in Moraga. Count me in as a fan, I think it’s great. (I also enjoy shopping at the Orinda, Lafayette and Walnut Creek farmers’ markets.)
A couple of weeks ago I noted belatedly that Build-A-Bear closed in Broadway Plaza, Walnut Creek, and already it’s been taken over by the seasonal store Go! Calendars. It seems like every year Go! Calendars hops from store to store taking advantage of temporary lease opportunities.
