Arts and Gems

A few more community happenings to add to your calendar...

Desert Crystal Hunt Oct 10-11Searles Gem and Mineral Society in Trona California sponsors a Gemorama. Families caravan to the distant desert site, spend the night ($5 camping fee or hotels available in nearby Ridgecrest) and register for field trips to go dig in the mud for salt crystals as big as pillows! Temperatures are anticipated to be between 70-90 degrees. Website has complete information.
http://www1.iwvisp.com/tronagemclub/


Self Help Graphics near Soto and Cesar Chavez in Los Angeles is offering free community arts activities in support of the Dia de los Muertos celebration, every Saturday of October from 1-3 pm.
http://www.selfhelpgraphics.com/

Arts Committee Meeting

The Arts committee will hold a second meeting Friday, October 16th at 8:30AM. If you would like to be involved in Arts at OCS, please stop by. If you can't make that time, please contact Paula Solano at pwsolano@sbcglobal.net to get more information.

Upcoming Food and Garden Meeting

There has been a great response from new parents about participating in the OCS food and garden committee. Our first meeting is set for October 8th (8:30AM) and we will talk about what members would like to make happen this year. We'll meet right after school starts. Look for us in the community hall.

Arts and Music About Town

Check out these links to some free or low cost arts and music happenings around LA. Have a great time with the kids.

FREE OUTDOOR JAZZ TRIBUTE TO MCCOY TYNER BY THE LUCKMAN JAZZ ORCHESTRA! 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, 90032 323-343-6600 - FREE - FREE OUTDOOR CONCERT! Opening the incredible and transformative 2009/2010 Luckman Fine Art Complex season, the Luckman Jazz Orchestra pays tribute to jazz master Mccoy Tyner in a a free outdoor concert.

ALTERNATIVE ART MARKET 88 North Fair Oaks, Pasadena 91103 626-844-8886 - FREE - Supporting Big Ideas Locally, The Alternative Art Market is a celebration of unique treasures designed and created locally. Art • Fashion • Music Sat & Sun Sept 26 thru 27 11 am until 7 pm

WORLD CITY – THE MYSTICAL ARTS OF TIBET - FREE FAMILY EVENT AT THE MUSIC CENTER 111 South Grand Ave. Los Angeles 90012 213-972-4396 - FREE - World City - The Mystical Arts of Tibet (Music & Dance, Tibet) Saturday, October 3, 200911:00 AM & 12:30 PM

11TH ANNUAL EAGLE ROCK MUSIC FESTIVAL 2225 Colorado Blvd. Los Angeles, 90041 (between Argus and Eagle Rock Blvd. ) - FREE - 11th Annual Eagle Rock Music FestivalSaturday October 3, 2009 4:00-11:00pm Colorado Blvd. between Argus and Eagle Rock Blvd. COME HEAR ODYSSEY CHARTER SCHOOL'S OWN "THE TRACS"

STORYTIME 4700 Western Heritage Way Los Angeles CA 323-667-2000 - Free with museum admission - Two stories about Native peoples of the Southwest highlight their rich culture in a hands-on presentation by museum docents.

JAPAN AMERICA KITE FESTIVAL Seal Beach Pier, Seal Beach CA (213) 627-6217, ext. 202 - Free - The 13th Annual Japan America Kite Festival® will take place from 11:00 a.m.. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009, at Seal Beach Pier in the city of Seal Beach, Calif. More than 1,000 kites.

TAKE A CHANCE POETRY SLAM 1890 Huntington Drive, San Marino, CA 91108 626-300-0777 - free - Middle School and High School students from the greater San Gabriel Valley will have an exciting opportunity to deliver dynamic poetry performances at the Crowell Public Library.

HTHF DIWALI CULTURAL PROGRAM 2009 226 S. Ivy Ave., Monrovia, 91016 626-445-7636 - $10, Kids 5 and under FREE - What: HTHF Diwali Cultural Program 2009
When: Saturday, October 10 from 7.00 PM to 10.00 PM
Where: Clifton Middle School Auditorium, 226 S. Ivy Ave, Monrovia, CA 91016 (cross Foothill Blvd.)

SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI FIESTA 1550 Maltman Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90026 - free admission/fee for rides, etc. - Saint Francis of Assisi Parish and school's annual fiesta. Everyone welcome. Open to the public. Free admission. Purchase tickets for rides, games, and good eats.

MAFA'S 46TH ANNUAL ARTS FESTIVAL “CELEBRATE THE ARTS" 321 South Myrtle Avenue, Monrovia, 91016 (626) 802-7873 - FREE - MAFA's Annual Arts Festival “Celebrate the Arts" (Monrovia Library Park, 321 S. Myrtle Ave) Monrovia Association of Fine Arts presents its 46th annual Festival “Celebrate the Arts.

LA PHIL PRESENTS TOYOTA SYMPHONIES FOR YOUTH – TWO FOUR-CONCERT SATURDAY SERIES, 11AM AT WALT DISNEY CONCERT Walt Disney Concert Hall 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90012 - $20 - Season premiere concerts: October 17 & 24: A Musical Carnival: featuring Carnival of the Animals The family-friendly and ever-popular Toyota Symphonies for Youth, featuring the Los Angeles Philharmonic

TEEN MURDER MYSTERY DINNER 1890 Huntington Dr, San Marino 91108 (626) 300-0777 - FREE - registration required - Crowell Public Library Invites Teens To A Murder Mystery Dinner. Barth Community Room Friday October 23, 4:00 pm

WEST OF BROADWAY’S INTERACTIVE PLAY “12 ANGRY JURORS” 6128 Yucca Street in Hollywood, CA 90028 - $15 - 12 ANGRY JURORS Part of the You the Jury ™ series West of Broadway presents 12 ANGRY JURORS, adapted from the classic novel, 12 ANGRY MEN, by Reginald Rose.

WESTERN WEEKEND WORKSHOPS: NATIVE AMERICAN BASKETRY 4700 Western Heritage Way 323-667-2000 - Autry members: $60 / Nonmembers: $75.* - The Autry's Western Weekend Workshops are a fun and creative way for children ages 8-12 to learn about Native American and Western art and crafts and to create their own crafts pieces

LA PHIL PRESENTS TOYOTA SYMPHONIES FOR YOUTH – TWO FOUR-CONCERT SATURDAY SERIES, 11AM AT WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL Walt Disney Concert Hall 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90012 - $20 - Season premiere concerts: October 17 & 24: A Musical Carnival: featuring Carnival of the Animals The family-friendly and ever-popular Toyota Symphonies for Youth.

HUBBLE’S CANVAS 332 South Michigan Ave, Pasadena, CA 91125 (626) 395-4652 - $5.00 (unreserved seating) - Hubble’s Canvas, Beckman Auditorium, free parking located at 332 South Michigan Avenue, Pasadena (south of Del Mar Boulevard). 2 p.m.

PUMPKIN FESTIVAL 1418 Descanso Drive, La Canada 91011 818-949-4200 - Free with Gardens' admission - With a lush landscape where pumpkins peek around nearly every corner, Descanso’s Pumpkin Roundup features costumes parades (10 and 11 a.m.) followed by sing-alonngs and puppet shows.

DAY OF THE DEAD FESTIVAL 4605 North Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, 90065 23-221-2164, ext. 221 - Free with museum admission - Casa de Adobe Saturday & Sunday, October 31 & November 1, Noon–5:00 p.m. Celebrate local artists and their Day of the Dead and Halloween art. For more information, call 323-221-2164, ext. 221

STORY TIME 4700 Western Heritage Way 323-667-2000 - Free with museum admission - Sunday, November 1, 1:30–2:30 p.m. Two stories about Native peoples of the Southwest highlight their rich culture in a hands-on presentation by museum docents. Dragonfly’s Tale by Kristina Rodanas.

LET’S MAKE HISTORY! 4700 Western Heritage Way Los Angeles CA 323-667-2000 - Free with museum admission - Each Sunday afternoon, the Autry offers a new crafts project for kids of all ages. Free with admission.

Urban Meadows

Check out this slideshow of beautiful water-wise L.A. city gardens that mix in plants with herbs like oregano, california bay, and vervein. Lovely. http://www.latimes.com/la-hm-knibb-garden-pg,0,3193762.photogallery?index=1

Late Summer All-Purpose Pesto

Pesto is the ultimate simple sauce. Toward the end of summer, basil plants in L.A. get a boost from a spell of hot weather forcing a profusion of leaves to push out and grab their share of sunshine. Every few days I pluck off any flowers I see growing on the plants. I don't want flowers -- I want the tasty leaves. Careful plucking encourages more leaf growth and makes you smell like a sexy Italian mamma to boot.

I fill up a food processor worth of washed basil leaves, throw in a clove (or two) of garlic, a handful of toasted unsalted pine nuts, salt and pepper.

Then a good 1/4 cup of olive oil and I start pulsing the machine. After a minute or so your pesto looks like this.
Time to scrape down the sides of the bowl, add another 1/4 cup of olive oil and pulse the pesto until the color of the basil mixture lightens ever so slightly.
That's it. You want a nicely chopped (but not pureed or soupy) mixture which is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but is still a sauce, not thick like a dip. Scrape the pesto out of the food processor, put it in a bowl and top with an additional drizzle of olive oil over the top. This keeps the pesto from oxidizing and it stays nice and green.
Now what do you do with this bit of green 'gold'. Well, of course it can top pasta along with a handful of grated parmesan. Try it drizzled on top of a warm grilled steak, as a spread in a roast pork and fontina panini, mixed with a bit of yogurt and mayo for a wonderful take on potato salad or as a dip for cold poached chicken, or enjoy it spooned on top of late summer tomatoes for the perfect wistful reminder of a passing season.

Supercrafty to the Rescue

Are there any supercrafty parents out there to help students make some easy and funky aprons for our Kids Cooking program? It would be great if we could do it for the little people (K-3) since a regular apron is just humongous.

People with scissors, fabric and ideas are invited to chime in!