The annual Italian Street Painting Festival, featuring sidewalk chalk artists, arts and crafts, bocce, food, beverages and entertainment, will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 23-24, in downtown Martinez.

Residents can try their hand at chalk art, too. For a $10 donation, they'll receive a box of chalk and can create their own masterpiece in the community chalk area.

The Martinez Bocce Federation is bringing a bocce court downtown and expert bocce players will be on hand to show how to play the Martinez tradition.

Leslie Stiles will be cooking an Italian dinner at Haute Stuff Restaurant, 521 Main St., to raise funds for NEAR, a joint project with Kaiser Permanente that introduces the concept of eating fresh, locally and seasonally, to local schools. Tickets are $30 per person.

The event is a fund-raiser for First Night Martinez, an alcohol-free, New Year's Eve celebration. Call 925-372-8295 or visit www.festaitaliamartinez.com .

Each Wednesday through Sept. 20, that Papa Murphy's location will donate 10 percent of its total proceeds (regular menu priced items) to Meals on Wheels.

Residents of Tavan Estates, Virginia Hills and Golden Hills neighborhoods are invited to a meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, at Golden Hills Park Recreation Building at Bernice Lane and Blue Ridge Drive.

The meeting will address concerns and issues presented by neighborhood residents. For information, contact the Martinez City Clerk's Office at 925-372-3512.

The free concert series is held at Cal State East Bay, Concord campus, 4700 Ygnacio Valley Road. Call 925-602-8654 or visit www.concertinthehills.com .

The Friends of the Martinez Library will hold its fall book sale Saturday, Sept. 23, at the back entrance to the Martinez Library, 740 Court St.

A bag of books costs $5. Members will have first choice from 10 to 11 a.m. (memberships are available at the door) with the general public admitted from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The six-week class will meet from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays, at 1630 Contra Costa Blvd., Pleasant Hill. The cost is $90 for Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District residents.

Pleasant Hill resident Janette Fromm will have her artwork on display through September at the Pleasant Hill/Central Library, 1750 Oak Park Blvd.

Residents can enjoy an evening of dancing, desserts and drinks while celebrating two classics -- Martinez and the Martini -- from 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at the Shell Club House, located on the corner of Arreba Street and Pacheco Boulevard in Martinez.

Tickets are $45 in advance and $50 at the door and include a martini glass, one classic martini, four specialty sample martinis prepared by local barkeepers, desserts, and live music by Project: Pimento.

Project Second Chance, the Contra Costa County Library adult literacy program, will hold training sessions for those interested in becoming a volunteer literacy tutor.

Training is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27 and continues from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, Sept. 30 and Oct. 7, at 75 Santa Barbara Road, Pleasant Hill.

Auditions are open to youths from grade 3 through college and will be held Sept. 23, 25, and 27. Those auditioning should prepare a two-minute upbeat song and be ready to move on stage.

Lindsay Wildlife Museum is offering training for volunteer docents. No experience is needed, just an interest in helping people learn about the local wildlife.

Teens in sixth through 12th grades can learn to play keyboards and digital piano in group instruction, through a class offered through Pleasant Hill Recreation.

The six-week session begins at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27. The cost is $75. To register, call 925-682-0896 or visit www.pleasanthillrec.com .

The Martinez Historical Society will have its third lecture series at 1 p.m. Fridays, Sept. 29 through Oct. 27, at the Martinez Senior Center, 818 Green St.

Admission is free and the public is invited. For information, contact Andrea Blachman, museum director, at 925-372-7146 or the Martinez Senior Center at 925-370-8770.

Cocktail hour begins at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m., which includes knockwurst, bratwurst, and cooked sweet red cabbage. Beer and wine will also be available.

Teens and adults, in grade 6 and up, can learn the basics of playing guitar, including chord structures, picking techniques and tips to make learning easier and fun. Students with prior knowledge will also build on basic chords, strumming and melodies.

The six-week class Tuesday evenings begins Sept. 19, at Pleasant Hill Music Studios, 1200 Contra Costa Blvd. Beginners meet at 6:30 p.m.; advanced beginners through intermediate students meet at 7:25 p.m.

Diablo Sail and Power Squadron is offering a six-week Boat Smart course Tuesdays from Sept. 26 through Oct. 31, at Martinez Adult School, 600 F St.

The course is approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and is taught by experienced instructors. Insurance discounts may be available upon successful completion.

The Diablo Valley Literacy Council is holding tutor training workshops Saturday, Sept. 23, Tuesday, Sept. 26, and Saturday, Sept. 30, at 4000 Clayton Road, Concord.

After attending the individual A, B and C dance classes, dancers will have learned 22 square dance calls. New dancers can join Square Dance ABC at any time by dancing the individual A, B and C dances in any order.

Classes will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays, beginning Sept. 23, at Martinez Adult Education, multipurpose room, 921 Susana St.

The cost is $40 in advance or $45 if registering at the class. To pre-register, call 925-228-3276, refer to Section 11-0850. For information, call Dick at 925-229-2192 or Bert at 510-724-7712.

Teens in grades 6-12 may play basketball this fall from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday nights, through Dec. 15 (excluding school holidays), at the Pleasant Hill Education Center Gym, 3100 Oak Park Blvd.

Pleasant Hill Recreation is offering a bus trip to COPIA: American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30.

Commuters who drive to, from or through Contra Costa County have a chance to win free gas for one year if they start a new car pool or add a new member to an existing car pool between now and Dec. 31.

Eligible commuters who participate in a car pool for the first time will receive a $60 gas card. The promotion -- launched by 511 Contra Costa -- is designed to encourage commuters to try car-pooling as a convenient and economical alternative to driving alone.

511 Contra Costa is a public agency that helps commuters find alternatives to driving alone and assists local businesses in developing commute-friendly work environments.

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