ESCONDIDO - Students are invited to submit films for Escondido First Night's third annual Student Film Festival to be held Dec. 31. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 15.

Films must be family friendly and should run less than eight minutes. A selection committee will review each film to determine which ones are suitable to preview at the film festival.

All films must be submitted on DVD, and the DVD case must be labeled with the following information: name of film; length of film; name of school; and director's name, address, phone number and e-mail address.

For information or to make arrangements to deliver the DVD, e-mail cyndiescorner@cox.net.

Special Olympics event locatizon changed

NORTH COUNTY - The location of the Special Olympics Floor Hockey competition scheduled for Dec. 8 has been changed from Fallbrook High School to the Del Mar Fairgrounds' Activity Center, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd.

Opening ceremonies will begin at 8:30 a.m. followed by warm-ups and competition. The Optimist Club of Carlsbad, "The Achievers," will provide volunteers and a monetary donation toward the cost of lunches for the approximately 600 special athletes. Volunteers and monetary contributions are welcome.

Call Val Amaya at (760) 729-7252 or Joe Tosto at (760) 458-5222.

Barbershop singers to perform

LA JOLLA - The barbershop group Pacific Coast Harmony will present a holiday concert, "Harmony Comes Home," at 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Neurosciences Institute, La Jolla. Tickets are $25; $10 for students and members of the military. Information: http://www.pacificcoastharmony.org, (760) 723-2294.

Family Holiday Fair set for Dec. 9

RANCHO BERNARDO - Friends With Class will sponsor a Family Holiday Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Rancho Bernardo Winery's Uncle Vito's Park, 13330 Paseo del Verano North.

The event will feature $5 pony rides and a jumper for the kids, five for $5 wine tastings and food for the adults and music by Gone to Plaid. There will be tables featuring mom-operated businesses with crafts and gift ideas.

There will be raffle prizes that range from gift certificates to gift baskets. Admission is free, with parking and entertainment included. Proceeds from vendor registrations will be donated to Habitat for Humanity for the Fire Rebuild Efforts.

Brunch boxes can be preordered, or people can order food from the standard winery menu.

Information: (858) 735-2922.

Nature hike scheduled for Dec. 9

ESCONDIDO - The San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy will conduct a nature hike from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Del Dios Highlands County Preserve on the new trail connecting Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve with the San Dieguito River Park.

Enjoy sweeping views of the surrounding hills and the ocean on this strenuous three-mile round-trip hike to Olivenhain Reservoir. Bring water, sun protection and be prepared for changing weather.

Reservations are required. E-mail hikes@sdrvc.org or call (858) 755-6956.

Synagogue to host recycling event

SAN DIEGO - Congregation Beth Am's Green Task Force invites the community to visit The Green Earth E-Recycling Kiosk between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Dec. 9 at the synagogue at 5050 Del Mar Heights Road.

Green Earth will accept a wide range of electronic materials for recycling free of charge, including televisions, computers, monitors, keyboards, printers, cables and mobile phones. Kitchen appliances will not be accepted.

One hundred percent of the collected material will be spared from the waste stream. Green Earth guarantees data destruction in the case of data-containing items such as hard drives and mobile devices.

Information: (858) 481-8454; debra@betham.com; http://www.betham.com.

Diabetes support group to meet

OCEANSIDE - The North County Diabetes Support Group will meet at 7 p.m. Dec. 13 in the Community Room at the Oceanside Mission Branch Library, 3861 Mission Ave. Cindy Garvey will moderate and present topics of interest. Information: Farley, (760) 945-3559.

Book release party planned

DEL MAR - A party to celebrate the release of the novel "Inventions" by San Diego author Paul L. Woodring will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 14 at Woodring's home, 4910 Rancho Grande.

"Inventions" tells the story of Robert Watson Jr., an intelligent, educated, hardworking African American. When he realizes he will never be more than the token black employee in predominantly white business corporations, he sets out to establish his own company and winds up creating an industry.

R.S.V.P. to Paula Margulies at (858) 538-2047.

Music Men's Chorus to perform

ESCONDIDO - Songs of the holiday season will rise in perfect four-part harmony when the Music Men's Chorus, under the direction of John Hulbert, presents its 21st annual Christmas Show. The North County a cappella group will perform traditional Christmas carols and popular holiday favorites at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 16 at the Church of the Resurrection, 1445 Conway Drive.

Also performing will be a "Christmas Surprise" guest chorus and the Gospel Truth, a quartet that, over the last 48 years, has sung in a wide variety of venues throughout the West.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for ages 19 and younger, and are available by calling Gay Hamby at (760) 727-8650. Tickets also are available at the door.

Information: http://www.harmonize.com/PalPac/.

Ornament sales to benefit Voices for Children

SAN DIEGO - Voices for Children is selling starfish ornaments for the 2007 holiday season. There are three ornaments to choose from: A clear starfish with a ruby red ribbon, a clear starfish with an elegant silver ribbon and a festive red starfish with a sparkling red, green and gold ribbon.

The ornaments are packaged with Voices for Children's mission statement inside and a copy of Loren Eiseley's inspirational starfish story "Star Thrower." The story emphasizes how each living thing, whether a starfish or a foster child, is unique and important. All proceeds from starfish sales directly support Voices for Children's programs for foster children in San Diego.

In addition to the ornaments, Voices for Children offers several collectible starfish paperweights and keepsakes. Each starfish is beautifully hand-blown and each one is unique. The paperweights come in a variety of colors: blue, amber, purple, clear, red, periwinkle and the limited-edition 25th anniversary silver. They are five inches in diameter and come nestled in a velvet and foam gift box.

The keepsake-sized starfish are three inches in diameter. They come in light blue or yellow orange and are the same size as the ornaments. Prices range from $15 to $75.

The keepsakes, ornaments and paperweights can be purchased by phone at (858) 569-2096, Ext. 235, or online at http://www.speakupnow.org.

Voices for Children is a private, nonprofit volunteer organization devoted to helping abused, neglected, and abandoned children who have been removed from their homes and placed under the protection of Juvenile Court. Through its network of trained volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates, Voices for Children works to place each one into a safe, permanent home. CASA volunteers ensure every child they serve has a voice that can be heard - both inside and outside of the court.

Democratic Club plans holiday party

ENCINITAS - The Rancho North Coast Democratic Club will hold its annual holiday party at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Encinitas Terrace Clubhouse, 454 Requeza St.

The evening will feature an appearance by Nick Leibham, 50th Congressional District candidate for 2008, plus food, drinks and entertainment with Rebecca and David Randle's holiday songs.

R.S.V.P. to Patsy Cutler at (760) 942-9041 or e-mail yrralcutlercutler@yahoo.com.

Aquarium to host lecture series

LA JOLLA - The Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series, presented by the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, 2300 Expedition Way, will provide concise, comprehensive presentations on climate change and other research conducted worldwide by scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.

The following lectures are schedueld:

• "Spotlight on Antarctic Penguins" with Scripps researcher Gerald Kooyman, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Dec. 10. Join penguin expert Gerald Kooyman for an excursion to the southernmost reach of Earth - Antarctica. Learn how decades of research are giving Kooyman and other researchers insight into the potential impacts of climate change on the ecology of Emperor and Adelie penguins, that make their home in one of the planet's harshest environments. During the presentation, the audience will have the opportunity to talk directly via satellite phone with penguin researchers at Cape Royd's, Antarctica, home to a colony of Adelie penguins.

• "Climate Change Clues Frozen in Time" with Scripps climate researcher Jeffrey Severinghaus, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Jan. 14. Polar ice sheets are sensitive indicators of current climate and also preserve evidence of past climate conditions. Join Severinghaus as he explains how gas bubbles are trapped in the ice, how they provide detailed chemical clues to the past and how they are helping to shape future climate scenarios.

• Meet "Future Stewards of Our Planet: Scripps Oceanography Fellowship Students" from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Feb. 11. Learn about the challenging research work of three outstanding fellowship students at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, including climate science, sub-seafloor mapping and coastal oceanography.

Lectures are intended for a lay audience. Birch Aquarium admission and parking are included with all lectures. Cost is $8; $5 for students and educators. Information: (858) 534-FISH, http://aquarium.ucsd.edu.

Free nature hikes offered

SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Natural History Museum's Canyoneers will host these free guided nature hikes in December. Reservations are not required. Hike schedules are subject to change. Information: http://www.sdnhm.org/canyoneers, (619) 255-0203.

• 1 to 2:30 p.m. Dec. 8, Lake Murray (Kiowa).

• 9 to 10:30 a.m. Dec. 9, Florida Canyon.

• 1 to 2:30 p.m. Dec. 15, San Dieguito County Park.

• 9 to 11 a.m. Dec. 16, Goodan Ranch.

• 6 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 21, Cowles Mountain Winter Solstice.

Students invited to enter film festival

ESCONDIDO - Students are invited to submit films for Escondido First Night's third annual Student Film Festival to be held Dec. 31. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 15.

Films must be family friendly and should run less than eight minutes. A selection committee will review each film to determine which ones are suitable to preview at the film festival.

All films must be submitted on DVD, and the DVD case must be labeled with the following information: name of film; length of film; name of school; and director's name, address, phone number and e-mail address.

For information or to make arrangements to deliver the DVD, e-mail cyndiescorner@cox.net.

CSUSM to offer conference planning services

SAN MARCOS - Cal State San Marcos Extended Learning is taking it beyond the classroom and will now offer conference planning services. This new one-stop planning service will assist organizations and associations in the planning and execution of successful events - from entertainment, transportation and catering to program development, continuing education credit and on-site management. Information: (760) 750-4020.

Center to present free lecture

RANCHO BERNARDO - The Continuing Education Center at Rancho Bernardo and the North County Times will sponsor the center's first free community lecture for 2007-08 at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at Oaks North Community Center, 12578 Oaks North Drive. Refreshments will be served at 7 p.m.

Bruno Leone will discuss "Our Heritage of Racism in Immigration," concerning the 1924 National Origins Quota Act that banned Chinese and Japanese immigrants and curtailed immigration from southern and eastern Europe. Leone, a recipient of Fulbright and National Endowment for the Humanities grants, was an instructor at the University of Minnesota, author and book editor.

Information and registration: (858) 487-0464, http://www.cecrb.org.

Oceanside, Carlsbad classes of '58 plan reunion

NORTH COUNTY - The combined classes of Oceanside and Carlsbad high schools class of 1958 will hold a 50-year reunion the weekend of Sept. 19. Efforts are under way to locate as many class members as possible. Anyone who is a member or who knows the whereabouts of any members is asked to contact Diane (King) Sentinella at teendee@roadrunner.com or (760) 729-3114 or Richard Walton at rwdubber@sbcglobal.net or (760) 729-2664.

Singles club seeks members

NORTH COUNTY - The North County Singles Club for seniors ages 55 and older is seeking new members. The club's main activities involve dancing; however, other events, such as potlucks, offer opportunities for friendship, camaraderie and socialization. Members meet for dinner and dancing Friday evenings at the Vista Elks Lodge.

Dinner is served from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Music for dancing begins at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $13. Call Geri at (760) 942-2719 for reservations, which are required, and for membership information.

University of Phoenix collecting toys

SAN DIEGO - The University of Phoenix San Diego Campus supports the annual "8's Give Your Heart to Kids Gift Drive" for the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation of San Diego County.

The university's learning centers in Chula Vista, Kearny Mesa and San Marcos are collecting new, unwrapped gifts for infants and children, as well as special gifts for teenagers, through Dec. 11. The gifts are distributed by the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation to more than 30 agencies who help thousands of San Diego children living in crisis.

Donations may be dropped off at the following University of Phoenix San Diego Learning Centers:

• San Marcos Learning Center, 277 Rancheros Drive, Suite 200.

• Kearny Mesa Learning Center, 3890 Murphy Canyon Road.

• Chula Vista Learning Center, 2060 Otay Lakes Road.

Information: http://www.capfsd.org or (858) 278-4400.

Women's chorus seeks members

SAN MARCOS - The Vista Hills Chorus, a local barbershop harmony organization for women, invites women of all ages who enjoy singing a cappella to join the group.

Musical knowledge is not necessary. Any woman with average singing ability, with or without vocal training, is welcome.

The Vista Hills Chorus, which is part of Sweet Adelines International, has been rehearsing and performing throughout North County for the last 40 years. Singers come from all areas, from Fallbrook to Encinitas, and even a few from Orange County. At the last regional competition attended, the chorus placed third in the Small Chorus Division, scoring higher than several larger groups.

The chorus meets from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays at San Marcos Lutheran Church, 3419 Grand Ave.

In addition, the chorus is finalizing its musical repertoire for the Christmas Season. A limited number of performance times are available. Call (760) 634-8446.