Virtual class on Zentangle

CARLSBAD

Senior center hosts virtual gardening class

The Carlsbad Senior Center hosts an online Seed Starting Indoors class from 1 to 2 p.m. Tuesday. Participants learn start-to-finish seed projects including summer vegetables and flowers with final steps of how to transplant into the garden. Packets of soil and seeds will be available for pickup. $25 for the class. Advance registration required at carlsbadconnect.org or (760) 6024650.

Watercolor classes offered online

An online Intermediate/ Advanced Watercolor class offered by the Carlsbad Senior Center starts Thursday from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Classes include a color reference photo, supportive feedback and a line sketch. No drawing required. Materials not included. $131 for six-week session. Advance registration required at carlsbadconnect.org or (760) 6024650.

Library runs ‘Summer Reading Adventure’

The City of Carlsbad’s Summer Reading Adventure: A Summer Reading Program for All Ages runs through Aug. 9. Participation is free. Read and complete activities, then track your progress online to earn reading rewards. Visit carlsbadca.gov/services/depts/library/events/sra.asp.

The Carlsbad Senior Center is offering a series two of classes titled “Tangling for Fun & Relaxation,” which run Tuesdays, July 24 and 31, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Students learn about tangle types, ways to achieve balance of patterns and methods of adding tangle enhancers and embellishments to Zentangle tiles. Basic Zentangle 101 is recommended, but no art background is required. $55 for the two-week session. Advance registration required at carlsbadconnect.org or (760) 6024650.

Free investment seminars online

The Carlsbad Senior Center is hosting free online investment education lectures from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Monday on Mutual Fund Investing Basics and 1:30 to 3 p.m. July 27 on Top Morningstar Articles & Other Special Investing Topics. Presenter Shelley Murasko shows attendees how to use Morningstar’s guidance in fund investing. Morningstar is a subscription-based program, offered free through Carlsbad City Library and the San Diego County library systems. Advance registration required at carlsbadconnect.org or (760) 6024650.

ENCINITAS

Rancho Coastal Humane Society will launch its first “Rescue Pet Olympics” on Thursday. Pet owners can submit one video of their pets for each of three categories: Swimming, Gymnastics and Track & Field. Videos must be between 6 and 60 seconds long and will be accepted through Aug. 5. The links will be sent to judges. Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded in each category on Aug. 8. Free. Visit rchumanesociety.org/ olympics.

YMCA hosts blood drive

Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA will host a Mobile Blood Drive with San Diego Blood Bank from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 200 Saxony Road in the parking lot. Donors must be age 17 and older; weigh at least 114 pounds and be in good health. Photo identification required. Appointment required, please schedule at (800) 469-7322 or visit Sandiegobloodbank.org.

ESCONDIDO

The Escondido Public Library, 239 S. Kalmia St., continues to offer curbside pickup for books, DVDS and books on CD while the library is closed because of the pandemic and there are no checkout limits on items, and no overdue fees. Effective Monday items will be automatically renewed up to three times (except when on hold for someone). The book drops in the library parking lot are open for returns 24/7. Returned items are quarantined for 72 hours before being checked in. Curbside pickup is from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Library patrons can log into the library’s catalog at https://escondido.librarycatalog.info/polaris or call or text (442) 777-3799.

FALLBROOK Free online music, art and writing lessons

The Picerne Family Foundation is offering free live online one-on-one art, music and writing instruction in a new project called Shelter-in-place: Face-toface. Volunteer professional artists provide instruction in painting, drawing, collage, stitching, art with stories, origami, keyboard/piano, guitar, singing, sewing, crafts, and writing short stories and folk tales for all ages and skill levels. Lessons can be scheduled at picernefoundation.org/contact-us.

NORTH COUNTY Free weekly virtual event for seniors

The Foundation for Senior Wellbeing is hosting free weekly “Coffee Connection” conversations via Zoom 10 a.m. Friday. Join other seniors in North County for a free online “gathering” for older adults to meet new friends and connect over shared personal experiences. The group meets each Friday. Visit fswb.org or call (760) 891-8176.

Yarn drive set for ‘Stitches of Sunshine’

Altrusa International San Diego North County Coastal, a nonprofit community service organization, is holding a yarn drive for its Stitches of Sunshine service project and also seeks volunteers to knit, crochet or quilt items such as hats for all ages from babies to adults as well as all sizes of blankets and clothing items. Donated items go to UCSD Moores Cancer Center, Straight From The Heart, Fill-abelly and area hospitals among other charities. Visit smore.com/52t4k.

OCEANSIDE Mobile Art Workshop part of summer lineup

Oceanside Public Library and The Hill Street Country Club host a free Mobile Art Workshop Wednesdays through Aug. 8. The workshop is an expansion of Hill Street’s Papercuts Zine Club, a community art gallery and teaching artists program. Participants receive a project kit with materials curated by the teaching artist to explore mediums such as cyanotype photography and Zine creation. Online tutorials by artists will take participants through a step-by-step process. Register at https:// forms.gle/hjnkpfdhguag2sjwa.

RANCHO SANTA FE Church holds ‘Christmas in July’

The Village Church in Rancho Santa Fe holds a Christmas in July event from 9 a.m. to noon July 26 to collect new and gently used clothing and shoes, small electronics, furniture, baby items and toiletries to benefit the nonprofit San Diego Rescue Mission. Donations can be dropped off in the lower parking lot of the church at 6225 Paseo Delicias. Contributors will be asked to stay in their cars while volunteers unload the donated items. A donation receipt will be provided upon request. For a list of items needed, visit villagechurch.org.

VALLEY CENTER Museum expands online historic info

The Valley Center History Museum, closed temporarily due to the pandemic, has expanded its online listing of the most-frequentlyasked questions about local historic sites. In addition to data on the California grizzly bear, the site’s most popular listing, visitors can learn about Rancho Guejito and the home of “Betty Crocker.” There is a volunteer on duty during the week to respond to individual questions from students, researchers and the general public. To contact the museum, email museum@vchistory.org, call (760) 749-2993 or visit vchistory.org and click Historical Sites.

VISTA Community clinic offers Diaper Bank

Vista Community Clinic is offering a Diaper Bank Program. Eligible families can get one pack of free diapers per month. Each pack ranges from 20 to 40 diapers depending on size and brand. The nonprofit has various sizes at its health clinic locations in Vista and Oceanside. To make an appointment to pick up diapers, call (760) 631-5000, ext. 7014. northcounty@sduniontribune.com

The Del Mar-solana Beach Rotary Club marked the end of President Venky Venkatesh’s term with a virtual celebration of service via Zoom. Venkatesh highlighted projects the club has completed under his leadership to help communities locally and around the world. Community projects included volunteering at the annual Stand Down for Vets, hosting blood drives and holiday food drives, sending two World War II and Vietnam vets on Honor Flights to Washington, D.C., helping build a house for a needy family in Tecate, and donating $28,000 to local nonprofits for COVID-19 aid. International projects included supplying food baskets to poor families in El Salvador, supporting a children’s medical clinic in El Salvador, reroofing and improving a senior home in Tijuana and establishing a training center for homeless women in Kolkata, India. The club presented the Rotarian of the Year Award to Charles Foster for years of dedicated service and Boccefest fundraising. The event raised $42,000 this year for local nonprofits. Herb Liberman will take the helm as club president for 2020-2021. Bill Sutton (left) receives a certificate from Venky Venkatesh. The nonprofit Assistance League of North Coast has reopened its thrift shop at 1830 Oceanside Blvd. in the Frazier Farms Shopping Center. The volunteerrun thrift store funds the nonprofit’s programs to help the community, including “Operation School Bell,” which provides clothing, shoes, books, health kits and scholarships to students throughout Carlsbad, Oceanside and Vista. Due to the coronavirus, the temporary shop hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Everyone must wear a mask; no children under 16. From left are Nancy Lettow, thrift shop manager Veriaine Ford, and Minnie Scott. Visit alnc.org.