The EMQ Children & Family Services Volunteers Inspiring People (VIP) League will hold a luncheon called "Entertaining Throughout the Seasons" at the Fairmont San Jose, 170 S. Market St., on May 1 at 10:30 a.m. to raise money to help teenagers stay away from drugs.

Proceeds from the luncheon will benefit EMQ's Addiction Prevention Program. Through the program, staff visit middle and high schools throughout Santa Clara County, including Willow Glen Middle and High schools, giving presentations about legal and illegal drugs, the dangers of alcohol use and abuse, anger management and problem-solving skills and healthy peer and family relationships.

The luncheon features decorator-designed table settings, each worth between $4,000 and $10,000—including one by Casa Casa in Willow Glen—and the featured speaker is internationally recognized floral designer Renny Reynolds. Author of the best-selling book The Art of the Party, he will share his secrets for creating a unique party. There will also be a silent auction, door prizes and a drawing for a designer table.

Luncheon tickets are $75 per person. For more information, call Martie Northrup at 408.867.6944 or Judi Kron at 408.395.4143.

—Amy Jenkins


Wildlife center's 10th anniversary in May

The Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley announces its 10th anniversary celebration, "Walk on the Wild Side." The public is invited to join the center's staff and volunteers on May 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the center's location, 3027 Penitencia Creek Road, inside Penitencia Creek Park.

Educational booths will provide information on everything from wildlife rehabilitation to what to do with an injured bird. One of the center's objectives is to educate local communities and individuals about wildlife.

There will be four scheduled educational presentations featuring many live, non-releasable North American species, such as an opossum, a porcupine, a barn owl and more.

There will also be a raffle, refreshments, merchandise and wildlife-related items to purchase.

The event is free of charge, but donations are welcome. Good items to donate include paper towels, unscented facial tissue, Feline Maintenance Science Diet (dry), Purina Cat Chow and garbage cans with foot pedals.

The Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley is an independent, nonprofit organization established in 1993. The largest wildlife rehabilitation center in Santa Clara County, it has provided high-quality care and rehabilitation for more than 45,000 local injured, sick and orphaned birds and mammals since its inception.

For more information, contact Director Janet Alexander at the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley, 3027 Penitencia Creek Road, San Jose, call 408.928.5850 or visit http://www.wcsv.org.

—Amy Jenkins


North Willow Glen holds community garage sale

The North Willow Glen Neighborhood Association is inviting residents within its boundaries— north of Willow Street, east of Bird Avenue, south of Fuller Avenue and west of Prevost Street— to participate in a neighborhood-wide garage sale that will take place 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on May 31. The event will be open to the public.

Interested northern Willow Glen residents who want to participate in the event with other residents' garage sales may have their address included on a sale map.

Call the association's new voice mail number at 408.537.0393 or send an email to hello@northwillowglen.org. Applications are being accepted until May 23. Early registrants can list items they plan to sell, and a list will be posted on the association's website at www.northwillowglen.org.

For more information about events and issues affecting northern Willow Glen, visit the website or subscribe to the association's new email list at nwgna-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

—William Jeske


Shop giving away free comics, national event

Hijinx Comics, 2050 Lincoln Ave., will be participating on May 3 in Free Comic Book Day, which is being observed nationwide. The store will be offering free comic books and other bargains.

The Willow Glen­based comic book shop is joining forces with other shops across the country in cooperation with comic book publishers and distributors to offer specially published free-of-charge comic books.

According to www.freecomicbookday.com, proponents of the comic book industry claim that comic books are "an original American art form, created in the early days of the 20th century."

For more information, contact Hijinx comics at 408.266.1103 or visit http://www.wackyhijinx.com or http://www.freecomicbookday.com.

—William Jeske