Think, for instance, of the moment when your odo-meter rolls over to 50,000 or 100,000; do you pull over to admire it?

Those fleeting,discount tiffany, precise figures command a singular fascination. Not a bit under, not a bit over — exact. And then, before you know it, they’re usually gone.

There is the perfect 10, the 100th anniversary, the 5,000th friend and the 1,000,000th served. Editors even assign 1,000-word stories.

And then there is sports.

In a culture that is numbers obsessed, fans throw around terms like 1,000-yard rusher or 100-RBI man all the time, but rarely do they mean that someone actually hit those statistical markers right on the nose. Usually athletes reach that milestone and then add on.

But a glance across the four major sports shows there are those rare times when players, for better or worse, didn’t make it any farther.

Perhaps the most well-known is also the most somber — Roberto Clemente’s 3,000 hits.

Following the 1972 season, Clemente boarded an airplane bound for Nicaragua. He was part of the relief effort to aid victims of an earthquake. But moments after the plane took off, it crashed, killing Clemente and the other crew and passengers aboard.

Clemente’s impact on baseball went beyond his statistical prowess, but he never got a chance to advance past 3,000 hits when he died at the age of 38.

Of the major sports, baseball tends to draw the nerd — er, most cerebral fans, and baseball has an abundance of statistics to satisfy their geekiness, in a variety of categories. Rickey Henderson had 100 stolen bases in 1980. Darryl Strawberry finished his career with 1,000 RBI. Ellis Burks played in exactly 2,000 games. Bruce Sutter is 21st all time with 300 saves. Jim Bunning allowed 1,000 walks in his career.

Jeffrey Leonard and former Cub Shawon Dunston struck out 1,000 times. Leonard, who finished his career in Seattle, struck out in the fifth inning of his final game, which marked his last at-bat. He was replaced in the field before his next turn in the lineup and he never played again.

Nobody has exactly 500 home runs. Chuck Klein, however, finished with 300.

New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez is within one home run of joining the 600 club. But as with a car’s odometer, this will likely be just a transitory figure. That doesn’t mean it will be easy for him to hit No. 601. After Rodriguez hit No. 500, it took him nine games to hit the next one, and over those nine games, he hit .107.

For pitchers, 300 wins usually means automatic Hall of Fame entry. Both Lefty Grove and Early Wynn have 300 exactly.

A former White Sox player and broadcaster, Wynn struggled for his milestone, failing to achieve it in seven starts over nine months, the longest period ever between a pitcher’s 299th and 300th win. Finally, in 1963, pitching for the Indians at age 43, he pitched only five innings but got the win over the Kansas City A’s. "I was exhausted," he reportedly said.

In basketball, Wilt Chamberlain has the sport’s most notable round number, with the 100 points he scored in 1962. He hit 36 of 63 field goals and 28 of 32 free throws to do it. It took a minor miracle for Chamberlain to hit that many free throws, considering his lifetime percentage is just a shade over 51 percent.

But after that, basketball fails to produce many scintillating round numbers.

Walt Bellamy once had 1,500 rebounds in the 1961-62 season for the Chicago Packers. Danny Manning finished with 1,000 steals, while Shaquille O’Neal, if he retired today, would finish his career with 3,000 assists.

As for the NHL, the late Bob Probert, a former Blackhawk, sat for 3,300 minutes in the penalty box, fifth most all-time in the NHL. Lanny McDonald had 500 goals, but after that, no hockey stats of significance ended in a couple zeroes.

The NFL, meanwhile, yields more interesting cases. Franco Harris and Curtis Martin both finished their careers with exactly 100 touchdowns. Two quarterbacks, the Bears’ Jim McMahon and Washington’s Doug Williams, each threw for 100, but that pales in comparison to Denver’s John Elway, who had 300 when he retired. In 1986, Minnesota quarterback Tommy Kramer earned a Pro Bowl spot and the comeback player of the year award for his 3,000-yard performance, the only time an NFL quarterback threw for that in a single season. No receiver has had exactly 1,000 yards, but Marcus Robinson did have 1,400 for the Bears in 1999. Hall of Famer Barry Sanders did have the NFL’s lone 1,500-yard rushing season. Willie Ellison in 1971, Mercury Morris in 1972 — in Miami’s perfect season — Greg Pruitt in 1976 and Ricky Williams in 2000 rushed for exactly 1,000.

So why can’t you say someone who rushed for 998 yards is also a 1,000-yard rusher? Well, try telling that to anyone who missed out on an incentive bonus in his contract for falling just short of that mark. And try telling that to former Falcons running back Dave Hampton.

In the final game of the 1972 season, Hampton reached 1,000 yards in the fourth quarter. But on his next carry, he slipped and lost yardage, putting him back at 995. Even though there was plenty of time left in the game,tiffany money clips, a long scoring drive by Kansas City put the Chiefs ahead late, forcing Atlanta to throw to catch up. Hampton didn’t carry again that game.

Then in 1973, fate tormented Hampton again — he finished with 997 yards. After an injury-riddled 1974 campaign,tiffany cuff Links, Hampton entered the fourth quarter of the final contest in the 1975 season needing 28 yards to reach 1,000. Even with the Falcons trailing, Atlanta coach Marion Campbell gave Hampton the ball. He got 30 yards on three carries and was immediately removed with 1,002 yards. It was the only season Hampton could call himself a 1,tiffany key rings,000-yard rusher — but not if we’re exact.

So he’s partnering with other area congregations to hold a combination memorial, thank-you and plea-for-help service. The event begins at 7 p.m. Feb. 20 at Ridgewood Baptist Church, 939 Blanding Blvd. in Orange Park.

"The main goal is not only a memorial of all the Haitians devastated by the earthquake," Louis -Jean said, but also to appeal to God to help "rebuild Haiti with Christ."

Organizers see the service as a way "to thank America for everything they have done" for Haiti since the quake. They also want to issue an appeal for anyone interested in participating in rebuilding mission trips to the island.

"We need electricians,tiffany key rings, engineers, physicians to help us rebuild,tiffany rings," Louis-Jean said.

Louis-Jean can be reached at (863) 242-9008 for more information. Visit www.ridgewoodop.com or call (904) 272-3791 to learn more about Ridgewood Baptist.

Event explores Buddha’s teachings on love

Maitreya Kadampa Buddhist Center in Atlantic Beach will host "True Love at Last!," a Valentine’s Day event, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The center is at 85 Sailfish Drive.

The program will be led by resident teacher Carol Lutker and cover Buddha’s teachings on "developing love that brings only happiness," a news release said.

The cost is $35 ($25 for students) which includes lunch. Visit www.MeditationInJacksonville.org or call (904) 222.8531 to learn more or to register in advance.

Group schedules seminar for job seekers

The God First Business Network will host a free coaching seminar for those seeking employment from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Thursday at Journey Church,tiffany cuff Links, 797 Blanding Blvd., in Orange Park.

Attendees will learn how to properly prepare and update resumes and hone their networking and communication skills.

Call (904) 302.5320 or visit www.godfirstbusiness.com for more information. The organization can also be found at www.facebook.com/godfirstbusiness.

AME district plans annual heritage weekend

The Jacksonville-based 11th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church will host its 23rd annual Black Heritage Weekend Feb. 19-21 on the campuses of Edward Waters College and James Weldon Johnson College Preparatory Middle School.

A number of events are planned during the event, from celebrating the 250th birthday of the denomination’s founder to drama, essay and poetry writing,tiffany bangles, music and sports competitions, and chess and "Bible Jeopardy" contests.

The public is invited to attend. Visit www.11thdistrictamec.org for more information.

jeff.brumley@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4310

Police Chief Scott Cunningham said yesterday afternoon that his internal committee now looking at the case requested the additional DNA testing on clothing worn by Jill Marker, the manager at the store who was severely beaten in December 1995.

Test results from the SBI earlier this month showed that blood on Marker’s shirt, as well as on a piece of cardboard, yielded only DNA links to her. There was no link from the evidence to Kalvin Michael Smith, the man convicted of assaulting her, or to anyone else. That includes Kenneth Lamoureux, an early suspect in the case.

The evidence was sent for testing to the SBI laboratory in March after the internal review showed that those materials had never been tested for the presence of DNA.

Detectives with the Criminal Investigation Division met yesterday morning with a scientist at LabCorp in Research Triangle Park to discuss the possibility of submitting the clothing to "touch" DNA analysis, a sophisticated test that may be able to retrieve and identify DNA samples from anyone who touched the clothing, Cunningham said in a statement.

As a result of that meeting,tiffany, LabCorp will conduct extensive DNA testing with the goal of obtaining identifiable forensic information.

Results of the testing will be announced as soon as they are available, Cunningham said.

"While we have complete confidence in the SBI, we are looking to see if other tests might reveal any physical evidence," Cunningham said.

"Touch" DNA analysis could be important in the case because of a statement made by a witness who linked Smith to the crime.

The witness, Eugene Littlejohn, testified at Smith’s 1997 trial that he accompanied Smith to the store and that Smith at one point grabbed Marker by the arms. More recently, Littlejohn was one of several witnesses who gave affidavits to Smith’s attorneys recanting their statements, saying they were coerced by the police.

Jim Coleman, a faculty adviser to the Innocence Project at Duke University, which has worked on Smith’s behalf since 2003, has said "touch" DNA analysis is important because it could yield forensic evidence that would identify another person.

The police never found any physical evidence linking Smith to the crime. On the night he was arrested, he gave police a statement in which he said he was at the scene,tiffany pendants, but wasn’t the attacker. Prosecutors ended up not using that statement, which Smith had recanted, during the trial.

Earlier yesterday, David Pishko, Smith’s Winston-Salem-based attorney, had said he would formally request that the city use a private laboratory.

"They’ve expressed in the past a willingness to send it to a private lab for testing in the hopes that more sophisticated testing would reveal, or might uncover, more evidence," Pishko said. "There are no real rules here as to who has to do what."

He said the Innocence Project at Duke University, which has worked with Smith since 2003, has offered to pick up the costs associated with testing at a private lab.

Smith is serving 23 to 29 years in prison. He is appealing his conviction in the federal courts after state courts have turned down his efforts to win a new trial.

The case has come under intense scrutiny over the past few years from the Innocence Project. In addition, a five-part series in the Winston-Salem Journal in 2004 raised many questions about the case, as did the Silk Plant Forest Citizens Review Committee, which re-examined the police investigation in 2008 and 2009.

The committee’s final report, released in August 2009, concluded that the committee didn’t have much faith in the police department’s work on the case. Separately, the committee voted 7-2 in favor of a statement that said it found no credible evidence that Smith was at the scene of the crime.

The internal review is looking at whether to reopen the police investigation. Cunningham said at the news conference that the police will release a full report on the internal review late this summer.

A key issue in the case has been why former police detective Don Williams, the lead investigator in the case, dropped the original suspect, Lamoureux.

Several witnesses identified Lamoureux as having been in the store on Dec. 9, 1995,discount tiffany, the night of the attack.

Lamoureux knew Marker because she used to work at Today’s Child, a day-care center where he took his children. He was dropped as a suspect in April 1996 when he moved to Charlotte.

An affidavit recently filed on behalf of Smith in connection with his federal appeal said that Marker telephoned a friend "upset and anxious" after Lamoureux came into the store the night she was attacked, asked her out and stormed away angrily when she refused.

Marker made the call to Jeana Schopfer about 8:45 p.m. on Dec. 9, 1995, just minutes before she was attacked.

Schopfer, who had supervised Marker at Today’s Child and was a friend, was part of his attorneys’ response to a state motion to dismiss Smith’s federal appeal.

mhewlett@wsjournal.com — 727-7326 lgura@wsjournal.com — 727-7234

During the World Cup tournament, Univision Futbol generated 34.7 million visits across online and mobile offerings. Fans streamed over 10 million total hours of live video on UnivisionFutbol.com. On average each day, users spent nearly 1 hour and 30 minutes per viewing session across more than 265,000 unique media players. On the mobile front, the Univision Futbol App continues to be one of the most popular apps in Apple’s App Store and on other top mobile platforms with over 450,000 downloads since it launched.

"Our Interactive platforms far exceeded our goals for the 2010 World Cup(TM)," said Kevin Conroy, president, Univision Interactive Media. "There is a tremendous appetite for soccer coverage and content, both online and on mobile, and building on the success of World Cup, UnivisionFutbol.com will now continue to offer fans the best and most comprehensive coverage of worldwide soccer year-round."

Tournament Records:

– Top 10 Matches by Peak Simultaneous Streams:

– Top 5 Days by Total Hours Viewed:

Sources

Univision Futbol Offerings Traffic: Univision.com U.S./Puerto Rico Traffic Analytics (MRC Accredited), July Systems – 6/11/10 – 7/11/10

Live Streaming: Conviva, 6/11/10 – 7/11/10

App Downloads: iPhone/iPad – July Systems – Flurry Site; Blackberry – Blackberry App World Vendor Reporting; Android: Android App Market Vendor Reporting; Nokia – Nokia Ovi Store Statistics through 7/11/10

Univision.com

As an Official Internet Broadcaster of the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM), Univision.com offered live streaming of all matches on www.UnivisionFutbol.com. Fans are still coming to the site for match recaps, final stats, interviews with players and coaches, and exclusive behind-the-scenes video of soccer stars. UnivisionFutbol.com will continue to engage its large and passionate audience with the latest from worldwide soccer throughout the year.

Univision Movil

Univision Movil was a Mobile Content Provider of the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM). Plus, live mobile streaming of the matches was accessible to Verizon Wireless V CAST subscribers where available. The UnivisionFutbol.com mobile site is still providing fans with final news and stats from the World Cup, and its mobile soccer coverage will continue as leagues and tournaments unfold around the world.

Univision Futbol App

Univision Interactive Media’s Univision Futbol App features the latest results, news, video and photos directly from South Africa. The app will showcase the latest from soccer tournaments and leagues worldwide. Find download information for all available platforms here, including iPhone, iPad, Blackberry,tiffany money clips, Android and Nokia.

About Univision Interactive Media, Inc.

Univision Interactive Media, Inc. is the digital division of Univision Communications Inc., the premier Spanish-language media company in the United States. Univision Interactive Media, Inc. includes Univision.com (www.univision.com), the premier Spanish-language Internet destination in the U.S.,tiffany bracelets, and Univision Movil,tiffany cuff Links, the industry’s most comprehensive Spanish-language suite of mobile offerings. Univision Communications Inc. also owns and operates Univision Network, the most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the U.S. reaching 95% of U.S. Hispanic Households; TeleFutura Network, a general-interest Spanish-language broadcast television network,discount tiffany, which was launched in 2002 and now reaches 85% of U.S. Hispanic Households; Galavision, the country’s leading Spanish-language cable network; Univision Studios, which produces and co-produces telenovelas, reality shows, dramatic series and other programming formats for all of the Company’s platforms; Univision Television Group, which owns and operates 63 television stations in major U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico; Univision Radio, the leading Spanish-language radio group which owns and/or operates 68 radio stations in 16 of the top 25 U.S. Hispanic markets and 5 stations in Puerto Rico. Univision Communications also has a 50% interest in TuTv, a joint venture formed to broadcast Televisa’s pay television channels in the U.S. Univision Communications has television network operations in Miami and television and radio stations and sales offices in major cities throughout the United States. For more information, please visit www.univision.net.

– — –

I was reading Dahlia Lithwick in Newsweek this week and she was making a case the "not-so-perfect-people" were being discriminated against.

Her column began:

"If you are anything like me, you left the theater after ‘Sex and the City 2′ and thought, there ought to be a law against a looks-based culture in which the only way for 40-year-old actresses to be compensated like 40-year-old actors is to have them look and dress like the teenage daughters of 40-year-old actors. You can’t even look at Sarah Jessica Parker without longing to feed her croissants."

Lithwick went on to discuss a new book,tiffany cuff Links, "The Beauty Bias," which essentially says the nonbeautiful are being discriminated against.

Restaurants, for example,tiffany bangles, that serve hot wings shouldn’t be allowed to fire a waitress for being a couple of pounds overweight.

Fair enough. My bad looks shouldn’t cost me a job.

– — –

But then I hear about a Village Voice story. It reports that a woman is claiming she was fired because she is too pretty.

That’s correct! Debrahlee Lorenzana says, quite simply, she was too good looking.

So she’s filed a lawsuit.

Dang. It sounds to me like we’ve got trouble if we are on either end of the pretty meter.

I guess we’re better off finding that vast, bland middle ground.

– — –

Speaking of the bland middle ground (love the segue) we had a great discussion this week about our unscientific Web polls. And I should say up front, if you hate them, blame me. I’ve written all of them so far.

A few folks here feel like they’re a bit too edgy, sort of borderline controversial. Fair opinion.

But is that so bad?

Look, media companies have a bunch of challenges to overcome: Fewer people reading, competing Internet, a greater distribution of ad dollars, etc.

We should always be fair and accurate but we should do so — when appropriate — with just a little edge.

Our poll has asked questions about politicians, the establishment, governmental salaries and sports. So what if it’s edgy? That’s my argument.

A month-to-month analysis of our poll shows huge growth since it began early this year. It has more than doubled in page views. So we plan to add more soon. The new ones might not be as edgy, but we believe folks are interested in voicing their opinions in a poll.

– — –

Speaking of opinions (another marginally sweet segue) how ’bout those Chicago Blackhawks!

Being from Chicago,tiffany rings, I enjoyed watching them whip Philadelphia in the Stanley Cup this week. And they finished them off over at their joint to boot.

I was a little surprised, however, at how those Flyers fans reacted after it was over.

They constantly booed, even through the Cup ceremony. I wondered if the media would cover this unbecoming behavior.

The Philadelphia media basically ignored it. But the Chicago media did not.

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Rick Morrissey said folks in Philadelphia couldn’t do much about the Blackhawks.

"Well,tiffany pendants, (they) could boo, which Flyers fans did loudly as the Hawks carried the Cup around the ice. You can’t teach that kind of classiness. You’re born with it."

Don’t be such homers, Philadelphia media!

Lou Brancaccio is The Columbian’s editor. Reach him at 360-735-4505 or lou.brancaccio@columbian.com.

• Our Beauty Bias is Unfair
• McClung highlights beauty from oceans’ depths
• Aspiring to beauty at home and abroad

A team of rare breed pigs have been drafted in to help restore heathland at a popular Leicestershire beauty spot.

The unusual landscape management team join Beacon Hill Country Park’s collection of alpacas, which protect the site’s sheep, as part of an ongoing project.

The eight 15-week old Welsh pigs are helping clear unwanted species such as bracken,discount tiffany, sycamore and birch scrub by doing what they love best – eating, rummaging and turning over the soil.

The real-life rotavators have been borrowed from Brooksby Melton College and are being situated in temporary pens which will be moved around the park.

The Welsh Pig is an old rare breed which is very hardy and is favoured for its management capabilities.

It is anticipated that the work of the curly tailed helpers will provide an excellent opportunity for the resident seed bank of species such as heather, bilberry and gorse to germinate.

These will then be able to be managed in the future by the country park’s grazing livestock.

Chris Conway,tiffany cuff Links, Ranger at Beacon Hill Country Park,tiffany pendants, said: "We are delighted to welcome this unusual team of helpers to Beacon Hill.

"They are doing a great job at helping with the heathland restoration project and are a sight to behold."

Rangers intend to keep pigs at Beacon Hill, which is Leicestershire’s second highest spot, for the next two months or so.

For more information about Beacon Hill Country Park visit: www.leics.gov.uk/beacon

For Drew Meyers, a retired San Joaquin County public works fiscal manager, it means images from Alaska, French Polynesia,tiffany pendants, Guatemala, Hawaii, Portugal and Tanzania.

The longtime Stocktonian will display the photos from his travels over the past year throughout July at the San Joaquin Law Library, 20 N. Sutter St. in Stockton. The show opens Wednesday and an artist’s reception with music is next Friday during the Downtown Stockton Art Walk.

"I retired almost three years ago, and I travel quite a bit," Meyers said. "In January, we were in Tanzania for two weeks. Then we were on a clipper ship … to Portugal. We went to the French Polynesian islands and to Alaska.

There’s just one photo from Alaska and one or two from Kauai. They represent a year of travel."

Meyers’ travel photographs, which he displays in San Joaquin Delta College’s "Armchair Traveler" program, tend toward animals, nautical scenes, land- scapes, architecture and, most recently,discount tiffany, birds.

"In the last 10 years I’ve developed an interest in birdwatching, and they kind of go hand in hand, taking a picture and seeing what kind of bird it is," Meyers said. "It’s a challenge to take a good bird picture."

The challenge of photography doesn’t seem to have flustered Meyers, who got his first camera — a Kodak with built-in flash — as a college student in Southern California in the mid-1960s.

He never lost interest in photography, but as he began to travel more over the past five years, he starting taking more photos. He’s entered — and won top prizes in — several art shows, including the San Joaquin County Fair and the Delicato Photo Contest, in which he won the Visitors’ Choice award.

This show marks a return engagement at the Law Library. Meyers was invited back by director Barbara Zaruba.

"People like (his work)," Zaruba said.

"People buy his pictures. It’s the kind of thing you can put in your home. He’s traveled so far around the world, and he gives you an idea of things you haven’t seen yet or what you might want to see."

Meyers’ wanderlust was satisfied by two years in the Navy and 23 more in the Navy Reserve. He and his wife, Holly, who plans the trips, began to travel more after the second of their two children graduated from college, and there’s been no keeping them home since his retirement in December 2007.

He’s visited every continent but Antarctica and has the photographs to prove it.

"I don’t take too many people pictures," Meyers said. "Some people don’t like to have their pictures taken. It’s kind of intrusive."

It’s ironic, because meeting people and seeing them in their homelands is one of the aspects of travel he enjoys.

"When you travel around the world, you see people the way they are," Meyers said. "It’s the basic things that make people who they are, and when you travel, you appreciate that more."

He’s noticed a commonality among people in developing countries, including the construction of their homes, the way they scavenge for wood and carry objects on their heads.

Still, he generally doesn’t photograph them.

He made an exception in Guatemala earlier this year. He and his wife were doing mission work for their church, Lincoln Presbyterian, and met some of the underprivileged children the church sponsors. He did photograph those youngsters to share with parishioners.

The photo of Guatemala he chose for the show, though, is a picture of Lake Atitlan.

"I think it’s pretty good," Meyers said. "It’s a morning scene with fog over the lake and some of the boats they have in the background."

The image is one of his favorites in the show, along with one taken in Tahiti. That one, looking toward Bora Bora, shows the ocean and islands in the distance. The photos from Tanzania are of animals and birds, taken on a safari, when Meyers’ only shooting was done with a Nikon D80.

About 40 images make up this show.

"I like to watch and see how people react to it," Meyers said.

"It’s kind of positive reinforcement."

The library is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Information: (209) 468-3920.

Galleries

Lodi First Friday Art hop

The pastel and charcoal face drawings of students of Studio 20 owner Ronald Houck will be on display at the studio (20 W. Elm) during next Friday’s Art Hop.

Heritage Oaks Winery owner Tom Hoffman will play the piano at the studio, and his wine will be poured. Other stops on the hop, which runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m., are Hutchins Street Square ( 125 S. Hutchins St.), Lodi Community Art Center (Lakewood Mall), Lodi Public Library (201 W.

Locust St.), Scooters (121 W. Elm St.), Java Stop (321 S. Hutchins), McKinelys Frame Shop (11 W. Pine St.), The Dancing Fox Winery & Bakery & Eatery (203 S. School St.), Mon Petit Chic (330 W. Lodi Ave.) and Vision Flooring and Interiors (906 W. Lodi Ave.).

Lodi community Art center, Lakewood Mall

Deborah Morgan, who recently became president of the Lodi Community Art Center, is the featured artist of the month.

Her watercolors, oils, pastels and charcoal drawings as well as mixed media creations will be on display during the Art Hop and the rest of July.

The art center is at 1373 Lakewood Mall, North Ham Lane and W. Locust St.

Information: (209) 333-3855.

Tidewater Art center and Gallery, 223 e. Weber Ave., Stockton

Fine, handcrafted pottery, including functional and decorative ceramic art creations designed in clay as well as decorative glassware created by the San Joaquin Potters’ Guild make up the sixth annual Potters Show. It opens Tuesday with a meet-the-artists reception from 5 to 8 p.m. during the Downtown Art Walk.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Monday through Friday.

Information: (209) 463-4033.

elsie May Goodwin Gallery, 1902 Pacific Ave., Stockton

Fresno artist Bria Marie Valdez, whose works were displayed at the San Joaquin Law Library last year, returns to Stockton as the featured artist of the Stockton Art League. A reception will be from 4 to 7 p.m. July 10.

Plein-Air oil painter Chella, who works painting agricultural subjects that are part of the vanishing landscape, will demonstrate her craft from 7 to 9 p.m.

T hu rsday.

The gallery is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Information: (209) 466-6604.

Knowlton Gallery, 115 S. School St., Lodi.

The gallery celebrates "Down to the Sea," a collection of paintings of the coast that is inviting in the summer to Californians of all locales. Stockton’s Gil Dellinger is among 14 artists whose works make up the show that runs through Aug. 21.

An opening reception, including a Dellinger demonstration, is 1 to 4 p.m. July 10.

The gallery is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Information: (209) 368-5123.

The haggin Museum, 1201 N. Pershing Ave., Stockton

In celebration of "America’s Other Illustrator," the museum presents Leyendecker Speakeasy at 7 p.m. July 15. Guests are encouraged to dress as the Arrow Collar Man in honor of J.C. Leyendecker.

Also this month, "California Impressionism," 59 works on loan from the Irvine Museum, and "Bustles & Balustrades," which explores the relationship between Victorian clothing and architecture, continue.

The museum is open 1:30 to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, and admission is free the first Saturday of the month.

Information: (209) 940-6300.

Mexican heritage center, 30 e.

Acacia St., Stockton

"Guacamole for the Soul," the center’s monthly speaker/ informational program, takes on new meaning this month with "The Whole Enchilada."

Members will share recipes and offer samples of Aztec salsa, cactus salad, guacamole, ceviche, Chicana a la Reyna, flautas and more, at 7 p.m.

next Friday. Admission is $10 for members and students, $15 for everyone else. Doors open at 6 p.m., and space is limited.

Also, the annual photography exhibit by amateur and professional photographers, dedicated to the late John Nagle, remains on display.

The gallery is open from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

Information: (209) 547-0792.

Gallery 10, 15 eureka St., Sutter creek

The jewelry and photography of Marie Martz-Mort will fill the gallery this month. Martz-Mort, who studied at Lincoln High School, Sierra College and California State University, Stanislaus, found her real love in a silver and enameling class and turned her focus to jewelry. She began photography in the past few years, and her works include flora and fauna of Amador County, as well as cats.

An artist’s reception is 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Gallery 10 is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday.

Information: (209) 267-0203.

Grand Theatre center for the Arts, 715 central Ave., Tracy.

The final show of the 2009-10 season, "Waiting for the Light — A Photographic Retrospective by Dave Olmstead," continues through July 24. Olmstead, a 42-year resident of Tracy whose show chronicles his travels throughout the Western United States and Mexico over a 40-year period, features candid, commercial and landscape images.

The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 6p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Information: (209) 831-6278.

delicato Vineyards Photography Show,tiffany cuff Links, 12001 S. highway 99, Manteca

More than 275 entries were submitted for the 14th annual show, and while winners in a number of categories have been judged, visitors to the Delicato tasting room, where the photos are displayed, are invited to vote for the Visitor’s Choice Award.

An artists’ reception and awards ceremony is 2 to 4 p.m.

July 24 in the tasting room.

The tasting room, closed July Fourth, is open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily.

Information: (209) 824-3505.

Studio 20 Art Gallery, 20 W. elm St., Lodi

Works by owner Ronald Houck are on display throughout the month. The gallery is open Thursday through Saturday.

Information: (209) 334-2510.

Gallery calaveras, 22 Main St., San Andreas

"The Traveler — Places I’ve Been," featuring paintings, ceramics and photography, runs for three weeks.

The gallery is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Saturdays.

Information: (209) 754-1774.

Stockton downtown Art Walk

The second art walk of the summer is next Friday with art on display from 5 to 8 p.m.,tiffany bangles, a beer garden from 5 to 9 p.m. in Janet Leigh Plaza, and late-night farmers market at the waterfront.

Among the locations open for the first event are the Tidewater Gallery (223 E. Weber Ave.), the San Joaquin County Administration Building (44 N. San Joaquin St.), the Hotel Stockton (145 E. Weber Ave.), Paragary’s (110 N. Hunter St.), Bagel Express (231 E. Weber Ave.), and Janet Leigh Plaza and Misaki, both at 222 N. El Dorado St.

Full art walk guides are available at www.downtownstockton. org.

Information: (209) 464-5246.

Galerie cooper, Town hall Arts, copperopolis Town Square

Murphys artist Judie Cain and Valley Springs photographer Ellie Stone are the artists of the month and will conduct a series of classes.

Cain’s intermediate oil class is open to those with some experience painting in oils. The fourclass series will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday and July 12, 19, and 26. Cost is $125.

Stone’s three classes in digital single lens reflex photography are 3 to 5 p.m. next Friday and July 16, and 5 to 7 p.m. July 23. Cost is $50 for the series.

To sign up for either class series, contact Town Hall Arts at (209) 785-2050 or townhallarts @caltel.com.

Also, local artists are invited to "Paint the Town" on Sunday afternoons at Copper Town Square.

San Joaquin Potters Guild ceramic Show

Entries for the second guild show, "Hands in Clay 2010," will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 31 and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug.

1 at the Mistlin Gallery, 1015 J St. in Modesto. Each artist may submit up to three pieces, with a $15 per piece entry fee. Ceramic artist Tony Natsoulas will judge.

For show prospectus, entry form, information and registration for a Sept. 4 workshop by Natsoulas and ceramic artists, Rick Uebner and Don Hall, visit www.san joaquinpottersguild.org.

Railtown 1897 State historic Park, Jackson

Patrick Michael Karnahan, the most prolific painter of the Sierra Railroad, will display his works Saturday through Monday in conjunction with the unveiling of Sierra Locomotive No. 3, the movie star train that will be under steam for the first time in 15 yeas.

Karnahan’s paintings of trains have been used for calendars, including the Sierra Railroad company calendar and Orchard Supply Hardware’s 2008 Railroad Calendar. He’s been commissioned to paint 12 images for OSH’s 2012 calendar.

The paintings will be on display in the park store during regular hours, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday and 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday.

Admission to the park and parking are free.

Information: (209) 984-3953 or www.parks.ca.gov/CapitalD istrict.

LA VILLA — An Edinburg man is set to be charged with capital murder today for the death of a 2-year-old here, according to authorities.

Adan Acuna, 32, brought the toddler into Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco sometime before 6:30 p.m. Tuesday,tiffany cuff Links, said La Villa Police Chief Eloy Cardenas. The boy, Austin Reyna Contreras, had serious bruising and was dead upon arrival at the hospital.

The toddler had just celebrated his second birthday on June 10.

Sandra Reyna — Acuna’s girlfriend and the child’s mother — has had several opportunities to meet with La Villa police,tiffany bangles, the chief said. However, she had yet to come into the station to give a statement as of Wednesday evening.

"Wouldn’t any mother who just had her 2-year-old son deceased in a questionable manner want some kind of answers?" Cardenas said. "I know I would if it were me."

Cardenas fears the woman will try to flee to Mexico. However, she shouldn’t be afraid to talk to officials,tiffany key rings, he said, noting she is merely a person of interest in the investigation right now.

Reyna has several other children, the oldest of whom is 11, the chief said. The state’s Child Protective Services division has placed them with family members while the agency investigates the toddler’s death.

This is not the first time the family has come under scrutiny by CPS for possible child abuse or neglect, agency spokesman John Lennan said.

CPS investigated four prior allegations beginning in October 2000, he said. The agency provided help to the family on two of those occasions. The investigator of the most recent of those allegations,tiffany necklaces, made in April, could not find enough evidence to support that child abuse or neglect was actually occurring.

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Lindsay Machak covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4462.

The event will bring together industry insiders to honor five notable personalities for their positive influences on their communities and the environment. This year’s honorees are: Lane Carlson and Helena Houdova of the Sunflower Children Organization; Carlos Campos of clothing and accessory label Carlos Campos; Summer Rayne Oaks, model-turned-activist and author of "Style, Naturally"; and make-up artist Rose-Marie Swift of RMS Beauty.

In addition to the awards ceremony and after-party, Lucky Strike’s bowling lanes will become a catwalk for an unprecedented fashion show as mega retailer Forever 21(R) showcases their 2010 collection. Other event partners include: Fairchild Fashion Group(R),tiffany rings, The Patron Spirits Company, Sapporo Breweries Ltd, Societe PerrierTM, Greg Norman Estates Wine, Models International,tiffany money clips, tarte cosmetics and Pop Chips.

Allan Ellinger, Chairman of Fashion Delivers, stated, "The recent tragedy in Haiti truly underscores the need for continuous education about how the industry can help our local and global communities. We look forward to taking the opportunity to honor industry vanguards and role models that use their time and resources for a greater good."

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at www.payitfashionforward.com.

About Fashion DeliversTM Charitable Foundation,tiffany cuff Links, Inc.

Fashion Delivers is a non-profit organization that mobilizes retail and fashion companies to donate their excess inventory to those in need. In less than five years the group has raised over $69 million dollars in product donations, and has garnered the support of over 500 retail companies. This year, Fashion Delivers has secured over $25 million dollars in product for Haiti relief efforts and all net proceeds from Pay It Fashion Forward will be used to cover shipping costs. Visit www.fashiondelivers.org for more information.

June 24–"The Office" celebrity and "The Grass Roots" rockstar Creed Bratton, 67, kept the audience doubled over with laughter as he regaled the audience with tales of his early days growing up in Coarsegold, life as a 1960s rockstar and his current life in the recording studio and on set with "The Office."

Community members of all ages attended the event at the Positive Living Center and Bratton’s mother,tiffany bangles, Coarsegold resident Cozzette Ertmoed,tiffany key rings, 91, was front and center for the event.

Bratton sang a number of songs from his new album "Creed Bratton and the 3DVB’s" along with a few reminiscent older songs.

"It was one of the best evenings of entertainment I have had," said Bob Hand, event coordinator. "Creed combined outstanding music, hilarious comedy and a loving personality that just blew people away. Everyone who talked to me said they were thrilled with the experience."

Bratton donated photos and CD’s, which he signed, to sell as a fundraiser for Emerson Institute. The event raised $650 toward the institute’s building project that is a joint venture between them and the Positive Living Center.

Credit: Sierra Star, Oakhurst, Calif.