Head's Up Thru Nov. 24: Worthwhile Events This Week

By Martin Henderson

A look at what's going down and coming up for Lake Forest and residents of the surrounding area.

• Not that we want to put any additional pressure on him, but councilman Dwight Robinson is responsible for this week's "prayer" time at City Council, and he intends to use it to recite Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address—it's the 150th anniversary of the famous speech given by the president at Soldier's National Cemetery. The council meets on Tuesday, 7 p.m., and will also consider discussing an ordinance prohibiting the feeding of wildlife at public places and alternatives to control the fowl population at Village Pond Par. Other items on the agenda are public hearing notices requirements, and approval of the Orange County Fire Authority amended agreement. 

• Thinking about homeschooling your child? Crown Homeschool Co-op meets Wednesdays in Rancho Santa Margarita. Click here for some additional details.

• Want to run for City Council? It only takes three votes to win. The deadline to submit an application to fill the position vacated by Peter Herzog is Wednesday, 6 p.m. The four remaining council members will interview you publicly, and then if you can get three of them to choose you, you can take part in city government. A warning: You won't be able to fill everything out in the 11th hour.

• The Parks and Recreation Commission meets Thursday and according to its agenda, it will conduct interviews for the Senior Advisory Board, and consider recommendations for the Jim Sax Award to honor a senior volunteer. Also there will be a community workshop about Village Pond Park. The City's consultant will present a preliminary plan that keeps the pond in its current configuration, and propose options to control waterfowl.

• Folk/pop singer songwriter Dan Krikorian, who has the distinction of having penned the official theme song of Costa Mesa (his hometown), performs Thursday at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano. Tickets are $12.

* Want to discover your brain power? Appropriately, you can at the El Toro Library on Thursday, 7 p.m., in a free workshop on brain dominance control for athletics and academics. Click here for more details.

• The second annual OC Jingle Bell Run/Walk takes place Sunday in Laguna Niguel to benefit the Arthritis Foundation. Click here for details. 

• Do you like looking at the stars but don't have the time to go the Griffith Park Observatory? Scopes-4-Schools Inc., is a Lake Forest-based nonprofit raising money for a mobile observatory. Click here for more details and a cool picture.  

• If you're a family that loves cooking together, you might be prime material for a television show that's being cast by the creative force behind "Trading Spaces." They're looking for a specific type; check out the details.