San Ramon Shakespeare Camp

Announced by San Francisco Shakespeare Festival

SAN RAMON, CA – The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival announces that it will offer its yearly Bay Area Shakespeare Camp aspiring actors in San Ramon.

Two-week sessions, for ages 7-13, will be held at the Front Row Theater. The Camp meets weekdays from August 4 to August 15. All sessions run from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m..

Each two-week session is led by theater professionals who, in addition to their stage credentials, are also trained teachers and camp counselors. Camp sessions are designed to instill a sense of fun and creative exploration while developing and refining the skills used for performance. Campers develop various aspects of acting craft, including vocal projection techniques, improvisation skills and more, while learning to master the Bard’s verse. They also design and build their costumes, props and sets, learn stage combat and put all of their newly acquired skills on display for family and friends at a celebratory performance on the camp’s final day. Campers leave the camp with a new sense of confidence and self-esteem. The camps are perfect for both beginning and intermediate performers.

“We’re always excited to offer new camp locations,” said Rebecca Ennals, the Camp Director and Artistic Associate of the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. “There’s something about bringing Shakespeare to new friends and neighbors that makes it extra special.”

Perhaps the strongest testament to the success of the camps comes from the returning students. Of last year’s 800+ participants in 31 camps all over the Bay Area, about two-thirds of them were returning campers from prior seasons or personal referrals who also wanted to get in on the fun!

At 2:00 p.m. on the final day of each camp, campers will stage their own mini-performance of a Shakespearean play for family and friends. A cast party will follow the performance.

“It’s amazing to see what can be accomplished in two weeks and parents are always astonished when they see their children perform,” adds Ennals.

“Many campers say that camp is their favorite summer vacation experience and some have attended camp for five or six summers.”

The cost for each Shakespeare Camp session is $420. Aftercare is available for 7-13-year-olds at an additional charge of $135.

Registrations are now being accepted by phone at 415-558-0888 with a credit card or by mail. The registration form may be downloaded at www.sfshakes.org and submitted with payment. Registrations are accepted on a first come, first served basis. The camps often sell out, so early registration is strongly encouraged.



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Windmill Farms - Awarded Small Business of the Year

Windmill Farms San Ramon

San Ramon Local Small Business Honored At Formal State Recognition Celebration

Selected from among 3.7 million small companies in California

Sacramento, CA ~ A crowd of 500 business leaders, legislators, corporate partners, and small business dignitaries applauded as Windmill Farms Produce was honored as "California Small Business of the Year" for District 15. The Smith Family received this special recognition from local legislator Assemblyman Guy Huston to applaud a single district-based small business for exemplifying the contributions of the California's 3.7 million small business owners to the California economy.

The award was announced on May 28'th at the annual California Small Business Day in Sacramento, and Windmill Farms joined small businesses of the year identified in each of 80 state legislative districts. Scores of legislators joined in chorus to salute the spirit of entrepreneurship among California's small business owners and operators throughout the day-long event.

"We were humbled to have been selected for this award and it is a tribute to our employees, customers, community, and supporters," said Jason Smith.

"This is a special event when government, businesses, associations and community come together to honor the small business contributions of innovation, job creation and economic growth to the State of California," said Betty Jo Toccoli, President of the California Small Business Association, on behalf of the two-dozen small business organizations hosting the event.

Small businesses serve as the primary economic engine that drives the state's economy. Over one-half of Califomians employed in the private sector work for a small business. The state's small firms produce more new jobs, more inventions, and more patents, than any other size company in California or any other state in the nation.

Chevron Looking at Algae Harvesting for Producing Bio-Fuels

Chevron and National Renewable Energy Laboratory to Collaborate on Research to Produce Transportation Fuels Using Algae

Joint effort to identify and develop algae strains for feedstock in next-generation biofuels

SAN RAMON, Calif., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced today that they have entered into a collaborative research and development agreement to study and advance technology to produce liquid transportation fuels using algae.

Chevron and NREL scientists will collaborate to identify and develop algae strains that can be economically harvested and processed into finished transportation fuels such as jet fuel. Chevron Technology Ventures, a division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc., will fund the initiative.

The research project announced today is the second under a five-year strategic biofuels research alliance between Chevron and NREL announced in October 2006. The first involves bio-oil reforming, a process by which bio-oils derived from the decomposition of biological feedstocks are then converted into hydrogen and biofuels.

"We are extremely pleased to join Chevron in this path-breaking research," said NREL Director Dan Arvizu. "NREL operated the Aquatic Species Program for the Department of Energy for nearly 20 years, giving us unique insights into the research required to produce cost-effective fuels from algal oils or lipids. Our scientists have the advanced tools and the experience to rapidly increase the yield and productivity of key species of algae. In Chevron we have found an ideal research partner with the skills and knowledge to transform these algal lipids to cost-competitive fuels and to distribute those fuels to consumers."

"Biofuels will play an increasingly important role in diversifying energy supplies to meet the world's growing energy needs. Chevron believes that nonfood feedstock sources such as algae and cellulose hold the greatest promise to grow the biofuels industry to large scale," said Don Paul, vice president and chief technology officer, Chevron Corporation. "Collaboration between industry, universities, research institutions and government is essential to overcoming the technological and commercial challenges of manufacturing high-quality transportation fuels from unconventional feedstocks. Chevron is pleased to partner with the nation's preeminent renewable energy laboratory in this important research."

Algae are considered a promising potential feedstock for next-generation biofuels because certain species contain high amounts of oil, which could be extracted, processed and refined into transportation fuels using currently available technology. Other benefits of algae as a potential feedstock are their abundance and fast growth rates. Key technical challenges include identifying the strains with the highest oil content and growth rates and developing cost-effective growing and harvesting methods.

About the National Energy Renewable Laboratory

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for the DOE by Midwest Research Institute and Battelle. More information about NREL is available at http://www.nrel.gov.

NREL supports the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Biomass Program. NREL is the lead national laboratory of the virtual National Bioenergy Center, which was established to support and help the DOE coordinate the nation's biomass research activities. The center has primary responsibility for carrying out the agenda of the Office of the Biomass Program of the EERE and other related goals. Collaborating with industrial, academic, related EERE programs and other governmental research, development and commercialization efforts is central to that agenda.

About Chevron

Chevron Corporation is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies. We have approximately 58,000 employees, and our subsidiaries conduct business in more than 180 countries. We operate across the entire energy spectrum -- producing and transporting crude oil and natural gas; refining, marketing and distributing fuels and other energy products and services; manufacturing and selling petrochemical products; generating power; and developing and commercializing the energy resources of the future, including biofuels and other renewables. Chevron expects to spend approximately $2.5 billion on alternative and renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency services between 2007 and 2009. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information about Chevron is available at http://www.chevron.com.

SOURCE Chevron Corporation

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Biodiesel from algae

Matt Mathis, left, and Roger Simmons, technicians with the Center of Excellence for Hazardous Materials Management, sample the water in a stock tank being used to grow algae at New Mexico State University’s Agricultural Science Center at Artesia. Researchers are working to determine the best methods to grow and harvest the algae, which can be used to produce oil for biodiesel fuel. (01/08/2007) NMSU