.This Week’s Day-by-Day Picks

WED 30 Forest Home Farms is a sixteen-acre farm in San Ramon that is long on history and short on moolah. It was donated to the town for use as a municipal park by original resident Ruth Quayle Boone. San Ramon’s former Mayor Pat Boom will be holding an informational luncheon at Crow Canyon Country Club in Danville (711 Silver Lake Dr.) to tell you all about the place. On display will be artifacts, historical pictures, and period clothing for you to take a gander at; Boom will also be discussing future plans for the park, and how you can help them happen. The luncheon, held from noon to 1:30 p.m., costs $20; contact Soroptimist International of San Ramon for reservations (925-355-2442) or pay at the door. — Nora Sohnen

THU 1 Fuck the circus/I get my rocks off/seeing people going/to work in the morning/on my way to the bar! So goes “Telephone Booth Number 73237,” by the late Pedro Pietri. The prominent Nuyorican poet died in March at age 59 after battling stomach cancer. Celebrate his sharp words and satirical wit at Puerto Rican Obituary: A Tribute to Pedro Pietri tonight at La Peña, with appearances by Piri Thomas, John Santos, Aurora Levins Morales, Wilma Bonet, Aya de Leon, Leslie Simon, and Luz Guerra. Admission costs $10, or $5 for students with valid ID and those under eighteen. Proceeds go toward the payment of Pietri’s medical bills. 7 p.m., 3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. For more info: 510-849-2568, www.lapena.orgStefanie Kalem

FRI 2 Start your holiday weekend off on the right — that is to say, altruistic — foot by participating in the East Bay Habitat for Humanity’s 2004 Independence Day Build-a-Thon. No building experience is necessary, so if you know the business end of a hammer, you can help frame six West Oakland homes from the ground up for six low-income families. The building blitz goes from Friday till Monday, and participants are asked to raise a minimum of $100 for each day they want to work. High-raisers will win prizes, and, if you have even bigger pockets, event sponsors are needed to cover costs and provide breakfast, lunch, and snacks for builders. Visit EastBayHabitat.org for more details, including registration form and sponsorship information. — Stefanie Kalem

SAT 3 Free Comic Book Day — held this year on the Saturday after Spider-Man 2 hits theaters — is in its third year, but the sheen hasn’t worn off the protective sleeve yet. The premise is simple: Go to any participating independent comics store and tell ’em you’re there for your free comic book. Choose from titles such as The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty from Beckett, Archie: I Was a Teenage Comic Book Character from Archie, and Teen Titans Go! from DC. There’s a lot more, too. Participating stores include the usual suspects: Comic Relief in Berkeley, Collector’s Corner and Dr. Comics & Mr. Games in Oakland, Crush Comics and Cards in Castro Valley, and Flying Colors in Concord. But check out FreeComicBookDay.com for more locations, and for answers to questions such as “Are they really free?” — Nora Sohnen

SUN 4 Since there are way too many things to do today, we consulted the demographic firm of Who, What, and Why Consulting to determine the biggest audience for the Billboard page. What they came up with was, well, zydeco dancers and punks. Yeah, we don’t get it either, but it should make for a rather varied little blurb. If you love those Cajun sounds like a pig loves corn, Alameda is where you want to be. Eagles Hall (2305 Alameda Ave.) is hosting its very own float in the downtown parade, featuring live music and 100 dancers. There will be a Zydeco Americana Party with free music and dance lessons after the parade, till 5 p.m. Then, from 5:30 to 9 p.m., pony up $15 and dance to Andre Thierry and Zydeco Magic, and Brian Jack and the Zydeco Gamblers. Visit LouisianaSue.com for further info. If you’re of the slam-dance school, head down to a free DIY metal and punk concert from noon to 6 p.m. at Berkeley’s People’s Park (Telegraph Ave. at Dwight). Thin Acid Angel, Sever, Monotype, Toowamp, and Platinum Head will keep your goat thrown until the fireworks start. Go to Geocities.com/july4thconcert to learn more. — Stefanie Kalem

MON 5 Ladies, it’s time to get in on the ground floor of something big: Today could be the first day of the rest of your life as a performing Nightclub Two-Stepper. Join Zoe and Wen at Oakland’s Humanist Hall (390 27th St.) from 8 to 9 p.m. tonight and find out what dancing to slow songs is really about. Their goal is to create a community of dancers to show their stuff at local, queer-partner dance venues, but nonperformance-oriented women are welcome too. Just bring smooth-bottomed shoes and your own kinetic energy, and be ready to learn. Beginners and intermediate dancers are welcome. Classes are $50 for a four-week session, but inexpensive and/or free practices can be arranged. For more info and to preregister, e-mail or call Zoe at 510-763-1343. — Nora Sohnen

TUE 6 Oh, you lucky male children of the ’80s. The brainiac pinup of your teenage years, Tabitha Soren, is an East Bay resident, and can occasionally be spotted hanging out with husband (Moneyball author Michael Lewis) and child at various spots around Berkeley. And now you can see what else the former MTV News host has been up to when Photolab Gallery (2235 5th St., Berkeley) presents a exhibit of her color photographs, Recalling Democracy: A Snapshot of History. The show opens today and stays up till Aug. 14, with a reception July 10 from 6-8 p.m. Visit Photolaboratory.com/gallery.htm for more. — Stefanie Kalem

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