News Digest News Digest (November 18, 2005)

Downtown's Magical Holiday Evening

At 5 p.m. today, festivities begin downtown as merchants show off their holiday spirit. Until 9 p.m., stores will display a plethora of gift-giving ideas. In-store promotions, holiday goodies and elves collecting children's letters to send to Santa will help kick off the holiday buying season. Suicide Survivors Day

From 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, a national broadcast via satellite of survivors' conferences from throughout the country will take place at ValleyCare Medical Plaza, 5725 W. Las Positas Blvd. Panel discussions will be held after lunch as will dialogues with survivors. Local guest speakers are Daniel Kostalnick who specializes in adolescent and adult psychiatry, and Eve Meyer, executive director of the San Francisco Suicide Foundation. The $15 registration fee includes lunch (scholarships are available). For more information, call Betty Dimmick, 829-4236 or Shirley Kaminsky, 872-5634. A chew toy, a tennis ball, a puppy biscuit

Dogs lining up to have their photos taken with Santa Saturday at Pleasanton's Farmer's Market may woof a long list of wants for Christmas. From 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, pets can be photographed with Santa. Costumes will be provided. The cost is $20-$40 and all proceeds benefit shelter dogs in Dublin where money is being raised to build an outdoor exercise pen. National Family Week kicks off

The school district is joining in National Family Week from Nov. 20-26 as part of the "Pleasanton Community of Character Project." Families are encouraged to spend part of their Thanksgiving vacation celebrating their family loyalties, relationships and commitments.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.