Recently in Lake Elsinore Category

A Claremont-based adult community concert band is accepting applications from young wind and percussion musicians ages 14 to 20 for their scholarship program.

The Claremont Winds is allowing contestants to audition by submitting a compact disc (CD) or a digital music file (mp3). Finalists will be invited to live auditions. First place winner will receive $800, second place gets $200 and third place $100. The first place winner will also play a solo with the band at their spring concert in May.

To be eligible, contestants must be in high school or in their first year of college. They also need to be a member of the band or orchestra in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino or Riverside counties. Applications with audition recordings must be postmarked or e-mailed by December 1, 2008. Auditions will be held January 10-11, 2009. Winners will be announced in early February.

For more information, go to www.claremontwinds.org.

The Music Center of Los Angeles County is seeking Southern California high school performers, artists and photographers to apply for the annual Music Center Spotlight awards. It is a performing and visual arts education program offering training in the arts and awards of over $100,000 in scholarships. The program is for high school students in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Applications and information are available at 213-972-3300 or at www.musiccenter.org.

The Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District recently sponsored a Water is Life poster contest featuring artwork by students in grades four and five. The fifth grade winner was Carolina Gonzalez from Butterfield School. Her poster will be highlighted on the bottled water label for the district's sponsorship program. Her entry was also selected to be in the Metropolitan Water District's 2008 student art contest.

The city of Lake Elsinore Senior Center, 420 E. Lakeshore Drive is seeking volunteers for clerical work and other duties. The job is four hours a week and the volunteers would be answering phones, looking up information and taking registrations. Information: Serena Blackamore at 951-674-2526.

Applications for the 21st Annual Music Center Spotlight Awards by the Music Center of Los Angeles County are available to Southern California high school student performers, artists and photographers.

The awards program, which offers training in the arts and scholarships to finalists, is free and open to students who attend high school in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.

Students audition before judges in categories including ballet, non-classical dance, classical voice, non-classical voice, classical instrumental, and jazz instrumental.
Twelve performance finalists will compete at the 21st Annual Music Center Spotlight Awards set for May 2, 2009 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Downtown Los Angeles.
Grand prize finalists will receive $5,000 and $4,000, honorable mentions will receive $250 and semi-finalists receive $100.

The Performing Arts application deadline is Oct. 1 and the Visual Arts applications are due by Dec. 1.

Applications and information are available at musiccenter.org or by calling 213-972-3300.

Army National Guard Pvt. Timothy J. Werner has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.

During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises.

Werner is the son of April Deseive of Terra Cotta St., Lake Elsinore, Calif., and stepson of Velinda Bradford of Valley View Ave., Norco, Calif.

The Lake Elsinore Rotary Club is seeking vendors for its Oktoberfest celebration to be held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 4 at McVicker Park. The entry form for vendors is at www.lakeelsinorerotary.org. Click on downloads. The cost for a booth through August 31 is $50. After Aug. 31 the price is $70. Booth price at the gate is $80. Information: 951-265-1815.

The Senior Gospel Community Choir is seeking members ages 50 and older who enjoy singing traditional and contemporary gospel, hymns, and spirituals. The club is spiritually based and is open to those of all ethnicities and religions. Rehearsals are held twice a month. For information contact Valarie Howard at 951- 471-1780 or visit www.seniorgospelchoir.com.