What's Up: NYT Bestselling Author, Raspberries, Hot Dogs, 6-Man, Chevron

"None of us is as smart as all of us." ~Ken Blanchard

Hey, hey, it's Wednesday and here are five things for your day and week ahead in Manhattan Beach: 

1. Wednesday, July 31 is National Raspberry Cake Day and also the final day of National Hot Dog Month. Have you been to HotDoggers in Manhattan Beach yet? They have 50 cent hot dogs and boast the "World’s Largest Selection of Hot Dogs With 65 Different Toppings!" They're at 1605 North Sepulveda Boulevard; (310) 545-0066. Interested in raspberry cake? Food.com has some recipes and information about this tiny, delicate fruit in which one raspberry represents 50 to 150 tiny fruitlets that grow together. 
   
2. Spiritual author Marianne Williamson will be at Pages, A Bookstore in downtown Manhattan Beach Thursday beginning at 7 p.m. RSVPs are required and can be made by calling pages at (310) 318-0900 or emailing info@pagesabookstore.com. She will discuss  her book “A Return to Love.” Six of the acclaimed author's 10 published books have been New York Times bestsellers, four of which were No. 1 bestsellers.
3. Chevron, Chevron, Chevron. Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye! If you'd like to know more about the Chevron Refinery next door in El Segundo, attend tonight's town hall meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Joslyn Center, 1601 Valley Drive. Open to the public, the meeting will cover topics such as "Chevron Safety Culture Overview & Safety Moment," an overview of the refinery's history, current operations and new projects, an overview of federal, state and local regulations that govern the El Segundo refinery, a review of emergency preparedness, response and collaboration with local cities, and a review of sources of information and how to sign up for the El Segundo refinery and city mailing lists. Chevron reps will field questions from attendees at the meeting; you may also email questions in advance to Sona Kalapura, skalapura@citymb.info, the city's environmental programs manager. She says live questions will be fielded at the meeting.
4. Beach volleyball takes to the sands of Manhattan Beach today and Thursday as the International Surf Festival kicks off with the Annual Charlie Saikley 6-Man Beach Volleyball Tournament south of the Manhattan Beach Pier beginning at 9 a.m. The Manhattan Beach Police Department will be fully deployed with public safety in mind. After years of unlawful behavior far worse than what was seen Sunday night in Huntington Beach after a surf competition, the event was much tamer last year and officials expect it to be the same way this year.
5. Make sure you're "Patched In" to get alerts on breaking news as it happens in town this week (and after), make sure you are signed up to get our emails. Click on the 'get the daily newsletter' at the top, right corner of this page. (If you see something that says, "hi, username," then you're already registered. In that case, click on "email settings" under the drop-down tab under your name.)