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Around Town: In Portola Valley: images of the American West

Portola Valley nature and travel photographer David Cardinal will exhibit his images of the American West at Allegro Gallery in Portola Valley from Nov. 21 through Dec. 31. A reception for the artist will be held Sunday, Nov. 21, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the gallery, 3130 Alpine Road, #370, in Portola Valley.

For this show, Mr. Cardinal has selected images from Texas, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska and California. Subjects range from scenics to rare bird species with a variety of "Old West" subjects as well.

"I was particularly inspired this spring by a road trip to the Western United States that my daughter Annie and I took along the lines of Steinbeck's 'Travels with Charley,'" he said. "While we didn't lodge in an RV like Steinbeck did, we did amble our way through parks and small towns with an eye for appreciating special sights that may not be there much longer."

Mr. Cardinal leads small-group photo safaris to Africa, Asia and Alaska, as well as to destinations in the continental United States. He specializes in rare and endangered animals and environments.

The Allegro Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Go to cardinalphoto.com for more information on David Cardinal.

Persimmon sale for charity

Local youth Lisa and Sara Hewitt, members of their philanthropy group, ChAngels, are hosting their third annual persimmon sale at the family-owned shop, Beltramo's Wines and Sprits, 1540 El Camion Real in Menlo Park, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 21.

The sale of organic, locally harvested persimmons is a tradition started by the girls' mother, Diana Beltramo Hewitt, who peddled persimmons as a girl. Her stand featured the fruit accompanied by a family dessert recipe incorporating the persimmons. Her daughters and friends are carrying on the tradition, this time for charity.

ChAngels is a mother-daughter philanthropy group, founded in 2007 with the goal of effecting change on both a local and global level by collecting and earning spare change. Other members are Atherton and Menlo Park residents Annie and Lily Barnett, Sarah and Kate Lucas, Melissa and Alison Freeman, and Kim Guthrie and daughters Jessie and Clara.

Go to thechangels.blogspot.com for more information or call Kate Lucas, founding member of ChAngels at 568-0395.

Members, who range in age from 8 to 11, have been involved in a number of charitable activities, including collecting shoes for homeless children, donating books to Lucille Packard Children's Hospital, and making toys and collecting supplies for animals at Pets in Need.