Dublin

WORKSHOP FOR BOARD CANDIDATES: The Dublin school district will hold a workshop Wednesday for people interested in running for the school board in the November election.

The workshop will be at 7 p.m. in the board meeting room at the district office, 7471 Larkdale Ave.

Superintendent Stephen Hanke will answer questions and outline the responsibilities of board members. He will also give a brief overview of the district. Of the five seats on the board, three will be voted on in November. The seats are held by Denis King, John Ledahl and Pat Kohnen.

For more information, call Shelley Fischer at 925-828-2551, ext. 8002.

— Eric Louie

Pleasant Hill

JFK to join national system: National University has agreed to accept John F. Kennedy University into its seven-member system.

The board of the La Jolla-based private, nonprofit system voted unanimously Thursday to accept JFK's membership. The JFK Board of Regents unanimously approved the deal last week.

With many small, private schools struggling to afford the costs of online education and new accountability measures, 1,600-student JFK asked National to consider the partnership. The alliance, which accreditors must OK, will give National its first East Bay presence and will provide cash and resources to the 44-year-old Pleasant

JFK also has campuses in Berkeley and Campbell. The school will give up most of its governance to National, but it will keep its identity and much of its autonomy, said Jerry Lee, chancellor of the National system.

National is in a position to help JFK — which gets nearly all of its $23 million budget from tuition — thrive, Lee said.

"Our reserves are significant," he said, noting that the National system has been valued at about $1 billion. "Our endowment is close to $370 million."

JFK President Steven Stargardter could not be reached for comment.

— Matt Krupnick

Port Chicago

Event to commemorate disaster: The National Park Service is hosting an event at 10 a.m. Saturday, to honor those who gave their lives for their country on July 17, 1944, and to commemorate the disaster on the Port Chicago Naval Base during World War II.

Ammunition being loaded aboard cargo vessels bound for the war in the Pacific exploded that day, killing 320 sailors and civilians, and injuring more than 400 others.

Spencer Sikes Jr., a son of one of the survivors, will be the keynote speaker. Reservations are required. Participants will ride a shuttle bus to attend the program, which will be conducted within the Military Ocean Terminal Concord.

The event concludes with a visit to Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, the site of the explosion and now part of the National Park System. Those attending are encouraged to reflect on the memories of loss, struggle and lessons evoked by the disaster.

Anyone interested in attending should contact the National Park Service at 925-228-3396, Ext. 23 or e-mail poch_interpretation@nps.gov, and include name, phone number, the number of people in your party and any special needs.

Martinez

John Muir camp: Children age 8-12 are invited to learn about nature through a variety of outdoor activities during John Muir Mountain Day Camp.

The program includes, lessons through art, nature walks, inventions, sourdough cooking, music and special guests. Two five-day sessions will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, July 28-Aug. 1 and Aug. 4-8, at the John Muir National Historic Site, 4202 Alhambra Ave., Martinez.

The cost is $235 per camper for each session, with discounts for multiple children in the same family. Scholarships are available.

John Muir Association members receive a 10 percent discount. To register, or for more information, call 925-798-1300 or visit www.muircamp.org.

Pittsburg

DELIBERATIONS BEGIN IN RETRIAL: Jury deliberations began Thursday at the retrial of a Pittsburg man accused of killing a drug dealer in 1995.

Aldridge Currie was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of Santos Maldonado, but the conviction was overturned by a federal appeals court based on alleged racial bias by the prosecutor during jury selection.

On Thursday, that prosecutor, David Brown, asked a jury to convict Currie, 49, of second-degree murder and robbery for shooting Maldonado after asking to buy methamphetamine and then fleeing with the victim's drugs, money and handgun.

Currie testified that he shot Maldonado because he feared Maldonado was going to shoot him first.

Defense attorney Michael Markowitz asked the jury to consider the trajectory of the bullet, which he said corroborates Currie's assertion that he acted in self-defense.

— Malaika Fraley