LAMORINDA WEEKLY | business briefs


The staff and trainers of Absolute Center get ready for the fund raiser. Photo provided

Red Chopstick Opens

581 Moraga Road, Moraga

376-7839

Li Gao opened the Red Chopstick in Moraga on February 24, across from the Rheem Shopping Center (in the spot that was previously Mandarin Garden). Not new to restaurant business, Gao has run similar restaurants in Dublin and San Francisco. While she was looking for a new place, she discovered Moraga and became interested in the community. The restaurant offers an array of Szechwan dishes, with some classics such as sweet and sour soup, Mongolian beef, and Kung Pao chicken; and some unusual specialties such as a strawberry chicken, and spicy eggplant with prawns and basil. The restaurant also offers half a dozen vegetable-based entrees.

A Posh Ribbon-Cutting

3416 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette

962-9691

Posh Boutique is planning a festive ribbon-cutting party on March 24 at 5:00 pm. "We will have live music and refreshment and I will show few of my sculptures on the patio in front of the store," says owner Roya Bayat, "we invite the community to join us."

Prudential CARES Volunteer Grants Award

999 Oak Hill Road, Lafayette

283-7000

Len Cohn, Relocation Specialist with Prudential in Lafayette, is the recipient of a Prudential CARES Volunteer Grants Award. Prudential supported Cohn's hours of volunteer service by granting $250 for B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation. That foundation is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, it provides opportunities for Jewish students at more than 500 colleges and universities to explore and celebrate their Jewish identity.

Absolute Center Fund Raising for Local Youth

3658 Mt Diablo Blvd., Lafayette

299-9642

Every year Absolute Center, a Pilates, Yoga and Fitness Studio in downtown Lafayette, celebrates its anniversary by giving back to those in need. They call it Paying it Forward. Last year they held a successful Bone Marrow Drive for a young girl named Charlotte, who has Aplastic Anemia. In previous years the Absolute Center has supported Saint Jude's and Breast Cancer Awareness, and had a very successful fundraiser for Louise McMenamin, one of the co owners of the studio, who had a bone marrow transplant in 2006. "This year I wanted to pick an organization that was located within the community we work in," said McMenamin, "Youth Homes is based in Lafayette and the Food Bank is Contra Costa, the idea being we pay forward directly to our community." All are invited to visit Absolute Center from March 7th-11th to take part in their fitness festivities; there will be raffles to win free classes, demonstrations on the latest Core Align equipment, discounts on their boutiques items and special fitness packages; and donation to Youth Homes and the Food Bank of Contra Costa will be encouraged.

Tri-Chamber Meeting - Make Your Movie

Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda will hold a Tri Chamber Mixer at The New Rheem Theatre, 350 Park Ave, Moraga, on Tuesday, April 26. Since the meeting will be in a movie theater, the Chambers are asking residents to shoot a video (three minutes or less in length) or create a PowerPoint presentation or slide show about how much they love their town/city. "I thought, we are in a theater and we are all proud of our city - and hey, let's have some fun," said Lafayette Chamber Executive Director Jay Lifson. Winners from each community will be shown on the big screen and win prizes. All submissions must be on a DVD. Please contact the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce for submission instructions, 284-7404.

News from the three Chambers of Commerce

Lafayette

- Shags invites you to a Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting at Steven S. Shagrin Company, 1934 Contra Costa Blvd, Pleasant Hill (in Pleasant Hill Plaza at Gregory Lane, 2nd Floor above Diablo Trophy, Interior Suites) on Thursday, March 3, 5-7pm.

- Shop Lafayette Meeting on Tuesday, March 8, 12:30pm in the Lafayette Chamber Conference Room

- Monthly Mixer on Wednesday, March 9, 5:30pm at Better Homes & Gardens Mason McDuffie, 999 Oak Hill Road, Lafayette

Moraga

- Chamber general meeting, Friday March 25, 7:30-9am. Meeting at the Hacienda - 2100 Donald Drive. Roos' muffins and coffee will be served.

Orinda

- 2nd Annual "Live at the Orinda" on Friday, March 11th at the Orinda Theater, 2 Orinda Theater Square Orinda. 17 and over. The evening will start at 7pm - open seating; show time 8pm.Tickets: Advance: $30 - $35 at the door. Tickets available on the Chamber's web site at Orindachamber.org. Last year's event sold out. (See article page A7)