Special needs adults have a fun night at Crystal Ball Dance

Everybody loves a good party with a chance to socialize and meet new friends. That goes for special needs adults, too.

Hope Services and San Andreas Regional Center in San Jose found that out last year when they hosted the inaugural Crystal Ball Dance, an evening aimed at adults with developmental disabilities, along with their families, caregivers and supporters. The second annual event last Saturday built on the success, drawing a fun crowd of about 150 people who got into the groove at SARC’s South San Jose headquarters.

“The idea for the Crystal Ball Dance came directly from the people we support, who told us they wanted more opportunities to socialize, make friends, and celebrate together,” Hope Services CEO Aila Malik said.

Kevin Ponce, who receives services from both Hope Services and San Andreas Regional Center, returned as DJ to set the party atmosphere at the dance. Maya Bareket, a Hope Services participants and San Andreas Regional Center board member, said she was excited to come back to the dance this year after having fun at last year’s event.

“I loved getting dressed up, spending time with friends, and meeting new people,” she said.

TECH MEETS AGRICULTURE: The Kiwanis Club of Los Altos has done a good turn with a generous donation that will make this weekend’s annual Apricot STEM Fair at the Los Altos History Museum free for all attendees.

This year’s event, which takes place Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., will be free to everyone who wants to attend thanks to the support of the Kiwanis Club of Los Altos.

Sunday’s event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and visitors can meet Cristina Prevarin, orchardist of the Los Altos Heritage Orchard, and hear a presentation from historian Robin Chapman, who wrote “California Apricots: The Lost Orchards of Silicon Valley.”

On the science and technology side of things, they can also extract DNA from apricots, check out a LEGO robot demo by the Menlo Park Narleaotters and communicate over a ham radio — the smartphone of an earlier era — with members of the Los Altos Amateur Radio Emergency Service.

You can get more information on the event, which is also supported by the Anne Wojcicki Foundation, at losaltoshistory.org/ApricotSTEM2026.

PONDERING A POETIC POSTING: Santa Clara County and SV Creates have started the search for the county’s ninth poet laureate, who would follow Yosimar Reyes, the current poet laureate whose term was extended by a year and expires at the end of December.

“The next County Poet Laureate will have an opportunity to uplift the voices and stories of our diverse and vibrant artistic community,” SV Creates CEO Alexandra Urbanowski said. “Santa Clara County is made up of a powerful mix of influences from many cultures, generations, and artistic forms, and we hope poets from all backgrounds and corners of the county will consider applying for this position.”

The honorary position, which is formally appointed by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, was created in 2008 and serves for two years as an advocate for poetry, literature and the arts. Previous poets laureate have created projects to engage the community in poetic pursuits like Nils Peterson’s 100-line poem, “A Family Album, Santa Clara County, 2009,” Sally Ashton’s “Poetry on the Move,” which put verses on VTA buses and light-rail trains or Tshaka Campbell’s “Bringing the Light” initiative to uplift youth voices.

Applications will be open from July 6 to Aug. 14, and SV Creates is hosting three hourlong application workshops about what it means to be Santa Clara County Poet Laureate and how the application process works. The first session is at 6:30 p.m. July 7 at the Milpitas Library, 160 N. Main St.; the second is online at 5:30 p.m. July 10 (register at svcreates.org/poet-laureate); and the third is July 13 at the Gilroy Library, 350 W. Sixth St.