Raffle

Whenever friends Keith McCracken and Anthony D. Grow collaborate they like to sign their art work, ?Artist Unknown.? Modesty, perhaps? Not really. ?We came up with the ?Artist Unknown? [title] five years ago for our collaborations,? McCracken said. ?The name makes sense for the pieces because they look like one person painted them.? McCracken and Grow will display their most recent work at the opening of their first ?Artist Unknown? exhibit from 7 p.m. to midnight Friday in an eVocal event that will also feature live music from Orange County Music Award nominees Venus Infers and Parker Macy Blues.

With Huntington Beach’s adopted marine battalion back in the U.S. after seven months on the front lines of the Iraq War troop surge, the Huntington Beach 3/1 Marines Foundation intends to welcome them back in style Friday night. Marines mostly set foot in Camp Pendleton Nov. 17. Taking over almost every public room in the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort, the party for the Third Battalion, First Marines, is set to entertain up to 1,000 people, said Cindy Cross, who heads the foundation.

Send DATEBOOK items to the Huntington Beach Independent, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626; fax to (714) 966-4667; call (714) 966-4610 or e-mail hbindependent@ latimes.com. Submissions must be received two weeks before publication. TODAY Author Elizabeth George will discuss and sign her book, "With No One As Witness," at 7:30 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, 7881 Edinger Ave. Information: (714) 897-8781. FRIDAY The Huntington Beach Council on Aging will host a ballroom dance from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Rodgers Senior Center, 1706 Orange Ave. Adults of all ages are invited to attend.

Tariq Malik HUNTINGTON BEACH -- It rained pennies from heaven, or at least from the generosity of others, for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley at their latest fund-raiser. The child-oriented organization, which serves both Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley, received a surprise at its 21st annual Benefit Dinner and Show last month when a city resident signed over a door prize to the club worth more than $8,000. Mike Haynes of Mercury Entertainment won the cash prize in a raffle and immediately signed it back over to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley.

Mike Sciacca, Independent The Huntington Beach Pro/Am Surf Series will hold its second event of the 2000 season today and Sunday at 9th St. in Huntington Beach. Top surfers from around the world will showcase their talents just north of the Huntington Beach Pier. Competition will be held in eight divisions: Super Groms (11 & Under); Juniors (15-17); Mens (18-28); Masters (29 and up); Longboard (all ages); Womens (all ages), and the series' signature division, the Pro/Am (all ages)

The Huntington Beach Pro/Am Surf Series returns to the scene this weekend with the first of eight events scheduled for the 2000 season. The first competition is slated for Saturday and Sunday at the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier, and this year's Series is set to offer the largest prize yet in the its history, including a $2,000 first place Pro/Am Division prize for the double-rated contests, and a $1,000 first ...

Marissa Espino HUNTINGTON BEACH -- Students of the Academy for the Performing Arts raised $16,000 to help fund the 10 productions that will hit the stage this year. "It was a great success because all the kids turned out," said Marylou Bodul, chairperson of the academy's third annual fund-raiser, Walk for the Arts. About 300 students, faculty, staff and parents participated in the walkathon that started at Huntington Beach High School and ended at the base of the Huntington Beach pier.