Save the date for journalism awards banquet

Come join us at the Bali Hai , 2230 Shelter Island Drive, on Wed., July 16 for our annual banquet. Noted L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez will be our guest speaker.

Cocktail hour starts at 6 p.m., followed by a buffet dinner and our awards program at 7 p.m. The price is $37, and you can pay by check at the door. Please e-mail our president, Jodi Cleesattle, at  jodi.cleesattle@doj.ca.gov to rsvp. And here's a special incentive for non-members to come. If you come to the banquet, we'll give you a discounted membership of $50, instead of the normal $80.

Even if you're not an award recipient, you won't want to miss this opportunity to hear Steve Lopez speak. He has a new book out based on the columns he wrote about an accomplished violinist who also happens to be homeless.

 A California native, Lopez is the author of three novels and his new book, "The Soloist: A Lost Dream, An Unlikely Friendship, And The Redemptive Power of Music." The book is based on columns Lopez wrote for The Los Angeles Times about his friendship with a downtown Los Angeles musician.