A 52-pound bag of dog hair was one of the items intrepid volunteers turned up in the 24th Coastal Cleanup Day on Sept. 20.

In all, organizers say they expect the 2008 effort will match the previous year’s collections. About 60,000 volunteers turned out statewide, collecting about 900,000 pounds of trash and recyclables.

Locally, off-roaders and others turned out in big numbers to clean trash from the Oceano Dunes State Vehicle Recreation Area. Organizer Kevin Rice said he expected about 40 volunteers. Instead he got 121, including 20 scouts from Boyscout Troop No. 322 in SLO ;

There’s another opportunity to do some cleanup locally. The SLO County Creek Day is on Saturday, Sept. 27. Volunteers will meet at various check-in stations in Nipomo, Grover Beach, SLO, Cal Poly, Atascadero, Templeton, and Paso Robles. About 25,000 pounds of trash were cleaned from area waterways during the event last year. There’s more information at www.creekday.org. ;

San Luis Obispo Parks and Recreation Department is sponsoring a bike safety class for kids aged 5 to 12 years old. The 2008 Bike Rodeo is Saturday, Sept. 27 at Emerson Park in SLO. The bike course is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by a Freestyle BMX show from 2 to 3 p.m. Kids must have a helmet and signed permission slip to participate. The event is free. For more info, call: 781-7300. ;

The County of San Luis Obispo is holding an open house for first time homebuyers Monday, Sept 29 at the Oceano Community Center. Learn about down payment assistance programs and available low-interest loans for qualified families. The open house is from 5 to 7 p.m. For more info, visit: www.sloplanning.org. ;

The San Luis Obispo Agriculture Committee will host the fifth Great AGventure, Oct. 8, giving San Luis Obispo county children a hands-on look at the county’s agricultural roots.

The event will give more than 1,300 fourth graders from all parts of the county a hands-on chance to explore various aspects of the county’s agriculture industry. The event will take place at the Mid State Fairgrounds in Paso Robles from 9 a.m. to 1:20 p.m. For more info, call: 543-7356 ;

Five Cities Meals on Wheels is hosting a live auction with food and wine tasting at Salisbury Vineyards’ tasting room, Oct. 11, to raise money for senior meal programs. The volunteer-run Meals on Wheels has been cooking nutritious meals and delivering them to homebound residents for close to three decades. The event is from 2 to 6 p.m. Tickets cost $80. For more information, call: 773-2053.

Kylie Mendonca compiled this week’s strokes and plugs. Send your business news to [email protected].