ARTIFACTS: Immigration 101, cutting tape, passing the baton.

Carmel High School Performing Arts Theatre is the venue for the Carmel High School Environmental Club’s free screening of the new documentary Rubber Jellyfish, which explores the negative effects of helium balloons on the environment, wildlife and us. The club will lead a discussion afterward, sucking up helium first and talking in a high voice. 7pm Friday, Nov. 1. seaberry.nachbar@noaa.gov.

The Unitarian Church of the Monterey Peninsula hosts a roundtable discussion about Central American immigration. They include State Sen. Bill Monning; retired CSUMB professor Chris Hasegawa; Honduran activist and speaker Zenaida Velazquez; and former Honduran labor leader and activist Porfirio Quintana. It takes place 4-7pm Saturday, Nov. 2. anmcd311@gmail.com.

It’s finally happening, after all these years: a library is moving away from analog media. TheFriends of the Marina Library, which raises money via the Friends Community Bookstore in Marina, has decided in its new donation policy to not accept VHS, cassettes or magazines. (What, you don’t like waiting while rewinding or fast forwarding?) But they are still glad to accept donations (no more than four boxes) of clean, gently used books, CDs and DVDs, 10am-4pm Tuesday-Saturday at the bookstore. 747-1850, 277-6477 (for larger donations).

Max Bragado-Darman is entering his final season as the Monterey Symphony’s music director and conductor. “A music director search gives an organization time to reflect on its roots, and where it would like to go artistically,” Executive Director Nicola Reilly says. They have four candidates. Donato Cabrera is the music director of the California Symphony and Las Vegas Philharmonic; Jung-Ho Pak is artistic director and conductor of the Cape Symphony; Jayce Ogren has conducted the Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic;Peter Bay is the conductor for the Austin Symphony and Ballet Austin. Place your bets! montereysymphony.org.

There are many actors in the campaign to reopen California’s First Theatre, which sits on Pacific Street near Fisherman’s Wharf, and had its first production on Feb. 11, 1850 (the play was so bad that the theater was closed for the next 170 years… kidding). It’s a joint effort by the Department of Interior, National Parks Service, Monterey State Historic Parks Association, California State Parks and the Historic Preservation Fund. mshpa@att.net, eric.abma@parks.ca.gov.