GRIFFIN FITNESS, 1100 Rose Drive, Suite 160, is celebrating its 10th anniversary today with a healthy holiday open house, owners Joel Griffin and Lisa McVeigh said.

Healthy food and beverages will be served, and visitors will see a kettlebell demonstration.

Danny Zelig, of Berkeley Krav Maga Institute, will present a women’s self-defense exhibition, focusing on defense from gun and knife attacks. Griffin fitness trainers will answer questions about fitness and diet, and prizes will be given away.

Visitors are being asked to bring an unwrapped toy for donation to Toys for Tots, and blankets, towels, dog sweaters and Kong toys for the Humane Society of the North Bay.

“We are a personal training studio, and we provide personal training and boot camps for all ages,” McVeigh said.

She said Griffin Fitness can accommodate clients with particular ailments and have programs tailored for athletes in training.

Joel Griffin opened his training center to focus on what he calls “functional training,” which emphasizes improving everyday movements to increase clients’ power, strength, speed and coordination, and help in weight loss.

The celebration will take place from 6-8 p.m. today at Griffin Fitness, Suite 160, 1100 Rose Drive.

Teacher hopes to open Benicia ‘Makerspace’

Nicole Nunes, a science teacher who developed a teacher credential program for mathematics, science and engineering for the University of California-Berkeley has turned her attention to promoting creativity in children and adults.

Now she is hoping to open the Benicia Makerspace, 901 First St., where science and technology can meet art.

“I want to start a Makerspace in Benicia where people of all ages can be inspired and empowered to dream, create, and make things,” she said.

Groups of friends could propose a project and find the necessary tools and people, she said. Pupils would use Benicia Makerspace to work on their science fair projects, and others could take classes to learn how to build something as complex as a robot or as simple as a stool.

Her business is part of the Maker Faire movement, a grassroots effort to promote American innovation.

The three major Maker Faires take place in San Mateo, Detroit, Mich., and New York. Those faires are supported by MAKE Magazine and O’Reilly Media. Independent, community-driven events also are organized throughout the U.S.

Nunes said she is using a Kickstarter web page to raise $30,000 for her startup funds that would furnish the Makerspace.

She’s received about a third of that in pledges, and she has seven days left to reach her goal. Those investing in the business in turn will receive benefits from the company, ranging from stickers and pencils for those giving as little as $10 to T-shirts, notebooks, classes, passes and parties for those making larger contributions.

The Benicia Herald’s weekly Benicia Business Beat is an opportunity for companies that do business in Benicia to tell our readers about such news as moves, grand openings, awards, promotion of employees, staff changes, and changes in the goods and services.

Submissions need to answer the questions who, what, when, where, why and how, preferably in the body of the email, and provide contact information.

Deadline is 3 p.m. Friday for news items that will appear in the next Tuesday’s Business Beat.

Please email news releases and accompanying high-resolution photographs and logos to beniciaherald@gmail.com. Please put “Attn. Business Beat” in the subject line, plus the name of the business.

The Benicia Herald also appreciates area companies’ advertising patronage. For advertising services, call 707-745-0733, and email adsbenicia@yahoo.com.

—Donna Beth Weilenman