THE BENICIA CLEANTECH EXPO, Friday and Saturday at the Benicia Clock Tower, 1189 Washington St., will focus this year on greener modes of transportation, said Constance Beutel, organizer and member of the Community Sustainability Commission.

The event is a partnership of the commission and Benicia’s Office of Economic Development.

“SolTrans is providing both a clean energy shuttle bus to take visitors from the Expo to the Benicia Historical Museum and to Arts Benicia, and a stationary clean energy bus to explore the comfort and convenience of public transit,” she said.

“And some of the really cool outside demos are from the clean transportation exhibitors,” she said. Among them will be “four electric bicycle dealers — my favorite!”

Also participating are “one conventional bicycle dealer, three electric car dealers — Nissan, Chevy and Toyota — and, the frosting on the cake, Zero Motorcycles represented by Mission Motorcycles of Daly City,” she said.

“If you don’t know, Zero Motorcycles are really impressive electric motorcycles!”

In addition to clean transportation, the event will showcase representatives from a variety of other sectors, such as clean buildings, agriculture, manufacturing, recycling and technology, she said.

“There will be solar panel dealers, 3-D printing and rapid prototyping, workshops on energy audits and upgrades, sustainable communities, wireless and secure broadband,” she said.

Drawings will take place both days, she said. An iPad mini will be given away Friday, and a $2,000 electric bicycle will be given away Saturday.

“There is an exciting new, clean and sustainable economic era before us,” Beutel said. “Come an learn about it and make it a day. Visit the Expo, test ride one or all electric vehicles, jump on the SolTrans Shuttle and take in the exhibits at the Benicia Historical Museum and Arts Benicia!

Admission is free. Those interested may visit the new website, beniciacleantech.org. The expo will take place from 1-6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Sport Clips participating in ‘Help A Hero’ VFW fundraiser

Benicia’s local Sport Clips, 1570 Gateway Blvd., is among 1,100 salons trying to raise $575,000 this month for the annual “Help A Hero” campaign that helps members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

“As a small business owner, I’m proud I can join this national effort to help our nation’s heroes through these scholarships,” Dana Ardave, who owns the local Sport Clips, said. “Sport Clips and our clients across the country have donated almost $2 million over the past six years to support our service members during deployment, so I’m glad we can continue to support them as they return home and transition into civilian careers.”

Ardave’s store will raise money through bake sales, basket raffles and the sales of veteran’s bracelets, he said. The fundraiser has started, and continues through Nov. 11, Veterans Day.

Since 2007, Help A Hero has raised money for the VFW’s Operation Uplink “Free Call Days” that has provided more than 2 million calls home for deployed and hospitalized U.S. service members.

This year the program is expanding to offer scholarships to veterans through the VFW’s Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship Program. Each scholarship is up to $5,000 of assistance to veterans who are pursuing an education at post-secondary institutions, including trade schools.

Donations to Help A Hero are being collected at the local Sport Clips now through Nov. 11, when the store will donate $1 from every haircut to the scholarship program.

Haircuts for all active-duty military and veterans on Veterans Day will be offered at half price, and those proceeds also will go to Help a Hero. “As U.S. service members return from deployments by the thousands, it’s encouraging to see active support coming from companies like Sport Clips,” VFW Commander-in-Chief Bill Thien said.

The VFW is a nonprofit ’ service organization composed of combat veterans and eligible military service members from the active, Guard and Reserve forces. It was founded in 1899. VFW Benicia Post 3928 meets Wednesdays at the Benicia Veterans Memorial Building, 1150 First St.

“This scholarship program is an important addition to the troop-support offerings the VFW provides, and through it we look forward to helping many service members succeed in the next chapter of their lives,” Thien said.

Sport Clips is the official haircutter of the VFW, and its Help A Hero campaign is one of several ways the company supports active-duty military and veterans.

— Donna Beth Weilenman