A reception Thursday will offer the community a chance to meet Naomi Torres, the new National Parks Service chief of interpretation for the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historic Park. The gathering will be Thursday, January 31, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Veterans Building, 968 23rd St. in Richmond.

Torres' appointment was announced in October by Martha Lee, general superintendent of the East Bay unit of the park service, which includes the John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez, the Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site in Danville and the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Monument, along with the Rosie the Riveter park.

Torres, who had previously served at sites in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, is familiar with the Richmond park, having worked to establish its outreach program and producing the DVD "Of Lost Conversations and Untold Stories," a video by Betty Reid Soskin about the experience of African-Americans in wartime Richmond.

Food and drink will be provided at the reception, which is being hosted by Richmond Councilman John Marquez and is co-sponsored by West Contra Costa Concilio Latino, the Latina/o Democratic Club of West Contra Costa County and the 23rd Street Merchants Association. Contact Robert Davila at rrdavila@comcast.net or 510-932-2952