Announcements

• SPRING PAJAMA AND BOOK DRIVE - The Buffalo Chapter of the Pajama Program is holding its Spring Pajama and Book Drive through March 24. The program provides books and warm, new pajamas to children in the Buffalo area who are living in shelters and group homes. For more information, call Ann Cardena, chapter president, at 572-5928 or e-mail ann@pajamaprogr am.org.

• FINDING DONORS - The Finding the Perfect Donors workshop with Laura Fixler will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Friday, March 21 at Planned Parenthood of WNY, 2697 Main St., Buffalo. The entry-level workshop is for board members, executive directors, CEOs and fund development professionals; free. To register, go to http://sforce.benevon.com/intros/midatlantic. htm. RSVP required as space is limited. Call 206-709-9400, Ext. 104 for more information.

• CONCERT CANCELED - The Buffalo Blues Festival scheduled for Sunday, March 9 at HSBC Arena has been canceled. The show was originally postponed due to inclement weather interfering with the artists' travel schedule. Refunds are available at point of purchase.

• CONCERT POSTPONED - The mZuri & Power to End Stroke program scheduled for Saturday, March 8, has been postponed. The event will be held at 11:30 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza in Niagara Falls, and 5:30 p.m. at the Hearthstone Manor in Depew on Saturday, April 26. Tickets will be honored at that time, and are $30 for the afternoon show and $40 for the evening performance. For more information, call 380-2513.

• SHAW FESTIVAL DIRECTOR - Shaw Festival Associate Director Neil Munro has withdrawn as director of the 2008 production of J.B. Priestley's "An Inspector Calls" for health reasons. Veteran Shaw Festival director and actor Jim Mezon will now be directing the show, which opens April 17. Munro sustained a major infection last fall. For more information, visit www.shawfest.com.

• ACTS ENTERTAINMENT - The Alden Christian Theater Society (ACTS), 1470 Church St. in the Village of Alden, has decided to eliminate its day-to-day restaurant business in order to focus the organization's energies on entertainment events and the performing arts. The final day for the cafe's daytime hours will be until noon on Good Friday, March 21. For more information, call 432-9102.

• YOUNG PIANISTS - Victoria Ruggiero was awarded first place for an Outstanding Performance in the Grade 10 Contemporary Class at the recent Guelph Music Festival and second place in the Grade 10 Romantic Period Class at the Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival. She also received two fourth places for her performances of the Chopin Etudes and a Prokofiev Prelude. She is a seventh-grader at Lancaster's William Street Middle School. Griffin Kramer, 14, was awarded second place in the Grade 10 level Romantic Period event at the Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival, and was awarded fourth place in the Contemporary Grade 10 event. He is a high honors student at Amherst High School. Ben Havey was awarded fourth place at the Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival for his performance of Debussy's "Golliwog's Cakewalk," and also received First Class Honors for the Royal Conservatory of Toronto's Grade 7 Piano and Grade 2 Theory Examinations. He is a seventh-grader at Kenmore Middle School. The students all study with pianist Mary Handley.

• REGISTRATIONS ACCEPTED - Artpark is accepting registrations for its 2008 Summer Camps. The week-long children's camps are highlighted by a new session of theatrical activities. "Disney's Beauty and the Beast" Theater Camp will be held from Aug. 18-22, and is $250. Art Camps will be held July 7-11, 14-18 and July 28-Aug. 1, and are $200. All Artpark camps are for children ages 9-14 and take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. For an informational brochure and registration form, call 754-4375 or visit www.ar tpark.net.

• SQUEAKY WHEEL - Squeaky Wheel/Buffalo Media Resources are offering the following workshops: Intro to Pure Data (PD), Intro to Flash, Max/MSP/Jitter, Art & Intuition, DVD-Video Authoring, DVD Studio Pro and Page Layout Design with InDesign and Intro to Web Design. For more information, visit www.squeaky.org or call 884-7172.

• MEDIA ARTS WORKSHOP - The Carnegie Art Center's "Media Arts Curating" and "Curating: Thinking It & Doing It," hosted by Joanna Raczynska, will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 29 at the Carnegie Art Center, 240 Goundry St., North Tonawanda; free. 694-4400, www.carnegiear tcenter.org

• CIRCUIT BENDING - The workshop will be a hands-on exploration of bending techniques focusing on the re-purposing of scavenged, yard-sold and thrift-shopped children's toys, with Bill Sack, 2-5 p.m. Saturdays, through April 26, Squeaky Wheel, 712 Main St., Buffalo. Class is $160 nonmembers/$140 members. Call 884-7172 or visit www.squeaky.org for more information.

• WATERCOLOR PAINTING COURSE - For beginners and intermediates, 7-9 p.m. Thursdays, April 3, 10 and 17, the St. Columban Center, 6892 Lakeshore Road, Derby. Cost is $72 per session. Participants will need to bring their art materials to class. A list of supplies can be viewed at www.stcolumbancenter.org. To register, call 947-4708.

• BASIC ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR - With Wendy Lasker, 6-9 p.m. Mondays, March 31, April 7, 14 and 21, CEPA Gallery, 617 Main St., Buffalo; $150 member, $175 nonmember. 856-2717, e-mail: info@cepagallery.com. Registration closes March 24.

• BASIC ADOBE FLASH - With Wendy Lasker, 6-9 p.m. Thursdays, April 3, 10, 17 and 24, CEPA Gallery, 617 Main St., Buffalo; $150 member, $175 nonmember. 856-2717, e-mail: info@cepagallery.com. Registration closes March 27.

• INTRO TO MAC - Steven Ansell will familiarize you with the operating system and organization of Macs, Thursday, March 27, Squeaky Wheel, 712 Main St., Buffalo. Class is $35 nonmembers/$20 members. Call 884-7172 or visit www.squeaky.org for more information.

• CHANGE IN HOURS - For five Thursdays in March and April, students from the library science program at the University at Buffalo will occupy the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society's research library to digitize drawings and records of the Green & Wicks architectural firm. To accommodate the students, the research library will temporarily adjust its public hours, which are usually from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Now through April 17, the Historical Society's research library will be closed the following Thursdays: March 20 and 27, April 3, 10 and 17. During that same time period, the research library will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. the following Tuesdays: March 25, April 1, 8 and 15. Normal research library public hours will resume on April 18. The Historical Society's regular museum hours will not be affected. For more information, call 873-9644, Ext. 306.

• 10th WILDLIFE FOREVER STATE-FISH ART CONTEST - The 10th annual Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest is open to all students in grades 4 through 12. To enter, young artists must create an illustration of their chosen state fish. A written composition on its behavior, habitat and conservation is also required. Entries must be postmarked by March 31. Winners will be announced May 1 and will be recognized within each grade category for each state. One "gallery-quality" winning entry will be used as the design for the 2008 Art of Conservation Stamp. All winners will be included on the State-Fish Art Contest Web site. For more information, contact Pat Conzemius at Wildlife Forever, 2700 Freeway Blvd., No. 1000, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430, by e-mail at pconzemius@wildlifeforever.org or by calling 763-253-0222.

• WICKED - Tickets for "Wicked" go on sale to the public on Saturday, April 5. Tickets will be exclusively available during a special on-sale event from 7 to 10 a.m. Saturday, April 5 at the Shea's ticket office, 650 Main St., Buffalo. Beginning at 10 a.m., any remaining tickets will be available for purchase by calling Ticketmaster at 852-5000, online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.sheas.org. There is an eight-ticket limit per patron. Tickets are $34.50-$72.50 with premium seats for $127.50, available for most performances. Due to pre-existing sales to subscribers and groups, there is a limited inventory of "Wicked" tickets to start with. If you purchase tickets utilizing a different method from those mentioned above and/or are paying more than the designated ticket price, you do not have a guaranteed seat to "Wicked." The only way that patrons can be sure that they are purchasing legitimate tickets at the original ticket price is to use only the sources listed above. Patrons are urged to purchase their tickets early. "Wicked" is at Shea's from June 18-July 13.

• HAIRSPRAY - Tickets are now on sale for the Broadway musical "Hairspray," April 11-13 at Shea's Performing Arts Center, Buffalo. Tickets are $22.50-$52.50 and are available at the box office, 650 Main St., through Ticketmaster at 852-5000 or at www.sheas.org.

• ROMEO & JULIET - Tickets are now on sale for Neglia Ballet's production of "Romeo & Juliet," 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 10, Shea's Performing Arts Center, Buffalo. Tickets are $18-$32 and $62 (VIP) and are available at the Shea's ticket office, 650 Main St., and through Ticketmaster at 852-5000 or www.ticketmaster.com.

• AVRIL LAVIGNE - Tickets are now on sale for Avril Lavigne's "Best Damn Tour," with Boys Like Girls, 7 p.m. Saturday, March 29 at HSBC Arena. Tickets are $25, $35 and $49.50 (prices include $1.50 facility fee) and are available through the HSBC box office and all tickets.com outlets (888-223-6000). Random handbill policy in effect. Handbills are now available.

• CELINE DION - Tickets are now on sale for Celine Dion's 2008-09 North American Tour, Wednesday, Sept. 3 at HSBC Arena. Tickets are $45, $66.50, $96.50 and $136.50 and are available at the HSBC Arena box office and all tickets.com outlets (888-223-6000, www.tickets.com). Random handbill policy in effect. Handbills are now available.

• RE TREAT - Blessed Sacrament Church in Kenmore will be hosting a retreat with visitors from Ireland, including Sister Briege McKenna, Rev. Kevin Scallon and music by Dana Scallon from March 31 to April 3. A CD will be made from the retreat for world release. For more information, call 834-4282.

• VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT - The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum is seeking volunteers for its largest fundraiser of the year, The Renaissance Festival. Volunteers are sought for 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. or 2:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 7, to help with children's games, arts and crafts, admissions, food booth and silent auction. Volunteers are also needed for setup the day before on Friday, June 6 at 180 Thompson St., North Tonawanda. For more information, call 693-1885, e-mail info@carrouselmuseum.org or visit carrouselmuseum.org.

• NIAGARA HISTORIC TRAIL - In celebration of the 200th anniversary of Niagara County, the North Tonawanda History Museum is collaborating with a number of Niagara County historical organizations and municipal historians in a project to create an update of the Niagara Historic Trail, which was created in 1975 as part of the 1776 Bicentennial. The self-guided Niagara Historic Trail guidebooks are to be released for purchase early in the fall. The guidebook is intended to be used in conjunction with the cream and brown markers placed around the county as part of the original 1975 Niagara Historical Trail project and the 1991 revision. For more information, visit www.nthistorymuseum.org or call 213-0554.

• THEATER INVITATION - The Kavinoky Theatre is inviting current Studio Arena Theatre subscribers to attend the final two productions of the Kavinoky current season at no charge. The invitation is in response to the closing of Studio Arena Theatre. For more information, call 829-7668.

• ARTS AWARENESS MONTH - The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council is once again promoting arts and cultural awareness in Genesee and Orleans counties during Arts Awareness Month in March. GO ART! highlights the many cultural events taking place in its two-county service area and also sponsors special programs and events in an effort to raise awareness of the vital arts scene in their communities. A listing of activities will be published in a brochure that will be available on GO ART!'s Web site at www.goart.org. If you are sponsoring or presenting an event, share the information with GO ART! To download an entry form, visit the Web site or offices in both Medina and Albion. For more information, call 585-345-9313.

• BUS TOUR - The National Preservation Month Bus Tour will take place Saturday, May 17. The tour will depart from various sites, including Sanborn Fire Hall, Wheatfield Senior Center and North Tonawanda History Museum. Destinations include Erie Canal Discovery Center, First Presbyterian Church, Basket Factory Restaurant, the Winery at Marjim Manor, Van Horn Mansion and Hrvol Mansion. Reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. The cost is $45. For more information, call the North Tonawanda History Museum at 213-0054 or visit www.nthistor ymuseum.org.

• ALLENTOWN ART FESTIVAL POSTER CONTEST - Design the poster for the 51st annual Allentown Art Festival with the following four items included in your design: 51st Annual Allentown Art Festival, Saturday, June 14-Sunday, June 15, 2008, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Produced and presented by the Allentown Village Society, Inc. (cultural not-for-profit organization) and Buffalo, New York. The poster size must be 14" x 22" and up to four colors (black is a color, white is not). Design must be entirely original. Deliver your design, camera-ready with your name, address and two telephone numbers mounted on the back, to the Allentown Village Society, located at 435 Delaware Ave., Buffalo. Deadline is 1 p.m. March 22. The winning design becomes the "exclusive" property of the Allentown Village Society. Call 877-4670 or visit www.allentownartfestival.com for more information.