Hale Centre Theatre - 50 West Page Avenue, Gilbert - Box Office: 480-497-1181
Gilbert Fine Arts Association - Main Office Number: 480-505-6205
Chandler Center for the Arts - 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler - Box Office: 480.782.2680
Mesa Amphitheater - Center & University - (480) 644-2178
Mesa Arts Center - 1 East Main Street - Box Office: 480-644-6500, Admin: 480-644-6501

Gilbert Spring Fair & Expo
The Gilbert Spring Fair & Expo, presented by Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, will be held Saturday, April 5 at the Freestone Park Softball Complex (Juniper and Lindsay Roads) 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

This premiere event of the Gilbert Community Services-Recreation Department will feature children, pet and Town of Gilbert expos, and will offer such activities as slides, inflatables, a climbing wall, carnival game corral and a trackless train. Plus, tasty food and beverages will be available for purchase throughout the fair.

Visit the public vehicle display that will include such Town of Gilbert service vehicles as a fire truck and police and street vehicles. The Town of Gilbert Expo will be staffed with members of various departments, too, providing valuable information to the community. There also will be two stage areas filled with live entertainment, including: a K-9 presentation, Doggies of the Wild West and Arizona Disc Dogs.

This event is made possible by sponsors Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, The Gilbert Republic, Raising Arizona Kid’s Magazine, Strategic Alliance Marketing, 98.7 The Peak and IKEA. Stop by their booths for activities and giveaways.

Admission for the Fair & Expo is free for kids 3 years and younger, and $3 for everyone 4 years and older. Activity tickets will be sold in the form of ticket sheets: five tickets cost $5; 15 tickets, $10; 25 tickets, $15; a Family Pack of 50 tickets, $25. Both activity tickets and admission passes may be purchased in advance through April 4 at the Community Services Office, 90 E. Civic Center Dr.; Gilbert Community Center, 130 N. Oak (call 480-503-6290 for hours); McQueen Park Activity Center, 510 N Horne St. (call 480-503-6294 for hours); and the Freestone Recreation Center, 1141 E. Guadalupe Road (call 480-503-6202 for hours).

For more information, call the Town of Gilbert Community Services at 480-503-6200, or visit www.ci.gilbert.az.us/parks/events.cfm.


Knitters and Crocheters Needed!
The group Peace by Piece is looking for people interested in knitting or crocheting items donated to wherever there is a need, usually to children in hospitals, child crisis centers, teen pregnancy centers, rest homes, homeless shelters, police and fire departments, etc.

Peace by Piece meets on the third Tuesday of the month, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Gateway Fellowship Church (northwest corner of Recker and Elliot Roads). Quilting kits are already made up and fabric is available for those who wish to sew; knitters and crocheters should bring their own yarn and needles, and quilters should bring their own sewing machines if possible. Two machines are at the church, but they are not always available. Attendees also can bring a lunch.

For more information, call 480-892-1011.


State Farm Open House
State Farm agent JoAnn Saba Alvarez has relocated and invites everyone to help her celebrate on April 8, 2-5 p.m. at the State Farm Insurance office, 3885 S. Val Vista Dr., Suite 101.

Alvarez welcomes everyone to stop by, say hello, and get a free quote and a road atlas. Her new office is located just 1/8-mile south of Hwy. 202 and Mercy Gilbert Hospital.

For more information, call 480-497-9947 or e-mail joann.alvarez.cllg@statefarm.com.


17th-Annual Summer Art Academy
Since Faye Koerselman began the Summer Art Academy 17 years ago, she and other teachers have taught hundreds of kids in a fun and educational setting.

This year’s Academy promises more of the same. Taking place June 2-26, the Academy is offering morning and afternoon classes for grades one through 12, running in one- and two-week sessions Mondays-Thursdays, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Class topics include sculpture, clay, jewelry, cartooning, painting and drawing, and are taught by Gilbert School certified art teachers. Cost is $55 per class.

The Summer Art Academy classes are held at New Hope Community Church, 1380 E. Guadalupe Road in Gilbert.

For more information, call 480-892-1581, e-mail Rich40@cox.net or visit www.members.cox.net/Rich40.


Host an International Exchange Student
Is anyone intrigued by the lure of faraway places? Swiss Alps, Egyptian pyramids, Norwegian fjords, Japanese temples, Brazilian jungles and Italian gondoliers all conjure up fascinating images.

North Gilbert families now have the chance to do more than just dream. By hosting an international exchange student, they can experience and learn first-hand about the world while giving a bright, young student the opportunity to learn personally what life in America is really like.

“Nothing in my life so far has been more important to me than my stay in America,” said Win-Kun Hui of Hong Kong, an Education, Travel & Culture (ETC) student from 2007. “I made so many friends and learned so much. In fact, I decided to come back and go to community college here.”

Right now, ETC is seeking homes for 13 young students. Students are both boys and girls, ages 15 to 18, and stay for either one semester or the whole school year. They represent 15 countries; are well prepared and highly screened; and bring their own insurance and spending money. Host families are expected to provide food, a bed (although the students can share a bedroom) and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Host families can be with or without children, senior citizens or single parents – all are eligible to take advantage of this opportunity.

Although students do not begin arriving until late July or August, it is imperative that host families are found in the spring. For one reason, competition for slots at Gilbert schools is fierce, with most only accepting a few foreign students at a time. In addition, it is very unsettling for the students and their families abroad to not know whether they will be placed with a U.S. family.

“I remember when I was waiting for news on a family. I would wait by the phone every night,” Hui said. “I wondered, ‘What’s wrong with me? Why doesn’t anybody want me?’ Finally, the agency called. I was so excited, but I only had a few days to prepare!”

Hosting an exchange student can broaden any family’s horizons and make a big difference in the life of a young person who is courageous enough to leave family and friends for ten months to live with an unknown family in a strange land.

For more information, contact Natalie at ETC at 480-722-1530, Casaflora@aol.com, or visit www.edutrav.org.