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

Fundraiser for Kids Diabetes Research
The Val Vista Lakes Women’s Club is hosting “An Enchanted Evening,” an event aimed at raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, on March 28 at the Val Vista Lakes Clubhouse at 6:00 p.m.

The entry fee of $40 for club members and their spouses and $50 for non-members includes appetizers, dinner and two drink tickets. Silent and live auctions with prizes donated from local businesses will be held, and the band Instant Classics will perform, as well. Dress is semi-formal; don’t forget your dancing shoes!

Last year’s event raised $43,000; stop by the Val Vista Lakes Clubhouse at the corner of Val Vista and Lakeside to purchase tickets now! The Club will donate 100 percent of the event’s proceeds to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

For more information or to make a donation, call Nuala White at 480-539-2993 or e-mail her at hibooo@cox.net.


Celebrate Spring at the Farmhouse BoutiqueTalk of springtime is the best reminder that it is the season for the Farmhouse Village Saturday Boutique and Craft Show.

Located in the Farmhouse Village Shops at 397 S. Gilbert Road (between Elliot and Warner). Parking is free, and there’s no admission fee. Show dates are March 8, March 22, April 12 and May 10.

Attending the show is a great way to have fun, find unique gifts, have a meal at the Gilbert House Restaurant and fresh-baked goodies from the Brownie Connection, and enjoy the springtime weather!

For more information, contact Jean at sewcute@qwest.net.


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.


Feathered Friends Festival
This year’s Feathered Friends Festival will be held Saturday, March 29 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

More than 40 booths will host wildlife exhibitors and educational activities, including games and crafts about insects, plants, water, reptiles, birds and more. There will be food, music, raffle drawings, birding experiences and tours of the preserve, as well. All ages are welcome! Admission is free; however, donations are requested for some activities.

Activities include tour-led bird walks; tours of the preserve; a dinosaur dig; solar viewings at the Gilbert Rotarian Centennial Observatory; and storytelling and poetry readings at the overlook ramada.

Booth activities include the Frog Hop, to help demonstrate the challenges of life as a frog; face painting; animal mask painting; a desert landscape mural where kids can add their own critters; origami; natural beauty crafting; bird behavior bingo; pinecone bird feeder building; butterfly decorating and flying; animal pelts and skulls identification; making an aquatic ecosystem; and more.

The Festival is a great opportunity for Scout troops to work on badges and earn service hours. An entire birding merit badge can be earned at the Festival, with local experts ready to help. Other badges can be partially earned.

Parking for the Festival will be available in the Southeast Regional Library parking lots, the Medical Center Plaza at 2450 and 2550 E. Guadalupe, and LDS Church at 2700 E. Guadalupe Road. The dropoff area for visitors is at the southeast corner of the Library parking lot.

The Festival also is looking for volunteers to help man booths. For more information about the Festival, visit www.riparianinstitute.org/fff/general_info.cfm


Let’s Talk About Drugs
Gilbert Public Schools and NotMyKid are hosting a “Let’s Talk About Drugs” seminar for parents, guardians and concerned adults (no children or teens, please) on March 12, 6:30-8 p.m. at Desert Ridge High School Auditorium, 10045 E. Madero Ave. in Mesa.

A guest speaker from NotMyKid will help attendees learn the signs and symptoms of kids taking drugs, offer tips about how to talk to kids about drugs, and discuss some of the drugs that are available… they are not only found “out on the street.”

GPS junior high and high school students may receive an incentive for parents attending this presentation and discussing the information with their student. The individual campuses will determine incentives. Proof of attendance slips will be distributed to parents on the evening of the presentation.

For more information, contact Susan Cadena, 480-497-3300, x275.


Bus Driver Positions Available
Gilbert Public Schools continues to experience an extreme bus driver shortage, and is looking for qualified applicants.

This is not just a local issue; it is affecting schools throughout the state and nationally. We are committed to seeking out the best bus driver applicants and providing the safest form of transportation for students. However, insufficient numbers of bus drivers lengthen route times and delay arrival times. We apologize for this inconvenience, and assure you that we are doing all we can to resolve these issues as soon as possible.

Please help us recruit capable and qualified bus driver applicants! The pay rate for the 2007-’08 school year starts at $11.74 per hour. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age, have a good driving record and be in reasonably good health; they will undergo an FBI background check. We will be scheduling paid training classes throughout the school year.

Applicants can apply online at www.gilbert.k12.az.us or call 480-497-3317 for more information.