Mesa Amphitheater - Center & University - (480) 644-2178 Mesa Arts Center - 1 East Main Street -Box Office 480-644-6500, Admin 480-644-6501 Mesa Convention Center - 201 N. Center St. Mesa Historical Museum - 2345 N. Horne Street - (480) 835-735 Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre - 5247 E. Brown Road - (480) 325-6700 “A Night in the ’40s” Dance and Fund-Raiser The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Aircraft Museum and presenting sponsor Comerica Bank along with Hensley and Company invite you to take a sentimental journey back to 1943 with “A Night in the ’40s” on March 15. This glamorous event features a World War II 1940s musical show, followed by a big band orchestra playing sounds of the era to dancing men and women dressed in period styles… all in the shadow of the vintage B-17 Flying Fortress bomber “Sentimental Journey”! Besides being a nostalgic journey back in time, the event serves as a fund-raiser for the CAF Aircraft Museum, located at 2017 N. Greenfield Road at Mesa’s Falcon Field. The CAF is dedicated to keeping aviation history alive for current and future generations. Doors will open for “A Night in the ’40s” at 4:15 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to come dressed in the style of the period. Danny Davis from AM radio 1230 KOY will be the Master of Ceremonies. A pre-show at 4:45 p.m. will feature Forever Dance performing a series of dances from the 1940s. Entertainment begins at 5:30 p.m. with The Kathy Donald Jazz Ensemble, a 1940s musical show with singers and a professional trio of piano, bass and drums featuring Kathy Donald, formerly of Art Royer’s USO Show. At 7:30 p.m., swing time kicks in, featuring the Sun Lakes Big Band Orchestra playing favorite music from the war years. There will be a costume contest for the best-dressed 1940s costume, and a swing dance contest, as well. Food and refreshments will be sold at the event, including a barbeque plate. Tickets for “A Night in the ’40s” cost $35 per person in advance, or $40 on the day of the dance. Tickets can be purchased at the CAF Museum, online at www.bigbanddance.com or at the following Comerica Bank locations: 1825 South Val Vista Dr.; 5225 S. Power Road; and 925 N. Dobson Road. All admission fees and donations are fully tax deductible. For more information, call 480-924-1940 or visit www.bigbanddance.com. Investing 101 The City of Mesa Library is offering two Investing 101 programs in February and March. Back by popular demand, Jeff Cutler of Cutler Financial Partners, Waddell and Reed, and radio and television investing programs will entertain while he educates. The February program, scheduled for Feb. 26, is titled Appropriate Investments, and will define different types of investments and their risks, as well as which are proper for various age groups. The March program, to be held March 25, is titled Analysis: Technical, Fundamental and the Dartboard, and will help attendees determine what type of investor they are, examine the two main types of analysis and explain how to use analysis to determine when to buy or sell a stock, bond or mutual fund. Each program will be held 7-8:30 p.m. at the Library’s Main Branch, 64 E. First St., in the Saguaro Room. Registration is not required. For more information, call Sandy Rizzo at 480-644-3721, the City of Mesa Library at 480-644-2207 or visit www.mesalibrary.org. Feathered Dinosaurs Come to Mesa The traveling exhibition “Feathered Dinosaurs and the Origin of Flight” opened March 1 at the Arizona Museum of Natural History, 53 N. Macdonald in Mesa. This is a rare opportunity to see firsthand a collection of 35 fossils that are national treasures on loan from the People’s Republic of China. The exhibit brings new answers to the ongoing debate about the relationship between dinosaurs and birds. “The Feathered Dinosaurs exhibition combines actual, seldom-seen fossils from China with life-size reconstructions of the animals to give us a whole new view of dinosaurs, as well as a whole new view of birds,” said Robert McCord, Arizona Museum of Natural History curator of paleontology. The fossils represent a diversity of birds that lived approximately 125 million years ago during the age of dinosaurs. Like the famed Archaeopteryx, some of these fossil birds have teeth, clawed wings and long reptilian tails, which foretell the remote ancestry of present-day birds. The skeletal anatomy of these prehistoric birds demonstrates stages in how the wings of birds evolved the ability to fly. Feathered Dinosaurs is a pivotal landmark that explores the most current research regarding dinosaurs and the evolution of birds. The age of dinosaurs was filled with prehistoric birds that were so bizarre they have gone unrecognized for what they actually were. One of the exhibit’s many highlights is that of a Therizinosaurus, a 14-foot-tall animal with a 20-foot wingspan that defies the definition of being a bird or dinosaur. “Feathered Dinosaurs and the Origin of Flight” was organized by The Dinosaur Museum of Blanding, Utah in association with the Fossil Administration Office of Liaoning, China and the Liaoning Beipiao China Shihetun Museum of Paleontology. For more information, contact Kathy Eastman, Arizona Museum of Natural History curator of education, at 480-644-5662. New Exhibit Opens at Air Force Museum The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Arizona Wing Aviation Museum has opened a new exhibit titled “Triumph Over Adversity.” Dedicated to the black pioneers of aviation who served during World War II, the exhibit recognizes the positive experience, outstanding record of accomplishment and superb behavior of black airmen, especially those of the 91st Fighter Squadron, 322nd Fighter Group and 477th Bombardment Group (collectively known as the Tuskegee Airmen), who were important factors in the initiation of social change to achieve racial equality in America. The CAF Arizona Wing Aviation Museum is located at 2017 N. Greenfield Road in Mesa, on the southwest corner of Falcon Field Airport. Museum hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily, and admission costs $7 for ages 14 to adult and $3 for ages six to 13. Among the warbirds on display are a reduced-scale P-51 “Mustang” and the museum’s B-17 Flying Fortress “Sentimental Journey,” B-25 “Mitchell” Bomber, North American SNJ/T-6 “Texan,” Stearmans and many more. Warbird rides and gift certificates are available for purchase. For more information, call 480-924-1940 or pio@arizonawingcaf.com. Classic Car Rally Returns to Main Street Grease your hair and shine your hubcaps, because the “Memories On Main Street” classic car rally is returning to downtown Mesa on March 15, from noon to 10 p.m. After thousands of people turned out in November 2007 to see hundreds of vehicles cruising Main Street, organizers decided to bring back the event – and this time they will be helping an important cause, too. “POP’s Memories On Main Street – The Drive for Prostate Health” will include everything from Model Ts from the 1920s to big-finned Chevys from the ’50s to souped-up roadsters from the ’70s, all cruising the mile-long stretch of downtown Main Street. The upcoming rally, sponsored by Prostate Onsite Project (POP), should be even larger than the November event, which drew about 3,000 people, says event coordinator Linda Morrissey. POP is a mobile medical screening unit affiliated with Sports Legends Prostate Cancer Projects, a non-profit organization headquartered in Mesa and founded by former NFL player and ASU coach Gene Falkner. Sports Legends Prostate Cancer’s mission is to save the lives of men by educating and screening them for prostate cancer, one of the most common types of cancer among men but also one of the easiest to treat if detected early. For more information about participating in or attending POP’s Memories on Main Street, e-mail Linda Morrissey at MemoriesStreet@aol.com or call 480-861-8418. Silver Anniversary for Sons (and Daughters) of Italy Thanks to various TV shows and movies, the phrase “Italian organization” tends to give off a certain negative vibe. But the Order of Sons of Italy in America (OSIA) couldn’t be further from this stereotype. It is the oldest and largest organization of Italian Americans – 102 years old and 600,000 members in different lodges, or groups, nationwide. “[The OSIA] was originally formed to help Italian immigrants assimilate into the American culture,” said Mary Lou Johnston, vice president of the Mesa lodge. “Now it’s kind of the opposite. We’ve assimilated, so we’re trying to preserve our roots and go back to learning and celebrating everything Italian.” Among other things, they give scholarships, promote Italian language in schools and publish the Italian American magazine. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Mesa lodge, called the Albert Bilotti Lodge, will be hosting a gala party on April 6 at the Wyndemere Hotel. Everyone is welcome to attend and join in the fun. The $30 entrance fee includes a buffet dinner and live entertainment, and attendees also will learn about the history of the lodge. Everyone also is welcome to attend the group’s meetings, held on the fourth Tuesday of every month at Our Savior Lutheran Church on Ellsworth Road in Mesa. For more information, call Johnston at 480-986-9774, or visit the national website at www.osia.org or the state website at www.osiaaz.org. Tractor Show Join the Arizona Early Day Gas Engine & Tractor Association’s Show on March 8-9 in Apache Junction. The show will feature antique engines, tractor parades and tractor pulls. Part of the show will highlight the collection of association member Phil Frandsen, who has collected 44 tractors, most of which are kept at his home in Mesa. See the article on page 31 for more about his collection. The show will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Rodeo Park on Lost Dutchman Blvd., between Idaho and Tomahawk Roads. Cost is $5 for adults; kids age 12 and younger are free. For more information, call 480-832-5733 or e-mail brendafrandsen@cox.net. Book Discussion Group at Main Library The City of Mesa Main Library is offering a monthly book club. The Page Turners Book Group will meet the second Thursday of each month in the Main Library’s Board Room from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The group will read and discuss a variety of fiction and occasional non-fiction titles. The following books will be discussed on these dates: • Feb. 14: “The History of Love” by Nicole Krauss • March 13: “Atonement” by Ian McEwan • April 10: “These is My Words” by Nancy E. Turner • May 8: “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood • June 12: “Catch-22” by Joseph Heller • July 10: “The Memory Keeper’s Daughter” by Kim Edwards Registration to join the group is required. For more information and/or to register, call Marian Reisman, 480-644-5899. Mesa Art League Exhibits Artist of the Month Mesa Art League (MAL) will showcase a featured artist each month from the 240-member league at FastFrame, located at 2025 N. Power Road, The show’s opening celebration for March’s artist will be held March 15, 4-7 p.m. at FastFrame. Among other MAL artists, attendees to the opening celebration will meet Bud Heiss, March’s featured artist and a decorated painter of landscapes. Heiss was crowned MAL’s “Artist of the Year” in December 2007. Entertainment, painting artists, finger food and entertainment will also be on hand at the celebration. The addition of the Artist of the Month display offers the northeast Mesa community an opportunity to see the best in locally produced artwork and to connect with Mesa’s art community. Begun in 1936, the Mesa Art League brings together professional artists and recreational talents in a vibrant group more than 200 strong. Meeting in the evening of the second Tuesday of each month, the group conducts critiques and enjoys demonstrations from renowned local artists. For more information about MAL, visit www.mesaartleague.com. Spring Style Show and Brunch Mesa’s Women’s Connection presents its “What’s Your Style?” luncheon March 10, 10-11:30 a.m. at Windemere Conference Center, 5750 E. Main St. This month’s brunch features speaker Kitty Chappell, an award-winning author who has appeared on radio and television talk shows. Kitty will share how she chose forgiveness over bitterness upon becoming widowed after a 47-year marriage in her story, “The Gift of Choices.” In addition, Dress Barn will help attendees celebrate Spring with a show highlighting the latest fashions. Music will be provided by Anita Jordon. Reservations are required for the luncheon; the fee is $17.50. For more information or to make a reservation, call Judy at 480-830-9136. The luncheon is sponsored by the Mesa Christian Women’s Club and Stonecroft Ministries. Volunteers Needed to Makeover Valley Schools Volunteers are being recruited now for the 15th-Annual Make a Difference Serve-A-Thon for Schools on April 12. Serve-A-Thon for Schools will bring together 3,000 volunteers to give local children safer, brighter learning spaces. More than 40 under-resourced schools around the Valley will benefit from fresh coats of paint, refurbished libraries, landscaped green spaces, restored playgrounds and more. To learn how to put together a team of 10 or more volunteers from your family, school, company or group, visit www.makeadifference.org or call 602-973-2212 x226. Individual volunteers also are welcome. Team registration deadline is March 15. Mahnah Club’s 16th-Annual Charity Gala The Mahnah Club is hosting its 16th Annual Charity Gala on March 29 at the Mesa Hilton Hotel. The “New York, New York”-themed event will benefit the Child Crisis Center of East Valley, the Save the Family Foundation and the Mahnah Club. Tickets cost $150, and the gala will include silent and live auctions and raffles. The word “Mahnah” means “leading women of the tribe.” The Mahnah Club of women, founded in 1954, serves to provide invaluable contributions to the community. The Child Crisis Center and Save the Family Foundation are the group’s primary beneficiaries, but local high-school scholarships also are provided by the group. For more information, visit www.mahnahclub.org. Host Families Needed for Foreign Exchange Students Foreign exchange students will be arriving in the East Valley in August for the 2008/’09 school year, and the Organization for Cultural Exchange Among Nations (OCEAN) is seeking volunteer host families willing to open their hearts and homes to one of these students. Students are between the ages of 15-18, and are looking forward to the opportunity to spend an academic year in the U.S. They will learn about America firsthand while residing with host families, participating in their daily activities and attending local high schools. Students come from a variety of countries, including Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, Germany, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. They are fully insured, proficient in English and come with their own spending money to cover personal expenses. Host families are responsible for providing the student with room and board, as well as a loving family environment. The rewards a family receives for hosting an exchange student last a lifetime. In addition, the family makes friends from abroad while helping to bring the world closer together. OCEAN is a non-profit organization located in Tempe. It has been designated by the U.S. Department of State, and OCEAN has been granted full listing with the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (SCIET). For more information on welcoming a foreign exchange student into your home, call OCEAN at 480-784-4671, e-mail ocean@hostaforeignstudent.org or visit www.hostaforeignstudent.org. Play Golf for Young Readers By Blake, First Grade, Zaharis Elementary, Room 2 Come to the best, the one and only 4th-Annual Alex and Jenny Casteel Team, Links to Library Golf Tournament. It starts May 3 with a shotgun start… BANG! The golf tournament will be at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa. This charity tournament is to raise money for books and equipment for the media center at Zaharis Elementary in Mesa. The “early bird catches the worm” price is $100 per player. This price includes golf, practice balls, a cart, some dinner, prizes and a live Elvis concert following golf. To register, go to www.zaharisgolf.com. Have questions? Call Scott Ritter, the teacher librarian and tournament coordinator at 480-308-7237 or e-mail him at fsritter@mpsaz.org. Register Now for Camp Invention Register by March 31 for early-bird discounts at Camp Invention, a program that inspires creativity with hands-on activities in science, math, history and the arts for elementary students. Modules range from exploring space to renovating a sculpture garden. The program is open to elementary students throughout the district July 21-25 at Lindbergh, 930 S. Lazona, Mesa. Loretta Rodriguez, gifted resource teacher, will coordinate the program. Certified teachers will lead five modules daily, and high school and college students will serve as counselors. For more information or to register, visit www.campinvention.org. Upcoming Parent University Classes The next Mesa Public Schools Parent University workshops include the following topics: Secrets to Effective Consequences, Current Drug Trends, 10 Steps to Positive Discipline, Developing Capable Young People, Siblings Without Rivalry, Overcoming Learning Difficulties and Conscious Discipline With Shubert. For information and registration forms, visit www.mpsaz.org/parentu or call 480-472-7278. Cub Scout Book Sale Don’t miss the Mesa Cub Scout Pack 380 book sale, Saturday, March 8th, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the NW corner of Power & Boise Roads, 1/2 block South of University. Over 2,000 used books, CD’s, puzzles and games. Funds raised will go towards sending scouts to summer camp.