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 Car Cruise-In That’s right… Cruise in to Red Mountain Community Church on the last Sunday of each month to view some classic cars, hot rods, motorcycles – even bring your own vehicle! Cruise-In is not just for the car enthusiast; it’s for anyone! Coffee and cold drinks are available in the Common Grounds Coffee Café. The Cruise-In is a time of fun and fellowship! Cruise-In is sponsored by the Men’s Ministry at Red Mountain Community Church. The event runs 5-8 p.m. during summer from May through September. As the weather cools down in October, it will run 3:30-6:30 p.m. Red Mountain Community Church is located at 6101 E. Virginia St. in Mesa, at the northeast corner of Loop 202 and Recker Road. For more information about this event, visit www.rmcchurch.org A Night Out in Downtown Mesa Don’t forget about “A Night Out in Downtown Mesa,” which occurs on the second Friday of every month on and around West downtown Main Street. This means that downtown visitors will once again enjoy great shopping, dining and live entertainment until 10 p.m. Special activities will also be held at the Mesa Arts Center. For more information, call Kim Johnson at Mystic Paper, 480-834-0286, e-mail Kim@mysticpaper.com or visit www.downtownmesa.com. Welcome Summer over Memorial Day Weekend at a Mesa Public Pool Pools open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday, May 24 are Brimhall Aquatic Complex, Carson Aquatic Complex, Mesa Junior High, Shepherd Aquatic Complex, and Stapley Aquatic Complex. Also open on that day from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. are Fremont and Taylor pools. Pools open Sunday, May 25 are Brimhall, Carson, Mesa Junior High, and Stapley, from 1-5 p.m. Open on Monday, May 26, 1-5 p.m. are Brimhall, Carson, Mesa Junior High, and Stapley. Buy a Family Pass during Memorial Day Weekend, May 24-26 and receive a 50 percent price reduction. Pass must be purchased at pool, cash or check only. All Mesa Public pools will be open starting May 27. For more information visit www.cityofmesa.org/parksrec/timeout. Diaper Drive for the Needy The Valley Diaper Bank, a grass-roots coalition of Valley nonprofit agencies, is asking for contributions in its sixth-annual Valley Diaper Drive. Packages of new disposable diapers are being collected now through May 31. Area organizations, clubs, churches, schools, scout troops and employee groups are asked to organize diaper drives, using instructions available on the Diaper Bank web site, www.valleydiaperbank.org. Throughout the month of May, the public also can drop off diapers at any Valley location of Sunflower Farmers Market or Discount Tire Company. Diapers collected will be distributed to needy families through the Diaper Bank’s nonprofit partner agencies across the Valley. The Valley Diaper Bank supplies diapers to agencies already working with people in need, and does not give diapers to individuals. Since the first Valley Diaper Drive in 2002, the Valley Diaper Bank has provided 790,000 diapers to more than 70 nonprofit, government and church-sponsored social service agencies in Maricopa County. For more information on volunteering, starting a Diaper Drive or making contributions to the Valley Diaper Bank, visit the web site or call 602-253-0050. 2008 U.S. Paralympic Team Track & Field Trials The 2008 U.S. Paralympic Team Trials are scheduled for June 12-15 at ASU’s Sun Angel Stadium/Joe Selleh Track in Tempe. This is the sole U.S. qualifying opportunity for track and field for the 2008 Paralympic Games. U.S. and international athletes with physical disabilities and visual impairments who meet the event qualification standards will be eligible to enter. Registration opens May 1 and closes June 10. The registration fee is $25 if received on or before May 27; after that, the fee is $50. The fee includes entry to the competition, shuttle transportation to and from the host hotel and the venue, and the Sunday evening banquet. Sanctioned by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics, the competition will be governed by IPC Athletics and IAAF rules. Schedule of events: • June 12: Registration, Classification, Track & Field Practice • June 13: Competition Session I and II • June 14: Competition Session III and IV • June 15: Competition Session V, Dinner The host hotel is the Hilton Phoenix East/Mesa, located at 1011 W. Holmes Ave. in Mesa. For more information, contact Susan Rossi (games director), 480-644-5702 or susan.rossi@cityofmesa.org; Lane Jeppesen (sponsorship), 480-835-6273, lane@mesadisabledsports.com; or Jordan Heller (volunteers), 480-644-3654, Jordan.heller@cityofmesa.org. The trials are hosted by the Arizona Disabled Sports and City of Mesa Parks, Recreation & Commercial Facilities. Book Fair Barbara Bush Elementary will host a Scholastic Book Fair on May 2-9, 8 a.m.-4p.m. daily. From 1-4 p.m. on May 2, the Book Fair will feature a special Family Fun Grand Opening, with snacks, crafts, contests and thousands of great books! Special guest Jon Lewis, best-selling author of the Grey Griffins series, will be at the Fair 1-2 p.m. He will autograph his books, which will be available for purchase. His exciting series includes “The Revenge of the Shadow King,” “The Rise of the Black Wolf” and “The Fall of the Templar.” Barbara Bush Elementary School is located at 4925 E. Ingram St. in Mesa. The Book Fair will offer specially priced books and educational products, including new releases, award-winning titles, children’s classics, interactive software, novels for adults and current bestsellers from more than 150 publishers. Proceeds from the Fair provide books for the Library Media Center collection. Attendees also can help the school build classroom libraries by purchasing books for teachers through the Classroom Wish List. For more information, visit http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/bush or call Michelle Aron, 480-472-8554. Beat the Heat Synchronized Swimming Camp Does your child enjoy swimming, tumbling and dancing? The Arizona Desert Dolphins is hosting its Beat the Heat Synchro Camp June 23-July 23. The camp will provide participants with an introduction to synchronized swimming, where they will learn basic to advanced skills and techniques. The Camp will run 4-5:30 p.m. at Rhodes Pool, 1407 N. Alta Mesa Dr. Kids must be 7 years or older and able to swim. Cost is $40, and space is limited. Register online at www.azdolphins.com or call 480-313-4350. Summer Aviation Camp Register now for Summer Aviation Camp, to be held Monday through Thursday June 2-12, 8 a.m. to noon at Falcon Field Airport. The program features hands-on flight exploration, field trips and related activities, such as guest speakers, games, computer simulations and tours. The camp is open to students who will be in seventh or eighth grade next school year. Tuition is $160. Space is limited, so register now. For information and registration forms, visit www.mpsaz.org/fltcntr, or call Diana LeSueur, 480-472-8480. Summer Cooking Camps and Classes Simply Impressive is a home-based cooking school located in Mesa. Judy Toth, instructor and owner, offers hands-on cooking and baking classes for adults and children. Upcoming camps for kids include: • June 2-6: Kids Boot Camp Week 1 (ages 8-12). Classes include one day each of breakfast; baked spaghetti; enchiladas; chow mein and won tons; and sandwiches and homemade ice cream. • June 9-13: Teens Boot Camp (ages 13 and older). Classes include one day each of breakfast; enchiladas; pasta; sandwiches and homemade ice cream; and stir fry and potstickers. • July 14-18: Kids Boot Camp Week 2 (ages 8-12). Classes include one day each of pizza; ravioli; tacos; stir fry; and chicken alfredo. All Camps run from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Kids Boot Camps cost $200 per week if registered before May 15, or else $240 per week. The Teens Boot Camp costs $215 prior to May 15, or else $255. Judy also offers several one-day classes for teens, running 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Cost is $47 each: • June 24: Pizza • June 30: Pasta • July 9: Mexican (salsa fajitas and frijoles) • July 11: Desserts (orange lady dreamsicle cake, strawberry tiara cake, Mexican cream puffs) • July 24: Pasta with Chicken Judy also offers custom-tailored classes for groups and private team-building sessions for businesses. For more information, call 480-654-1981 or e-mail judy@simplyimpressive.com. Arizona Golf Resort Hosts Clinics for Kids Arizona Golf Resort, 425 S. Power Road, is hosting its FUNdamental Golf Program on May 10 at 5 p.m. This program has been developed by the Southwest Section of the PGA to emphasize and encourage proper golf behavior. In addition, Arizona Golf Resort will be holding weekly Junior Golf Clinics during the month of June. Juniors between the ages of 6 and 17 and all skill levels are invited to attend. Lunch will be included in the fees, as well a tee gift. The staff of PGA and LPGA instructors is excited to reintroduce junior golf to Arizona Golf Resort. Juniors who complete the FUNdamental program and one of the Arizona Golf Resort clinics will be entitled to free green fees when accompanied by a paid adult after 11 a.m., or free green fees and adults pay just $15 after 3 p.m. Juniors play free one hour prior to sunset. These offers are good June 1 through August 31. To sign up for the FUNdamental Golf Program, visit www.southwest.pga.com; click on Junior Golf and then FUNdamental Golf. To sign up for the Arizona Golf Resort Junior Golf Clinic, call 480-832-1661 or stop in to fill out an application form. Summer Explosion Once a year, Red Mountain Community Church puts on a fun-filled event for kids ages 4 years through 5th-grade graduates. The 2008 adventure arrives June 23-27. For one week, kids get to spend time with their friends doing all sorts of things that a kid loves to do. This year, the Church’s theme is serving. Staff will be helping the kids learn what it means to serve their family, such as Mom and Dad, neighbors, community (such as police officers and teachers) and even friends. The staff puts all of these things together in activities that kids will never forget. It’s great fun; kids make music with a live band, play games and make fun-filled crafts. What kid wouldn’t want to be a part of this summer explosion! Here is what some of our kids and helpers said about last year’s event: “I wish it could have lasted more than a week”; “I loved hanging out with all these kids”; “This event gets better and better each year”; “The games are lots of fun”; and “I made lots of new friends.” Cost is $25 per child, up to a maximum of $75 per family. Registration begins May 11. For more information, visit www.RMCChurch.org, or call 480-807-5868, x130. 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: • 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. 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. Community Warning About Utilities Imposters Recently, there have been a number of incidents involving imposters posing as city employees to gain access to and burglarize homes in Mesa. Targets primarily have been elderly residents. If a person or persons ask to enter your home as a City of Mesa Utilities Department or another City department employee, please take the following precautions: • Ask to see their badge. City employees carry a city-issued photo identification card. • Look for a uniform. All City field staff wear uniforms that prominently include the City’s logo. • If in doubt, ask them to wait outside, and tell them you need to contact the City of Mesa to verify that crews are working in your neighborhood. If they are posing as City employees, they likely will not stay too long. Call the Utility Control Center at 480-644-2262 for assistance. Please be assured that our employees will not ask to come into your home unless you have called them to do so. If someone has entered your home illegally, please notify the Mesa Police Department at 480-644-2211.