Almanac

The Manistee Benzie Area Children's Chorus of Arcadia announces an All Ages Square Dance and Musical Jam on Saturday, March 20th from 7 to 10pm at the Pleasant Valley Community Center, Glovers Lake Road in Arcadia. Doors open at 6:45pm. Dancing will be from 7 to 9 p.m.  The recommended donation is $5 per person or $20 per family. Children 5 and under are free.  Proceeds will benefit the Manistee Benzie Area Children's Chorus of Arcadia. For more information call 889.5777.  

A community forum focusing on young children and Michigan's budget priorities will be held on Saturday, March 20th at the TBAISD Conference Center in Traverse City, and by poly-com in Charlevoix, Cadillac and Onekama.  The forum will give parents and community members an opportunity to discuss issues and share concerns with a panel of early childhood experts, business people and community leaders.  Matt Gillard, former Michigan Representative and current spokesman for the Early Childhood Investment Corporation, will moderate the conversation as well as provide his own insight into the budget approval process and indications of where Michigan may be headed regarding funding for early childhood programs and services.  The forum begins at 1 p.m. and is open to the public.  The community forum is free and no registration is required.    For further information call 922.6257. 

Local singer songwriter Andre Villoch will perform a spring concert at the East Bay Branch Library on Saturday March 20th at 1:30pm.  Music for guitar and vocals will be featured, and you may hear an Irish tune or two.  Refreshments will be served. The library is located at 1989 Three Mile Rd North in Traverse City. Call 922.2085 or visit the library website at www.tadl.org/eastbay for more information.

The Dennos Museum Center at Northwestern Michigan College will present the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble in collaboration with the Wharton Center at MSU on Saturday March 20th at 8pm in the Milliken Auditorium. Tickets are $25 in advance, $28 at the door, $22 for Museum Members. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Museum Box office at 995.1553 or on line at http://www.dennosmuseum.org/.

This program at Mills Community House in Benzonia will feature a dramatization with local women portraying historical women figures who significantly aided immigrant populations in the U.S on Sunday, March 21st from 1 to 4pm. After a refreshment break, participants can elect to participate in one or more sessions which include: a presentation by local immigration attorney Wendy Bailey and a book discussion led by Katherine Ross. The book is The Butterfly's Way: Voices from the Haitian Dyaspora in the United States, a moving collection of personal essays and poems from a diverse group of Haitian and Haitian-American writers. Mary Anne Rivers will close the program with song. Admission: $7 (students $5) . Funds raised through BAWHP events support the group’s scholarship fund. There is a special rate of $15 if you preregister for both days. For more information or to register: download a registration form at the history project website: www.bawhp.org or email: infobop@bawhp.org or you can call 882-5373.

Family Fun Fest will be held on Sunday, March 21st from 2 to 9pm at Wilderness Crossing complex.  The event will feature six live bands, a silent auction, raffle and more.  Admission is $5 per person at the door.  Proceeds will raise funds and awareness for Boots for Kids.  For more information on Family Fun Fest, email bootsforkids@yahoo.com.

Funday Sunday at the Great Lakes Children's Museum on March 21st will feature local educator and director Bill Church. Children will put their bodies, voices and imaginations to work as Bill guides them through theatre exercises to transform themselves into all creatures great and small. The class will feature a warm-up and several activities designed to help young actors stimulate their own sense of creativity while exploring the animal world. All materials are provided. The acting fun will be offered in two sessions beginning at 1:30pm and again at 2:30pm. For more information please call 932.4526 or visit the website http://www.greatlakeskids.org/

TC Light & Power will commence another tree-trimming project on March 22nd in order to avoid potential power interruption problems when tree limbs come in contact with electrical lines. Through April 30th, trees will be trimmed in an area east of Wadsworth and north of Tenth Street on the west side of Boardman Lake, as well as north and east of Boardman Lake. Visit www.tclp.org for map and details.

The Traverse City Children's Theatre presents Shakespeare's Hamlet on March 22nd and 23rd in the Mary Schmuckal Studio Theatre at the Old Town Playhouse.  The TCCT Repertory Company, a group of students between the ages of 13 and 18, will present a two-hour edition of this Shakespearean Tragedy - arguably one of the most famous plays in the English language.  Performances are at 7pm both nights and tickets are $5 at the door.  Call 947.2210 for more information.

The Newcomers Men's Book Club will meet on Monday, March 22nd at 10am in the lower level of Horizon Books.  The selection is Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian.  Contact Pete Albers at 922.7289 or email phalbers99@gmail.com. For additional information visit the Newcomers Club website at http://www.gtnewcomers.org/.

The Newcomers Club of Grand Traverse will present a program on the Traverse Symphony Orchestra on March 23rd at the Traverse Area District Library.  Edward Downing, Executive Director of TSO, will speak.  Socializing begins at 6:30pm, meeting at 7pm and program at 7:15pm.  For additional information visit the Newcomers Club website at http://www.gtnewcomers.org/.

The Kenya Safari Acrobats will appear Tuesday, March 23rd at NMC in a free presentation sponsored by the NMC Student Life office.  The show will be held at 7pm in Milliken Auditorium. Though free, advance tickets are necessary.    For further information call 995-1043.

The Benzie Bus system is inviting the public to "dig in for Benzie County" at the groundbreaking ceremony for its new bus garage and headquarters, which is funded by federal stimulus support and other state and federal grants.  The Benzie Transportation Authority will host the groundbreaking event and reception at 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 24th, at 14150 U.S. 31, about three miles east of Honor in Homestead Township.  For more information about the bus system or the groundbreaking ceremony, or to schedule a ride, please call Benzie Bus at 325.3000 or toll free at 866.325.3380. Details about the construction project and local contractors involved can be found on the bus system's website at www.benziebus.com.

On Wednesday, March 24th, NorthSky Nonprofit Network will host in partnership with the Association of Fundraising Professionals, a challenging webinar, "The Innovation Impulse." The session will held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Northwestern Michigan College's University Center Campus in room 216. Workshop leader, Bernard Ross,will demonstrate how nonprofit organizations are ensuring they gain and sustain competitive fundraising advantage.  The workshop fee is $10. Registration is required by contacting www.northskynonprofitnetwork.org or 929.3934.

Northwestern Michigan College is hosting Hospice Foundation of America's 17th Annual National Bereavement Teleconference, "Living with Grief: Cancer and End-of-Life Care" on Wednesday, March 24th, in the Oleson Center on the main campus of NMC.  The broadcast begins at 1pm and ends at 4:30pm.  Check-in begins at 12:30pm. Cost of the teleconference is $19. Continuing Education credits are available for a wide range of professions. To learn more about this satellite broadcast or to register, contact NMC Extended Education at 995.1700 or log onto www.nmc.edu/ees.

On Wednesday, March 24th at 2pm the Helena Township Library's Cabin Fever College enrichment class will host "Organic Gardening II" with Carolyn Royal.  Stop by the Library to sign up or call 331.4318.  The Library is located at 8751 Helena Road in Alden.  Class is free to the public.

North Central Michigan College is offering a two-hour seminar entitled "IT Auditing and Network Security," on Wednesday, March 24th from 2 to 4pm in the Library on the Petoskey campus.  This free seminar will be presented by Peter Lovaas from Dakota State University.  For more information call 348.6652.

The Traverse Area District Library's Live! @ Library series on Thursday, March 25th at 7pm in the McGuire Meeting Room presents Tim Keenan with stories and photos of his adventure along the Appalachian Trail last summer. There is no charge for this event.    For further information call 932.8500.