WHAT: Public is invited to attend the “Art of Spring” Hand Sculpted Glass Show & Sale this weekend, featuring a colorful variety of bird and flower glass sculptures, vases, and magnets, along with the demonstration and sale of “glass memory” wood engravings. In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to purchase paper birds for $1 each to assist The Greening of Detroit. No admission to attend.

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12, 2010

WHERE: Glass Academy

25331 Trowbridge

(near Gulley Road & Michigan Avenue in west Dearborn)

313-561-4527

www.glassacademy.com

WHO: Glass artists Chris Nordin & Michelle Plucinsky, owners of the Glass

Academy and Furnace Design Studio. Other glass artists will also

participate.

The Dearborn Historical Museum is hosting a free public lecture at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 7 on Detroit’s Holy Cross Cemetery.

The lecture takes place at the McFadden-Ross House, 915 Brady Street.

Author Elaine Walters Raymo uses her professional genealogical, historical research and family experience to create a snapshot of the remarkable individuals whose final resting place is in Detroit’s Holy Cross Cemetery.

Immigrants from several nationalities have laid their loved ones to rest there since 1838, when the footprint was only a two-acre plot. The cemetery has since grown to 65 acres.

For more information, call 313-565-3000.

 Although the official date for the beginning of Spring occurs in March, Michigan folks will tell you it doesn’t really arrive until April when the days are longer, the birds begin to chirp, and flowers begin to bud.

In celebration of warm, pleasant feelings associated with Spring’s arrival, the Glass Academy of Dearborn is hosting “The Art of Spring” Hand Sculpted Glass Show & Sale from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11, 2010. The Glass Academy is located at 25331 Trowbridge, near Gulley Road and Michigan Avenue in west Dearborn.

The weekend exhibit and sale will feature a colorful variety of bird and flower glass sculptures, vases, and magnets, along with the demonstration and sale of “glass memory” wood engravings. The uniquely etched wood pieces are available in a variety of shapes and sizes for use as coasters, table runners, wall hangings and other décor.

“Each year we look forward to creating something different, yet affordable, for our patrons to purchase as collectibles or as gifts for friends and family,” said Chris Nordin, glass design artist and co-owner of the Glass Academy. “For glass art enthusiasts and collectors, April is also Michigan Glass Month.”

There is no admission to attend. New this year, visitors will have the opportunity to purchase paper birds for $1 each to assist The Greening of Detroit, an organization that supports reforestation and urban agriculture in Detroit, and to be entered in prize drawings for custom glass art.

Prices for “The Art of Spring” glass pieces, all Michigan-made, range from $10 to $250. Several museum quality pieces produced by Furnace Design Studio, which is housed within the Glass Academy building, will also be available for viewing and purchase in a separate display area.

For more information about “The Art of Spring” Hand Sculpted Glass Show & Sale, call 313-561-4527 or visit www.glassacademy.com

Vanguard Voices, the 70-voice, Dearborn-based choir, will host two outstanding Michigan choirs in an evening of musical performance and collaboration at 8 p.m., Monday, March 29.

In an event called the Vanguard Choral Celebration, the three choirs will perform individually and together in the Michael A. Guido Theater at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave. at Greenfield, Dearborn.

“It’s a great event that brings three exciting vocal groups to one stage, to perform for the audience, for each other, and with each other,” says G. Kevin Dewey, artistic director of Vanguard Voices and creator of the event, now in its third year.

“We have received raves for the past two years,” says Dewey. “Where else can you see three accomplished choirs in one evening for a great ticket price?” General admission tickets for the 80-minute concert are $5 and are available at the FCPAC box office or at the door.

Measure for Measure, a 75-voice male choir from Ypsilanti and under the direction of Steven Lorenz, will perform “All That Hath Life and Breath” by René Clausen, “Laudate Pueri” by Felix Mendelssohn, and arrangements of “Swansea Town” and “Joshua.” “I know our audience will be in for a treat with this group’s rich, deep sound,” Dewey says.

The Flint Festival Chorus, under the direction of Bradley Bloom, will perform “O Clap Your Hands” by John Rutter, “Saul” by Egil Hovland, and “Kyrie” from “Solemn Mass” by Louis Vierne.

“Vanguard Voices is looking forward to singing with Flint Festival Chorus once again,” says Dewey. The two choirs performed together in a 2001 performance of the Verdi Requiem with the Flint Symphony and a 2002 performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Dearborn Symphony.

The host choir will perform three pieces for double choir: “Nun Danket Alle Gott” by Johann Pachelbel, “We Beheld Once Again the Stars” by Z. Randall Stroope, and “Song of Exhaltation” by John Ness Beck.

“These three pieces will demonstrate the depth of the choir as well as its adaptability to widely varied compositional styles,” says Dewey. “Each piece has its complexities and each is fun to sing and to hear.”

The three choirs will combine on stage to perform Ascanio Trombetti’s “Misericordiae Tuae,” a polyphonic piece for double choir plus male choir, as the concert finale.

For additional information or to order tickets, call The Center box office at 313-943-2354.

Have you ever wondered what to do with that collectible figurine, crystal vase or piece of vintage jewelry that is just taking up space and does not appeal to your children or other heirs?

Have you ever watched an episode of “The Antiques Road Show” and wondered how much money is collecting dust in your china cabinet, jewelry box, attic, or basement?

If you answered “yes” to either question, you’ll want to take part in an April 30th fundraising event for the Dearborn Symphony that provides an easy way to donate what we call “Precious Collection” items without taking a road trip.

The “Precious Collection” event at the Fairlane Woods Clubhouse also gives those of you who want to keep your heirloom items a great opportunity to find out how much they are really worth, while helping the Dearborn Symphony.

Here is how it works:

1.) If you have an item to donate that you believe is worth $50 or more, contact Margaret Schaefer at 313-565-2366 or e-mail her at: margaretsch@wowway.com by Monday, April 5, 2010. She will arrange to pick up your donation, which will be appraised, then sold at the Precious Collection Sale to be held on Friday April 30, 2010 from 3-8 pm at the Fairlane Woods Clubhouse, on Auto Club Drive, just south of Ford Rd. in Dearborn. A donation letter, suitable for IRS purposes, will be provided following the sale.

2.) If you don’t have an item to donate, come to shop for “Precious Collection” items, bid on Silent Auction items, and enter hourly prize drawings—all while enjoying wine and cheese.

3.) Advance sale tickets are available for $15 each, payable by check made out to “WADOS.” Checks must be mailed or delivered before April 23rd to:

Patti Mack, 3501 Monroe, Dearborn, MI 48124

Tickets will be $20 at the door.

Admission price also includes verbal appraisal of up to two items you might bring along.

Best of all, proceeds go to support the Dearborn Symphony.

As a way to raise awareness about local small businesses in Dearborn, Dave Bowman, owner of networkdearborn.com, is kicking off a new promotion that he calls “Thousand Buck Thursdays.

While no one is going to win $1,000, Bowman says you can win a Dearborn T-shirt simply by shopping in Dearborn and then posting what you purchased, where you purchased it and how much you spent.

“Every third Thursday, let’s band together and shop in Dearborn on purpose,” Bowman says. “Every dollar counts as we try to get to $1,000. Simply go shopping and then post your details at http://networkdearborn.blogspot.com. Someone will win a fun Dearborn T-shirt as we work together to make a small difference for our city.”

Happy shopping.

(Below is a press release from the Dearborn Heights Montessori Center)

Dearborn Heights Montessori Center will host the third annual “Taste of the Town” fundraiser event from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 18, 2010.

Local restaurants will be offering a wide variety of delicious food items to sample, and area businesses have donated special prizes for a large gift basket raffle. Rain or shine, the community is welcome to attend this indoor school event which is located at 466 N. John Daly in Dearborn Heights, Michigan.

According to Shelley Boatright, communications coordinator for Dearborn Heights Montessori Center, “Taste of the Town” is expected to sell out. Providing food for this year’s event is Antonio’s Cucina Italiana, Applebee’s, BD’s Mongolian Barbeque, Dearborn Italian Bakery, Dearborn Sausage, Del Taco, La Pita, Papa Romano’s, Panera, Pizzapapalis, Rio Wraps, Subway and others.

Businesses contributing prizes for the gift basket drawings include Barnes and Noble, Creatopia Pottery, Dearborn Racquet and Health Club, English Gardens, Om Spa and many more. Baskets will include a variety of items from toys to event tickets to electronics. There will also be a special raffle for a cruise and a $500 tuition voucher.

Proceeds raised at this year’s event will be used to help fund Dearborn Heights Montessori’s upper elementary educational trips and to support the needs of the school’s classroom teachers.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students. Children under three years of age are free. Because of the anticipated large turnout, the public is encouraged to purchase tickets In advance. Ample parking is available.

For more details and to request tickets for “Taste of the Town,” call 313-359-3000 or email tasteofthetown@wowway.com

About Dearborn Heights Montessori Center

Dearborn Heights Montessori Center (DHMC) is a non-profit educational community founded in 1972. Now in its fourth decade, DHMC is the largest and longest-established Montessori school in western Wayne County. Programs include preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school as well as summer programs and academic tutoring. Day care and latchkey are also available for enrolled children. In September 2010, DHMC will introduce a Montessori toddler program for ages 18 months through three years.

DHMC has received accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and is affiliated with the American Montessori Society, Michigan Montessori Society, and the Association of Independent Michigan Schools (AIMS). DHMC preschool and latchkey programs, along with its satellites Livonia Montessori Center and Plymouth-Canton Montessori School, are licensed by the Michigan Division of Child Care Licensing. More information is available at www.dhmontessori.org

Crafters, scrapbooking fans and card makers should plan to make their way to the First Presbyterian Church of Dearborn on Saturday, March 13 for a day of creativity that also will help a local homeless shelter.

The day of project-making begins at 9 a.m. and runs until 9 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Dearborn, 600 North Brady St. Registration is $40, which includes personal table space, a continental breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Demonstrators from scrapbook consultant companies — Stampin’ Up, Creative Memories, and Close To My Heart — will be performing demonstrations throughout the day and offering scrapbook supplies for sale.

All proceeds from the event will benefit www.christ-net.orga local rotating night shelter and permanent daytime shelter for the homeless, located in the downriver communities. As this is a fundraiser, registration is tax deductible for 2010. Receipts will be provided at the event.

To register or for more information, please contact Jeni Cole at 313-792-8224 or jlcole71@att.net

The late John W. Tanner, a Dearborn resident for 45 years and a lawyer who worked in the city of Dearborn’s legal department, gave to our community in numerous ways. From his work serving on the board of directors of the Dearborn Goodfellows and Smoke on the Grill charity organization to Scouting and being active in Dearborn Lions football, Tanner was passionate about giving back to the city he called home.

Thanks to his daughter, Alison Anhut, his giving ways will continue.

She and her family are on the committee for The John Tanner Dearborn Youth Football Association (DYFA) Scholarship and are turning to friends, family and residents for support to expand the scholarship opportunity to all Dearborn high school students. Tanner, an Edsel Ford graduate, was one of the founding members of the DYFA. After his death at just 54 on Oct. 7, 2008, the DYFA awarded a scholarship to one DYFA athlete in his name.

The DYFA now wants to make the $1,000 scholarship an annual tradition and expand it to one graduating senior from each of Dearborn’s three high schools (Dearborn, Edsel Ford and Fordson) who have continued to play football throughout high school, completed two years of the DYFA program (in either football or cheerleading) and are pursuing a college education.

The idea to expand the scholarship to three was School Board member Hussein Berry’s (president of the DYFA board) and Jamal Al’s, who approached Tanner’s wife, Beverly, and asked if the Tanner family would like to be involved. Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr., and Councilman Robert Abraham, among many others in our city, also are on the committee helping to raise funds to support the scholarship.

“My family and I are honored and are looking forward to carrying on my father’s name within this organization,” Anhut said. “My dad was one of the founding fathers of the DYFA and dedicated to its success. He was very passionate about charity work in general. My family and I cannot think of a better way to honor him and his vision than to continue working hard to serve and support the DYFA and our community.”

Here is where friends, family and residents can help.

To help raise funds for the scholarship, a dinner is going to be held on March 25th at 6 p.m. at Park Place in Dearborn. Tickets are $30 per person. There also will be a raffle at the dinner where a $5 ticket purchase could win you a first prize payout of $2,500, $1,500 for second and $1,000 for third. The plan is to sell just 3,000 tickets but if a minimum of 2,000 are not sold the raffle will revert to a 50/50. Monies raised also will be distributed to the DYFA to keep registration fees nominal and to continue to encourage youth participation.

In addition, plans are in place to hold a silent auction (donations for auction items are still being accepted) and there is the opportunity for those wanting to advertise in the March 25 dinner program, as well.

With everyone’s schedule pretty packed these days, attending an evening dinner may not be so easy to do. If that is the case, you can simply purchase a raffle ticket to help the cause or do both. All you have to do is contact Alison Anhut at azd18@yahoo.com or her mother, Beverly Tanner at tanner@ameritech.net

It’s all for a good cause and helps support the DYFA, an organization that continues to improve and help develop kids ages 8 to 13 with the ideas of teamwork, hard work and positive influence.

When: Sunday, March 7, 2010, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave., Dearborn MI 48126

Admission: $3.00 – Children 12 and under FREE and parking is free.

Proceeds Benefit Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan

Special Events on Stage include:

11:30 a.m. – MetLife speaker: “Financial Independence and Security, for Every Stage of a Woman’s Life”

12:30 p.m. – Zumba Fitness by Elements of Exercise

1:30 p.m. – Bridal and Prom show by One Stop Wedding Shop, hair and makeup by Hair Designs North

2:30 p.m. – Fashion Show by Shining Diamond Accessories

For more information and a discount admission coupon, click HERE.