WNBZ Community Calendar

The event will happen at the North Country Community College Pool in Saranac Lake, NY

For the benefit of local youth centers and to eradicate polio. The goal during the event is to set the Guiness Book of World Records for the most number of people swimming 100 meters non stop. Over 20 countries will be participating.

The effort will raise money from sponsors donating money to swimmers, individual team prices and team competitions are available. Students will receive community service credits for this effort. The Saranac Lake Rotary Foundation will distribute the funds and provide each donor of $25 or more with a tax receipt letter.

More information is available by contacting Bob Hanna -

This is a free all day concert at the Adirondack Carousel with more than a dozen acts, Donations of food and money will be accepted.

Whiteface Mtn. Masonic Lodge #789, in conjunction with the CVPH North Country Regional Blood Center, will be conducting a Blood Drive on Tuesday, April 9, 2013 from 3:00-6:00 pm. The site will be the Adult Center at 135 Broadway in Saranac Lake.

Blood shortage is critical at this time of year throughout the region. Blood donations are an easy and affordable way to contribute to the relief of the sick, the injured, and those affected by natural disasters.

You may donate if you are generally healthy, not currently sick, have a cold sore or other viral infections, have not donated for at least 8 weeks, weigh at least 110 pounds and are over 18 years of age. Drink plenty of liquids and eat a hearty meal at least four hours before donating. Also drink lots of water or liquids immediately after donating.

The Lake Placid Center for the Arts will be hosting tumbling classes beginning April 11^th for 8 weeks in the Annex studio at the Arts Center. Registration is now being accepted.

During the weekly sessions, youngsters two years to twelve years of age will be introduced to tumbling and basic gymnastic skills. The goal of the program is to develop strength, flexibility and coordination while simultaneously building self-confidence. The classes will be instructed by Donna Walsh, Mary Heaverly and Debbie Neill. Classes will be held on Thursdays for eight weeks: April 11, 18, 25 & May 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30.

Classes will be offered in the following groups: Tots A ages 2 to 3 ½ (must be accompanied by an adult) will meet from 1-1:45pm with a course fee of $70. (please note: Tots B will be filled first, Tots A will only run if Tots B is full). Tots B for ages 2 to 3 ½ will meet from 1:45-2:30pm with a course fee of $70. Kinder Gym is for children 3 ½ to 5 years of age from 2:45-3:45pm with a course fee of $80. Wiggle and Roll is geared for children 5 to 8 years of age and will meet from 4-5pm with a course fee of $80. Flips is presented for ages 8 to 12 years from 5 -6pm with a course fee of $80.

For additional information contact instructors Donna Walsh at 891-5909 or Mary Heverly at 891-2973. To register contact the Lake Placid Center for the Arts at 523-2512.

The SUNY Plattsburgh Department of Music presents its annual ChoralFest Concert 7:30 p.m., Friday, April 19, in the E. Glenn Giltz Auditorium in Hawkins Hall.

 Directed by Jo Ellen Miano, the College Chorale and Cardinal Singers will combine to perform Haydn’s “Te Deum” with chamber orchestra. In addition, they will perform two a cappella works that feature student soloists.

 One of those works, “Where the Sun Will Never Go Down,” is a medley of spirituals originally written for the renowned professional a cappella group, Chanticleer. It will feature student soloists Gabriella Battistiol, soprano; John Thomas, tenor; and Eli MacNeil, bass.

 The combined chorus will also perform “What a Wonderful World,” featuring soloists Elizabeth Baldwin, soprano, and Jason Levesque, baritone.

 Also at the concert, the College Chorale will present Emma Lou Diemer’s “Three Madrigals,” which set texts of William Shakespeare. This three-movement work features student accompanist Ryan Mahony.

 In addition, the Cardinal Singers will perform Cantata No. 4 “Christ lag in Todesbanden” by J. S Bach, with string ensemble. In contrast to this extended Baroque work, the group will also perform Leonard Bernstein’s “The Lark,” a three-movement a cappella work that was originally composed as incidental music for the Jean Anouilh play as adapted by Lillian Hellman on the life of Joan of Arc.

 Tickets are $8 general admission; $5 seniors, students, SUNY faculty and staff; and $2 SUNY Plattsburgh students and can be purchased in advance at the Angell College Center or at the door.

The LPCA is proud to welcome multi-award winners, Burlington Taiko to the stage on Friday, April 19 at 8pm for an exciting evening of Thunderous drums, explosive movement, and colorful pageantry! Tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for seniors and students, and $12 for children 12 and under. Seats are selling fast, reserve your spot today by calling 523-2512 or purchase online at LakePlacidArts.org.

With the power of an elemental force of nature, men and women play with the passion of complete abandon, fully committing their bodies and spirits to the beautiful, precise choreography and powerful, surging rhythms expressed in the ancient Japanese tradition of taiko (or “big drum”). Join Burlington Taiko and be mesmerized by the powerful, spellbinding, and propulsive sounds of the taiko.

Since 1987, Burlington Taiko has been mesmerizing audiences with the powerful, spellbinding & propulsive sounds of the taiko. Inspired by traditional Japanese drumming, performers use the power and beauty of taiko to transcend cultural barriers and foster greater understanding of the Japanese American culture. The group has been honored three times by the International Taiko community having been selected as a feature performer at the 2008 40th International Taiko Festival in San Francisco, the 1999 North American Taiko Conference in Los Angeles, and the 1998 30th International Taiko Festival in San Francisco.

Taiko—Japanese for “big drum”- is a relatively modern revival of ancient Japanese drumming traditions. The drums originally developed in India, where they were used in religious ceremony to represent the voice of the Buddha. Moving across China and Korea with the spread of Buddhism, taiko arrived in Japan around 500 AD.

Taiko quickly became part of Japanese culture; spiritual healers played taiko to dispel evil spirits and drive insects from the rice fields; Samurai employed taiko to instill fear in the enemy and courage in themselves; villagers used taiko to in their prayers for rain and in thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest. Over time, many areas developed unique choreography and rhythms celebrating festivals or recreations of historic events.

In modern times, taiko has emerged as a performing art. Groups such as Osuwa Daiko led by Grandmaster Daihachi Oguchi and Sukeroku Taiko of Tokyo pioneered the way in the 70′s and 80′s collecting local festival rhythms and transforming them into stage performance pieces.

“A Scottish Ceilidh” at

Saranac Village at Will Rogers

On Saturday, April 20th at 7:00 p.m. the St. Andrew’s Society of the Adirondacks (SASA) will present “A Scottish Ceilidh (Party)” at Saranac Village at Will Rogers featuring music by Steve Borst, desserts, refreshments and a raffle.

The St. Andrew’s Society of the Adirondacks is a service organization dedicated to the perpetuation of Scottish history and culture.  Those of Scottish descent are welcome to join the society to learn more about their ancestry and to celebrate their heritage.

This program is open to the public and a donation of $5 is requested. For more information, please contact Debbie Kanze at (518) 891-7117 or call (518) 891-2165.

 Adam Falkner, Jon Sands and Samantha Thornhill, the trio that makes up the famous “Poets in Unexpected Places” troupe, all three astounding talents will be on stage at the Pendragon Theatre at 7pm. This event is free and open to the public.

Adam Falkner is an award-winning New York City-based poet, performer, essayist and fulltime pubic high school teacher. He is a seasoned veteran of the National Poetry Slam scene with substantial formal training in voice, piano and performance art. Jon Sands’ first full collection of poems, The New Clean, was released in 2011 from Write Bloody Publishing. He is Director of Poetry Education at the Positive Health Project (a syringe exchange center in Midtown Manhattan), an adjunct with the City University of New York, as well as a Youth Mentor with Urban Word-NYC. He reads and facilitates workshops extensively, both nationally and internationally. Samantha Thornhill is an international poet. She travels the globe performing her poetry to audiences of all stripes and walks of life, regularly performing at universities, schools, and festival stages from Budapest to Brooklyn

Expect to love each and everyone one of these three poets. Expect an evening that you will not forget. Expect to suddenly realize that you love poetry. Expect poets in unexpected places.

This event is free and open to the public. This event is funded by NCCC student activity fees and by Poets & Writers with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts.

The Adirondack Center for Writing is an independent non-profit, 501(c)3 organization dedicated to promoting literature and providing educational opportunities and support to both aspiring and established writers in the Adirondack region. We provide workshops, conferences, and readings throughout the year in locations all around the Adirondack Park. ACW is based at Paul Smith’s College and is supported by a strong membership and public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.