NEW HAVEN A Ukrainian “Pysanka” Demonstration and Workshop will be held from noon to 2:30 p.m. on March 24 in the hall of St. Michael’sUkrainian Catholic Church, 563 George St.

Participants will learn the history and folklore of this ancient Ukrainian art and will also create a treasured keepsake “pysanka” in the wax-resist technique using the traditional kistka, bees wax and dyes.

The instructor,Gloria Horbaty, of Ukrainian decent from Wallingford, has been lecturing, demonstrating and teaching the Art of Pysanka Decorating throughout Connecticut for over 35 years.

The event is open to all ages, families invited.  However, children must be chaperoned by an adult.

Donation per participant is $5.00.

Traditional equipment to create a pysanka will be available for sale at a nominal fee.

In addition, each participant is required to bring the following to the workshop: 

                2-3 white, whole, raw eggs, unblemished and at room temperature in an egg carton;

                2 short candles (6 inches maximum; no votive type) and a low candleholder;

                One soft-leaded pencil and a small towel to rest the egg on.

The event is co-sponsored by the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America – Branch 108, New Haven, and St. Michael’s Ukrainian Heritage Center.

To register or for additional information, call Gloria Horbaty (203-269-5909).

                                                                                         
Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed. We posted it basically unedited because it's your voice! 

Long time DJ's Pat & Joan Kennedy will celebrate 20 years of Irish Music on St. Patrick's Day, March 17 on WNHU  88.7 F.M. and at wnhu.net.

A tradition that began in 1992 as a  five-hour presentation of Irish music has now evolved into an all day feature by the University of New Haven's radio station.

It's a day filled with music, song and laughter celebrating Ireland's Patron Saint, St. Patrick.
Your requests and dedications are welcome from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call 203-479-8807 and you'll be eligible for great prizes throughout the day. Everyone is a little Irish on St. Patrick's Day so set your radio dial to WNHU 88.7 on March 17th for a musical journey through Ireland.

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed. It is not edited here.

Horticulturist and author Kerry Ann Mendez, who has focused on low-maintenance perennial gardening and landscaping, emphasizing workhorse plant materials and organic practices, will offer her top picks for ever-blooming perennials for sun and shade that will thrive in our region in her presentation, "Nonstop Color from No-Fuss Perennials," from 2-3:30 p.m. March 13 at New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St.

There is no charge for this workshop. For more information call the library at 203-946-8835.

Mendez has appeared on HGTV and Channel 13, in addition to hosting Capital News 9's "In The Garden" TV segments. Her recent Horticulture national webinar series attracted thousands of gardeners from around the country. 

"In addition to authoring The Ultimate Flower Gardener's Top Ten Lists (2010) and Top Ten Lists for Beautiful Shade Gardens (2011), Mendez has written for Horticulture, Fine Gardening, Garden Gate and Better Homes and Gardens' Garden Ideas & Outdoor Living." More: www.pyours.com. 

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed. It is largely unedited here.

HARTFORD — The Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority collects electronic devices and is bulk paper shredding and recycling bulk paper this spring.
Residents of participating towns can bring anything made of paper, especially items that could be used to steal an identity. Plastics must be removed before bringing the paper for recycling.
The electronics are dismantled into raw materials, such as copper, steel, aluminum, glass and plastic, and sold to companies that turn them into new products.
Collections are open only to residents of towns that participate in CRRA’s Mid-Connecticut Project. Other residents who want to recycle their electronics can call their local public works departments or electronics retailers or check with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for other  opportunities.
Electronics and paper from businesses will be turned away.
The spring schedule, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. is:
‰March 31, Madison, Hammonasset Beach State Park, 1288 Boston Post Road. Electronics only.
The schedule is available here.
The site says: "Due to the expiration of the Bridgeport Project and the Wallingford Project, CRRA no longer provides electronics recycling in or for the following cities and towns: Bethany, Bridgeport, Darien, Cheshire, East Haven, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, Hamden, Meriden, Milford, Monroe, New Canaan, North Haven, Norwalk, Orange, Shelton, Stamford, Stratford, Trumbull, Wallingford, Weston, Westport, Wilton and Woodbridge."

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed.

NEW HAVEN - A vigil in remembrance of the first anniversary of the Fukushima Daishi nuclear reactor disaster in Japan will be held by the Greater New Haven Peace Council from 4 to 5 p.m. Friday at 59 Elm St., organizers said.

The emphasis will be on "the dangers inherent in the use of nuclear power and weapons," organizers said in a statement. Also, "to establish a nuclear weapon free zone in the Middle East" organizers said in the statement. For more information, call Henry at 203-389-9547 or e-mail grnhpeacecouncil@gmail.com

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed.

 The New Haven Museum will hold a program featuring Katherine Wiltshire, executive director of The Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame, that will celebrate achievements of Connecticut women at 6 p.m. March 22.
Wiltshire will discuss the lives of Ella T. Grasso, the first woman elected governor of Connecticut; Constance Baker Motley, the first female African-American federal court judge; Anni Albers, the first weaver to have a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art; and Dorrit Hoffleit, a senior astronomer at Yale University who wrote the Bright Star Catalogue, which details the 9,110 brightest stars in the sky, according to a statement.
Admission is free, but donations are welcome. Light refreshments will be served, the statement said.
Wiltshire “began her career in corporate banking in New York City. With a burning desire to concentrate her efforts on more humanitarian issues, (she) shifted her energies to the non-profit sector in 2001 and has served as the executive director of The Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame since 2006,” the statement said. She earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Salem College and a master’s degree in Women’s Studies, with a concentration in Women’s History, from Southern Connecticut State University, where she has also served as an adjunct professor of Women’s Studies, the statement said. She was born in Virginia and lived in Connecticut for more than 25 years, the statement said.
“The mission of the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame is to honor publicly the achievements of Connecticut women, preserve their stories, educate the public and inspire the continued achievement of women and girls.”
The New Haven Museum, founded as the New Haven Colony Historical Society in 1862, is at 114 Whitney Ave. For more information, contact Michelle Cheng, director of education at (203) 562-4183 ext. 11 or education@newhavenmuseum.org.

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed.

NEW HAVEN – JDRF Greater New Haven will hold its 13th annual Dream Gala on April 28 at the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale.
Tickets for the “evening of lively entertainment, legendary auctions and fundraising” are available online now for purchase.
The evening, themed “Past, Present, and Future,” will honor Albert Subbloie, president, CEO and founder of Tangoe, according to a statement.
“Tangoe is the leading global provider of Communications Lifecycle Management software and related services to a wide range of global enterprises,” the statement said. “Founded in 2000, Tangoe currently supports more than 500 active clients, many of them large multinational corporations.”
Headquartered in Orange, Tangoe has nine operation centers around the globe, including international offices in Amsterdam, Netherlands and Kunshan, China, the statement said.
JDRF is recognizing Albert Subbloie for his long-standing commitment to the Foundation’s mission of finding a cure for diabetes and its complications.
The night’s entertainment will include the musical talent of Janey Street, and inspirational speakers from the JDRF community, the statement said.
The live and silent auctions will offer items ranging from luxurious vacation trips to autographed sports memorabilia to jewelry and clothing, the statement said. Additionally, the night will highlight JDRF’s signature Fund-A-Cure program, during which 100 percent tax-deductible donations may be made to research.
More than 300 guests are expected to attend the Gala in support of JDRF, the statement said. In 2011, the Dream Gala raised more than $260,000 for diabetes research. JDRF hopes to continue its success this year through corporate sponsorships, donations, auction activity, ads and ticket sales, the statement said.
Visit www.jdrf.org/newhave/dreamgala2012 for more information about the 13th Annual Dream Gala. Also on the site are event details; sponsorship, donation and ticket options; an auction preview; advance registration and volunteer sign-up forms. Guests can also access information on lodging at the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale, including details of an exciting, extended weekend visit to New Haven. For information, call (203) 248-1880 or email greaternewhaven@jdrf.org.
Also in the statement: "JDRF is the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Driven by passionate, grassroots volunteers connected to children, adolescents, and adults with this disease, JDRF is now the largest charitable supporter of T1D research. The goal of JDRF research is to improve the lives of every person affected by T1D by accelerating progress on the most promising opportunities for curing, better treating, and preventing T1D. JDRF collaborates with a wide spectrum of partners who share this goal.
Since its founding in 1970, JDRF has awarded more than $1.6 billion to diabetes research. Past JDRF efforts have helped to significantly advance the care of people with this disease, and have expanded the critical scientific understanding of T1D. JDRF will not rest until T1D is fully conquered. More than 80 percent of JDRF’s expenditures directly support research and research-related education."
For more information, visit www.jdrf.org.

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed.

There will be a Democratic primary from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 6, 2012 to elect Town Committee members from the following political subdivisions:
Ward 2 candidates are: Christopher G. Arnott, Jane N. Kinity and Anita R. Morales
Ward 9 candidates are: Cristina M. Cruz-Uribe, Lauren R. Miller, Jane S. Edelstein and Donald A. Harvey
Ward 11 candidates are: Fannie E. Brooks, Dorothy W. Harper, Patricia L. DePalma and Paul J. Tricaso
Ward 20 candidates are: Latoya A. Agnew, Barbara A. Vereen and Ernest W. Jones, Jr.
Ward 22 candidates are: Gina Phillips, Cordelia V. Thorpe, Jayuan L. Carter and Josef L. Goodman
Ward 26 candidates are: Arnold V. Amore, II, Ronald D. Rainey and Theresa L. Jones
Ward 29 candidates are: Thomas R. Ficklin, Audrey D. Tyson, Betty L. Alford and Major A. Ruth
Voting will take place at: Ward 2, Troup Magnet School, 259 Edgewood Ave.; Ward 9, East Rock School (Cross), 181 Mitchell Drive; Ward 11-01, Bella Vista, 343 Eastern St.; Ward 11-02, Bishop Woods School, 1481 Quinnipiac Ave.; Ward 20, Lincoln Bassett School, 130 Bassett St.; Ward 22, Wexler-Grant School, 55 Foote St.; Ward 26, Mauro/Sheridan School, 191 Fountain St.; and Ward 29, Beecher School, 100 Jewel St.

The New Haven Museum will act as host for a concert this month featuring the Sound School’s S.S. Chanteens to celebrate the history of the large Irish immigrant population that settled in the Elm City in the 19^th century, according to a statement.

At 7 p.m. March 14, the S.S. Chanteens will perform sea shanties and traditional Irish music, the statement said. Hear a sample of the music here.

"A delicious door prize will also be available: Irish soda bread from Chestnut Fine Foods," the statement said. 

Visitors can also enter a raffle for a gift certificate to The Playwright in Hamden. 

Admission is free, but donations are welcome. Light refreshments will be served.

"The Sound School Regional Aquaculture Center, located at City Point along New Haven Harbor Connecticut, has proven to be an ideal home for sea shanties," the statement said. "As song filled the air around campus, and the magic of this language became contagious."

The S.S. Chanteens formed in 2002, with many of its members coming from the rowing and sailing teams. Paula Daddio, previously of the trio Shipping News, and Kristi Otterbach act as the group’s advisors, the statement said. 

Members of the group change every few years, but "they all have an incredible love of the water and a passion for shanties and other traditional music. They perform with the expected enthusiasm of a group of teenagers."

Special thanks goes to the NewAlliance Foundation for their support, the statement said.

The New Haven Museum, founded in 1862 as the New Haven Colony Historical Society, is located in downtown New Haven at 114 Whitney Ave. For more information, contact Michelle Cheng, director of Education, at (203) 562-4183 ext. 11 or education@newhavenmuseum.org. 

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed.