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On April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the City of Ann Arbor Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. This Special Collection will be held at the Ann Arbor Justice Center at 301 E. Huron St., 2nd floor. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

food bank

Sometimes we forget that residents of our community go hungry all year, not just Christmas time when food drives are prevalent. The Back Door Food Pantry, sponsored by Temple Beth Emeth, St. Clare's Church, and Muslim Social Services is in urgent need of canned foods, vegetarian meals, condiments and toiletries. To find out how to make a donation click here. Meanwhile, if you find yourself in need, here is a list of local Food Resources.

El Dia de los Niños is a national celebration of children and books for all ages. We are delighted to join our friends at the Ypsilanti District Library and have a very busy & fun day planned! Come out on Sunday, April 17 from 1:30-4:30 pm to the Ypsilanti District Library. You can stamp your passport, make Worry dolls, go on a scavenger hunt, create maracas & Latin American flags. That's not all! The Xitlalic Folkloric Dancers will join us again & the Mariachi Mexico 2000 will end it with a bang. We are also excited to have some delicious chips from the Ann Arbor Tortilla Factory and sweets to share, too! We look forward to seeing YOU there!

municenter

You've watched it going up, now tour the new Justice Center at a public open house, Saturday, April 16, 10:00 a.m. ~ 12 noon. The Police Services and 15th District Court will be polished up, guided tours available and there will even be light refreshments.

Plenty of speakers including Police Chief Barnett Jones (who's great with the kids BTW.) The Justice Center is located at 301 E. Huron Street, the corner of 5th and Huron.

hearye

Join City of Ann Arbor officials and staff on Wednesday, April 13, 7 p.m. ~ 9 p.m. at Community Television Network studios for a presentation of the fiscal years 2012 and 2013 budgets. Free onsite parking is available. The meeting will be taped and rebroadcast on CTN Channel 16 and available online 24 hours after the meeting.

Kids art fair

Calling all young artists: The Kid's Art Fair is Back!! The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair will be accepting artwork from young artists in 1st - 8th grade to be juried for the 2011 Kids' Art Fair. The Kids' Art Fair provides young artists from Washtenaw County with the unique opportunity to learn how to showcase and sell their original artwork in an art fair setting - just like a professional!

Interested young artists should arrive with samples of their work and be prepared to talk to judges. You need to attend only one of these two sessions - - Wednesday, April 13 from 5 pm to 8 pm, or Sunday, April 17 from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Please arrive at least an hour before the session closes to make sure you have time to show and discuss your art work with each Juror.

Wednesday April 13, 2011: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm & Sunday April 17, 2011: 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm -- Pittsfield Branch: Program Room

fair housing logo

The Federal Fair Housing Act protects citizens against discrimination in housing based on race, color, national origin, disability, familial status, religion, and sex. Housing discrimination often comes with “a smile and a handshake.” While commonly experienced, discrimination can be subtle, friendly and often difficult to pin down. The Fair Housing Center of Southeastern Michigan works to ensure that citizens are living where they would like and not where others say they should. If you have any reason to believe that you have been the victim of housing discrimination, you can call the Fair Housing Center at (877) 979-FAIR to discuss the situation.

earth hour

Earth Hour will be celebrated worldwide on Saturday, March 26th. The City of Ann Arbor is participating by turning off the street lights along one block of Main Street from 8:30 a.m ~ 9:30 a.m. and is encouraging businesses and residents to also turn off unnecessary lights during Earth Hour. There's even a cool poster you can download and display in your home or shop window to show your support for the event.

pap test

Are you are 21 years or older? Has it been two or more years since you last had a pap test? If you meet this criteria here's something you should know: The University of Michigan Health System is offering a free screening at the Briarwood Center for Women, Children and Young Adults. Cervical Cancer has no symptoms at its earliest stages. That's why screenings are so important. This test takes 10 minutes and may save your life! Registration is required, so please call: 1-800-865-1125.

H2O

Tuesday March 22, 2011: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

March 22 is World Water Day. This year's theme, "Water for Cities: Responding to the Urban Challenge," aims to spotlight and encourage governments, organizations, communities, and individuals to actively engage in addressing the challenges of urban water management.

Join us for a special discussion (originally scheduled for February) about our own urban water resources. Professor Mike Wiley of the UM School of Natural Resources will moderate a panel of local water experts, who will discuss the challenges facing our local water systems and what their organizations are doing to plan for the future. Issues affecting the future management of storm, drinking, ground, surface, and wastewater will be discussed.