Page 2 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • April 18, 2012 Villadom Happenings Fyke to host illustrator, Bird Walk Wildlife illustrator Alan Messer will present “Confessions of a Bird Artist: From Field Sketches to Published Works” at the Fyke Nature Association’s April 27 meeting. This monthly session will be held at 8 p.m. at the Allendale Municipal Building at 500 West Crescent Avenue in Allendale. Messer will present his scribbles, sketches, and studies that show the development of his personal work and commercial assignments from concept to completion. Fyke invites members of the community to its May 5 Bird Walk at the Celery Farm Natural Area on Franklin Turnpike in Allendale. Participants will meet at the end of Green Way at 8 a.m., and should bring binoculars. The walk will last approximately 90 minutes, and will be led by Jim Wright and his assistants. Fyke Nature Association is a 501c3 organization that meets the fourth Friday of each month, except June, July, August, and December, at the Allendale Municipal Building. Meetings and membership are open to everyone. Annual dues are $15 per individual and $20 per family. Visit www.fykenature.org or call President Mike Limatola at (201) 739-8062 for details. Knights seek donations for local charities Bergen County Knights of Columbus organizations are soliciting donations to benefit the differently-abled. On Saturday, April 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. the Classic Auto Spa on Route 17 North in Ramsey will offer a special promotion: $5 off any car wash package, a free spray wax ($10 value) and hot dogs while vehicles are being serviced. Knights will be on hand to accept donations at the car spa, and in area communities, where they will be collecting for local charities that assist the mentally challenged. College Club to host jazz ensemble Join the College Club of Ridgewood at noon on May 1 for the group’s luncheon and general meeting. Five Play, an ensemble of the world-renowned Diva Jazz Orchestra, will entertain. The luncheon will be catered by the Market Basket. This event, which will be held at the Woman’s Club of Ridgewood, 215 West Ridgewood Avenue in Ridgewood, is a benefit for the College Club’s Education Fund. Tickets are $20 for members and $30 for guests. Contact Jennifer Brito at (201) 445-0442 for details or visit collegeclubofridgewood.org. Five Play’s repertoire is comprised of innovative arrangements of classic and contemporary standards, and original music composed and arranged by the band members. The quintet features Dr. Sherrie Maricle on drums, Tomoko Ohno on piano, Noriko Ueda on double bass, Jami Dauber on trumpet, and Janelle Reichman on tenor saxophone and clarinet. Founded in 1913, the College Club of Ridgewood is a non-profit organization that provides educational opportunities for young women through a variety of needs-based grants and interest-free loans. Men are eligible at the graduate level. Jenkins to premiere in ‘Il Trovatore’ Midland Park resident Robert Peter Jenkins will premiere in the April 22 performance of “Il Trovatore.” This classic opera is being presented by The New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera. Jenkins, a baritone, will perform the role of the Gypsy in Giuseppe Verdi’s suspenseful story of love and revenge. Verismo Opera will perform this mysterious, melodramatic opera on Friday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 22, at 3 p.m., at the Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC), 30 North Van Brunt Street, in Englewood. Jenkins, a 1997 graduate of Midland Park High School, holds an associate’s degree in music from Bergen Community College and has studied music at Caldwell College and New Jersey City University. In the fall, he will pursue a bachelor’s degree in music performance at Ramapo College. Jenkins has sung “Il core vi dono” from “Casi Fan Tutte” with the New Jersey City University’s Opera Workshop. He also performed in the university’s Concert Chorale, singing “Ave Verum” by Mozart and “Mass in G Major” by Charles Schubert. At Bergen Community College, he performed the solo “Madamina” in “Don Giovani.” At Caldwell College, he sang excerpts from various operas, including “Carmen” and “The Marriage of Figaro.” Two special Meet the Artists Champagne Receptions will be held at the bergenPAC Cabaret Room on April 20 from 11 p.m. to midnight and April 22 from 6 to 7 p.m. Guests will have an opportunity to meet the cast and other members of Verismo Opera. Champagne and hors d’oeuvres will be served. The event is open to the public. A suggested donation of $15 or more is requested. For more information and to RSVP, call (201) 886-0561. Tickets may be purchased online at www.bergenpac.org, the bergenPAC box office, and by calling (201) 227-1030 or toll-free at 1-888-PACSHOW. A special $10 ticket rate for children, ages 12 years and under, will be offered through April 22. For special group rates, call (201) 224-2809. Earth Day film and discussion set In honor of Earth Day 2012 the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood will present “Bag It” on Friday, April 20 at 7 p.m. This 65-minute film follows an American “everyman” named Jeb Berrier as he decides to take a closer look at America’s cultural love affair with plastics. Americans use 60,000 plastic bags every five minutes. These disposable bags are often thrown away without much thought -- but where is “away?” Where do the bags and other plastics end up, and at what cost to the environment, (continued on page 20) Have you filled out a “requester” form yet? If you have, we thank you for your time. If you have not yet done so, please take a moment now. 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