Niagara University announces Martin Byrne Sr. has been elected to a two-year term as president of its Alumni Association. A 1978 alumnus of the university, Byrne is a senior account executive at Toshiba Business Solutions New York.

Niagara University announces Timothy M. Downs, Ph.D. has been appointed vice president of academic affairs at the university following a nationwide search. Downs possesses more than 25 years of experience in higher education and currently serves as the dean of the College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences at Gannon University, a Catholic university located in Erie, Pa. He will assume his new position at Niagara on June 13.

Fourth- and fifth-graders at Colonial Village Elementary School gained a new awareness of many careers and an eagerness to explore more, during Career Day on Feb. 4.

Starpoint High School will present "The Wizard of Oz" this month.

The Greater Niagara Ballet Co. is holding auditions Saturday, March 5, for an upcoming spring production. Ballet dancers between the ages of 10-12 are invited to try out at 10 a.m. at the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center, 1201 Pine Ave., Niagara Falls (enter through the Portage Road's side purple door).

Empire State College, of the State University of New York, will hold public information session(s) about its associate and bachelor's degree programs at its Niagara Frontier Center, Appletree Business Park, 2875 Union Road, Cheektowaga, on:

Everyone knows the way to get to Carnegie Hall is "practice, practice, practice," and the Niagara-Wheatfield High School Concert Choir did just that. The choir has been selected to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City during the National Youth Concert Series on March 25.

Deadline for nominations for the 2010 Andrew John Zuccari Memorial Scholarship award of $1,000 for a graduating Niagara-Wheatfield High School senior is May 1.

The Grand Island Rotary Club will host Rotary/PTSA Students of the Month at an awards dinner April 29.

Niagara University will host an open house for prospective transfer students on Saturday, March 12. The free event takes place on campus in Bisgrove Hall from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

The Lewiston Public Library, 305 S. Eighth St., in the Village of Lewiston, announces the following programs, events and activities for the month of March.

The Village of Lewiston Recreation Department announces the following programs for March. All activities will be held at the Red Brick Municipal Building's recreation center/gymnasium at North Fourth and Onondaga streets.

The Lewiston Garden Club has announced it is now seeking candidates for its $1,000 scholarship.

The Niagara County Community College Foundation is offering scholarships for incoming and current students for the fall 2011 semester. Applications are due Tuesday, March 1.

Niagara Catholic High School is in need of host families.

Invisible Children, a non-profit activist group that endeavors to raise awareness and funds for children forced into slavery as child soldiers, will screen its newest documentary, "Tony," at Niagara University's Castellani Art Museum on March 11. Sponsored by NU's Office of Campus Ministry, the free, public event begins at 1 p.m. and includes a viewing of the film, as well as an appearance by four speakers affiliated with Invisible Children, one of whom is a native Ugandan.

John Borelli, Ph.D., special assistant for interreligious initiatives to Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia, will deliver an address on "New Challenges for Catholics and Interreligious Dialogue" at Niagara University's Castellani Art Museum on Tuesday, March 8, at 5:15 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Students from the Lewiston-Porter Builders Club will hold a food drive from March 1 until March 15. Club Adviser Tina Oddy reports that collection sites for non-perishable food donations are located in the clerk's offices of the Town of Porter, the Town of Lewiston, the Village of Lewiston, and the Village of Youngstown. Donations will also be collected in the library at Lewiston-Porter Middle School. All donations will benefit the Magdalene Project Soup Kitchen located at Old St. George's Church on 19th and Falls streets in Niagara Falls.

Niagara University is the new home of the county's approved training program for law enforcement officers.

Niagara-Wheatfield's Adult Education program has several classes starting in March that will help shake the winter blues.

The Niagara-Wheatfield Board of Education may have a replacement chosen for board member Lori Pittman by the end of its next meeting on Wednesday, March 2.

Niagara University announces John Wang, Ph.D., an assistant professor of physics at NU, has been selected as a scholar by the prestigious Kavli Institute of Theoretical Physics at the University of California at Santa Barbara. The institute is one of the major think tanks for theoretical physics in the world. Approximately eight scholar awards are given out each year.

Niagara University will hold a panel discussion addressing the social and political revolution in Egypt and the United States' involvement in it will take place in the Under the Taps Club of the university's Gallagher Center on Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 12:15 p.m.

Lewiston-Porter High School announced the following students have been named to its high honor, honor and merit rolls for the second quarter marking period of the 2010-11 academic year.

The Lewiston-Porter School District, like dozens of others across the state, is now contending with a host of "what to do's?" It's all in response to Gov. Andrew Cuomo's recent 2011 state budget proposal - one which includes substantial cuts in education aid and comes down hard on school budgets.

Time To Dance studio recently held a master class with professional dancer/choreographer Kim McSwain. She is a master teacher at several large dance convention companies and has worked with Michael Jackson and Pink.

It is with deep regret that the board members announced on Feb. 9 the discontinuance of the Lewiston-Porter Community Ambassador Program.

The Niagara County Legislature weighed in favorably on a new BOCES program designed to give youth from the Lockport and Newfane school districts a taste of vocational careers and other options available to them after graduation.

Michael J. Beam, curator of collections and exhibitions, will talk on "The Charles Rand Penney Collection of Historical Niagara Falls Prints" at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22, at the Castellani Art Museum.

Mrs. Foote's fourth-graders at St. John Lutheran School recently explored the Iroquois Nation through a hands-on project.

This time, it won't be like putting a bandage on a skinned knee. This time, the Niagara-Wheatfield Board of Education, like other school boards across the state, will have to do some serious surgery on its school budget to make up for state aid cuts.

Niagara University will host a graduate school open house and showcase on Saturday, March 26, on campus in the Glynn Family Atrium of Bisgrove Hall. The free event takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A continental breakfast will be offered to all attendees.

Sometimes, as the saying goes, it's not the size of the dog that matters. Niagara University, with an undergraduate enrollment of around 3,000 students, garnered more votes than the University at Buffalo (29,000 undergrads), Buffalo State College (9,000) and SUNY Fredonia (5,400) to take the top spot in a contest sponsored by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo and Grow WNY. By doing so, Niagara will receive a $3,000 award, which will be used to construct a community vegetable garden outside of DePaul Hall.

The Center for the Arts, University at Buffalo will present Taylor 2 Dance Company on Thursday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m. during the group's upcoming residency (March 7-11). There will be a public performance in the Mainstage Theatre, located at the Center for the Arts, North Campus.

The Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University is featuring an exhibition and a series of children's art workshops in honor of Black History Month.

Continuing a tradition that has become nearly as inevitable as taxes themselves, accounting students from Niagara University's College of Business Administration will again provide free tax preparation assistance to members of the Niagara Falls community this tax season.

Penn Dixie invites you to travel along with dinosaur collector Glen LaPlaca, of Past & Present Science & Nature Store & Fossil Gallery in Blasdell, through his presentation on the complete adventure of dinosaur collecting in South Dakota.

Sports memorabilia, tickets to "Wicked," overnight hotel packages, Lasertron parties, bread for a year courtesy of Panera Bread, and much more will be auctioned when St. Peter R.C. Home and School Association presents its "A Diamond in the Rough" Grand Gala 2011, on Saturday, March 5, at the Niagara Falls Country Club. Proceeds benefit St. Peter R.C. School in Lewiston.

The Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University will present, for the third consecutive year, eight "Meet Me at the CAM" programs this spring. These educational art history programs run from 10 a.m. to noon and feature films, guest speakers and facilitated discussions.