HARBORcenter Development LLC officially broke ground Saturday on HARBORcenter, a mixed-use hockey and entertainment facility being developed on the Webster Block in downtown Buffalo, directly across Perry Street from First Niagara Center.

Come this summer, look for the Village of Youngstown to make its mark on the lower Niagara like no other time before.

Niagara Falls Music & Art Festival President Rick A. Crogan, volunteer Becky Marchetti and Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster spoke Thursday at a press conference announcing details for the third annual summer event, scheduled to take place this year from June 28-30.

Dr. Abdiweli Ali, the Niagara University economics professor turned Somali prime minster, will reflect on his time as the leader of the impoverished, war-torn East African nation during a special event on April 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the Castellani Art Museum.

The Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Niagara presented a "Bowling Blender" Wednesday at the new Lewiston Event Center.

Western New York welcomes back The Tragically Hip with special guest Grace Potter & The Nocturnals for a performance Friday, July 19. The event is part of The Outer Harbor Concert Series.

Registration is now open for the fifth annual "Run with the Rapids" 5K, on Saturday, May 18, in downtown Niagara Falls. This USA Track & Field-sanctioned race benefits the Downtown Niagara Falls Business Association.

The second guest speaker in Lewiston Council on the Arts' new Discovery Series is Susanne Schillings, pastry chef and owner of Exclusively Schillings. Her presentation, "Art & Mystery of Chocolate," will take place on Wednesday, April 17, at 7 p.m., in the Historic Lewiston Opera Hall, 732 Center St.

Two of the most celebrated names in jazz will perform at Artpark's Mainstage Theater as part of the venue's summer-long 40th anniversary celebration: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis on June 24, and Chick Corea & The Vigil on Aug. 2.

As the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra prepares for its May 8 performance at "Spring For Music" at Carnegie Hall, it has partnered with M&T Bank and United Way in New York City to send underserved students to concerts.

The Beach House has won Niagara Frontier Publications' second annual "Best Fish Fry" contest. Following a record number of entries, the Grand Island restaurant netted 13.1 percent of the 268 votes - more than double the tally of the second-place winners.

Empire State Development has announced that its Niagara Falls subsidiary, USA Niagara Development Corp., is issuing a request for qualifications from prospective development teams to undertake an adaptive reuse and redevelopment of approximately 200,000 square feet in the former Rainbow Centre Mall located in downtown Niagara Falls.

"This is a great opportunity for a developer to capitalize on what is a considerable amount of unmet demand in Niagara Falls and build on the recent nearby successes like the opening of the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute," said Empire State Development's Kenneth Adams.

Sponsored by Upstate Pharmacy, WGRZ-TV Channel 2, Compu-Mail and Niagara Falls Coach Lines, the Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara Foundation's 14th annual golf raffle is taking place on Sunday, April 28, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Sanborn Firehall.

Ballet returns to Artpark after a 10-year absence with a stunning production of ballet's greatest comedy. The Greater Niagara Ballet Company brings "Coppélia" to the Artpark Mainstage Theater for two shows on Saturday, Aug. 17, at 2 and 8 p.m.

This week marks the annual tradition of removing the ice boom from the Niagara River, a sign of spring, but this year also a sign of progress for Buffalo's waterfront.

The University at Buffalo announces First Niagara has given to UB a parcel of land to be used in the construction of the university's new School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

Old Fort Niagara is looking for outgoing individuals who enjoy history to serve as volunteer tour guides for the 2013 season.

Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center patients and their families will soon be enjoying the latest advances in hospital care following Wednesday's dedication and blessing of a new 24-bed medical-surgical inpatient unit.

Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara, the Niagara County Chapter of NYSARC Inc., celebrated Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month this March with a month-long special project.

With spring on our doorstep and a beautiful summer filled with family fun ahead, Artpark has put out the call to spruce up the green areas of the Earl W. Brydges Artpark State Park. Come and celebrate Parks & Trails New York and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation's "I Love My Park Day" on Saturday, May 4, at Artpark.

The DiMino Lower Niagara Running Series is gearing up for another great running season with a generous $10,000 donation from Anthony DiMino, owner of Tops in Lewiston, and the addition of three new races.

The Women of the Moose, Lower Niagara, recently presented a donation to the Our Lady of Peace Nursing Care Residence. The funds will be used to provide hair-styling services to residents in need.

Historical Association of Lewiston Museum Director Pam Hauth shows off the professional-grade time capsule that arrived Monday.

Plans have been revealed for the Historic Lewiston Jazz Festival's annual fundraiser.

Congressman Chris Collins, NY-27, has joined the auto industry pension task force for the 113th Congress. Made up of members of the House of Representatives from both political parties, the group works to bring attention to the issues related to the termination of Delphi salaried retiree pensions.

Sharing their time and talents, St. Peter R.C. School students, under the direction of art teacher Erika Conti, created 116 Easter baskets in art class. The pre-K through grade 8 students donated the filled baskets to Heart & Soul.

A fundraiser for the Relay For Life is in full swing. A Relay quilt, generously and beautifully handcrafted by Sue Miles and Colleen Eddy of Grand Island, was donated to Grand Island's Relay For Life, to be raffled off to support Relay and its ongoing fundraising for the American Cancer Society.

Laura Brownlie is a liberal arts major. Gina DelGreco is mere months away from graduating with a degree in history.

So why were the two Niagara University seniors hosting a reception Wednesday evening for an art exhibit they curated?

For the second year, Town of Niagara resident Wendi J. Koch climbed the stairs of the 38-floor One HSBC Center in Buffalo for her father.

Congressman Brian Higgins, NY-26, expressed shock and disappointment upon learning of plans by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to "postpone" the 2013 National Veterans Golden Age Games in Buffalo. Higgins is urging the VA Secretary to reconsider and proceed with the event, titled "Warriors on the Waterfront," scheduled for May 30 through June 4.

Local organizers have been planning for the event since 2007. Buffalo was officially awarded the Games in 2011. Earlier this month, Higgins' office worked closely with local organizers to facilitate finalization of the contracts with the VA.

Town of Lewiston Supervisor Steve Reiter (right) and Councilman Michael Marra recently visited Susan Geissler's Youngstown studio to check on the progress of the Tuscarora Heroes Monument. The larger-than-life bronze sculptures will depict a tableau of two Tuscarora men saving a Lewiston woman and her baby during the War of 1812 British attack on Lewiston.

On April 27, the Friends of Niagara University Theatre will host the 28th annual Friends of Niagara University Theatre Gala, including a 4 p.m. production of "Into the Woods" at the Leary Theatre within the Elizabeth Ann Clune Center for Theatre, Clet Hall.

Merrell Lane, the chairman of the Niagara Military Affairs Council since 2005, has been awarded the New York State Conspicuous Service Medal for his service to the New York Air National Guard and the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.

In front of an impressive number of Niagara University faculty, staff, students and community members, the Rev. James J. Maher, C.M., was announced as the school's 26th president at a community meeting on Wednesday.

Assemblyman John Ceretto delivered more than 500 constituent emails to the office of Gov. Cuomo and spoke with him Wednesday asking for a full restoration of funding for developmental disability programs in this year's final budget.

The 26th president of Niagara University will be the Rev. James J. Maher, C.M., D.Min.

The Catholic and Vincentian institution announced Maher, currently the executive vice president for mission and student services at St. John's University, would succeed the Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M.

The Niagara County Industrial Development Agency board of directors conducted its annual reorganizational meeting on Wednesday. Scott P. Kiedrowski, the clerk and treasurer and registrar of vital statistics for the City of North Tonawanda, was elected chairman. He will have time to consider his slate of officers, as well as committee chairs and members, which will be voted on at the April 17 board of directors meeting.

State Sen. George Maziarz announced the New York State Senate unanimously approved legislation (S.1095) he sponsored to expand and rename the Niagara Wine Trail and Niagara Escarpment Wine Trail. In effect, the wine trails would be enlarged to encompass all of Orleans County and Western Monroe County, bringing more wineries than ever into the popular wine trails' network.

"The wine industry in the greater Niagara Region is growing so fast that our laws designating the various wine trails must keep up with the pace of growth," Maziarz said. "Agritourism is an important part of the regional economy and the state must act now to support it."

The Ontario Junior Hockey League has announced that Michael Peca of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres was named the recipient of the 2012-13 OJHL Coach of the Year Award. Peca is a former Buffalo Sabres captain.

More than 2,500 guests will fill The Conference & Event Center Niagara Falls, 101 Old Falls St., for the 31st annual St. Patrick's Day Celebration, hosted by the Ancient Order of Hibernians