One of the things the director seems proudest about in his two most recent Broadway hits, Spring Awakening and American Idiot, is that they have given so many people their first live theatrical experience.

Mayer won the 2007 Tony Award for

May is set to be an eclectic and even electric month in Niles. In addition to three more installments of the famous serial, The Perils of Pauline, the venerable East Bay film museum is set to screen one of the big hits of the era, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, starring Rudolph Valentino, as well as Laughing at Danger, an early thriller with plenty of pulp fiction trappings. And thats not all. There is also their regular Comedy Short Subject Night, a Tom Mix western with the lovely Pauline Starke, and a Laurel Hardy Talkie Matinee in Spanish! And towards the end of the month, Niles is screening the 1962 Ray Hubbard television documentary, The Bridge Builders, to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge. All together, its another varied month of early cinema.

Turns out he was just excited about building a doghouse.

This enthusiastic tween was among a group of young Lutherans who came together Saturday morning to do their part to build not only houses for dogs, but for families who will one day own their own home through Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity.

?I like animals ? that?s one thing. And I like making people happy,? said Bradley, who attends the Lutheran Church of the Nativity in Arden. ?And I know how to use power tools, because I?ve built birdhouses before.?

It?s a pretty brilliant concept, started three years ago by the Rev. Michael McFarland, pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran Church, on the church?s school campus in West Asheville.

Because of insurance issues, Habitat volunteers younger than 16 cannot work on Habitat build sites. But through Habitat Youth Build Day, sponsored by the Central Blue Ridge Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, young teens are able to be involved with social outreach from slightly afar, while still contributing to the ultimate goal of home ownership for deserving families.

In its first year in 2010, Youth Build Day volunteers constructed saw-horses for volunteers? use on Habitat job sites; in 2011, they built picnic tables for use by the volunteers.

This year, the young people assembled 16 doghouses made from materials salvaged from Habitat construction sites and donated by Builder?s First Source.

Those doghouses ? assembled, painted and shingled in one day ? will be sold at Habitat?s ReStore at 31 Meadow Road, beginning Tuesday or Wednesday this week.

The proceeds will go back into Habitat?s coffers, making a win-win-win for youths seeking service projects, dogs seeking shelter and families seeking home ownership.

Ed Hauser, a longtime Habitat volunteer and Lutheran Builds specialist, said the event is an opportunity for youths ages 12-15 to ?begin to act out their faith as servants in caring for others in need.?

If you look around at our fruit, everything is damaged to some extent. The real question is how badly or how much of a crop is still left on the trees. Really we need about a week or two weeks to really sort everything out for the trees to decide what they are going to do, said Jim Bittner, owner of Singer Farms.

Becker Farms said that their cherries and peaches didnt do well, while their apples and strawberries would just be reduced.

There was less damage closer to the lakes and damage even varied on the same trees.

Debbie Breth, a Fruit Specialist for the Cornell Cooperative Extension, said, The apples, for instance. They came into bloom much earlier than we have ever experienced, however, we are seeing some differences in the developmental stages even on the same tree. We still have viable blossoms coming out even though we have on the same branch some that have already dropped all of their petals.

The biggest hit came in the cold stretch at the end of April. The trees had bloomed and the blooms had frozen and will not be able to be pollinated. What really hurt was that the month of March ended up being warmer than April was.

Bittner said, People ask about what the price will do and it probably will not change a whole lot because most of the things we grow are grown in other places and will just be shipped in. But we wont have any trouble selling fruit that we have.

He added that they will have about half the normal crop, but that doesnt mean that they can charge double the price.

Also, most orchards wont know the full extent of the damage until June when the fruit starts to grow.

Real estate trackers see improvement in sales, while in Seattle prices continue to dip, though more slowly.

#13;

4:26 pm Police responded to a report of malicious damage on Washington Street.

#13;

6:06 pm Police responded to a report of larceny/forgery/fraud at Dunkin Donuts on Washington Street.

#13;

6:41 pm Police responded to a report of larceny/forgery/fraud on Rubin Court.

#13;

7:29 pm Police responded to a report of youths gathering at the viaduct on Neponset Street.

#13;

8:58 pm Police responded to a noise complaint on First Parish Road.

#13;

9:08 pm Police responded to a report of a disturbance on Oakdale Road.

#13;

9:31 pm Police responded to a report of youths gathering at the playground on Messinger Street.

#13;

9:52 pm Police responded to a report of youths gathering at Forge Pond Village.

#13;

Saturday, April 21

#13;

11:58 am Police responded to a noise complaint on Walnut Street.

#13;

2:33 pm Police responded to a report of a disturbance on Dewitt Avenue.

#13;

2:39 pm Police responded to a report of suspicious activity on Brayton Circle.

#13;

5:18 pm Police stopped a vehicle on Washington Strreet at Ponkapoag Way.

#13;

7:01 pm Police responded to a report of malicious damage on Pond View Road.

#13;

7:11 pm Police stopped a vehicle on Turnpike Street at Farm Street.

#13;

10:13 pm Police responded to a report of a dispute on Sherman Street.

#13;

10:17 pm Police responded to a report of youths gathering on Randolph Street.

#13;

Sunday, April 22

#13;

12:04 am Police responded to a report of suspicious people at Austins Mobile on Washington Street.

#13;

12:21 am Police responded to a report of youths gathering on Washington Street.

#13;

1:45 am Police responded to a report of suspicious activity on Eliot Street.

#13;

2:07 am Police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle on Shawmut Road. Party spoken to.

#13;

2:43 am Police responded to a report of suspicious people on Pleasant Street.

#13;

3:01 am Police responded to a report of a trespasser on Washington Street and arrested Isaac Callejas, 18, of 43 Norfolk St., Apt. 2, Canton for trespassing. Police also arrested Bradford Slocum, 17, of 67 Turnpike St., Canton on charges of trespassing and trespassing with a motor vehicle.

#13;

5:48 am Police responded to a report of a domestic dispute on Windsor Woods Way.

#13;

2 pm Police responded to a report of a motor vehicle accident on Washington Street.

#13;

6:49 pm Police responded to a report of a domestic disturbance on Arboretum Way.

#13;

7:06 pm Police stopped a vehicle on Chapman Street at Shawnlee Road and arrested Joseph C. Walsh, 51, of 365 Walpole St., Canton on charges of operating a motor vehicle with license suspended for OUI, operating a motor vehicle with registration suspended, operating an uninsured vehicle, no inspection sticker, and a warrant for another agency.

#13;

Monday, April 23

#13;

1:26 pm Police stopped a vehicle on Washington Street and arrested Jerome N. Barrett, 31, of 2 Copeland Place, Roxbuty on charges of operating a motor vehicle with license suspended, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, and a number place violaton to conceal identity.

Mr. Mahadev Rao briefed about the discussions being organised and the overwhelming response of local poets and writers to it. He added that month discussions were being organized to encourage every Hindi writer, new as well as seniors.

The programme started with the poem Bichhoh (separation) of Kapil Kumar Sharma in which he elaborated the relations and memories of a dead person with living ones. Toleti Chandrasekhar read out two mini stories Chitrakaar (painter) and Yogi (saint) about the identity of talent and a human being. Two satiric were presented by G. Appa Rao Raaj.

A poem was presented about blind and wrong beliefs, Vaastu, by M. Surya Kumari. G. S. N. Murty read out his story Farz aur Bhagawaan (duty and god) with a central idea of sacrifice. G. Eswara Varma read story Kuchh aise bhee log about men who care deeply for society.

B. Shobhavati presented her review about the famous story Gheesoo of Mahadevi Varma in a very effective way. Ramprasad Yadav read out a poem on different symbols about humanity, Zazeere kaa deep (light of an island). Meena Gupta presented a story, Raktdaan (blood donation) on casteism of four friends. Krishna Kumar Gupta and Ashok Gupta also read out two contemporary poems. Mr. Mahadev Rao presented a satiric story Jabardastee Kavi (forced poet) on a so-called poet and his selfishness. N. Tata Rao, Ch. Eshwara Rao and Shreedhar actively participated in the programme. Discussions were held on the poems and stories presented.

Kings benefit from Darryl Sutters varied personality

The Kings coach can be sarcastic (just ask him about the start time for Game 5) and he can be charming. Either way, he has the Kings on the verge of their first playoff series win since 2001.

• Comment