It is with a heavy heart that the City of Mesa announces the passing of Mayor Wayne Brown on Tuesday, May 14. Brown served as Mayor from 1996 to 2000. He also served as a Councilmember from 1968 to 1976.

The City of Mesa is celebrating Global Youth Service Day by hosting an athletic shoe drive for kids 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 27 at Mountain View High School.

Before material collected from Mesa’s blue barrel can be sent to a recycling plant to be made into new products, it must first be sorted locally at a materials recovery facility (MRF). Mesa residents are invited to attend a one-hour workshop from 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Saturday, April 20, at Salt River Landfill at Gilbert Road and Beeline Highway (US-87), to learn about how the material is separated at the MRF, which uses a combination of high tech equipment and hand sorting.

Mesa

Valley of the Sun United Way and Mesa United Way are partnering for a special Project Connect event April 11 at Broadway Christian Church, 7335 E. Broadway Road, Mesa.

Come out and compete at the Hershey’s Track and Field Games 9 a.m. April 27 at Mountain View High School, 2700 E. Brown Road. The competition is free to participate. Boy and girls ages 9 to 14 will compete in separate divisions. The competition will include the 100 meter, 200 meter, 400 meter and 4x100 relay races. Competition in long jump and softball pitches will also be held during game day. Participants will compete for a chance to qualify for the North American Final in Hershey, Pa.

Online applications are available for the new Learn to Earn summer program sponsored by Mesa Counts on College.

The Groves Neighborhood is partnering with City of Mesa Neighborhood Outreach for a volunteer-driven citrus collection from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 23. Residents can donate the extra fruit as part of a citywide effort to benefit the United Food Bank.

A 45-day public comment period is underway for the City of Mesa Housing Authority’s proposed annual plan for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. The purpose of the plan is to outline goals, objectives and methodology the Housing Authority will use to provide assisted and affordable housing through the use of federal funds in Mesa.

In recognition of World Understanding Month, the Mesa Sunrise Rotary Club dedicated a Peace Pole in front of Mesa City Plaza. Each Peace Pole is a handcrafted monument that displays the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth" on each side of the pole written in different languages reflecting the community’s population.

If you are one of the millions of Americans who are feeling overwhelmed or stressed, join Dr. Eric Hampton 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, March 2 in the Saguaro Room at the Main Library, 64 E. First St., in Mesa.

While adoption can be a challenging process, four adoption agencies will walk hopeful prospective parents through the steps at a free adoption fair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23 at the Mesa Main Library.

Celebrate President’s Day by joining in Mesa Park’s Youth Sports’ 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament. Students in grades one through six can participate 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 18 at Red Mountain Multigenerational Center, 7550 E. Adobe. The event will also include a climbing wall, game room, food for purchase and more.

Mesa residents looking for a way to get rid of old cans of paint, batteries, pesticides, electronics, tires and prescription drugs are invited to bring these and other household hazardous waste materials to the next city-sponsored collection 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Feb. 9 at the East Mesa Service Center, 6935 E. Decatur St. (east of Power Road, north of University).

With lion dances, firecrackers, games and more, the Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 N. Center St. will host a two-day celebration of the 2013 Lunar New Year. The event will be held 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.