Royal City residents are invited to help beautify a local neighbourhood this weekend.
The NIMBÃ Community Clean-up is an initiative designed to bring the community together to remove litter and trash from environments that people share and enjoy. The community cleanup will get underway on Saturday, April 21 at 10 a.m. at the Moody Park spray park that's located beside Century House.
NIMBÃ is an acronym for Neighbours Into More Beautiful Environments.
The volunteer cleanup will run from 10 to 11: 30 a.m.
"It's an opportunity to give back to our communities and make it into a better place for others," said an email from organizer Joshua Pablo. "Gloves and garbage bags will be provided."
For more information on the event or to register, contact http: //nimbe. robsonglen.com.
Gaming history
The New Westminster Museum is exploring the history of video games in B.C. with its newest exhibit.
The exhibit Creating the Virtual World: A History of Video Games in B.C. opens at the New Westminster Museum on May 2 and runs until Oct. 14. This family-friendly exhibition traces the global history of video games and highlights the frenetic, and sometimes fractured, world of video game hardware and software made in the province.
According to the New Westminster Museum, British Columbia has become a hotbed for video game development, starting with the game Evolution in 1983.
A press release notes that Pong, the first commercially successful arcade game, was also the simplest possible game. Its terse instructions were: "avoid missing ball for high score" - a far cry from the games enjoyed by today's kids that involve joysticks, stunning graphics and complex multiplayer games.
As part of the exhibit, guest curator Ryan Cousineau will presents two Video Game Play Days on July 7 and Aug. 11. Both events run from 1 to 3 p.m.; space is limited, so people must register by calling 604-527-4640).
"It's a chance for kids to see the video games their parents used to play, with some of the greatest (and worst!) console games, on the original equipment," Cousineau said.
Cousineau, an audiovisual technology specialist at Douglas College, has been an avid video game player since his family bought its first game system, an Atari 2600. He worked in the game industry, as a tester of joysticks and game pads.
The New Westminster Museum is located at 302 Royal Ave., behind Irving House.
The New Westminster Museum and Irving House summer hours begin in May - Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is by donation.
Donation helps
The Fraser River Discovery Centre is grateful for a $10,000 donation from TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.
The funds will support the development, design and fabrication of the Fraser River Discovery Centre's Discovery Zone, an interactive space for families to learn about the Fraser River together. The Discovery Zone includes George the sturgeon, a life-size model replica of a Fraser River white sturgeon; the Sturgeon Life Survival Game, where visitors discover the amazing life of the largest fresh water fish in North America; the Pollution Model, an interactive three-dimensional representation of the Fraser River Estuary that demonstrates how pollution travels and enters waterways; and an inviting puppet theatre with many furry friends waiting to be animated by visitors' imaginations.
"TD Friends of the Environment Foundation is very proud to support the Fraser River Discovery Centre's hands-on education for youth and families," said Bill Cunningham, chapter coordinator of the Burnaby/New Westminster TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. "This project is a great example of our focus on supporting local projects that assist youth in understanding and participating in environmental activities."
The Fraser River Discovery Centre is located at 788 Quayside Dr. and is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to exhibit galleries is by donation.
"The Discovery Zone is packed with interactive components that are engaging and fun and is the corner stone of our education programs for school groups. Since its opening in January, the Discovery Zone has been a hot spot of the Centre," said Catherine Ouellet-Martin, executive director of the Fraser River Discovery Centre.
"It is with contributors like TD Friends of the Environment Foundation that we are able to provide our young visitors with an opportunity to develop a respect for the river so it can be sustained for generations to come."
The TD Friends of the Environment Foundation is a national organization, formed by TD Bank Group. It funds local projects that are dedicated to preserving the environment and works with Canadians who are committed to protecting the environment in their own community and across the country.
Band concert
Music is in the air at New Westminster Secondary School - and Douglas College.
The New Westminster District and Concert Band is having its spring concert on Monday, May 7 at 7 p.m. at the Douglas College auditorium at 700 Royal Ave. All levels of the ban will play, including the jazz band.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students and children and are available at the door.
Got a community item to share? Send Around Town ideas to Theresa by email, tmcmanus@royalcity record.com. You can also follow her on Twitter,
