Bill Watters and Air Major: Watters may drive the van and pay the bills, but the real star of this famous team is hardworking, disk-snagging pup Air Major. The duo does its thing at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 19, on the north lawn at Mesa Public Library, 64 East First Street. Admission is free. Call 644-2705.
neckties that bind
Ugly Tie Contest and Celebrity Tie Silent Auction: Through Sunday, June 16 (Father's Day), the Pointe in Tyme restaurant at Pointe Hilton at Tapatio Cliffs, 11111 North Seventh Street, displays customers' worst nightmares in neckwear as part of this third annual benefit for Valley Big Brothers/Big Sisters. The donor of the foulest tie, as judged by VBB/BS volunteers and their charges, wins a trip to San Francisco. Bidding in the silent auction, which features autographed donations by former president Jimmy Carter, k.d. lang, Lynn Swann, Jay Leno, Jackson Browne, members of the Phoenix Suns, Dan Aykroyd, Vince Tobin, Jerry Colangelo and many others, continues through noon Sunday. Proceeds from sales benefit VBB/BS. Call 264-9254.
catch a wave
Father's Day at the Wave Pool: Dads receive free admission to the cool pool and its companion water slide at Kiwanis Park Recreation Center, 6111 South All-America Way in Tempe, from noon to 4:30 p.m. on Father's Day--Sunday, June 16--if they're accompanied by their families and/or if they present photos of their kids. Regular admission is $6, $3 for children. Raft and tube rentals are an additional $3 to $6. Call 350-5201; the TDD number for the hearing-impaired is 350-5050.
at the wingding
Bird Mart: Thousands of avians are on display and various supplies are on sale at this extravaganza, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 16, in Exhibit Hall A at Phoenix Civic Plaza, Second Street and Adams. Admission is $3, free for accompanied kids under 12. Call 262-7272.
Phineas T. Firebird: The mascot for the Phoenix Firebirds (see the Sports listing) puts in a free appearance from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 15, at Tri-City Mall, Dobson and Main in Mesa. For details call 969-2261.
on the big screen
"Fun Flicks for Kicks": Borders Books & Music at Biltmore Fashion Park, 24th Street and Camelback, Suite 200, hosts this free, all-ages summer series, which continues with a screening of Winnie the Pooh (G) at 2 p.m. Thursday, June 13. Each kid receives a gratis bag of popcorn. For details call 957-6660.
Summer Family Film Series 1996: The City of Tempe-sponsored series continues at 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 19, with a screening of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book (PG) on the southwest side of the lake at Kiwanis Park, Mill Avenue and All-America Way. The series continues through Wednesday, July 10. For details call 350-5200; the TDD number for the hearing-impaired is 350-5050.
Summer Movie Fun 1996: Harkins Theatres presents its annual youth-film fest, which continues this week with final screenings of A Little Princess on Thursday, June 13; and Friday, June 14, at Westridge Mall 6 (75th Avenue and Thomas); Bell Towne Centre 8 (Seventh Street and Bell); Paradise Valley 7 (Tatum and Cactus); and Cornerstone 6 (Rural and University in Tempe). Balto plays Monday, June 17; and Tuesday, June 18, at Arcadia 8 (40th Street and Thomas), Bell Tower 8 (51st Avenue and Bell in Glendale), Camelview 5 (Goldwater Boulevard north of Camelback in Scottsdale) and Fiesta 5 (1520 South Longmore in Mesa). More Balto showings are scheduled Wednesday, June 19, at Arcadia 8, Bell Tower 8, Fiesta 5 and Paradise Valley 7. All flicks start at 9:45 a.m. A series pass costs $5; without it, the price is $2 per film. The silver-screen fun continues through Friday, August 9; all movies are rated G or PG. For details call the Harkins Summer Movie Fun Hot Line at 517-2700.
at the concert
Mary Hollan's Pocketful of Miracles: The vocalist/keyboard player performs original songs and Disney tunes at 10:30 a.m. Monday, June 17, in the Program Room at Tempe Public Library, 3500 South Rural. Admission is free. Hollan plans a second show at the same location on Saturday, June 22. For details call 350-5522; the TDD number for the hearing-impaired is 350-5050.
Immature: (With Quindon.) See Monday in Pic Hits.
"Outer Space": Southwest Brass performs at this all-ages affair, scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 18, at Glendale City Council Chambers, 5850 West Glendale Avenue. Admission is free. For details call 930-3437.
among the animals
Sleepover at Wildlife World Zoo: The fourth annual chaperoned summer series continues this week. WWZ staff members escort kids in grades four through eight on a night hike through the zoo and teach them how to paint their own tee shirts. The fun starts at 7 p.m. Friday, June 14, and continues until 8 a.m. Saturday, June 15, at the 40-acre facility at 165th Avenue and Northern in Litchfield Park. The next sleepover is slated for Friday, June 21. The cost is $35, $30 for members, which includes all materials, plus dinner and breakfast. For registration and other information, call 935-9453.
Summer Days and Nights at Phoenix Zoo: The menagerie, 455 North Galvin Parkway, in Papago Park, hosts "Zoolympics: The Summer Game," the latest installment in its educational festival "The Celebration of the Natural World," which continues through September. "Zoolympics" features interactive mental and physical exercises with an animal theme; it continues through Sunday, June 30. Participation is free with regular admission: $7, $6 for seniors, $3.50 for kids ages 4 to 12, gratis for younger children and members. "Sunset Safari," scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 14, and each Friday in June, features train rides, animal encounters and entertainment. Special admission is $4, $3 for members; kids 2 and under get in free. For details call 273-1341 or 273-7771.
leapin'lizards!
"Libraries, Lizards & Snakes, Oh My!": Arizona Herpetological Association hosts presentations/discussions about various creepy and cuddly crawlers at 9:45 a.m. Thursday, June 13, at Mesa Public Library, 64 East First Street; and at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 19, at Dobson Ranch Branch Library, 2425 South Dobson in Mesa. Admission is free. Call 644-2705.
"Lizards & Snakes": Valley children's author Erik Stoops presents this program (which is unrelated to the one above) at 2 p.m. Thursday, June 13, at Glendale Public Library, 5959 West Brown. Admission is free. For details call 930-3537.
rock show
"Gold Prospecting in Arizona": City of Tempe's free Summer Outdoor Adventure Series continues at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, June 18, with this hands-on program about panning techniques and using a metal detector to locate those evasive nuggets. Meet on the southwest side of the lake at Kiwanis Park, Mill Avenue and All-America Way. The series continues through Tuesday, July 2. For details call 350-5200; the TDD number for the hearing-impaired is 350-5050.
at the museum
Arizona Museum for Youth: "Fly, Float & Locomote: Transportation in Art" features mixed-media representational works about how to get from here to there--wherever "there" might be--by Laurie Campbell, Jamie Maverick, Luis Jimenez, Robert McCall, David Gilhooly and others. The exhibit opens Friday, June 14, and continues through Friday, September 13, at the museum, 35 North Robson in Mesa. Various workshops and related special events are scheduled; call 644-3690. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. For general information, call 644-2467.
Arizona Science Center: "TechZone 1996" features information and hands-on displays about the latest scientific innovations, from voice-recognition devices to air bags; the exhibit continues through Monday, September 2, at the center, 147 East Adams. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. For details call 256-9518 or 258-7250.
Heard Museum "Family Fun Day": The Heard, 22 East Monte Vista, hosts this summer series. This month's entry is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 15, and features hands-on activities related to the museum's installations "Classics and Dazzlers: Textiles From the Fred Harvey Company Collection" and "Inventing the Southwest: The Fred Harvey Company and Native American Art" (see the Art Exhibits listing). For details call 252-8840.
Mesa Southwest Museum: "Kuykendall Doll and Figure Collection," a recent gift to the museum featuring about 350 of the title creations, continues through Sunday, September 29, in Community Gallery. Models, fossils and skeleton fragments are exhibited in the permanent installation "Dinosaurs of the Southwest." The center is located at 53 North Macdonald. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Call 644-2230.
arts and minds
"Summer Solstice": This mixed-media exhibition of works by students at the Art Ventures studio for kids continues through Friday, June 21, at Kerr Cultural Center, 6110 North Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale. For details call 965-5377.
on the stage
Great Arizona Puppet Theater: The group presents performances of Cinderella at 1 and 3 p.m. Monday, June 17, at Glendale Public Library, 5959 West Brown. Admission is free; call 930-3537. GAPT performs Hotel Saguaro, a tale about our own Sonoran Desert, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 18, in Webster Auditorium at Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 North Galvin Parkway, in Papago Park. Admission is free with the regular garden entrance fee: $6, $5 for seniors, $1 for children ages 5 to 12; younger kids and members are admitted free. Call 941-1225.
The Little Mermaid: Desert Stages, Inc., presents a musical version of the Hans Christian Andersen story. This week's performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 14; 1 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 15; and 1 and 3 p.m. Sunday, June 16, at the theatre, 8473 East McDonald in Scottsdale. Call 483-1664.
Little Red Snares the Wolf and Little Red and the Hoods: Valley Youth Theatre, located at Tower Plaza Shopping Center, 3883 East Thomas, presents these twin updates of the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale. The former won the Best Play of the Year award at London, England's Player-Playwrights competition. The latter is an audience-participation story filled with valuable lessons about how kids can protect themselves against stranger danger. Opening performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 14; 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, June 15; and 2 and 5 p.m. Sunday, June 16. Call 267-3880.
