Thanks to Talent Search, San Jacinto College student Tania Lopez is pursuing her career goal of serving as a vocational nurse. Photo credit: Rob Vanya, San Jacinto College marketing department.

Art Park Players is ending yet another successful season with the final two shows of “Hello Dolly” running this weekend. The plans for next year are already under way with the release of the 32nd season’s productions.

The offerings for the 2012 season include “Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding”, “The Pajama Game”, “The Company”, “The King and I” and musical review presentations of “Annie”, “Oliver”, “Lost in the ‘50s” and a special tribute marking the 10th anniversary of Sept 11.

APP is now holding its annual membership drive for Corporate, Patron, Season and Show Only ticket holders for 2012.

For more information on the Art Park Players 32nd season, contact the APP Box Office at 281-794-2448. 

The Furthering Community Unity Team powered by Shell Federal Credit Union continued its annual "Everyone's Gotta Eat" food drive for the third year, donating food to local food banks and animal shelters for the summer.

Through "Everyone's Gotta Eat," the FCU Team to collect food for people and pets from employees, members and the community. This year the FCU Team joined with local elementary schools to help fill barrels with food for neighborhood food banks and animal shelters. Jessup Elementary in Pearland, San Jacinto Elementary in Deer Park, Mae Smith Elementary in Pasadena and Jennie Reid Elementary in La Porte for their donations of more than 250 items each.

For those who would like to participate in a certified USA Track and Field event, Parks and Recreation will be putting the annual 5K Independence Run and the Kids One Mile run. The event will be taking place at the Deer Park Community Center on June 25.

With both races combined, an average of 150 runners participate in the races. 

"For a small town, we are popular for this race. Every year, we usually have return runners who participate in this race," said Linda Darby, Athletics/Aquatics Supervisor.

Children under the age of 12 can participate in the Kids One Mile. The race will begin at 8 a.m., and awards will be given to the top three finishers in each group and the overall top boy and girl runner after the race. Runners as young as 11 years old can participate in the 5K.

A-Blake Records, founded by local businessman and resident Blake Barnes and Houston entertainment attorney Daniel Sanders, boasts itself as an atypical label. The claim holds true with the diverse artists they have signed and the unique way they handle the business.

"One thing about the label is that it is rock, country and hip hop and you don't have labels like that," Barnes said. "We can do things differently than other labels can. We actually have national distribution, which a lot of smaller labels don't have."

It began in 2010 when the band Pale used Barnes' beach house in Crystal Beach to record its newest album. Once the album was complete they went in search of a label to sign with and turned to Barnes.

"Daniel said 'Blake, you're already pretty much deep into it, why don't you start the label'" Barnes said.

A warehouse on Fourth Street transforms into the set of Pale’s newest music video, “That Sinking Feeling,” off of their second full-length album, “In the Time of Dangerous Men,” out June 21. Photo By Ashley Smith

The sets were built, the cameras set up, the director flown in and the spotlight put on Deer Park when Houston-based band Pale chose a warehouse on Fourth Street as the site of its newest music video.

The concept of the video for "That Sinking Feeling," the first single off of their second full-length album "In the Time of Dangerous Men," incorporates the struggle between corporate greed and an artist's creativity.

"Basically [the video is] a high-concept visual approach to the struggle and suppression of art versus the business of art," said Calvin Stanley, Pale's lead singer.

The video has an industrial feel, making the warehouse the perfect location as it features leaking pipes, metal walls and sparks flying behind the band. The sets took three weeks to build before shooting could start.

The concept came after Blake Barnes, president of A-Blake Records, and Stanley listened to a rough cut of the song.

The Art Park Dancers will stage its own version of 'Alice in Wonderland' at its dance recital on Saturday. Dance classes from the age of two-years-old to senior citizens will take center stage at the show.

Dancers have been working night and day since September in preparation for the show.

"All of the classes have been working really hard on this. Some have even came in on weekend and nights in order to make everything possible," said Alice Miller, director of Art Park Dancers.

In conjunction with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s the Battleship TEXAS will host a Hard Hat Tour, Saturday May 7th. There is no regular admission fee charged for the special tour. Instead, a minimum donation of $30 per person (cash or check) only, will be collected, to help ensure that the important cultural resources of this state will be here for future generations to enjoy. Please make checks payable to Battleship TEXAS Foundation. These tours are by reservation ONLY so please call EARLY.

Participants will be able to see areas of the ship rarely seen by the public. Featured highlights of the tours include the Ammo Handling Room, Aft Steering, Drying Room, Boiler Room, Main Radio Room, Plotting Room, Forward Dynamo Room, Forward Power Distribution Room, Central Station, # 3 Turret, and the Pilot House.

Participants need to bring a small pocket flashlight, wear comfortable clothes, rubber soled deck shoes, and a camera if you wish. Hard hats are provided, and water will be available along the tour route during breaks.  A limited amount of tours are open to anyone 13 years of age and older by reservation only, at four different time slots beginning at 8:30 a.m. Promptness is required, as start times are strictly observed.