The Gift of Life is holding its 16th annual golf and tennis tournament Monday, June 16. Golf will be at the Lancaster Country Club (6061 Broadway, Lancaster). Tennis will be at the Village Glen Tennis Club (162 Mill St., Williamsville).

After more than five decades entertaining and informing generations of Americans, Barbara Walters says goodbye to daily television Friday, May 16, with her final co-host appearance on "The View," and a two-hour ABC primetime special celebrating her life - both on screen and off.

Artpark & Company announced another batch of bands Monday in the "Tuesday in the Park" and "Coors Light Wednesdays" outdoor concert series. Tickets for these events will go on sale Friday, April 11, at 10 a.m.

Acts include:

Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center will celebrate Project Runway's first anniversary Friday, April 25, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in the Medical Center Auditorium, 621 10th St.

Spring has sprung, and winds of change are brewing in Youngstown.

Last Saturday, Cash Cunningham of Cash Realty & Auctions held an auction of the former Brennan's Irish Pub. Roughly 20 potential buyers attended the event. When all was said and done, it was Mike Fox who acquired the building

Technology giant Yahoo!, a worldwide provider of communication tools on the Internet and mobile devices, and one of Niagara County's fastest-growing employers, has teamed up with Niagara Hospice to sponsor The Mighty Niagara Half Marathon. Yahoo! will be the presenting sponsor for the annual event, which raises money for the programs and services provided by Niagara Hospice.

The spring season is bringing more than just better temperatures to the area, as three large events are taking place at The Conference & Event Center Niagara Falls this first week of April.

This Saturday, local Boy Scout Troop 824, based in Sanborn, will team up with the Tops Friendly Market on Military Road in the Town of Niagara for "Good Turn for America." The troop has chosen Community Missions to receive the donations collected.

Following a call with Social Security Acting Commissioner Carolyn Colvin, U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer and Congressman Brian Higgins are insisting the Social Security Administration halt all plans to close the field office in Amherst.

Registration is underway for Artpark's annual summer day camps for children and teens, held throughout July and August. Visit www.artpark.net for more information on camps and a printable registration form.

State Sen. George Maziarz has announced the enacted 2014-15 state budget contains $40 million specifically for road repairs after this particularly harsh winter. Nearly $600,000 of this will be allocated for local governments in Niagara County in "Extreme Winter Recovery Grants."

This grant money comes on top of record-level funding for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program, the normal mechanism for delivering state aid to municipalities for surface improvements on locally controlled thoroughfares.

Congressman Brian Higgins recently took to the Floor of the House of Representatives to pay tribute to longtime Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson Jr., who recently passed.

With the weather finally becoming more springlike, residents and visitors in the Town of Niagara as usual will start seeing more and more construction vehicles at work. But this year, more commercial construction than ever is expected, especially along Military Road.

Town of Niagara building inspector Chuck Haseley has been hard at work with building permits and plans to be presented to the town's Planning Board. It's not unusual for the town to have 600 to 800 building permits per year, but there has been nothing of this commercial magnitude within the last five years, he said.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has announced more than $245,000 in funding awards to two Western New York companies for projects that will create 35 new jobs in the region, and expand manufacturing capability, increase productivity, provide job training, and grow market share for their businesses.

The New York Power Authority trustees approved funding to Eden Valley Growers Inc., and Living Green Insulation Products and Services LLC.

This represents the fifth round of funding awards approved by the trustees from recommendations made by the Western New York Power Proceeds Allocation Board.

The Child Advocacy Center of Niagara and YWCA of Niagara will bring the Clothesline Project to Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center from April 14-18.

The Niagara Tourism and Convention Corp. launched its new website Wednesday as part of its quarterly sales meeting. Located at http://www.niagara-usa.com/, the website provides guests with numerous things to do and offers ways to explore Niagara Falls. It also provides trip-planning tips and hotel reservation options.

The Hard Rock Café, Niagara Falls USA, officially unveiled its new menu Wednesday. The global restaurant chain is promoting its new fare with the slogan "It Tastes As Good As It Sounds," which emphasizes the eatery's unique connection to the music industry.

Rivershore Inc., a private Lewiston-based not-for-profit organization supporting people living with developmental and other disabilities in Niagara County, announced today it has become an affiliate of People Inc., Western New York's leading nonprofit human services agency.

Officials with Seneca Gaming Corp. announced a blockbuster summer entertainment lineup they hope will delight tens of thousands of music and comedy lovers. The "Summer Rush" 2014 schedule was unveiled on a 20-by40-foot high-definition screen in the heart of the gaming floor at Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel - a fitting display for a larger-than-life entertainment series.

When the New York Times named Niagara Falls to its list of "52 Places to Go in 2014" earlier this year, the iconic photo of the waterfalls themselves was not what was featured. Instead, a photo of Old Fort Niagara's French Castle was selected to accompany the article.

The Erie Canal Discovery Center, 24 Church St., Lockport, will be a stop along Lockport's "Downtown Bunny Hop" Saturday, April 19, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Adults can enjoy a discounted, dollar-off admission of $5, and children's admission will be free, as always. The Discovery Center will present each child with treats of Easter candy and wooden nickels.

Niagara Catholic Jr./Sr. High School presents its annual Marty Violante Memorial Golf Classic, this year honoring Lou Fernandez, on Monday, July 21, at Niagara Frontier Country Club, 1058 Lake Road, Youngstown. The golf tournament benefits Niagara Catholic students, scholarship funds and other school programs.

Western New Yorkers suffering from tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, may have the opportunity to try a new device that is showing promise as a new treatment for the condition.

Laura M. DeBacco, PA-C, will join The OB/GYN Center at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center as its full-time coordinator effective April 14.

Congressman Brian Higgins, a member of the House Cancer Caucus, announced Roswell Park Cancer Institute has been awarded $221,589 in grant funding from the National Cancer Institute to go toward research into the disproportionate prevalence of prostate cancer in African Americans.

HARBORCENTER President John Koelmel and Tim Hortons President and CEO Marc Caira have announced a one-of-a-kind Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop will open at HARBORCENTER this fall.

State Sen. George Maziarz released the following statement Tuesday:

The Buffalo Sabres today announced the rosters for the 10th annual Scotty Bowman Showcase, which will take place Wednesday, April 9, at First Niagara Center.

On Monday at 12:39 p.m., the Cambria Volunteer Fire Co. was dispatched by the Niagara County Fire Control for a report of one-car rollover motor vehicle accident. A vehicle landed upright in the area of 4719 Saunders Settlement Road.

Western New York's own Michael Civisca will join some of New York City's top nightclub entertainers for "Life is a Cabaret," a show celebrating Community Music School's 90th anniversary. The event will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 24, in the Mary Seaton Room at Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo.

Following a successful "Lawyers for the Arts" event that raised approximately $15,000, leaders from "Give for Greatness" and Arts Services Initiative of Western New York have announced plans to enhance "G4G's" activities and mission of raising funding and awareness for local cultural organizations. Under the plan, made possible by a grant from Fund for the Arts, "Give for Greatness" will become a program of ASI.

Assemblyman John Ceretto, R-C-I-Lewiston, voted to pass a budget that includes major tax relief initiatives, the remainder of the "Buffalo Billion," increased aid to local school districts, and reforms to the Common Core mandates. Ceretto called this budget, which is the fourth consecutive on-time budget for the state, another step in the right direction for Western New York families.

Other parts of the budget Ceretto helped pass include increased funding for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, property tax relief for victims of last year's floods, and cost of living adjustments for human services workers.

The Niagara University student chapter of the Club Managers Association of America has been named the best in the nation for a fifth consecutive year. The announcement was made during the 87th World Conference on Club Management and Club Business Expo.

Plans are already underway to enhance the "greening" of the Lewiston Art Festival, which will take place Aug. 9-10.

Earlier this year, The Buffalo History Museum announced its second annual "M&T Third Fridays Giants of Buffalo" program would honor history-making individuals who have made extraordinary contributions in the industry. The program is in association with the Buffalo Broadcasters Association.

With just 128 days remaining until the opening of the 175th Erie County Fair, organizers are proud to announce the 2014 concert lineup. The shows will take place in the newly named Gusto Grandstand throughout the run of the fair.

Congressman Brian Higgins announced the northern border between Western New York and Southern Ontario will soon see U.S. Homeland Security staffing increases. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, responsible for securing the ports of entry, has announced plans to significantly increase personnel at the Port of Buffalo, which includes border crossings in the City of Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Lewiston.

Leadership Niagara will be recognized nationally for "Excellence in Innovation" by the Association of Leadership Programs on Friday, April 4, at the Southeast Regional Conference in Atlanta.

The award will be presented to Leadership Niagara's executive director, Molly Anderson, who has been at the helm of the organization for the past five years. She was invited to present her program's innovation and best practices to leadership professionals who will be attending the conference.

"In recent years, Leadership Niagara has innovated and transformed a great organization. We are sharply focused on achieving more for our participants and our region," Anderson said. "It is an honor to be recognized among hundreds of our peer leadership organizations for all the hard work thus far."

The New York Lottery today announced Union Springs Central School in Union Springs, Cayuga County, was voted the winner of the Lottery's "New York Sings" Facebook contest. Union Springs will receive the contest's top prize of $10,000 to be used to support the school's music education program.

Artpark & Company welcomes O.A.R. and Phillip Phillips to Lewiston July 2 at 6:30 p.m. as part of its "Coors Light Wednesdays" concert series.

Tickets go on sale Friday, April 11, at 10 a.m.