The Master Chorale of Flagstaff and Verde Valley Sinfonietta will perform Handel's "Messiah" on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's performance will be at 2:30 p.m. at Mingus Union High School in Cottonwood.

Sunday's performance will be at 7 p.m. at Trinity Heights United Methodist Church in Flagstaff.

Tickets for both performances are $15 (adults) and $5 (students) and are available at the door.

At Saturday's performance, Mingus Union High School will be singing along, so attendees are asked to bring their scores and join the chorale in this participative performance. The Sunday performance will be a traditional concert performance. Joining the Verde Valley Sinfonietta and the Master Chorale of Flagstaff in the two performances will be student vocalists from the NAU music department: Noelle Francis, soprano; Rachael Hirsch, mezzo-soprano; Ben Perkins, tenor; and David Bracamonte, bass.

Citizen of the Year nominations due

It's time to nominate your friends and neighbors for the Arizona Daily Sun's Citizen of the Year award. It comes in three categories: Man, Woman and Organization of the Year. The award recognizes someone who has made Flagstaff a better place in the past year as a volunteer, not in their line of work. To make a nomination, send an e-mail to Publisher Don Rowley. Mail and faxes are OK, too, but please limit your nominating letters to one page. There's no application form to fill out. Nominators should simply say why they think a certain individual or group has made Flagstaff a better place to live because of their volunteer efforts. Nominations in all three categories will be accepted through the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, and winners will be announced in the newspaper at the turn of the new year. Judging will be done by a panel of previous winners and not by the Daily Sun. Nominations can be mailed to the Daily Sun at 1751 S. Thompson St., Flagstaff, AZ 86001 or dropped off at the newspaper's office, care of the publisher, Don Rowley. The e-mail address is drowley@azdailysun.com. The fax number is 774-4790, and faxed nominations will be accepted. For more information, please call Publisher Don Rowley at 556-2240.

Care center collecting gifts for residents

The staff at Ponderosa Pines Care and Rehab wants to give its residents happy holidays. They are collecting holiday gifts to give to the residents, many of whom have no family and would not otherwise receive a gift.

Last year, community donations made it possible for the staff to provide a gift bag for every resident in the facility. They are hoping to do the same this year.

Gift ideas include: lap blankets, socks for both men and women, slippers all sizes, (boots and loafer type), men's cologne, men's hats (baseball caps), women's perfume, women and men's sweat suit M-XXL, men's and women's sweaters M-3X, women's house dresses L-3X, men's sleep pants M-2X, body lotion and women's jewelry.

The staff asks that the gifts not be wrapped, but they can be placed in either a handled brown paper grocery bag or a reusable cloth bag. The deadline to drop off gifts is Dec. 21.

The Ponderosa Pines staff is also asking for volunteer entertainment for the residents' holiday party on Dec. 23 at 2 p.m. Call 779-6931 if you have any questions. Ponderosa Pines is located at 800 W. University Ave.

Send Around the Town news to Abbie Gripman at agripman@azdailysun.com, or call her at 556-2241.