Everyone in the community is invited to enjoy an evening of traditional Irish music and folklore at 7 p.m. on Thursday in the McLane Commons at the Kenai River Campus. Renowned musicians John Walsh (tenor banjo), Mikey Beglan (rhythmic button accordion) and Nancy Conescu (guitarist and vocalist) will perform the free concert.

The event is being sponsored by the KRC Learning Center, in conjunction with the Multicultural Consortium, the UAA Diversity Action Council and the KPC Showcase series.

OSHKOSH, Wis. (AP) — As one of the 10 female welding students in a program with 124 males, Amber Kraemer can tell you a thing or two about perseverance.

She initially pursued a degree from Fox Valley Technical College in the field, which increasingly relies on robotics, programming and mathematics, because of its positive career prospects and what she sees as an appealing marriage of science and art.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education meets at 7 p.m. in Assembly Chambers in the borough building, at 148 N. Binkley Street in Soldotna (unless otherwise noted).

For more information, call 714-8888 or visit http://www. kpbsd.k12.ak.us/school_board.aspx?id=13414. The agenda and packet items are posted on Wednesday afternoon prior to the date of the Board meeting.

I was looking at an article this week where the author was making suggestions for holiday gifts that would fit any budget. As I read, I started thinking. Oven mitts that double as colorful dinosaur puppets would be a great gift for Mom. Would my grandma want the snow globe salt and pepper shakers? Which of my Jewish friends would want a dreidel muffin tin for only ten dollars? I bet my uncle would like the Death Star shaped Planetarium. Bacon flavored candy canes would be appreciated by my little brother who loves bacon enough to eat it as candy.