The annual Martin Luther King Celebration will be held Sunday, Jan. 29, at Syracuse University’s Carrier Dome. Dinner precedes the program at 4:30 p.m., with doors opening at 4 p.m.; the program starts at 5:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Visit the Schine Box Office for tickets. Cost is $30 for individual tickets for the dinner. Blocks of 10 tickets are $300. All tickets are for general seating. Best-selling author, actor, U.S. Army veteran and motivational speaker J.R. Martinez will provide the keynote address. The evening will also include presentation of the 2017 Unsung Hero Awards, music by a community choir and entertainment by student performers. To learn more, call
Hendricks Chapel at (315) 443-5044.

Stop Motion Animation For Beginners will be offered at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30, at Beauchamp Branch Library. Using foam core for a backdrop, objects to move around frame-by-frame, and an iPad Mini 4 on a tripod to photograph each movement, children can create stop motion animated movies. This STEAM program allows children to use their imaginations to
write stories, “act” them out using objects such as toy animals or LEGOS, and complete a short, finished animated movie in two hours or less. Open to ages 7 and up.

Join the Central Library for its monthly photography club. Projects are shaped by teens' interests. Weather permitting, the photography challenges will take participants outside in the downtown area. All equipment provided. Open to ages 12-18. Register online at here or call (315) 435-1900.

The Citizen Review Board will hold a public board meeting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Common Council Chambers at City Hall. The board meeting will recess at 6:30 p.m. for public comment.

Scrabble Mania, the annual fundraiser for LiteracyCNY, will begin at 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, at the OnCenter, 800 S. State St. Teams will compete against one another to build the highest scoring board in three 20-minute rounds. Highest team score will win prizes. Individual tickets are $65. Table registration is $650, with a special rate of $500 to qualifying nonprofit agencies. All participants must register by Jan. 13. For a table or more than six tickets, call (315) 471-1300 ext. 172 or email info@LiteracyCNY.org. For individual tickets, visit literacycny.org and click on the Scrabble Mania logo.

Hear the tales told in the Story Quilts made by fiber artist and storyteller Vanessa Johnson. Travel with her on the Underground Railroad. Hear the stories of the cloth made for African Kings. Listen to the legend of Onondaga Creek. Help a turtle win a tug of war with a lion. Come help tell these stories and pass around touchable quilts in this interactive event for all ages. Free and open to the public. To learn more, call (315) 435-3395.

Hazard Branch Library will celebrate the life of Garrett Morgan – the man who invented the stop light and also read some great books, play a few games and make a special stop light-themed snack. For ages 2 – 5 with a guardian. Siblings welcome.

The community is invited to meet with SCSD Interim Superintendent Jaime Alicea. Learn more about the district and ask questions.

Tomorrow's Neighborhoods Today Area 3 Planning Council meets regularly on the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at the South Side Innovation Center. TNT meetings are subject to change as necessary. For more information, call TNT Coordinator Tina Zagyva at (315) 448-8178 or email TZagyva@SyrGov.net.

AARP Tax Preparers are available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays starting Feb. 7 by appointment only to help residents prepare a tax return for free. Clients must bring last year’s tax return, a valid picture ID, social security cards or official documentation for all listed on return, all W-2 and 1099 forms, and check book if direct deposit is wanted. Call 435-1940 to schedule an appointment.