SMAMS presents ?Around the World and Around the Way? on Wednesday May 3, 2006, 7:00 PM, at Florian Hall, 55 Hallet Street, Dorchester. A $30 ticket includes dinner and four of the area's funniest comics! Tickets can be purchased online at www.smams.org or by phone at 617-825- 3846. Tables of 10 and sponsorships are also available

Doors open at 7:00, dinner is served at 7:30, and the laughs begin at 8:00. Featured Comics:

Dorchester?s own Deb Farrar-Parkman, one of the founders of the ColorStruck Comedy Festival, has been lauded by The Boston Globe as "one of the most consistently inventive performers" to emerge on the Boston comedy scene. The Emmy-Award winning producer and writer performs coast to coast and is a regular host of the Sunday night Women in Comedy series at Jimmy Tingle's OFF BROADWAY Theater.

Self-titled ?All-American immigrant? Joe Wong has spent every minute of his spare time reading novels, magazines, newspapers, and humor books to improve his understanding of America. His jokes range from ethnic, personal, political, and observational to the bizarre. His short film, "Joe Wong for President" won Best Short Film in the 2003 Cambridge Fringe Fest, and Joe was a finalist in the 2003 Boston Comedy Festival.

Dorchester comic Mike Baker tells comic tales of growing up Irish and Catholic in Boston. He has opened for such national stars as Dane Cook, Louis CK, Damon Wayans, Lenny Clarke and Colin Quinn.

Andrea Henry, from Boston, is a regular at The Comedy Studio in Cambridge and can be seen performing at clubs and colleges all over New England. Andrea performed in the 2005 Rhode Island Comedy Fest and was a finalist in the Providence Sierra Mist Comedy Search. Andrea has had several of her jokes published in the book "Love's Funny that Way," by Judy Brown.

SMAMS will team up with the City of Boston for the annual "Boston Shines" cleanup campaign on Friday- Saturday April 28 and 29.

Friday marks SMAMS' first participation in the corporate cleanup. Our "Operation Clean Sweep" volunteers will deliver brooms to many neighborhood businesses, along with information on the business benefits of keeping a clean storefront area.

On Saturday we will focus on actual cleanup, focusing on Peabody Square and the area around St. Mark's Church.

Volunteers are needed for both events! The Friday sessions are 9:00 - 11:00 AM and 1:00 - 3:00 PM, meeting place TBA. The Saturday session runs from 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM, but we will probably finish before noon. Cleaning supplies will be provided by the City. The pick-up location is currently St. Mark's Church, but we hope to add a second location for the Peabody Square cleaners.

To volunteer, or for more information, please call Dan Larner in the SMAMS office at 617-825-3846.

After a week-long exhibition at the Codman Square Library, including a community reception on April 3, the selection committee has decided on three final proposals in the Dorchester Arts Collaborative/SMAMS Peabody Square Public Arts project.

The proposals are: "Colonel Peabody on his horse" (artist Paul Simon), "Convergence" (Bart Uchida and Maya Drozdz) and a sculptural rendering of the moon (Joe Wheelwright).

The committee will be interviewing the finalists in early May, and the eagerly awaited award announcement will follow soon after.

After five years and two months of incredible community organizing, Ashmont Station is beginning its "extreme makeover." The bus bays are coming down as this is written, and the rest of the building will follow soon. Two years from now a completely new Ashmont Station will be fully operational. For views of the planned station, click here.

The MBTA expects little disruption of Red Line service except for the Mattapan Trolley, which will be replaced by shuttle buses for one year beginning this summer while the line is rebuilt.

Many thanks to the residents, merchants, elected officials and MBTA officials and staff who worked so hard to make this project a stunning success.

Mayor Menino will be holding his eighth annual "neighborhood coffee hours" in April and May. The Dorchester hour will take place Friday, May 12, 9:30 - 10:30 AM, at the Martin Playground, at the corner of Hilltop Street and Myrtlebank Ave.

Times and dates are subject to change. To confirm, or for more information, please call 617-635-4505.

Please support Connection's sponsors:real estate broker John Nguyen and House Call Cat Grooming Service.

John Nguyen is a sales agent with Olde Towne Real Estate Company, 862 Dorchester Avenue. You can reach John at 617-979-1119, 617-861-7249 or jnguyen@oldetownere.com

House Call will groom your cat (or small dog) in your home, where they feel safest. The service offers waterless and full baths, pedicures, soft paws, brush and comb-outs, de-matting, shave downs and lion cuts. For information or to make an appointment call Cynthia Goodridge at 617-265-1800.