College foundation to honor community leaders

The College of Southern Nevada School Foundation will honor seven community leaders at its Legacy of Achievement Gala on April 26.

The honorees include: Paula Francis, news anchor at KLAS-TV, Channel 8; Julie Foley Murray, chief executive officer of Three Square; the Nevada Cancer Institute; Donald "Pat" Shalmy, former president of Nevada Power Co.; James McMillan (posthumous) and Marie McMillan, an aviation instructor and international flight speed record holder; and CSN professor Larry Tomlinson (posthumous).

Gary Waddell will emcee the event scheduled for Caesars Palace. All funds raised will go toward CSN scholarships and educational programs. Individual tickets are $300 and sponsorships are available. For more information, call 651-5947.

In other news:

* Local Las Vegas residents will be honored at "Hands Across the Arts," a benefit for the College of Southern Nevada performing arts students, on Thursday. Jack Kashani and Shawn Samson, owners of the World Market Center, will receive the Visionary Award; Regent Thalia Dondero will receive the Lifetime Community Service Award; and Walter Mason will receive the Lifetime Performing Arts Award. The benefit will feature a VIP cocktail reception at 6 p.m. and a performance of the play "Fences," produced and directed by Walter Mason, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $100. For more information, call 651-5483.

* Cox Communications and the education foundation Cable in the Classroom have named Donna Thompson-Harris a finalist for the Cable's Leaders in Learning Awards. The teacher at Biltmore Continuation High School is one of 44 teachers, administrators and community leaders selected nationwide as finalists for the awards program.

Thompson-Harris is a finalist in the Pushing the Envelope with Cable Technology and Programming category for developing the Vizions Entrepreneurship Education and Leadership Program. The program, founded by Thompson-Harris and her husband, Anthony Harris, uses voice over Internet protocol videophone technology in the classroom.

The award winners will be honored June 18 in Washington, D.C.

If you know of a worthy candidate for this column, mail information to Newsmakers, Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125-0070, or send faxes to 383-4676.