An end to the dog days already?

The Little Rhody Pit Bull Club is hosting an “End of Dog Days of Summer Shopping Event and Luau” on Aug. 23 and is looking for vendors to buy space for a table. The fee is $25 plus an equal value donation for the raffle. Bring your own table and umbrella. Event will be held at River Point Park near the West Warwick Animal Shelter. There is no rain date, but if it rains money will be refunded. All proceeds will benefit the non-profit Little Rhodie Bully Breed Club and help homeless dogs find homes.

Pet Rescue groups will be offered space for only $15. Mary Kay, Avon, Lia Sophia & Silpada, Usborne Books & More, Pet Pictures by Tara Valetta of Sophie’s Dog House. There will be a lesson in pet CPR. Pet vendors, children’s dog reading programs and a dog bite safety program will also be presented. Vendors set up at 12 p.m. and break down by 5 p.m. but are welcome to stay for the luau. The luau will run from 5-8 p.m. and will have a disc jockey, a doggie conga, doggie limbo, parade, pinata and other fun games for the family to enjoy.

The luau is $5. All dogs must be on a leash and up-to-date on shots. All children must be with an adult.

For more information, contact Susan Parker at MyPetTherapyDogs@yahoo.com or call 823-8851.

Prevent abuse with poetry Prevent Child Abuse Rhode Island is looking for four to eight lined poems that reflect its work or mission but all submissions are due tomorrow. The best poem will be used as part of its application for a Philanthropic Fund Heart and Soul Grant. If they get the grant, it will mean $10,000 cash and a professionally produced song using the poem by the Grammy-winning Los Lonely Boys. The intent is to better publicize our mission and important work in the community.

The mission of Prevent Child Abuse Rhode Island is to ensure the safety and well being of children in Rhode Island through awareness, education and advocacy. The poem becomes the property of Prevent Child Abuse Rhode Island. Poets under age 18 must have permission from a parent or guardian. Only one entry per person is allowed.

Warwick resident appointed RIDE finance director Education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist has appointed Warwick resident Marliot C. Uzctegui as Director of the Office of Finance and Accounting at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Uzctegui comes to RIDE with 17 years experience in financial management in human services and public health. For the past five years she worked as the Chief of Operations at the Health Department’s Division of Community, Family Health, and Equity. She managed a budget of more than $78 million, a portfolio of more than 130 contracts and human resource functions for more than 200 employees. She also will oversee most of the federal grants that RIDE administers, including IDEA, Title I, Perkins Adult Education, and ARRA.

“I’m very pleased to welcome Marliot Uzctegui to RIDE,” said Gist. “With her management and administrative experience, she will certainly build our capacity, especially as we prepare to allocate and manage a new round of federal stimulus funds.”

Uzctegui replaces Carolyn Dias, who has been appointed Chief of Operations at RIDE.

Shatner coming to town for humanitarian award The Rhode Island International Film Festival will honor William Shatner for his artistic and philanthropic work with its first Nathanael Greene Humanitarian Award at this years Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) Aug.6.

Shatner is a native of Montreal, Quebec, Canada and spent many years in TV and theater before his film debut in 1958 in The Brothers Karamazov. He kept busy with numerous film and TV roles and in 1966 boarded the Starship Enterprise for a three-year stint on the iconic TV series “Star Trek.” More recently, he played the title role in “T.J. Hooker” and starred as an attorney on “Boston Legal,” for which he won three Emmys and a Golden Globe Award.

The awards presentation will take place at the Columbus Theater Arts Center at 6:45 p.m. just prior to the screening of David Bettencourt and G. Wayne Miller's

On the Lake: Life and Love in a Distant Place.

The event is hosted by RIIFF, the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities (RICH) and Rhode Island College. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at www.film-festival.org/WilliamShatner.php.

Shatner will take part in a conversation with the audience and discuss his craft, share insights about his life and career, and the new documentary film William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet directed by Kevin Layne, which he will introduce at the event. Tickets are $15, also online.

“He is such a part of everyone’s life with his amazingly vibrant acting career, and his generosity and compassion to those in need is inspirational,” said RIIFF director George Marshall.

Yes, the Nathanael Greene of the Humanitarian Award is the Revolutionary War hero.

For more information, write RIIFF, PO Box 162, Newport, RI 02840 or call 861-4445. Address e-mail to info@film-festival.org at www.RIFilmFest.org.