CELEBRATING DOGS AND SPRING AT BOGARDUS
Bogardus Plaza will start up its lunchtime music series next Thursday, May 5, and also host a Spring Block Party on Sunday, May 15 at 11a. And later that day there will be a dog show with seven different competition classes and prizes for each, like free in-home grooming, a one-of-a-kind charcoal pet portrait, dog walking sessions or pro dog training. Enter your dog here. All $10 entry donations go toward helping maintain the Plaza. See details on events here.

SHRED AND RECYCLE
The Downtown Alliance is holding a shred-a-thon and electronics recycling event on Saturday, April 30, from 10a to 2p on Fulton Street between Ryders Alley and Cliff. A parked shredding truck will take up to three bags or boxes per person (staples and paperclips are okay). And you can bring: computers, monitors, phones, routers, keyboards, mice, cords, cables, hard drives, printers under 50 pounds, TVs, DVRs etc, video game consoles. Do NOT bring microwaves, air conditioners or smoke detectors. More info.

ART HISTORY FOR THE PRE-K SET
As the daughter of an elementary art teacher, these awesome Basquiat-inspired self-portraits caught my eye in one of the windows of the Portfolio School on Hudson.

CROCHETED 9/11 TRIBUTE
E. caught this crocheted flag at the basketball court at Washington Market Park. Love it.