Photography kicks off month of fun at cafe

The Cafe Du Luxe coffee and wine shop will open its January entertainment slate by featuring the photography art of Nathaniel Chadwick beginning Saturday.

A “meet the artist night” with Chadwick is planned for Jan. 24. To preview Chadwick’s work, visit www.nchadwick.com.

Cafe Du Luxe will celebrate “Back to the ’50s Weekend” Jan. 9 and 10. A Chevrolet car and truck show will be held on Jan. 9. The Cafe Du Luxe staff will be decked out in poodle skirts and ducktail haircuts, and the cafe’s menu will include root beer floats, hot dogs and chili dogs. Music from the ’50s will be featured all weekend, and a classic horror movie will be shown — drive-in theater-style — on the north side of the building.

Cafe Du Luxe will feature live performances by the Bill Metzger Jazz Duo from 8 to 10 p.m. every Saturday in January. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/billmetzgerguitar.

Cafe Du Luxe is located at 3101 Unicorn Lake Blvd. in Denton. For more information, call 940-382-7070.

State program offers help with energy bills

Denton County residents who meet federal guidelines can apply for help with their energy bills through the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs’ Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program.

The program is offered through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help residents living at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty line, or $44,100 for a family of four, said Michael De Young, director of community affairs for TDHCA. The program provides funds to assist with paying electric, natural gas or propane bills, De Young said.

“Residents will be asked some questions and will need to document their income to be eligible for the program,” De Young said. “Those individuals that are income-eligible will be prioritized, with the elderly or disabled residents or households with young children given first priority.”

The community action agency responsible for Denton County and nine other North Texas counties, Community Services Inc. of Corsicana, will analyze and distribute the funding, he said. Community Services will distribute about $4.1 million.

For more information, contact Community Services at 903-872-2401.

— Candace Carlisle

Guyer cheerleaders set for Sugar Bowl tonight

Members of the Guyer High School cheerleading squad will be among more than 300 dancers and cheerleaders performing during halftime of tonight’s Sugar Bowl game in New Orleans.

Guyer’s squad, recommended for its versatility, was invited last April to attend today’s event, cheer coach Ashley Helms said. For more than seven months, cheerleaders have hosted numerous fundraisers in an effort to pay for the trip.

Twenty-two girls are expected to represent Guyer during the halftime show. Helms said their routine incorporates hip-hop with traditional dance and cheer formations. The performance was choreographed by David Scott, an instructor who has worked on the Fox show So You Think You Can Dance and the movie Stomp the Yard, Helms said.

“It’s been a very exciting opportunity for them to work with a distinguished choreographer and many girls from all over the nation in a nationwide venue,” Helms said by phone from New Orleans on Thursday. “They’re working really hard. They look really good.”

The Sugar Bowl football matchup between the University of Cincinnati and the University of Florida will air at 7:30 p.m. on KDFW-TV (Channel 4).

— Britney Tabor

United Way extends campaign deadline

The United Way of Denton County is extending the deadline for its 2009 fundraising campaign again, as donations continue to fall short of a $2.45 million goal.

The most recent deadline was Dec. 31, but the organization will accept donations through Jan. 15 in hopes of covering a shortfall of $110,700, officials said Wednesday.

Donations help fund United Way and its 26 partner agencies, which provide community services including food, clothing, child and senior care, health care, rent and utility assistance, and crisis counseling.

Officials say a shortfall would force nonprofit groups to cut services.

For more information, call 940-566-5851 or visit www.unitedwaydenton.org.

— Lowell Brown

Crime information application available

The Denton Police Department is partnering with CrimeReports.com on a smart phone application to make neighborhood crime data available to residents.

The information in the application will provide easy access to crime data, Chief Roy Minter said in a written statement.

The application features crime data for more than 600 law enforcement agencies in the U.S., as well as registered sex offender data.

At this time, the application is limited to the Apple iPhone. For more information, visit www.crimereports.com/iphone.

— Candace Carlisle