Three recent announcements have not received the media attention they deserve. I aim to change that.

First, is the appointment of a new provost and vice president of academic affairs at Western Connecticut State University.

Dr. Jane McBride Gates will assume that job on July 18. She will be responsible for all academic programs, second only to the president in overall authority. She represents the third generation in her family to graduate from college, following her mother and her grandmother.

McBride Gates has been dean of the School of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Savannah State University in Georgia since 2002. Nearly 4,000 students attend Savannah State, part of the University System of Georgia.

“I believe that Jane McBride Gates possesses academic experience, personal values and leadership style that fit perfectly with our university’s mission, culture and priorities,” said WCSU President James W. Schmotter. “I look forward with great enthusiasm to working with her to advance Western.”

McBride Gates said she can't wait to join the WCSU community in July.

“I am excited about the prospect of joining and working closely with talented administrators, faculty, staff and students at Western Connecticut State University,” McBride Gates said. “I look forward to working within the academy and most especially within the Danbury community and beyond to ensure that this great institution continues to be a dynamic public university of choice for programs of excellence in the liberal arts and professions.”

In 2006-07, McBride Gates served as interim vice president for Academic Affairs at Savannah State, Georgia’s oldest Historically Black University. Before relocating to Georgia, she was a tenured faculty member, chair of the political science department, and interim associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Arkansas State University.

McBride Gates earned her bachelor’s from Arkansas State; a Master of Public Administration from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; and a Ph.D. in political science from Southern Illinois University, with major degree areas in public policy, organizational behavior and Chinese politics. She has also pursued advanced management training at Harvard.

She takes over from Dr. Linda Rinker, who left the university after five years to join Davenport University in Michigan for a similar position.

Another story:

Housatonic Habitat for Humanity has opened a store in Danbury that offers new and gently used building supplies, fixtures, appliances and furniture — all at discounts of 50 percent or more off of retail prices.

The 12,000-square-foot ReStore is located at 51 Austin St. Entrance is on Shalvoy’s Lane off White Street. Store hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday. The store phone number is (203) 205-0952.

“This is a fantastic resource,” said store manager Paul Tocco. “Volunteers, staff and community retailers really pulled together to make this happen and the result is a big, beautiful store full of great finds.”

The ReStore opened with a selection of brand-new cabinets, yards of tile, large and small appliances, windows and doors of all dimensions, flagstone, lighting fixtures, bath fixtures, hardware, gently used furniture and more.

New donations are always needed at ReStore. A donation is tax-deductible and offers an environmentally and socially responsible way to make use of good, reusable materials while providing much-needed funding for the Housatonic Habitat for Humanity. Contractors, manufacturers, retailers and homeowners can call the store or email to restore@housatonichabitat.org to donate new or slightly used home improvement supplies and furniture.

Finally:

You can participate in the John Marsicano Memorial Candlewood Lake Clean Up by showing up at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the town park in any one of the five municipalities that border the lake.

Volunteers scour the shore and water to collect garbage left behind by boaters or items that have blown into the water.

The clean-up concludes with a free cookout at the New Fairfield Town Park, with transportation afterward back to the park at which you began.

The lake authority lists these five reasons to join the clean-up:

5) You get to kick off the summer season a week early.

4) Make new friends without having to log on to Facebook.

3) You never know what treasures you’ll find out there.

2) You get a really cool 2011 Clean Up T-shirt.

1) Awesome cookout for all volunteers.

Register online at www.candlewoodlakeauthority.org. In addition to folks willing to collect trash, the authority needs people with boats to transport volunteers.