HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY !

Local face

Music producer Randy Jackson, best known for his judging gig on "American Idol," has created a new MTV show called "America's Best Dance Crew" and one of the young dancers that competed was Tony Zane, 20, from Lansing, Ill. Zane, 20, first began dancing when he was just 16 years old and now works as a delivery rep for UPS. His team was eliminated last Thursday, coming in fourth place in the competition.

The show, which is hosted by Mario Lopez and premiered Feb. 7, pits several dance teams against one another as they display their talents for music and choreography. It airs weekly at 9 p.m. Thursdays on MTV.

FYI: Show Web site.

Irish luck

Want to send a talking Irish gnome to your pals on St. Paddy's Day with a personal message? Verizon Wireless' animated text messaging lets customers send talking characters with seasonal messages to other Verizon phones or to any person's general computer e-mail. Pick a pre-selected message in an Irish brogue or make up your own ditty about shamrocks, green beer or the pot of gold at the end of your own special rainbow. Seven seasonal characters will deliver your best wishes for a pint or cheers on the annual feast day recognized as a public holiday in 1903. For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com and select "Messaging" and then "Animated Messaging." Messages can be sent to any Verizon Wireless phone or to any e-mail address.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at ppotempa@nwitimes.com or 219.852.4327.

celebBirthdays

TV Producer Burt Metcalfe ("M*A*S*H") is 73. Guitarist Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship is 67. Singer-songwriter Jim Weatherly is 65. Singer-songwriter John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful is 64. Percussionist Harold Brown of War is 62. Actor Patrick Duffy is 59. Actor Kurt Russell is 57. Country singer Susie Allanson is 56. Actress Lesley-Anne Down is 54. Country singer Paul Overstreet and actor Gary Sinise are 53. Actor Arye Gross ("Ellen") and actress Vicki Lewis ("NewsRadio") are 48. Actor Rob Lowe is 44. Singer Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins and bassist Van Conner of Screaming Trees are 41. Actor Mathew St. Patrick ("Six Feet Under") is 40. Actor Yanic Truesdale ("Gilmore Girls") is 39. Bassist Melissa Auf der Maur (Smashing Pumpkins, Hole) and retired soccer star Mia Hamm are 36. Drummer Caroline Corr

of The Corrs is 35. Actress Marisa Coughlan ("Freddy Got Fingered," "Teaching Mrs. Tingle") is 34. Rapper Swifty of D12 is 33.