White House honors youth groups
The Teen Media Program in Cambridge and the Youth-Art-in-Action program at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts are among those first lady Laura Bush will present with Coming Up Taller Awards and $10,000 today in Washington. The programs were selected because they ''utilized arts and humanities experiences to help vulnerable young people chart a course toward meaningful and productive lives," according to a press release. The Youth-Art-in-Action program is set up to give young people from Boston's immigrant and refugee communities a greater understanding of their heritage through public art. Since its creation in 1970, the Teen Media Program has given media arts training to more than 1,000 youths from Cambridge public housing. . . . And Tony Award-winner Chita Rivera, who recently returned to Broadway with ''Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life," will be honored at the 2006 Pell Awards for Excellence in the Arts planned for May 22 in Providence. The awards are given annually by the Trinity Repertory Company in honor of Senator Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island.
Their Mantra: Change will be good
Mantra started off strong in 2001, with a hot vibe. But after award-winning chef Thomas John left in 2004 to join Au Bon Pain and competitors popped up in the restaurant/nightclub world of Boston, Mantra slipped. Instead of the long lines out the door most nights, customers recently reported an eerily empty dining room. Now owners Amrik Pabla and Hemant Chowdhry are plotting a comeback with a ''complete revamp," said Chowdhry. They've hired a new chef from India, Anupam Joglekar, formerly of the InterContinental the Grand New Delhi. He'll create new menus, Chowdhry said; the wine list, management, and the color schemes will also be changed. The emphasis had gone to the club scene, he said, but now ''we're bringing the focus back to the restaurant." Chowdhry and Pabla hope to have a new, improved Mantra up and running by early next month.A good cause for ‘Stiffs’
FSN New England on-air personality Gary Tanguay came up with the idea of pairing the sports network with the indie film ''Stiffs" to raise money for the Salvation Army's Good Neighbor Energy Fund. In return, Tanguay's getting a role as a TV reporter in the film. Frank and Joe Ciota, the North Shore filmmaking brothers, are also offering a role as an extra through an online auction at www.magoodneighbor.org. The money will benefit those who need assistance paying their heating bills. And with ''Stiffs" being the first local production of the year, a number of locals have been stopping by the set. Cambridge city councilor Anthony Galluccio was recently invited to a filming in Everett by the city's mayor, John F. Hanlon. As luck would have it, Galluccio was introduced to actor Louis Vanaria, who just happened to be in Galluccio's favorite movie, ''A Bronx Tale."Ford hits the road for 'Firewall'
Actor Harrison Ford was in town yesterday promoting his latest big-screen effort, ''Firewall," which opens Feb. 10. . . . Gladys Knight will perform a private concert as part of the 20th anniversary black tie gala for the Roxbury Comprehensive Community Health Center next month. . . .Boston College professor Franco Mormando was recently given the honorary title of knight for his ''achievements in the promotion of Italian language and culture" by Pierluigi Squillante, the consul general of Italy in Boston. . . . Winston Flowers' Marc Hall created a winter wonderland for Vera Wang's sold-out inaugural bridal event Sunday at the Ritz-Carlton, covering the ballroom in white and filling it with large bouquets of orchids, peonies, and roses. . . . Think your planned home renovation project would be good enough for a season on ''This Old House"? The long-running PBS series is looking for a Boston area project to film. For rules and criteria for entry, go to www.thisoldhouse.com. . . . New England Revolution player Jay Heaps and teammates Marshall Leonard and Michael Parkhurst were at the Vacation Expo at the World Trade Center over the weekend. . . . ''Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars," a documentary by Renee Sotile and Mary Jo Godges, is slated to be screened Tuesday night at Framingham State College, McAuliffe's alma mater. Saturday is the 20th anniversary of the Challenger explosion.
Alison Arnett of the Globe staff contributed. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253. 
