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Former Fairbanks resident Travis Leighton makes his appearance Friday on “Are You Smarter than a Fifth-Grader?”

The show in which he answers that question will be broadcast on Channel 7 at 5 p.m.

Leighton, who was born and raised in Fairbanks, lives in San Diego and is a reserve player for the Bakersfield Condors, a minor league hockey team for the Anaheim Ducks.

He attended Nordale, Tanana, Lathrop and UAF. Now in his late 20s, he was a UAF firefighter for three years and has played hockey since grade school.

Leighton was known as “TJ the DJ” during his early years, when he appeared with Glenner and Jerry on the radio.

Some readers might have seen him earlier this year in some commercials for the cable show “Sports Soup.”

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TUNING UP: The volunteers who make up the Fairbanks Community Band invite anyone who enjoys good tunes to their fall concert Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Pioneer Park civic center.

Connie Oba will sing “Someone to Watch Over Me” with the band, while the other selections on the program range from Aaron Copland to highlights from “The Lion King.”

Band director Wendy Ward leads about 50 musicians who practice every Thursday for their concerts.

Admission to the Saturday program is free, but donations are always welcome. Whatever they receive helps pay for new music and percussion equipment.

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ANNUAL MEETING: The Georgeson Botanical Garden Society hosts its annual meeting today from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Noel Wien Library. There will be door prizes, a slide show and ice cream with homemade berry toppings, in addition to a short business meeting. Call 479-5265 for more details.

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GAS STORAGE: Enstar is looking at turning an empty natural gas field under Cook Inlet into a storage area for 19 billion cubic feet of natural gas.

The Anchorage gas utility has hired a subsidiary of TransCanada to work on this.

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CHECKUP: If you suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure or have a family history of kidney disease, you might want to drop by the old University Park School on University Avenue Saturday for a free screening.

The event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. is sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation and is aimed at giving people the information they need to prevent or postpone kidney disease.

Appointments are suggested as there is limited space for walk-ins. Call (877) 889-6318 for an appointment or e-mail Kristie.lemmon@kidney.org.

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SKI SWAP: As we slide inexorably toward winter, many skiers are thinking of snow.

That’s why the West Valley High School Ski Swap is on the “must do” list for many parents and students this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the school.

Tim Viavant, volunteer coordinator of the ski swap, said this is a great way to make money from gear you no longer need or to get a good deal on some new and used equipment.

The West Valley Cross-Country Ski Team, coached by Greg Whisenhant, receives 20 percent of the proceeds.

If you need to have skis waxed, that service will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for $10 per pair.

If you have skis that you would like to sell at the swap, drop them off Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. or from

8 to 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

“You can clear out skis and other outdoor gear from your garage, buy good used gear, and support high school ski racers all at the same time,” said Viavant.

For more information, call him at 460-4533, or

e-mail tim.viavant@gmail.com.

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GOING DOWNHILL: If downhill skiing, snowboarding or telemark skiing is more your style, the Fairbanks Alpine Ski Club is getting ready for a busy season.

The fall membership meeting is Thursday at

6 p.m. in the civic center in Pioneer Park. The club provides young people, ages 6-19, with a wide variety of opportunities.

The meeting this week is a chance to meet the coaches, fill out membership forms and discuss the winter schedule. The head coach and program director is Reini Neuhauser, a former member of the Austrian National University Ski Team and the UAA Ski Team.

The club is also offering general memberships for adults. For more details on the program, go to www.fairbanksalpine.org.