SPRING-FORD YOUTH COMMUNITY THEATER TO PRESENT THE LARAMIE PROJECT

High School Students Tackle Controversial Play

Spring-Ford Youth Community Theater to Present The Laramie Project

ROYERSFORD, PA  – Spring-Ford Youth Community Theater is proud to present The Laramie Project by Moisés Kaufman and the members of Tectonic Theater Project at the Spring-Ford 8^th Grade Center located at 700 Washington Street, Royersford, PA 19468. Performances run Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, May 3^rd through the 12^th.  Curtain is a 7:30 p.m.

The cast is made up of high school students in grades 10 through 12.  Spring-Ford Youth Community Theater President, Bonnie Fetteroff, directs.  Laramie is the capstone production for the group’s 2011-2012 season, its 14^th.

The extensive research that would ultimately become The Laramie Project began in November 1998, one month after Matthew Shepard, a young, openly gay man, was abducted, brutally beaten, tied to a fence and left to die on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming.  Over the course of eighteen months, the writers traveled to Laramie six times and conducted over 200 interviews with its residents to document the community’s views on homosexuality, their reaction to the crime itself as well as to the fact that the perpetrators were two local youth.

The New York Times hailed The Laramie Project as an “. . . enormously good-willed, very earnest and often deeply moving work of theatrical journalism . . .” and Curtain Up called it “. . . a play of forceful but never showy dramatic impact, its seriousness leavened with laughter”.

The Laramie Project asks the audience to call into question the beliefs and values that form the very foundation of modern society: faith, trust, tolerance, forgiveness, community, and the desire for truth.

Please Note: Due to adult themes and language, this production is only suitable for mature audiences.

 Tickets for The Laramie Project are available at the door at a price of $10, advanced tickets are available for $6 from any cast member or by emailing tickets@sfyct.org.

Manheim Township School Board Will Raise Taxes

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In a near-unanimous vote, Manheim Township school board agreed to use the district’s full taxing power next year and raise property taxes by as much as 4.1 percent.

The decision followed a lengthy discussion focusing on the rising cost of pensions, special-education services and other mandated programs and the extensive cuts in educational programs and staffing the district has made to try to balance next year’s budget.

The cuts have helped narrow a projected $4.7 million revenue gap, but board members said any additional reductions would cause too much harm to students.

Township teachers last week agreed to a two-year salary freeze that is expected to save the district $2 million next year, and 25 teachers have accepted an early retirement incentive that could save another $1.8 million.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/630554_Manheim-Township-will-raise-taxes.html#ixzz1sbPwvfyd

PPL Will Rebuild Turbine Plant, Creating Electricity To Sell To Allentown

The PPL Building (seen here in the distance) is the tallest building in Allentown, Pennsylvania. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Allentown will transfer an aging turbine plant on the Little Lehigh Creek to PPL so the power company can rebuild and modernize the facility, creating electricity to sell back to the city.

City Council unanimously approved the 25-year agreement at a meeting Wednesday night, with members saying the city would save on electric costs in the partnership.

Allentown has to provide the byproduct gas from the nearby wastewater plant and buy the electricity generated at the new plant. The city won’t spend anything on capital costs or maintenance.

The deal will help the city avoid the cost of dismantling or operating the 8-year-old plant that has come to the end of its usefulness, said Rich Young, the public works director, at a meeting last week.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/allentown/mc-allentown-ppl-biogas-electric-facility-20120418,0,3278821.story

Catasauqua Baker Competes In Food Networks ‘Cupcake Wars’ 8pm Sunday

Logo for Food Network (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A shaky video shot by an 11-year-old apparently was the ticket that got the owner of Blondies cupcake bakery in Catasauqua, PA on Sunday’s episode of “Cupcake Wars.”

In the video, Rebecca Zukowski of Blondies admitted to being “tacky, flashy and loud.”

Zukowski will compete against three other bakers in a new episode of the Food Network series at 8 p.m. Sunday.

The bakers face three elimination challenges until only one remains. The winner gets $10,000 and a chance to showcase cupcakes at a party for the Los Angeles Derby Dolls, a roller derby team.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/tv/mc-cupcake-wars-blondies-20120420,0,3616109.story

Losses At Reading Civic Centers Likely To Hit $700,000

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Berks County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Echoing their projections of two months ago, members of the Berks County Convention Center Authority said Thursday that the two venues likely will show an operating loss of $700,000 by the end of the season June 30.

They also voted to let the Jehovah’s Witnesses pay the rent for their upcoming summer conventions by replacing, for $29,000, an outdated processer in what the board acknowledged is the arena’s terrible sound system.

Board members said they are making plans to head off losses the next season.

“We can’t and won’t have a replication of that in the next year,” said Carl E. Herbein, board treasurer.

Read more:

Colton Dixon Goes Home On American Idol

Another shocking elimination tonight as Colton Dixon, who many thought had a good chance of winning, was sent home.  As you may recall the judges used their save on Jessica Sanchez last week so there was nothing they could do to save Colton.

Vote for the Worst is encouraging people to vote for Phillip Phillips, who they really dislike for some reason.  Last week they claimed victory in messing with the results.  Apparently they want a white guy who plays the guitar to win??  Not sure what that’s all about but I don’t think I want to understand their logic.

Losing isn’t always a bad thing on American Idol.  Look at Chris Daughtry.  This gives Colton a jumpstart on his music career instead of wasting a year doing what AI wants him to do and waiting too long to release his first album.  Hopefully he will strike while the iron is hot and take advantage of his time on national television!

Good Luck, Colton!