The Leland and Gray Players present the production of Almost, Maine
The Leland and Gray Players present a production of Almost, Maine by John Carian on June 1-3 at the Dutton Gym in Townshend VT.
This production has nine short vignettes that allow the audience to see the heartbeat between human beings as they struggle through life in the search for love. Almost, Maine feels so utterly real, yet the situations are oddly surreal.
A woman’s heart is broken and shattered, literally as though it were slate from a roof. A man turns all his physical love from his heart into an engagement ring cradled in a red bag. Two women literally fall to the ground in love, their knees giving out, making it impossible to stand. A shoe falls from the sky, symbolizing a lost relationship.
These moments of surrealism highlight the power of love and make us as theatre participants shiver and sigh in delight and surprise. Almost, Maine encourages the audience to feel alive in their hearts. To feel so deeply in love means one is willing to break one’s own heart in the process. What happens in this process is surprising and tantalizing for everyone involved, both onstage and off.
Performances are:
- Friday June 1 at 7:30
- Sat June 2 at 3pm and 7:30 pm
- Sun June 3 at 3pm.
Tickets are available at the door; $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.
For more information, please email jrowan@lelandandgray.org
Mass Casualty Drill at Grace Cottage Hospital
These five participated in the mass casualty drill on May 16...
They did great and they had fun.
Definitely a learning experience for both the students and the hospital staff and Rescue personnel!
Three top 3 finishers on Saturday, May 12
Dakota Fillion 1st in 400m dash 53.58
Lucian Parker-Jennings 3rd in 300m hurdles 52.61
Dakota Fillion 3rd in 200m dash 24.63
Dear Parents,
Prom and graduation – two big milestones in our children’s lives, and also two big social events – will soon be upon us. We here at West River Valley Thrives would like to take this opportunity to encourage parents who are
planning to host parties to keep them free of drugs and alcohol. Thrives would also like to remind parents that social hosting is against the law. Note the Vermont Statute, below:
Vermont Statutes: 7 V.S.A. § 658. Sale or furnishing to minors; enabling consumption by minors; minors causing death or serious bodily injury. (https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/07/021/00658)
It is a crime in Vermont to sell, provide, or enable persons under the age of 21 to consume alcohol. This includes parents allowing their children to host parties where underage drinking occurs at their own home. While a parent
may think that this provides a safe alternative to unsupervised parties, the penalties in Vermont can be severe. If you are convicted of violating this statute, the law mandates a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $2,000,
imprisonment of not more than two years, or both. You may also be held criminally liable under the statute if a person under the age of 21, to whom you have provided alcohol, gets in a motor vehicle accident. If the motor vehicle accident results in death or serious bodily injury to himself or herself or to another person, you may be fined up to $10,000, imprisoned for up to five years, or both.
The above statutes encompass only the criminal penalties that you may face for providing alcohol to minors. Be aware, additional civil penalties by the victims of accidents resulting from providing alcohol to minors may also be brought.
Additional Links:
The Vermont Department of Health: http://www.healthvermont.gov/alcohol-drugs/by-substance
Youth Substance Abuse Safety Program (YSASP): http://vtcourtdiversion.org/youth-substance-abuse-safetyprogram/
Alcohol and other drugs, such as marijuana, over-the-counter, and prescription drugs, impair judgment, perception, and motor coordination skills. Youth often underestimate the impact that drugs, especially marijuana, have on driving. Marijuana impairs vision, distorts perception of time and space, inhibits reflexes, and may cause drowsiness. These effects are especially frightening when we take into account a teenager’s inexperience behind the wheel. The truth is, no matter how much support we offer our children, they still may face situations in which they are pressured to try substances. While students may complain about our concern and vigilance, studies show that the number one reason kids give for not drinking is that they don’t want to disappoint their parents. Children care deeply about their parents’ opinions — even if they don’t show it directly. In conclusion, if you have knowledge of illegal parties taking place or in planning, you may call the Windham County Sheriff’s Office at 802-365-4942. Thank you for helping keep our youth safe and healthy! Visit parentupvt.org for more info.
In Health and Wellness,
Steve Tavella / Director
West River Valley Thrives | Engaging and inspiring healthy communities.
Journey East 2018 Home Performances
TOWNSHEND-- After a long semester of hard work, Journey East: Leland and Gray’s Sino-American Academy and Arts Exchange Program started their series of performances, “Out of Our Element.” The series began at Newbrook Elementary on Friday, April 26. Since the 26, the group did a community performance on Saturday night at Leland and Gray, and then performed in front of the Leland and Gray school on Monday at an all school assembly. Their next performances include Grafton on May 10 at 8:30am, Jamaica on May 24 at 8:30am, and Wardsboro and Windham on May 25 at 1pm.
This year’s performers included Ethan Abbot, Madison Chase, Trey Crego, Emily Frost, Ben Kelley, Quinn Kelloway, Elly Longo, Caroline Mehner, Rita Messing, Lucian Parker-Jennings, Isabella Schmidt, Siena Sperling, Alex Urbaska, and Avery White. Jesse Riemenschneider was the Journey East Director; Karly Kaufeld was Creative Director, and Kevin Burke was the Communication Technologist.
The show started with the performers erupting into song, dance, and skit. The Newbrook students were loudly laughing and applauding as the evil spirit, played by Rita Messing, disrupted the balance between the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Each of the skits was centered around the four elements. With colorful cloth, acrobatics, fight scenes, and songs the performers brought up important themes of acceptance and teamwork.
In one of the skits the students in the audience strained to see what the performers were doing on the floor. Once they could see, they figured out it was a fire skit that included Ethan Abbot, Trey Crego, Quinn Kelloway, and Lucian Parker-Jennings. The four of them made the Newbrook students in the audience giggle.