Community calendar for Eastside Messenger
Capital University introduces
Eden Summer Players
Capital University Theatre will introduce Eden Summer Players, a new summer theatre group of students and alumni, in an eight-performance run of "Children of Eden" a two-act play loosely based on the book of Genesis, with music and lyrics by Steven Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin) July 25-Aug. 16.
"I've wanted to produce summer theatre at Capital since I started teaching here," Theatre Director Bill Kennedy said. "Summer theatre is an exceptional learning experience, and it gives us a chance to present a longer run and explore shows we might not do during the school year. It also gives the students the opportunity to develop a new audience."
Eden Summer Players is made up of 25 cast and crew members, all Capital students and alumni.
Performances will be at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, July 25-26, Aug. 1-2, 8-9 and 15-16 in the Cabaret Theatre, located in the Harry C. Moores Campus Center on Capital's Bexley campus, 1 College and Main.
General admission is $10 with discounts offered for seniors, students and groups. For more information, please call 236-7174.
Fort Hayes Center presents "Fort
Fest '08" arts festival, yard sale
"Fort Fest '08," the second annual music and arts festival on the campus of the Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center, on Jack Gibbs Boulevard in Columbus, May 17 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. The events is free.
Guests are invited to bring their lawn chairs and picnic baskets and enjoy a day of musical acts on an outdoor stage, tours of historic buildings on the 66-acre campus, exhibitions o artwork, dance and theatre performances and refreshments for sale.
The WCBE Yard Sale will kick off from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
An All-Years Fort Hayes Alumnae Reunion will be held in conjunction with the Fort Fest, with alumnae from the Career Center and High School programs invited.
Bexley students interviewing former students for video project
Bexley Middle School student Austin Howard talks with Joann Hanners, a member of the Bexley High School class of 1949, about her years in Bexley Schools for a centennial history project.
Students at Bexley High School and Bexley Middle School are collaborating with community members to create a short video piece, "Going to School in Bexley," to mark the city's 100th anniversary this year.
Bexley residents of any age who have stories to tell about growing up in Bexley and what it was like to be a student in the community's schools are invited to be interviewed by a student video production team.
According to Joan Fishel, Bexley Board of Education representative to the city's Centennial Commission, students' questions are certain to prompt memories and anecdotes that will be enjoyed by everyone in the community through the video.
Former Bexley students may arrange for a video interview by contacting Fishel at mfishel@columbus.rr.com or 237-7402.
The project is being led by Bexley High School technology teacher David Valentine, who is garnering school resources such as video recording equipment to guide Bexley High School students in collecting residents' oral histories. The interviews will eventually be transcribed to keep in the Bexley Historical Society's archives.
Students in Bexley Middle School's leadership program are gathering historical photographs and memorabilia to edit together with the oral histories, and create the video piece, which will be screened at a public event this year. The video production team is also tapping historic archives preserved by staffers at Montrose and Maryland Elementary Schools.
Students led by theatre director Rebecca Rhinehart plan to turn collected interviews and oral histories into one of the first productions for their new Storytelling Troupe. The student readers' theatre production should be ready for a public audience later this year.
The City of Bexley plans an ongoing party through 2008 to mark the occasion and the Bexley Historical Society is publishing a book about the community's first one hundred years. Special events are planned during Memorial Day weekend and the Fourth of July activities.
For information about the Centennial Project, contact Amy Thompson, Bexley Schools Public Information Coordinator, at keycomnet@bexley.k12.oh.us or 238-6663.
Whitehall Historical Society
to meet
The Whitehall Historical Society will hold its annual dinner meeting, May 21 at MCL Cafeteria on East Main Street. Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the meeting and elections at 6:30.
Regular meetings are the second Tuesday each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Buckeye Building at Community Park.
Holocaust speaker to focus on
impact of memories
Bexley Schools will present a program by its third Holocaust scholar, Dr. Robert N. Kraft, on May 14, at 7 p.m. in the Bexley High School Library at 326 S. Cassingham Road.
Dr. Kraft, professor of cognitive psychology at Otterbein College, will speak about "Defining Memories: Oral Testimony and the Holocaust."
His courses explore brain physiology, perception, language, thought, identity, intelligence, and social interactions, and his research programs at Otterbein focus on enduring memory, emotion, and victims and perpetrators.
Dr. Kraft's book "Memory Perceived: Recalling the Holocaust" is the result of years of research in the area of Holocaust memory and its after-effects.
Dr. Kraft's appearance at Bexley High School is part of a course on the Holocaust initiated in 2005 by BHS faculty member, Ben Trotter.
Jack Roth Rock'nRun
cancer fundraiser June 8
Nationally renowned Emmy award winning news anchor and journalist, Andrea Cambern, has been named the honorary chairperson of the 3rd Annual Jack Roth Rock'n'Run, to be held June 8, at 9 a.m.
The Jack Roth Rock'n'Run has become a highly anticipated event for families and friends in Columbus, and beyond.
The Rock'n'Run has raised more than $135,000 for lung cancer research at the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard Solove Research Center at The Ohio State University and Camp Netaim, a camp for children with special needs in Israel.
Jack Roth, a Bexley High School alumni and longtime resident of Bexley, was diagnosed with lung cancer in March, 2004. After waging a valiant nine-month battle against the disease, he lost his fight December 17th, 2004 at the age of 57.
The 5K run/walk will start and finish at Bexley High School (348 S. Cassingham Road). Participants can pre-register at http:/www.premierraces.com/Races/Roth.html.
Also, new this year we are offering all race participants an opportunity to set up a personal sponsorship page through http://www.firstgiving.com/jackrothrun.
Corporate and Personal donations can also be made through the Firstgiving site http://www.firstgiving.com/jackrothrun, as well as through the Columbus Jewish Foundation: The Jack Roth Fund, c/o the Columbus Jewish Foundation 1175 College Avenue, Columbus, OH 43209.
Liberty Christian Academy garage
sale & silent auction
Liberty Christian Academy's 100 Family Garage Sale and Silent Auction will be held May 30 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and May 31 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Emswiler Farm Shelter House, across from Jersey Baptist Church, 13167 Morse Road, Pataskala.
The silent auction will be held Friday and Saturday. Bidding will close at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Concession and baked goods available
Reynoldsburg Lions Club turkey shoot benefits charities
The Reynoldsburg Lions Club will host their annual spring turkey shoot every Sunday now through May 18 at 13685 Basil Road. The event will be held from 10 am until 2 pm. Shots are $2.50 each with prizes of bacon, turkeys or ham. Special shoots are available for $ 4-$7 with prizes of special cut of meats such as rib eye steaks.
To reach the grounds, take Route 40 East nine miles east of Reynoldsburg and turn south on York Road and travel two miles.
The Lions Club will also be providing food and beverages on site so come hungry and enjoy the day. Bring your shot gun, but no sleeved guns are allowed.
This is one of the largest fundraiser of the year for the Lions Club. The Reynoldsburg Lions Club is a non-profit organization that raises money for local charities including Reynoldsburg Special Olympics, Reynoldsburg Helping Hands and to assist with the prevention of blindness. Proceeds from these event will benefit local charities.
For information, please contact Bob Martin, at 861-8811.
Bexley's Relay for Life collecting
cell phones, donations
Bexley's Relay for Life is collecting old cell phones to recycle and raising funds for the American Cancer Society. Drop old phones at any Bexley school. Relay for Life is set for June 6-7at the Bexley High School track. For information, contact Jennifer Lee at blee23@columbus.rr.com.
Knights of Columbus Armed
Forces Day cook-out
The Knights of Columbus Council 5253 will have their 3rd Annual Armed Forces Day Parish Cook-Out on May 10, from 6 to 7 p.m. in the St Pius X School cafeteria, 1061 Waggoner Road, Reynoldsburg.
Dinner will include brats, hamburgers and hotdogs with bake beans, potato salad, chips, cookies and beverage. Price is $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for seniors and $2.00 for children.
All proceeds to benefit religious vocations. If you are in the military, just show your ID or come in uniform and you can eat for free.
Reynoldsburg Reach public meeting schedule
The Reynoldsburg school district has scheduled a series of public meetings to gather input on the configuration of new buildings following the passage of a bond issue in March.
Officials are considering four options for a second high school and a seventh elementary school.
•A traditional high school for grades 9-12.
•One high school building for grades 9-10, and the other for grades 11-12.
•Small "schools of choice" within the high school buildings focusing on different academic areas.
•A traditional elementary school or a magnet "school of choice."
All meetings will take place at 7 p.m. Locations and dates are:
•May 13, Taylor Road
•May 15, Slate Ridge
•May 22, French Run
•May 29, Reynoldsburg High
AT&T fundraiser to benefit
Kae Ave. Elementary
A new fundraising endeavor has announced by Larry Morgan of AT&, benefiting Kae Avenue Elementary School in Whitehall.
Through the remainder of the school year, when anyone switches over to AT&T the company will donate up to $225 for home phone, high speed Internet and U-Verse digital TV. The school will receive $50 for home phone service, $75 for Internet and $100 for U-Verse. All proceeds will be used to purchase new playground equipment. You do not have to have a child at Kae Avenue to participate. For more information, contact Morgan at 886-7207 or by email at larry.morgan@att.com.
Bexley Women's Club House &
Garden Tour, Gala
The Bexley Women's Club will host its first Bexley House & Garden Tour and Gala celebrating Bexley's centennial year. The invitation-only Gala on Saturday, June 21, will begin at 4 p.m. at the Governor's Residence with a welcoming by Ohio's First Lady, Frances Strickland.
Gala guests will have an opportunity to tour the residence and grounds before moving on to other residences and gardens on the tour. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres will be served beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Bexley Gateway complex, and will wrap up at 8:30 p.m. Gala reservations can be purchased for $75 per person and will be limited in availability (first-come-first-served).
On Sunday, June 22, a ticketed House & Garden Tour will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Special hourly guided tours of the Governor's Heritage Gardens will be available, although the mansion itself will not be open for the public tour on Sunday. Additional tour tickets are $15 in advance ($20 on the day of tour) and will be available on-line beginning April 15 at www. bexleywomen.org and at select retail locations beginning May 10.
The proceeds from this landmark event will provide scholarships to high school seniors who reside in Bexley and undergraduate students nationwide. Over the past 70 years, the Bexley Women's Club has supported more than 700 students with over $300,000 in scholarships.
For information, visit www.bexleywomen.org.
Whitehall Library bilingual
story time
The Whitehall Branch of Columbus Metropolitan Library, at Broad Street and Yearling Road, invites you to join us for our weekly Bilingual Story Time and hear stories, songs, and rhymes in Spanish and English.
Our fun, interactive program will help children get ready to read and develop language and social skills in both Spanish and English. Children must be accompanied by an adult. This program is offered every Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Oasis faith community meets
Sundays in Reynoldsburg
The Oasis, a faith community of the United Church of Christ, meets Sunday evenings at Panera Bread at Taylor Square (I-70 & State Route 256) in Reynoldsburg. 6 - 6:45 p.m. is a time for study and discussion on a variety of topics related to faith & spirituality. From 7 -7:45 participants experience a variety of spiritual tools and traditions to find what nurtures your own spirit.
For information visit www.TheOasisUCC.com or call 581-8914.
Pulitzer Prizing winning photos,
Kent State discussions at OHS
"Capture the Moment: The Pulitzer Prize Photographs," the largest display of Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs ever shown, is open at The Ohio Historical Center in Columbus. This special exhibition will feature 150 award-winning images from 1942, when the Pulitzer Prize for photojournalism was established, through 2007.
Some of the photographs have become icons of their time: the flag raising on Iwo Jima, the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald, the joyful family reunion of a returning Vietnam POW, the World Trade Center attack. Others record forgotten events of the last six decades. While some images tell the stories of famous people, others portray the lives of ordinary citizens.
To tie into the 1971 Pulitzer winner "Kent State Massacre" by photographer John Paul Filo and the upcoming anniversary of the event, the Ohio Historical Center will feature "It Happened in Ohio: The Kent State Shootings."
Visitors will learn about the build-up and reaction to the Kent State shootings on May 4, 1970, through artifacts, photos and personal accounts.
In conjunction with the display, the Center will host "Reflections on Kent State," one of its Community Conversations series, on May 15. Visitors are invited to experience both exhibitions from 6 to 7 p.m., and then gather for informal conversations with a panel, including Alan Canfora, director of the Kent May 4 Center, and others who experienced that fateful day.
"Capture the Moment" runs through July 25. Admission to the Ohio Historical Center is $7/adults, $3/students and free for OHS members and children 5 years of age and under.
The Ohio Historical Center is located at I-71 and East 17th Avenue in Columbus. Parking is $4 per vehicle and free to OHS members. For information on upcoming events, call 614.297.2300 or 800.686.6124 or visit www.ohiohistory.org/capture.
JCC events
The Leo Yassenoff Jewish Community Center, at 1125 College Ave., has provided the following announcements. Information is available at www.columbusjcc.org.
Gallery Players stages drama
Brooklyn Boy
Gallery Players will present Brooklyn Boy from Saturday, May 17 through Sunday, June 1, in the Roth-Resler Theater of the JCC of Greater Columbus.
Performances are set for Saturdays, May 17, 31 at 8 p.m.; Sundays, May 18, 25, June 1 at 2:30 p.m.; and Thursdays, May 22, 29 at 7:30 p.m.
Brooklyn Boy, a drama by Donald Margulies, is a story about what happens when the marginally successful writing career of middle-aged author Eric Weiss begins to take off with the publication of his novel, "Brooklyn Boy."
Whether or not Weiss' novel is based on his own life is one of the questions that fuels the play. Now he's facing temptations he's never known, while his wife and father are threatening to leave him - albeit in different ways.
Playing the part of Eric in the Gallery Players production is Dan Welsh, with veteran actor Charlie Sloin portraying his father, Manny. Rounding out the Gallery Players cast is Rick Napoli as Ira; Nancy Fox Spiler, Nina; Kristina Kopf, Melanie; Billy Ernhart, as Tyler, and Kate Murphy, as Alison. The production is being directed by veteran John Dranschak.
For information on the Gallery Players' production, visit the Gallery Players website at www.jccgalleryplayers.org, or call 559-6248.
Jewish teens can enter essay contest
for scholarships
JET (Jewish Experiences for Teens) of the Jewish Community Centerof Greater Columbus is offering a scholarship opportunity for students in 8th through 12th grades.
"We're asking students to answer the question, 'What does being a Jewish teen mean to you?' in essay, artwork, or YouTube form," said Samara Chodosh, JET director. "Each category will have three winners. First place will receive $200, second place, $100, and third place, $50."
Each student may submit one entry per category. Entries are due by Friday, May 16 to Chodosh in care of the JCC of Greater Columbus, 1125 College Ave., Columbus.
For information, contact Chodosh at 559-6255.
Gallery Players seeks photos for
60th anniversary album
Gallery Players, the oldest community theater group in central Ohio, will celebrate its 60th season this fall at the Jewish Community Centerof Greater Columbus.
Co-chairs of the celebration, Pam Scheer and Rena Vesler, are sorting through photographs and slides of productions for a keepsake program and display.
They are looking for help in identifying the people in the photos, and are also asking for additional photos.
If interested in assisting with the project, contact Scheer at 231-3401 or Vesler at Rena@columbus.rr.com.
Gallery Players staged its first production in May, 1948, as the first community theater in central Ohio to implement a casting policy that did not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, or gender. Today, the group continues this inclusive tradition.
For information, visit the JCC website at www.columbusjcc.org or call 231-2731.
Rabbi-psychotherapist to talk about raising kids today
In partnership with the JCC of Greater Columbus and Nationwide Children's Hospital, noted psychotherapist Rabbi M. Gary Neuman will be presenting an audience interactive talk, "Raising Children in a Turbulent World," at the JCC on June 2, at 8 p.m.
His presentation is part of the LaDor VaDor ("Generation to Generation") Inaugural Educational Series, sponsored by the Columbus Jewish Foundation.
Rabbi Neuman is the creator of the internationally recognized Sandcastles Program for children of divorce, and author of "Helping Your Kids Cope With Divorce the Sandcastles Way" and "Emotional Infidelity: How to Affair-Proof Your Marriage and Other Secrets to a Great Marriage."
His work has received national media coverage, including multiple appearances on Oprah, the Today Show, the View, and NPR, as well as appearances on Dateline, NBC Nightly News, CBS Weekend News and Good Morning America.
His presentation at the JCC will be given in a talk show setting in order to enable the audience opportunities to ask questions and engage in a dynamic conversation. The public is invited to attend the event, after which Rabbi Neuman will be available to autograph copies of his books, which also will be for sale in the JCC lobby.
For information, visit the JCC website at www.columbusjcc.org, or call 231-2731.
"Baby, What a Deal!" sale for new moms, kids
The Early Childhood Parent Committee of the Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Greater Columbus will hold its annual "Baby What a Deal!" sale on May 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the JCC, 1125 College Ave., Bexley.
The event - designed especially for new mommies and kids - will have gently used items for kids, including clothing (size 7 and under), bedding, toys, maternity wear, books, and furniture for sale.
Proceeds will support the children and teachers of the JCC College Avenue's Early Childhood Program. To donate items or volunteer for the event, contact Taryn Terwilliger at 559-6295, or visit the JCC website at www.columbusjcc.org.