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Delighted seniors and creative kids teamed up Friday at the senior center in Batavia to decorate small, terra cotta flowerpots. The little works of art were taken to Washington Towers to dry and will be delivered to seniors there at a later date.

The homeschooled children had fun painting all kinds of designs -- polka dots, colorful stripes, clouds, squiggles, checkerboard squares and more. They used fabric strings to adorn some of the pots with flowers.

The program bringing young and old together was coordinated by RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) in partnership with the Genesee County Youth Bureau.

More pictures after the jump:

 

Photos from the Washington Towers visit:

For more information about opportunities for intergenerational projects, please contact RSVP or the Youth Bureau. The contact information of both groups can be found on the Genesee County homepage.

In the first two photos RSVP volunteer Elisa DiPietro and Youth Bureau employee Angela Barbeau assist the kids with their projects at the Senior Center on Bank St.

For 45 years, the Batavia Players have had to do without a place to call their own. Now, at last, they will have their own theater in the historic Batavia Industrial Center on Harvester Avenue.

According to board member Michelle Stamp, BP president Patrick Burk "put a lot of legwork into finding a physical space for us."

"It always helps the actors when they have a space to call their own," she adds.

"This is a really exciting thing for us to be doing," said Matt Mayne, BP board member and actor. "Hopefully, it will help to draw more attention to the building, which is definitely historic."

The location of the new theater is BIC's new Artisan Center, which the Mancuso Business Development Group wanted to establish in order to increase their own business activity.

The Artisan Center not only helps foster a relationship between business and the arts locally, but also affords artists of various stripes the chance to support each other.

"We will be doing things to encourage other artists," Burk said. "There will be areas in the Artisan Center in which they can work. And we'll also have people who come in regularly for BP events and shows, and we'll allow people to display their artwork for people to see."

Burk, Stamp and Mayne all believe that the coming change will prove beneficial to actors and their performances as well. One of the greatest challenges they have dealt with in the past was that of finding, in Mayne's words, "readily available space."

"Before, we would be in situations where we weren't sure what venue we'd be performing in," Stamp said. "Now we'll have our own space we can become accustomed to, we'll know what we have to work with, and we'll have all the materials at hand."

"Our types of performances will change," Burk said, "because we'll experience greater flexibility in terms of what we can do and when. We've had shows that we've wanted to do for quite some time that we'll now be able to fit into this venue."

The new theater's black-box format, which will have audience members seated to the right and left of the stage as well as in front, also offers fresh creative challenges and opportunities.

"This type of set up requires actors to do a little bit more, because people will be watching them from three sides instead of just one," Mayne said.

All BP performances -- beginning with the Spring 2010 show -- will be held in the Artisan Center except for the Summer Youth Theatre performances, which tend to require greater stage space. Please contact the Batavia Players for more information.

Did you know that people come to Batavia to make landscapes out of glass?

Well, sort of...

A student of Amanda Taylor's four-day "Painting Images and Landscapes in Glass" course gets her creative groove on at the Oatka School of Glass on Harvester Avenue...

...while (left to right) Tessa, Sheba and Shiloh look on.

This is only one of many classes offered by Le Roy native Lance Taylor and his Canadian-born wife, Amanda. They both run the OATKA School of Glass and Glass Studio out of their work-and-home space in the Harvester Center. In these classes -- open to all ages -- they teach people how to paint using glass powder and "frits" (ground-up glass) as well as various other ways of turning glass materials into works of art (including bowls, cups and glass mosaics).

Lance and Amanda teach many of these classes themselves -- together and individually -- but for some of them, they bring in internationally renowned artists to teach.

"Some of our instructors have an international following," Lance said, "so we're able to attract people from all over the United States and from different countries. Soon we'll be offering a class taught by an Italian artist named Mirriam de Fiore. This is the only place she'll be coming to teach here in the U.S."

Many of the courses are for beginners. However,  a lot of people have said that their expectations for what a beginners' course should be were far surpassed by the Taylors' teaching styles.

"All too often you see a 'shotgun' approach taken in teaching beginners' courses," Lance said. "In other words, students do a little of this, a little of that, and they don't really learn anything. We do hands-on activities where, for example, instead of doing many different things, people learn to do one particular thing very well."

Lance and Amanda are the perfect team when it comes to coordinating these classes. Lance approaches glassmaking from a technical standpoint, Amanda from an artistic one.

"The great thing about glass is that it's both artistic and technical," Lance said.

This week's class -- which began on Tuesday and extends through Saturday -- focuses on replicating photographed landscapes in the form of glass art. It is being taught, appropriately enough, by Amanda, who often looks to nature for artistic inspiration.

"A lot of times when I go for walks, I'll collect things like tree branches, rocks, etc.," she said. "I also try to be attentive to things that most people don't notice because they don't take the time to slow down and really see it."

Lance and Amanda are always interested in doing classes based on special interests, provided that requests come far enough in advance. For more information and to see a schedule of upcoming classes, please visit the OATKA Glass website at: www.oatkaglass.com.

Fr. Gus Calvo has been all over the place. He was born in Cuba, lived in Spain and Puerto Rico after his parents fled Cuba's Communist dictatorship, and finally settled with his family in Long Island as a child. He has done missionary work in countries like Argentina, Bolivia, Honduras, Nigeria, Peru and Sudan. And now his journey has led him to the Anglican Community Church in Batavia!

Fr. Gus was assigned to the 101 Richmond Ave. church after having served at St. John's Episcopal Church in Stockport. He is no stranger to the area, having lived in Buffalo for two years in the early 1990s and having spent time in Brockport, where he met his wife, Noel.

At the opening of his first sermon this morning, Fr. Gus told the congregation how happy he was to be a part of their community and how much he looked forward to the "good things that God has in store for us."

Fr. Gus said that his overall mission and hope for his pastorate and for the ACC reflects today's gospel reading, Luke 4:14-21.

"Our mission as Christians," Fr. Gus said, "is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, to bring hope to people, to really live out our call as people of faith and to discern our identity as children of God."

His lively, enthusiastic and highly personal first sermon made a clear impression on the parishioners, one of whom called him "a welcome addition to our community."

Fr. Gus attributes his worship and life styles - including how he relates to others - to what he calls a "sacramental" view of the world.

"My faith helps me to see God's presence in the world and in other people," he said. "To me people are not just beings who exist for no reason -- they matter. And my goal is to reflect the inward grace of God to them in my life."

Anyone interested in the mission and activities of the ACC may visit their website by clicking on the ad featured on the left-hand margin of The Batavian's home page.

The Batavia City Church's "City Gals" - featuring women and girls of all ages - display the cards they made for area veterans on Monday as part of an ongoing project.

Valentine's Day is still weeks away, but the City Gals made 80 cards on Monday for the men and women at the New York State Veteran's Home and the VA Hospital. Each attendee decorated cards with hearts, flowers and other designs while writing messages of love and encouragement. The cards will be sent to both facilities on Valentine's Day.

The idea for this project came from City Church member and volunteer Sue Gagne, who is also a member of the Genesee Veteran's Support Network. After talking to GVSN chairman Jim Neider, who wanted to see a community project of this kind undertaken for the residents of area Veterans' Homes, Gagne felt that the City Church's Women's Ministry (which is coordinating the City Gals project) would be "the perfect venue."

"Our church likes to get involved in the community," Gagne said. "This is the first time we've done [a Valentine's Day project for Veterans], so I look forward to seeing where it goes."

Gagne also said that the ladies are looking to schedule another "work party" (in her own words) in the coming weeks in order to meet the quota they set for themselves.

"We sure could use some help," she adds.

Women and girls of all ages are welcome to come in and help, regardless of whether or not they are members of the City Church.

In honor of the service-based philosophy of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Genesee County AmeriCorps and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) held the "Be a Star - GO Volunteer Fair" on Monday at the Batavia Senior Center.

"AmeriCorps headquarters encourages us to do something on Martin Luther King Day in the spirit of Dr. King," said Kathy Frank, AmeriCorps program director for Genesee County.

Many businesses and organizations from Genesee and Orleans counties participated.

Notable examples included:

Genesee County AmeriCorps Frank provided information about the opportunities Genesee County AmeriCorps has for anyone age 17 and older. This organization is well known for matching applicants with local organizations based on the individual interests and organizational needs. Participants earn a stipend and are eligible for an education award that will help pay for college tuition or, in the case of college graduates, student loans. Frank said that legislation was passed in October allowing participants age 55 and older to use that education award to help pay for their children's or grandchildren's college. Anyone interested in learning more should contact Frank through the Genesee County Youth Bureau.

The Ministry of Concern's "Just Friends" Program Bill Hawthorne, who works for the Just Friends program through AmeriCorps Vista, offers information for people ages 18 and older who are interested in volunteering their time to building friendships with children and teens.

"We took over the Big Buddy program in August when the director retired," Hawthorne said. "We have people from all walks of life who devote time to making a difference in kids' lives."

Only eight hours a month are required for each volunteer, and activities can include simple things like playing catch, going for walks, cooking or even just talking. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Bill at vista@ministryofconcern.org.

CASA for Children Volunteer Linda Buzzell (left) and board member Ed Liesing represent CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for Children, part of a national volunteer association that seeks to help children who are victims of abuse and/or neglect. For more information, contact Tara Pariso at tpariso@co.genesee.ny.us.

Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO ART!) Joe Langen, who works at Go Art! through AmeriCorps, provides information about volunteer opportunities for people of all ages in a variety of capacities (assitance at events, office work, ambassadorship, etc). Visit www.goart.org for more information.

The following video was taken at Batavia High School on Friday, Jan. 8, before and after the Encore Theatre Arts performance of Disney's "High School Musical." There is another performance tonight at 7:30 and at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the BHS auditorium.

Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvrrisCIuSs

Batavia High School students Casey Herman, left, and Maryssa Peirick practice the flute for "Musical Interludes for Trey." BHS' holiday concert was held to benefit Trey Filbert, a ninth-grader battling brain cancer.

If you were to ask any members of the BHS community about Trey Filbert, they would all probably tell you the same kind of things. Here are some comments, just to give you an idea:

"There's not a mean bone in his body," Freshman Nick Mungillo said.

"Trey's a dedicated athlete and a very sensitive and caring person," said Buddy Brasky, Trey's basketball coach. "He's a hard worker, is dependable and truly cares about each member of his team."

"His peers regard him as a kind, generous, fun young man," Principal Christopher Dailey said.

"Many of my students know him," Band Director Jane Haggett said. "They all talk about his positive attitude. He smiles a lot, is very happy, and has a gift for taking a serious situation and minimizing it."

Naturally, the BHS community responded as soon as the news arrived that Trey had been diagnosed with brain cancer.

"Multiple people came forward to help his family," Dailey said.

The largest-scale effort to help Trey and his family took place in the auditorium on Monday. The school's holiday concert was dedicated to Trey and helped raise money for his medical bills and treatment. Donations were collected at the doors, and a basket of goods donated by the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation was raffled off.

Pictured Paul Spiotta -- aka "the voice of the Batavia Blue Devils" -- was the concert's master of ceremonies.

Two major catalysts led to this event: a chicken barbeque fundraiser for Trey that took place last month and - less expectedly - the performance of flutist Megan Richardson in the Batavia Rotary Club's production of "Cinderella!" Richardson's music inspired Haggett to consider working with her on an arts-based fundraiser.

Richardson playing Francis Poulenc's "Sonate (1st Movement)" at Monday's concert.

"I heard her play and I thought, 'wow, we should really do a concert for a cause,'" Haggett said. "Then I got the e-mail about the chicken barbeque for Trey, and I knew that this was it."

The night's performances included the following:

 

BHS junior Maryssa Peirick singing "O Holy Night."

 

Batavia City School Distric BOE member Patrick D. Burk singing "Home," a song from the musical "The Wiz."

The cast of the Batavia Players' production of "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown," singing "Happiness" (Spiotta said the actors "unanimously agreed" to perform at the concert when they heard it was being done for Trey).

BHS alumnus Valerie Stevens singing "Defying Gravity," from the musical "Wicked."

The "BHS Blue Belles" -- left to right: Sarah DiBacco, Catherine McAllister, Catherine Taylor, Melzie Case and Emily Pahuta -- sang various Christmas carols.

The BHS Jazz Band, conducted by Haggett.

The entire BHS music department was involved in this event, but the spirit of generosity permeating the concert was not limited to them. Trey's classmates - aka the Freshman Class -- recently raised money for him via "Rays for Trey" (see Daily News article at http://tinyurl.com/yfzaamu).

Toward the end of the concert, four ninth-graders presented the final collection of paper suns, each signed by a BHS student, to Trey and his family (who of course had front-row seats) while happily disclosing the amount of money raised.

Haggett, who worked with the Freshman class on the chicken barbeque, applauded the students' hard work on Trey's behalf.

"I personally am very proud of this class and of how they came together for one of their own," she said.

"Any young man who has to go what Trey is going through, deserves [this type of support]," Brasky said. "His family is in need and the BHS family has come through for them."

Principal Dailey agreed.

"Batavia High is a special place where we take care of our own," he said. "I have never worked in such a positive, caring environment."

Before inviting attendees to the cafeteria for refreshments, Haggett identified this demonstration of community spirit as one of the reasonsshe loves Batavia."

"People here really do come together...and they love the arts," the band director said, adding "...Trey, we're all thinking about you, and we hope you got that impression tonight."

The benefit concert raised more than $2,851.

The Disney Channel's immensely popular "High School Musical" franchise comes to the local stage!

The cast of Encore! Theatre Arts' production of "High School Musical" at the Richmond Memorial Library - left to right: Alex Grayson (Chad), Brian Bogdan (Troy), Samara Brown (Gabriella), Justin Ryan (Ryan), Cara Ferraro (Kelsi), Kiera Davis (Taylor) and Tara Kaczorowski (Sharpay).

Performances aren't until January, but fans young and old got a sneak peak Tuesday night at the Richmond Memorial Library. The show's seven main cast members came running into the library's Gallery Room -- each fully in character -- to perform some of the play's songs, including "We're All in This Together."

Children and their families who attended could buy advance tickets to the show, and anyone who did so was rewarded with free HSM gift items.

"The kids love [HSM]," said Sandra Gillard, RML children's librarian and coordinator of the event, "so this seemed like a great cooperative venture."

The library has done similar preview programs with other groups in the past (see, for example, article on RML's "Cinderella" program at http://preview.tinyurl.com/ye5kecg), and Encore! Theatre Arts, being a fairly new organization, was interested in a similar collaborative effort.

ETA was founded in June by Eric Traugott, who is also producer and musical director for HSM.

"I wanted to make sure that there continued to be quality theater in Batavia and Rochester," Traugott said. "We have a lot of great groups already, but I still wanted to fill in the gaps and make sure there's always something available."

ETA has put on many performances in Batavia and in Rochester since its inception, but arguably none are comparable to HSM in popularity. The kids who came on Tuesday knew all of the words to the songs, and one young girl even commented that her basketball coach uses HSM lyrics to motivate his team.

Traugott and Director Lynda Hodgins hope people will be happy to see this nationwide phenomenon in the hands of local talent.

Performances of HSM will take place at Batavia High School from Jan. 7-10. For information on times, tickets sales and other details, please visit www.encoretheatrearts.com.

As a follow-up to The Batavian’s Dec. 13 article on Santa’s weekend in Batavia, the Man in the Red Suit has agreed to take time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions.

Q: Santa, it seems like you’re all over the place during the holiday season. How do you do it?

A: Well you know, it’s not always me. I have a lot of helpers who carry my "persona" to different places and spread my Christmas cheer.

Q: What does Santa like to eat?

A: I love pizza. Mrs. Claus makes great pizza with homemade sauce.

Q: What does Santa like to do when he has free time?

A: Well I’ll tell you, Santa likes to rest for a couple weeks after Christmas! For fun, I enjoy spending time with Mrs. Claus and watching movies.

Q: What are some of your favorite movies?

A: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Frosty the Snowman."

Q: It must be pretty tough flying all around the world. How do you keep your reindeer fit?

A: Wel, we give them hay, obviously; in the North Pole we have a greenhouse where we grow hay, oats and other kinds of reindeer food. Plus, there’s the food that kids leave for them on Christmas Eve. They get their fill on Christmas Eve, let me tell you.

Q: Obviously, things are pretty busy now at the North Pole. With Christmas coming up quickly, I’m sure the elves are working hard. When you’re away on trips like this, how do you keep in touch with the folks back home to make sure everything is going okay?

A: Cell phones. This modern generation makes it much easier for me to travel and still stay in touch with my elves. I call them on the cell phone, and then they call me back if anything comes up.

The Batavian thanks Santa for sharing these details about his professional and public life, and wishes him, Mrs. Claus, and all the folks at the North Pole a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Where's Santa Claus?

Here he is!

(You can't tell, but he is smiling underneath the beard.)

Wait a minute...here he is again!

Bella March (upper left) and siblings Violet (lower left) and Norman, sitting with Santa. Photo courtesy of Kelly March.

You'll always catch fleeting glimpses of the Man in the Red Suit at Christmastime. Our own Howard Owens spotted him on Main Street last week. You're likely to catch him at the mall at least once, and you might even see him on the front lawns of festively decorated houses (although for some reason he never seems to feel like talking in those instances).

If you live in Batavia, you could have found him this weekend where his two favorite things were present: families and food.

Santa's weekend in Batavia kicked off with the "Supper with Santa" at St. Joseph's School, an annual event sponsored and funded by St. Joe's home school association, SOS (Supporters of St. Joseph's) and catered by Paulie's Pizzeria. On Saturday morning he was at John Kennedy Elementary School's "Pancake Breakfast with Santa," which was put on by the John Kennedy Parent Group (JKPG).

Good Saint Nick had no shortage of admirers at either event. Children waited in long lines to tell him their Christmas wishes. Most people would probably become overwhelmed trying to keep track of each child's Christmas list, but it was no problem for Santa. His ability to remember non-written Christmas lists comes from his talent for seeing and appreciating each child's unique personality.

"All it takes," Santa said, "is to see their faces and hear their voices."

Santa at St. Joe's with, left to right, Nicky Ventola and Moira and Clara Werner. Photo courtesy of Nora O'Neill.

The kids got an up-close look at Santa's personality, too.

"He's very fun," St. Joe's first-grader Amanda Bergman said. "Fun to be with."

Knowing such an important visitor was coming, parents and staff of both schools spent a lot of time in preparation.

"We always plan a year in advance," said Nora O'Neill, marketing director for St. Joe's. "Soon after the event is over, we start planning for the next year."

...Kind of like Santa himself, who prepares for Christmas Eve a year ahead!

JKPG President Shari Ange credits parent Sherri Wahr with coming up with the idea for the Pancake Breakfast at the group's last meeting three months ago.

"We used to have a breakfast at Applebee's for Easter," Ange said. "Sherri thought it would be great to have a breakfast with Santa. Hopefully we can make this an annual thing."

St. Joe's set the mood for Santa's visit with Christmas carols performed by Batavia resident Richard Conroy, while JK had Christmas music playing over the intercom. Activities in celebration of the honored guest included floor dancing (St. Joe's) and games such as Elf Hockey and Santa Bowling (JK).

Amanda Bergman (left) on the dance floor with Violet March. Photo courtesy of Kelly March.

BHS senior Cody Mulcahy oversees a JK first-grader's performance in Santa Bowl.

Another way everyone honored Santa was by imitating his generosity. As is the case with most private schools, financial issues are always a concern for St. Joe's staff - still, they committed their resources to making Supper with Santa a fun social event for the kids. At both St. Joe's and JK, parents and students volunteered their time to serve food, help with activities, etc.

JK student helpers Kennedy Kolb (front), Katie Ange, Tanner Kolb and Jenna Whitmore (back, left to right).

JK students showed Santa their Christmas spirit by making cards in the school's gymnasium.

Madeline Taggart (left) with her sister, Bridget, making cards for Santa.

Because Santa was busy listening to Christmas wishes, their cards will be sent to Macy's first, and for every card received Macy's will donate $1 to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Skylar Rossi (left), Lydia Wahr (center) and Maggie Andersen, making cards for troops in Iraq.

"Santa represents the spirit of giving," Sherri Wahr said. "And he's all about bringing families together."

For the St. Joe's community, Santa also has some religious significance.

"Our message to the kids is to remind them that he is a saint," O'Neill said. "So our traditions [the Christian tradition and Santa Claus lore] can coexist."

The welcome sign at the front entrance of St. Joe's included a picture of Santa Claus holding the Baby Jesus in his arms. O'Neill said this helps remind the kids what Christmas is really all about. Santa appears to agree with her.

"Christmas is about the Baby Jesus," Santa said. "He plays it first and then I come in behind Him."

For those interested in what Santa had to tell The Batavian about himself, stay tuned for Q&A with Santa, coming up shortly.

Kelly Mountain was a happy camper on Saturday.

Along with fellow Robert Morris Elementary School parent Kim Gloskowski, Mountain had just chaired the 4th annual Vendor Blender & Craft Show at the school, located at 80 Union St.

“We had a steady stream of people come this year,” Mountain said. “And we had a wonderful response to our Chinese Auction.”

 

Pictured Kelly Mountain, left, and Kim Gloskowski

The Chinese Auction featured one item donated by each of the event’s vendors/crafters. Along with a contribution of $25 for table space from each vendor, the proceeds of the auction went to F.O.R.M. — “Friends of Robert Morris” —  a parent volunteer organization which funds student field trips and classroom supplies. A total of 31 vendors/crafters representing various organizations in and around Batavia participated.

Here are some notable examples:

HOT SHOTS CAFÉ  Owner Shari Dressler (left) and Clara, the manager (right), promoted their local franchise, which has locations on West Main Street and Woodrow Road as well as a bistro on Harvester Avenue. They sold samples of their coffee (flavored and unflavored), tea and smoothies.

PERSCHKE ENTERPRISES  Steve and Catie Perschke, of Pavilion, offered free samples of healthy, sugar-free Nutrilite beverages marketed through Catie’s website (cperschke.qhealthbeauty.com) and provided information about Steve’s gift options website (sperschke.ordermygift.com). Pictured above are Steve and his daughter, Hannah.

USBORNE BOOKS  Educational Consultant Supervisor Kelly Ferchen represented Usborne Books, an international publisher of educational children's books. Products and information about job opportunities were available for Craft Show patrons. Please visit www.readwithkelly.com for more information.

MAKING MEMORIES TRAVEL OF WNY  Mary Hendry and her son provided information about Mary’s independent local travel agency. For more information, please visit www.makingmemoriestravelofwny.com.

Meanwhile, in the multi-purpose room, RMS parent Erin Martin and several student volunteers ran the holiday gift shop, where children could buy Christmas gifts.

“We send envelopes home through the school,” Martin said, “and parents set spending limits. But the kids make their own lists and do all the shopping. We try to make this a learning experience for them.”

Eric Davis Jr. (upper right) gets help selecting a Christmas present from volunteer Ryan Bowen (lower right) and Notre Dame High School volunteer Seth Meshach (upper left) and RMS student volunteer Hannah Martin (left).

In the afternoon, the Robert Morris Chorus treated everyone to Christmas carols ranging from “The First Noel” to “Jingle Bell Rock.” They then had the honor of posing for the cameras with Santa Claus, before he got around to hearing Christmas gift requests.

An additional feature this year was the Family Reading Workshop presented by former Channel 4 news anchor Lisa Scott. She held three half-hour sessions for parents and children in the RMS Media Center. Drawing upon her experience as a commercial voice actor, Scott gave presentations on how to encourage literacy by infusing storytelling with excitement and energy.

“Taking written material and making it oral doesn’t come naturally to anybody,” Scott said. “The challenge is to channel that natural delivery you have in everyday conversation into pre-written material.” For more information on Lisa and her story time ideas, please visit her website (www.readlisascott.com).

"As I call your clan, please stand up,” said Bruce Barclay.

So began “Scot’s Sunday, Kirkin’ O’ the Tartan” at the First Presbyterian Church in Batavia. Scot’s Sunday was a special morning service celebrating the Presbyterian Church’s Scottish heritage.

Barclay, a member of the Rochester Scottish Heritage Society, read the last names of First Presbyterian’s Scottish families (or “clans”) before closing with: “And finally, Clan Dia — the family of God — which is everybody else.”

At this, the rest (and the majority) of the congregation joyfully rose.

This was the first year Scot’s Sunday was celebrated at First Presbyterian, but the tradition goes back to 1941. The Rev. Dr. Peter Marshall, pastor of Washington’s New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, designed the service “to give solace for British military personnel stationed in Washington, D.C. during World War II” (quoted from event pamphlet).

The service opened and closed with bagpipe music from members of the Rochester Scottish Pipes and Drums Band and included a Scots-Gaelic hymn, a question-and-answer session between the children and one of the bagpipers, and a special prayer for the “mother church” in Scotland.

While the ethnic roots of the church are important, Scot’s Sunday illustrated the Presbyterian heritage in yet another way. The service coincided with the first Sunday in Advent, which for Christians is a season of hope in God’s promises.

“I think the heart of Presbyterianism is seeing that the Holy Spirit is always working with us and calling us to change,” said Rev. Roula Alkhouri, pastor of First Presbyterian. “We look forward to the New Year and we celebrate what God is doing in the world.”

Rev. Alkhouri sees the highlights of Scottish culture as an example of God’s work in the world, but she also stresses the need to be open to people who are different — or, in her own words, “not in our camp.”

In her sermon, she expressed two important beliefs: that the Scottish Presbyterian heritage is to be celebrated as a gift from God, and that openness to fellowship with the entire human family — including what can be learned of God’s work from other heritages — is essential.

Rev. Alkhouri also took advantage of the opportunity Scot’s Sunday offered to exhort her congregation to be more attentive to God’s work during Advent. With gentle words she encouraged people to take moments out of their busy, hectic schedules to look for signs of God’s love and presence in their lives.

The service was followed by a reception with Scottish shortbread and other refreshments. Alkhouri hopes to celebrate Scot’s Sunday again in the years to come.

The turkey juices sizzle in the oven. The mashed potatoes are being stirred in the pot. Gooey, delicious sweet potato casseroles melt in the oven, while pumpkin pies baked and cooled, sit, tempting us toward an early desert.

Like any other holiday, Thanksgiving has a large store of such images attached to it. And, like other holidays, it is generally considered a time for us to reflect on the important things in life. As such, it is a time when families gather together in fellowship and in celebration of their blessings.

The social and emotional benefits of Thanksgiving -- or at least the possibility of these benefits -- are pretty clear. Its benefits to the palate (if not always the digestive system) are also well known. But what about spiritual benefits? What are the religious leaders in our area telling their congregations about the Thanksgiving holiday, and what it means to their lives? Moreover, how do they deliver a message that can be repeated each year and yet continue to be relevant?

The following comments come from four Batavia pastors, each reflecting on what they perceive to be the relevance of Thanksgiving to the Christian life:

Pastor Allen Werk, St. Paul Lutheran Church and School:

"Thanksgiving is far more than just a day for a family banquet. It is not about how much food we can prepare and eat.

"Thanksgiving is about expressing our gratitude to the source of all the things in life that we enjoy. It is a reminder to say thank you to the giver of all the wonderful gifts we so often take for granted.

"The Giver of all those good gifts in our lives, the Source of our blessings, is God our heavenly Father. Thanksgiving is a holiday that reminds us to thank our God for everything He does for us.

"'Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.'   James 1:17 (NIV)

"While it is good to take time to thank God for food and jobs and family and health, we also need to remember that God’s greatest gift was sending His Son Jesus to pay for our sins. Without Jesus’ death on the cross, we would be entirely cut off from this mighty and holy God. That salvation that Jesus has won for us is a gift that we would never be able to manufacture for ourselves. That is at the top of our list of blessings for which to say 'thank you' to God.

"God’s blessings to us span 365 days a year. We shouldn’t limit our thanks to one day a year. Remember to thank God often, daily, for all His love and blessings He abundantly pours into our lives."

Pastor Donald A. Shirk, Grace Baptist Church:

"What we as a congregation do at Thanksgiving is on the Tuesday evening (last night) before it, we have a special "Count Your Blessings" service. This evening is dedicated to folks sharing personal testimonies on how God has been good to them throughout the year.

"For the believer in Christ, Thanksgiving is not simply an annual event but a way of life. Paul put it this way in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, 'In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.' To help prompt, I use a PowerPoint slide with ideas that might help our church members in their sharing. Last night was an exceptional service with our people sharing for over an hour on the goodness of God in their lives."

Pastor Roula Alkhouri, First Presbyterian Church:

"Thanksgiving is a great opportunity for us to take the time to remember the bounty of God's Earth. Often times, we take it for granted that our climate is going to be okay and that we will have good conditions to grow food. So, this time is a time of reconnecting with and paying attention to God's creation. We are often negligent of other creatures in the world. We tend to focus on our individual needs for consumption. Thanksgiving is a great time to be mindful of our responsibility to care for the Earth. The gift of life is so precious, yet it is often taken for granted."

Pastor John Hatch, United Pentecostal Church:

"Usually we focus on what we all are thankful for in a special Thanksgiving Eve service through volunteer testimonies (under 5 minutes) by anyone in the congregation who desires to share and give thanks to God for various personal things they feel the Lord has done for them. This year we will also be focusing on Thanksgiving by celebrating communion to thank Jesus for all He has done for us by the price He paid on the cross for our sins; healing by the stripes on His back and the wonderful way He has forgiven us, saved us and worked in our lives."

The cast of "The Mysterious Case of the Missing Ring" (photo by Daniel Crofts)

 

“Terror!”

“Intrigue!”

“Romance, blooming like a lotus in the springtime…”

Entire cast in unison: “What?!?”

“Just kidding.”

There you have it — the opening lines of “The Mysterious Case of the Missing Ring," the latest play put on by the Drama Club at Batavia Middle School. The first performance took place last night.

The show was directed by Matthew Mayne, English/Drama teacher at Batavia High School, and starred 22 BMS students (grades 6-8) in a variety of comedic roles.

From a stage play written by Janie Downey Maxwell, “Missing Ring” centers around a Queen — played by 7^th grader Mica Pitcher — who has lost her royal ring and hires several competing teams of detectives to find it. All of the detectives — from the pratfall-prone, tap-dancing Oliver (Blake Carter) to the nervous, germaphobic Kat (Spencer Hubbard) — prove to be hysterically incompetent.

Mayne, who is certainly no stranger to local theater (see article about his recent Thornton Wilder production at http://tinyurl.com/yknj4bu), began work on the production of "Missing Ring" in late September. He took Maxwell’s play and made of it an opportunity for everyone involved to bring his/her own ideas to the performance.

"We added a lot to this,” Mayne said. “I added some characters that weren’t in the original script. That’s good for me as a director, because then the story has more characters to work with. And it’s good for the kids, because there are more roles available and they can add their own personal touches to the overall performance.”

Additionally, there were numerous jokes and humorous bits that were not in the script.  Mayne said the students “came up with a lot of ideas and put so much of their own unique humor into it.”

In so doing, they drew plentiful laughter from the audience.

Thursday night’s performance was well performed and well received, but the production was far from easy. Because of his extracurricular duties at BHS, Mayne could only devote three days a week to rehearsals. So with a total of only 20 rehearsals, the cast had to exercise a great deal of dedication in order to make the play work.

If this weren’t enough, a number of students became ill during the course of production and had to quit the play. There was even a last-minute cancellation the night before the performance, forcing one of the cast members to learn new lines overnight.

“I’m amazed at how much the kids care about the show,” Mayne said. “They really pulled themselves together.”

The play also featured set designs made by BMS teacher Lucille DiSanto and BMS students Riley Cole, Megan Draper and Kayla Gannon.

“Missing Ring” will have one more performance, this time intended exclusively for BMS students, faculty and staff; this will take place during the school day Monday.

Eighth-grader Steven O'Brien is a pretty good salesman. He displayed his knack for hawking things Saturday at Batavia High School's annual Arts & Crafts Festival.

With a variety of goods draped over his arms, he looked like a walking advertisement for "Treats for Troops," an outreach project for the military which began at Batavia Middle School in 2002.

Steven helped sell such items as necklaces, bracelets, picture frames, scarves, towels and blankets, priced from $1 to $10, along with founder and special education teacher Lucille DiSanto.

The money raised will pay for supplies for an "adopted" military troop in Iraq or Afghanistan that has a soldier from Batavia in it. Each year, a different troop is chosen.

"It's grown a little bit each year," DiSanto said. "We're definitely getting more attention."

The fundraiser for those in combat is the culmination of the efforts of her students, the student council and an organization called SWAT -- Students Working as a Team. They sell the items, some of which they make themselves, others are bought with donations. A McDonald's corporation MAC Grant pays for project costs.

"I felt it was necessary to help kids learn community service,” says DiSanto. “And what better way to do that than to help one of our own in Iraq or Afghanistan?"

The Treats for Troops table fared quite well, taking in $65 within the first 70 minutes Saturday. They received a total of $35 in donations.

"This is the most donations I've ever gotten," said DiSanto excitedly.

Steven took it upon himself to venture out beyond the table, working the crowd with his sense of humor. People bought stuff from him, and vendor Fran Norton donated a dollar.

"Anything for the boys," says Norton, who holds America's soldiers in high esteem. "Any services we can provide to them, they deserve it."

Anyone interested in learning more about the Treats for Troops project should contact DiSanto at Batavia Middle School. If you would like to learn more about Batavia High School's Arts & Crafts Festival, please contact Paul Pedersen, BHS Physical Education teacher and Batavia Ice Devils coach.