Rotary Flower Sale
The Rotary Flower Sale is going on today until 5 p.m. and tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. outside Tonawanda Federal Credit Union.
Pictured are Rotarians Joseph Gerace, Committee Chair, Anne Garlock and Justin Colarco-Smith.
Batavia Rotary Club
Batavia Rotary announces Cinderella as 61st annual show
Press Release:
At its weekly lunch meeting today, the Rotary Club of Batavia announced that Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella has been selected to be their 61st Annual Rotary Show. Show dates are November 5th – November 9th at the Batavia High School Auditorium.
The musical based on the age-old fairy tale was first broadcast on CBS television in 1957 and starred Julie Andrews. It was reprised in 1965 as the first color broadcast musical for television and starred Lesley Anne Warren. A more recent adaptation was broadcast that starred Whitney Houston and Brandy.
The selection made by the Batavia Rotary Show Committee will be the original production with one modification added from the 1965 version. It will include a cast of 30 to 35 Adults and 8 to 10 Children. This is the first time that Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella has been selected by the Rotarians.
This year’s production of Cinderella will be directed by Patrick D. Burk. This is Burk’s first time directing for the Rotary Club of Batavia. Burk is widely known as the creator of the Batavia Players Summer Youth Theater Program and the Shakespeare in Springtime Program, which just completed this past weekend.
“I am excited and honored to be offered this opportunity by the Rotary Club, “ Burk stated. “I have always enjoyed working with this group and have had a lot of fun on the Rotary Stage in the past. I am pleased with the show selection and look forward to offering this truly family oriented show to the Rotary audiences.”
Known for its costuming and beautiful sets, the pre-production work will begin with meetings in April and continue with the selection of show and musical staff. Auditions will be held in September. Show Chairperson is Laurie Mastin, Business Manager is John Saville and the President – Elect is Ted Hawley.
Burk previously directed this version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella for the Gates Community Theater at Robert’s Wesleyan College in North Chili. He has performed in countless stage productions as well as directing and producing shows. Some of his Rotary Show appearances include Daddy Warbucks in Annie, the King in The King and I, Bung Foo in Thoroughly Modern Millie and Charlie Cowell in The Music Man.
News roundup: Highest Rotary honors for a lifelong supporter
Wilma Nichols of Alexander was awarded the Rotary Club of Batavia's highest honor for a non-Rotarian yesterday afternoon. WBTA's Dan Fischer tells us that Nichols was surprised at lunch yesterday with the Paul Harris Fellowship, named for the founder of Rotary. Nichols was 8 years old when the Batavia Rotary was formed in 1919. She is 98 today.
Fischer writes:
Wilma has served lunch to the Rotary Club every week for more years than anyone can remember. The club surprised Wilma yesterday, secretly inviting her family to attend the ceremony. Past Rotary Presidents served lunch to Wilma.
Wilma accepted the award with her typical humility and grace.
Visit WBTA online to hear Nichols.
News roundup: A fowl spill (updated)
Thousands of live chickens spilled from their crates onto the state Thruway yesterday when a truck carrying nearly 10,000 of them overturned at the Route 190 off-ramp in Erie County. WBTA's Dan Fischer spoke with state police who said they had never seen anything like it. Dozens Thousands of chickens were killed. Many others were taken to the Erie County Society for the Prevention of Animal Cruelty. The truck driver was ticketed with unsafe lane change.
UPDATE (9:18am): The Buffalo News ran a full story on this sad crash—the photographs and video are unsettling. It turns out that not dozens but thousands of chickens died, either at the scene or later by euthanization. From that article:
Gina Browning, the public relations director of the SPCA in the Town of Tonawanda, described a grim scene of blood and broken eggs inside the SPCA facility.
“In 18 years [working at the SPCA], I can tell you I’ve never seen anything of this magnitude,” Browning said.
The facility closed 2 hours early to make room for the birds. SPCA officials used the auditorium and the garage to fit all the crates.
“It’s mortifying,” employee Julie Ruppel said. “It’s unimaginable what we’re seeing.”
In other news, Batavia's Rotary Club will be holding auditions for its upcoming musical production of Singing in the Rain. Auditions for the November performance will be held on September 3, 4 and 5 in the Batavia High School from 7:00 to 10:00pm.
