Cover Articles
Cocalico High School Playmakers Present “The Drowsy Chaperone”
Shopping News Photo by Donald Reese
The Cocalico High School Playmakers are proud to announce their upcoming spring production of the hilarious, Tony Award-winning musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone.” This “musical within a comedy” will take the stage at the Cocalico High School Auditorium for three performances: Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14 at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, March 15 at 2:00 p.m.
Shown in the photo, from left to right, are (front) Evelyn Ackerman, Abagail Cooney, Michael Zepp, Reagan Martin, Fiona Chisholm; (back) Elizabeth Amudala, Rylan Sahm, Jiselle Rios, Carson Weaver, Libby Elmore, Bryce Goshert, Beckah Koehle and Toby Davis.
“The Drowsy Chaperone” begins when a die-hard theater fan—known simply as “Man in Chair”—plays his favorite cast album on his turntable. As the record spins, the fictional 1928 musical comes to life in his living room. The result is a madcap celebration of the Jazz Age, featuring a pampered Broadway starlet, her tuxedo-clad groom, a frantic producer, two gangsters posing as pastry chefs, a misguided Don Juan, and, of course, a very “drowsy” chaperone.
“This show is a love letter to anyone who has ever found comfort in a great story,” says the production team. “It’s over-the-top, incredibly funny, and features some of the most energetic dance numbers our students have ever tackled.”
Tickets are available for purchase at the door or online through Cocalico’s official ticketing partner, On The Stage (onthestage.tickets/cocalico-high-school). Audiences are encouraged to secure their seats in advance to experience this high-energy production that features tap dancing, roller skating, and a healthy dose of theatrical magic.
Ephrata Middle School’s 528 Theatre To Present “Annie Jr.”
Shopping News Photo by Donald Reese
Ephrata Intermediate and Middle School’s 528 Theatre will present their spring musical, “Annie Jr.,” on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14 at 7:00 p.m. in the Middle School auditorium. There is an admission cost (cash) and tickets can be purchased at the door.
Shown in the photo, from left to right, are (front) Alyssa Fake, Hannah Beiler, Elise Martin, Oriana Behr, Danika Ramirez; (middle) Jillian Elligson, Molly Johnson, Mikhail Navarich; and (back) Taniyah Hill, Carolina Schaich, Mackenzie Shaffer, Miguel Hernandez and Kayliana Balmer.
“Annie Jr.” is the story of an orphan, Annie, in New York City during the Depression in 1933. After many years in an orphanage, she eventually is adopted.
The cast and support crew are made up of students in grades fifth through eighth. A total of 40 students are in the cast and 27 are in the support crew. The production staff includes: Mr. Danny L. Clark, Director, Vocal Assistant; Mrs. Elizabeth Alban, Assistant to the Director; Mrs. Mandy Ulrich, Costume Design, Make-up Design, Stage Manager, Properties; Mr. Rod Snyder, Set Design and Construction; Ms. Sandra Mulligan, Set Design and Set Painting; Mrs. Amy Apgar-Rodriguez, Admissions, Ticket Sales; Mr. Nicholas Wagner, Tech Support for Lights and Sound; Savannah Martin, Student Director; Leo Frey, Student Director; Davin Farve, Student Assistant to the Director; Selena Elliott, Student Choreographer; Phoenix Wessner, Student Music Assistant; and Erika Powell, Student Sound Board Mentor
The cast includes Brentlee Anderson, Kayliana Balmer, Jackson Beard, Oriana Behr, Hannah Beiler, Kurtis Brendle, Lena Brubaker, Briana Dom, Arina Dubova, Jillian Elligson, Sierra Estes, Alyssa Fake, Lucas Gold, Samantha Goodman, Molly Guerra, Jacob Hahn, Miguel Hernandez, Taniyah Hill, Molly Johnson, Bryson Klunk, Zoe Lindberg, Hannah Lutz, Elise Martin, Mikhail Navarich, Ellie Ornelas, Gavin Queena, Danika Ramirez, Kendra Ramirez, Sailor Reiff, Carolina Schaich, Mella Schantz, Christopher Shafer, Mackenzie Shaffer, Juliet Smith, Lucinda Snader, Karly Vida, Lily Vida, Kathryn Washington, Aiden Wilson and Sophie Wyland.
The support crew includes Savannah Bryan, Peighton Cerullo, Carelys Curbelo, Chloe Diaz, Ava Ellis, Lilah Getz, Micah Good, Marianne Hansell, Kelsey Hohlefelder, Brooklyn Johnson, Breana Miller, Grace Moundhala, Maya Mullen, Leah Myers, Skyler Null, Josie Ornelas, Elliza Reedy, Eden Reiff, Valentina Ries, Samantha Shafer, Lillian Shirk, Kara Shuey, Alexandra Smith, Willow Sweigert, Aria West, Annakia White and Lillian Wolfe.
Where In The World Contest Winner
Would you like to win $50 next month? Enter The Shopping News “Where In The World” contest! As always, we’ve received many interesting entries this month and it was difficult to pick a winner. There were entries from Turks and Caicos, Aruba, Ireland and more!
The winner for the month of February, shown in the photo, is Bethany Umble of Ephrata, who is shown in front of the Independence Monument in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She chose to receive her $50 gift card to Fashion Cents.
Could the next winner be you? Once a month one winner will be selected and they will receive a $50 gift card from any regular Shopping News advertiser of their choice as their prize. To read all of the contest criteria and get an entry form, see page 6A. Check out our Facebook page in the near future to see all of the entries we have received to date!
Ephrata Area Social Services March For Meals Initiative
Shopping News Photo by Donald Reese
Ephrata Area Social Services (EASS) is inviting the community to take part in March For Meals, a National Nutrition Month initiative supporting local seniors through the Meals on Wheels program.
Shown in the photo, from left to right, are Cindy Mellinger, Meals on Wheels volunteer; Casey Ellis, Executive Director; and Robin Boyer, Program Coordinator.
As food insecurity continues to rise across the Ephrata and Cocalico communities, more older adults are facing the reality of going without consistent, nutritious meals. The campaign raises critical funding and awareness to help ensure seniors remain nourished, independent and connected during a time of growing need. Each year, the program delivers more than 16,500 meals and serves an average of 89 homebound individuals each month, yet the demand continues to increase as resources become more limited.
“At EASS, we want to make sure our most vulnerable neighbors have access to food and the support they deserve,” said Casey Ellis, Executive Director of Ephrata Area Social Services. “This campaign helps us get creative and responsive so we can continue feeding the neighbors who need it most.”
Every $10 donation helps provide a full day of nourishment, including both a hot and cold meal, while monthly gifts help sustain the program year-round despite ongoing funding challenges.
Pathways Homeschool Participates In Creating Experiential Dementia Program
Shopping News Photo by Donald Reese
In September 2024, a group of junior high school students from Pathways Homeschool embarked on an adventure with Garden Spot Village.
Shown in the photos going clockwise, starting at the top left are (from left to right) students Sadie Addison, Hannah Culbert and Gretchen Garman working with residents on puzzles; next Sarah Metzler and MaKenzie Murray are shown working on a craft with residents; Hannah Culbert helps a resident complete a puzzle; Noah Horst and Tessa Brubaker work with a resident placing stickers on a craft; and lastly, Riley Hartman and Hailey Long socialize with some residents while they put a craft together.
The partnership is sponsored by Garden Spot Communities’ Human Resources Department. The homeschool community goal was to build intergenerational relationships with residents living at Meadow View Memory Care while learning more about dementia, how it affects the brain and best practices for interacting with people who are living with dementia.
Now in its second year, the program has fostered greater understanding, compassion, and intergenerational relationships. ForgeWorks Dementia Educator and Consultant Melody Karick has created four two-hour training sessions for junior high school students, which they participate in from September through December.
The training sessions include academic lessons about dementia as well as experiential lessons. The students learn the parts of the brain and how the brain functions, how dementia affects the brain, the symptoms of aging versus dementia and tools for positive communication and interaction with people living with dementia. The experiential part of the sessions includes a modified dementia experience, a powerful learning opportunity that literally puts individuals in the shoes of someone living with dementia.
The second half of their fall visits include 90 minutes in Meadow View interacting with residents. Eliza Brown, resilient living coordinator for Meadow View, plans interactions that reinforce the teaching Melody provides in the first half of the morning.
Eliza stated, “Having the Pathways students come spend time at Meadow View monthly has been, and continues to be, a joy and a privilege. The energy they bring courses through the households in such a palpable way. Increasingly, with every visit I can see the students incorporating what they’ve learned about interacting with those living with brain changes. From slowing down the speed of their words, to changing the volume and tone of their voice, shifting their orientation to eye-level and repeating themselves patiently, all the minor adjustments they’ve learned to make have lent to the successful deepening of relationships here. More importantly, the connections that have been formed have been so encouraging. I love to see how the students interact with the residents as friends now, as some of the students have been visiting for two years! The students and residents alike are comfortable with each other now, and even if the residents don’t always remember the monthly visits, they are always delighted that the students are there to spend their morning hanging out with them.” Whatever the students come to partner with residents on, whether it’s making items together to sell at Meadow View’s annual Christmas Bazaar, putting together care packages for M.C.C., or even just creating a scrapbook for residents to look through to remember their time with the Pathways students, every project is intentionally curated to benefit both the students and the residents. By combining the knowledge the students have gained, the friendships formed, the abilities and wisdom of the residents, and the spunk, patience, and kindness of everyone involved, this partnership has proved to be one of the highlights of our month every month.
From January through May, the students continue their visits to Meadow View, building on their communication skills, relationships and understanding of what it means to live with dementia. The partnership has offered an incredible opportunity for Pathways students and their families to gain greater understanding of dementia. While students at Pathways were at first apprehensive about interacting with residents with memory loss at Meadow View, they have grown to love the opportunity to go each month and put what they have learned about dementia into practice while doing crafts, playing games and other activities with the residents. Tessa Brubaker sums it up well, “I thought it was a bit strange at first. I didn’t understand why people came here and what I was supposed to do. But as I spent more and more time with all these wonderful people and learned about the deep world of our brains, it helped me be more comfortable interacting with the residents.” Other students mentioned, “it’s like having a whole bunch of grandparents to love,” and “once you get to know each other, it’s like having another friend.” The dementia training provides students with the tools they need to feel comfortable communicating with people with memory loss. Skills such as approaching slowly in front of the resident rather than their side, speaking slowly and face to face, asking simple questions, and giving options for responding are all things the students put into practice. Hannah Culbert observed, “One thing that stuck out to me with dementia is that you need patience. It may take a few seconds for a question to process in their brain and a little longer for them to answer the question. You also may need to repeat a question over and over.” For all the students, it’s about building relationships. Each month, they look forward to the planned activities but mostly love getting to talk with their friends despite age differences and cognitive abilities.