Each year on and around Pearl Harbor Day—commemorating the December 7 1941 surprise attack by Japanese forces on the Pearl Harbor U.S Hawaii—there are several days of remembrance moments and events As flags fly at half-staff around the nation as a symbol of respect and remembrance, the young Clevelanders in the two marching bands will take part in the remembrance by performing in the 2024 Pearl Harbor WWII Memorial Parade in Honolulu this Saturday band director of Shaw High School Marching Band in East Cleveland says he is thinking in the big picture as he prepares the Mighty Cardinals band for the trip of a lifetime Shaw High School Marching Band performs at Lone Sailor statue unveiling in Voinovich Park in October 2024 under direction of Randy Woods“To have the opportunity to to put ourselves in a space to honor our veterans and those who are currently serving—it’s a beautiful thing,” Woods says proudly but there’s a greater good we’re trying to accomplish.” The school was invited to attend by Historic Programs which plays a large role in organizing groups to perform in the parade While the Shaw band is made up mostly of high school students there are 60 talented members that span grades three through 12 “Look closely and you’ll see a lot of small members,” Woods explains “We’re actually a district band and we all play together.” The youngest students will join their older bandmates to take in the historical experience as they showcase their musical talents he says this trip will be an experience he will keep close to his heart as he leads the group I think this is an incredible opportunity for our students,” Woods explains “Most adults don’t even get that opportunity to travel there For them to be able to do this and prepare for this and actually do well there – it’s incredible.” The Warrensville Heights High School (WHHS) Marching Band will head to Hawaii this week to showcase their local talent in a national Warrensville Heights High School band director Donshon Wilson and band member Nadia KellyWarrensville Heights’ Tiger Band will make the journey to Honolulu this week alongside Shaw and also play in the annual 2024 Pearl Harbor WWII Memorial Parade A representative from the Pearl Harbor Foundation called the school and offered the invitation to perform in Hawaii citing marching band director Donshon Wilson’s leadership and his success in the band program over the past four years “It’s pretty cool—[Wilson] just stopped practice and he was running around,” says band member and WHHS junior Wilson has watched his 60 students grow under his direction He calls them “scholars” and treats them as such To travel and compete nationally during the season the band members need to keep up their grade point averages to stay in the band adding that their perseverance has paid off with the opportunity to respectfully commemorate the events at Pearl Harbor “We’re really hoping for our students to understand opportunities like this,” he says I’m even excited for the plane ride!” The significance of playing in the band on National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is not lost on her so it’s very much an honor and I feel very privileged in that they asked us,” Kelly reflects while wearing her band uniform Woods says he and his Shaw band members are excited and ready to hop on a plane after waiting years for this opportunity “We were actually invited a few years back,” he shares the band wasn’t able to pull together funding to go The opportunities really started to roll in so we’re very grateful.” Woods says one of those opportunities came in October. “KeyBank made a very generous donation for the trip,” he recalls so it’s great to have this connection in our community and have the opportunity to be a recipient of their good graces.” is part of a group of staff and family members who are veterans in both active and reserve military who volunteer and spend time and energy on military-related causes The marching bands’ invites to the Pearl Harbor memorial parade fell in line with the group’s mission “Our arts teams—they’re a craft I feel are underappreciated and at times “It’s near and dear to me and I personally wanted to make sure it’s a moment we supported and they’re a good representation of Cleveland in Hawaii.” While the Shaw band’s trip is booked and they’ll board a flight on December 5 there’s still a need for additional fundraising to close the gap—even after much support by businesses and others “The total price tag for the entire trip is approximately $250,000,” says Woods While the district provided what the band needed to make the trip happen they’re still taking donations to offset that cost in the amount of around $75,000 with approximately the same number of students making the trip as Shaw If you’d like to contribute to the Shaw High School Marching Band’s trip to Hawaii you can call Shaw High School at (216) 268-6500 to make a donation arrangement Checks can be made out to “East Cleveland city schools—Shaw band to Hawaii” and mailed to Shaw High School Warrensville Heights High School Marching Band is also accepting Online contributions for its trip This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page 2025 at 1:47 pm CSTExpandBeth Stafford Laird (from left) plays Anna and Jake DiMaggio Lopez is Hans in Paramount Theatre’s Midwest regional premiere of Disney’s "Frozen: The Broadway Musical," on stage through Jan Two very popular suburban theaters offer a variety of shows that will beat the winter doldrums Paramount Theatre shepherds a trio of Aurora venues that stage ongoing world-class productions “Million Dollar Quartet” has been extended by popular demand through June at the new Stolp Island Theatre It was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical on Broadway Stolp Island Theatre’s inventive concept creates an immersive musical that relays the story of four legends (Elvis Presley Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins) and their Sun Studio start The intimate Copley Theatre presents the musical comedy “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” from March 12-April 27 Winning two Tony Awards and a Drama Desk Award the musical takes place at the fictional Putnam Valley Middle School and relies heavily on audience participation Paramount’s Broadway Series continues on the main stage in the grandly ornate Art Deco theater: “Frozen,” the musical based on the 2013 Disney film about two sisters and Elsa’s magical powers continues through Jan a waitress and expert pie maker dreaming of a way out of her small Southern town and rocky marriage will be a Midwest regional premiere playing Feb “Cats,” Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical fantasy based on the 1939 poetry collection “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T.S In Arlington Heights Metropolis’s 2025 season includes a wide range of shows A staged concert of “Mary Poppins” runs Feb It’s produced in collaboration with the Metropolis School of the Performing Arts of which Director Danny Kapinos is a former student based on one of Disney’s most popular movies combines elements of a traditional concert with light staging and choreography and a live orchestra with full instrumentation allowing the audience to focus on vocal performances and the music the jukebox musical comedy “Rock of Ages” runs May 1-25 a city boy and their rock ’n’ roll romance on the Sunset Strip Tony Award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig’s “Dear Jack and telling the nostalgic story of Ludwig’s parents during World War II and their courtship Metropolis plans to announce a new artistic director at the end of January and future productions for the 2025-26 season by the end of February a hit-or-miss patron or Eventbrite supporter It allows us to see a different perspective than our own We share space and experience with the artists who are performing Live theater is a unique experience that never can be replicated Take advantage of what area theaters offer you • Regina Belt-Daniels is a veteran of more than 40 shows in the northern Illinois area McHenry County College’s Black Box Theatre This is her 10th year of writing theater reviews for Shaw Local News Network • INFORMATION: 847-577-2121, metropolisarts.com • INFORMATION: 630-896-6666, paramountaurora.com Player: Ketron “KC” ShawSchool: Maryland Eastern ShoreHeight: 6’5 Phenom Hoops continues to monitor players even at the next level as we are always happy to see the success stories of players at the collegiate level One player who has proven many wrong and has taken advantage of the opportunities ahead of him has been Ketron Shaw who started his collegiate career at Winston-Salem State and is now at Maryland Eastern Shore he is having an absolute superb start to the season as the 6’5 prospect has been assertive offensively Shaw has always been one who understands how to use his length and athleticism to his advantage and creating extremely well in finishing or getting to the line (averages 11 free throws a game) has taken advantage of the opportunities ahead of him and has continued to get better and being a strong offensive creator.  This is a young man that has put in the work and the hard work is now paying off “It’s easy to see the next-level ability with Shaw so his lack of recruitment remains somewhat perplexing well-rounded guard with a nice blend of IQ Shaw has shown the ability to dictate an offense as the focal point or find opportunities within a role but is successful and productive in both settings He’s an efficient scoring option from all levels but is arguably at his best when getting downhill and attacking the basket Expect more offers to come piling in sooner than later.” “Shaw has been a known name in North Carolina for quite some time now but it still feels like he goes under the radar as far as his game and recognition it seems that he wanted to make a statement at the Jamboree Bash and that he did athletic prospect that knows how to operate and use his length getting on the offensive and defensive boards and knocking down shots from an array of levels It is time for coaches to start learning the name of KC Shaw more and expect him to have a big year in North Carolina.” Maryland Eastern Shore Junior KC Shaw has had a great start to his season. So far he’s averaging 25 PPG5 RPG4 APG52% FG43% 3FGShaw transferred into D1 this season and has made a major impact showcasing his shot making, athleticism, and playmaking in a big way. pic.twitter.com/f0LavXcPLf admin March 23, 20242024 Incidents, Home, March 2024 Photo courtesy of Adams County Fire Rescue Crews arrived to a working fire and started fire attack and the primary search The fire was quickly extinguished and all residents made it out of the home safely Additional information provided by Adams County Fire Rescue Glendale Heights Village President Chodri Khokhar was removed from the spring ballot on Monday during a contentious hearing before the village’s electoral board The board ruled 3-0 that all of the signature sheets that Khokhar submitted with his nominating petition should be declared invalid because the paperwork exhibited a pattern of fraud The panel consisted of Trustee Chester Pojack Trustee Mary Schroeder and Village Clerk Marie Schmidt yelled at the electoral board members before and after the ruling Why Glendale Heights village president could be thrown off ballot The objector, Matthew Corbin, argued that on at least 12 sheets, people signed for other people. Some signatures had been ruled invalid by the DuPage County clerk’s office. Corbin submitted an affidavit from one man who swore he did not sign the petition. Khokhar, who represented himself, testified that he circulated all 24 petition sheets himself. “I did not let anybody sign on behalf of another person,” he said. Khokhar accused the electoral board of violating his constitutional rights by not letting him question Corbin, who did not attend the meeting. But the electoral board’s attorney said there was no right to do so because it was a civil — not a criminal — procedure. He also said objectors are not required to attend hearings. Corbin was represented by lawyer Tiffany Nelson Jaworski. “Why are there so many discrepancies?” Pojack asked Khokhar, at which point Khokhar pointed at Schmidt and accused her of being corrupt. Khokhar yelled at Jaworski, accusing her of testifying and falsely accusing him of intimidating potential witnesses. He called her shameful and said he was going to file a complaint against her with the state’s attorney registration and discipline commission. During his summation, Khokhar told the board last Friday that he asked DuPage County Chief Judge Bonnie Wheaton to remove the electoral board members. He claims they have long been biased against him. “This is a racist board. I am tired of it,” resident Tony Andrade exclaimed from the gallery. Andrade’s signature for Khokhar was challenged but upheld. Khokhar also wanted to have testimony regarding bias by the board. However, the board’s attorney, Michael Kasper, said that was not relevant. As Andrade was interjecting, Kasper threatened to have two police officers clear the room. “We will have decorum,” Kasper said. The yelling continued after the hearing, with Khokhar and Pojack coming nearly nose-to-nose as Pojack left the room. The board also removed mayoral candidate Edward Pope, who had one fewer signature than needed. He needed 102 signatures to be on the ballot and collected 121. However, the county clerk ruled that 19 signatures were invalid for various reasons. The board then ruled the signatures of a married couple invalid because they had previously signed a petition for another village president candidate, Mike Ontiveroz. Under state law, you can only sign a petition for one candidate seeking a position. Ontiveroz, James Sullivan, Trustee Mike Light and Rebecca Giannelli are the remaining candidates running for village president. Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network Ohio — East Cleveland Police are investigating three shootings within two hours near Shaw High School early Monday The Labor Day violence injured at least six people and happened hours after official events wrapped up for an annual Shaw all-class reunion And this shouldn’t happen,” said Michael Tucker a 1984 Shaw High School graduate and the current vice president of the Shaw Alumni Association Tucker and other volunteers were spending Monday afternoon picking up litter along Euclid Avenue from overnight discarded food and empty cans was left in the wake of a violent evening ‘Man I’ve got to get down there.’ I just felt compelled to come down here and help any way that I could,” said David Webb who lives in East Cleveland and is in the process of starting a nonprofit to clean up the city's blighted properties East Cleveland officers responded to Euclid Ave and Collamer Street for a man with reported gunshot wounds They found the man and a woman who had also been shot in the area officers near Euclid and Shaw Avenues heard an excessive amount of gunfire coming from the Mobil gas station At least three people were found with gunshot wounds officers responded several blocks away to Elwood Road They found another man with gunshot wounds All victims were taken to University Hospitals for treatment East Cleveland Police said the victims' conditions were unknown Monday afternoon and investigators are searching for suspects The shootings happened hours after official events concluded in the annual Shaw High School all-class reunion the Association doesn't have anything to do with that," Tucker said He was celebrating his class's 40th reunion over the weekend The Alumni Association helped plan the events for any classes including fundraisers for a scholarship and to help send the Shaw High School band to Hawaii for the Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade “In no way [is] what happened attached to what we do It’s about the children at Shaw High School,” Tucker said East Cleveland City Council President Twon Billings said the Shaw High School Reunion is a weekend-long event that brings together graduates and community members of all ages He was devastated that what was supposed to be a happy event turned violent Billings believes the police shortage affected the events that transpired Monday morning "You have to have a presence out here,” said Billings “When you got thousands of people traveling through the city and there's no enforcement here University Heights and various of different ambulances and fire departments It’s a tragic shame all the people that were shot Billings went on to say East Cleveland leaders need to make combating gun violence a priority to see change in the community “We already having problems with our budget,” Billings added We have already concerns not less to be having this type of News 5 previously reported on another shooting in East Cleveland on Labor Day outside a bar following the Shaw High School reunion East Cleveland police said one person was killed and at least 10 were injured in the 2022 shooting RELATED: Approximately 10 people shot, 1 killed at lounge in East Cleveland early Labor Day morning, police say Alumni believe outsiders are ruining a positive reunion weekend “We’re not the ones out here fighting and shooting These are people coming from other areas,” said one volunteer cleaning up Monday “We have a lot of outsiders that come just to party And unfortunately we don’t have any control over that.” “There should be more of us out here doing this - cleaning up,” he said If you were in the area of Euclid Avenue and/or Elwood Road in the City of East Cleveland and have any information relative to this incident contact the East Cleveland Detective Bureau at (216) 681-2162 or Crime Stoppers at 216-252-7463 (216-25-CRIME) If the information you provide leads to the arrest and/or conviction of the person responsible you could be eligible for up to a $5000.00 reward A former secretary to Glendale Heights Village President Chodri Khokhar is suing him, contending he violated her civil rights by asking her to do tasks she contends were unethical and illegal. Jasjeet Sangha is also suing the village, saying it should have done something to protect her when she complained she was being harassed by village trustees and discriminated against because of her race. The suit was filed last Aug. 8 in federal court. Khokhar said Tuesday he would not comment about the lawsuit until he consults with his attorney. The suit says Sangha was subjected to hostile behavior by trustees Mohammed Siddiqi and Chester Pojack, who oppose Khokhar. She says Siddiqi “vilified” her by repeatedly saying she was hired because she was related to Khokhar when she was not. The suit also said that when Siddiqi learned that she spoke Punjabi, which Khokhar also speaks, Siddiqi told her it was “a language of the uneducated.” The suit does not name Siddiqi or Pojack as defendants. Trustee Siddiqi says he is American. The lawsuit says he and Khokhar are of Pakistani descent. Sangha is of Indian descent, according to the lawsuit. Siddiqi said, in an email Tuesday night, that Sangha falsely accused him and Pojack. He said the village hired an independent investigator to look in to her allegations, and that the investigator determined he and Pojack were “not guilty.” The lawsuit said Khokhar asked her to make campaign fliers and other materials for trustee candidates he supported in the 2023 election on village time, and that she refused. It also said he asked her to suspend the business license of political rival Mike Ontiveros, who had run against Khokhar for president and is a vocal critic. When she refused, Khokhar turned on her, telling the acting village administrator to fire her. He berated her, the lawsuit said, and began removing her job duties and not giving her information needed for her job after he learned she had spoken to investigators after Khokhar was indicted in 2023 on felony charges of disorderly conduct. Khokhar was elected in 2021. He and Siddiqi have clashed ever since. DuPage County prosecutors say Khokhar filed false police reports saying that Siddiqi had threatened to bite him during an encounter in spring 2023 at the village hall. Sangha’s suit said she was a witness to the incident, and he became upset with her after learning investigators had interviewed her. It also says that Khokhar told her in October 2023 to illegally delay responding to a records request from Siddiqi. Sangha refused. Then, she transferred to a lower-paying job with the police department, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of damages, including lost back and front pay. https://www.dailyherald.com/20240813/news/ex-secretary-sues-glendale-heights-village-president/ The Fayetteville City Council on Monday is scheduled to consider one more time a resolution calling for the annexation of Shaw Heights which was hammered out by a committee last week zoning and inspecting authority to Eureka Springs and 17 other unincorporated mostly undeveloped areas bordering the city at City Hall and includes the monthly public forum the council will consider giving final approval to a revised dam policy the city would repair private dams damaged during a natural disaster the city would levy a special tax on affected homeowners around the dam to recoup the costs The council informally approved the new dam policy last week Shaw Heights is an impoverished community off Murchison Road The proposed annexation would include nearby Julie Heights Because the Outer Loop runs near Shaw Heights city officials are expecting private redevelopment to boost land values making the unincorporated “doughnut hole” more enticing to some council members On the council's agenda is a resolution of support for House Bill 109 which would allow the involuntary annexation municipalities haven't been able to easily undertake forced annexations themselves who has asked the council to pass the resolution After the council gave the proposal a mixed vote last week a committee drafted a new resolution that calls for extending the city's “extraterritorial jurisdiction,” or ETJ to Shaw Heights and Julie Heights by June 30 The resolution also seeks to extend the ETJ to Eureka Springs a neighborhood with several hundred homes off McArthur Road The resolution does not seek to annex those areas Voting on the committee for the new resolution were councilmen Ted Mohn Mayor Nat Robertson said he didn't like the new resolution because it would impose city rules on residents who could not vote in city elections it's almost worse than annexation,” Robertson said Floyd called the new resolution “a starting point,” and said he would have to ask the General Assembly staff to review it for legal sufficiency Staff writer Andrew Barksdale can be reached at barksdalea@fayobserver.com or 486-3565 presents a bouquet to the title character in the Metropolis production of "Mary Poppins: A Staged Concert," playing through March 9 I will admit I have never attended a stage concert of anything before But the Metropolis production of Disney’s “Mary Poppins: A Staged Concert” definitely has put me in the fan column Marvelously character cast by casting director Robin Hughes and directed by Danny Kapinos, this is a well-paced and impactfully flowing production of “Mary Poppins,” playing through March 9 in Arlington Heights Kapinos also has a supportive creative team: Choreography by Tiffany Gates provides spirited whimsical and dynamic dance moves; Alexandra Raffini has dressed the principals in era-appropriate costumes (love Mary Poppins' red coat and the Banks family’s outfits); Dan Frank’s lighting design moves the production through all sorts of colored hues and spotlighting to stars on the scrim and walls – simple and effective – and Sean Slaber’s sound engineering of Bill Franz’s sound design keeps the volume fluid Alexandra Raffini and Travis Hoying’s prop designs are remarkably creative for this concert (especially the kites) And remember that this production is song-heavy (with 16 in the first act and 11 in the second) and British has mastered it all from the anticipated cockney to upper-class pronunciation 16-piece orchestra clearly visible onstage Kaplan received applause and cheers the minute he turned around The musical concert also is based on the book by Julian Fellowes and the original music and lyrics by brothers Richard and Robert Sherman The original production was co-created by theatrical producer Cameron Mackintosh of “Les Misérables,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Miss Saigon” and “Oliver!” to mention a few successes new songs and additional music and lyrics are by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe this production is in collaboration with the Metropolis School of the Performing Arts Dance and a live orchestra enhance the Metropolis production of "Mary Poppins: A Staged Concert," playing through March 9 There is a vibrant ensemble of 44 who all enter on the overture There are five ensemble members I particularly enjoyed: Nicholas Ian as Neleus much poised; the character is separated from his father causing him to be lonely but happy to befriend Jane and Michael Rachel Carreras as the Bird Woman reflects the hardness of life as she tries to sell her bags of crumbs to passersby who ignore her She does a touchingly lovely version of the song “Feed the Birds.” Natalie Henry is a mysteriously aging Mrs whose scene provides the origin of the word “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” Henry has a beautiful speaking voice Mary Poppins brings her two charges to purchase 2 ounces of conversation with Mrs the fumbling servant and clumsy houseboy who never gets things right the Banks’ cook and housekeeper; overworked and complaining The principals arrive via recognizable modes in the overture Evan Bradford’s portrayal is spot-on and charming and has a natural and appropriate chemistry with the other characters the stern banker who has little to do with his children order and of women staying at home to run the household and have tea parties “for the very best people.” Longo’s emotional armor and transitions are heartbreaking Meghan McCandless is an engaging and warm Winifred Banks A former actress devoted to her children and George trying to live up to George’s model wife and mother – until the spitfire in her emerges in Act Two The Banks family is changed by the title character in the Metropolis production of "Mary Poppins: A Staged Concert," playing through March 9 The impudent Banks children are portrayed by Molly Hamada as Michael Banks and Eleanor Merrick as Jane Banks She tells Bert that her father would not approve of him She is truly a “perfect in every way” Mary Poppins delightful and playful with an incredible vocal range tidy and at times frightening – she can talk to and understand dogs and birds Sportiello makes this Mary Poppins a powerful and phenomenal character So why not pop into the Metropolis' lovely and touching staged concert for a family experience (Free parking is available in the public garage on levels 1 The show is appropriate for ages 5 and older.) • Regina Belt-Daniels has been in love with the theater since she was cast as a bossy Mother Goose (type casting?) in a first-grade production She has appeared onstage and backstage in many capacities ranging from performer to director in many area theaters This is her 11th year of writing reviews for Shaw Local News Network • WHERE: Metropolis Performing Arts Centre • INFORMATION: 847-577-2121, metropolisarts.com X Happy birthday sign and balloons on school locker Can you imagine marking the birthdays of more than 2,000 people With the help of a massive spreadsheet and a talented office manager she hand-delivers a birthday card to every student and staff member in her suburban Denver school Blunt talked to Chalkbeat about how recognizing birthdays helps her get to know students what a mother’s emotional reaction made her realize and why she gave a teacher a pass during a lesson that went awry Blunt was recently named the 2018 High School Principal of the Year for Colorado by the National Association of Secondary School Principals This interview has been condensed and lightly edited My first job was at Shaw Heights Middle School in Westminster teaching physical education and health I have always had a strong desire to work with young adults and inspire them to reach goals through education My parents always stressed the importance of a good education and how that can positively impact a person’s life and I wanted to share that same philosophy with others My day at school is not complete unless I get the opportunity to connect with at least one student I believe it is our social responsibility to help positively impact at least one person’s life each day I get to know students by showing them that I genuinely care about them Every morning I try to start my day by being out in the hallways and telling them good morning and to have a great day I make every attempt to support our students at extracurricular activities such as concerts I look for opportunities to bring the student voice into building decisions through the principal’s advisory committee that I established when I became principal I also love celebrating birthdays so I hand-deliver a birthday card to each of our students and staff members on their birthdays I have a lot of help organizing this with my office manager Recently I was in a teacher’s classroom for a formal observation on a Friday afternoon right before spring break I had thought about postponing the observation because I anticipated the students would be restless but I also wanted to honor the teacher’s intentional and thoughtful planning for the evaluation The lesson did not go as the teacher had planned and I felt her stress and frustration quickly I reassured her that we all have those kind of days where even our best laid plans do not go as expected and it was OK She is a great educator and I hope that she felt supported – I look forward to being in her classroom again in the next week A couple of years ago I wanted to start up a system of “giving back” and “paying it forward,” so I created a campaign called Norse Cares I am proud to say that climate and culture we have inside our building is built on treating others with kindness and we look for a variety of different ways to help our Norse families and community members During winter break we provided gifts and food to 120 students We provided three books to each kindergarten students at North Mor Elementary School In October we raised money to put together 60 bags for cancer patients enduring chemotherapy at the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center in Thornton Student discipline is one of the toughest parts of being an administrator Great people make poor decisions from time to time and I believe it is really important to discipline the behavior and not the person What I mean by that is that you can have a hard conversation with someone without making it personal I always try and handle discipline situations with dignity and kindness so that the student knows that I care about them through those tough times The hardest part of my job has been handling the death of a student or staff member We are blessed with the opportunity to work with over 2,000 students every year and you make every effort to get to know them Four years ago I was working with the family of an incoming ninth grader who did not live within our school boundaries Their son Frank had applied to our STEM biomedical and engineering pathway a four-year program that allows students to earn college credit and work closely with industry partners The family knew that we had a waiting list to get into the program and waited anxiously to find out if Frank was accepted At our spring STEM celebration that year the family learned that Frank had been accepted and Frank’s mom came over to me with tears streaming down her cheeks I will never forget her words as she told me how we were going to change her son’s life forever Frank is a senior at our school and will be graduating in May Not only has Northglenn High School and our STEM education changed Frank’s life and his future he has changed our lives too – Frank and his family inspire me every day They are a great reminder of the true value of education and the work we do every day The issue having a big impact on our school and every other school would probably be school funding and other financial responsibilities have a negative impact on daily operations we are addressing the issue by seeking grants and other resources to provide the best quality education for our students The best advice I have received is to end each day on a positive note and wake up every morning with a grateful heart “Not every day is a good day but there is good in every day.” CHALKBEAT IS A CIVIC NEWS COMPANY NEWSROOM ©2025 2024 at 1:57 pm CSTExpandScrooge (Stephen Connell of Crystal Lake left) encounters the ghost of Jacob Marley (Kent Joseph) in "A Christmas Carol" at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights (Photo provided by Metropolis and Jennifer Heim Photography) Crystal Lake resident Stephen Connell reprises his role as Ebenezer Scrooge for the 11th time in the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre production of “A Christmas Carol,” playing through Dec. 23 in Arlington Heights specifically his emotional journey: “the range of experience – both good and bad – that he goes through Charles Dickens wrote “A Christmas Carol” as a novella published first in London in 1843 under the title “A Christmas Carol in Prose: Being a Ghost Story of Christmas.” Dickens was influenced by the experience of his own youth after paying visits to a school for London’s destitute children Metropolis’ play this year is an adaptation by Jacqueline Goldfinger well-paced production is directed by Jeff Award winner Lorenzo Rush Jr. and clocks in at 80 minutes with no intermission multiple-role ensemble cast of 27 is enhanced by a strong creative team: music direction by Ken McMullen; a simple and effective scenic design by Mara Zinky and Jonathan Berg-Einhorn; and costumes by Grace Weir that are visually attractive although I do wish Marley had more chains weighing him down Wilkins and sound by Stefanie Senior are flawless and choreography by Kaity Paschetto (especially in the Fezziwig scene) is both engaging and entertaining The cast looks like they are having so much fun center left) and Bob Cratchit (Gabriel Fries center right) hold up Tiny Tim (Christian Lucas) in "A Christmas Carol" at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights the Crachits are relegated to basically two scenes: Christmas dinner (Christmas Present) and Tiny Tim’s death (Christmas Future) Gabriel Fries plays Tiny Tim’s father and does a wonderful job portraying the impoverished hard-working clerk (for 15 shillings per week at the firm of Scrooge & Marley Counting House) (Love that toast in which she refuses to include Scrooge’s name.) from left) employs Bob Cratchit (Gabriel Fries) in "A Christmas Carol" at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights Christian Lucas is a sweetly quiet Tiny Tim “Their shoes were far from being waterproof; their clothes were scanty … but they were happy Aaron Mann is exactly what I want in a Fezziwig His wife is played in rotation by Emily McCormick and Hannah Mary Simpson on the floor) accompanies the Ghost of Christmas Present (Jim LaPietra) in "A Christmas Carol" at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights Kent Joseph portrays both Marley and the enormously tall Ghost of Christmas Future; supported by special effects (Scrooge even admits Christmas Future is the spirit he fears the most.) As the Ghost of Christmas Past patient and beautifully voiced as she captures Scrooge’s “chatters” of things past Jim LaPietra as the Ghost of Christmas Present (aka Father Christmas) is nobly popular and heartwarming Jack Doherty (Fred) is a talent no matter what character he’s portraying His chemistry with Connell’s Scrooge is evident this is not the first time I’ve seen him as Scrooge illustrating the pleasure of performance and words and alternates between razor-sharp and touching emotions You believe he is cut off from humanity after his empathy-free call to “decrease the surplus population” (he fortunately is shown the errors of his beliefs by the three ghosts Marley warns him are coming) The year 2024 marks Metropolis’ 25th anniversary What better way to celebrate than with the Yuletide treasure and tradition of “A Christmas Carol!” (The show is appropriate for ages 5 and older.) • Regina Belt-Daniels has been writing theater reviews for Shaw Local News Network for better than 10 years She also has served on several Illinois theater boards and acted and directed in more than 40 shows in the area ranging from the Raue Center For The Arts and Elgin Art Showcase to The Black Box Theatre at McHenry County College • COST: Tickets start at $45; $24 for students A DuPage County judge has denied Glendale Heights Village President Chodri Khokhar’s request to have the county clerk stop preparing the April 1 consolidated election ballot while the court considers whether his name should appear on the ballot. Judge Bryan Chapman handed down the decision on Friday. Court records do not indicate why the judge denied the request. But the DuPage County clerk’s office said in a motion and exhibit it filed that it needs an answer on or before Feb. 14 so it can develop, proof and set the ballot in time to send them to military and overseas voters and for early voting. The village’s Municipal Officers Election Board decided on Dec. 23 to remove Khokhar from the ballot. It agreed with objector Matthew Corbin’s allegation that Khokhar’s election petitions exhibited a pattern of fraud. Corbin alleged that people signed others’ names on at least 12 of the 24 sheets in Khokhar’s petition and filed an affidavit from one man swearing that he did not sign Khokhar’s petition. The county clerk’s office also ruled some signatures were invalid. Khokhar said that he circulated all the sheets himself and that he did not allow anybody to sign on behalf of somebody else. In his court petition, Khokhar said the electoral board members are not experts on signatures and have no qualifications to review signatures. In addition, he argues the electoral board was biased against him because its three members — Trustee Chester Pojack, Trustee Mary Schroeder and Village Clerk Marie Schmidt — are supporting another mayoral candidate. He also accused Pojack of making a racist statement about a person who testified on Khokhar’s behalf at the electoral board hearing. Khokhar was elected village president in 2021. Meanwhile, Khokhar was in a criminal courtroom on Monday for a case where he is accused of threatening a village trustee and pushing the village’s police chief. Felony disorderly conduct charges were filed against Khokhar in August 2023. A misdemeanor battery charge was added in October 2023. In the disorderly conduct charges, Khokhar is accused of reporting to two police officers in April and May 2023 that Trustee Mohammad Siddiqi had threatened to bite him. He filed the reports knowing there were “no reasonable grounds for believing that the offense had been committed,” according to the grand jury indictment. The misdemeanor charge alleges Khokhar pushed Chief George Pappas with two hands on Oct. 25, 2023. https://www.dailyherald.com/20250127/local-politics/judge-denies-request-to-delay-ballot-in-glendale-heights-case/ A Mississippi man is charged with home invasion in connection with the fatal stabbing of a co-worker at a Prospect Heights motel But the person who committed the stabbing acted in self-defense and is not facing charges Remington Carroll, 23, appeared in court for a detention hearing Tuesday, when Cook County Judge Ellen Mandeltort ordered him held in the county jail on the home invasion charge officers called to the motel in the 500 block of North Milwaukee Avenue about 2:02 a.m 17 arrived to find man suffering from stab wounds The Cook County medical examiner’s office on Tuesday identified the man as Anthony B. Craven, 28, of Saucier, Mississippi. Funeral services for Craven are to be held Monday in McHenry, according to an obituary. An investigation found that Carroll and his co-workers were in the hallway about 1:55 a.m. when a motel guest asked them to quiet down, police said. An altercation ensued between Carroll — who police say was holding a beer bottle — his friends and the guest, according to police. Police said the guest took out a pocketknife to protect himself then closed the door to his room. Carroll and the others kicked at the door and demanded he come out, police said. When the man opened the door, Carroll and another man rushed in, police said. The motel guest stabbed the man, now identified as Craven, in the stomach, killing him, police said. Carroll was stabbed in the hand during the struggle and the motel guest also suffered injuries to his hands, officials said. After an investigation, police and Cook County prosecutors determined the motel guest acted in self-defense, authorities said. Carroll is scheduled to return to court Dec. 13. If convicted of home invasion, he faces between 6 and 30 years in prison. https://www.dailyherald.com/20241119/news/mississippi-man-charged-in-fatal-prospect-heights-stabbing/ Michelle is a reporter for the Northwest Herald that covers Crystal Lake, Cary, Lakewood, Prairie Grove, Fox River Grove and McHenry County College Many women are cutting themselves off from great relationships because they are convinced they will not get aroused if a man can’t reach something off the top shelf A few nights ago, for some reason, I got served a TikTok where (dating) actors Zendaya and Tom Holland were asked a question about their much-commented-on height difference. OK, the reason might be because I’d been scrolling TikTok for 25 minutes and earlier that day googled Zendaya’s height after seeing Dune: Part Two … but who knows In this TikTok, Zendaya replied that her mum is taller than her dad, so tall woman/shorter man relationships were always normal to her, and she didn’t even realise it was an issue until dating Tom (who also doesn’t find it an issue). To the gals out there with a minimum height requirement for romantic partners, I ask: why is tallness so important? Is it because you, as a woman, want to feel small, like Stuart Little? Are you afraid of your own power? Is it for a feeling of protection? I’m sorry to inform you that some of the biggest weak dweebs I know are 6ft and taller. Shorter men have a lower centre of gravity; they are agile – I know which one I’d want by my side if we were being attacked by a goose. It’s not that I don’t find tallness attractive – I do! But not to the exclusion of other heights, and only in the same way I find shortness attractive, or exact same height attractive, or someone fighting off a goose attractive. Read moreMy major concern in all of this is that many women are cutting themselves off from great sex because they have been convinced they will not get aroused if a man they like can’t reach something off the top shelf I can’t expect society to stop rewarding tall men for being tall but I do think women (and everyone) can make a difference by interrogating their own desires and expanding their stringent boundaries it opens you up to different kinds of people and experiences It’s time for tall men to have to prove themselves like everyone else and it’s time for the rest of us to be more like Zendaya Fayetteville and Cumberland County leaders say they are close to coming to terms on the county’s contribution to funding for a baseball stadium and its continued payment toward a parking deck Mayor Mitch Colvin said at the Fayetteville-Cumberland Liaison Committee meeting Wednesday that he and county commissioners’ Chairman Larry Lancaster have been discussing the issues “I think we’re making great progress,” he said The city is building a baseball stadium on Hay Street that will be home to the Houston Astros' minor league affiliate in the Carolina League The facility is expected to cost $33 million County commissioners agreed in September 2016 to help pay for the stadium but city officials expressed concern last week that the county was changing the terms of an agreement to pay for the Franklin Street parking garage City leaders said the changes to the parking deck agreement would cost the city $2.5 million County Manager Amy Cannon said in an interview last month that the changes to the parking garage agreement were discussed at a Baseball Committee meeting in December County commissioners at the meeting thought there was a verbal understanding that the changes would be made The county plans to help pay for the stadium the same way it helps pay for the garage with revenue it gets from a special tax district City officials say money from the parking deck agreement is being used to pay off debt from its construction The county’s proposal calls for the county to stop paying for the facility in 2025 A resolution passed by county commissioners calls for the county to provide 100 percent of the county’s part of the increased tax revenue to the stadium project for five years and 75 percent for another 15 years city and county officials agreed to study whether the county would consider giving the city authority to regulate development in the Shaw Heights area under an extra-territorial jurisdiction agreement Members of the committee talked about the possibility of the city annexing Shaw Heights The city would have to get support from a majority of residents in the area or ask the state General Assembly to complete the annexation through a law Billy Richardson said the City Council and county Board of Commissioners would have to approve of annexation for lawmakers to support it Committee members also got an update on the potential for a state grant to help pay for a joint 911 dispatch center but it was denied because the application wasn’t clear on whether the city or county would run the center The county later agreed for the city to run the center but the two sides could reach an agreement in time to apply again in December Assistant County Manager Tracy Jackson said at the meeting Wednesday state officials have indicated that future considerations for grants might focus more on technology upgrades than consolidation of two dispatch centers Lancaster also said at the meeting that he is working on a deal that would cover how sales tax revenues are split between the county State law says counties can divide sales tax revenue based on either property taxes or population The county would get more money with the property tax formula while the city and towns would benefit most by using population The money has traditionally been divided based on population county commissioners saw the county was losing revenue due to annexation They thought about changing to the property tax method All sides agreed after negotiations to keep using the population method to divide the money The city and towns agreed to share half the sales tax revenue they received as a result of annexations Staff writer Steve DeVane can be reached at sdevane@fayobserver.com or 486-3572 Fort Bragg Stories is a collaboration between The Fayetteville Observer and WUNC’s American Homefront Project to commemorate a century of history at Fort Bragg through personal narratives If you’d like to share your Fort Bragg story Smith High School may be on the horizon in Cumberland County Those are some of the projects the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners decided to pursue during a meeting Thursday to set goals for the next two years and the next 10 years Some of the priorities the commissioners set are: The school system is considering whether to replace E.E A possible new campus could be in the Shaw Heights neighborhood off Murchison Road near the Fayetteville Outer Loop the commissioners want to be prepared for the expense school officials and Fort Bragg officials recently met to consider the matter “It was a number of discussions on the table about whether to leave it where it is whether to tear it down and rebuild it there Fort Bragg has a school system for the children of military families who live on post so those students attend Cumberland County schools The school system wants the military to help pay for the new or renovated school Shaw Heights is considered an impoverished area Adams said a new high school there could be an economic engine for the community drawing development such as was seen after Jack Britt High School was built in western Cumberland County The commissioners decided to continue discussions with school officials and other parties on the idea Commissioner Jimmy Keefe said Cumberland County needs a children’s museum such as the Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh and the Museum of Life and Science in Durham The school system has 50,000 students and they shouldn’t have to travel out of town to visit an education-oriented museum Fayetteville has a small children’s museum downtown The Marbles museum and others like it are much larger and have far more elaborate exhibits The Greensboro Children’s Museum’s exhibits include a firetruck an airplane cockpit and a hospital operating room Commissioner Jeannette Council expressed doubts about spending money on a children’s museum and on another idea to provide more farmers markets around the county “but we’re talking about providing basics.” The county needs to upgrade the courthouse to make it more accessible for the disabled But look: We’ve got to do the meat-and-potatoes ideas,” she said The commissioners discussed combining the proposed children’s museum with a proposed performing arts center With the Crown Arena event space and the Crown Theatre both scheduled to close in the next few years there is pressure on the county commissioners to build a performing arts center or other facility for concerts A study is being conducted that is expected to provide guidance about what kind of venue can and should be built here The commissioners recently voted to spend $10.5 million to extend public water service to the Gray’s Creek community of southern Cumberland County where public schools and homeowners are using bottled water because of the GenX chemical contamination from the Chemours chemical plant The Gray’s Creek water project is a short-term goal the commissioners set while a countywide public water system is a long-term goal Other items on the commissioners’ list of priorities to study or pursue are: • A study of how to help homeless residents • A study on construction of a complex to house county offices • Improvement of public health services and mental health services • Moving county emergency services into a building the county recently purchased behind the Harris Teeter shopping center on Raeford Road Staff writer Paul Woolverton can be reached at pwoolverton@fayobserver.com and 910-486-3512 Where the city boundaries grew — and where they didn’t — offers a peek into a community’s vitality Here is a look at how boundaries have changed in Fayetteville A large portion of Fort Liberty is inside the city limits of Fayetteville and Spring Lake Most of Spring Lake’s land area is on post One side effect of this: Military personnel who live on post but inside the Fayetteville city limits can vote in Fayetteville City Council elections and run for a City Council seat or for mayor Those who live in the Spring Lake portion of Fort Liberty can participate in Spring Lake’s elections and run for mayor and the Board of Aldermen its own parks-and-recreation facilities and other municipal services The North Carolina General Assembly in 2008 extended Spring Lake and Fayetteville’s municipal boundaries onto what was then Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base at the request of the military and the municipalities The Fayetteville Observer reported at the time Fayetteville’s population jumped by 30,000 Shaw Heights neighborhood — too poor for Fayetteville to annex?On Oct Fayetteville’s infamous ”Big Bang” annexation took effect and swept in 46,000 people in 27 square miles of western Cumberland County This was done via an involuntary or forced annexation State law at the time allowed cities and towns to expand their boundaries across adjacent land without the permission of the property owners Western Cumberland County had grown up over the years with neighborhoods shopping centers and offices to city density It lacked amenities like sewer service (property owners used septic tanks) It also lacked the level of regulation that planners argued was necessary to guide development and growth in an urban area So Fayetteville brought it all into its boundaries the City Council excluded a poor neighborhood from the Big Bang annexation: Shaw Heights This is off Murchison Road at the Fort Liberty border The community of small houses and mobile homes remains surrounded by Fayetteville in what is known as a “doughnut hole,” but it is not a part of the city It is solely in Cumberland County’s jurisdiction Census data from 2020 says Shaw Heights had 781 residents in 2020 then-County Commissioner Tal Baggett accused the Fayetteville City Council of leaving out Shaw Heights because the properties would generate little tax revenue whose district surrounded the neighborhood there have been discussions of annexing Shaw Heights to bring its people city services and try to alleviate the poverty there But new laws that anti-annexation lawmakers enacted in 2011 and 2012 — in part in response to the Big Bang annexation — stopped involuntary annexations in North Carolina Residents in an area targeted for involuntary annexation now get to vote many western Fayetteville homes and businesses that were part of the 2005 Big Bang annexation are still waiting for sewer service The southwest side of Fayetteville shows another doughnut hole in the city limits: Gates Four This is an upscale gated country-club neighborhood that the 2020 census said had 1,589 residents The Fayetteville City Council originally planned to include Gates Four in the Big Bang annexation but backed off when residents said they would sue The City Council pursued Gates Four again several years later Gates Four lost and became part of Fayetteville the General Assembly had flipped from being controlled by annexation-friendly Democrats to being controlled by anti-annexation Republicans The GOP legislature passed laws to stop cities and towns from forcibly annexing people’s property. Then it took things a step further. Upset residents got the attention of their lawmakers, and the lawmakers erased the Gates Four annexation in Fayetteville, along with other notable annexations in Asheville, Wilmington and Southport, and in five other cities and towns. The residents were once again living outside the city limit Several miles up Ramsey Street from Fayetteville proper construction is underway for a community that is planned to be the size of a small town The Broadwell Land Co. in 2018 said it planned 254-acre development at Ramsey Street and Elliot Bridge Road with 350 single-family homes, 350 multifamily units, 24 acres for commercial use and 58 acres for green and open space. The development needs water and sewer service Broadwell asked Fayetteville to annex the land so that the Public Works Commission would run sewer and water there the property is what is known as a “satellite annexation.” It is part of the city But it is physically disconnected from the rest of Fayetteville Just as there are many doughnut holes within the city proper the legislature decided the town would be circular in shape with the center of the circle at a company store in the mill village Some of that original round city limit line is still visible in its boundaries, though the town has sprawled across southwest Cumberland County over the decades. As of 2020, according to the United States Census Bureau, the town was more than 8 square miles. A look at a map of North Carolina shows some towns across the state were originally circular while others were square or rectangular before expanding via annexation Paul Woolverton can be reached at 910-261-4710 and pwoolverton@gannett.com The Suffolk Times This is what Finley Shaw said to herself before she decided to open Finley’s Fiction Shaw has summered on Shelter Island her whole life she loved going to “Books and Video” in the Heights which was attached to what is now STARs Café While the Island can boast of Black Cat Books the second-hand jewel of a bookstore on North Ferry Road that contains treasures for the serious bibliophiles or the casual browser Shaw felt the Island needed a bookstore where new titles were available she opened Finley’s Fiction in a small building behind the Chequit In May 2020 the shop moved to a new location at 8 Grand Avenue Business this summer has been great for the bookstore likely due to the influx of visitors to the Island in the wake of the pandemic With the number of vaccinated people rising and mask restrictions loosening Shelter Island has been busier than ever this summer Shaw said that last summer was also good for business Though many small businesses struggled during the height of COVID-19 Finley’s Fiction thrived as a result of the increased number of people living on the Island beginning in March 2020 it’s been challenging for independent bookstores to compete with e-books and Amazon which now owns 50% or more of the American book market independent bookstores have something that online shopping can never provide professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and the author of “Reinventing Retail: The Novel Resurgence of Independent Bookstores” has said “It’s about curation and it’s about convenience part of the secret code here is booksellers have always been heavily embedded in their communities but over the last 10 years they’ve been able to communicate the message of shopping local and localism.” Finley’s Fiction did well through the pandemic because of Islanders ordering books through an independent Island bookstore and supporting a community member Many people order books through the shop: children’s books books for work or for pleasure; but Finley’s offers more than books Shaw describes her shop as one that focuses on new books but is also a place to buy host/hostess gifts She said she tries to add something new to her store every year Finley’s Fiction also has an extensive number of toys Shaw said were “a huge hit during the pandemic.” is a signing with author Mary Dixie Carter — recently profiled in the New York Times Book Review — for her thriller is another book signing with Elyssa Friedland for her book “Last Summer at the Golden Hotel,” a Good Morning America “buzz pick” for summer 2021 The hottest seller this summer for the shop is “The Lost Boys of Montauk,” by Amanda Fairbanks the true story of a fishing tragedy in which four men are lost at sea and the repercussions arising from the incident Shaw personally recommends the book because of the detailed and fascinating history of Montauk and East Hampton She also recommends the novel “The Plot,” by Jean Hanff Korelitz a psychological thriller and page turner that “everybody seems to want to read this summer,” she said If you’re looking for more book recommendations, visit finleysfiction.com/ and see a list of about 100 books Ms you’ll find a well-curated selection of new books and helpful descriptions that can help you choose your next read The premier news outlet covering Shelter Island Site made in collaboration with CMYK Systemic racism has become the operative phrase in a lot of political circles these days also called “institutional” racism was coined and first used by Stokely Carmichael in 1967 Carmichael was a fiery young civil rights activist and was one of the original Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Freedom Riders Carmichael originated the Black nationalism rallying slogan “Black Power.” He graduated from Howard University in 1964 with a degree in philosophy and was the youngest person imprisoned for his participation as a Freedom Rider More: John Hood: Change in NC schools standards about political propaganda, not academics Carmichael later became frustrated with the Civil Rights Movement Martin Luther King’s nonviolent philosophy became active in the African liberation movement and urged people worldwide to fight against white imperialism I savor in the irony that America is presently enmeshed in such a controversy over one of his original concepts The answer depends on to whom you’re speaking It’s a divisive Black versus white topic: if it exists a Guilford County Republican who was elected the state’s first Black lieutenant governor citing President Obama's election and re-election in 2008 and 2012 and his own historic victory last November Policy Watch reported Robinson said: “The system of government that we have in this nation is not systemically racist,” he continued Robinson’s remarks received strong pushback from his colleagues across the political aisle also from Guilford County and African American said: “Systemic racism is very real...” State Rep More: Letter: Black Lives Matter murals are not ‘in your face’ — if you want to confront racism believes systemic racism does indeed exist He said Fayetteville’s most glaring example is the city’s resistance to annexing the Shaw Heights community sandwiched between Murchison Road and Bragg Blvd The community is mostly populated with African Americans Riggins said: “In the absence of systemic racism Shaw Heights would have been incorporated into the city long ago it remains an abandoned island.” Riggins is a member of the local nonprofit Organizing Against Racism Cumberland County and an important question becomes: Are we preventing it or perpetuating the problem It’s easy to call someone a racist these days Identifying and shaming suspected white racists makes some people feel good about themselves even if they don't do very much to change actual outcomes of Justice official was in town last week tasked with helping our community start a meaningful dialog about race relations several racially-charged issues have surfaced specifically Fayetteville's historic landmark More: Dahleen Glanton: Stacey Abrams deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. Black Lives Matter does not. DOJ was also in our community on a similar mission when Fayetteville dealt with accusations of the Fayetteville Police Department racially profiling African Americans Then-Mayor Tony Chavonne successfully led the City Council and community leaders to a peaceful resolution void of violence or bloodshed It remains to be seen if our present leaders at City Hall will replicate a similar end Cannot erase historyOur community certainly needs healing but I’m not convinced all the answers will come from public officials We cannot erase history by tearing down buildings were born in the Carvers Creek Township in Cumberland County in 1882 and 1893 More: The Black Experience: From tobacco fields in rural North Carolina to teaching in universities It would be reasonable to assume that my grandfather born 17 years after the end of the Civil War was most likely the descendant of a Cumberland County slave I say all of that to emphasize that the Market House issue is personal to me as well.  I’m more interested in liberating Black people’s minds than I am tearing down buildings Anyone adept with Biblical scriptures would know from the Book of Exodus that Moses' most significant challenge with Israel escaping Egypt was not crossing the Red Sea but rather liberating his kinsmen from their slave mentality Fighting against racism is more about changing a mindset than eliminating buildings and statues but the kind of change that moves the needle More: Myron B. Pitts: DOJ to the rescue for Fayetteville race relations? It’s ok to look back to gain a perspective, but we need to look forward to obtain our promises. All of what ails the Black community can't be fixed by white people. Vanessa Williams, America's first Black Miss America, said it best: “Success is the sweetest revenge.” Troy Williams is a member of The Fayetteville Observer Community Advisory Board. He is a legal analyst and criminal defense investigator. He can be reached at talk2troywilliams@yahoo.com. Support local journalism with a subscription to The Fayetteville Observer. Click the "subscribe'' link at the top of this article. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. ExpandMaria Alexandra (center) portrays the master of ceremonies in "Cabaret" at Metropolis. (Photo provided by Jennifer Heim) Willkommen, bienvenue and welcome to “Cabaret,” the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre’s opening production for its 2022-23 season. Rosalind Hurwitz portrays Fräulein Schneider, and Anthony Whitaker is Herr Schultz in "Cabaret" at Metropolis. (Photo provided by Jennifer Heim) Director Robbie Simpson’s vibrancy and creativity evolve throughout this powerful production; there is an evident focus on personal relationships, political loyalty and survival during a historically changing time. A live, nine-piece orchestra conducted by Jake Hartge is onstage, and provides the energetic invitation to the ensemble’s engaging singing and dancing. The nine-member Kit Kat ensemble is an eclectic mix – all attractive, bawdy, decadent and extremely talented with distinctive personalities. The performers are Brandon Acosta, Angel Diaz, Morgan DiFonzo, Amber Parker, Olivia Pryor, Annika Andersson, Lizzie Mowry, Kaity Paschetto and Melody Rowland. Clifford Bradshaw (Tim Foszcz) and boarding house owner Fräulein Schneider (Rosalind Hurwitz) appear in a scene in "Cabaret." (Photo provided by Jennifer Heim) Hoffman Estates’ Tim Foszcz makes his Metropolis debut as struggling American novelist Clifford Bradshaw. He sings well and believably shows us his character’s intelligence and journey with politics and sexuality. He is a potent actor; I truly believed he was intrigued by Sally and loved her. Foszcz’s character represents the American who could no longer sit by with the Nazi rise; his telling Sally, “Wake up. The party’s over – if you’re not against it, you’re for it” sadly falls on deaf ears. In a departure from typical casting, Maria Alexandra is the Kit Kat emcee. Besides being an exquisite singer, Alexandra is the exact right amount of saucy confidence, playfulness and complexity needed to be comfortable interacting with the audience while maintaining a flamboyant likability. Kristin Doty plays Sally Bowles in "Cabaret" at Metropolis. (Photo provided by Jennifer Heim) As Sally Bowles, Kristin Doty first wins the audience over as she Charlestons along with the Kit Kat Girls in baby-doll outfits and lollipops in the song “Don’t Tell Mama.” Doty also touches hearts and passions with her renditions of “Maybe This Time” and “Cabaret”; with top hat and cane, she is again a powerhouse with “Mein Herr.” Doty portrays Sally as liberal, quirky, reckless and vulnerable in her oblivious dealing with her past and recognition of the world caving in around her. When “Cabaret” opened on Broadway in 1966, it ran for 1,165 performances; it was directed by the famed Harold Prince during the civil rights movement and the Vietnam war. The musical continues to be revived, with the most recent successfully occurring in London this year (with Eddie Redmayne as emcee), and perhaps is most recognizable as the Liza Minnelli-Joel Grey-Bob Fosse film. As the Metropolis director states, “Cabaret” is “more relevant than ever.” Hoping that the production will delight and entertain, Simpson says he also hopes it makes “the audience remember that although we may not think or look the same, we have much more in common with one another than divides us.” • Regina Belt-Daniels began her love affair with the musical “Cabaret” thanks to Sister Philip Thacker, who allowed her to sing the entire theme song in a high school talent show. Since then, Belt-Daniels has gone on to produce, direct, act, teach, serve on theater boards and travel, because “life is a cabaret.” WHERE: Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights WHEN: Through Oct. 22; recommended for ages 13 and older INFORMATION: 847-577-2121, metropolisarts.com A Cumberland County sheriff's deputy shot and injured a man who fired on him during a call to a domestic incident in the Shaw Heights neighborhood Tuesday on the 1100 block of Armadillo Drive in Fayetteville A woman called 911 to report that Timothy Devon Smith Jr. was knocking on her front door in a mobile home park the subject (Smith) was knocking on the door of the address," Sheriff Ennis Wright said in a video posted to his agency's Facebook page "The subject then saw the officer as he was turning around and The deputy provided medical assistance to Devon until paramedics arrived Smith was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center where he remained in intensive care Tuesday afternoon The State Bureau of Investigation is investigating which is standard procedure for any officer-involved shooting The Sheriff's Office's Profession Standards Division also is investigating Staff writer Nancy McCleary can be reached at nmccleayr@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3568 Crime stories from the Fayetteville region: Six-time state champ Reagan headlines All-City boys track teamSeaman's Shaw Heights' 1,600 relay team also state champsThe Capital-JournalSix-time state champion Joseph Reagan of Seaman headlines the 2014 boys All-City track and field team swept the Class 5A 100-meter and 200-meter dashes for the third straight season at last month’s State Outdoor in Wichita Reagan also finished third in the long jump and helped the Vikings finish second in the 1,600-meter relay Seaman’s Luke Shaw won the 5A title in the boys pole vault while Shawnee Heights’ 1,600-meter relay team won the 5A title in that event for the third straight season Austen Hubert and Rasheed McAlpin ran on the state-champion relay team for the third straight season while Troy Henry was added to the team this spring Shaw also ran on Seaman’s second-place 1,600-meter relay team while Ballentine finished second in the 400 and McAlpin took third in the 300-meter hurdles Topeka High’s Khalil Austin and Joel Long both finished second at state with Austin the runner-up in the 6A 110-meter hurdles by just five-thousandths of a second and Long second in the high jump on a tiebreaker after tying for the state title Also representing the Trojans on the All-City team are state placers Xavier Harris and DaMaCias Nielson Hayden’s Ty Dickerson finished third in the 4A 1,600 while Washburn Rural’s foursome of Walker Shepherd Drew Mutschelknaus and Brandon Fricke took third in the 6A 3,200-meter relay Shepherd also finished third in the 400-meter dash Rounding out the All-City team is Seaman’s Malcolm Mikkelsen a state placer in the 5A shot put who helped the Vikings finish second as a team in 5A Welcome Mickeymickey@disney.comManage MyDisney AccountLog Out1 killed at Cumberland County partySunday 20161 killed in Cumberland County shootingCUMBERLAND COUNTY (WTVD) -- One person was killed early Sunday after shots were fired at a party in Cumberland County Authorities with the sheriff's office said it happened just after 12:30 a.m at a party at the Shaw Heights subdivision near Charmain and Etta Streets was rushed to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center was just released from federal prison last week Anyone who may have any information about the death of Johnson are urged to contact Crime Stoppers at (910) 483-TIPS or the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office at (910) 323-1500 and speak to any member of the Homicide Unit Report a Typo .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Nathan Paige, cleveland.comCLEVELAND Ohio -- The Shaw high Class of 2017 held their prom at the Cleveland Marriott East in Warrensville Heights on Friday It was a night of glamour and elegance.The decor was black white and gold and this year's theme was "The Great Gatsby." You can check out photos from other Northeast Ohio proms at cleveland.com/prom Please take a moment and click here to help the Greater Cleveland Food Bank Every dollar you give provides four meals for the hungry Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices \n m_gallery = \"shaw_high_school_class_of_2017\";\n m_gallery_id = \"22787443\";\n m_gallery_title = \"Shaw High School Class of 2017 Prom at Marriott East\";\n m_gallery_blog_id = \"4501\";\n m_gallery_creation_date = \"Friday 11:31 PM\";\n m_gallery_permalink = \"http://photos.cleveland.com/4501/gallery/shaw_high_school_class_of_2017/index.html\";\n m_gallery_json = \"https://blog.cleveland.com/photogallery/4501/22787443.json\";\n m_gallery_pagetype = \"embed\";\n m_gallery_type = \"photo\";\n <\/script>\n Gallery: Shaw High School Class of 2017 Prom at Marriott East Ray's Hell Burger has signage and Qualia Coffee for Eckington in Plywood Report 1) COLUMBIA HEIGHTS— New Columbia Heights reports Reliable Tavern is making construction progress at 3655 Georgia Ave NW There's a new awning and changes to the exterior owner of many other nightlife destinations around town 2) SHAW— Sugar Shack Donuts reveals via Twitter that another shop will open at 1932 9th Street NW Expect late night hours for the bar and music show goers Lease Signed: Sugar Shack DC will be at 1932 9th Street NW. We can’t wait to open in Shaw and for late night hours for @930Club patrons 3) K STREET— It looks like Ray's Hell Burger finally has some signage, according to PoPville. The restaurant opened last October after a long delay 4) ECKINGTON— Qualia Coffee is coming to the Gale development at 151 Q St. NE, according to the Don Rockwell forum 5) ATLAS DISTRICT— District Cuisine says the third location of Turning Natural is coming to 1380 H St The local juice bar already operates in Maryland and Anacostia 2018 at 12:03 am CSTExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 3Jason Pittman He released his first film called "The Path Not Taken" in 2011 a documentary called “Choose the Right Path.” The film tackles serious themes such as violent crime in Joliet and how the city has tried to address those issues Pittman grew up in the Preston Heights area He graduated from Joliet Central High School before going to Columbia College in Chicago to study film and video production He later found freelance work as a production assistant on film sets in Los Angeles and has written a number of original screenplays Pittman screened that first project at the AMC Showplace in New Lenox Pittman spoke with Herald-News reporter Alex Ortiz for a question-and-answer session ahead of the screening of his documentary at 7 p.m 7 in the J Cafeteria at Joliet Junior College Pittman: It’s about my hometown of Joliet and some of the issues that have been taking place And it’s kind of about myself as a community activist in Joliet and trying to make a difference to influence people to make good decisions I kind of tell a personal narrative about my journey in becoming an independent filmmaker I got with the mayor at the time in Joliet who was Tom Giarrante We got some feedback on the state of Joliet at the time dealing with crime and murders .. We interviewed him to get his thought process on what he was doing to make Joliet a better community and a better place to live we interviewed the former police chief of Joliet We talked about the road that the Joliet Police Department was taking to try to eliminate the crime and the violence Ortiz: Could you tell me more about your first film “The Path Not Taken,” and what that was about It’s basically about three friends and the paths they take after high school Two of the friends decide to go to college and pursue their degrees and one friend stays locally and decided to get a 9-to-5 (job) He eventually gets caught up into making some bad decisions and his life begins to spiral out of control Alex OrtizAlex Ortiz is a reporter for The Herald-News in Joliet. Originally from Romeoville, Ill., he joined The Herald-News in 2017 and mostly covers Will County government, politics, education and more. He earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master's degree from Northwestern University. This upbeat song covers what every fighting couple has wanted to say to each other at some point or another Shaw reminds us to let it all go and enjoy the love we share—essentially skip the fighting and fast-forward to the makeup sex This song sounds like it should be playing in the background of the movie that is your life thought-provoking—no surprise coming from Vance Joy This mess sounds like techno music mixed with “Hot Cross Buns.” It feels like an eternity The worst part is the fact that the chorus is so catchy it could stick around for a very long time Featured Image Courtesy of Lefthook Entertainment NEWS SPORTS ARTS MAGAZINE NEWTON OPINIONS MULTIMEDIA