Page 9 - Reedley Exponent 4-12-18 E-edition

The Reedley Exponent BPanorama
Section | Thursday, April 12, 2018 www.reedleyexponent.com
Chapter One School enjoys 'Community Helper' visits See B8
Reedley (Fresno County) CA 93654
Highlights
from the RC
board report
for March
Contributed
Here are highlights from the Reedley College board report for March:
ACCREDITATION REPORT
In early March, a 10-member team representing the Accredit- ing Commission of Community and Junior Colleges visited Reed- ley College as well as the Madera Community College Center and Oakhurst Community College Cen- ter. The team was led by Timothy Karas, president of the College of Alameda. Three open forum ses- sions were scheduled, two at Reed- ley College and one the Madera center. A special edition of MOR in Motion was produced, focusing solely on the visit.
RMCHS
The groundbreaking ceremony for the permanent home for Reed- ley College Middle High School was held on Feb. 15. The school will be in the northwest part of the campus, near the Ag Farm.
The school, opened in August 2012, is a joint effort of the Kings Canyon Unified School District, Reedley College and local busi- nesses.
Trustees and administrators from KCUSD and the State Cen-
See RC REPORT page B2
A 'Mermaid' of a tale
'Disney's The Little Mermaid Jr.' opens April 13 at Reedley High
By Felicia Cousart Matlosz
felicia@midvalleypublishing.com
Ariel, one of Disney’s most popu- lar princesses in recent decades, and her friends of the sea, will take over the stage at Reedley High School in “Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr.,” opening Friday, April 13.
The musical follows the story of Disney’s 1989 smash animated film “The Little Mermaid” in which Ariel – yes, she’s the mermaid – is fasci- nated by humans and falls in love with one, Prince Eric.
But then it gets complicated. The movie later was adapted into a musical that opened on Broadway in 2008.
“The story is timeless. It has humor, a bit of suspense and, in the end, they all live happily ever after. And, you can't beat that."
– Sarah Wiebe, director of 'Disney's The Little Mermaid Jr.'
The version that opens April 13 and plays selected dates through Sunday, April 22, will be a spirited production from the RHS Theater Department and Kings Canyon Per- forming Arts. The cast includes 35 students from third grade to RHS seniors.
Sarah Wiebe, a theater veteran who’s in her first year overseeing
RHS’ drama program, said everyone has been working hard to bring the show to life.
“It is all worth it to see the stu- dents proud of their accomplish- ments,” she said, “and – fingers crossed – the audiences enjoy it just as much.”
Many people have seen the Dis- ney movie, but Wiebe and the stu-
dents hope people will come to their production.
After all, Wiebe said: “The story is timeless. It has humor, a bit of sus- pense and, in the end, they all live happily ever after. And, you can’t beat that.”
The memorable characters range from Ariel, who’s gracious but adventurous, to Ursula, a wicked sea
Cast members in the Reedley High School production of "Disney's The Little Mermaid Jr." include (in front row from left) Alison Stevens (Scuttle), Kyndall Murray (Flounder), Shelby DiQuirico (Ariel) and Noah Gomez (Prince Eric).
In the top row (from left) are Richard Avila (Flotsam), Heidi Harris (Ursula), Christopher Wei- rick (Jetsam) and Elicia Balladarez (Sebastian).
The musical opens Friday, April 13, in the RHS Perform- ing Arts Theatre.
Felicia Cousart Matlosz / The Exponent
witch with a big personality. “Mer- maid” fans also know other colorful characters, such as Sebastian, Floun- der and Scuttle.
The original songs, written by the famous pair of Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, include “Under the Sea,” “Poor Unfortu-
See 'MERMAID' page B8
Reedley High Winter Guard wins a SVWAA championship
This is a detailed look at "Stitcher's Garden," an award-winning quilt by Mary Lou- ise Peters. It is part of the current exhibit of work by the Kings River Quilt Guild at the West Coast Mennonite Central Committee museum space in downtown Reedley.
Kings River Quilt Guild exhibit at WCMCC space
By Felicia Cousart Matlosz
felicia@midvalleypublishing.com
Every other year, quilt lovers and those who appreciate visual feasts look forward to the Kings River Quilt Festival, an event fea- turing vivid work that needs two years to prepare for public exhibit.
But now, admirers of the Reed- ley festival can see the Kings River Quilt Guild’s handiwork at the West Coast Mennonite Central Committee
museum space in downtown Reed- ley during the month of April.
“It’s a good sample of the sorts of activities that we do,” said Cyn- thia Scharf, a past president of the guild. “It’s an interesting display.”
Indeed, the 25 pieces on display represent the different styles that reflect the creativity of the 100-plus members of the guild. They come from Reedley, Dinuba, Fresno, Clo- vis, Lemoore, Exeter, Porterville and other communities in the re- gion.
They meet the second Saturday of each month at the Dinuba Senior Center, at 10 a.m., and Scharf said they welcome newcomers to join them. Their most recent show was in 2017 at Immanuel High School, so the next guild show will be in 2019.
Marci VanderGriend, co-man- ager of the Mennonite Quilt Center, said the Kings River guild exhibit is the first of regular monthly pre- sentations in the upstairs space. The upcoming schedule includes
See QUILTS page B8
Photo Contributed
Reedley High School’s Winter Guard won a championship title at the annual South Valley Winter Arts Association Champion- ships held April 7 at West Hills College in Lemoore. The Pirates took first place in the Scholastic Regional A Bronze division.
What’s more, the 20-member group won four of five SVWAA events this season, said Bill Davis. He is the color guard instruc- tor for the RHS Pirate Marching Band. He oversees winter guard with Lisa Dewhirst, who is one of the Pirate marching band directors.
This is the fourth season of winter guard for Reedley High School. Winter guard, an indoor spin-off of color guard, is a com- petition that has gained in popularity across the country through its blend of physicality, dance, coordination and art. “It’s been an amazing season,” Davis said. “Their growth has been phenomenal.”
Members of the guard are Destiny Peña, Liliana Farfán, Berenice Piceno, Jacky Garcia, Esmeralda Fregoso, Irene Barojas, Joclyn Elizondo, Samantha Fowler, Maria Lemus, Anissa Marin, Jaylin Navarro, Ashley Rangel, Maritza Rangel, Leslie Rodri- guez, Kali Sanchez, Cheyanne Torres, Annamarie Torres, Leslie Valadez, Daniela Abundiz and Bryan Solis.
Davis and Dewhirst are assisted by Jeff Davis, Bill’s brother, who was the show's designer. Also on the team are Denise Nor- wood, who choreographed the program that was set to the song “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten; and Ariella Davis, Jeff’s daughter, who was involved in color and winter guard at her high school and is in charge of equipment. The team also thanked the students' parents for all their support.
The SVWAA draws from high schools primarily in Fresno and Tulare counties but campuses outside the two counties also are involved, such as Arvin High from Kern County. The judges for winter guard assess movement, the design of the program, the equipment, and the overall effect of the show.
In addition to the RHS Winter Guard, the Reedley High percussion group earned fifth place in the Scholastic Regional A division. The group is under the direction of Jason Awbrey, who is one of the Pirate marching band directors, and Corey Dobbins, who is percussion tech for the RHS marching band.
Felicia Cousart Matlosz / The Exponent
The View From Here
Felicia Cousart Matlosz's column will
return.