www.StarNewsDaily.com – Week of June 14, 2012 – Vol.5, No. 24 – FREE
Claddagh Commission Boosting Job Training Efforts Non-profit organization that serves individuals with disabilities to host chicken barbecue June 24
BY DANIEL MEYER Star Contributing Writer
A community chicken barbecue that will celebrate the efforts of a local nonprofit organization will take place next weekend as the agency celebrates 10 years of being in the movie theater business, a profitable venture that has provided job opportunities for individuals with disabilities. The Claddagh Commission, Inc., is a non-profit agency recognized by the federal government as a 501(3)-C tax exempt organization. The agency is committed to providing high quality services to both children and adults who possess intellectual and physical disabilities. Although located primarily in the Town of Evans, the Claddagh Commission offers support to more than 300 participants and their families from throughout Western New York, employing 400 full and part-time staff. The agency provides job training at the New Angola Theater, a simple one-screen facility located in the Village of Angola with close to 400 seats. The movie theater, which was purchased by the Claddagh Commission a decade ago, went through a $90,000
renovation two years ago. Originally opened in 1924 as a silent movie house, the theater was converted to sound in 1929 in the early days of films becoming “talkies.” The theater changed owners several times until the property was transferred in 1948 to Richard Geitner, who operated the business until he retired in 1995. After some years of uncertainty about the future of the theater, Claddagh Commission reopened the facility in 2002. After completing an initial renovation project that focused on the downstairs seating area and the concession stands, a larger renovation was eventually conducted. Using funds obtained through a block grant made available by the Village of Angola and Erie County, major upgrades were implemented, including the installation of new seats, rugs and balcony lights, as well as new carpets and strip lighting downstairs and the hanging of a brand new drape for the stage. Agency officials said they got into the
movie theater business in order to provide hands-on work opportunities, with positions for consumers including jobs as ushers, ticket-takers, concession stand cashiers and general maintenance/janitorial workers. In addition to showing primarily firstrun films Friday through Monday nights and Tuesday matinees, the facility is also used for special holiday/ seasonal movie events and occasional concerts and musical performances involving local residents and civic organizations. Claddagh Commission was founded in 1977 under the philosophy that the organization’s work be based on the foundation of love, trust and friendship. While the organization has grown over the years, those basic principles continue to be the non-profit organization’s foundation, purpose and motivation. In addition to their operation of the movie theater, Claddagh Commission is involved with production at the Original American Kazoo Company
located in the Town of Eden. That factory, which includes a museum and gift store, is also staffed by another non-profit organization, Suburban Adult Services Inc. The two organizations assist in the production process at the facility. Claddagh Commission will host a community chicken barbecue on Sunday, June 24. The event, scheduled to run from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., will serve as a fundraiser and will include a Chinese Auction, 50/50 drawings, musical entertainment and other family-oriented activities. The cost of a chicken dinner is $9.00 per person. Tickets can be purchased at the Claddagh Commission offices (7030 Erie Road in Derby) during normal business hours or the day of the event at 7200 Lakeshore Road in Evans. For more information about the event, call 947-5857 or visit www.claddaghcommission.org
Warren Photographer to Show at Prendergast Library Contributed Article
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Prendergast Library
Rothenberg of Warren, PA, will present nature photographs that reveal “the magic of the moment” in an exhibit called Beyond the Eye II at the James Prendergast Library Art Gallery June 22 through July 27. “In nature you can’t procrastinate. If you wait even a minute, everything has changed,” she said. Dr. Rothenberg earned her doctorate in clinical psychology and has worked as a psychotherapist and as a certified yoga instructor. “Just as psychology reveals the hidden aspects of the unconscious, photography reveals the aspects of nature that might otherwise be missed,” she said. She particularly enjoys macro (closeup) photography with birds or wild flowers as her subjects. “The closer you look, the more you see. The observer merges with the lens of the camera to become a witness to unexpected drama, stunning beauty, design, color, and form, all in relationship to the ever-changing light,” she said. As a psychotherapist, Dr. Rothenberg has had a long-standing interest in
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dreams. When she takes pictures, she enjoys creating a dream-like quality with her images and tries to capture a feeling of tranquility and peace. Known for both realistic and ethereal images, Dr. Rothenberg has broad-
ened her perspective in the past year by turning her wide angle lens to the striking landscapes of Pennsylvania and New York. Library hours to view her work are 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday,
and 1-5 p.m. on Sunday. The next Prendergast Library Art Gallery exhibit will be sculpture by Dr. Jon Chisholm of Erie, PA, in a display called Signs, Symbols and Suggestions.