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February 2016
Serving the Lafayette Community Town Hall Theatre By Fran Miller
The iconic marquee discloses only a portion of Town Hall Theatre’s many ambitions. While its core drama program continues to flourish and win accolades, Town Hall has quietly become much more than merely a stage for community productions. Founded in 1944 and located at the corner of Lafayette’s Moraga Blvd. and School St., Town Hall is finding its footing as a full-scale entertainment venue, with live music performances and stand-up comedy. Town Hall also offers one of most comprehensive theater education programs in Contra Costa County.
Burton Valley Class Shoots High to Raise Money for the Hidden Genius Project
The Book Bonanza is an annual fundraiser that has been a long-standing tradition at Burton Valley Elementary School. Every year, the students from Ms. Martinsen’s 4/5 grade AIM class collect, price, and, of course, sell, books. . . at incredibly low prices (some books are as cheap as 10¢). All proceeds go to a charitable cause, and this year the students chose to support The Hidden Genius Project. Based in Oakland, this non-profit organization provides Oakland (and surrounding area) black male youths with the knowledge, skills, mentors, and experiences to obtain and create technological jobs in this new, global, 21st-century economy. The whole class banded together to complete each step in the process, and after three weeks of collections and pricing, the two-day sale was on. Classes from the Burton Valley community came to support the AIM class, buying books and contributing donations to the donation jar. After the frenzy, the students counted their change bags and were thrilled to realize they had surpassed their goal and raised $1,439.21! The students presented a check to Brandon Nicholson of The Hidden Genius Project right after winter break and felt good knowing they had made a difference in many disadvantaged children’s lives.
The Leuschner Observatory
By Fran Miller
Observant Lamorindans have likely noticed the two large domes rising from Bear Creek Road in the Happy Valley hills. To others, the knowledge that Lafayette is host to a University of California observatory comes as a surprise.
Photo by Ron Seba.
Last spring, Lafayette resident Carol Reif shone a small spotlight on the Leuschner Observatory by photographing it for the City of Lafayette’s “Day in the
See Observatory continued on page 21 Local Postal Customer
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Town Hall Theatre Artistic Director Joel Roster (second from left) receives a ‘Shellie’ Best Director award for his work on Angels in America. At right, Angels in America actors Kerri Shawn and Jerry Motta. Photo credit: Mike Kirwan.
Town Hall Board member Tom Stack, former merchandising manager for the Grateful Dead, is using his music industry connections to expand the music and comedy programs, bringing in a series of musical acts such as Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers, Petty Theft, and Forejour, as well as comedians like Will Durst and Johnny Steele. This past fall, Town Hall hosted a special 50th anniversary commemoration of the Grateful Dead’s founding, that included tribute band performances and panel discussions with band leader Jerry Garcia’s former wife Carolyn “Mountain Girl” Garcia. “Live music and entertainment venues are vanishing throughout the Bay Area,” says Stack. “By providing the community with the opportunity to see top tier musicians and comics, we are serving a major need in an area that doesn’t otherwise have access to this type of live entertainment.” Volume X - Number 2 Town Hall’s theater education 3000F Danville Blvd #117 programs support more than 200 Alamo, CA 94507 preschool to high school students Telephone (925) 405-6397 each week. Program director Fax (925) 406-0547 Ginny Wehrmeister creates a safe, editor@yourmonthlypaper.com supportive environment where kids Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher learn much more than just acting The opinions expressed herein belong to the and do not necessarily reflect that of Laskills. “Our program trains students writers, fayette Today. Lafayette Today is not responsible in self-confidence, social skills, for the content of any of the advertising herein,
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nor does publication imply endorsement.