Debut of Stateline Storytelling – Open Mic Night

Fomenting from some conversations with friends a couple months ago I was reminded of a recurring evening’s entertainment I used to enjoy down in Chicago’s Wrigleyville. Being a fan of storytelling I used to attend an open mic evening of storytelling at a coffeehouse off Clark Street. It was very cool and a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the level of creativity expressed by those who’s artistic and creative output was through this medium.

Anyway. This next Sunday evening we’re debuting open mic storytelling down at bushel & peck’s.

Storytelling begins at 6:30. We begin accepting names of those wishing to tell a story at 6:00. Names will be selected at random.

The evening will be MC’d by our featured guest storyteller Reid Miller who will also complete our evening with a story of his own.

$5 donation and bushel & peck’s patronage appreciated

This has been added to the NPA calendar.

More information about this at the Stateline Storytelling website.

The Official NPA Equinox Slaw

( to be made only twice yearly )

I PKG coleslaw – I used broccoli slaw
1 PKG ramen noodles
1 c. sunflower seed kernels
1 c. sliced almonds
1 – 2 bunches chopped green onions

Combine all, breaking noodles while in package

Cover and refrigerate

Mix and Refrigerate with:
Seasoning packet from noodles
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 ts. sugar

Toss before serving

Courtesy Margie Carroll – stolen from Missy Henderson

“Green” rooftops for Beloit’s downtown?

Had a brief conversation with MoeC. He and BillD have been dreaming about expanding the “green” rootop concept to downtown buildings. You’re likely already familiar with the existing green rooftops around town at ABC Supply’s corporate offices, Beloit Memorial Hospital, and more recently at the Colleges Center for the Sciences building.

Evidently there are aspirations for installing one above bushel & peck’s. What a natural fit that would seem to be. Selecting organic produce right off the fine from the roof garden? Sounds kinda’ cool. There’s a lot of unused roof space up there. Catch Moe or Bill. I’m sure they’d love to tell you more about it.

Beloit Memorial High School Jazz Brunch

Help send the

Beloit Memorial High School Jazz Band

to New York City

for the 14th Annual

Essentially Ellington

Jazz Competition and Festival

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Performing at

 

Bushel and Peck’s Local Market

328 State St., Beloit

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Sunday, March 29, 2009

11:00am – 2:00 pm

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20% of your jazz brunch receipt

will be donated to the

BMHS Jazz Band New York fund!

With the attached flier or the Stateline News Ad.

(Click for printable version of this BMHS Jazz Brunch flier)

Donations can be made to BMHS Band Boosters

and sent to 3145 Park Ave., Beloit, WI  53511

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Here they are performing weeks ago down in New Orleans.

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This is a big deal IMO. More about the BMHS Jazz Band here.

And it’s been added to the NPA  calendar of events

 

Free Stuff Exchange

Some students at Beloit College are planning to hold a Free Stuff Exchange in April and are looking for support. Jenn Esperanza and Paul Dionne are the experts on this, as they participated in North Carolina in a regularly held event.

The support of BNPA people would be a great asset to the students, especially in obtaining a location. It seems to me that Horace White Park would be a good place.

 

Any thoughts??? Any volunteers???

 

Bob Fizzell

St. Patricks Day Festivities – Beloit

Where else but next door to the historic districts, in downtown Beloit. Starting tomorrow Friday 3/13 through Tues. 3/17.

• Live Music
• Bagpipe Bands
• Irish Dancers
• Irish Singers
• What else but Corned Beef and Cabbage
• And of course…. Guinness.

Entertainers featured to include…

• Friday 3/13 – Suds O’Hanahan’s (435 E. Grand): Greg Long Irish Ensamble, music begins 4:30pm. 3’s A Crowd, music begins 9pm
  
• Friday 3/13 – Pleasant Street Coffeehouse (418 Pleasant St.): Greg Gerard celebrates the music of Ireland with guests Casey’s Fancy. Music begins 7pm.
• Sunday 3/15 – Suds O’Hanahan’s (435 E. Grand): Ian Gould, Irish Dancers, and bag pipes at 12pm. Rising
  Gael from 3-6pm.
• Tuesday 3/17 – Suds O’Hanahan’s (435 E. Grand): Channel 23 LIVE! 6am. The Greg Long Irish Ensemble will perform @ 4:30pm
• And much more then I could convey here. Click through to the full calendar of events here.

All this brought to you by our friends at Suds O’Hanahan’s, Kerry Ingredients and the Downtown Beloit Association.

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Here they are… Your Beloit Memorial Jazz Band

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We’ve known about this for a few weeks now but it needs more noise…

The BMHS Jazz Band was selected as a finalist for the 14th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival held at the Lincoln Center in New York City.

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Ok, ok, ok… let me be the first to say there should be a freakin’ parade about this. What this band has accomplished under the direction of Chris Behrens is amazing. They’re a great bunch of talented and hard working student musicians who have gained NATIONAL recognition. This isn’t like making regionals. It’s not like making state. This is a Lincoln Center national competition and they made the cut of only fifteen schools from across the friggin’ country. This is fantastic. Can I get an Amen!

…the rich 14-year history of this unique music education program, which has reached more than 275,000 students in more than 4,500 high schools across all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Australia and American schools abroad. ~Wynton Marsalis blog

Each year Jazz at Lincoln Center transcribes, publishes, and distributes Duke Ellington Orchestra charts along with additional educational materials to high school bands in the U.S. and Canada and American schools abroad. These charts are original transcriptions of recordings by the Duke Ellington Orchestra, not simplified arrangements. ~Jazz at Lincoln Center Website

Italics mine.

They’re going to have an amazing, life-time opportunity to get to work with some of the elite professionals in the industry. They’ll be introduced to a peer group of likewise highly motivated student musicians which will only serve to inspire them further. Success breeds success and I wish them all the best. If you’ve school age children I encourage you to plug them into the Beloit music program.

The video above is of their New Orleans concert just completed. A second one here.

Thanks Chris for all your hard work with these students. Thanks for capturing the video so we could all enjoy.

• Lincoln Center Essentially Ellington Program Description
• Wynton Marsalis – Artistic Director, Jazz at Lincoln Center
• BMHS Band’s YouTube Channel – subscribe, rate them, favorite them…
• A couple more videos from their New Orleans trip.

Beloit Memorial High School Jazz I – Roster

1. Jessica Gile – Alto Saxophone I
2. Christian Garcia – Alto Saxophone II
3. Lizzie Anderson – Tenor Saxophone I / Clarinet
4. Josh Shope – Tenor Saxophone II
5. Chris Day – Baritone Saxophone
6. Dan Schiessl – Trumpet
7. Rob Goodwin – Trumpet
8. Kevin LeBaron – Trumpet
9. Melissa Gile – Trumpet
10. Matt Schiessl – Trumpet
11. Jeff Patterson – Trombone
12. Cody Schober – Trombone
13. Aaron Mendelsohn – Trombone
14. Connor Hunt – Trombone
15. Pierre Charles – Piano
16. Crystal Rebone – Bass
17. Jake Boutelle – Drums
18. Kolton Hatch – Guitar

And, get this. Average GPA: 3.7 They’re exceptional students as well.

These kids are going to need our support to get them to New York. There will certainly be benefits and fundraisers to allow us to enjoy their wonderful music and of course help them finance their trip. I look forward to the fundraiser concerts. Hope to see you there.

BTW, share this with your friends.

Next two School Board Candidates Forums

If you were unable to make it to the Beloit NPA candidates forum or even if you were, there are two more opportunities to hear the candidates.

• Wednesday 3/18, 6:00pm, Richardson Auditorium at Beloit College
• Thursday 3/19, 7:00 pm, The Forum at City Hall – Sponsored jointly by the League of Women Voters and the Chamber of Commerce

Join us for the wildest Equinox* party of the season!

It’s sure to be the biggest blowout Equinox* party

in the entire stateline area!

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You don’t want to miss it. It’s the Equinoxiest!

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Join us as we celebrate all our favorite equinox traditions including gathering around the piano singing equinox songs and enjoying traditional equinox cuisine.

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Saturday March 21st

7:00 PM until the hilarity subsides

110 West Grand Ave.

(Upstairs above Curves)

No R.S.V.P.  just come.

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Spring is fast coming upon us. We thought we should host a simple gathering to coax out the neighbors. Let’s welcome those we’ve not yet met and provide an opportunity for us all to get to know each other a bit more. It’s a pot luck so pull out Mom’s old favorite Equinox party recipe for a dish to pass or bring a traditional Equinox libation. BillD & DanB are letting us use their downtown suites for the bash. It’s a great space for a gathering. Later into the spring & summer we’ll take the party out doors. Come out and join us!

You’ll recall that at an equinox, the Sun is at one of two opposite points on the celestial sphere where the celestial equator (i.e., declination 0) and ecliptic intersect. These points of intersection are called equinoctial points—the vernal point and the autumnal point.

It’s such a wacky, raucous time!  Nothing like an ecliptic intersection to whip folks up into a frenzied party mood. Prizes for the best equinoctial costume!

Each year BillD’s celestial sphere interpretive dance gets better and better. You don’t want to miss it.

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The view from Equinox party central:

Interior of Equinox party central:

 

B.B

What past N P A Equinox partygoers have to say:

You guys throw the wildest Equinox parties we’ve ever been to. We come every year and wouldn’t miss it. All the wicked cool party animal hipsters like us were there. The Equinox food was the best we’d ever had. We’ll be back for the next ecliptic intersection.

~ Candy, Brad and Sara Cheveux

By the way… our own PaulD will be teaching a cooking class, Kitchen Basics: Pot Roast just down the block at bushel and pecks earlier that day then heading over to the party directly afterwards. A number of us will be taking the class. There may still be some openings if you’d like to join the folks there too. Phone Jackie at 308-363-3911 or just stop by the store.

* Actually Equinox is the day before on Friday but hey… what’s a degree or two of declination between friends.

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School Board Candidates Forum – Recap

Last night’s Beloit School Board Candidates Forum was a great evening. Judging by attendace this is clearly high on peoples minds and it was great to see so many people interested enough to show up, get to know the candidates a bit more and participate.

• - Thanks to everyone who showed up. We hope this was helpful for you.
• - Thanks to Jane Threinen for moderating and adding your professionalism to the gathering.
• - Most importantly, thanks to the school board candidates. This is important work you’re willing to take on for the benefit of all of us.

Note: This video/question posted is simply because it was one we were able to present the full answers by all candidates for the question posed. (Other questions some individual’s replies got snipped) This question selected for no other reason. More as we can manage getting them posted.

Beloit Daily News coverage here.

For more information on the candidates:

Read more

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