Guest Authors: February 2012 Archives

JANET ZIMMERMAN
Dorothy, Toto and the rest of the gang will take the stage this weekend and next in a production of "The Wizard of Oz" by Riverside Children's Theatre.

The musical will feature more than 110 cast members portraying the Tinman, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and other classic favorites.

Shows will be held in the theater at Ramona High School, 7675 Magnolia Ave., Riverside, on March 2-3 and 9-10. Evening performances are at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and matinees are staged at 1 p.m. on Saturdays. The production includes live orchestra accompaniment, elaborate sets and creative costumes.

Tickets are $10 pre-sale and $12 at the door. They are available in advance at Alin Party Supply, Ponies and Pigtails, the Riverside Plaza Kiosk and Capezio at Tyler, all in Riverside. For more information or to purchase tickets online using PayPal, visit the group's Web site at www.riversidechildrenstheatre.org.

The non-profit Riverside Children's Theatre is in its 57th year and includes a performing arts school for children in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Christian Arts and Theatre (CAT) will soon present "Honk! The True Story of Ugly the Duckling," opening March 2 and running for two weeks as its annual spring production.

Directed by Inland Theater League award winners Lori Henebelle, Brianna Lopez and Hollee Hennebelle, "Honk!" will take its audience back to Victorian England for a proper, yet rollicking good time.

"Honk!" is the story of Ugly, whose odd, gawky looks instantly incite prejudice from both family and neighbors. Lost and pursued by a hungry cat, Ugly must find his way home, back to the farm. But during his harrowing journey back, he not only discovers the meaning of true beauty, but also finds love and acceptance in all of its many forms.

The show, winner of the 2000 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, was written by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. The show provides a charming message of tolerance and is perfect for family audiences or anyone else who enjoys a good story.

Show times are 7 p.m. March 2 and 9; 2 and 7 p.m. March 3 and 10; and 2 p.m. March 4 and 11.

Tickets cost $12 to $16 and can be bought online at www.catcorona.org or by calling the box office at 951-279-2298.

Yesterday, the Carolina Journal ran a story about a preschooler at West Hoke Elementary School who was told to eat chicken nuggets from the school cafeteria because a state employee told her the lunch her mother packed her was not nutritious.

Here's what was in the lunch: a turkey and cheese sandwich, banana, potato chips and apple juice. Really? Doesn't that sound healthier than nuggets?

A U.S. Department of Agriculture agent was inspecting lunches in the little girl's classroom yesterday, and made that judgment.

The Division of Child Development and Early Education at the Department of Health and Human Services requires all lunches served in pre-kindergarten programs - including in-home daycare - meet USDA guidelines. The guidelines include one serving of meat, one serving of milk, one serving of grain and two servings of fruit or vegetables - even if lunches are brought from home.

And if a lunch doesn't meet these guidelines, then a child care provider must supplement with the missing items.

In the case of this little girl, the mom was given a note that afternoon stating these rules - and the fact that she did not pack a "healthy lunch" - and was charged $1.25 for the cafeteria food.

I find this completely outrageous for so many reasons. No. 1: That was a healthy little lunch. Adding three nuggets didn't change anything. Were they fried? Baked? No. 2: Kids are picky. And while I believe in trying to introduce kids to a variety of foods, I don't believe in forcing. I know what my kids like and I get the healthy mix of foods they like into their lunches. Because I'm their mom. No. 3: What about the vegetarian and vegan families? I have a good friend who is a stanch vegetarian. He takes great care to feed his children very well, getting in all necessary nutrients. It's not a religious choice, but one made from years of research on the topic. He truly feels it's important to avoid all meat. And that choice should absolutely not be taken from him. No. 4: If I am able to provide for my child, I am responsible for his or her meals, no one else. For those unable to provide, then I understand that providers should be held to some standard of care.

The most ridiculous part of this story was what the little girl actually ate that day. She came home with the lunch her mother packed still left untouched. When Mom asked, "What did you eat?" The little girl told her she ate the nuggets. She didn't like anything else on the tray. So her "healthy" lunch just consisted of nuggets.

AND, after talking to the spokesperson for the Division of Child Development, the mother found her lunch actually should have been fine. She assumed the potato chips and lack of veggies "disqualified" the lunch, but the spokesperson said the chips were fine, the turkey met the meat requirement, the cheese met dairy, and fruit met the fruit or veggies requirement. What a mess.

This isn't to say I don't understand the frustration childcare providers and many others feel with the parents who send a soda and Twinkie in their kid's lunch. Childhood obesity is a real problem. And I'm happy to see school campuses with healthier choices in the vending machines, rather than all junk, and offering good, healthy food for those who buy everyday in the cafeteria. I'm all for teaching children (and parents) as much as possible about the importance of eating right, exercise and all that good stuff.

But when you take choice away, I have a real problem with that.

For more on this and other family and health related topics, visit http://tsreads.com.

This weekend, the Theatre Arts Department at the University of Redlands will present a series of one-act plays written by university students call the New Works Festival. The plays, directed by Jennifer Stoessner, are all original works.

Showtimes at The Frederick Loewe Theatre are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. General admission costs $12; admission for students, faculty, staff and seniors is $8.

The plays include:
"The Knowing" by Ron Blakely
"The Unexpected Visitor" by Brianne Lopez
"Talthybius" by Aaron Stevenson
"Naptime" by Kelly Odor
"Studies in the Skies" by Kalehua Shamel
"Into the Rabbit Hole" by Sarah Perez
"Hatching Cocoon" by Olivia Spirz
"Mary" by Ryan Stewart

"My play, 'Studies in the Skies,' is about two strangers who are dissatisfied with their lives and the relationships they've formed," said Kalehua Shamel. "Their meeting is by pure chance and through a conversation they are each able to come to terms with the aspects of their lives that they're unhappy with."

Shamel hopes people who see her play will leave thinking about how day-to-day interactions with strangers can impact lives.

Sarah Perez hopes her play "Into the Rabbit Hole" will trigger discussions on mental disorders.

And Aaron Stevenson focused on the topic of war and its impact in his play, "Talthybius."

"This play is about humanity in war, its presence and its absence," Stevenson said. "An image I saw of a soldier carrying a civilian child in Afghanistan inspired me to try to create a piece that would bring the message Euripides sent the Greeks during the Peloponessian War back to the state in this time of war that is so familiar to history.

"It has been fantastic to have the opportunity to see my play in the process of production and I can't wait to see it on stage."

For more information on the productions, call 909-748-8728 or visit www.redlands.edu.

Artwork on an unusual canvas will be showcased at the Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art on the campus of Cal State San Bernardino beginning Saturday. The exhibit "Full Deck: A Short Story of Skate Art" will be open at the museum through April 21.

The show is an anthology of skate art from the 1960s to present day with nearly 300 decks on display from artists, skaters and companies from all over the U.S.

The opening reception will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 16.

The exhibit will include hand-stained decks by Skip Engblom, co-founder of Zepher Skate Shop. The boards were seen in the film "Lords of Dogtown."

There will also be a collection of early boards on loan from pro skater Sam Cunningham, and a range of commercial decks from the collection of Mark Whiteley, editor of SLAP magazine in San Francisco.

More than 50 artists and lenders are participating in the exhibition.

In addition to the deck art, the exhibit will also include photography, painting, prints, sculpture and video displays.

The museum is located at 5500 University Parkway. For more information call 909-537-7373.

Kids can make something sweet for their sweetheart (or themselves) on Valentine's Day at the Murrieta Public Library. The library will host a holiday cookie decorating party for children in kindergarten through 5th grade at 4 p.m. Feb. 14 in the Library's Community Room.

The library will supply an assortment of cookies, trimmings and colorful icing. The activity will be limited to 50 children and tickets will be available 30 minutes prior to the program.

The event, sponsored by the Friends of the Murrieta Public Library, is free and open to the public.

The library is located at Eight Town Square in Murrieta. For more information call 951-304-2665 or visit www.murrietalibrary.info.

The Banning Cultural Alliance will present the 4th annual Black Heritage Celebration at the Banning Center for the Arts on Feb. 25. The event will honor three outstanding participants in the community.

Live entertainment will be provided by singer Zelyne Rudolph, Didi Jackson on the keyboard and a solo performance by Alliance youth, Kaylee Daugherty.

Tickets to the event, which cost $10, include a soul food dinner from Brandiva and Sir Jerks Catering.

The Banning Center for the Arts is located at 130 N. San Gorgonio in Banning. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 951-922-4911 or visit www.BanningCulturalAlliance.org.

Need to clear your head? Wake up? The Polar Plunge into Big Bear Lake might be the answer. And the plunge is for a great cause.

On March 10, the inaugural Big Bear Lake Polar Plunge will take place to raise funds to help sponsor year-round sports training programs and athletic competitions for children and adults with intellectual disabilities in the Inland region of Special Olympics Southern California.

Individuals who take the polar plunge challenge are asked to raise at least $50 through pledges. Participants who reach this goal will get an official polar plunge t-shirt. Special Olympics supporters who prefer to stay out of the freezing mountain waters can still raise pledge money, but must register as a "chicken" and will still receive an "I'm too Chicken to Plunge" t-shirt.

"All it takes is a few seconds in the chilly water for plungers to discover why we refer to it as 'freezin' for a reason,'" said Abbey Leffler, Special Olympics Southern California regional director. "They will immediately feel their hearts warm up with joy because they know they are giving to a great cause."

There will be awards given out to best costumes and those who raise big money. Pledgers can invite friends and family to watch their jump. There will be a family fun area, guest emcee, DJ music, a souvenir stand, vendors and a raffle drawing. There will also be a free barbeque lunch for participants and spectators may purchase lunch tickets.

The event will take place at Meadow Park at 41220 Park Ave. in Big Bear Lake. Registration is from 10 a.m. to noon. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. To register as a jumper, visit www.sosc.org/bigbearplunge or call 951-672-7707 or email aleffler@sosc.org.

The Lake Elsinore Outlets Kids Outlet has a variety of activities lined up for the month of February. All activities, which are free and open to the public, take place in Suite 106 from 11 a.m. to noon Wednesdays and Fridays.

Each Wednesday throughout the month, Lake Elsinore Library will host a story time with interactive stories, familiar nursery rhymes and a craft.

Today, the Lizard Wizard will visit. Children can touch a python, an iguana and the shell of a giant tortoise. There will also be insects and other animals. Visit www.lizardwizardandfriends.com for more information about the Lizard Wizard.

On Feb. 10, children can visit the Kids Outlet to create a Valentine's Day Puppet or Card Bag.

On Feb. 17, young sports fans can scratch the name and logo of a favorite sports team onto a Magic Color Pennant and design a giant paper finger.

Lastly, on Feb. 24 children can participate in a panda jar craft to hold favorite cookies or other treats.

For more information call the outlet at 951-245-0087 or visit www.lakeelsinoreoutlet.com.

My 10-year-old daughter is involved in this GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) after-school program over the next few weeks. Every Tuesday afternoon they meet and do some sort of mad-cap science experimentation. The first week she needed an empty plastic container with a lid and three rocks for the class. So we tracked that down and she trucked it off to school to create crystals with some sort of salt and ammonia mixture. I'm not sure where the rocks came into play.

The next week (last Tuesday) they needed balloons and baking soda to make the balloons blow themselves up. They also learned how to make a homemade volcano explode. So all the kids went home ready to blow stuff up. Yikes.

Next week she needs another empty plastic container with a lid, an empty water bottle and a chicken bone - preferably wing or thigh. So now I'm wondering what kind of voodoo experimentation these kids will be doing Tuesday. Regardless, I stripped down a chicken bone for her, boiled it clean and have it ready for next week's class. At least she didn't ask for a rag doll and some pins.