R
News & Views ARCHIVE,
5/9/08...Performing Arts Center / Rockets Sports
Banquet.
Thursday was one of the most exciting days for our Kent State Tuscarawas campus and certainly for our area. What was so exciting? It was the official groundbreaking for the Kent State Tuscarawas Performing Arts Center. The event set the stage for the construction of a 50,000 square foot building that truly will be a center for learning, cultural activities, and enhanced economic development for our area.
Educationally, the center will bring about expanded offerings for students in music, theatre and dance. This is particularly exciting because the campus will be able to create a new degree in Entertainment Design Technology which can lead students to opportunities in theatre production, advertising, television, film, film sets, animation and theme parks. Over the years our Kent Tusc campus has made it possible for students to receive bachelor's degree in seven areas of study, 19 associate degrees and selected graduate opportunities, including the Masters of Technology.
The cultural activities that this center will host are endless. This facility will have an 1,100 seat theatre, an orchestra pit and an orchestra lift, a stage that will have a 75 foot fly space for scenery changes, state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems and acoustics. An upper and lower level lobby area will be used for art shows, conference space, and for hosting receptions and dinners. There will be a rehearsal room, classrooms, dressing rooms, a cast room, a green room, a coat check and a box office. All the amenities that you would expect to find in the finest theatres or concert halls in the country. This will be a showplace. It will attract people to our area for the performances, which in turn means money spent for admission fees, restaurants, hotels and shopping. It will show our area as a vibrant and exciting place to live and do business. I look forward to reporting to you the progress of this project and look forward to the opening of the center, hopefully a year and a half from now. Congratulations to Dean Gregg Andrews for his vision and leadership, and as our State Senator Jason Wilson said, "his attitude and willingness for making the center a reality." To Pam Patacca for organizing an exciting and entertaining ceremony, and to the entire Kent State Tuscarawas team an exciting time for all.
Another exciting time for a group of young people took place on Tuesday night when the Tuscarawas County Rockets held their 2007-2008 Sports Banquet, which I had the opportunity to attend. The night was a time to recognize those who participated in bowling, bocce, track and field, cycling and basketball. One of the special moments of the night was the awarding of the Gene Jasper Outstanding Athlete of the Year Award. This was the first time for this award, but it will be a regular presentation at the banquet. Gene Jasper had been a long time parent volunteer who passed away last year. His son Gerry plays on the Rockets basketball team, and said that the team would be playing for his dad. Gerry became the first recipient of the award. Linda Hobart, coach of the Rockets, said that she was proud of the team for bringing home their 4th State Basketball Championship. She attributes their success to hard work, dedication and desire. Representative Zack Space, a former MRDD Board member, sent a special acknowledgement by having the names of the Starlight Rockets players entered into the Congressional Record. The support of the parents and the community for the Starlight Sports programs is overwhelming and greatly appreciated. I am thankful I had the opportunity to be there to share in this great night for these young people. I had the pleasure of making a special presentation of a WJER Radio microphone to Bob Glasgow, who for a number of years has been the PA announcer at all of the Rockets home games. He is just one of many people who volunteer their time and talents to Starlight and to TUSCARC, the support group for the Starlight School and Workshop. They are responsible for the benefit auction held every year at the Pavilion behind the Sugarcreek Fire Station, which will be Saturday, July 19th. A number of these young folks will go on to Columbus to participate in the Ohio Special Olympics Summer Games. We wish them the very best, and will close R News and Views with their motto, "Let Me Win, But If I Can Not Win, Let Me Brave In The Attempt."
Those are my views, if you want to see these comments and more, check out the WJER website at wjer.com and click on "R"News and Views.