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Show Page 14 The Ogden Valley news Volume XIV Issue XV May 15, 2007 Snowcrest Junior High School Presents Melodrama money to rebuild the Eden Schoolhouse that has recently burned to the ground. On Monday, May 7, students at The community rallies together and a comSnowcrest Junior High School present- munity auction is planned. Everything ed their annual melodrama. This year’s is going well until “The Scourge of the West,” arrives in a wheelbarrow. The “Scourge of the West” goes by the name Dyer S. Woad, and happens to be carrying a lovely pot of yellow flowers. Heroic silver minor Tom Harrison steps in to defeat the villain and save the day for the community and the beautiful schoolmarm—Melinda Farrow. Blake Merriam, who plays Dyer S. Woad, says of the melodrama, “It’s kind of a twisty history of the Valley.” He goes on to explain that he and the other students have been practicing for about two months, and rehearsing every day after school. “It’s been really fun,” says Shaylise Conner Padilla (left) playing hero Tom Harrison Messerly, who plays the part of the with Shaylise Messerly (right) playing hero- heroine schoolmarm. “But it’s also a lot ine Melinda Farrow in Snowcrest Junior High of work to memorize all of your lines.” “The Schoolhouse Scandal and School’s production of “The Schoolhouse Scourge of the West” cast included: Scandal and the Scourge of the West.” By Kera Erickson Blake Merriam Dyer S. Woad: The Scourge of the West Cass Bindrup Vex: Amnesiac villainous sidekick Connor Padilla Tom Harrison: A heroic silver miner Shaylise Messerly Melinda Farrow: Schoolmarm Dannie Ybarra Ethel: No one can resist Ethel! Dylan Lierd Hoken: Owner of Hoken’s Hole Saloon Chelsey Kidd Mariah: Hoken’s wife Heather VanLeer Maggie: Saloon girl Danny Causey: A La Plata miner Austin Leonard: An “expert” miner Cara Bassett Mrs. Eccles: Church goin’ busybody Colleen Stone Flora: Church goin’ busybody Jared Tidwell Sheriff: Keeper of the Valley Cierra Hirst Trigger: Eager deputy Josh Mayhew David McKay: mail carrier/paper boy Rope skippin’ pupil Blake Merriam who plays Dyer S. Woad Analisa Beulah: Autumn Watts Hilma: Pupil pushes Vex, his villainous sidekick, in Nikki Liau Steeple: Church a wheelbarrow. Vex is played by Cass steeple Bindrup. production was titled “The Schoolhouse Scandal and the Scourge of the West.” Angela Bulloch, Eden resident and drama teacher at Snowcrest, wrote and directed the melodrama using the history of Ogden Valley as her inspiration. Bulloch states, “Many of the names and facts for the melodrama are true and accurate, though most are exaggerated and some are even fictionalized.” The setting of the story is Ogden Valley during the late 1800’s when Utah, a time when the La Plata silver mines were booming, and Hoken’s Hole—currently known as Huntsville’s Shooting Star Saloon—is a gathering spot for thirsty miners. Utah has recently become a state and Swineville, now covered by Pineview Reservoir, oper- ates a pig farm and slaughter house. A creamery, cemetery, and 47 artesian wells are also part of the plot. The plot begins when schoolmarm Melinda Farrow takes up a mission to raise Student Reading Program Being Offered in Ogden Valley A Spalding Parent Course is being offered for the first time this summer in the Valley. Spalding is a reading method used by private and charter schools in Utah and all types of schools around the world with great success. This method was developed by Ramalda Spalding to assist students with learning disabilities; specifically, dyslexia, with amazing results. It was later introduced to regular classrooms with the same success. Marc Mason, a principal from the Benjamin Franklin Elementary public school in Mesa, Arizona stated, “The Spalding Method of teaching precise speech, legible handwriting, correct spelling, and fluent, accurate reading has done more to provide continuity consistency for our entire curriculum than any other factor . . . . No program can compete with its effectiveness and economy. Our 24 years of Spalding has produced tremendous results . . . .” While the Spalding course being offered is specifically designed to assist parents in supplementing their children’s education at home, it will also be invaluable to teachers wishing to explore other methods of teaching literacy. If, however, enough teachers are interested, or if parents wish to take the teachers course, we could look into offering that course also. The course would be offered some time in July, and would run for two weeks. The cost is about $250. Many parents in the Valley who have visited schools that use the Spalding method have been very impressed with the results. Any teacher, therefore, who wishes to take the course but lacks the funds, please contact us as we may be able to find parents who would donate the necessary fee. All interested parties can contact Huntsville resident Stephanie Wi l k i n s v i a e - m a i l a t < s t e p h a niewilkins4@yahoo.com> Pajama Party at the Ogden Valley Branch Library a Success On April 17, the Ogden Valley Branch Library celebrated National Library Week with a pajama party. Families were treated to interactive readings of Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late by Mo Willems and The Library Dragon by Carmen Deedy. It was unanimous that the pigeon should not stay up late! To decide for yourself if the pigeon should be allowed a few extra minutes before bedtime, or if librarians really are dragons, check out each great book at the Ogden Valley Branch Library. The event also included the Dewey Decimal Dash in which participants raced across a finish line with library books balanced precariously on their heads. All young attendees searched the library for hidden bookmarks redeemable for fabulous prizes. Later, everyone gathered together to create a giant “I Spy” game board full of great drawings of hidden objects. If you missed this wonderful program, don’t worry; the Ogden Valley Branch library has tons of other great offerings just around the corner. Keep your eyes open for articles on our Family Movie Festival, Teen Anime Movie Festival, and our Summer Reading Programs. For more information about all the FREE events the library has to offer, please call 745-2220. Valley Market Doantes Funds to Schools Terry Hancock and Tom Ferguson, owners of Valley Market, present a check to Amanda Scheuermann, owner of the Ogden Valley Montessori School in Eden. The Valley Market doantes a percentage of sales receipt totals from students’ families that shop at the local grocery store. Accompanist for the fun-filled melodrama was Paralee Eckman. Stage assistants were Jordan Brasher and Ashley Dahl, with J.J. Jenn, Parker Okabe, and Tom Harris working as the sound and lighting crew. Under Contract! |